STRATAGEM Is Missing A Key Component . . . Strategy

Robin Caroll is a bestselling author of Christian suspense, and has been a favorite author of mine for some time.  Which makes this review very difficult, because I’m still struggling to get into the book . . . and I’m writing the review.

The premise is set around a psychologist, Grayson Thibodeaux, who creates adventure games for businesses as team-building exercises.  In the middle of one such game, his ex-wife, Anna Belle, dies from a severe allergic reaction, even though her allergies were well-known and she had purchased a small arsenal of Epi-pens to ward off such a possibility.

Grayson, being the ex-husband, is naturally the chief suspect.  Especially since the divorce settlement was still being contested by Anna Belle, who felt that Grayson was holding out on her in terms of settlement. 

While it’s an interesting scenario, the book moves at an incredibly slow pace, shifts between past and present times, and the number of red herrings being thrown at the reader resemble a red tide.  Combine that with the fact that the on-again, off-again relationship between the two investigating detectives receives as much attention as the investigation itself, and it’s no surprise that this reader is still hopelessly confused.

3 stars for a book that doesn’t quite live up to its potential

I received this book free of charge in exchange for my open and honest review.

STRATAGEM

Robin Caroll

ISBN: 978-1-68322-730-4

Fiction / Christian / Suspense

Shiloh Press

317 pages

$14.99 U.S. paperback

GOD'S DESIGN (NOT MAN'S) FOR SEXUALITY IN A CHANGING CULTURE

GOD’S DESIGN FOR SEXUALITY IN A CHANGING CULTURE

HARVEST USA

ISBN: 978-1-945270-95-6

RELIGION / Christian Ministry / Counselling

New Growth Press

DVD Video Series

$124.99 U.S.

“Let me tell ya 'bout the birds and the bees

And the flowers and the trees

And the moon up above

And a thing called 'Love'”

                                           Dean Martin - 

                                   The Birds And The Bees 

                                          Lyrics | MetroLyrics

Ok, so maybe that’s not all that’s in this video series.  Maybe, just maybe, you won’t find any of the above in HARVEST, USA’s video series, GOD’S DESIGN FOR HUMAN SEXUALITY IN A CHANGING CULTURE. 

That’s because God’s design for sexuality, and man’s design for sexuality, are diametrically opposed one to the other.  And this series is about God’s design.

A 15-session conference on human sexuality is something that is unusual in today’s society.

A 15-session conference on human sexuality – from a Biblical perspective – well, that’s just plain nuts.

Or is it?

There’s an old proverb, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!”  The problem is . . . the world don’t realize that it’s broke! (pardon my grammar.)

And while this may appear to be a (gasp!) BIBLE conference of sorts, who better to sort out one of the most tangled messes than a preacher speaking the truth of Scripture. 

After all . . . sexuality really was God’s idea in the first place, right?  And as with every other aspect of His creation . . . He wrote the manual. 

Covering a veritable potpourri of topics, each one vital to the whole picture, HARVEST, USA has produced a video series that manages to encapsulate in 15 sessions the entire landscape of human sexuality from a biblical perspective.  And they do so in a clear, concise, comprehensive manner which communicates truth and commands respect.

The order of the videos is somewhat puzzling.  Sessions 7 and 8 address what God says about human sexuality in the Old and New Testaments, respectively.  That, to me, seems to be foundational and should be viewed first.  In fact, the first 8 sessions are all “foundational,” so to speak.  The next 7 sessions are more topical in nature, although no series ever goes forward without a biblical foundation, which I find important and refreshing.

Another strength that I find in this video series is the open-endedness.  You can take this series and organize a full-blown conference . . . or you can address the specific issues individually, as time and concerns allow.  Either way, you will be getting the truth . . . and the truth will set you free.

5 stars for an outstanding production on a sensitive subject

I received this video series free of charge in exchange for my open and honest review.

You Shall Know The Truth . . . And The Truth Shall Set You Free!

Awkward.  Embarrassing.  Fearful.  Shameful.  Intimidating.

Any – or all – of these adjectives are inextricably tied to the discussion of sexuality in Christian circles.  Primarily because the Christian perspective and the current postmodern worldview have been, are, and will continue to be – more than any other subject – at the very extreme opposite ends of the spectrum.

HARVEST, USA is leading the charge for change.  They are calling everyone’s attention to the elephant in the room.  With a balanced approach – combining both wisdom and understanding – and firmly based on Scriptural principles, the leaders in this movement carefully, creatively, and confidently address the issue of sexuality and the subjects of pornography, masturbation, transgenderism, abortion, and others head on, recognizing that “All truth is God’s truth . . . wherever it be found.”1

Jesus himself promised, “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."  (John 8:32 (NKJV).

That is all that HARVEST, USA is really trying to do.  They are not bashing people, they are not trying to make sexuality the next subject for a “witch hunt,” nor are they trying to “ruin everyone’s fun.”  And they are most certainly not trying to turn the evangelical community into a 21^st century cloister, where men are men . . . women are women . . . and nary the twain shall meet.

Taking a BIBLICAL perspective (emphasis mine), HARVEST, USA is promoting and teaching a BIBLICAL theology (again, emphasis mine) of human sexuality, with the goal of setting people free to enjoy one of the most intimate, and most pleasurable, activities under God’s green earth.

The volume I received for review contained both the Student Guide and the Leader’s Guide.  The first three sessions should be covered in order, as they are foundational to the program.  From that point on, the leader(s) is/are free to cover the material in any order they see fit.  This allows the opportunity to address pressing issues, while setting some issues “on the back burner,” so to speak.  This also allows the “guide” to be put in the pastor’s / counselor’s library as a concise “go-to” resource for future reference.

Another attractive feature to this guide is that scenarios are carefully written to address the topic at hand with regard to differences between genders, and difficult or potentially embarrassing terms are carefully and candidly defined and explained. 

HARVEST, USA isn’t promoting “taking the bull by the horns,” so much as they are “taking the child by the hand.”

I received this book free of charge in exchange for my open and honest review.

5 stars for a refreshingly realistic, Biblical approach to human sexuality.

ALIVE: Gospel Sexuality For Students

HARVEST USA

ISBN: 978-1-945270-91-8

RELIGION / Christian Ministry / Youth

New Growth Press

167 pages

$15.99  U.S. paperback

1  THE IDEA OF A CHRISTIAN COLLEGE, Arthur F. Holmes, Wm. B. Eerdman's, 1987