Amazon.com
In Dinner With a Perfect Stranger, David Gregory relates the story of two men sharing a meal. The point of interest is knowing that one man believes he is Jesus. What will the other man think by the time the evening is through? The conversation begins, as one could imagine, scratching the dry hard surface of skepticism and doubt, but gently and persistently goes deeper and deeper, spiraling in from that starting point until they are eventually talking about the true stuff of life; the career drifting off-track, the marriage experiencing its own kind of strain, the life being lived where the philosophical questions of youth have given way to simply coping with modern day-to-day living.
Gregory's book is a refreshing reminder of what evangelical Christianity is at its very best -- a faith enlivened by the personal relationship between the Creator and the created. In the end, evangelical Christians are focused on who Jesus Christ is, and more specifically, who He is to them. Doctrinal stances, theological conundrums, questions about literal or non-literal Biblical interpretation, these are all beside the point for the certain type of Christian whose central focus is the life and person of Jesus.
In the Narnia series, C.S. Lewis touched on some of the core questions of religion, from the Christian viewpoint (is there a hell? What is heaven like, really? How can other religions be wrong, and just one be right?) Taking his cue from Lewis, Gregory does the same, realizing that questions like these come alive when they're in the context of a story, and we can be the third party, watching with interest while they are put on the table and considered. In the end, Gregory's book succeeds because of his willingness to approach interesting, hard questions like these. He is always, undoubtedly, aiming for the heart, but he realizes that to win the heart one must never forget that the mind has to come along for the ride. --Ed Dobeas
Book Description
You are Invited to a Dinner with Jesus of Nazareth
The mysterious envelope arrives on Nick Cominsky’s desk amid a stack of credit card applications and business-related junk mail. Although his seventy-hour workweek has already eaten into his limited family time, Nick can’t pass up the opportunity to see what kind of plot his colleagues have hatched.
The normally confident, cynical Nick soon finds himself thrown off-balance, drawn into an intriguing conversation with a baffling man who appears to be more than comfortable discussing everything from world religions to the existence of heaven and hell. And this man who calls himself Jesus also seems to know a disturbing amount about Nick’s personal life.
…………..
"You’re bored, Nick. You were made for more than this. You’re worried about God stealing your fun, but you’ve got it backwards.… There’s no adventure like being joined to the Creator of the universe." He leaned back off the table. "And your first mission would be to let him guide you out of the mess you’re in at work."
………….
As the evening progresses, their conversation touches on life, God, meaning, pain, faith, and doubt–and it seems that having Dinner with a Perfect Stranger may change Nick’s life forever.
Customer Reviews:
Dinner with a Perfect Stranger.......2007-10-12
A beautifully written narrative that has solid apologetics yet captures the imagination and the heart.
A Perfect Book.......2007-09-17
I received this book as a gift and enjoyed it so much that I bought it to give to my daughter-in-law. What would it be like to have dinner with Jesus? This book answers that question in a way that includes humor and an inside look at witnessing as Jesus might do it if he invited an unbeliever struggling with life's problems to dinner. A thought-provoking book beautifully written.
A wonderful book.........2007-09-07
An excellent book. Perfect for the whole family to listen to. It is funny at times and then brings the right amount of drama at the right time. It makes you think things through and to a higher level.
kateinkalifornia.......2007-08-29
A quick read, I actually read it twice. I will keep it and lend it out, but I want it back. It's one for my permanent collection.
Reads like a religious brochure.......2007-08-24
My mom gave me this book to read as, one would guess, a last minute ditch effort to get me back into religion. Flipping through the book and seeing that it was only around 100 pages, and was printed in nice big "kid's book" letters, I figured, hey, what's a couple hours? I'm certainly willing to hear other viewpoints, and weigh them accordingly.
My first complaint is that if this is how religious people think that non-religious people think, feel, and act, then they are sorely mistaken. It's as if everyone that isn't Christian is empty, sad, and just sort of generally depressed. I guess using logic and consistency in your life makes you depressed? I guess not accepting whim-based rules about how to live life because "this book said so" and instead working rigorously to come up with a consistent set of morals and values makes you feel empty?
Anyways, the author attempts to make logical proofs, and in doing so, shows that he has no clue what a logical proof is. His undeniable, irrefutable proof that god exists is that an earlier part of the bible predicts a later part of the bible. Seriously. Nevermind that the later part of the bible was written a couple centuries after the fact, and by monks who were fully aware of the prophecies in Daniel, etc.
He also makes the claim that either Buddhism, or Hinduism, (i forget which, and i don't have the book in front of me) can't be true because it says that the universe is eternal. "How does that stack up against what your scientists have recently discovered?" alluding to the idea that we now *think* that the universe had a starting point. Regardless of the fact that we don't KNOW that it had a starting point, using science to dethrone one religion after another but not applying it to your own is a methodology only useful to those completely wrapped up in their own beliefs. One wishes the guy having dinner with Jesus would have responded with "well... that's funny... what does our science say about the idea of consciousness without matter? Or simultaneously being all-knowing and all-powerful? Or energy without any means to measure it? I guess that means your dad doesn't exist... which in turn means you don't exist, because you're one with your dad or whatever... so I guess I'm talking to myself... which would explain why the waiter has been looking at me strangely all night."
