T.J. ROYAL
A Tarboro pastor is set to have his second mass-published book released next week.
The latest book by the Rev. Van Sharpe of Newness of Life Christian Center on Albemarle Avenue is titled "Spiritual Upgrade," and is set for release on June 30 from Longwood, Fla.-based Christian publishing company Xulon Press.
The 160-page soft-cover book is based on a sermon Sharpe gave at a Greenville church around a year ago, he said.
"The Lord let me know we needed to write a book about" not just upgrading every day technology devices people use every day, but in their spiritual life as well, Sharpe said.
"Spiritual Upgrade" is the follow-up to his first mass-published book, the February 2008 release "The Blessings of Rejection."
Although "Blessings" has sold "several thousand copies" already, Sharpe said that he is "expecting to do even better" with the sales of "Spiritual Upgrade" beginning next week.
The Shaw University graduate and Tarboro native, wrote four other books before "Blessings," but his latest two are the only ones that have been mass published.
He said that his books usually take between "four to five months" to write on his own. In each of them, Sharpe said that "God puts a subject in (my) heart" so that it can inspire the writing.
With "Blessings," Sharpe said that the message of the book can let people know that "when you get rejected, you get moved into your gift" in life.
"(The message of 'Blessings of Rejection') helps you discover what you really need to do, what to focus on," he added.
In his own life, Sharpe said that when he was one of the last cuts on his high school basketball team growing up in Tarboro, led him to focus on hitting the books and studying.
"I saw that (with basketball tryouts, it) was too much power to give someone in my life," which lead to him focusing on books, something he could much more easily control in his life.
And through the message of his books, Sharpe said that the ministry has been able to help others. He noted that people have told him that, after contemplating suicide, they did not follow through because they read his first book, "How to Overcome Discouragement."
His other books are "Seeking God Makes You Prosper," "Sheep Taming Wolves," and the marriage-help book titled "Don't Lose Yours Trying To Save Theirs." His latest two are $15 for soft-cover editions and $22 for hardcovers. The others are $4-$6.
Since he invested his money into the books, Sharpe said he keeps the profits from their sales.
Sharpe has been preaching for 25 years and lives in Tarboro with his wife Resunester.
