Awaken: 90 Days With The God Who Speaks by Priscilla Shirer | Daily Devotional Review

Awaken: 90 Days With The God Who Speaks

Priscilla Shirer

Nonfiction / Daily Devotional / Christian Living

The choice of a devotional book is more personal than most. This kind of reading is not merely for the purpose of leisure and enjoyment. No, with this kind of resource you’re expecting and praying for something more. You want to hear from God, receive His direction, and be refreshed in the depths of your soul. Only God’s Word can do that.

So you need to choose wisely.

With her first devotional book, Priscilla Shirer makes your choice easy. For even though she’s written multiple best-selling books and Bible studies, including the 2016 ECPA “Christian Book of the Year” (Fervent), even though she regularly speaks to thousands at conference venues and churches around the world, even though she was the lead actress in a #1 box-office feature film (War Room) . . . It all starts for Priscilla where it all starts for you.

Alone with God. Alone with His Word. Eager to hear His voice. Prepared to humbly and obediently respond. She hopes, more than anything else, that the daily insights you receive in these pages will challenge, encourage, and strengthen you in every way.

These ninety devotions from the heart of a mom, wife, encourager, and friend will Awaken you each day with fresh insights gleaned from the Spirit of God. Ready to help you mine the treasures of Scripture and fortify you for the day ahead.
This devotional is . . . a good choice.

My Thoughts
I tend to like in depth Bible study so I don't do many daily devotional type of books. But I have done several of Priscilla's Bible studies and decided that I'd give this one a try. So glad that I did. I know it's cliche to say that I was hooked from the beginning, but I was. The very first daily devotion is still resonating with me weeks later.
The set-up of the book is simple. There are ninety different devotions that start with a small portion of scripture and then follow with thoughts by Priscilla. Then there are questions to contemplate and and area to journal your thoughts if you desire. 
As I said earlier I'm not usually drawn to this type of reading but I liked Priscilla's style in this. She presented each day's reading in a way that made you contemplate what it means in your life. The stories are hers but the situations are common to women so it was very easy to relate to the readings.
I thought that this would be a great morning and evening reading. It would also make a great gift to a friend. I thought it would be especially nice for that young mother that doesn't have gobs of time to do in depth Bible study but desires to stay in the Word amid the chaos of raising young children. Whether you decide to give it as a gift or use it yourself, I'm pretty sure that you won't be disappointed.

Other Reviews For This Author

God Is Able

Fervent: A Woman's Battle Plan For Serious, Specific, and Strategic Prayer

The Prince Warriors

The Prince Warriors and the Unseen Invasion

The Prince Warriors and the Swords of Rhema

Connect With The Author

www.AwakenDevo.com

www.GoingBeyond.com

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Read Your Bible Through Using The Snowball Effect

Every couple of years I read my Bible through. I usually just start in Genesis and read a few chapters a day until I reach the end of Revelation. I've used other methods (chronological, daily mix of old and new testaments, etc.) but for the most part I just read it from beginning to end.

I was talking to some of my book club friends about it and by and large everyone said about the same thing. We all start out strong but then you quickly come upon Leviticus and Numbers. We all acknowledged that those books are important . . . but boy are they tedious to get through!

As I began thinking about ways to make reading through your Bible more doable a concept kept coming to the forefront of my mind. We've been working through Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace using the baby steps he outlines. If you are familiar with the program you know that step 2 is creating a debt snowball.

To do a debt snowball you list out all of your debts and pick the one with the smallest balance and pay it off. Then you move on to the next smallest and just keep paying them off. You don't look at interest rates or things like that you just do the smallest debt first and keep going. Trust me when I say that this works! You quickly get a sense of accomplishment and motivation to power through the rest.

So . . . what if you used that same principle to read the Bible? Start with the smallest books and read them through and then move on to the next batch until you have finished the entire Bible. The more I thought about this the more excited I became.

I decided to put together a booklet for my fauxdori that I could use to track my reading. My dashboard is called "1st Things First". On the first page I printed the 2017 Habit Tracker from Illustrated Faith. I like the way I can hold myself accountable just by coloring in the dots for every day that I read.