There was also a fantastic bit at the end about how if Jesus was in this guy's heart, he (Jesus) could love the guy's wife when he (the guy) couldn't anymore. Or something to that effect. I'd talk more about that, but I don't want to misquote it and have someone negate the whole review based on it, so I'll let it go.
I could go on for pages about the rediculous assumptions this book makes about how life should be lived, and the causes of evil in the world, etc. But I won't. Suffice it to say that this book is patently ridiculous, and actually rather offensive to truly free-thinking, open and honest people.
Then again, the author believes in a god that said "Thou Shall Not Kill" and then went on to murder millions and millions of people, as well as an entire planet's worth of animals that are completely amoral. So I guess anything goes, and he's as capable as anyone else to cherry-pick the parts that he does and doesn't support out of the bible.
Amazon.com
The Case for Christ records Lee Strobel's attempt to "determine if there's credible evidence that Jesus of Nazareth really is the Son of God." The book consists primarily of interviews between Strobel (a former legal editor at the Chicago Tribune) and biblical scholars such as Bruce Metzger. Each interview is based on a simple question, concerning historical evidence (for example, "Can the Biographies of Jesus Be Trusted?"), scientific evidence, ("Does Archaeology Confirm or Contradict Jesus' Biographies?"), and "psychiatric evidence" ("Was Jesus Crazy When He Claimed to Be the Son of God?"). Together, these interviews compose a case brief defending Jesus' divinity, and urging readers to reach a verdict of their own.
Book Description
Using the dramatic scenario of an investigative journalist pursuing his story and leads, Lee Strobel uses his experience as a reporter for the Chicago Tribune to interview experts about the evidence for Christ from the fields of science, philosophy, and history. Winner of the Gold Medallion Book Award and twice nominated for the Christian Book of the Year Award.
Customer Reviews:
My boyfriend met Christ through this book.......2007-09-12
I think this book does a pretty good job at analyzing Jesus' existence and the validity of the bible from various angles, such as via archeology, psychology, anatomy, science, logic, etc. And amazingly, by God's grace, my boyfriend met Christ through this book! Praise God.
Compelling Arguments.......2007-09-01
I found The Case for Christ to be well written and the arguments put forward to be very compelling. Mr. Stobel uses a series of interviews with a variety of experts to build his case and each presented facts or points of view that were very hard to refute. Excellent book.A Startrek to Eternity
A good starting point for both skeptics and apologists.......2007-08-28
I've read this book numerous times and read the reviews of those who gave the books low scores. This book is a good starting point for people with lots of agnostic/atheist friends. Granted, if your friend was Hawkings or Dawkins, you might have a tough time relying on this book. Sometimes it doesn't cover topics you'd like to be covered and sometimes the reasoning takes a bit of thinking to understand, but generally, this book covers all the bases.
Of course, the writer had a Christian agenda. Everything has a systemic bias. I could write a review on The Selfish Gene saying that the book has an evolutionist bias. For others, just "the Bible says so" is a good argument. This is even more sillier, like driving a car without knowing how to brake. When your friends give you an obstacle, you can only swerve around it or crash and burn. In Matthew 22:37, Jesus said to love the Lord with all your mind and that sound doctrine should be taught. If you can't argue for sound doctrine, how can you teach and understand it?
Thought provoking.......2007-08-23
This book is very well written in an investigative style and counters some of the less challenged arguments of those who do not believe in Christ as the Son of God. Usually, agnostics and atheists present what appears to be an intellectually sound argument against Christ's position as the Savior of the world. These arguments are countered methodically and give the non-theologian a source for countering arguments against Christ. I have read Strobel's "A Case for Faith" and because of that read this book. It is nice to read intellectually sound arguments for Christ that can't be dismissed as the work of religious zealots or "kooks" as Christians are sometimes portrayed when defending their beliefs.
Just plain excellent.......2007-08-21
This is a most interesting book, excellently written, decisive and to the point. It touches on areas that any believer has pondered and many atheists base their faith on.
Any thinking person cannot argue the facts uncovered in it. It is also a good reference for the up and coming apologist.
It is so much easier to be an atheist than a believer. This book reveals the futility of the easy belief...
Book Description
Borg returns to the ground where he made his dramatic debut with Jesus: A New Vision in 1987. Here Borg updates his work introducing us to a Jesus we have never met before. In many ways Borg's Jesus is more revolutionary and possesses a more exciting moral vision than the church's traditional view. Here we meet Jesus as sage and prophet courageously and surprisingly confronting the social crises of his day. After a lifetime of work and study, Borg also discovers a Jesus that can continue to inspire, inform and guide those who have moved beyond archaic doctrines. Borg argues that there is a movement in the church today that is catching up with where scholarship has brought us in understanding Christian origins. Here readers will find an historically accurate Jesus, but one who is still worth following.
