In her book, I Never Knew, Phyllis Robertson Thomas shares her story about how God redeemed the story of her traumatic childhood, mental health difficulties in adulthood, and the journey to discovering her biological father. Many have heard the story of the Robertson family of the show Duck Dynasty discovering that their patriarch Phil had a long-lost daughter and how they can to fully love and accept her. But what many don’t know is the story of how Phyllis struggled throughout her traumatic childhood and how this was carried with her into adulthood. There are parts of her story that can be difficult to read, but through all the difficulties she faced throughout her life, Phyllis continued to make the hard choices that allowed her to find healing and help others that have gone through similar struggles, even getting a master’s degree in counseling. This book interlaces the story of Phyllis’ life with biblical truth and practical advice about how to navigate healing from trauma. I was grieved by what she went through, but also rejoiced for what she was able to overcome. This book is powerful, practical, and inspiring. If you want to learn more about her story or want to grow or move on the difficulties of your past, I highly recommend this book

Warning: this book does talk about mental health subjects, which might be difficult for some readers. There are two sections that describe two attempts the author made to end her life, but each section is clearly labeled with a warning if you want to skip them.

* I received an advanced copy of this book for the purpose of this review as part of the book’s launch team

​I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect when I chose this book. When I chose it from a list of non-fiction books I could review, this one sounded the most interesting. While I haven’t read a theological book like this in some time, this ended up being a great refresher on many central and important doctrines of the faith. While it was fairly dense given the subject matter, the subjects addressed were covered well, making it a great tool for someone who is looking to learn more about theology. I am now grateful to have this resource as part of my personal library ~ Bethel

​In their book Essentials of Christian Theology, editors Nathan Holsteen and Michael Svigel walk Christians through the foundational teachings and doctrines of the Christian faith, as well as how these doctrines apply to our lives today. Addressing concepts such as the Trinity, humanity’s relationship to sin, and God’s saving grace, each topic is broken down into practical sections, including “Passages to Ponder,” “Realities to Remember,” “Errors to Avoid,” and “Lessons to Live.” Coming from a systematic theological perspective, this book works hard to present the different theological views presented from a balanced view that doesn’t declare one view to be right over another. It also holds fast to the truth of gospel and emphasizes doctrines on which most Protestant Christian would agree. Beyond the work of just sharing theological truth, each chapter also includes a section of practical ways that we as Christians should be living our lives in light of the truth of that given doctrine. With the inclusion of a list of resources for continuing study, this book would be a great starting point for anyone that wants to get serious about understanding the teachings and logic behind their why they believe what they believe. As long as you are ready for deeper study, I highly recommend this book.

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher for the purpose of this review.

​When I heard that Ben Shapiro was going to be releasing another book, I was excited. While I hadn’t read any of his previous books, I have appreciated many of his insights and perspectives that he has shared through his podcast and speeches. Once I finally got to listen to the audiobook, I enjoyed it from start to finish. His style of writing is very engaging but also relatable. While this is my first time in the history of this blog reviewing a book that is technically not a Christian book, I do believe that this book has a lot of value for Christians, and is definitely written in support of the Judeo-Christian values that helped form western civilization. These concepts have helped me strengthen my desire to be a lion and a weaver in my own community. I think they will for you too, if you are willing to take this journey ~ Bethel

​In his book Lions and Scavengers, Ben Shapiro explains many of the problems within our political and cultural landscape using the relevant metaphor of lions and scavengers. Lions are those who desire to build up their society through hard work, innovation, and strengthening moral values. Scavengers are those who seek to tear it down because they want to claim the privileges to what they have not earned. Much of the scavenger mentality stems from a dangerous idea that all inequality of outcome in our world must come to systematic oppression and that overthrowing the system is the only solution. But Shapiro explains that what causes these inequalities is differences in talent and work ethics, and that societies where many lions have been able to use these differences to build and innovate that have been the backbone of Western civilization, and that any system that attempts to undermine this in the name of equality is also undermining the values that gave them the freedoms and privileges they have now. Unchecked, a society overrun by scavengers in this way will be led to ruin. It’s only in a society where lions are allowed to protect what has been built that will be able to thrive and live up to its greatest potential.

While this book was specially written about social and political issues in America, I think these concepts have application to any society in the world and should impact the way we look at past societies throughout history. The way that Shapiro has explained the social and cultural landscape of our time is very enlightening to anyone who wants to help strengthen our country and culture for a better future. While I disagree with him theologically (since he is a Jew and I am a Christian), I am grateful for his insights regarding how Judeo-Christian values have shaped Western civilization and how those values are worth defending. The metaphor of lions and scavengers brings much clarity to our struggles between these groups so that hopefully the lions can learn how to continue to shape our society for the better while also standing up for the truth in love as we can help transform many scavengers into the lions that will help us along the way.
​
This book is engaging, easy to read, and insightful on an important topic. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to build up our society to make it better. Get your copy today.