For the rest of the pages I just made a table with the number of chapters for each book of the Bible. As I read a chapter I'll color the cell in. My booklet turned out a little wonky (I need to fix the margins) so for now I'm not offering it as a download. It would be quite easy for you to make your own and I'm betting you can be a bit more creative than I was.

Did you know that there are five books of the Bible that only contain one chapter? So if you think in terms of snowball effect you can easily read FIVE books of the Bible in five days if you only read a chapter a day. Now if that doesn't make you feel like you've accomplished something I don't know what else will! 

Here's the list of books by chapter length:

1 Chapter

Obadiah, Philemon, 2 John, 3 John, and Jude

2 Chapters

Haggai

3 Chapters

Joel, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, 2 Thessalonians, Titus, and 2 Peter 

4 Chapters

Ruth, Jonah, Malachi, Philippians, Colossians, and 2 Timothy 

5 Chapters

Lamentations, 1 Thessalonians, James, 1 Peter, and 1 John

6 Chapters

Galatians, Ephesians, and 1 Timothy 

7 Chapters

Micah

8 Chapters

Song of Songs

9 Chapters

Amos

10 Chapters

Ezra, and Esther

12 Chapters

Ecclesiastes, and Daniel

13 Chapters

Nehemiah, 2 Corinthians, and Hebrews

14 Chapters

Hosea, and Zechariah

16 Chapters

Mark, Romans, and 1 Corinthians

21 Chapters

Judges, and John

22 Chapters

1 Kings, and Revelation

24 Chapters

Joshua, 2 Samuel, and Luke

25 Chapters

2 Kings

27 Chapters

Leviticus

28 Chapters

Matthew, and Acts

29 Chapters

1 Chronicles

31 Chapters

1 Samuel, and Proverbs

34 Chapters

Deuteronomy

36 Chapters

Numbers, and 2 Chronicles

40 Chapters

Exodus

42 Chapters

Job

48 Chapters

Ezekiel

50 Chapters

Genesis

52 Chapters

Jeremiah

66 Chapters

Isaiah

150 Chapters

Psalms

If you follow this you will have read FOURTEEN books by the end of the first month just by reading a chapter a day. Now the truth is that some of these chapters are pretty short so you may wind up reading more than a chapter a day. Can you say SCORE? 

Let me tell you about one more thing that I do that I count in my booklet. I also count the chapters that I read in the devotionals that I follow along on a daily basis (as long as it is a full chapter). For example I am currently reading the book of Psalms with the Lifeway Women in their 40 Days of Prayer. I also read She Reads Truth every day and we are currently reading through the book of John. 

Doing this method has made me realize that I read more of the Word each day than I thought. Thank you Jesus for revealing this to me. Even though I'm a crazy reader (some might say addicted reader) I still need the affirmation that I'm diving into the Word daily. 

I hope that this will be an encouragement for you too. I'd love for you to share the idea with your friends on Facebook and Pinterest and Instagram but more importantly I'd love to hear what you think of this approach. I'm tickled with it and want to hear how it's working for you. Tag us @RambleSAHM so we can follow along on your journey to read your Bible through this year!

The Beginner's Bible Kid-Sized Devotions from Zonderkidz | Children's Book Review

The Beginner's Bible Kid-Sized Devotions

Zonderkidz

Juvenile Nonfiction (ages 4-8)

Snuggle up for

time together with God

and your little one.

Each of the 365 simple daily devotions are filled with Scripture and prayer perfect for young children. Kid-Sized Devotions is based on The Beginner's Bible, the most popular and beloved storybook Bible for preschoolers.

My Thoughts

I'm of the mindset that it is never too early to begin reading Scripture to our little ones. And one of my favorite go-to resources for the preschool set is The Beginner's Bible. It is short and sweet with abundant colorful illustrations that keep that short attention span engaged. 

In that same format Zonderkidz has put together The Beginner's Bible Kid-Sized Devotions. Again short and sweet but very impactful for our little ones. It allows you and your child to journey through the Bible together and get a great foundational overview of what Scripture contains.

The first 60 days are set in the book of Genesis. Days 61 through 203 hit the highlights of the Old Testament. Then from Day 204 through 340 you get the story of Jesus and his ministry through the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John). The life and ministry of Jesus is told in order so it flips from one book to the next. The book of Acts is featured in days 341-362 and finally the last three days are from the book of Revelation. 

