Book Review: I Want To Believe

I Want to Believe: Finding Your Way In An Age of Many Faiths (Amazon) by Mel Lawrenz (Senior Pastor Elmbrook Church in Brookfield, WI) is a book that got me thinking about my faith from a different perspective.

Chapter 2, Why God Wants Us to Believe, was my favorite part of the book. Instead of focusing on why I should believe in God, Lawrenz instead reviews five reasons why God wants me to believe in Him. That gets to the core of Christianity, a personal relationship with God.  I found it to be a refreshing perspective.

As reflected in part of the title, An Age of Many Faiths, five chapters are devoted to the contrasts between Christianity and some of the other major world faiths, including Atheism.  Lawrenz does a good job here of using real-life examples of the influence various faiths have on their followers. This discussion is useful for Christians who interact with people of other faiths as well as non-Christians who are interested in exploring the differences.

Another highlight of the book for me was Chapter 6, Doubt. I believe we all have doubts about our faith from time to time...sometimes big ones and sometimes small ones.  Lawrenz does a nice job helping us to keep those doubts in proper perspective.

Overall this book was a refreshing read for me.  I thoroughly enjoyed it.

In His name,
Chaplain Sam Houchins

Zambia, Africa Film

Kevin Hansston recently contacted me and asked for my help in spreading the word about a film made by his church in Zambia.  Purchasing and viewing the film will not only introduce you to life in Zambia but also support God's work there.  From the film's website:

This unique film follows the work of a detective in modern Zambia who is hired to look for the missing body of an executed religious figure named 'Joshua'. We get a glimpse into Zambian life as we follow Tembo through a series of interviews leading to an exciting final meeting calling for Tembo to make a choice about "truth".

You can read a review of the film here.

In His name,
Chaplain Sam Houchins

What Can $1 Really Do?

Check out this project for Herman.  Margaret and I have joined to help Herman.

In His name,
Chaplain Sam Houchins

Non-Christians View of Christians

What do non-Christians think about Christians?

 

(if you don't see a video above)

As Christians, we have a lot of work to do in order to focus more on positive
interactions with unbelievers without diluting the message.

In His name,
Chaplain Sam Houchins