Religion Books

Didn't Mister Harris ask his future wife out on date the first time he met her?

I recommend this book to all my friends who are in relationships or are single but are wanting to look at how inter-gender relations ought to be carried out, biblically. My boyfriend and I read it and it has been a great "yellow line" (reference to an analogy Harris gives) for us.

I read this book and decided I do not like Joshua Harris that much, the book itself wasn't very helpful.

If anyone has read the title "I kiss dating goodbye," then you are aware of Joshua Harris' ungodly and unbiblical stance against Christian relationships, and may know of the damage it has done to members of the church in modern times. Young Christians have been leaving the church in droves after discovering it is "sick and ungodly" to have coffee with friends, go on dates, or pine after someone unless God "magically" steps in.

"Boy meets Girl" is a hypocrits' attempt to defend the relationship that he entered into soon after penning his original blasphemous piece of filth. For those who don't follow modern theology or have no notion of biblical applications, this would be as if Al Gore wrote "Why I trash the world, a polluter's attempt to foul the atmosphere." after "Inconvenient Truth." It really is that much of a turn-around. Unfortunately for him, this brazen attempt by Harris to cover his tracks merely points to how scandalous, misguided and damaging his first attempt at perverting the Bible was.

I've read some mixed reviews on this book, so I was pleasantly surprised at how much I loved this book. It was clear cut, honest and based on the Word. This book was great. I am currently in a relationship "with a purpose"- and while we agreed on it's purpose from the start, I was unsure of the specifics. This book was so thorough- it answered all my questions, and shed light on the gray areas. I would highly recommend it to anyone who is considering courting, in the midst of a Courtship, or just wondering what it's all about. The author uses real life examples to illusrate the principles being discussed. It also provides insight on everything from broaching the subject of courtship/marriage to how to handle it if your interests is not reciprocated to discussing/accepting one another's pasts. Simply stated, this is a great book. It tells the truth without preaching at you.

The Holy Spirit will move through them who begin reading this book in their spirit (the one we walk to according to the Word of God) and bring all who were in relationships of offense with the reader to reconcilliation with Jesus Christ - and will do it BEFORE the author does so at the end of the book. This author in relationship to The Author and Finisher of our Faith saves life.

I have read this book numerous of times and have also given copies to others. This is a book you must keep in your personal library. I have acutally reordered this book again and again. Thank you Mr. Bevere for sharing your gift with the world.

The Bait of Satan: Living Free from the Deadly Trap of Offense
This Book is founded on scripture and the life experiences of the Author John Bevere. . A must Read for all Christians. I gave the Book to my Pastor for his Birthday and Now he has the entire Church reading it and he is Teaching the principles to the Church so we can go to the next level Spiritually.

this is a great book to read. i'm close to the end but i have learned so much from this book in itself. i have given it to friends to read as well and each have gotten a release from reading it! it is a must read and is benifical for any christian that is trying to understand a relationship with God better and what can hinder it

This was the first John Bevere Book I had gotten through. I had first heard of John one night at a church we used to go to, where we watched the video the Bait of Satan. I was introduced to this great man of God and the anointing that God had on his life. I read the book and let me tell you I only finished it in about three days!

It was so awesome at how he talks about offence running rampent in the church. This book, I feel, deals primary with people getting offended over church issues BUT THIS MESSAGE WILL WORK FOR ANY SITUATION! And what is so amazing is how he uses personal stories and showed you that he had been in the same place as the reader so he writes and preaches with compassion and not condemnation. Also it would be great to get the DVD from his ministry too cause He is an awesome speaker of the word! I also gave my copy to a friend of mine, whom I felt was holding offence toward my pastor, also I gave him Under Cover too which would be a terrific companion to this book. THIS IS A MUCH NEEDED WORD CAUSE, LIKE JOHN WOULD SAY, IF WE BREATH AIR WE HAVE A CHANCE TO BE OFFENDED AND WE NEED TO BE REMINDED OF HOW TO DEAL WITH IT AND HOW JESUS FORGAVE US!!!!

If you have ever delt with offence OR Know someone that is dealing with offence, especially over church/ministry issues, then "The Bait of Satan" Would be a Perfect choice for you!!!!!!! GET THIS ANOINTED BOOK TODAY!!!!!!