The set-up is designed to be short so it would make a wonderful read at either bedtime or breakfast (or maybe even naptime). The days are numbered but not dated so it is easy to start anytime, and if you happen to miss a day you can just pick up where you left off. 

This would make a lovely gift from a grandparent or friend. It would be such a nice encouragement to the parent wanting to introduce their little one to the discipline of daily devotions. I recommend it highly.

For more wonderful resources from The Beginner's Bible from coloring and activity pages to snack ideas check out their website and Facebook page. (Just a hint . . . I print some of these resources off and mail them to my grands. It's a great way for this granny to share Jesus with my beloved grandbabies that live away from me.)

A Beautiful Design Bible Study by Matt Chandler

A Beautiful Design

God's Unchanging Plan For Manhood and Womanhood

Matt Chandler

Bible Study

AND GOD SAW THAT IT WAS GOOD.

God created us to function according to His perfect design, and for all of human history, our world has been male and female. But our ever-changing culture faces challenges due to sin. More than ever the church needs to be a safe refuge for the gender-confused, the sexually broken, the single, the married, and the divorced.

In this study, Matt Chandler gives evidence that God's plan for man and woman is the ultimate design. And life lived within this beautiful and unchanging design is part of His greater purpose for humanity and leads to our greatest joy.

• Discover how you were created with a purpose in God's unchanging plan.
• Exchange your broken and weary perspective on life for His beautiful design.
• Shape and influence your church into a safe place for everyone.

My Thoughts
In the wake of all the uproar in the media lately, A Beautiful Design Bible Study from Matt Chandler is a needed voice of reason. My husband and I have spent the last few weeks going through the study and are pleased with the way it has focused our attention on what is truly important . . . living a gospel-centered life.
This study is designed for a small group but we did it just as a couple. There are nine video sessions and eight weeks of personal study and homework. If you are doing it as a group there is a Leader Kit available that has a copy of the Bible study book, a leaders guide, and the DVDs. Since we did it here in our home we chose the Individual Videos option with a shared Bible study book. 
The study delves into our roles as men and women created in the image of God. Chandler uses Scripture to point out our God designed roles and how they compliment each other and that of spreading the gospel. I came away from it being reminded that we don't wrestle with flesh and blood. My neighbor isn't my enemy, Satan himself is the enemy and in the end he loses.
If you are looking for a powerful way to strengthen not only your own marriage but that of your fellow church members consider getting this study for your group. If your church doesn't do small groups then I would urge you to consider doing it in your home. If you have teenagers there is A Beautiful Design Teen Bible study book geared towards teenagers. I think it would be wonderful to do this study together as a family. 



Connect With The Author

www.TheVilliageChurch.net

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Fervent: A Woman's Battle Plan for Serious, Specific, and Strategic Prayer by Priscilla Shirer {Book Review}

Fervent: A Woman's Battle Plan for Serious, Specific, and Strategic Prayer 

Priscilla Shirer

Christian Life / Prayer

YOU HAVE AN ENEMY.

And he's dead set on destroying all you hold dear. He does it strategically. He does it specifically. He's doing it right this minute, in fact--aimed at personally drawn targets on your heart, your home, your mind, your life.

And this book, this battle plan, is your chance to fight back. With a weapon that really works. With prayer.

New York Times best-selling author Priscilla Shirer brings her role from the War Room movie into real life, addressing the topics that affect you the most: your identity, your family, your regrets, your pressures, your temptations, your fears, your attitudes, and more. Each chapter exposes the enemy's cruel, cunning intentions against you in all kinds of key areas like these, then coaches you in crafting your own personalized prayer strategies on included tear-out sheets--ready to post them and pray them, anywhere you can put them into active deployment. Because the truth is: Victories don't happen by accident.

Fervent is a hands-on, knees-down, never-give-up action guide to practical, purposeful praying.

My Thoughts
If you have seen the movie War Room and are longing to implement what you saw on the screen through Priscilla Shirer's character then you need this book. I loved the movie but this book just takes it over the top. If you've ever experienced a Bible study by Priscilla you already know what I mean. If not let me give you a little glimpse of what is to come.
The opening of the book sets the stage so you will have no doubt about what is expected. Here's the opening paragraph to prove what I'm saying:

"Just so you know what you're getting into . . . 

