That’s what the book is about: trials. Tough topics such as death, grief, pain, revenge are handled and given the proper solutions: faith, silence, intercession, forgiveness, knowledge that God remains on His throne, and in His infinite wisdom, he turns tragedy into triumph, meaning to provide you with good out of a difficult trial. (See Gen 50:20. Also Romans 8:28 “We know that in everything God works for good with those who love him.”)

From chapters dealing with how our Lord Jesus loves each of us as a parent, and has control over every aspect of our lives, Lucado then delves into how God uses trials (and even Satan) for His ultimate good: to refine the faithful, to awaken the faith of “sleeping” Christians, and to teach the church.

He also tackles the fruitlessness of revenge and how peace can only come from treating others as you would want God to treat you: with generosity, with forgiveness, with love.

He then recommends silence in order to hear God’s voice. No peace can be had without being still and knowing that He is God. (Ps. 46:10) And then he encourages us to intercede for others’ trials and pains. Finally the book deals with grief and death: and how for Christians, there is no hopeless goodbye, just hope-filled eternal life in the presence of God.

The book ends with a prayer for troubled times which summarizes the contents by recalling how God has turned grieving into dancing all throughout the Bible, and which pleads for the Lord’s mercy and grace in every painful situation.

In the end, the book is encouraging and universally appealing to Christians of all kinds. This is a wonderful gift book, even during good times, which reminds us that God is in control.

Reviewed by
Lionel Valdellon

I have to admit, I didn’t think at first that I needed to read this book. I passed it several times in the bookstore. It was given to me as a gift for Christmas because my wife saw me eyeing it so frequently. I am glad she did, for I am both challenged and encouraged by it.

Bridges starts off reminding us that holiness is a personal responsibility. Many of us trust in God to handle the particulars of our lives, re-creating us (see 1 Corinthians 5:17) and drawing us closer to Himself. We realize that we are not perfect, but we trust that we are not condemned, either. We get focused on gaining victory over sin and the bad habits of our lives, but never really get very far. His answer is that we are too self-focused, to be victorious, rather than understanding that “sin grieves the heart of God.” He tells us, “every time we sin, we are doing something God hates” (28).

He also encourages us that while we are responsible for our part, God has already accomplished His part in making our lives holy. We can trust in the holiness of Christ to make up the difference where we are unable. We have power in the Holy Spirit to break the habits that hold us back. We must take the time to break old habits, those that formed over years of living, but are based in or cause us to sin.

One of the keys to holiness is that of obedience. God doesn’t call us to be victorious, but He does expect us to be obedient. In regards to making use of the Spirit’s power: “To live by the Spirit is to live both in obedience to and dependence on the Holy Spirit” (74).

He puts out some practical helps to living holy and in obedience, stressing the fact that while we might fail at first, that should not be unexpected. “Any training – physical, mental, or spiritual – is characterized at first by failure. We fail more often than we succeed. But if we persevere, we gradually see progress till we are succeeding more often than failing” (102). We must also be careful not to be led by our emotions, but by our reason and our wills.

Returning to the dialogue about habits, we are finally encourage to create new habits, habits of holiness. One of the keys to breaking the sinful habits in our lives is to “never let an exception occur.” He is speaking in part about rationalizing one last indulgence in a habit. “When we allow exceptions we are reinforcing old habits or else failing to reinforce the new one” (134).

I recommend this book to any and all. It is a real, practical, easy to read and easy to understand discourse on holiness. We cannot shirk from God’s call to be holy, regardless of its implications or difficulties in our current lifestyles. “The Pursuit of Holiness” is timeless help for all.

This book is different.

Rod White (and all those who also helped to write, edit, and inspire this book) are more concerned about what we can be instead of what we shouldn’t be. It’s a story of the driving “proverbs” that make Circle of Hope the authentic community of faith that it is. If you don’t believe that the Church can actually live out the radical calling that Jesus set before us, then I suggest that you read this book. If you want to know what it actually looks like for a church to be a “safe place”, then read this book (or visit Circle of Hope).

Overall, this is a well-written, heartfelt, insightful book that I would HIGHLY recommend.

The writer uses scriptural, medical, personal and various examples to layout the case for the believer’s victory even in these hard times. It has steadied my faith in God with a resolve second to none.