(sorry in advance) anyone who isn't moved by the kindness & compassion; the hopeful sayings of HH the Dalai Lama is either too cynical or not in touch with the needs of our complex/complicated 'society'.
His wisdom-compassion for all of humanity (and others), his lack of a vested interest, speaks for itself.

Though self-consciously idealistic and at times maddeningly general, this book is profoundly insightful. What makes this palatable is that the Dalai Lama concedes his Buddhist biases, and then offers a framework for approaching to the worlds' problems (all of them!) that is independent of religion. Noting the danger of religion reinforcing self-centered notions, he references the common ground found in all religions, "overcoming suffering through the practice of ethical discipline and cultivation of love and compassion," and advocates that we learn to reconcile our faith (or atheism) with the multiplicity of other possible faiths.

In the first of three sections, The Foundation of Ethics, he highlights some of the world's problems, and questions material wealth as a solution to happiness, noting that material things may in themselves cause anxiety, frustration, and discontent. Though the humor was completely unintentional, I laughed at his recounting of visiting the home of a wealthy family and noticing the stockpile of meds in a medicine cabinet that happened to be ajar.

The second section, Ethics and the Individual, functions sort of as a self-help book, though it's pretty insightful in a ways that sound obvious only once you've thought of it in the context of a given problem. For example, he notes that most people assume "discipline" is something that you impose against your will, but points out that "ethical discipline is something that we adopt voluntarily on the basis of full recognition of its benefits." Later, he cites Shantideva and the central truism of Bodhisattva- basically, if you're confronting a problem that is solveable, then you must learn to immediately find the means to act on it; if the problem has no solution, then it's best not to worry about it.

The final section, Ethics and Society, is by far the most ambitious, but also the most inspiring. The Dalai Lama notes that children in today's society are brought up to acquire knowledge, but not to learn compassion. The negative impact of this, he says, can be aggressive competitiveness toward peers, greed, and scorn for the less fortunate. Astutely, he attributes this to the historical separation of learning compassion outside of school in church- whereas today church has declined and schools haven't picked up the slack. Realistically, he suggests that schools address this gap by offering students substantial practice in ethical debate and non-violent conflict resolution. He suggests that "On seeing his parents wrangling, a child that had understood the value of dialogue would instinctively say, "Oh, no. That's not the way. You have to talk, to discuss things properly."

The Dalai Lama's biggest challenge is that he places on each individual some level of accountability for the corrupt leadership we so often blame for our problems. "When people possess healthy values, and where they practice ethical discipline in their own lives out of concern for others, the public officials produced by that society will quite naturally respect those same values." The easiest criticism of the Dalai Lama (and my own, before reading this book), is that he is too idealistic. His answer, which unfortunately isn't that well backed up, is that ideals are "the engine of progress", that it is a mistake to always try to be realistic in politics as history is full of examples of positive changes driven by idealism.

Although I thoroughly enjoyed many parts of this book and would recommend it to many people, I would not recommend it to everyone. I have given it a 3 star rating because of two main reasons.

1) The Dalai Lama fails to provide convincing arguments to those who don't already have views similar to his (i.e. that selflessness and non-violence are essential values), which is why this book will not appeal to those who need his advice the most. Compared to the Dalai Lama, I found M.K. Gandhi could make much more compelling rational arguments to convince skeptics of the necessity of being compassionate.

2) The title is misleading. I expected that the Dalai Lama had done much thinking about the modern world and wanted to propose his solutions to its major problems. I was very interested in learning what wisdom he had come up with. Instead, most of his thinking has revolved around traditional south Asian philosophies. Although these philosophies apply perfectly to the modern world, he did not show this well. Indeed he did not make any special effort to describe how the current problems could be resolved using these philosophies.

Here's a brief synopsis of the book:

In the first of three sections, the Dalai Lama explains that ethical conduct does not require adherence to religion, so long as one realizes everyone's right to be happy and not to suffer. He also argues that everyone desires to be happy, but that only those who manage to reach an inner peace that is independent of outside circumstances (such as wealth or poverty, political repression or freedom, sickness or health, etc.) can truly increase their happiness. He also makes a good argument for how happiness is easier to attain when we're shown compassion by others and how we can also help make others happy by showing them compassion.