Customer Reviews:
Challenging, thought-provoking, recommended - but is it right?.......2007-09-28
Let me hit what I consider to be the high points of this book first. It will challenge you to think deeply about your faith. When you're done reading it, you may feel as if you've scaled Everest and found enlightenment. Borg makes a terrific case that a Christian focus on salvation and heaven ignores the heart of Christ's ministry. And that the heart of that ministry was about The Father's will being done on earth. He challenges us (page 194) not to live the easy (broad) way, living by conventional wisdom even if that conventional wisdom comes from church. Just as Jesus challenged his followers to examine their conventional wisdom about faith in their times. He's got a really good message in chapter 9 (Resistance) that "The Bible is political." And that God's will for us is different from the "normalcy of civilization." And he challenges us to see that just as Jesus spoke in parables, there's often a metaphoric meaning that's even more valuable than a literal reading.
I'll admit I didn't know who Marcus Borg was at the time I started reading this. Part of the way in, I read his bio finally and saw the connection to the "historical Jesus" movement and The Jesus Seminar. That instantly turned me skeptical as I read, not having had a good impression of what little I knew of The Jesus Seminar. But as I read, I really opened to what he had to say. While I'm still skeptical of the "historical Jesus" movement, I no longer see this as a cover for tearing down Christianity I once foolishly thought it was. It's clear that Mr. Borg is a man of deep faith who loves Christ's teaching.
So with all of the positives, why only a 3 star review? I'm sorry, even having read this I just can't buy in to the approach of examining Christ's life or the Gospel as a matter or "history." Mr. Borg's "historical" approach to the New Testament begins in effect by counting only Mark as a definitive gospel because it was first. Anything in the other gospels that can't be corroborated elsewhere is essentially thrown out. While that might be a "historical" approach, it doesn't strike me as the right approach for a faith that is alive.
Practically, I'm also stumped by the "historical" insistence that if the "earliest" writing didn't mention fact A, later writings that mention it must be fabrications or metaphors. While he holds true to that methodology for any statement he wants to dismiss, he acknowledges at one point that yes Paul in his earliest writings left out descriptions of the crucifixion why? Because Paul could assume is contemporary readers knew those details. So, it seems just as likely to be that from a "historical" standpoint, the point of the earliest written documents probably wasn't to record the known details the writer could assume and that yes, as The Word spread further in time and throughout the region that details left out of early writings but known by all were captured from verbal traditions and written down.
He's also prone to making statements like "it is unlikely that these passages go back to Jesus" (p 180). It seems to me that the more correct statement in this case would be "it's impossible to say from a historical standpoint whether or not these passages go back to Jesus." There's no proof that they don't. Again, this is faith not history.
And in chapter 10, while he presents a case that there's a beautiful additional metaphor in Easter, in what it means for God to have raised Jesus, he makes statements about Easter being more metaphorical than a real raising of Jesus from the dead than I can buy. Yes, there's more meaning to what God did on Easter. But reducing Christ the Living Son of God's post-Easter existence to the followers of Jesus "continued to experience him after his death" and that "God had vindicated Jesus" (p 276) is to ignore that if you are going to believe in God, you are believing by definition in something all powerful, capable of this miracle.
He also makes what I feel to be an obvious error in his Jesus is not Superman line of reasoning around page 75. His argument if that if Jesus was fully human, then he did not have Superman powers. Therefore, he didn't feed thousands with a few fish and loaves. And if he had these powers, there would have been more stories of them. To me, this misses the obvious: Yes, Jesus was fully human but he was able to call on God to work through him. And again, God is God, he is all powerful. God working through Jesus can feed the multitudes, heal, and everything else. Why aren't there more stories of this? I'll turn the question around: if there were more stories, would the applicants of the Historical Jesus movement just dismiss them anyway? The stories there are are sufficient for faith.
My bottom line for this is that there's some brilliant theology in this book. Mr Borg does cleanly expose the heart of Christ's earthly teaching to his fellow Jewish peasants. He taught compassion, non-violent resistance, meaningful sharing of resources so that all would have enough, and much more. But it's a shame that this beautiful message has to come wrapped with so much skepticism about whether or not we can believe any of the Gospel as "fact."
Built on supposition.......2007-09-01
The opening is a masterful survey of text criticism and the discipline of seeking the historical Jesus. Then Borg describes a category - first century Jewish mystic - and contends that Jesus lives within that category. It is an educated guess.
Good, thoughful Stuff.......2007-07-25
Borg is insightful. He has some views of Christ that I certainly disagree with, but on the other hand, he has some insights that I certainly agree with. His historical-metaphorical reading is amazing. I will never read the book of Mark again through the same eyes, or the rest of the Gospel accounts. If you want a challenging read about your Savior, this is the book. I looking forward to preaching on some of the truths that Borg draws out of the text. Instead of being happy with a "it happened" reading, we should ask the question "why did it happen that way?"
Wishful thinking.......2007-05-11
'Conspiracy' is at the heart of this book, that somehow history has moved away from the real Jesus. But through his own eyewitnesses, we find that Jesus wasn't only a religious revolutionary, He was God.
