In Search of a Confident Faith: Overcoming Barriers to Trusting in God
by J. P. Moreland and Klaus Issler
IVP Books
ISBN: 978-0830834280
230 pages

Many obstacles can get in the way of having a healthy Christian faith. Some of those obstacles are intellectual, but there are emotional, relational and experiential ones as well. Even theological problems can get in the way when the very nature of faith itself is misunderstood. J. P. Moreland and Klaus Issler team up in this book to clear away the barriers to faith by helping you gain a clear grasp of what faith is, identifying the various obstacles to it and providing guidance for growing in your trust in God through Jesus Christ.

I was really pleased with In Search Of a Confident Faith. The authors dissect what faith is, separating it into different types using Biblical passages and original word meanings. Moreland and Issler rely heavily on Scripture to backup and validate their arguments, and their points are made even more interesting by the use of personal stories and the experiences of people close to them. I liked the fact that this book also relied on quotes from such greats as C.S. Lewis. In Search of a Confident Faith does tend to get a bit wordy at times (with long, sometimes complicated sentences), but all in all I would say that it is filled with great insight and encouragement, and is completely worth the time and the effort.

(By guest reviewer Zach Koehn)

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Happy for the Rest of Your Life
by Gregory L. Jantz, PhD and Ann McMurray
Siloam Press, February 2009
ISBN: 978-1599793948
242 Pages

Whoever said happiness was a pursuit wasn't kidding. We search high and low, spend money we may or may not have, engage in all kinds of behaviors for good and ill, and still come up short in the happiness department. Happiness becomes a destination we're supposed to reach, but we never seem to get there. If happiness is a destination, who has the directions?

In Happy for the Rest of Your Life, Dr. Gregory Jantz provides the road map. Combining the wisdom of the Bible with his own personal examples, he enlightens, encourages, and motivates you toward happiness as he explains the following:

• Our misconceptions about what happiness is and where to find it
• Dead ends on the road to happiness and how to avoid them
• Why God is really the author of "Don't Worry, Be Happy"

On the road to happiness, many people just wander through their lives and figure they'll run into it somewhere, someday. In fact, they're not even sure what they're looking for. Fortunately, there is a source of correct directions written by someone who knows what true happiness is and where it's found. It is time to find true happiness in your life that isn't based on past, present, or future circumstances or experiences.

Happy For the Rest of Your Life is a truly enjoyable book and one which I found helpful and enlightening. Dr. Gregory Jantz exudes credibility and has a way of making the reader/author relationship seem personal and friendly. The book overflows with helpful information and realistic take-away points—but is also highly entertaining because of the many interesting stories interspersed throughout. Happy For the Rest of Your Life has unique qualities to it (for instance something called “rest stops” at the end of each chapter) and is written in an engaging and friendly manner. I highly recommend it, and believe it would make a great gift to those struggling with depression and anxiety during these tough times.

Copyright © by Paula Friedrichsen Share

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