To show that it is in our interest to make others happy by showing them compassion, he makes a rather complex philosophical discussion on how our interests are connected to other's interests so that our happiness is connected to other's happiness. I don't know if it's just me, but I found this part very complicated and not very convincing.

In the second part, he describes how each individual can develop this caring and compassionate nature. By restraining negative emotions (anger, envy, etc.), we avoid disregarding others and we end up reducing suffering both for others and ourselves. By developing compassion for all, even for those who would harm us, we can further develop virtues like forgiveness, humility, generosity. By dealing properly with unavoidable suffering (like aging, sickness, etc.), we can even strengthen our ability to have compassion and restrain our negative emotions, so that suffering may provide a good opportunity to learn.

In the third section, he tries to apply the principle of compassion to the level of society. There isn't much new there and he doesn't provide much to convince those who don't believe what he believes, it therefore sounds more like political correctness: care for the environment, care for the poor, care for peace, etc.

If you think like the Dalai Lama you will love this book, since he teaches you how you can become a better person. If you don't think like him, this book will fail to convince you and you will not learn any of the lessons he is teaching in this book. It's up to you to choose.

I went to his gathering in Portland where he shared the contents of this book verbally in a distilled form. Much of the talk was identical to passages in the book. He recommends that the religions have tolerance and respect for each other. He shares an ethic that is fairly modern and shows how much he has changed since his earlier times. The message is very basic, many liberal philosophers have advocated the same thing. It is good that the Dalai Lama has put his voice in support of such views. I do feel that, mere ethics is not enough, we need the practice of meditation for our hearts to transform and to become sensitive enough to see where we are not compassionate with each other, so that we can let go of the three poisons of the mind and become free. I found such a transformation and its necessity was not emphasized that much in this book. Perhaps he wanted people to get this more important point from other books he had written. I also personally would like it if those ethics included animals and not eating them, a point that I feel Guatama Buddha emphasized. I would have also liked if he emphasized how important the feminist movement has been to have women included in those ethics. I gave it three stars rather than five, because although the message is good and positive, it seems to lack something for me. I do not get the feeling that such a message by itself is enough to shift the planet. I think more is needed.

Ethics for the New Millennium is explicitly a nonreligious work, though it does present several key ideas that come out of Buddhist philosophical tradition. The goal, as stated in the preface, is to present an approach to ethics based on "universal" rather than religious principles. Presumably, these are principles that persons of diverse religious and nonreligious backgrounds would agree upon. Despite the title, this is not a technical or heavily philosophical work. Much of the book has a common-sense, anecdotal quality to it. While I enjoyed the stories of the Dalai Lama's personal experiences and his unique sense of humor, I must say that some of the cases he makes would be greatly strengthened if he presented some statistical data or findings from modern sociology, psychology and science. The Dalai Lama confesses that his own knowledge of modern (Western) secular thought is still limited, so much of his teachings probably reflect the Buddhist philosophy in which he has trained. Throughout the book, he introduces us to a number of Tibetan terms which do not have simple English equivalents. Several of the key notions presented in the book will probably be unfamiliar to the average Western reader. Of course, this is part of the attraction of the book.

To explain his motivation, the Dalai Lama begins by making the personal observation that, while the poor living in less developed countries with traditional cultures may be suffering physically, they often seem to be happier than those with greater material wealth living in more developed countries. His Holiness is careful not to romanticize "old ways of life" and he does not advocate primitivism or rejection of science and technology as a solution to the world's problems, but rather a "spiritual revolution." By this he means the adoption of the emotional disciplines and alternative worldview laid out in this book as a means of addressing disharmony in modern life. He says "My call for a spiritual revolution is thus not a call for a religious revolution. Nor is it a reference to a way of life that is somehow otherworldly, still less to something magical or mysterious. Rather, it is a call for a radical reorientation away from our habitual preoccupation with self" (p23). The Dalai Lama does a remarkable job of presenting this ethical system in simple language.

