Tuesday, April 05, 2011

Book Tour ~ Lazarus Awakening

"Lazarus Awakening - Finding Your Place in the Heart of God" by Joanna Weaver


Publisher's Summary:  
For many of us, moving the truth of God's love from our heads to our hearts is a lifelong process. As we consider our inadequacies or grieve our shattered dreams, we find it difficult to believe that God cares for us personally.

Now, in the final installment of her renowned Bethany trilogy, best-selling author Joanna Weaver shows you how to embrace the truth that Jesus loves you apart from anything you accomplish, apart from anything you bring. Just as He called Lazarus forth to new life, Jesus wants to free you to live fully in the light of His love, unbound from the graveclothes of fear, regret, and self-condemnation.


My Thoughts:
This was my first book to read by this author and I will definitely be reading the other two books in this series (the Bethany Trilogy).  Joanna Weaver takes the story of Lazarus and does an indept study on the idea that Jesus loves us apart from anything we bring to the table, in this book focusing on Lazarus.   From the time Jesus receives the message Lazarus is gravely ill and could He please come, to Jesus tarrying to finally arriving and giving Lazarus the gift of resurrection and life again, the author takes us through lessons that show us that even in the hardest times, God has a plan, and truly loves us and that He can move us from those things that entomb us and keep us in grave clothes to true freedom and living in truth.

Though an indepth study, I found this book easy to read and took many, many notes.  I especially liked the 10 week study in the back that can be used with small groups and the appendixes that teach "who we are in Christ",  "Identifying Strongholds", and "Hints for Unwinding Grave clothes".  If I had one criticism of the book if would be the small sections within each chapter that were intermittently stuck in in a grey blocked area.  While the thoughts and info in them were great to read I find them distracting to the body of the text.  I either had to stop reading the main body or remember to go back and read them.  But that is just a personal preference and I definitely would recommend this to anyone struggling to know God's love for them or for anyone wanting to help those who struggle.

Thanks to Waterbrook Multnomah for a free copy for review.  All opinions are my own.

To purchase a copy you can go here.


3 comments:

Barbara H. said...

Sounds interesting! I agree with you about sidebars or blocks of information beside the text in books -- I don't like to stop the flow of reading the text to read them, but I don't like having to remember to go back through to read them, either. I don't know what the best solution is.

Christina said...

This must be good. I had just read a recent review of this book on another blog and that person also thought this book was a good one. I will definitely add it to my list. Now that my husband is gone I am getting a lot more reading done, although mostly out of loneliness.

Faith said...

This sounds good! I tend to read those little side boxes of text, etc first and highlight anything that stands out...then I go back and read the regular page....the bible study I am just starting with my small group is like that..each "woman of faith" (sheila walsh, thelma wells, etc) has little anecdotes in tiny boxes throughout the chapter...i find it really adds to the topic....i'll have to look for this book. I have never read anything by her either I don't think.