"SUN STAND STILL", by Steven Furtick

"Sun Stand Still", by Steven Furtick, is an attempt to inspire his readers to exercise what he calls "audacious faith", citing Joshua 10 as his proof text.  Early in the title, Furtick tells his readers that he hopes this book will ignite in them the motivation to "activate" their faith.  In my opinion, the book falls short of being inspiring on the grandiose scale he hoped.  I had greater expectations for this book.  Unfortunately, I found it quite lame.

-- I couldn't help but get the feeling the Furtick is very proud of himself (which comes off as arrogance) for having one of the largest churches in Charlotte, North Carolina.  In the prologue, he wrote of a conversation he had with one of his good friends while attending a U2 concert in the arena that would one day be home to Elevation Church.  Within the conversation which the book it seems that fame and praise were his strong motivators to establish Elevation.  When his dream to build a large, popular, cool church came true, he was able to call it "audacious faith" and use it as the springboard for this title. I wonder if he would have been inspired to write "Sun Stand Still" if he had not seen his "dream come true" and found himself preaching to only one hundred.

-- On a theological level, one has to deal with the confusion of "saving faith" and "activating audacious faith" throughout the title.  While Furtick writes in one area of the book that "audacious faith is not based on who you are or what you can do...[but is] based on who God is..." (p.120), he then writes in another area, "Sometimes -- a lot of times -- it goes that way.  Faith works.  Prayers produce." (p.137)  The questions that emerged to me were these: Is he saying my faith does all the working? or does God do it? Can my faith itself do anything?  Is he actually teaching people to have more faith in faith, or faith in God?

While I know this is not Furtick's intent in this book, it comes across to readers (dare I say, especially new believers) that prized outcomes have as much to do with our activating audacious faith as they do with God's sovereign control.  The message comes across so strongly in the book that he even writes a "critical clarification" on p. 40 so the reader isn't too confused: "We are saved by grace through faith in Christ -- period.  Don't look at the challenge to act in audacious faith as an add-on to this saving faith.  It's a call to press deeper into that faith, until it becomes more and more effective in your everyday life."

-- On the flip side of the coin, I never read anything without taking at least a crumb with me that's worthwhile.  I was at the very least challenged to examine my own faith, and whether it was truly a living faith at all.  Do I live a life where people see that I have my hope and faith in the only One who is truly faithful? or do they see me misplacing my faith in my employment, the economy, or even my family?

-- The only chapter I would really recommend from this book is 13: "When the Sun Goes Down."  It addresses the reality that "audacious faith doesn't mean your prayers work every time.  It means that God is working even when your prayers don't seem to be working at all."  (There's that "working" theme again...faith working, prayers working, etc.)  I think this sole chapter will align readers to the fact that faith is confidence in God and His character, not in what He can do for you or in hope that your dreams will become reality.  It aligns readers to the fact that even when things aren't going well for you, you can still trust that God is sovereign and in complete control of every situation in life.

-- Conclusion: If you can't already tell, I wasn't too impressed with "Sun Stand Still".  I've even listened to Elevation Church's podcast where Furtick preached a three-part series by the same title as the book.  My impressions mentioned here were reinforced.  I know he is exited and passionate about the subject, and for having the courage to write a book about such a difficult theological topic as faith, I give him credit where it is due.  However, I wouldn't have read much further than the first couple chapters if this book wasn't free.  And since I promised to review it, I forced myself to read it from cover to cover.  If I had to buy it, though, I wouldn't.  But I might pick it up at a garage sale.

2 out of 5 stars.

I received this compimentary copy of "Sun Stand Still" from Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers to provide an unbiased review and post it to my blog.  I am not compensated for my review, and am not obligated to provide a positive review.  The opinions in this article are mine.

"SEEDS OF TURMOIL", by Bryant Wright:

What if you had advance knowledge of the results and/or consequences of a seemingly harmless decision you were about to make? Would you still make it, or would you change your mind? If you could have a do-over for a past bad decision, would you change it? If you knew your decision would have worldwide impact, would it influence your choice? Now put yourself in Abraham’s shoes, the man who made one bad decision that would significantly influence the course of history.