Christian readers may interested in the brief allusion to the "Fruits of the Spirit" (pp 22-23) which are discussed in a non-religious context. His Holiness acknowledges an admiration for Christian teachings developed in part through his friendship with a Cistercian monk some time ago. Even more interesting might be the chapter entitled "Ethics and Suffering" for those who wonder how persons with a non-theistic viewpoint cope with suffering and loss. An important clarification of the notion of karma is given as well. It is one of the best chapters in my opinion, though too short.

This is a very tolerant and pluralistic work with regard to religion. Polemics against religiously motivated bigotry, violence, and dogma seem to be entirely absent. The final chapter "The Role of Religion" is very insightful, but adroitly steers clear of controversy. The Dalai Lama acknowledges that people can lead happy ethical lives without recourse to religion, but is concerned that, with the rise of science and secularism worldwide, there may also be a rise in moral relativism. This book is intended to provide an alternative. My favorite quote: "These may seem unusual statements, coming as they do from a religious figure. I am, however, Tibetan before I am Dalai Lama, and I am human before I am Tibetan."

The more philosophical part of the book, entitled "The Nature of Reality", introduces the idea of dependent origination. This sort of organismic, interconnected view of the universe may require several readings to grasp, but leads naturally to the doctrine of "no self." This is the clearest and simplest explanation of this doctrine I have found so far.

The recurring theme of the book is this: our happiness depends upon the happiness of others. Here is another interesting quote: "As we have seen, given the complex nature of reality, it is very difficult to say that a particular act or type of act is right or wrong in itself. Ethical conduct is thus not something we engage in because it is somehow right in itself. We do so because we recognize that just as I desire to be happy and to avoid suffering so do all others." Afflictive emotions (anger, greed, hatred, pride, etc.) destroy our ability to make rational decisions, so we should practice restraint. Emotional responses can be shaped by worldview, and practice. The same is true for cultivating virtues. Anxiety and stress are often a result of lack of perspective. This is a very practical book that offers guidelines for changing how we react and how we feel.

I am a little concerned, however, with some statements made about science throughout the book, though these are not by any means central issues. The Dalai Lama tends to refer to "radical materialism" when talking about science from time to time, and I find this an unfortunate choice of words given the common connotations of the words "radical" and "materialism." Philosophical naturalism would have been better. He also says "my concern is rather that we are apt to overlook the limitations of science. In replacing religion as the final source of knowledge in popular estimation, science begins to look a bit like another religion itself" (p 11). It is not clear, just what, if anything, His Holiness suggests should be the final source of knowledge. The book is not heavily philosophical and so does not discuss epistemology (theories of knowledge). A recurring theme is the important role of practice and discipline; so perhaps in this sense, knowledge alone is insufficient to create the kind of disposition advocated in the book.

Little is said about economics, but readers may well wonder if the compassion and altruism advocated here are compatible with the workings of free-market economy which is based on competition. His Holiness again admits that his knowledge of economics is limited (p195), but he suggests "the relationship between empathy and profit is necessarily fragile. Still, I do not see why it should not be possible to have constructive competition. The key factor is the motivation of those engaged in it. ... But when competition is conducted with a spirit of generosity and good intention, the outcome, although it must entail a degree of suffering for those who lose, will at least not be too harmful." It is not pure altruism, of course, that he is suggesting, but rather a form of enlightened self interest (p127).

On the whole, this is a positive, feel-good book that I enjoyed reading, with lots of practical suggestions for ethical living that are phased in clear, simple language. It forms an interesting contrast with other more confrontational bestsellers I've read recently that also seek to create change.

This book helps people to have a new approach to the old question about mind life, consciousness, things that always worries and here with the quantun physisc it is possible to find new replies, on the other hand it is important to change the paradigm and ask ourselves why to follow a parading when we can build everyday the paradigm we need to follow living. It also gives the chance to look into many other books and authors which will enrich the human spirit. Nessary to open our new globalized mind

Got this book as a gift and read a few pages in order to know what it's really about. Conclusion: it's not for me. Pages after pages of spiritual ramblings and open ended questions with nothing to add. Talks all the time about quantum physics and related concepts without having no real idea of what it really means and without making any effort for properly defining what exactly they are talking about. That's just an example of some of the open-ended questions and science "buzzwords" mentioned throughout this non-sense book.

