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Nov 08, 2011

Sunflower rated it:

Explaining why we believe, what we believe, seems to be a pretty daunting task for anyone and in Josh Harris's book, "Dug Down Deep: Unearthing What I Believe and Why it Matters", Josh shares a personal, emotional filled book, of moving from a faith based on just knowing enough to go through the emotions, to having a faith, filled with a deeper understanding of why he is a follower of Christ, why he believes what he believes, and why we need to go beyond the Sunday-Church attendence, a More...

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Oct 19, 2011

James rated it:

I am not a big fan of Joshua Harris. I haven't read his book on dating (more accurately not dating) or anything he's written on relationships and marriage. I did read his book on the Church ("Stop Dating the Churc"h re-titled as "Why Church Matters"). I found it mediocre and insensitive to where people are coming from when they are ambivalent to church. I also found him theologically narrow.

So I was surprised that Harris's book on doctrine and theology was something More...

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Sep 29, 2011

Alissagraham rated it:

This book was a refreshing and honest approach to theology, orthodoxy and doctrine that draws the reader in and takes them on a journey to understand why it is important to know what you believe.

Joshua Harris is a compelling writer who uses much life experience to illuminate doctrines found in Scriptures- or should I say that he uses the scriptures to illuminate a lot of life experiences. This is what really drew me in to the book. Having grown up in similar circles, hitting many simil More...

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Sep 01, 2011

Aaron rated it:

My full review is available at Blogging Theologically:

Joshua Harris first really came on my radar about four years ago (around the same time I discovered a love for sound doctrine). The first thing I ever heard was his talk, “A Humble Orthodoxy” on the Resurgence podcast, and I was blown away. I’d heard of I Kissed Dating Goodbye, but only because people I knew made fun of it (they thought at the time that not dating was just ridiculous).

What impressed me about him as a commu More...

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Mar 09, 2011

Natalie rated it:

Ever since Josh first announced that he was writing this book, I’ve had it on my wish list. I finally treated myself to an Amazon order one day and had this wonderful book read within a week! My introduction to Josh’s writing came years ago when I was a subscriber of his New Attitude magazine. I have read several of his other books and was especially interested in this one because it promised to be a closer look at his background and “the story of how [he] learned to dig into truth and build [hi More...

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Jan 27, 2011

Matthew rated it:

What comes to your mind when you hear the word “theology”? Do you picture a pastor? A PhD locked away in a sea of 1,000 page books? Does the word excite you or fill you with a sense of dryness? Do you think of vibrant, living faith or an academic, intellectual faith that fails to connect to “real life”? Do you just want Jesus without the baggage? Do you even care about theology?

If you’re answers to those types of questions are negative, Pastor Joshua Harris has written a book for you. More...

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Dec 21, 2010

Stephen rated it:

What are we basing our lives upon? Does our own Christian faith have a solid foundation? Are we "religious" simply because that's what we've been taught? Why do we believe what we believe? Do we even know what we believe?

These are the types of questions that Joshua Harris challenges us with in Dug Down Deep. In simple conversational tones, Harris takes the reader through his own journey of faith, uncovering what he believes and how he got there. He uses the parable of the wis More...

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Feb 27, 2010

Amydeanne rated it:

I was really impressed with Joshua Harris’ new book, “Dug Down Deep“.

It starts off with a bang and grabs your attention. He was writing about the Amish and how they choose to stay in the church or not ( I suggest you read the first chapter off of the link below! It’s really wild!), and how it changed his ideas (and his wife’s ideas) on the Amish people. He relates it to his own childhood and how he grew up in a conservative Christian homeschooling family, but walked away from it i More...

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Jan 20, 2010

Bob rated it:

In today's world, doctrine and orthodoxy get a bad rap. Many sincere Christians assume studying doctrine is primarily a waste of time. Doctrine usually leads to cold and dead religion, or else it promotes a divisive and bitter spirit that splits churches and wounds people. What really matters is one's personal relationship with God, and his love for fellow believers.

Joshua Harris would have agreed with this basic sentiment at one time. Dug Down Deep is the story of how he came to r More...

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Jan 19, 2010

Pastoralmusings rated it:

Dug Down Deep
Josh Harris made a name for himself quite a few years ago when he wrote his book “I Kissed Dating Goodbye”. “Dug Down Deep” gives us his story both before and after he wrote that book. It is both an interesting biography as well as a new manner of presenting basic theology. It is a very good approach. I was pleased to read it.
Harris describes his carelessness in his life, his conversion, his pride, his humiliation, and the blessings that Christ used to bring him to whe More...

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Jan 18, 2010

Debbie rated it:

Dug Down Deep is God-focused, Scripture-based, and contains truths that can change your life. It's a book on the character of God and how a correct view of God will change how we live. It will bring that peace we're all longing for, the sense of profound wonder and awe toward God that we know we should have, and more.

So, yes, this is a book on theology, but, to use Joshua Harris' own words,

...Theology matters....because what we know about God shapes the way we think and l

More...

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May 29, 2011

Ashley rated it:

I mentioned I was reading Dug Down Deep, and at least three people immediately told me how great it was. I had high expectations for the book, and I’d say it fulfilled them.

Dug Down Deep isn’t your typical book of theology. Joshua Harris presents basic but important truths, in simple, relevant terms. This book is great whether you’re a new Christian or just need a refresher. I found both things I’ve heard before that I should remember, and a few new ways of seeing things.
He also b More...

