"four letter words" by bill giovannetti

About the book (provided by Litfuse): Thou shalt tolerate every opinion... except the Christian's. Today's postmodern "prime directive" leaves many followers of Jesus tongue-tied. In the global village, isn't it unreasonable, and even dangerous, to suggest that the Bible has a monopoly on truth?

The church needs a new breed of Christ-follower. We need Christ-followers who are alert to today's touchy ideas, the truths that fire up more heat than light. We need Christ-followers who can make a clear case for the Bible's worldview; who are ready to help our friends think through their beliefs; who can recognize inconsistencies and challenge them; and who can do all of this with humility, confidence, humor, and love. For more information visit http://fourletterwords.org.

My take: Four Letter Words is the perfect resource for both teens and adults who want to be able to defend and explain their faith. In the book's opening chapter, Giovannetti explains why he wrote this book: "I wrote it to teach Christ's followers to cuss boldly—to speak faith's four letter words—without backing down, yet without coming across as a religious inquisitor either." That statement resonated with me, as so often Christians who speak out come across as just as pigheaded, stubborn, and intolerant as those they are debating. Giovanetti's focus is on defending the faith, but doing it with love.

Each chapter focuses on one word, such as True, Love, and Wait. After listing "Touchy Ideas" and "Touchy Scriptures"—those that many believers question and unbelievers are offended by—Giovannetti discusses the topic in depth. Then at the end of the chapter, he lists several "Talking Points"—ideas for discussing the topic with friends.

Giovannetti writes in a clear, logical voice, and his examples serve to bring each topic out of the abstract and into reality. This book is a must-read for teens, whether they are questioning their faith, exploring the idea of Christianity, or trying to explain their faith in Christ to others ... and adults would benefit from it, too! I give it 5 out of 5 stars.

Want to see what other bloggers thought? Go here. You can buy it here. (The Kindle version is only $4.99, and it includes hyperlinks to some of the resources Giovannetti mentions. It's totally worth your $5!)

About the author: Dr. Bill Giovannetti is a professor at A.W. Tozer Theological Seminary and the senior pastor of Neighborhood Church of Redding. An experienced speaker and author, Bill informs the mind in ways that touch the heart. He enjoys life with his wife and two kids in northern California. For more information about Bill and his other books, visit http://maxgrace.wordpress.com and http://fourletterwords.org.

About the giveaway: Bill is celebrating the new Kindle edition of Four Letter Words (for only $4.99)! He’ll be traveling coast to coast over the next few weeks on this virtual book tour and he's celebrating by hosting a great giveaway! Click here to find out how you can win two gift certificates to Amazon (in the amount of $50 and $25) and free downloads of his yet-to-be-released title, Recession-Proof: Living a God-Blessed Life in a Messed Up World. The whole scoop here: http://fourletterwords.org/2012/01/contest-giveaway/

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a Kindle copy of this book free from Litfuse Publicity Group. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."