-ISP
The New Christian Paradigm.......2007-05-07
Many people, both those who attend church and those who do not, have questions about traditional Christianity. For many, concepts like the virgin birth, resurrection and deification of Jesus make no sense. Questions like, "was Jesus God or did the church turn Jesus into God," go unanswered. Christian scholarship has been addressing these questions for 50 plus years, but their findings rarely find there way into the pews of a church. There is a new Christian paradigm emerging, which includes new ways to understand Jesus. Borg does a good job discussing this new paradigm in a book that is easy to read. For anyone interested in a new way of looking at Jesus and Christian faith, this book is an excellent place to begin.
Book Description
The Founder of JetBlue. The CEO of Dell Computers. The CEO ofDeloitte Touche. The Dean of the Harvard Business School. They all haveone thing in common. They are devout Mormons who spend their Sundaysexclusively with their families, never work long hours, and always puttheir spouses and children first. How do they do it? Now, criticallyacclaimed author and investigative journalist Jeff Benedict (a Mormonhimself) examines these highly successful business execs and discovers howtheir beliefs have influenced them, and enabled them to achieve incrediblesuccess. With original interviews and unparalleled access, Benedict shareswhat truly drives these individuals, and the invaluable life lessons fromwhich anyone can benefit.
Customer Reviews:
Interesting but incomplete..........2007-10-14
Great stories and insight on how LDS values can benefit a career as a businessman, but there should have been some discussion on LDS businessmen who haven't been such a great example of the christian way, especially those who have taken advantage of their fellow church-members. There are many to chose from, but Wade Cook and Elliot Fitzgerald would be a good place to start. Or maybe these men should be sent complimentary copies of the book as they serve out their prison sentences.
This book is not propaganda for the Mormon faith.......2007-08-24
I like the book; it is not a book of propaganda for the Mormon church. It talks about how some sucessful Mormon businessmen and CEO operate in accordance with the values taught by their faith. It is a useful addition to management literature. The book does not go into management theories and successful business models. It does not give you much empirical data based on surveys or business ratios. The focus of the book is on the moral values that make a difference in the lives of these individuals who make contributions to the company they work for, care for the employees, and have their self identity rooted in things (such as family, a desire to serve) other than wealth, fame, and status.
Yes, it make a lot of refernces to the Mormon faith. The author says it as he sees it. This book is good addition to the study of business ethics.
Helps to Realign Priorities .......2007-08-10
This is one of the better business books I have every read. It is a light read, and goes quickly. As I read the book, I considered my relationship with my own family. My 3 year old son kept approaching me on Saturday afternoon wanting to "color" with him. Rather than blowing him off and saying "I'm too busy," I put my book down and shared 10 minutes with him doing something HE felt was important. The greatest message is that the only titles that matter in this life are "Husband" and "Father." Everything else is irrelevant.
Knowing one of the principle subjects of the book, I appreciate the power of the strong women in the lives of these successful businessmen. To be successful at home and in life, a strong marriage & united partnership is key. As the Book of Matthew states, "By their fruits ye shall know them." You can plainly see that with these great families profiled.
A perfect read and excellent book to go by.......2007-07-03
Mormon or not the things that you learn from this book are wonderful. It is an easy read and very applicable skills and traits that anyone can use in their every day life.
The Mormon Way of Doing Business.......2007-05-13
I am a communication instructor at two New Jersey intitutions and found the book inspiring and helpful in gearing lectures to driven students looking to get ahead and network successfully. Great read!
Book Description
Responding to the extraordinary number of questions raised by recent cultural phenomena such as The Gospel of Judas and The Da Vinci Code, New York Times bestselling author Sylvia Browne brings readers the full story of the life of Jesus
New discoveries in archaeology and recent bestsellers and movies such as The Da Vinci Code and The Passion of the Christ have sparked a renaissance of the many controversies that have remained unanswered in Christianity and other religions. At the heart of these controversies is Jesus. With a unique perspective only Sylvia Browne could bring, The Mystical Life of Jesus is filled with the details of JesusÂ' inspiring life.
Including his birth, childhood, travels, ministry, miracles, crucifixion, death, and resurrection, she addresses all of the major controversies:
• Was there a virgin birth?
• Was there a Star of Bethlehem?
• What did he do for the first thirty years of his life?
• Was he married?
• Was he divine?
• Was it a miracle at Cana (and who was getting married)?
• Is there a Jesus lineage?
Using her unique relationship with her spirit guide and her years studying the controversial Gnostic texts, Sylvia answers all of these questions with a confidence and authority only someone who has visited the afterlife can have.