My Buddhist teacher recommended this book and movie as a companion to his own teachings. I especially enjoyed "Dr. Quantum" Fred Alan Wolf. Check it out along with FREE YOUR MIND by Sensei Anthony Stultz.

I thought the movie was great but the book is even better. The book goes more in depth with the topics than the movie and they were also able to explore the inspiration behind the making of the film. This book was my best book purchase in 2007. Robert Spencer

I love this book because it is not only thought-provoking and paradigm-shattering (and how I love exploring new paradigms!), but it is a beautiful work of art in itself. The watermark backgrounds, the illustrations and the celestial colors make this book a sensory delight. The sidebar quotes and interesting juxtapositions of art and text make this book easy and pleasurable to peruse without actually having to sit down and read to enjoy it.

This book is full of thought-provoking ideas about the nature of reality, spirituality and quantum physics. Of particular interest was a segment about the studies done by Dr. Masaru Emoto and outlined in his book "The Hidden Messages of Water", which demonstrates that thought and intention change the characteristics of the water itself.

There are many quotes from respected physicists peppered throughout the book, as well as the movie the book is derived from. I found the movie to be more entertaining, but the book is great for just picking up to ponder an idea. You can open the book anywhere and find interesting ideas to think about without necessarily reading it cover to cover.

I'm glad to see this melding of science and spirituality begin to hit the mainstream. We've always known intuitively that they cannot exist separately. To me, this is the only way life makes sense.

The discovery by scientists years ago that the observor of an experiment actually influenced the outcome of that experiment was only the beginning of a radical change in our collective understanding of the workings of consciousness. This book and movie demonstrate very powerfully that thoughts and beliefs shape the reality we experience, both individually and collectively.

Moonstone Star White is the author of High Way from Hell: Using Emotion to Fan the Fire of Enlightment, a book that explores the creation of reality through the attracting power of feeling held in the subconscious mind.

this wasn't the best book ever.. but it was very much worth while. WARNING TO ALL: this is NOT a book about peer pressure or friends.. this is about guys, girls, and sex. Although it would be soooo helpful to teenage girls if they seemed to boy crazy, looking for the wrong type of boys, or were the target of some particular guy already, this book is not the best! *sigh* It was a very good read though. And it did teach me more! I actually couldn't put it down! Although could've been better, it is a very good book to read.

After having some struggles of my own, I picked up this book at the library and tore through it on a 10-hour drive to PA. I found it well-written and honest. I loved how nearly every possible sexual temptation had a chapter of its own, and was pretty relieved when only one or two of the chapters really applied to me.
The big negative of this book was the silly definitions at the bottom of the pages. I'm 21 years old, just one year older than the suggested range of 20-14, and I knew every single definition, from compartmentalization to clitoris. I suppose these must be very helpful for the younger readers though, and offer some honest definitions of a bunch of body parts.
Anyway, I still really enjoyed the book, and I would recommend it to anyone going through any kind of battle with purity. Although the definitions get a bit annoying, it's still a very relevant book for anyone.

My mom bought this book for me, and its one of the best books I have ever read! This is a truely awesome book full of information. This is a must read for every teenage girl!!

I found myself checking the copywrite date on the book because it seemed to have been written long, long ago. The pop culture references are from days past. I noticed this book got a lot of positive reviews from older women and that makes a lot of sense to me.

I will say that this book is NOT inappropriate for any young lady over the age of 12. there is nothing described in the book that a girl over the age of 12 hasn't already been exposed to. Believe me Moms, as much as you might not want to believe it, your daughter does know.

The authors speak bluntly (specific sexual behaviors and STDs are discussed) yet lovingly and biblically about how to maintain sexual integrity. My favorite chapters were the ones on how to spot Mr. Right and falling in love with Jesus. Both these chapters really got to the heart of the matter on what to do once you learn and acknowledge sex belongs within the boundaries of marriage. Also, I really enjoyed the inclusion of personal lessons each author had learned from their lives. I have already loaned my book to my cousin; and, let my mother read it too. Also, I recommended it to my whole family and my co-workers. I was only disappointed in the fact that I believed this book would be geared toward 20-somethings. But I think it was more focused on teens. Still, I was able to glean solid, practical, biblical guidelines from its pages. For readers who are looking for this same kind of book directed to 20-somethings or older, please see "Every Woman's Battle" written by the same authors.

