Review-Julie Hansen-The Night Before Christmas A Savior Was Born

 

The Night Before Christmas A Savior is Born by Julie Hansen

Published November 1, 2026

There are plenty of children's books about Christmas, but not all of them take us back to the reason we celebrate in the first place. Julie Hansen's The Night Before Christmas: A Savior Is Born seeks to do just that by introducing young readers to the greatest story ever told, the birth of Jesus Christ.

Written in gentle rhyme, the book takes children through the familiar events surrounding that first Christmas. While this book covers the familiar parts of the Christmas story, Hansen presents them in a way intended to capture the wonder and excitement of that special night.  And that is what we need to present when reading the story to children.

What makes this book particularly meaningful is the personal story behind it. Hansen's inspiration came while she was expecting her first child. As she experienced the anticipation and love of becoming a mother, she began thinking about Mary and what it must have been like to carry and give birth to the Son of God. That perspective gives the story a special warmth. It reminds us that the Christmas story wasn't simply a collection of extraordinary events. It was also the story of a young mother welcoming her child into the world under circumstances unlike anything she could have imagined. 

I especially appreciate the emphasis on the identity of the baby in the manger. Jesus wasn't just another newborn child, and Christmas isn't simply about a beautiful night, a star in the sky, or presents under a tree. The child born in Bethlehem was God's gift to humanity. He came as our Savior and King. 

That is an important message for children to hear, particularly during a season when it can be easy to get caught up in all the excitement, busyness and commercialism surrounding Christmas. We can enjoy the decorations, the music, the presents, and the family traditions, and trying to fit everything in our schedule but we should never lose sight of the reason behind the celebration.

At just 28 pages, this is a short children's book designed to be read aloud with children. The rhyming presentation makes it especially appropriate for parents and grandparents who want to establish a Christmas reading tradition with their children. It could also be a useful addition to a church library or children's ministry.

Julie Hansen has taken a familiar Christmas story and approached it with a mother's heart and a desire to share the gospel with the next generation. I appreciate books that help parents and grandparents pass along the biblical story of Jesus' birth rather than allowing the true meaning of Christmas to get lost in the festivities. I respect the perspective she takes when writing this book.

After all, the greatest Christmas gift wasn't wrapped in colorful paper or placed under a tree. He was wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger.

And that is a story worth sharing with every generation.

The Night Before Christmas: A Savior Is Born is a welcome reminder that Christmas is ultimately about Jesus—our Savior, our King, and God's greatest gift to the world.

Review-Tyler Staton-After Amen

 

After Amen by Tyler Staton

Published April 21, 2026

A few years ago, I became aware of pastor and author John Mark Comer.  He recently published Into the Quiet: Following Jesus in a World of Noise. Any book that helps us focus on Jesus is worth reading.  Comer definitely makes me stop, think and pray. Any author who does that is one I will keep reading.

And that leads me to Tyler Staton.  When John Mark Comer stepped down from the church he was pastoring, Staton became the new pastor.  I heard an interview with him when his book Praying Like Monks, Living Like Fools was released.  It is one that is worth looking up.  Based on reading it, I added Staton to the list of authors I follow.

What happens after we say “amen”? For many of us, prayer can become something we do at a particular time of day or when we need help with a particular problem. In After Amen: 50 Days of Poetry and Prayer, Tyler Staton invites us to see prayer as something much bigger, a way of living in constant awareness of God's presence.

Staton's reflections are shaped by his own experience of suffering. After receiving an advanced-stage cancer diagnosis, he found himself looking at life, faith, and prayer through a different lens. That experience deepened his appreciation for Scripture, poetry, and the beauty of ordinary moments. His journey provides an honest and personal foundation for the book.

The devotional contains 50 readings, each combining Scripture, an original poem, a reflection, and a prayer. Staton draws particularly from the Gospel of John, encouraging readers to slow down and consider how Jesus reveals God's character and presence.

One of the book's greatest strengths is its reminder that prayer is not simply about asking God to change our circumstances. Prayer is a conversation with God that changes us. It teaches us to pay attention, to recognize God's goodness in everyday life, and to trust Him even when we don't understand what we are experiencing.

I especially appreciate Staton's emphasis on beauty and wonder. In a world that often moves too quickly, he encourages readers to notice the sacred in the ordinary-in creation, relationships, and the small moments we might otherwise overlook. His use of poetry adds a reflective dimension that makes this devotional different from more conventional Bible studies.

