
Blog Update: I think that one of the most important parts of Christian growth is reading. Every Christian (hopefully) reads the Bible on a regular basis. However, I think that reading works by other Christians and seasoned pastors presents us with new insights into how the Bible applies to our life. This is especially important for new believers as they build the foundation of their knowledge of doctrine and the Gospel. Thus, I will try to start including reviews of the books that I'm reading to give people a starting point for good books they could be reading to dive deeper into the Gospel.
Review
*Since this is my first review, I will explain my plan for organizing them. I will run through different aspects of the book via segments and at the end I will give a general recommendation for everyone as well as who would benefit by reading the book.*
Author: Kevin DeYoung is simply one of my favorite authors in the Christian genre. I first read his work for The Gospel Coalition, a website I highly recommend as they tackle current world issues using the Bible as a lens. At this point, I've read around half of his books and would highly recommend any of his works for new and old Christians alike. Just Do Something is his finest book in my opinion as it tackles issues that every Christian faces when it comes to prayer and faith in general.
Theme/Message: This book addresses the common misconception of God's will in our lives: What is God's will? How do I know it? How should it affect how I make decisions? DeYoung answers all of these questions and provides applications we can make in our lives that reflect these scripture-derived truths. I will admit that some of the answers DeYoung gives challenged me and my longstanding misconceptions surrounding the topic of God's will. I found it so profound that I considered writing a blog in response but decided that everyone would benefit more from reading DeYoung's writings for themselves. I guarantee this book will give you a clearer view on how we should make decisions and free us from a lot of stress by presenting Biblical truth.
Presentation/Readability: To be a book addressing such a heavy topic, it is only 122 pages. This makes it easy for anyone to read and finish. DeYoung is very concise and to the point so I never found myself getting lost in his writings. The 10 chapters are divided into 3 parts: the problem (us), the truth (God and the Bible) and the resolution. Additionally, the book features a study guide so that you can study relevant scripture and pray through it. Overall, the book is well presented and is easy to read thanks to DeYoung's unique humor and concise points.
Verdict: This one is easy. Everyone should read this book. In my 5 year walk with Christ I tend to slip back into this misconception of God's will that DeYoung describes as "Magic 8-Ball Christianity." I also see so many people having the same misconceptions, yet not realizing the fault in it. Christians, young and old, can benefit from the freeing truth of the gospel presented in this book. Since it is also such a short book, it is something you can easily finish in a few days so there is no excuse to quit once you start. This book retails for under $10 on Amazon so the financial commitment is minimal as well. I'm serious when I say everyone should read this book. You'll be glad you did.
I'm always looking for new reads so feel free to post any other book recommendations below!
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