This book is a weapon of mass instruction, a compendium of spiritual arsenals for the battle of the mind and a glittering jewel of hope coupled with an infusion of courage to the discouraged.

The book (THE WEEPING IS OVER) is a must to have, a must to read and a must to give as a gift.

Reviewed by festus

It is definitely worth reading by all Christians! And it is a must-read for anyone seeking purpose in life. Readers new to Christianity will find that ideas are presented clearly; more experienced Christians will appreciate the author’s thought-provoking style on an age-old subject. Each chapter builds on the previous chapter in a practical guide to understanding how God’s will for mankind affects God’s will for each individual. Sections of the book are heavy on graphic models, a regular gold-mine for the visually oriented. For those less inclined to appreciate these visuals, the text walks the reader easily through the illustrations. Highly recommend as an individual or group read.

I plan on re-reading it each and every year. Here are some of the benefits I see as I am on my second read of this inspiring book:

1. It is extremely well organized: you do not waste time and energy trying to figure out where the author is going with his thesis.

2. It is interspersed with many verses. It has a good balance of Scripture text and the author’s words. I love that the book fills my mind with God’s Word. Yet at the same time, I read thoughts that teach, direct, encourage, entertain me, etc., so that it is not a heavy theological book.

3. Mr. Russell uses charts, illustrations, alliterations, and other memory devices to make the principles of the book stick in my mind long after I have read it.

4. The chapters are bite-sized. This gives me the option of a quick 5-10 minute read if I am rushed or indefinite amount of time if I am just enjoying the contents of the book.

5. Mr. Russell ends each chapter with practical application questions and reflection questions. There is a wealth of verses that accompany the questions for the person who wants a deeper study of the Biblical principles presented.

In this time of great upheaval in our nation, I believe people will be looking for real, tangible answers to life’s most important questions. They will need to discover that God has the answers and those answers are in His Word. “Thy Will Be Done” is a timely book to show that God’s Will is discernible and it is not that hard to understand with the right guidance.

This book is would make a good group study.

Reviewed by: Butch

I am glad Max did not trivialize the impact of fear, as shown in Chapters 11 and 13. God is not insulating His believers in giant spiritual bubble from life’s shares of pain and heartaches in this fallen world; or as Max puts it, a “decaffeinated” life. In fact, storms of life sometimes are blessings in disguise. As Max puts it (in his dealing of the biblical account of Peter asking Jesus to command him to walk on water), to quote:

“Peter never would have made this request on a calm sea. Had Christ strolled across a lake that was as smooth as mica, Peter would have applauded, but I doubt he would have stepped out of the boat. Storms prompt us to take unprecedented journeys. For a few historic steps and heart-stilling moments, Peter did the impossible. He defied every law of gravity and nature; “he walked on the water to go to Jesus.” (Fearless, Chapter 6)

I am glad he treated this delicate subject of fear in a balance manner; for some fears are real, born out of legitimate concerns. I like the way he differentiated between prudence and paranoia in Chapter 7. Jesus was honest about His fear and Jesus made his fear public in the Garden of Gethsemane.

I am also glad too that Max was blatantly honest about his own fear especially about his fear and doubt that haunted him occasionally during his sermon preparation time (Chapter 12). This goes to show that this book is not just a “to-do” manual, with how many steps to eliminate fear. Rather this book was born out of the author’s own personal experiences (including a personal experience of being admitted for a life and death surgery). In other words, it is not just about head knowledge, but heart knowledge.

The chapter on financial fear was dealt with in a humorous, entertaining way, yet, full of wisdom. The chapter on the sovereignty of God, “Fear of God Getting Out Of My Box” (Chapter 14) is a must-read chapter for all believers.

In short, whatever your fears are, Max has a word for you. It is worth my time to read it, and I hope it is worth your time too, for who, has not, at one point or another experienced fear?

