Stephen Kendrick (1) (1973–)

I have mixed feelings about this one. On the positive side, reading this book with my husband gave us a set time in the day to focus on our marriage through the lens of faith.
On the negative side (for me), the authors are pretty conservative, and some maddeningly old fashioned ideas of gender roles and the nature of men and women shine through in the writing.
If you can shake that off, or if you simply agree with their views, there are good ideas to be found about how to treat your loved show more one and how to improve your relationship.
Although I doubt I will check out more books by these particular authors, reading this book with my husband inspired me to keep pursuing this collaborative approach to growing in our relationship. That alone made it worth it. show less

Half of all marriages end in divorce. That means most marriage relationships are either severely dysfunctional or headed that way. What is the answer?

The Love Dare’s answer is that we don’t really understand how to live out the love that marriage requires. Inspired by the movie Fireproof, this book is a forty day devotional that covers various aspects of the true sacrificial love which is missing from many marriages.

There is a lot to like about this book. It clearly explains the nature show more of mature love & practically challenges you to live it out. It emphasizes how YOU have to be the one to take responsibility and change, regardless of how your partner does or does not respond, and it shows how the strength for that kind of love is powered by a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. This book has had a powerful impact on thousands of people, and I am very thankful for the truth it teaches.

However, the book does have some shortcomings. First, the book is unnaturally constrained to fit the plot of the movie. The movie’s plot confronted the main character with his need for a personal relationship with God mid-way through, and so the book follows suit. Halfway through the forty days, we suddenly shift to a presentation of how living out sacrificial love should make one realize his absolute need for Christianity. For Christians reading a book on marriage, the discussion of how our relationship with Christ should structure our marital relationship should be foundational, should be page 1. On the other hand, a non-Christian reading the book frankly is unlikely to be impressed by this sudden foray into an altar call in the middle of the book.

Second, the book spends little time on the differing roles of the husband and wife in a marriage. From a Biblical standpoint, there are real & crucial differences in how a man loves & responds to his wife vs. how a woman loves & responds to her husband. The Love Dare doesn’t address these differing roles which are very important to the success of any Christian marriage.

Third, I felt there was this unwritten “if you do these steps your marriage will be transformed” aura to the book. While all marriages can benefit from going through this devotional, I think that many seriously troubled marriages will not have the movie’s storybook happy ending at the end of forty days. Consequently, I fear people will either conclude they failed in some way or that God failed in some way. Neither would be true. Many marriages need more than just a good devotional; they need intensive personal intervention by a person of wisdom such as a counselor or pastor plus two partners who are both committed and humble. In my experience true humility is seldom found in both halves of a troubled relationship.

The Love Dare is forty days of wisdom and challenge that will benefit any marriage; just don’t consider it to be the complete cure-all for every troubled relationship in the world. show less

The Kendrick brothers created a powerful movie in War Room. Seeking to spread the message of the power of prayer, they have ventured into several mediums including the children’s book Peter’s Perfect Prayer Place. With rhyming verse and detailed and colorful illustrations, this book emphasizes the need for prayer in even the smallest child. As he searches for just the perfect place to pray, Peter learns that he can talk to God anytime and anywhere. The book also offers resources for show more parents to teach their child the importance of prayer. Bible verses and discussion questions reinforce the message of the book, while activity pages and a poster to personalize prayer requests, complete with stickers, get kids motivated to begin and continue their own conversation with God. Children ages 3-8, along with their parents, will find this book both fun and educational.

Recommended.

Audience: children ages 3-8, with parental involvement.

(Thanks to B&H Publishing for a review copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.) show less

Jay Austin wants to sell you a used car, but watch out! Many victims have fallen prey to his smiling face and hasty promises. Austin does everything his way until his dishonesty and manipulation are repeatedly exposed.