The Gospel for Real Life - Jerry Bridges

I must first admit that I have enjoyed all of Jerry Bridge's books in the past, reading The Pursuit of Holiness many years ago, and he is on my favorite authors list. His writing is always clear, to the point, and easy to follow. Jerry is currently a part of the Navigator Collegiate Ministry Group and staff development.
In the Gospel For Real Life, he points out how the Gospel relates to our everyday living in this world, and how we can make a difference. In the Preface, he encourages us to "preach the gospel to ourselves every day." He intends this book to be "Gospel 101" not just for new believers, but for Christians at any stage of maturity.
There is a guide for individual or group study of 8 units covering 2 chapters each, with questions that relate to subjects in each chapter. This book comes recommended by such authors as Chuck Colson and R.C. Sproul. The back cover asks the question "What difference does the Gospel make?" Jerry Bridges answers that it makes a tremendous amount of difference and how you and I can be a part of it. I would recommend this book to both new believers and anyone else who would like to learn how to relate the Gospel to our everyday life.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from NavPress Publishers as part of their Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Live Like You Mean It - T.J. Addington

Subtitle - The 10 crucial questions that will help you clarify your purpose, live intentionally, and make the most of the rest of  your life. Discover your "sweet spot" in God's kingdom. Foreword by John Ortberg. This book contains 10 chapters that tackle 10 important questions that we should all be asking ourselves such as, Why am I here? What really matters? and Will I say yes to God?  Each chapter concludes with a prayer, and group discussion questions. The author is the international ministry leader of the Evangelical Free Church of America.
He mentions a life-threatening illness as one of the things that made him reflect on the influence he was having on others and his life in general.
I enjoy any book that asks good questions, and this one was no exception. It is filled with scripture references and explanations, and will help you to clarify your role in God's kingdom. The author uses personal illustrations from his own life, including a near death experience and people that have influenced his thinking, to help him think more clearly about the purpose of his life. Some may see this book as  "Purpose Driven Life" part two, but this author takes a different approach and is well worth the time to read. 

Good Choices Good Life - Michael Nelson

The main point of this book is if you make the right choices, ethical and honest choices, you will have a good life.The subtitle is Becoming the person you were intended to be. Included are real life stories of people, everyone from Randy Pausch and Michael Oher, who have made good choices and had a good life. Inspiring quotes are included from a variety of individuals such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, William Blake, and Carl Jung.  The author mentions writing this book for his grandchildren. This could have easily been a shorter book, many readers may be overwhelmed at the book's 331 pages.

I have mixed feelings about this book. The author appears to be active in a church, yet God is not mentioned until page 15. The more I read the book , the more impression I got that this was a how to live a moral life book, rather than a help for a stronger spiritual journey.
Among the sources listed in the back of this book I discovered several Stephen Covey books, and several others, while maybe morally correct, are not based on scripture. This was a cause of concern for me. 
 Making right choices is a good thing, however there is more to the Christian life than this.Subjects such as being honest, giving to others, and making the effort are included.  I could only recommend this book for those with a strong Christian background, who would not think just making good choices is enough. It should be made clear that " Becoming the person you were intended to be"  is only possible through accepting God's gift of salvation. The BEST choice anyone can make is to accept Jesus and make choices to live a life pleasing to God. That will lead to a good life, if not now, for all of eternity.

Rules To Live By - Jerry White

Subtitle - 52 Principles for a better life. The forward to this book is by Ken Blanchard who many will know as the author of The One Minute Manager. This book is a collection of 52 very short chapters, some only 2 pages long, on important principles that can be applied by a person of any age. The writing is to the point and brief.
The author is international president emeritus of The Navigators, was a mission controller, and taught at the the US Air Force academy. He brings all of these experiences together to write about what is really important in life. The book is divided into three sections, A Better You, Relationship Rules, and Enchancing Your Work and Effectiveness. These all cover many different aspects of living a better life such as, learn to relax, be real, give yourself, and work hard.
I enjoyed this book, but wanted the chapters to be longer, wishing to dig deeper into some of the subjects. It is already at 170 pages, but it is a quick read. Many good suggestions are given and some down right common sense reminders, which are never bad. I would recommend this book to anyone, especially to give as a gift. This is another great book from Navpress.