Interested in purchasing this title? If you purchase it from Amazon using the link below, Abiding Grace Ministries will receive a small commission from the sale at no cost to you.

Purchase Lions and Scavengers: https://amzn.to/4q5paNh

Until the end of the year, I am working towards buying some tools, services, and subscriptions that will help me accelerate the growth of my publishing ministry so that I pursue doing this work full time. If you would like to help or learn more, here's the link: https://givebutter.com/growmyministry2025

​In her book Bad Girls of the Bible, Liz Curtis highlights the stories of ten women in the Bible who did something “bad”: Eve, Potiphar's wife, Lot's wife, the woman at the well, Delilah, Sapphira, Rahab, Jezebel, Michal, and the sinful woman who anointed Jesus’ feet. Eve is unique because she is the first bad girl. But some of these women were “bad to the bone” (Potiphar's wife, Delilah, and Jezebel), some were “bad for a moment” (Lot's wife, Sapphira, and Michal), and some were “bad for a season, but not forever” (Rahab, the woman at the well, and the sinful woman). But all of them did something wrong that we can identify with in hopes that we can learn from their mistakes and discover how God can redeem them for His glory. Each chapter starts with a creative, fictionalized retelling of the biblical story, with the names and context changed for a contemporary audience. Then, she walks through a verse-by-verse exploration of the story from the New International Version [1984] and concludes with lessons we can learn and thoughts to consider for each story. Through it all, you will be challenged when your story relates to these bad girls and inspired by ways that you can change.

​This book is creative and useful book that studies these character in a relevant and engaging way. If you are looking for a unique Bible study experience, this is a book for you. Get your copy today.

​2) Share - If you know anyone that you think would be interested in contributing to support the work of Abiding Grace Ministries, you can either share the campaign page above or you can share this page, which is a public version of my latest email newsletter: https://bethelgrove.kit.com/posts/helpmegrowmychristianpublishingministry

3) Pray - Even if you aren't able to donate or share, I would appreciate your prayers as I work hard towards making this ministry sustainable while also continuing to serve others where God has me right now.

​In her book Really Bad Girls of the Bible, Liz Curtis highlights the stories of nine women in the Bible who did something "bad": the medium at En Dor, Jael, the adulteress, Athaliah, Bathsheba, Herodias, Tamar the Widow, and the Bleeding Woman. Some of these women were "bad and proud of it" (Athaliah and Herodias), some were part of a “bad moon rising” (medium at En Dor and Bathsheba), some were “bad for a good reason” (Jael and Tamar the Widow) and two was "bad, but not condemned" (the adulteress and the bleeding woman). Each chapter starts with a creative, fictionalized retelling of the biblical story, with the names and context changed for a contemporary audience. Then, she walks through a verse-by-verse exploration of the story from the New International Version [probably the 1984 edition] and concludes with lessons we can learn and thoughts to consider for each story. Through it all, you will be challenged when your story relates to these bad girls and inspired by ways that you can change.

​Just like the first book, this book is creative and useful book that studies these character in a relevant and engaging way. If you are looking for a unique Bible study experience, this is a book for you. Get your copy today.

As I have been looking toward the future of this blog and my ministry, I am excited about focusing my work on the goal of building a sustainable income from the books and resources I create so that I can officially dedicate my time to full-time volunteer ministry, which will include the work of supporting other Christian authors by writing reviews of their books. While I have made great strides towards this goal by publishing 13 full content books, 52 low content books, over 200 digital products, and much more, I know that it will take me a long time to get to the point of sustainability unless I am able to invest back into my business by purchasing tools, services, and subscriptions that will help my business grow. That's where you might be able to help.

​I would like to raise some of the money I need to help me grow my Christian publishing ministry to cover some expenses by the end of 2025 that will help me grow my business in 2026 and beyond. I hope that you will consider partnering with me in the work of supporting Christian authors, volunteer youth ministry, and other ministry projects by contributing to this campaign. There are three ways that you can help:

1) Donate - If you are financially able or willing to give, please consider contributing to my fundraiser on GiveButter, where you can see what expenses I hope to cover and my progress towards my goal: https://givebutter.com/growmyministry2025

2) Share - If you know anyone that you think would be interested in contributing to support the work of Abiding Grace Ministries, you can either share the campaign page above or you can share this page, which is a public version of my latest email newsletter: https://bethelgrove.kit.com/posts/helpmegrowmychristianpublishingministry

3) Pray - Even if you aren't able to donate or share, I would appreciate your prayers as I work hard towards making this ministry sustainable while also continuing to serve others where God has me right now.