Customer Reviews:
I STRONGLY DISAGREE WITH MS. BROWNE'S CLAIMS..........2007-10-09
With all due respect to Ms. Sylvia Brownes' believers, I strongly disagree with her claim that Jesus survived the crucifixion and was nursed backed to health. I have strong faith in Jesus Christ's resurrection. I believe Jesus ascended and resurrected into Heaven after His death. Please have faith in the resurrection. . "FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, JESUS CHRIST, THAT WHOSOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM SHALL NOT PERISH BUT HAVE ETERNAL LIFE......." John 3:16... I believe that Jesus DIED to save us from our sins. I respect all the believers of Sylvia Brownes, but please let's have faith in Christianity's belief of Resurrection. I am not saying that she is not real because I have no right to judge someone, but I will always fight for my faith because I trust Jesus Christ with all my body, heart, mind and soul. The Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ is one of Christianity's foundation. I am not being narrow minded, I just have strong faith in Jesus. For the people who wants to know the truth , I recommend the following...
Armageddon, Oil and Terror: What the Bible Says About the Future
End Times
Apocalypse and the End Times
Mysteries of the Universe: A Revolutionary Commentary on UFOs, Aliens, Angels, Pyramids, Bible Codes, Reincarnation, the Antichrist...
God Bless!!
Eye opening.......2007-10-03
I was looking for something like this for some time now. Like Sylvia,I was raised a Catholic but things not always made sense. This book was refreshing to me and those most deep into religion will find it controversial at some point or another. I love it.
Just what I was seeking.......2007-08-17
I decided recently that since I wanted to become more involved with the ascended master Jesus, i.e., invoking Him and seeking His advice, it would be a good idea to learn more about Him. I wasn't satisfied with Biblical accounts. This book was exactly what I was seeking. Sylvia Browne, with extensive research and the help of her guide, Francine (who will only impart the truth because spirit guides can only tell the truth) uncovers inconsistencies among the Gospels. She questions the accounts and draws conclusions based on logic. If you have ever wondered about Jesus' life between the ages of 12 and 30; wondered what really happened then; or seek to know the truth about Him, then this book is for you. It was an incredibly easy and fast read for this reader and this book was hard to put down.
This reader applauds Sylvia Browne for her courage and candor in writing this book and especially her guide, Francine. She also explains the birth story, the different approaches to Christianity (Pauline, Gnostic), the "miracles", the Passion Story (which blew this writer away), life AFTER Easter and the Apocalypse.
This reader's reactions to this book are: Wow! and Thank You For Shining A Light On The Truth. I highly recommend this book. Even though this book challenges commonly-held Christian beliefs, this reader feels that this information also enhances them.
The Real Life of Jesus.......2007-07-05
I just wanted to say "Thank you, Sylvia Brown!" for confirming so many things I believed to be true about Jesus. I loved the book and was so glad I came across it. I strongly believed he did not die on the cross but found that I still had some religously based misconceptions about his life, (that he was born into a poor family, that he was born in a stable, etc.) that I feel your book helped put into the proper perspective. It was a very affirming read for me, confirming so many things regarding his life and death that I somehow knew and felt were true. Very interesting and thought provoking. For those with an open mind this is the book to read if you're interested in knowing more about the life of Christ from an uncommon perspective.
Another point of view.......2007-07-01
She tells you what she knows and leaves it up to you. Psychic Sylvia Browne is GOOD! Of course Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci Code" got us started, this a the icing on the cake. Think for yourself. Read this book and see what you think.
Book Description
"Sweet spot." Golfers understand the term. So do tennis players. Ever swung a baseball bat or paddled a Ping-Pong ball? If so, you know the oh-so-nice feel of the sweet spot. Life in the sweet spot rolls like the downhill side of a downwind bike ride. But you don't have to swing a bat or a club to know this. What engineers give sports equipment, God gave you.
A zone, a region, a life precinct in which you were made to dwell. He tailored the curves of your life to fit an empty space in his jigsaw puzzle. And life makes sweet sense when you find your spot.
But if you're like 87 percent of workers, you haven't found it. You don't find meaning in your work--or you're one of the 80 percent who don't believe their talents are used. What can you do? You're suffering from the common life, and you desperately need a cure.
Best-selling author Max Lucado has found it. In
Cure for the Common Life he offers practical tools for exploring and identifying your own uniqueness, motivation to put your strengths to work, and the perfect prescription for finding and living in your sweet spot for the rest of your life.
Customer Reviews:
Christian reading.......2007-08-23
Max Lucado is a wonderful writer, good reading and good
applications to our lives.
What's in your tool kit?.......2007-06-17
A practical guide to exploring how to know yourself, and your real calling, a bit better! Lucado's thought is that God gives us each a unique tool kit, suited for a unique destiny! Hopeful, fun, readable! I read it aloud with my homeschooled son, and we enjoyed discussions.
Cake or Death?.......2007-06-05
Another book that would do better service, it seems, as a shim under a wobbly table than as a last-ditch prop for a moribund worldview.
To Be Swallowed.......2007-04-24
Imagine three circles intertwined (a la Olympic rings), with one central area where all three cirlces converge.
Circle #1 is Your Everyday Life
Circle #2 is Your Strengths
Circle #3 is God's Glory
Where the circles converge....there is Your Sweet Spot. This is what Max Lucado writes in his book "Cure for the Common Life: How to Live in Your Sweet Spot."
