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WORK TITLE: Stronger Than the Struggle
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE: 1976?
WEBSITE: http://havilahcunnington.com/
CITY: Redding
STATE: CA
COUNTRY: United States
NATIONALITY: American
Married with four sons; http://havilahcunnington.com/blog/
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Married; husband’s name Ben; children: Judah, Hudson, Grayson, Beckham.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Pastor. Rock of Roseville Church, Roseville, CA, church leader, worked for fifteen years; Moral Revolution, Redding, CA, codirector.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Havilah Cunnington is a pastor. On her website, she recalled the moment that she decided to turn her focus to religion. At the age of seventeen, Cunnington confessed one night: “God, I’m not much. I’m young, I’m a girl with no special gifting. But if You can use anyone, You can use me.” Since then, she and her twin sister, Deborah, traveled around California, several other states, and into Mexico preaching their message. She and her husband, Ben, served as leaders at The Rock of Roseville Church for fifteen years before becoming directors of Christian values advocacy group Moral Revolution in Redding, California.
Cunnington published Stronger Than the Struggle: Uncomplicating Your Spiritual Battle in 2018. The account presents Cunnington’s beliefs on the ways that Christians should deal with spiritual uncertainties and temptations. In the book, she reiterated a moment that was highly influential for her involving the demonic possession of a friend and the power of prayer by only those who truly believe to help. She equips her readers with tools to deal with Satan’s agenda of stealing, killing, and destroying.
A contributor to Publishers Weekly suggested that “those with a literalist interpretation of the Bible looking for fortitude against sin will find much here.” In a review in the Evangelical Church Library Association Website, Aubree DeVisser reasoned that since “the book uses illustrations, anecdotes, examples, and stories, it is not preachy or stilted.” DeVisser concluded that “these modern lessons are pragmatic, insightful, and nonthreatening.” DeVisser remarked that Stronger Than the Struggle offers “clarity in understanding spiritual warfare.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Publishers Weekly, October 9, 2017, review of Stronger Than the Struggle: Uncomplicating Your Spiritual Battle, p. 60.
ONLINE
Evangelical Church Library Association Website, https://eclalibraries.org/ (February 10, 2018), Aubree DeVisser, review of Stronger Than the Struggle.
Havilah Cunnington Website, http://havilahcunnington.com (March 18, 2018).
About Havilah
I always knew God had a plan for other’s lives, but never felt God could
use me. I struggled with learning disabilities throughout my school years,
which caused me to have great insecurity about my value and
worth. It wasn’t until the age of 17, as I was sitting in a car with friends on my way to a party, when I heard the voice of God speak to my heart, “There is more to life than this! I have called you. Come follow me.” I spoke out in that moment, telling those in the car that I had a call on my life and they were welcome to come with me, but I was going to serve God.
I remember walking into our house when I got home, kneeling by my bed and saying these simple words, “God, I’m not much. I’m young, I’m a girl with no special gifting. But if You can use anyone, You can use me.” Now, thinking back to that day, it makes me laugh how I’d hoped the heavens would have opened up, with angels descending and ascending on a heavenly ladder – that didn’t happen and I didn’t need it to. God heard my cry and He was at work to accomplish His perfect will in my life.
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SharesFacebook137TwitterPinterestSumoMeBy 19, my twin sister Deborah and I were traveling all over California preaching, teaching and singing at any place that would have us. By 21, we had been in seven different states and Mexico teaching about Jesus and His great plan for this generation!
I believe today is the Church’s finest hour, if we choose to live with passion, purpose and walk in power. I’m passionate about seeing individuals encounter God in a real way and seek to blow the lid off common misconceptions, personal limitations and powerless living. My heart and passion is to inspire and challenge others to become all God has designed them to be.
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Havilah wears many hats: wife, mom, pastor, teacher, daughter and friend. She and her husband Ben were leaders at The Rock of Roseville Church for the past 15 years, but they recently made a huge transition by moving to Redding, California to be the Directors of Moral Revolution. They enjoy spending time with their four young sons: Judah, Hudson, Grayson and Beckham.
Stronger Than the Struggle: Uncomplicating Your Spiritual Battle
Publishers Weekly. 264.41 (Oct. 9, 2017): p60+.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2017 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
Stronger Than the Struggle: Uncomplicating Your Spiritual Battle
Havilah Cunnington. Thomas Nelson, $16.99
trade paper (224p) ISBN 978-0-7180-9419-5
Cunnington, a pastor and executive director of Christian values advocacy group Moral Revolution, shares her thoughts on how Christians should best handle spiritual uncertainties and the pressures of the devil. As a young woman, Cunnington was "living for the weekend" until an experience during a high school class trip led her to an awakening: a young girl began to scream and convulse, as if possessed by the devil, and the team leader told everyone to encircle the girl and face away from her as they prayed. Cunnington came away with the lesson that only "insiders" could fight this type of spiritual battle. To equip her readers to better understand Satan's three objectives--steal, kill, and destroy--she shares many personal and Scriptural stories, and explains character types such as the prodigal son and the miser as examples of the work of evil. However, although she succeeds in elucidating her thoughts about Satan's directive against humankind, the text lacks cohesion and organization. Those with a literalist interpretation of the Bible looking for fortitude against sin will find much here. (Jan.)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Stronger Than the Struggle: Uncomplicating Your Spiritual Battle." Publishers Weekly, 9 Oct. 2017, p. 60+. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A511293373/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=d970878b. Accessed 4 Mar. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A511293373
(Book review) Stronger Than the Struggle
FEBRUARY 10, 2018 BY EVANGELICAL CHURCH LIBRARY ASSOCIATION 0 COMMENTS
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Reviewed by: Aubree DeVisser, a professional writing major at Taylor University.
Introduction
Title: Stronger Than the Struggle
Author: Havilah Cunnington
Publisher: : Nelson Books
Publication Date: 2018
Format: Print book
Length: 206 pages
OVERVIEW
Stronger Than the Struggle is an informational book on how to simplify your spiritual battles. Cunnington uses personal experience as well as scriptural references to assist her readers in winning everyday battles waged between God and the enemy, often with the Christian caught in the middle. Battles against pride, lust, envy, deceit, and jealousy are common, but they can be confronted through prayer, spiritual discipline, belief, and trust.
Cunningham presents authentic, real-life examples of steps to take to better understand what spiritual warfare looks like. She is not afraid to use her failures, disappointments, or misunderstandings to help the reader comprehend the idea of fighting the good fight each day. The author explains the motives of the enemy, as well as how to recognize ongoing temptations, and how to be diligent in finding the weapons from God that enable a daily ability to win the battle. Something the author stresses is that God has a plan for everyone’s life, and this means there is a way to have a healthy spiritual life. She offers options to gain clarity and to live a life of strength and confidence, knowing that God’s way can bring victory.
Because the book uses illustrations, anecdotes, examples, and stories, it is not preachy or stilted. Although backed by biblical comparisons, these modern lessons are pragmatic, insightful, and nonthreatening.
ASSESSMENT
Rating (1 to 5)
5 stars
Suggested Audience
Young adults and older
Christian Impact
Havilah Cunnington provides clarity in understanding spiritual warfare. She shows the importance of recognizing the enemy and allowing God to fight on your behalf, as well as give you weapons for winning. This book looks at the topic of spiritual battles using scripture, as well as real-life experiences, that most Christians can relate to.