Mohammad's conduct during his rise to power was no more brutal than any number of other power-hungry monarchs of his day - but some of his present-day followers would present him to be the perfect example of conduct for the 21st century. Spencer presents documentation from respected Muslim sources that shows exactly how modern Muslim leaders can preach a message of hate and get away with it.

During Mohammad's career he consistently received convenient revelations from Allah that furthered his agendas. Sounds like the sort of behavior exhibited by Jim Jones, David Koresh, L. Ron Hubbard, Joseph Smith, and the apostle Paul. It also sounds like the sorts of things the bishops of early Christianity did when Constantine pressured them to consolidate the various dogmas of their religion - thereby preserving their heirarchies and maintaining order. Were these messages from a god, self-delusions, or purposeful power plays? Whatever they were, when the negative aspects of their dogmas has been stressed, none of which were advocated by Jesus, humanity has not been well-served.

This book is a synopsis of the behavior of Mohammad that would be considered sociopathic by today's standards - only touching briefly on his more gentle side. It is not particularly fun or easy to read. The cast of characters all have names that are difficult to spell and pronounce, and the book briefly covers events that could fill volumes. Spencer's commentary is quite helpful in making sense of his condensation of a vast amount of data.

Muslims who would base morality on a 7th century dictator need to get over it. Judaism and Christianity, except for an occasional abortion clinic bombing, have managed to figure out how to ignore excerpts from their holy books that aren't up to today's standards. Islam should do the same. As well-shown by Spencer, Islam's inability or refusal to do so shows that it deserves Spencer's title appendum, "the world's most intolerant religion."

This man has an axe to grind. Every book he has written concerning Islam is vitriolic and is hate-filled. His books are pure rubbish.

like a typical angry westerner with biased opinion, this is a book for those people who want to hate islam and dont want to learn the truth, citing sources out of context and just hate speech. if you want to hate 1 billion people then go ahead and buy this book, but if you really want to understand the reasons behind what Mohammed did on many ocssions look towards books written by islamic scholars, then you can judge for your self.

I read this book with the hope that the PC gloves would come off. I am personally will versed in the history of Islam. This book will anger the purists who want to deny some the truths about the early days of Islam. Liberal but uninformed Americans will realize his or her ignorance about the roots of modern-day Islamic fanatics and Jihadists. I pray that discourse will ensue and a clarity of mind will take over the rhetoric that seems to be passed off as fact. Bottom line, read this book with an open mind and you to will be set free of the malaise that many find themselves in regarding this topic.

There is no better book on Islam than this one. A very Non-PC book and a fair guide to what every sane Westerner must know about the religion of Islam and its psychopath founder Muhammed. This is truly a great work and lots of research has been done to get it right.

This is an easy read with practical applications for anyone who wants to communicate a personal witness to others with sensitivity. Directions for how to write your God story is simple and easy. The church I attend is reading it for summer reading and I think applying it will make a big impact on being God's messengers in our community.

This book is excellent! It is easily readable, yet compelling. It draws you in with personal stories and then gives you practical suggestions for building relationships with others.

I believe the danger of Hybels work is that it will produce false converts. Like some other reviews have stated Hybel only shares half the Gospel. The Law is a tutor that brings us to Christ (galations 3:24). Psalm 19:7 "The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul:" This book shows none of that. Save you time and money. If you want to learn true Biblical evangelism, the way Jesus did it, buy The Way of the Master

This is a great book for Christians who want to share the message of Jesus but are hesitant to get into evangelism. This book contains many practical, yet inspirational ideas to help guide you as you take the message of Jesus to your friends, relatives, associates and neighbors.

This is the best and most practical evangelism tool we have found. It is simple and fits all personalities. The church is going to use this program for everyone in June.

This is an excellent book. Very theologically sound too. An great reminder to look outside of ourselves, and be focused on giving God glory.

This book is an eye opener for those of us who gotten the order for life completely flip flopped. Not only does it open your eyes, but lovingly guides you to a right perspective on Who should be big in your life. Hint: it is not people. This book will free you from self imposed or other imposed bondage.