If the ongoing conflict between Muslims and the rest of the world interests you, then I recommend “Seeds of Turmoil”, by Bryant Wright. Why do Muslims so vehemently hate the Jews? How and when did the hatred begin? Who has rightful ownership of the land of Israel? When will the conflict ever end? Will it ever end? What are Jews and Christians to make of it? These are types of questions Wright addresses and answers in “Seeds of Turmoil.”

The bulk of this book reads like a commentary of the Genesis account of Abraham, Isaac, and Ishmael. Wright doesn’t simply cite one Bible chapter and expound on it, opining what he believes to be true about the dilemma. Instead, in each chapter he utilizes the Biblical narrative and historical and current events to provide thoughtful commentary.

Wright does a good job intermingling current and historical events – from the history of Palestine, to the Balfour Declaration in 1917; from the recognition of Israel as a nation in 1948, to the 6 Day War in 1967 – with the scriptural narrative throughout Genesis and other parts of the Old Testament. He provides detail in a compressed space, yet keeps the reader’s interest by keeping the timeline moving.

Israel sat, historically speaking, at the geographical center of this conflict because it was smack dab in the middle of the crossroads of the major trade routes among the lands which now comprise Egypt, Europe, and the Middle East. Is it any wonder why Jesus Christ would intersect humanity when He did at the world’s most prominent geographical cross roads? And today, spiritually speaking, Israel remains seated at the center of the conflict because God’s promise of land to Israel is everlasting.

I especially recommend chapter 2, “An Everlasting Possession”, which contains a brief overview of the history of the land, people, and events. For those who find the study of history fascinating, this is your chapter. Once the historical framework is established in chapter 2, Wright refers to the details mentioned here as he lays out the “seeds of turmoil” theme throughout the remainder of the book.

“Seeds of Turmoil” concludes with the following:
 Three chapters: one from the Muslim perspective, one from the Jewish, and a third from the Christian.
 A well-detailed glossary of terms, people, places, and events mentioned in the book.
 A study guide for each chapter for personal or group reflection.
 A timeline of events.

“Seeds of Turmoil” runs in two parts of 11 chapters over 173 pages. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Islam, Judaism, and the history of the middle east conflict. I give “Seeds of Turmoil” 5 stars and two thumbs up!

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson publishers through “Booksneeze”. I am not paid for my opinion, nor am I expected to provide a favorable review or rating.

"MERE CHURCHIANITY", by Michael Spencer

I’ll be honest, before reading “Mere Churchianity” by Michael Spencer, I didn’t want to like it. Actually, I wanted to hate it because I expected it to be another attempt by a trendy author advocating yet another spin to the emergent, liberal, social-justice-driven church model. I fully expected it to be a new book to encourage Christians to leave the church-as-we-know-it and adopt an organic, earthy, green Christian movement.

But it wasn’t. “Mere Churchianity” was exactly NOT what I had expected. Yes, Michael Spencer addressed many issues with the modern-day church, but his intent is not to bash the church-as-we-know-it. While this book is not his attempt to entice “leavers”, who happen to be his primary intended audience, back into the church, it is an attempt to convince them to not throw the baby out with the bathwater, so to speak, and leave Christ altogether. Instead of leaving, Spencer encourages leavers to stay and be bold examples of what authentic Christianity, or what he likes to call “Jesus-shaped spirituality”, really looks like.

Spencer does this by asking people to consider the following question: “If I spent three years with Jesus, how would I feel about _____ ?” You name the subject: same-sex marriage, immigration, teen pregnancy, etc. Spencer gets in your face with this book, debunking some long-held notions about the way we Christians do discipleship with Jesus Christ.

Here are a few quotations that stuck out:

“The church I attend and the denomination I am part of, both of which claim to represent Jesus, are not Jesus. Jesus never asked me to give to an organization the kind of exclusive devotion he demands from his disciples.” (p. 69)

“Obedience is action, not merely a set of beliefs.” (p. 99)

“…there is no gospel for “good” Christians, because the Lamb of God was nailed to an altar for those who are not good and who are no good at pretending to be good.” …“The exhausting effort to be a good Christian denies Christ. If you insist on securing your own holiness and acceptability, you disqualify yourself from receiving anything from Jesus. He came to earth to save sinners, not good Christians.” (p. 135-136)

I’ve come to learn that when recommending a book to another person I cannot simply suggest, “Hey, you should check out such-and-such book. Instead, I now refer them to a very specific chapter. That chapter in “Mere Churchianity” is #12 in my estimation. By that point, Spencer has already presented a compelling position, and then lays the burden on believers with this weighty chapter entitled, “When I am Weak.”