At times, the book's poetic and contemplative approach may feel less direct for readers who like practical instruction or straightforward biblical exposition. However, that reflective quality is also part of its appeal. Staton is not trying to provide a quick answer to every spiritual question. He is encouraging readers to develop a deeper attentiveness to God.

Overall, After Amen is a thoughtful and moving devotional about prayer, suffering, beauty, and spiritual formation. It reminds us that our relationship with God does not end when our devotional time is over. In fact, that may be where the real work of prayer begins.

Recommended for readers who want to deepen their prayer life, appreciate poetry and reflection, and learn to recognize God's presence in the everyday experiences of life.

Review-Robert Williamson Jr.-Reading the Bible with Brueggermann

 

Reading the Bible with Brueggermann by Robert Williamson, Jr.

Published November 11, 2025

I was excited for the opportunity to review this book. It is an overview of Brueggermann’s writings.  The part I connected to was his background in the Evangelical and Reformed church that later became part of the United Church of Christ.  I grew up with a similar background at a U.C.C. church that was still heavily influenced by it’s Evangelical and Reformed roots.

Brueggemann is one of the most influential Old Testament scholars of recent years, but his approach to Scripture can sometimes seem challenging to readers from a traditional evangelical background. In Reading the Bible with Brueggemann: Scripture’s Power to Remake the World, Robert Williamson Jr. helps readers understand Brueggemann’s thinking and why his approach to the Bible has attracted so much attention.

The central idea of the book is that the Bible is more than a collection of religious teachings or moral lessons. Scripture challenges the way we see the world and calls us to live differently. Brueggemann encourages readers to pay attention to how God’s Word confronts injustice, questions our assumptions, and offers hope when life does not turn out as expected.

One of the most helpful aspects of Brueggemann’s approach is his understanding of the Psalms. He recognizes that the Christian life includes both praise and pain. Sometimes we feel confident in God’s goodness, and at other times we struggle with unanswered prayers, grief, and disappointment. The Psalms give us permission to express those feelings honestly rather than pretending everything is fine. I appreciate this reminder that genuine faith does not mean we never struggle or ask difficult questions.

Brueggemann also emphasizes the prophetic message of the Old Testament. The prophets challenged religious hypocrisy, confronted injustice, and warned God's people against putting their trust in wealth, political power, or religious institutions. These messages remain relevant today. The church must be willing to examine itself and ask whether its practices reflect the character and purposes of God.

Another important theme is that Scripture offers an alternative to the values of the surrounding culture. Instead of making wealth, success, and personal security our highest priorities, the Bible calls us to trust God, care for our neighbors, and live with generosity and compassion. This is a valuable reminder that reading Scripture should do more than increase our biblical knowledge. It should change the way we live.

From a traditional evangelical perspective, however, I would approach some of Brueggemann’s conclusions with discernment. His emphasis on social justice, challenging established power structures, and reimagining our understanding of the world can be helpful. At the same time, those concerns must remain grounded in the authority of Scripture and its message of sin, repentance, salvation, and reconciliation with God through Jesus Christ. Challenging cultural assumptions is important, but our interpretations must also be faithful to what the biblical text actually teaches.

What I appreciate about Robert Williamson’s book is that it helps readers understand Brueggemann’s approach without requiring them to agree with every conclusion. It provides an introduction to his major ideas and encourages readers to think more carefully about how they interpret Scripture.

Overall, Reading the Bible with Brueggemann is a worthwhile book for pastors, Bible teachers, and anyone interested in a deeper understanding of the Old Testament. Even readers who disagree with some of Brueggemann’s theological conclusions can benefit from considering his insights, particularly his treatment of lament, the prophetic voice, and the Bible’s challenge to complacency.

I would recommend this book as a way to broaden one’s understanding of biblical interpretation, while remembering that every interpretive approach must be measured against the teaching of Scripture as a whole and the central message of the gospel.

Review-Charles Martin-The Reason for Jesus

 

The Reason for Jesus by Charles Martin

Published October 13, 2026

Why did Jesus come to earth?

 Most Christians would answer that He came to save us from our sins and make eternal life possible. But Charles Martin invites us to look a little deeper. In The Reason for Jesus, he asks us to consider not only what Jesus came to save us from, but what He came to bring us into: a restored relationship with God the Father.

