Some of you will like this book; I waffle between liking it and being disappointed with it. Luck seems to be the prototypical North American positivist...let's buck up and good things will happen to those who believe! The surprising part of this was when he actually had to deal with a tragedy, he showed sensitivity to the people in the moment. There's more depth to this than there seems to be at first glance.
I have tried several times to write a full review of this book and failed to complete this task. Perhaps my greatest disappointment was that I do not feel that Luck deals with the cover blurb: Are you ready to accept God's power? There is some good here that make Soar still worth reading. Chapter 9 deals with the tragedy and it forced Luck to get out of his flip, hip, 3 part sermon with alliterative title words mode and deal with reality. Some of his preaching is actually good, accurate, helpful, but you have to think it through to find it ( )

Soar is a book in a series by Kenny Luck, the Men's Ministries Pastor at Saddleback. The books goal is to encourage men to move into the power that has been given them to live the Christian life. His emphasis is very synergistic, even though he does throw in Scripture. This seems to be a trend in books that come out of Saddleback, so this was not very much of a surprise upon receiving it. There was interestingly a touch of Word of Faith theology. The emphasis on the authority of man to be in control of his destiny, per se'. Soar would be a good title, in the sense, that it stays above the surface and does not dive into much spiritual depth. One would be better off reading something by John Piper or Francis Chan that focuses on the the greatness of God and the love and glory due him rather than pursuing a step-by-step process to spiritual greatness (which cannot be achieved). Disappointed again by the book, but not at all surprised. ( )

An analysis of the role and work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer directed primarily at a male audience.

Much of the substance of the book is familiar to most believers as general exhortations-- being faithful to God, seeking to accomplish righteousness, avoid sin, help the needy, evangelize, and so on and so forth-- but whereas many might speak generically about God's role in such thing, the author considers the Holy Spirit as the Person of the Godhead involved with such things. It's entirely possible; God might empower believers through the work of the Spirit. But the message leaves it open to many possible interpretations-- the Father, the Son, the Spirit through the Scriptures, etc.

The author writes in a maddening style-- at times, thick with colloquialisms, hyper-masculine terminology and examples, and at other times writing almost incomprehensible Evangelical jargon. Such jargon makes it hard to make conclusions about the theology being presented-- sure, Scriptures are cited and often quoted, but then there is a reversion back to that Evangelical jargon without any consideration that the Scripture might not be consistent with that jargon.

In fact, whatever theological work the author has done beforehand that leads to this analysis is often hidden. Emphasis on the Holy Spirit as a Person and the implications of that-- as opposed to the Spirit as a vague entity or a force-- is appreciated. Otherwise, however, one can perceive that there is probably some kind of theological reflection underneath everything, but not much is fleshed out. Most of that probably is due to the intended audience of the book (part of "God's Men" series, not designed to be theological treatises), but it would not have hurt at all to have a little bit more theological meat in some of the discussions on account of the controversial nature of the subject and the vagaries that surround the role of the Spirit as revealed in Scripture.

The two biggest concerns with the book are the author's complete misunderstanding and misapplication of the baptism of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament and his exhortation and emphasis on praying directly to the Spirit. While it might well be true that the third Person in the Trinity is addressed within the invocation to "God," the fact that Scripture does not show any kind of petition to the Spirit, and that the Spirit's role seems entirely servile and dependent upon the Father and/or Son, I am not sure that we can make the leap to really justify prayer directly to the Spirit. It may not be wrong, but what is there really to commend it?

If you can get past the language and the constant storytelling, the author does provide some good nuggets for thought and consideration. Without further context and discussion of the theology driving the author's ideas and principles, however, it is hard to really embrace this book. ( )

I was apprehensive when first receiving Kenny Luck's book Soar. The third person of the Trinity is a theological subject that can be somewhat controversial though the many Protestant traditions around the world. And especially after reading that Luck is on staff at Saddleback Church, home of Rick Warren, I was even more weary. Although I believe both those men and their ministries have good intentions, I tend to be unfavorably disposed towards their teachings and practice. Luck would seem to be more focused on one-liners and positive thinking. In a book teaching about the power of the Holy Spirt, one would expect to find a plethora of scriptural reference, yet it is filled with Luck's own thoughts and stories. A scholarly book, this is not. Soar is penetrated with hints of a more spiritual prosperity gospel, not in that he teaches that positive thinking will lead to better health, more money, and a better life at home, but Luck guides readers on what to do in order to become better Christians and tap in to the power of the Holy Ghost. Thank you Kenny Luck for giving yet another book for laypeople to find more deeds to give a better life. ( )

Soar is a good medium weight book on the Holy Spirit. It's not quick skim fluff but it's not a heavy theological treatise either. Luck gave it a good balance; the chapters are not long and the information is easy to retain for further personal study. The included workbook was nice to look through as I read. This book would be beneficial in both a personal devotion setting and in group studies. ( )