In that chapter, Spencer deals with the fault of modern Christians who don’t want to deal with the ugly truth of life, especially messy Christian life. He writes, “[Christians] aren’t allowed to acknowledge their troubled lives…they can approach the church only with the lie that all is well.” (p. 149).

He deals with the very biblical dilemma of weakness, writing, “The human experience of weakness is God’s blueprint for calling attention to the supremacy of his Son. When miserably failing people continue to belong to, believe in, and worship Jesus, God is happy.” (p. 145) “It’s the cross on which Jesus meets us.” (p. 148)

When you read this book, you will be challenged. Your mind will be stretched, but not simply with black and white theological formulas. Instead, you will be encouraged and challenged to put your beliefs into messy practice, broadening your horizons to what “Jesus-shaped spirituality truly is.

“Mere Churchianity” is comprised of 4 sections with 18 chapters, running 221 pages total. I received this book free for reviewing it for Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers. I give “Mere Churchianity” 5 stars!

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE feel free (with a little arm-twisting) to rate my review over here!!!

WHAT MAKES A GOOD FRIEND:

"What if you had to prove your love to an immigration officer?"  That's the opening question in a side article entitled, "How well do you know each other?" (pg. 114) in this month's Glamour magazine (yes, I read my wife's Glamour mag this week...hey, I was bored.  DON'T JUDGE ME!!! :) 

The article posed 10 questions that test one's love for his/her partner.  The directions are for each person to answer the questions in private, and then compare answers.

1)   When did you meet?
2)   Which side of the bed does your partner sleep on?
3)   How does he/she get from home to work? How long is his/her commute?
4)   What color is his/her toothbrush?
5)   Where does he/she keep his/her pajamas?
6)   What's his/her mother's full name?
7)   What's his/her best friend's name?
8)   What's his/her favorite way to spend a Sunday?
9)   Who cooked dinner last?
10) What was the last present he/she bought you?

If you're like me, you probably could answer just about all of them correctly.  But is this really a good gauge of a solid relationship?  I think not.  I'd like to propose a list of questions of my own:

1)   How do you talk about your mate to your friends and co-workers?
2)   How concerned are you with the events in your mate's day?
3)   Who do you and your mate seek for wise counsel in marital matters?
4)   Would you defend your mate if she was being accosted by another man, even if he was much larger than you?
5)   Related to #5: Would you cheerfully step in and take a beating for her in defense of her honor?
6)   Also related to #5: Would you literally die in defense of her honor?
7)   In what ways do you demonstrate leadership to her?
8)   Does she trust you?  No, does she REALLY trust you?
9)   Related to #8: could she leave you alone with her girlfriend and completely trust nothing would happen between the two of you?
10) Would you fight to save your marriage if it was broken?  Or would you easily throw in the towel?  (Don't forget, while you were still a sinner, Jesus Christ died for you.)

The point is this: To assume one "knows" or "loves" one's partner because he can answer a few simple questions is as superficial as one boasting he knows the contents of a book because he read the cover; It's as shallow as suggesting he knows the in's and out's of flying a 747 because he played the simulator.  I have a hunch that's why so many relationships are entirely unstable today: We don't know the true meanings of love, friendship, honor, dependability, trustworthiness, etc. 

As an aside, I think we can apply these same principles to the friendships we keep.  According to a list similar to the first one, I wouldn't be much of a friend to they guys I consider 2 best friends.  However, with Mike and Eric, I know we could go months without talking, and if either called me needing help (financially, physically, or spiritually) I'd be there in a drip of  the oil pan.  True love or friendship is not determined by whether or not you know what color his/her toothbrush is, or what her favorite cereal is, or the color of her nailpolish. 

I think the issue is much deeper, and the depth or shallowness of your relationships hinges largely on the depth or shallowness of your personal character.  How would others describe your integrity?  Would their opinion be in concert with your mate's opinion?  How about your trustworthiness?  Your honor?  Would others point to failure of your relationships because your own character is the weak link in the chain?