By the time you've finished reading (and working) through this book, the front cover shouldn't be able to close neatly back over on itself. It should be noticeably disfigured. Ski-ramping up from the spine at such a scooped angle that even if you laid an old-school telephone book on top, you still couldn't smooth out what's become so harshly, permanently misshapen. From heartfelt use. War torn. An impossible option for regifting at Christmastime." (pg. 1)

Now that's the type of study I'm interested in. One that compels me to dive in and dig deep. One that I beg the Lord to ingrain upon my being. This study is all of that and more.

You'll be walked through the process of beginning a plan to commit your life to prayer, for yourself and those around you. Once you've reached the end I think you'll feel empowered to take on the difficult situations in your life on your knees.

This is one of those books that if I were independently wealthy I'd buy by the caseload and hand it out to my loved ones. (And probably total strangers as well!) If you are looking for a way to take your prayer life to the next meaningful level get yourself a copy of this book.

Connect With The Author

GoingBeyond.com

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Believe Student Edition by Randy Frazee ~ Living The Story of the Bible to Become Like Jesus

Believe Student Edition

Randy Frazee

Young Adult Nonfiction/Bible

You've heard the story of the Bible.

Now it's time to make it your own.

Think. Act. Be.

Let the bible transform you. This is not a book that leaves hearts unchanged.

Believe Student Edition takes you on an exploration into ten key beliefs, ten key practices, and ten key virtues of Christianity. Grounded in carefully selected Scripture passages, Believe Student Edition is a spiritual growth experience that takes you on a journey to think, act, and become more like Jesus.

The Bible is more than just a book of stories. It's a blueprint for living. Let the words of God change you as you learn how to think, act, and become more like Jesus.

READ AN EXCERPT

My Thoughts

Teenage years can be turbulent. Pressure from outsiders and from ones self can make day-to-day living a maze of uncertainty. But what if there were a way to help our teens navigate that path? When they were younger we were so diligent about reading them Bible stories before bed but now that they are older it is easy to set that aside. I say let's not slip into the idea of entrusting others to guide our teens. Instead let's engage them with Scripture and show them that there is a plan and they are part of it.

Randy Frazee's Believe Student Edition is a great tool to begin an in depth study on what the Bible says about how we as Christians should think, act, and be. It goes along with the other editions of the books and curriculum so that you could easily incorporate it into a family study. Each of the thirty chapters cover the exact same topics that the adult and kids' editions cover. The only difference is that the writing is being addressed to the teenage audience it was designed for. 

I say that this would be perfect for a family study but I also think it would be a very useful study in youth groups as well. There is a whole student curriculum DVD study that goes along with it that would help introduce each topic to the entire group.  

I would recommend this to any family with teenagers or any group that works with teenagers. The study of God's Word will give them a solid foundation and an assurance of who they are and what is expected of them in the body of Christ.

Connect With The Author

www.RandyFrazee.com

www.BelieveTheStory.com

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God's Little Princess Holy Bible from Sheila Walsh ~ Princess Prayers, Devotions, and Bible Study {Review & Giveaway}

God's Little Princess Holy Bible

Sheila Walsh / Tommy Nelson

Juvenile Nonfiction / Bible / NKJV

The bestselling God’s Little Princess® brand is
paired with the trustworthy NKJV in the first
truly princess-themed full Bible!

Princesses everywhere will enjoy this first full Bible featuring Sheila Walsh's popular God’s Little Princess® brand, which has sold over 1.3 million units. A beautiful sparkling jewel cover opens to reveal the accurate and reliable New King James Version text highlighted with 288 pages of articles that help a princess grow into the young woman God created her to be!

Features included in this Bible from 

Genesis to Revelation are:

• Bible Jewels - unlocking key teachings in the Bible
• Regal Relationships - showing how to develop healthy relationships with family, friends, and God
• Kingdom Living - learning to live life a as a child of God
• Royal Heroes - giving insights into remarkable people in the Bible
• Kingdom Highlights - providing short history tidbits about events and culture in Bible times
• Wise Words - sharing words of wisdom to grow into a godly girl
• Noble Characters - a 13-week Bible study that features in-depth character studies of key people of the Bible
• Colorful interior, ribbon marker, and fun silkscreen designed page edges

Girls will enjoy spending time in God's Word and will put their faith in action through this God’s Little Princess® Holy Bible.

