Worth Reading

Here is this month's selection of books worth reading. All are heartily endorsed - and passionately promoted - by the "editor" of Hakka Church Planting Ministries. Enjoy!

Living Proof   by Jim Petersen  (Navpress)

Subtitled: Sharing The Gospel Naturally

"My mind goes blank, my palms get sweaty, and nothing I say seems to make any sense." - A Christian businessman describing what happens when he tries to share his faith.

Do you have a hard time sharing your faith with others? It's no wonder. Our society is growing more secular, and most people don't like to talk about spiritual things. But that doesn't mean they're beyond the reach of the gospel - it just means we must learn to communicate it in a way they can understand.

"Simply verbalizing the message is not enough," writes Jim Petersen. "We've got to make sure they understand what we're saying, and that often means demonstrating it by living a natural, friendly, Bible-centered lifestyle in their midst. We then become living proof of our message."

In Living Proof (Evangelism as a Lifestyle and Evangelism for Our Generation combined and revised), Jim Petersen shares what he's learned from over 25 years of working with the unchurched. He shows that, although many people don't want to hear about our faith, they will talk about their own felt needs - needs that can only be met in Christ.

(Book overview provided by Amazon.com.)

The Good Earth   by Pearl S. Buck  (Mass Market Paperback)

Though more than seventy years have passed since this remarkable novel won the Pulitzer Prize, it has retained its popularity and become one of the great modern classics. "I can only write what I know, and I know nothing but China, having always lived there," wrote Pearl Buck. In "The Good Earth" she presents a graphic view of a China when the last emperor reigned and the vast political and social upheavals of the twentieth century were but distant rumblings for the ordinary people. This moving, classic story of the honest farmer Wang Lung and his selfless wife O-lan is must reading for those who would fully appreciate the sweeping changes that have occurred in the lives of the Chinese people during this century.

Editor's Note: This non-Christian work of fiction is very effective in providing an accurate picture of Chinese thinking and culture. Though times have changed, much of the heart remains the same in today's Hakka Chinese.

 
             (Book overview provided by Amazon.com.)

Note: If you are interested in buying one of the above books, feel free to follow the Amazon.com link on this page and make your on-line purchase. Amazon.com will give Hakka Churchplanting Ministries a small commission on every book purchased through this link.