“The Astonishing Adventures of Missionary Max” by Andrew Comings

David Livingstone meet Indiana Jones. The famed missionary explorer and the world-renowned, cinematic adventurer come to mind as one reads Andrew Comings’ new book The Astonishing Adventures of Missionary Max (Engage Faith Press, 2012).

In a fast-paced, engaging manner, Comings masterfully weaves his tale set on the fictional island of Cabrito. Political intrigue, a mysterious past, shady villains and maniacal kingpins — the story doesn’t follow the script one imagines for a typical missionary adventure tale. And Max is no missionary-want-to-be, he comes across as a man’s man who is forced into staying on Cabrito to make a difference.

The twists and turns of the plot, characters with depth and reality, and a locale where almost anything can go, keep one guessing throughout the book. Surprises abound as we come to terms with Max’s true identity, and learn more about his newfound friends. There is a romantic angle, too, but like the rest of the book – its a little complicated. The book stays suitable for teenagers, and perhaps older elementary children, although some of the themes will be over their heads.

The story is well crafted and one wouldn’t know it is Comings’ first book from reading it. It is a work of Christian fiction, however, and this comes through with its pointed message of forgiveness and reconciliation. And Max even shares his personal testimony in one scene. Yet this aspect of the book isn’t handled in a sloppy manner, and Comings manages to keep the story from becoming preachy in a stilted sense.

Many of us want our lives to count for Christ, and we all experience the struggles that Max does as well. We may not all have a military past that haunts us, but we each have our demons. This may be why this book resonates so deeply with me. Max is an imperfect hero who’s thrust into a situation he couldn’t have foreseen. But at the end of the story we can see that God’s hand is behind bringing many of the disparate threads together.

If you’re looking for some wholesome fiction from a new and rising author, look no further than Missionary Max. I hope the work will span sequels and that it will soon be available in a print format. For now, it is available in three parts at the Amazon kindle store. Its serial release may hamper sales, but the story as a whole really is worth its salt. Help out a new author and take a look at this promising work today.

Disclaimer: This book was provided by the author for review. I was under no obligation to offer a favorable review.

The book is available from Amazon.com (for your Kindle or on paperback).

Learn more about the book and its author (a real life missionary) at the author’s blog.

In the Box: New Titles from New Growth Press

In the Box posts highlight new books I’ve received in the mail.

Last week I received two new books from New Growth Press. I really enjoy the materials that NGP produces. Our college-age class is almost finished with The Gospel Centered Life study, and I am currently helping to teach How People Change for our adult SS. Both of these studies are very well done, and thoroughly Gospel-centered.

Here are the two new releases this month from New Growth Press.

Body Broken: Can Republicans and Democrats Sit in the Same Pew? by Charles D. Drew

ISBN: 1936768305
List Price: $15.99
Book Detail Page: Here
Links to Buy: Christianbook.com, Westminster Bookstore, Amazon, Barnes&Noble, New Growth Press

This book intrigued me. The publisher’s description made me pick this book up right away and start reading it. I think the author is onto something very important. Christianity is about the Church of Jesus Christ, not the political welfare of one nation, or one party. Here’s the publisher’s description and some glowing endorsements of the book:

Can Christians Be Political Activists without Hating Each Other?

As the next presidential election comes into view, Americans are deciding where to stand on key issues. The church has often been as politically divided as the culture, but Charles Drew offers an alternative for people who care deeply about their faith, about Christian harmony, and about the church’s calling in the world. In this updated and revised version of A Public Faith (NavPress 2000), Drew helps Christians develop practical biblical convictions about critical social and political issues. Distinguishing between moral principle and political strategy, Body Broken equips believers to maintain the unity of the church while building their political activism upon a thoughtful and biblical foundation. Drew helps Christians of all political persuasions understand how to practice servanthood, cooperation, and integrity in today’s public square.