I've read some of Max Lucado's children's books to my kids - sweet, poignant stories about accepting who you are as a divine creation of a divine being. When I saw this book at the library, I thought it might be interesting to read what this Christian author had to say about adults and our everyday lives. Not surprisingly, his message is the same for the parents as it is for his younger audiences: accept who you are as a divine creation of a divine being.
Lucado spends much of this book cheering the reader on to accept and act upon the principles that each of us is created with unique worth and talents and abilities. "Your life has a plot; your years have a theme. You can do something in a manner that no one else can."
He compares each of us to a piece of luggage being packed for a trip. If you were going to Hawaii in July you wouldn't pack a parka and snow boots. You would pack what was appropriate for the time, place, the owner of the bag. WE are prepackaged by God for the lives we are to lead while here on our earthly "trip": when/where/who we are. We find unhappiness when we try to fit ourselves into the clothing in someone else's bag. If that were to happen in real life - if we pick up the wrong suitcase at the airport terminal - what would we do? He says, "you'd hunt down your own bag. Issue an all-points bulletin. Call the airport. The taxi service...No one wants to live out of someone else's bag. Then why do we? Odds are, someone urged a force fit into clothes not packed for you." Sometimes, that "someone" is ourselves, isn't it?
Lucado suggests that we get smart and get brave about trying to live in our Sweet Spot. He challenges us to find the things that we love to do, where we have natural abilities and feel the greatest measures of success, and then incorporate those things into our everyday. In doing so, we glorify God by glorifying the gifts and talents he gave us. I know, I know, people have been saying for years that a genius is the person who can figure out a way to make a living doing what he loves, but how many of us really go for it? And I, for one, never really thought about it in terms of my faith. If I have faith that God made me individually, that he knows every hair on my head, then doesn't it make sense that he cares about how I spend every minute of my day?
There are chapters that deal with how to make the most of what you ~are~ doing, if an immediate change is not feasible. Lucado says, basically, take God to work with you. Every single day, have Him in your heart, and it will change how you do things.
Lucado by profession is a preacher, and some of the sections are...well..."preachy". I even started snoring a bit at some of the parts, and I'm a believer. I also wondered if he's gotten to be such a prolific author that the editors give him the go-ahead a little sooner than they should (holy goat, the man rambles!). But all in all, I think this book has some very profound things to say about what we should choose to do and why we should choose to do it.
There is an acronym in the book that is meant to help readers find their Sweet Spot. It is STORY:
S: Strengths (what are yours? what comes easily? VERB)
T: Topics (what do you like to talk about? learn about? NOUN)
O: Optimal Conditions (under what conditions do you naturally thrive? what triggers your motivation?)
R: Relationships (what is your ideal relationship pattern? alone? in a group?)
Y: Yes! (what is paydirt? what makes you say YES!)
One of the ways to study your STORY is to read your life backwards. Regress through adulthood to adolescence to childhood, and try to chart out times when you felt the strongest about something you were passionate about. Something that made you think (or say) Yes! There is a section at the back of the book that offers worksheets helping the reader to identify those types of moments throughout their life. The ultimate goal is to rid yourself of your common life and make things extraordinary.
I really enjoyed this book and felt it was a fresh way to look at my life and how I'd like to revamp it.
What the other don't tell you..........2007-03-12
I've read a lot of the other reviews--and they are right. This is a good book. However, what I don't see is a general warning: THIS BOOK IS HARD! For the 87% of us not in our sweet spots, you really have to peel back layers of self-defense and coping mechanisms that get you through the day-to-day grind of work. It's worth it, but as truths surface, they ripple. There is pain with this growth, but stick with it. The truth's worth it. Very life changing.
Book Description
In this book Peter Scazzero unveils what's wrong with our conventional means of "spiritual growth" and offers not only a model of spirituality that actually works, but seven steps to transformation that will help readers experience a faith changed with authenticity, contemplation and a hunger for God.
Customer Reviews:
Emotionally Healthy Spirituality.......2007-10-11
I absolutely love this book and everyone I know is reading it. I heard it was out of print. I hope not, cause I might want to order a few more for friends.
Emotionally Healthy Spirituality.......2007-10-05
This book was awesome!! Peter Scazzero really deals with the perception of what people think the church and a relationship with God look like vs. what they truly are meant to be. He's painfully and refreshingly honest about his experiences as a Christian and as a pastor. I highly recommend this book for those who desire a committed, truthful and free relationship with the Lord.
Elder, Ph.D., Sunday school teacher, professor.......2007-09-10
This book is better than his book published 2003 "the emotionally healthy church", because it is well thought out and more organized. This is a very useful book for Christian leaders for renovate their private life and also their church.
Refreshing look at Christian spirituality.......2007-04-02
Great book...Scazzero goes where not enough writers about Christian spirituality go: to an authentic and genuine (even if messy) relationship with the living Christ.His enouragement and practical help for doing the difficult inner work that God blesses is very helpful. Good stuff!
