​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.

​When I found the documentary Authorized for free online, I was quite curious. While I did not grow up reading the King James Version, it’s hard to deny the impact it has had on English-speaking Christianity and the English-speaking culture as we know it today. I found the documentary to be both insightful and entertaining, balancing humor with practical information about the changes in the English language that have caused much of the language in the KJV to fall out of the vernacular. While I usually be at least partially hesitant about using the KJV in my personal Bible study, I believe that between the document, the book, and the work on his YouTube channel, I now have the tools I need to use the KJV to help me better understand God’s Word. I was also appreciative of the work he had done for Logos, which was the Bible study software I was introduced to in college. If you have found yourself believing that the King James Version is the only Bible a Christian should us or you have avoided using it because you can’t understand it, I highly recommend that you check out this book to give you the perspective you need to use it the right way ~ Bethel

For many English-speaking Christians today, there is an ongoing battle for which Bible translation is the best. For a few hundred years, the King James Version was the one translation that ruled them all. When other translations started to come out in the last century, a war began between those who wanted to use newer translations and those who were convinced that the KJV is the only acceptable English translation of the Bible. Similar with the fractions that came with Protestantism, some Christians have allowed themselves to be divided based on their preferred translation, with KJV-onlyist often being the most vocal and passionate. It makes us ask the question: is the King James Version a useful Bible translation for our world today?

​In his book Authorized, Dr. Mark Ward addressed both the benefits of using the King James Version while also addressing concerns about whether this version is intelligible enough for contemporary audiences. While Ward acknowledges that there have been great benefits for several generations of the church to have one primary Bible translation, he also explains the problems that have accumulated over time because the KJV translated God’s Words in a version of English that is not used anymore. Some of the words in the KJV are dead words, but many more have become “false friends,” which are words that we still use today but had a different meaning when they were written. Many of these false friends have led to either misinterpretation of the text or readers completely missing the point because the passage doesn’t make sense. These problems, Ward argues, are unnecessary hurdles when there are acceptable modern equivalents that would help them understand if these words were retranslated. He explains that, based on 1 Corinthians 14, for a person to be edified or encouraged by God’s Word, they have to understand God’s Word. So instead of using one translation exclusively that may limit intelligibility, it could become one tool among many translations you should use to help you better understand God’s Word.

​This book is insightful and engaging on an important topic and is one that I recommend to any Christian, no matter where you are on the KJV spectrum. Get you copy today.

​Authorized Documentary – I was originally introduced to this book by a documentary produced by Faithlife. If you don’t feel you have the time to read this book, this 45-minute documentary will give you the core ideas of the book in engaging and sometimes humorous ways. It is available for free on YouTube and RedeemTV.

​Audiobook – I used the audiobook for this title and really enjoyed it. Some parts of the books were engaging and amusing when he was doing accents to differentiate certain quotations. There is also a great appendix exclusive to the audiobook that address some of the criticisms some KJV-onlyist have had to his work.

Ward on Words – While he finally decided to conclude his work on addressing KJV-onlyism, Mark Ward’s YouTube channel, Ward on Words, has quite a collection of work that extends the word he began in this book, including a series where he addressed a total of 150 false friends in the King James Version. He has now shifted his work to focusing more generally on Bible translations, but anyone who is interested in such topics would benefit from checking out these videos.

​It has surprisingly taken me over 5 years to get around to reading this book. I’ve been a fan of Jeff since he shared his spoken word poetry on YouTube and had followed most of his earlier books, especially It’s Not What You Think and Love that Lasts (both of which I was on the launch team for). However, the timing of this launch prevented me from getting involved and it took a while to get a copy and even longer to get around to reading it. But when I did, I was not disappointed. While the title admittedly made me a little hesitant, I found this book to be just as inspiring as the other books I’ve read by Jeff. The contents of this book are still incredibly relevant in our overconnected world, and I highly recommend this book ~ Bethel

Our world is more connected than any generation before. Between the internet, social media, cell phones that are the equivalent of super computers in our pockets, and even smart appliances, we have more knowledge and technology at our fingertips than ever before. However, we are also more disconnected and unsettled than any generation in history. Between a mental health crisis and the rising number of broken and dysfunctional relationships in our world, most of us are running on empty, attempting to fill the emptiness with busyness and work. Yet, none of this is solving the problem. It makes us ask the question: is there a way to reconnect and recharge in our overconnected and overdemanding world?

​In his book To Hell with the Hustle, bestselling author Jefferson Bethke walks readers through what it means to recharge and reprioritize in our overconnected world. Through personal stories, relevant research, and powerful insights, Jeff lays out the reasons why being overconnected and participating in the race to work as hard as possible for as long as possible is negatively impacting us as individuals as our world as a whole. Instead, we can choose to change our pace and prioritize what really matters. He challenges his readers to consider his family philosophy of setting “formations” for himself and his family instead of setting goals and to learn how to respond to invitations with “no” as a default so that family and authentic relationships are prioritized. We are also encouraged to establish a Sabbath, a day once a week set aside to rest and truly recharge. Through it all, you will be inspired to rethink the way that you use your time and your family’s time. This is a great book for anyone that wants to learn the right way to slow down and refocus on what matters most. Get your copy today!