“Charlie Drew leads us sure-footedly through the difficult terrain of Christian political involvement. He points out the unique social impact of the ministry of the local church, and then guides us through a host of other issues with a biblical and balanced approach.” ~ Dr. Timothy Keller (Senior Pastor, Redeemer Presbyterian Church, Manhattan, NY; author of the New York Times best-seller The Reason for God)

“Here is a wise, gentle, Bible-based, low-key introduction and discussion-starter on a matter of huge importance for Christian credibility in this generation. May it be widely read, and taken deeply to heart.” ~ J.I. Packer (Board of Governors and Professor, Regent College, Vancouver, Canada, and well-known author)

“This book is a needed antidote to the worldliness of much Christian political involvement, whether of the conservative or liberal variety. It should be required teaching in our churches!” ~ (William Brewbaker (Professor of Law, University of Alabama; Ruling Elder, Trinity Presbyterian Church, Tuscaloosa, AL)

 

Loving Well: Even If You Haven’t Been by William Smith

ISBN: 1936768291
List Price: $15.99
Book Detail Page: Here
Links to Buy: Christianbook.com, Westminster Bookstore, Amazon, Barnes&Noble, New Growth Press

This next book looks interesting, too. The endorsements make me want to bump this book higher up my reading list, too! Here’s the publisher’s book description:

Trade in Your Bad Relationship Habits for Something Better

Distance. Resentment. Avoidance. You want to love your family, neighbors, and coworkers. But all too often something goes wrong, and you find yourself tearing down the relationships you wanted to build. Are you doomed to keep repeating the same relationship mistakes? William P. Smith explains that destructive relationship patterns no longer need to control you. Experiencing God’s love will change you, so you can trade your bad relationship habits for real love.

“In a world that is losing its bearings, Bill Smith gives us clear and warm direction centered on the person of Jesus. In this richly nuanced book, Bill uses wisdom from the Word and his experiences as a counselor and father to offer us a template for love in a broken world.” ~ Paul E. Miller (Director of SeeJesus; author of A Praying Life and Love Walked Among Us)

“Bill Smith wants us to know that we can love because we have been and are being loved; no, not by our friends and family, but by our ever-present and ever-loving Redeemer. God’s love has the power to transform each of us into people who love joyfully, humbly, faithfully and well. Now, in a world where hearts and relationships are broken daily, that really is good news!” ~ Paul David Tripp, DMin. (President of Paul Tripp Ministries, author and international conference speaker)

“I have read dozens of books about love, so I wasn’t expecting anything new. But I don’t remember too many books that I wanted to read to my wife, inspired me, led me in confession, left me with enthusiasm to try some bolder forms of love, and will leave me poor because I want to get copies for so many friends.” ~ Edward T. Welch, PhD. (CCEF faculty member; author of When People Are Big and God Is Small, Running Scared and Depression)

“The Gospel Story Bible: Discovering Jesus in the Old and New Testaments” by Marty Machowski

Book Details:
  • Author: Marty Machowski
  • Category: Children’s Books
  • Publisher: New Growth Press (2011)
  • Format: hardcover
  • Page Count: 328
  • ISBN#: 9781936768127
  • List Price: $29.99
  • Rating: Highly Recommended

Review:
As the father of five daughters, I have had ample occasions to read Children’s Bible storybooks. The majority of such storybooks are quite simple and to the point. They don’t often interact with the story at a child’s level other than to make the tale more imaginative and seem more story-like. Few storybooks really serve believing parents well.

The Gospel Story Bible by Marty Machowski (New Growth Press, 2011) is much different. It is uniquely designed to help facilitate the parents’ task of teaching their children the Gospel, as they recount the various stories in the Bible. The stories include discussion questions at the end, and are usually presented in a fairly straight-forward, stick-to-the-text manner. Sometimes, however, a little more explanation is woven into the story. And each story wraps up with an application to the Gospel or to the flow of redemptive history. The book’s emphasis is on communicating the Gospel intent of the Bible stories rather than on wowing the children and parents with how imaginative a reshaping of the Scriptural story this new storybook can provide.