"Fear of man is such a part of our human fabric that we should check for a pulse if someone denies it." (pp. 17). Do I have your attention now? At our church's recent seminar on "How to Share Your Faith" the topic of fear came up as a main reason we don't share the Gospel more often. Since the Bible says that our hearts tend to turn all good things into idols, it should come as no surprise that the primary way we do this is with other people. And this idol impacts us in countless ways! From the back cover: "Pride, oversensitivity, defensiveness, avoidance of others, easy embarrassment, people pleasing, needing approval...You'll be surprised to learn how the fear of others controls you--and what you can do about it."

This is more than a self-help book - it is a theology book that reminds us of who God is, who we are, and how that relationship is supposed to look and impact all of our other relationships. Ed Welch is a counselor, but he is also a theologian, and he combines the two to really examine our hearts and our Lord. And his goal is not to dismiss your fears, but to place them in context. "If you have ever walked among giant redwoods, you will never be overwhelmed by the size of a dogwood tree. Or if you have been through a hurricane, a spring rain is nothing to fear. If you have been in the presence of the almighty God, everything that once controlled you suddenly has less power." (pp. 119). Knowing and fearing our God, exposes and cuts away the roots of our fears. Understanding our idols (people), show us how they don't deliver what we ask of them:

"People are our cherished idols. We worship them, hoping they will take care of us, hoping they will give us what we feel we need. What we really need are biblical shapes and identities for other people. Then instead of needing other people to fill our desires, we can love people for the sake of God's glory and fulfill the purpose for which we were created." (pp. 182).

The book is broken down into two parts. Part I is titled "How and Why We Fear Others" and Part II is "Overcoming the Fear of Others". His analysis of our hearts, our fears and the solutions to these issues are Biblical and Christ-centered through and through. It is readable and practical. It is helpful and hopeful! This is one of the most important books I have read in my walk with the Savior, and I urge you to read it as well! What have you got to lose - except the fears that bind you and rob you of your joy?

Anyone who is honest will find this topic relevant in their life. Welch exposes our tendency to be trapped into pleasing people instead of pleasing God. I have purchased 6 copies of this book to give away in the last 5 months and I will give away more in the next year.

This book presents the regretful truth of fallen man.

'Therefore we cannot rightly say, 'My God is not a God of judgment and anger; my God is a God of love.' Such thinking makes it almost impossible to grow in the fear of the Lord. It suggests that sin only saddens God rather than offends Him.' pg 103

'There was a time in my own life when I would practice the presence of God; then, when I felt His presence, I would pray. All went well, until the day I didn't feel His presence.' pg 83

'The emphasis on self-esteem also contributes to the fear of man. For example, even tho most self-esteem books indicate that it is something you can develop by yourself, almost all the books also say that one of the best ways to raise your self-esteem is to achieve some successes (which are then compared to what others do) or to surround yourself with people who affirm you (which leaves you dependent on their opinion).' pg 75

This would be my first choice book to work thru in a small Bible study group. Not only does Edward T Welch succeed in challenging our faulty 'Dr Phil' views, but he re-addresses our low view of God, in a practical and pastoral way. The subject matter is interrelated with our steadfastness and faithfulness, all of whom could benefit by reading this wonderful book.

A worthwhile excursion and bible-based exhortation which contradicts many Christian resources - especially the popular sort.

This book brings the Bible into the parents' lives in a fresh way. It is one thing to say that parents must use the Bible for parenting. It is another thing to show how that is actually done. Instructing a Child's Heart provides practical, real life instruction on how to do just that. Tedd and Margy Tripp understand that the call of Deuteronomy 6 is to instruct children in the context of everyday life. Such instruction is formative by nature. This formative instruction avoids the quicksand of attempting to change behavior without addressing the heart. Simply changing behavior, without addressing heart change, leads to more behavioral problems, which in turn leads to frustration for both parents and children. Instructing a Child's Heart leads you out of this parenting quicksand to solid ground.

The book is organized in 3 sections:
The Call to Formative Instruction
Introduction to Formative Instruction
Application of Formative Instruction

You will find practical examples and illustrations of how the Bible leads you to address the heart in parenting. As the Tripps say "Discipline is not an opportunity to show our children who is boss or to hand out punishments that will change their behavior... discipline is primarily an opportunity to remind our children of their need to repent and believe in Christ ...." (167). This book provides wise, compassionate direction to help parents bring the riches of Christ to their children. You can trust the biblical content of this book to help you live for the glory of God as you lead your family.

