Breakfast, Bible and Bull: 52 Weekly Devotionals for Guys, Dennis Swanberg. Engedi Publishing, 2021.
How do you write a daily devotional that the regular guys in your church would love to read? First, you might get Dennis Swanberg, the “minister of encouragement,” to write it. His book is “Breakfast, Bible and Bull,” and it consists of 52 chapters that take the reader through a year of guided devotions. His examples are intended to appeal to men, as he references topics such as being a barbecue pitmaster, professional baseball, the dangers of pornography, the importance of teaching children and grandchildren the value of work, the need for developing friendships among men and various other issues. His signature sense of humor shows up frequently, and each section is easy to read. There are also illustrations that pastors and Bible study leaders may find useful.
Swanberg uses life experiences to illustrate biblical truth and weaves in Bible stories and passages throughout the book. For instance, he talks about different kinds of bone fractures athletes often experience and relates this to Psalm 32: “When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.”
“A lifetime of ministry has led me to see that we are all fractured in many ways. Some of the hurts are hairline, but some are comminuted: deep, agonizing, terrifying and painful” (182).
He brings in historical events like the Dunkirk evacuation in 1940, movie scenes and fascinating facts. (“The average person speaks about 7,000 words per day at a rate of 130 to 150 words per minute.”). He calls men to live faithful lives for Christ, and he writes to encourage them rather than to shame them for falling short. This volume mixes interesting stories, relatable experiences and biblical teaching and is seasoned with humor. Individual men as well as groups may find this a helpful tool to encourage daily devotions.
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