My children appreciate the sheer number of Bible stories covered by this book (78 stories from each testament) – many of which are not addressed in other, smaller Bible storybooks. And the vivid colors and interesting illustrations also enthrall their young minds. The illustration style is unique and more artistic than you’d expect. The intent is not to depict a true-to-life version of the story so much as to provide an intriguing image that illustrates it. For my part, I think this style is perfectly suited to the book’s overall feel with its bright and colorful pages. Sometimes the smaller font, which is often colored white against a dark color background, can be hard to read however. But the size of the font helps keep the stories at two pages in length, allowing the book to stay fairly compact even as it covers a large number of stories. The glossy hardcover makes the book attractive yet also keeps it sturdy and durable.

The author’s aim in producing this book is stated in its sub-title: “Discovering Jesus in the Old and New Testaments.” And the book dovetails well with a Sunday School curriculum covering both the Old and New Testaments that has also been developed by the author (and published by New Growth Press). This curricula along with the storybook, would also serve well in a homeschool setting, as children of a wide variety of ages will be blessed and instructed through this material.

I encourage Christian parents everywhere to pick up a copy of this book. Check out some sample pages and even explore the available SS material as well. We would be remiss not to add one more tool to our arsenal as we aim to teach our children the Bible. And of course just learning facts isn’t the key, we hope they learn and embrace the Gospel. And this is what makes The Gospel Story Bible so compelling. I highly recommend this book.

Author Info:
Marty Machowski
is a Family Life Pastor at Covenant Fellowship Church, a Sovereign Grace Ministries church in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania, where he has served on the pastoral staff for twenty-four years. He is the author of the Gospel Story for Kids series including Long Story Short: Ten-Minute Devotions to Draw Your Family to God and the Gospel Story Curriculum. He and his wife Lois and their six children reside in West Chester, Pennsylvania.

A.E. Macha, BFA (Illustration, Arcadia University) is married with two children and lives in Philadelphia. Anne teaches art at a local school and has developed her illustration style through exploring art and design in diverse cultures.

Where to Buy:
  • Westminster Bookstore
  • Christianbook.com
  • Amazon
  • New Growth Press

Related Media:
  • Author interview about this book
  • Gospel Story for Kids website

Disclaimer:
This book was provided by New Growth Press for review. I was under no obligation to offer a favorable review.

The 12 Days Before Christmas Book Giveaway: Day 2

Today is day 2 of the 4th Annual 12 Days Before Christmas Book Giveaway! Today’s giveaway is sponsored by New Growth Press, Reformation Heritage Books, and P & R Publishing. We will have four winners today, who will win a combined total of 15 books. The prizes will be spelled out below. First, I want to highlight the various books available in today’s giveaway.

Kids Story Books and Devotionals from New Growth Press

The Gospel Story Bible: Discovering
Jesus in the Old and New Testaments
Long Story Short: Ten-Minute Devotions to Draw Your Family to God
OT preview and NT preview Watch an author interview or view sample
                   Visit GospelStoryforKids.com for more information.

Historical Fiction & Children’s Biographies from Simonetta Carr

Weight of a Flame: The Passion of Olympia Morata (Chosen Daughters) [P & R Publishing]

Preview the book here.

Learn more at prpbooks.com.

Bonus: for another chance to win this book, visit the Heavenly Springs blog.

Athanasius (Christian Biographies for Young Readers) [Reformation Heritage]

Preview the book here.

Read my review of this book.

You can also view a video clip produced by the illustrator of the book.

John Owen (Christian Biographies for Young Readers) [Reformation Heritage]

Preview the book here.

You can also view a video clip produced by the illustrator of the book.

                   Visit the author’s website for more information.

Additional Parenting Resources from Reformation Heritage Books

Parenting by God’s Promises: How to Raise Children in the Covenant of Grace

Preview the book here.