Spirituality for the whole person.......2007-03-09
At last a book that offers a way to let Jesus heal the whole person, empower a Christian's entire life. With unflinching honesty and humility, Pastor Scazzero witnesses to a spirituality that gives attention to our past without allowing us to remain perpetual victims. He offers us disciplines for our future that can shape our lives and make room for the abundance that Jesus promised.
My favorite surprise in the book was the call to true "Sabbath." I'm not there yet, but I feel the tug of the Spirit, urging me to take this seriously. It is such a joy to realize that the world can carry on one day a week without me!
It's difficult to imagine the Christian whose walk would not benefit from reading this book.
Book Description
Breaking Free is the most compelling and personal book Beth has written. As Beth began to work through the material that would become the original Breaking Free seminar, she realized that it was not only the spiritually lost who were captive, but also
Customer Reviews:
GREAT BOOK-SHIPPING HIGH.......2007-07-30
Several of my friends and I are using this book for an e-mail small group Bible study. It is well suited for that with its short chapters and review questions.
I ordered 3 items at exactly the same time and had to pay 3 separate shipping charges. I probably would not do that kind of shopping again.
Breaking Free.......2007-06-29
This is a fantastic Bible Study. I would recommend it for every woman no matter what their experiences are in life. Each of us deserves to be totally free.
Gets draggy.......2007-06-27
Some of the chapters are excellent. Too much info on apparent child abuse of the author. Slow reading part of the time. I do enjoy most of her books, but I wouldn't recommend this one.
Be mentored by Beth Moore with this study........2007-03-28
(Written by Monica)
When you start this study, be ready to be mentored by Beth and to look in all of the 'closets' of your heart.
The study was intensive and eyeopening to me. I refleced a lot and had the opportunity to learn many new scriptures.
The study helped me understand how to improve my relationship with Jesus and my relationships with others.
Truly a life changing study.......2007-01-26
I just have to reiterate what everyone here is saying. No matter where your walk with Christ is, this will change your life.
Amazon.com
Although Dallas Willard's Renovation of the Heart is an accessible handbook for learning about spiritual formation, it's not lightweight by any stretch of the imagination. It compels the reader to take in the concepts slowly, underline important passages, scribble notes in the margins, and slowly absorb and put into practice the ideas Willard espouses. "Although there is much talk about 'changing lives' in Christian circles, the reality is very rare, and certainly much less common than the talk," writes Willard. But, he adds, no one need live in spiritual and personal defeat. Rather, the way of change is through inner transformation and taking the small steps that lead one to it. Beginning with an introduction to spiritual formation, he then outlines the avenues through which transformation takes place, including thoughts, feelings, choices, social context, the body, and the soul. Each chapter concludes with questions for personal or group reflection. Read it once, then keep it close for further reference--it's a book that will continually refresh a spiritual journey. --Cindy Crosby
Book Description
You can shed sinful habits and increasingly take on the character of Christ through ""the transformation of the spirit,"" a personal apprenticeship with Jesus Christ.
Customer Reviews:
It's a hard read.......2007-09-02
This is an in depth analytical look at the human personality and what drives it. Ancient wisdom really, mind, body and spirit. Willard breaks the human persona into 6 elements (I prefer the trinity version), then breaks into an exhaustive proof of how true change must start with the heart. Some really profound points and observations are made. Worthwhile, but arduous. A simpler and easy to read encapsulation of the same idea can be found in a small book by E.G. White called "Steps to Christ" - that's a piece of work, and so easy to read and understand.
So far, so good.......2007-06-27
After the awesome Divine Conspiracy I had to check out another Dallas Willard book about Christ. This one is also very good and insightful, and makes me think differently about spiritual things. The kingdom of the heavens is here and now, and because of our faith in Christ we are citizens with Him there now and forever.
Our hearts need fixing.......2007-03-20
Willard delves into the psychological and spiritual reason that our lives don't work the way they stand on their own. Our hearts need fixing. We desire all the wrong things, think about the wrong things, and pursue the wrong things. This book is more scriptural-help than self-help, considering its premise that when we try to fix things on our own, we only screw things up.
-- Reviewed by Jonathan Stephens
Amazing.......2007-03-17
Of all of Willard's books, this one was my favorite.
Willard offers a systematic study of the nature of being, and then proposes a pragmatic approach to setting the hear back on course to purity and submission to God. A human being, he says (p. 30), is composed of thought, feeling, choice, body, social context and soul. He states plainly (p. 41), "It is the central point of this book that spiritual transformation only happens as each essential dimension of the human being is transformed to Christlikeness under the direction of a regenerate will interacting with the constant overtures of grace from God. Such transformation is not the result of mere human effort and cannot be accomplished by putting pressure on the will (heart/spirit) alone."
Fundamental to this project is first dying to self, taking up the cross, and living in self-denial (chapter 4). We must then go through a process like learning a new language. The general steps he summarizes in the acronym VIM: vision, intention, means (p. 85). These are a vision for kingdom life, the will to do it, and the means to carry it out.