My Thoughts

One of the main things I instilled in my daughter was that she was a child of the King which made her royalty. As a royal princess she had the duty of acting like a daughter of the King. The guidelines for that position are exclusively found in the Word of God. 

God’s Little Princess® Holy Bible is a wonderful resource for instilling these truths in the lives of your daughters. The actual Bible passages are in the NKJV which is a very readable format for younger girls. What sets this Bible apart from others are the sections from Sheila Walsh. 

Sheila has a wonderful gift for being able to relate to young girls. She has been gifted with the ability to speak truth straight to their little hearts. As moms we can benefit from this beautiful book by reading it with our sweet daughters. 

What we chose to do was begin at the beginning and read through the articles by Sheila. These are scattered throughout the text and are an interesting way to take your girl through the Bible. All the main themes and characters are discussed within these articles so by the end your girl will have a great overview of what is contained within God's Word. 

I especially liked the Kingdom Living sections. These articles used particular Scriptures that highlighted characteristic that God expects His people to possess. One of my particular favorites is located on page 770 and is entitled True Treasure. The Scripture reference is Habakkuk 3:17-18. Sheila begins the article by telling the reader that she is God's little princess. She goes on to say that we often think of princesses as having many earthly riches. But of course we know that not all of God's people have those physical possessions. She also reminds girls of this:

"God wants His girls to see how He sees. Wealth and treasure in God's kingdom aren't counted in coins. They're measured by how well we know the King! Habakkuk reminds us that even though we may go through times in life where we don't have as much as we'd like, God still provides for everything we need. Because we have the king as our Father, we can live lives full of joy and peace. If we have Him, we have everything!"

I believe that you and your girl will be blessed and uplifted by reading through this Bible together. There truly is no better gift that you can give your girl than that of a mother that loves the Lord and passes that love on to her daughter!

The Giveaway

We have partnered with Tommy Nelson to offer one of our readers a copy of God's Little Princess Holy Bible. The giveaway is open to U.S. residents and will run through midnight on Wednesday, October 29, 2014. You must be at least 18 years old to enter. The winner will be contacted by email and will have forty-eight hours to claim the prize. If unclaimed, a new winner will be drawn. The winners’ entries will be verified. Please enter the contest using the Rafflecopter form below. All entries are optional.

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The Family of Jesus by Karen Kingsbury ~ A Biblical Fiction and Bible Study Review and Giveaway

The Family of Jesus

Heart of the Story, Book 1

Karen Kingsbury

Biblical Fiction/ Bible Study

Back of the book:

Meet the family closest to Jesus . . .

Joseph,

his stepfather: the protector of Jesus

Zechariah,

                his uncle: a priest who waited on God

Elizabeth,

                his aunt: a woman who faithfully believed in the impossible

John the Baptist,

                his cousin: a man whose whole life meant dying for Jesus
James,

                his brother: a man whose regret turned to joy

Mary,

                his mother: a woman desperate to save her son from the one mission she couldn’t stop

These are their stories.

Each has a compelling tale to tell. Based on the Bible and interspersed with emotionally gripping fictional details as well as historical and theological insights, the stories of Jesus’s family will shed new light on God’s word.

Read and imagine the Bible like never before.

My thoughts:
With The Family of Jesus, Karen Kingsbury uses her talent to take her fans in a new direction. She has embarked on a storytelling journey into the realm of Biblical fiction. In my opinion it is some of the best work I have seen from her in a long time. That is not to say I haven't enjoyed her recent works, it is just that this book feels like her original writing. It is very engaging in its simply told stories. 

I'm a very picky reader when it comes to Biblical fiction. I think there is a fine line that shouldn't be crossed and I'm happy to say that Karen stayed on the correct side of that line. In fact at the very beginning of the book she explained the parameters that she stuck to in telling the stories.