Family Worship (Family Guidance Series)

Preview the book here.

You can also view a video clip produced by the illustrator of the book.

                         Visit HeritageBooks.org for more information.

Today’s Prizes

Each winner will receive a free copy of the books listed below.

1st Prize 2nd Prize 3rd Prize 4th Prize
  • Gospel Story Bible
  • Long Story Short
  • Weight of a Flame
  • Athanasius
  • Gospel Story Bible
  • Long Story Short
  • Weight of a Flame
  • John Owen
  • Gospel Story Bible
  • Long Story Short
  • Weight of a Flame
  • Family Worship
  • Gospel Story Bible
  • Long Story Short
  • Parenting by God’s Promises

Enter Today’s Contest

The contest is now closed. Click to my home page and you’ll see a link at the top to the next day’s giveaway in our 12 Days Before Christmas Giveaway.

Special Sale on “The Gospel Story Bible”

Westminster Bookstore is offering 65% off on an exciting new title from New Growth Press: The Gospel Story Bible: Finding Jesus in the Old and New Testament by Marty Machowski. This could be the perfect Christmas gift for families with young children. And it’s only $9.99 now through Wednesday.

You can preview the entire book for free here. Included below are some of the many endorsements for this new book.

“For over five years Marty Machowski’s products have been a mainstay in our children’s ministry, which serves approximately 600 kids per week. We have seen great spiritual fruit from its use in a wide variety of age groups (preschool to fifth grade) and class sizes (10 kids to 200). We love how every product points children back to the most important message of the Bible — God’s plan of salvation through the atoning life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.” – Joshua Harris, Senior Pastor, Covenant Life Church author of Dug Down Deep

“Marty Machowski gets the gospel and knows how to transfer it to kids in a way that delights the soul and engages the mind. The Gospel Story Bible is a treasure for parents of young children. But it’s not just for children, Marty traces the gospel through the Bible with crystal clarity and traction for all ages. Few pastors I know are this skilled in making the glories of Scripture so accessible in narrative form. It’s a must buy.” – Dave Harvey, Sovereign Grace Ministries; author of When Sinners Say “I Do” and Rescuing Ambition

“More good news for parents (and grandparents)! Marty Machowski has once again delivered an excellent resource to help us lead children spiritually. The Gospel Story Bible explains the storyline of Scripture from Genesis to Revelation in 156 chapters, with vivid illustrations and thoughtful discussion questions for each reading. I fully anticipate that as you read this to your children (or grandchildren), you will be amazed together at the grace of God revealed in Scripture.” – C.J. Mahaney, President, Sovereign Grace Ministries; author of The Cross Centered Life

“If you want your children to grow up loving the Bible, then introduce them to The Gospel Story Bible. Here you have a simple, readable, understandable, and engaging account of 156 of the most powerful stories in the Bible. Every story is of manageable size, and even the most energetic child will be able to remain attentive for an entire story. In fact, you may be pleasantly surprised that your children will want to hear more than one story. The most important feature of the book is that Pastor Machowski sees the gospel in every story! Listen to how his book opens: ‘God’s gospel story starts at the very beginning’! I assure you that it doesn’t end there. The gospel permeates every chapter of this book. I highly recommend it.” – Nancy E. Ganz, Author of Herein is Love: A Commentary Series for Children on Genesis – Numbers

“I could speak at length about how much I recommend Marty Machowski’s books to churches – and indeed I do, along with books from a long list of other authors. But Marty’s resources for families and children also appear on a far shorter list that places them in a more significant category for me: they are books that I actually use in my home. Again Marty has provided us with a God-centered, Scripture-grounded, gospel-driven resource that orients the minds of children toward the wondrous works of God.” – Timothy Paul Jones, Associate Professor of Family Ministry, Southern Seminary; editor of The Journal of Family Ministry.

~cross-posted from my team book blog, CrossFocusedReviews.com