I won this book through the first-reads program.

This book is a collection of sermons of sorts, all based upon the line in scripture that the title of the book itself comes from. The sections are labeled by topic (i.e. Self-Discipline, Stewardship, Holiness, Thanksgiving, etc.) and each topic is discussed for a number of pages.

The book is a highly personal project, and may of the topics are referenced with anecdotes from the author [a:David Barton|58232|David Barton|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1290468544p2/58232.jpg]'s own life, or the life of others that he has met within his parish. This gives the book a bit of a confessional quality, and also a certain level of comfort. 'Ah, so someone else has gone through this trouble' one might think.

The first two thirds of Section I of the book I quite enjoyed. The book had a message that was both religious and secular, and essentially was there to remind one to do good for good's sake. Don't worry too much, but don't slack off. The advice was good, and [a:David Barton|58232|David Barton|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1290468544p2/58232.jpg] deferred to common sense above all else for the most part. I found a great deal of comfort in this section. My trouble with the book arose in the final third of Section I where the book took up a more religious message, which is to be expected.

Section II of the book is divided in a similar fashion to the first, and contains the basis of lesson plans based around the different topics. This way, a Bible Study course, or an action person of religious authority could build their own preachings off of it. These outlines were well thought out, and I would like to hear what some would come up with based on them. It'd be entertaining to listen to, and as I said previously, the message of doing good for good's sake is one I enjoy.

All in all, this book was quite solid. I took a good deal of comfort in it, and in the Further Thinking questions found some aspects of my life that I would much like to improve. ( )

I won a copy through the Goodreads' Firstreads program!

I was expecting simply lessons learned and written in a notebook. What I found was a bible study on how to get closer to Jesus. This is a well-thought out book, dealing with the struggle of being a newer Christian.

The nicest thing is you don't have to read it all in one sitting. Actually, I'm not sure you're supposed to do that. Let the lessons simmer and sink in one at a time. There are answers to common questions within these pages, and thoughts shared that you didn't know anyone else had.

I recommend picking this up if you're curious about Jesus, or if you want to break down a barrier in your relationship with Him. Happy reading! ( )