"From the beginning as I undertook this project, I felt compelled by my love of the Bible to stick to some hard-and-fast ground rules. The most important was this: The stories had to be anchored in Scripture. In a way, I took the Bible verses on these real-life characters and stuck them like tent stakes in the desert sand. Nothing could ever violate those truths.

Then I researched the cultural and geographical accuracy and made absolutely sure the tent of the stories didn't billow beyond that.

But otherwise, I let the tent blow in the wind a little."

So with that in mind I'm pleased to say that this was a wonderful journey through the life of Christ as seen through the eyes of those closest to Him. The story begins with Joseph and winds through Zechariah, Elizabeth, John the Baptist, James and then ends with His mother Mary.

The stories are so well told that I found myself contemplating things that I had never really considered before. Such as how did Mary and Joseph's families feel about the situation. What kind of shame would be heaped upon Zachariah for remaining childless all those years? After all he is a priest and his offspring is expected to carry on that priestly line. What would John the Baptist be like as a child? The Scripture says he was filled with the Spirit from birth. How would that affect his actions and decisions? As you can see there is lots and lots to ponder during the telling of this line of stories.

The second half of the book is made up of a six week Bible study that takes each of the characters presented and spends five days delving deeper into the background of that person. Each week then ends with a Group Discussion session. This book would make an excellent small-group study or even an extended Book Club read and discussion.

READ AN EXCERPT!

Connect with the author:

www.KarenKingsbury.com

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Twitter ~ @KarenKingsbury

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The Giveaway:

We have partnered with Family Christian to offer two of our readers a copy of the book The Family of Jesus. The giveaway is open to U.S. residents and will run through midnight on Tuesday, July 29, 2014. You must be at least 18 years old to enter. The winner will be contacted by email and will have forty-eight hours to claim the prize. If unclaimed, a new winner will be drawn. The winners’ entries will be verified. Please enter the contest using the Rafflecopter form below. All entries are optional.

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God Is Able by Priscilla Shirer ~ A Book Review & Giveaway

God Is Able

Priscilla Shirer

Nonfiction/Bible Study

Back of the book:

Nothing Is Impossible with God. Nothing.

Not even that thing. Your thing. The one thing that seems to defy all attempts to defeat it, restore it, heal it, change it, overcome it, undo it, or just to get through it.

If you've lost even an ounce of confidence in the power and loving attention of God--if experience has told you that faith must simply acquiesce to impossibility--it's time somebody told you different.

Bible teacher and best-selling author Priscilla Shirer explores two power-packed verses of Scripture, displacing your doubts and rebuilding your assurance--not in a blind attempt to deny life's adversities and troubles, but to show you that God is always up to great things. Amazing things. He's a God who cares, and a God who CAN!

Believe it.

Experience it.

God Is Able.

My thoughts:

In her plucky down-to-earth way, Priscilla Shirer takes us through a phrase by phrase journey of Ephesians 3: 20-21. Yes it is only two verses, but those two verses pack a whole lot of truth in them.

I had the privilege of watching a simulcast from Lifeway Women where Priscilla spoke on this topic. It was a powerful presentation so I was especially looking forward to getting my hands on the book. I looked forward to delving deeper into this particular portion of scripture.

Priscilla begins by introducing us to this portion of scripture by reminding us that it was written by Paul when he was in prison. Talk about thinking things seemed hopeless! But of course that wasn't the case for Paul nor is it for us.

Through the use of humorous as well as serious stories Priscilla guides the reader on a journey of understanding that nothing is out of God's reach. No matter what your particular situation, God knows about it and He is able to bring about a result that is best for you. One of my favorite lines from the book is this, "Just because God can doesn't mean He will. But just because He hasn't doesn't mean He won't. The bottom line is that He is able."

I know that I will personally never think about the ability of God in the same way again. I came away from this study with not only a deeper understanding of the scriptures but also an assurance that no matter what, GOD IS ABLE!

Connect with the author:

www.goingbeyond.com

Twitter ~ @PriscillaShirer

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Giveaway:

The wonderful people at B&H Publishing have partnered with us to offer you an opportunity to win a copy of God Is Able. For your opportunity to win it use the following Rafflecopter form to enter. Giveaway ends 1/13/2014 at 12:00 am EST!

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