Book Give Away :: Pete Wilson's Empty Promises

A new week has begun. Here's something you can add to your shelf: a copy of Pete Wilson's Empty Promises: The Truth About You, Your Desires, and the Lies You're Believing. Happy Monday.

To be eligible to win, here's how to play:

• Announce this give away on Twitter. Be sure to mention me: @bsimpson.
• Share this post on Facebook. Make sure you leave a comment below saying you did. I'll take your word for it.
• Like my Facebook page, say hello on my wall, and state that you'd like to be entered for the drawing.
• Comment on this thread, and share the first thought that comes to mind when you read the title of this book.

So very easy.

And for each step you take, that's one more entry in to the hopper, increasing your chances to win. Deadline will be Friday at 1:00 p.m. At that time, I'll email the winner, wait for a mailing address, and if replies are quick, I'll do my best to have it on the way by Friday afternoon.

Everyone loves free. So share the free with your friends, invite them to stop by the blog, and take the steps needed to be eligible for the drawing.

Short Book Review :: Empty Promises by Pete Wilson

I approach book reviews according to this truism: "Evaluate a book according to what it is, not what it would be if penned by a different author, at a different time, with a different intent." Empty Promises: The Truth About You, Your Desires, and the Lies You're Believing is written for those today chasing false gods, and challenges all to find the only God that can truly satisfy: God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Other books have been written on the topic of idolatry and the Christian response to the lures of money, sex, and power. Some of them are academic or spiritual classics, and Rev. Wilson quotes from them. But Rev. Wilson is a pastor, living today in Nashville, with a compassionate voice that is in tune with the lives of his people. As a work of practical, contemporary, pastoral theology, Empty Promises lives up to its billing. It accomplishes its purpose, and does so effectively, clearly, and with love. The illustrations are situated in our own time and circumstances; thus the book is timely. But the biblical treatments, which thread through each chapter and provide remedies for sinful maladies like pride, vanity, and works righteousness are sound and helpful for people of any time or place.

If you are someone who struggles with image consciousness, approval-addiction, power mongering, unbridled lust, vanity, or greed, this book provides a pastoral answer: worship God. Let God be the object of your every desire, and let every other desire fall in to proper place. This book provides a vision, amplifying the vision of Scripture itself, with the proper focus being Jesus Christ, the one who came to rescue us from every destructive desire, to smash our idols, and release us to experience the freedom that comes with knowing the God of all love.

NOTE: I received this book via Thomas Nelson's BookSneeze in exchange for a review. Learn more about Pete Wilson and his ministry by clicking here.

Monday Give Away :: Pete Wilson's Plan B

Life doesn't always go the way we expect it to.  Tragedies hit.  Our course is altered.  Our life is changed forever.

Where is God when we suffer?  What is God's plan for my life?  What job should I take, or what career should I pursue?  Should I marry, and if so, what person?  These questions and more plague many people.  They want a prescribed path to take, outlined in fine detail, everything perfect, nothing lacking.  All blessings and joy, no suffering and heartache.  There is an ideal vision many of us have for life.  And it rarely works out that way.

Pete Wilson, in his book Plan B: What Do You Do When God Doesn't Show Up the Way You Thought He Would?, wrestles with the question of the Divine will and its relation to both the clarity and the confusion of our lives.  It is a very pastoral book, and very accessible to any reader.  Wilson turns to the Bible and Christian theology to offer a response to many of the questions that plague us, ultimately offering a Christ-centered view for our response to suffering, mystery, and living a life of faithfulness.

Would you like to read it?  I'm giving a copy away.

Simply answer this question in the comments below:

When was an occasion where you saw, received, or gave a really good response to someone who was either a) suffering or b) seeking wisdom in making a big decision?  Tell the story as concisely as you are able.

On Friday I'll choose a random winner from the comments.

Also, surely there is someone out there who is interested in the intertestamental period, bowling down some nuns, or reading up on heresy.

Comment away!

Book Review :: Plan B by Pete Wilson

Pete Wilson is a pastor of Cross Point Community Church in Nashville.  I've been told I look like Pete.  I don't see it.  But what I do know is that his latest book, Plan B: What Do You Do When God Doesn't Show Up the Way You Thought He Would? is a helpful, clear, pastoral guide through the unforeseen challenges of life.

Plan B is Pete Wilson's best crack at suffering and the meandering detours common to many of us.  Failed dreams and desperation are met by Wilson with hopefulness and a God who sustains us.  Wilson is both encouraging and realistic, willing to face suffering, but finding assurance in the story of Jesus, his cross, and his resurrection.

Don't expect an overwhelming amount of theological jargon or distracting personal asides.  In both his biblical and personal examples, Wilson does very well in illuminating many of the common struggles people have with the experience of suffering and the idea of God.  His discussion is focused, anchoring his chapters in the narrative of a biblical character or event.  And where he has yet to grasp or understand the reasons why suffering or "plan B" experiences are part of our lives, Wilson humbly admits that he does not know, an all too rare virtue among many Christian counselors and leaders.

If you or a friend is going through a difficult time where they see their life going off track, I'd recommend this book.  Wilson's life has been marked by suffering, and through his ministerial experiences he has learned how to walk with those faced with illness, tragedy, hopelessness, and despair.  He speaks from what he knows.  And for that, I am thankful.

DISCLAIMER: I received this book as a participant in the Thomas Nelson BookSneeze program, meaning, I got it for free in exchange for a review.  If I love the book, I will say so.  If I hate it, I will say so.  Free is nice.  But programs like this give books away for free to generate conversation, and I'm glad to help generate some buzz.