Instructing a Child's Heart has been a long time coming. It was thirteen years ago that its predecessor, Shepherding a Child's Heart, was published. It was thirteen years ago that Tedd Tripp published his last book. It was no lost on me that many of the book's lessons and anecdotes now focus on the author's grandchildren. Thirteen years is a long time by any measure!

Instructing a Child's Heart is a book that focuses on "formative instruction," a term that begs further definition. Tripp describes it most simply as "teaching that `forms' our children." It is teaching that "enables them to root life in God's revelation in the Bible. It provides a culture for our children, a culture that is distinctly Christian. It shows our children the glory and dignity of mankind as God's image bearers. It provides a way of interpreting life through the redemptive story of God, who reconciles people to himself." Formative instruction is instruction that comes before problems arise and in that way is different from corrective discipline which follows problems. We form our children by interpreting life for them and responding to its challenges in biblical ways. We form them through the daily discipline of family worship and through spending time deliberately together, but also through reacting properly to the situations life brings unexpectedly. The goal of this formative instruction is, in accordance with Deuteronomy 6, "so that we and our children and our grandchildren may fair the Lord and walk in his ways, enjoying a long life." We help our children construct a worldview that allows them to properly see God for who he is and to properly see them as His creation.

The book falls into three sections. In the first Tripp introduces the reader to formative instruction, looking at the concept through a wide lens. In the second section he zeros in on the more specific topics that form the true substance of formative instruction. And in the third section he focuses on applying formative instruction in very practical ways.

It is the second section that is the heart of the book. Here, over the course of eight chapters, Tripp describes several essential building blocks of a biblical worldview. He dedicates attention to the heart, the principle of sowing and reaping, God's plan for authority, the glory of God, wisdom and foolishness, how we are complete in Christ, and the importance of the church. Each of these receives a chapter, or close to a chapter, in which he describes the principle and how it is foundational to building a biblical worldview. Having done that, he turns his attention to four of these, giving practical pointers on how to get from behavior to the heart, how to apply the sowing and reaping principle of Scripture to corrective discipline, communication with children and the centrality of the gospel.

The strength of this book, like Shepherding a Child's Heart before it, and the message I need to hear again and again, is Tripp's insistence, his constant exhortation, that parents must look beyond behavior and look primarily to the heart. It is far too simple to create little legalists, children who adhere to the letter of law, all the while defying the spirit of the law and the One who gives us laws in the first place. It is more difficult but far more profitable to look to the heart for it is the heart that is the wellspring of all behavior. The heart is the heart of all effective instruction. But where the focus of Shepherding was turning the emphasis from outward obedience to matters of the heart, the focus of Instructing is on building into a child's heart a worldview that is biblical enough and sufficiently robust to stand up to their questioning and to the culture's skepticism. The task of parenting, after all, involves showing our children "the vital connection between the powerful story of redemption in the Scriptures and their daily experience. The instruction we give them will only make sense in the context of the story of the Scriptures that tells them who they are and about the God who made them and offers them redemption."

Like most books on parenting, this one is filled with moments that are at the same time obvious and profound. You will encounter statements that are so obvious you wonder if they really needed to be said, only to realize that you could have used that bit of wisdom only moments ago. While muttering, "Well, duh!" you'll also feel twinges of shame and regret. This is a book that is immediately applicable both to parents and to their children. It is a book that turns to the Bible to provide God's wisdom on how we can be effective parents. "Your greatest need," says Tripp, "is to understand deep truths from the Bible. Solid parenting skills are built on solid truth."

This is not a book that tells you how to control or manipulate your children so that they will spend their lives living in an irrational fear of a domineering parent or a hostile deity. Instead, it is a book that teaches parents to gently but consistently build into children a worldview that begins with the heart and that focuses on God and on His glory. "We should impress truth of the hearts of our children, not to control or manage them, but to point them to the greatest joy and happiness that they can experience--delighting in God and the goodness of his ways."

We've waited a long time for the follow-up to Shepherding a Child's Heart. I believe most parents will feel the wait has been well worth it.