 That distinction matters. It is possible to think of salvation primarily as a transaction—we were sinners, Jesus died for us, and now we have the promise of heaven. All of that is important, but is that the whole story?

 Martin reminds us that the gospel is also an invitation to know God personally. Jesus did not come simply to change our eternal address. He came to bring us home to the Father.

 One of the book's most meaningful themes is the character of God. Many people struggle to believe that God truly loves them, especially when their own experiences of love have been marked by disappointment, rejection, or conditional acceptance. Martin's emphasis on God's fatherly love offers a different picture. We do not have to earn our way into God's favor. Through Jesus, we are invited to receive the grace and forgiveness that God freely offers.

 Yet this emphasis raises an important question: Why was the cross necessary? God's love is wonderful, but the Christian message is not simply that God loves us and wants us to feel close to Him. Sin has genuinely separated us from God, and Jesus came to deal with that separation through His sacrificial death and resurrection. The cross reveals both the seriousness of our sin and the extraordinary lengths to which God was willing to go to redeem us. Our restored relationship with the Father is possible because of what Christ accomplished for us.

 I appreciate the reminder that Christianity is about more than religious rules, outward appearances, or the hope of a better life after death. It is about knowing God, trusting His grace, and allowing that relationship to change the way we live. As Jesus says in John 17:3, eternal life is knowing the only true God and Jesus Christ whom He has sent.

 Ultimately, The Reason for Jesus points us toward a truth that can become easy to overlook: the greatest gift of salvation is not simply that we get to go to heaven, but that through Jesus we can know the God who made us and loves us. That relationship begins now and continues into eternity.

 Martin's emphasis on the Father's love and the relational purpose of salvation is a worthwhile reminder for Christians who may have reduced the gospel to a set of beliefs or a promise about the afterlife. The cross remains at the center of that message, for it is through Christ's sacrifice that the way back to the Father has been opened. The good news is not merely that God has a place for us someday. It is that, through Jesus, He welcomes us into His presence today.

Review-J.R. Hudberg-Unto Us a Child is Born

Unto Us a Child Is Born by J. R. Hudberg

Published October 6, 2026

Advent is one of my favorite times of the year. There is something special about slowing down, remembering why Jesus came, and preparing our hearts for Christmas. J. R. Hudberg's Unto Us a Child Is Born is a devotional designed to help us do just that.

The book is built around four familiar Advent themes: hope, peace, joy, and love. Hudberg takes each of these themes and connects them with people and stories from Scripture. This is something I try to do when I am writing an Advent sermon. What I especially appreciated is that he doesn't simply retell the Christmas story. Instead, he helps us see how the coming of Jesus meets some of the deepest needs we experience as human beings.

One of the strengths of the book is the way Hudberg connects the Old Testament with the life of Jesus. Stories involving people such as Adam and Eve, Job, Jacob and Esau, and Hagar are brought alongside events from Jesus' life. At times, people tend to forget that the Bible is one connected story and that it points us to Christ. This book does a good job of reminding us.

I particularly liked the emphasis on the fact that Jesus doesn't just give us hope, peace, joy, and love, He is the source of those things. We can look for peace in our circumstances, happiness in our possessions, or hope in the things happening around us, but those things can disappear. The hope and peace Christ gives are different because they are rooted in Him.

Another thing I appreciated is that Hudberg doesn't leave Advent looking only backward. The book also points us toward Christ's return. We celebrate the first coming of Jesus while looking forward to the day when He will come again. That is an important part of Advent that can sometimes get lost in all the Christmas activity.

The devotional format makes the book easy to use. It is divided into four weeks, with short daily readings that can easily fit into a busy December schedule. I can see this working well for personal devotions, but it could also be useful for a small group or even a family reading through Advent together.

What I came away with most was a renewed appreciation for the simplicity of the Christmas message. We all have needs, sometimes needs we can't fix ourselves. We need hope. We need peace. We need joy. We need to know that we are loved. And Advent reminds us that God didn't simply tell us He cared about those needs. He sent His Son.

Unto Us a Child Is Born is a warm, accessible, Christ-centered devotional that would make a good companion for the Advent season. It encourages us to slow down, look beyond the decorations and busyness of Christmas, and remember the One whose birth we are celebrating.