Reviewed by:
Dr. Chew Keng Sheng
My blog: http://cordsofhislove.blogspot.com/2009/09/book-review-fearless-by-max-lucado_08.html

We have learned, for the better part of our lives, how to control our behaviors. Our parents, teachers, pastors, and others, have taught us how to behave. But every once in a while a word or action spills out of us and we wonder, “Where did that come from?” The answer comes from the words of Jesus:

“Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are  the things which defile a man…”
(Matthew 15:17-19)

Andy identifies four monsters that lurk in the heart. I almost prefer not to list them, to allow you to discover them on your own. Why? Because you might think that your heart is free from them, that they are so far from your life that you don’t need to read this book. I would say that you’re fooling yourself, and you’re in trouble. Andy breaks these down to four outstanding balances that rest at the foundation of each monsters place in your life. You’d be surprised which come out when you inspect the heart. These four monsters are Guilt, Anger, Greed, and Jealousy.

He also spends time giving you an antidote, a cure for the monster. They aren’t overnight wonder drugs, they are habits. They sap the power and foothold of each sickness in your heart. I knew upon reading about one of these monsters that I needed to face it head on. I took Andy’s advice and began a new habit that day, and the result was amazing. Such freedom from a step so simple, that I just needed the willpower to put it in play.

It Came From Within is for anyone curious about what dangers could possibly lurk in their own heart. It is insightful, practical, and real. It is a must read for those who think they’re alright, and for those who know better. And you’ll find yourself passing around your copy when you finish.

I’ll start with my recommendations for this book. While I would say that Larry’s intended audience is broader than this, it is a book first for pastors. To recommend it to parishioners is to invite trouble. There are many thought provoking, soul searching statements and implications in the book. Should a parishioner grab hold of many of these and take them as concerns to a pastor, the resulting situation could get very messy. If you aren’t a pastor and you want to read this book, or have read the book and want to “discuss” its ideas with the pastor, do him/her a favor and buy them a copy.

Real Church is separated into four sections. The first is rather informal, almost as if Larry is thinking out loud rather than starting a book. I didn’t know how to process the raw emotion that came out in those pages. I often found myself thinking, “Larry, you need to get saved again!” I worked through the book with the understanding that there are people in our churches who truly feel this way, wonder why, often beat themselves up for it, then hide it, and the questions they have never have a chance to be answered or discussed. Could I as a pastor write off a member of my congregation for those feelings? I realized that this book wasn’t going to be theoretical reading, but hardcore, in my face, practical reality.

In many ways, Real Church confirms that the Church often fails in its primary purpose(s). I must admit that I don’t know how widespread the shortcomings run since I have a relatively small exposure in terms of number of churches I have ministered in or been a part of. Still, I can confidently say that I have tried to correct many of these issues in my own ministry. But we have a long way to go, and there are more churches out there.

Real Church also feeds my belief that the church cannot die or be replaced with individual religion. Is the Church flawed? Indeed. After all, how can an organism made up of flawed parts be perfect? But does that mean we should put it down and walk away from it? Never! There is work to be done to get on track, but it is doable work. We can get there from here.

Here are some important and favorite points from Real Church:

The church I want to be part of, a real church, will teach spiritual theology that stirs a hunger for spiritual formation that surfaces the need for spiritual community that then marshals its resources for spiritual mission. (xix)

I don’t think a gathering of Christians whose main purpose is to get people saved and to get saved people moral is a church. They might be successful in their mission, and that’s good; but I don’t think they’ve heard the music of heaven. (51)

I see a huge disconnect between what we do in church and what we’re longing for and struggling with the most as we live our lives. (64)

I’m fighting a battle for my life that msot churches don’t help me fight. (78)

…nothing is more difficult than developing the kinds of relationships with fellow Christians that Jesus wants us to have because nothing else we can do is more strongly opposed by powerful forces within us. . . . building the kinds of relationships that Jesus wants us to have is the one thing Christians can do that non-Christians can’t. . . . building those kinds of relationships is what Christians do least well. (122)

In Chapter 16 Larry informs us that while he is writing this book, he is also in the midst of another, a book about the individual books of the Bible, approaching each as a love letter from God. He states that he believes “that God wrote these letters to answer seven questions He wants us to be asking in the middle of our story” (100). He then details these seven questions. This is a great moment in the book.

I hope I have whet your appetite for Real Church. Again, take not of my recommendation. A book like this, though valuable, can be destructive in the wrong hands. Take care with these prophetic words. Be wise them. Above all, don’t ignore them, for they may be the future of the Church.