The rest of the book is structured around a look at the transformation of the mind (chapters 6-7), will (8), body (9), social context (10), and the soul (11). The work of the mind involves being cognizant of the ideas and feelings that drive our society and our personal lives. Instead we should be renewed with love, joy, and peace in the inner life. The work of the will involves surrendering our will to God's, and then moving from abandonment to contentment. Here the spiritual disciplines bring to light our duplicity on these matters. The work of the body means realizing the over-emphasis we place on it and the need to cease idolizing and misusing our bodies. The work of our social context involves noting the use of assault and withdrawal that characterizes our relationships (p. 181). Lastly, the work of the soul, which Willard defines as the unifying factor of them all, is best summarized in Psalm 1. We are to be renewed into new beings who happily fulfill the law of God.
Again, I said this was my favorite of Willard's works. I'm not sure any of the rest of them so thoroughly transcend from the theological to the practical without missing a step. The systematic study of human nature is all-inclusive. He lays out a blueprint of a kingdom vision of what the human being (emphasis on being) is. The very nature of humanity, from the state in which we find it to the place it is supposed to be, is spelled out here. The enormity of the work is amazing for such a readable text.
renovation.......2007-02-24
willard's work is unique from other treatments of spiritual formation in that it examines "why" more than it does "how". you will read this book and understand not only what God-honoring change needs to happen but what it is you are putting your spirit and mind and body through and how that will bolster the change you are attempting, by God's grace.
Book Description
What if a fascinating stranger knew you better than you know yourself?
When her husband comes home with a farfetched story about eating dinner with someone he believes to be Jesus, Mattie Cominsky thinks this may signal the end of her shaky marriage. Convinced that Nick is, at best, turning into a religious nut, the self-described agnostic hopes that a quick business trip will give her time to think things through.
On board the plane, Mattie strikes up a conversation with a fellow passenger. When she discovers their shared scorn for religion, she confides her frustration over her husband’s recent conversion. The stranger suggests that perhaps her husband isn’t seeking religion but true spiritual connection, an idea that prompts her to reflect on her own search for fulfillment.
As their conversation turns to issues of spiritual longing and deeper questions about the nature of God, Mattie finds herself increasingly drawn to this insightful stranger. But when the discussion unexpectedly turns personal, touching on things she’s never told anyone, Mattie is startled and disturbed. Who is this man who seems to peer straight into her soul?
Customer Reviews:
Great Book.......2007-09-17
This book is the sequel to "Dinner with a Perfect Stranger." Whereas the first book involves Jesus speaking with a man, this one is Jesus' witnessing to the man's wife. Like him, she's not a Christian. Jesus slowly leads her where he wants her to go, always dealing with her in love. Jesus meets the woman on an airplane, where he also entertains the child ahead of him by making faces. Yes, I think Jesus would do that! Another wonderful book that shows witnessing done God's way. It's a book you'll want to keep.
Excellent follow-up.......2007-09-10
I thought this book was an excellent follow-up/sequel to Dinner with a Perfect Stranger. As in the original...it is easy to read, thought-provoking, not bogged down or time consuming. Really, if you've read the first one...THIS is a MUST read as well!
A good book.......2007-07-14
I enjoyed this book but not as much as Dinner With a Perfect Stranger. I wished God would have revealed Himself sooner.
They're both books I will suggest to others.
God at work in every way.......2007-05-24
My wife and I read this after reading _Dinner with a Perfect stranger_ and they both compliment each other. These books give some terrific insight into life's 'workings' and provide another viewpoint about love, life, religion that can be intimately identified with for each of us, although in a different manner for each.
It was a thouroughy enjoyable read.
Day With a Perfect Stranger.......2007-05-13
I found this book to be so very awesome in it's presentation, purpose and perspective. I got lost in the book and when I was finished it I felt a sense of loss; I would not have this literary "friend" to read each night before retiring.
David Gregory presented some very thought provoking ideas.
I passed it on to a friend who also gives this book a rave review.
Books:
- Eisenhower
- Eleni
- Every Second Counts
- Faith of My Fathers
- Finding Fish: A Memoir
- Geisha: A Life
- George Washington: The Founding Father (Eminent Lives)
- Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity
- Helen Keller (Scholastic Biography)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Thin Book of Appreciative Inquiry
- Masters of the Air: America's Bomber Boys Who Fought the Air War Against Nazi Germany
- Dynamic Efficiency and Path Dependencies in Venture Capital Markets
- Financial Accounting: A New Perspective NetTutor and PowerWeb Mandatory Package
- History: Fiction or Science
- My Friend with Autism: A Coloring Book for Peers and Siblings
- Living in Britain: Results from the 2001 General Household Survey
- Accounting Principles, Working Papers, Business Papers Practice Set, and General Ledge
- FAT AND MEAN: The Corporate Squeeze of Working Americans and the Myth of Managerial "Downsizing"
- The Botany of Desire: A Plant's-Eye View of the World
Contemporary
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
A Day with a Perfect Stranger
The Perfect Stranger
90 Minutes in Heaven: A True Story of Death & Life
I Never Knew That Was in the Bible: A Resource of Common Expressions and Curious Words from the Bestselling Book of All Time
Heaven