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Jan 12, 2012

Marcus rated it:

I first heard about Joshua Harris over a decade ago when he wrote his book on dating. It didn’t really register on my radar. But then I saw a short book called “Stop Dating the Church!” I read it in one night and was re-inspired to proclaim the truth about Christ’s Bride, the Church. His book became an impetus for my own sermon series. So I was more than excited when I saw this book.

It’s not “Stop dating the Church!” It’s broader in that Harris tackles a variety of important theo More...

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Jan 20, 2010

Molly rated it:

If you are Christian and a believer, then you must check this book out. If you aren't a Christian and believer but you have questions, you must check this book out and read how Joshua Harris dug down deep and found faith in a way that you can too! This book was a great one, with Joshua Harris explaining theology of things taught in the Bible and that all you have to do is dig down deep in order to find your faith, and learning the workings of God's heart and mind and what He wants us to do. He u More...

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Jul 07, 2011

Jane rated it:

I have read several books from numerous people in the Harris clan, so I knew to expect a great, thought-provoking book when I picked up Dug Down Deep by Joshua Harris. I was not dissapointed in the least! While the long chapters made it a bit difficult for picking up and putting down throughout the day, I was amazed and absolutely loved the depth of this book.

The main point of this book is understanding what we believe and why we believe it. Harris reminds us of the parable of the two More...

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May 05, 2010

John rated it:

"We're all theologians. The question is whether what we know about God is true."

So begins the first book from Joshua Harris to hit the shelves in almost five years. Those familiar with his previous books and magazines will recognize his winsome and engaging writing style, but the content is very new for him. "Dug Down Deep" tackles some weighty theological issues in a simple, accessible way... something not easily accomplished!

Rather than approach theo More...

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Jul 31, 2011

Kurt rated it:

I love this book. Harris uses a gentle style, reminiscent of his friend Donald Miller, to walk the reader through a thoroughly Biblical systematic theology. He uses many personal stories about his family members and his own struggles, but they don't feel indulgent because they always connect directly to the theological concepts he is trying to illustrate. What I particularly like about this book is that Harris is someone who shot to fame in Christian circles with "I Kissed Dating Goodbye," More...

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Nov 19, 2011

Tim rated it:

This book was surprisingly good to me. I expected it to be a good read and informative, but I was surprised by just how enjoyable it was. Harris also wrote at a greater depth concerning issues of theology than I expected. Granted he does not go real deep in his theological discussion and engages in almost no debate with differing views. But he does give a very basic, clear, and gracious overview of basic doctrinal truths. This book is not meant to be a text book or even a short overview, ra More...

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Jul 30, 2011

Debi rated it:

This was an excellent book of back to the basics of doctrine. Written in an easy-to-read style, the doctrines of God, salvation, church and others are covered. It wasn't just a list of dry facts, but truths that are important to the Christian life. The ending chapter wrapped it all up with how to make these truths a part of our lives and have them affect how we live.

quotes that impacted me
"...theology matters...what we know about God shapes the way we think and live. what More...

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Dec 30, 2010

UofM621 rated it:

This book was so helpful for me. Josh is very transparent about how God has worked in his life to bring him to an appreciation of doctrine. Josh uses a very readable almost storybook-like approach to bring across fundamentals of the Christian faith. The last chapter on humble orthodoxy was one of the most practically helpful things I have read of late. How do we hold tenaciously to truth but not get stuck up about it and all judgmental? On pg. 222 Josh writes, "There's a fine line betwe More...

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Jan 21, 2010

Margaret rated it:

"What is God like and how does he speak to me? What difference does it make that Jesus was both human and divine? How does Jesus's death on the cross pay for my sins? Who is the Holy Spirit and how does he work in my life? With grace and wisdom, Harris will inspire you to revel in the truth that has captured his own mind and heart. He will ask you to dig deep into a faith so solid you can build your life on it. He will point you to something to believe in again." This excerpt from the More...

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Sep 06, 2011

Liz rated it:

I enjoyed reading the testimony of Joshua Harris as he talked about his teenage years in a mega church youth group and his lack of being grounded in correct doctrine. The premise of his book is to help the reader understand that we need doctrine, and we need right doctrine in order to live in a way that's pleasing to God. If our doctrine is wrong, we'll live wrong.

Harris writes about some of the basic doctrines of the Christian faith, but he does it in a simple way so the average rea More...

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Jan 19, 2010

Amy rated it:

This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

I was so excited to have the opportunity to read and review Joshua Harris' book DUG DOWN DEEP: UNEARTHING WHAT I BELIEVE AND WHY IT MATTERS because it sounded like a book I really need to read right now. I believe one of the problems with Christianity today is that many Christians simply go through the motions without really thinking about why they are Christians. It is so easy for those of us who were ra More...

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May 16, 2010

Sally rated it:

In Harris' earlier books I was put off by his casual, cool-dude narrative voice, but either I'm getting less picky or he's getting less 'hip', because I liked this book! I found his anecdotes and personal sharing to be winsome and sincere without trying too hard. And his careful examination of foundational truths gives a good overview for non-theologically-minded readers. This is the kind of book I could hand to someone without having to worry about putting them off or putting them to sleep! More...

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Dec 07, 2011

logankstewart rated it:

This isn't a book on systematic theology proper. It's more like a mixtape of biblical truth that I've found personally significant. Dug Down Deep is my reveling in theology in my own simple way--not too polished, sometimes awkward, less than scholarly, hopefully gracious and faithful. Even thought these are deep truths, I don't pretend to be swimming in the deep end of the pool. I'm splashing in the shallow end. But if my splashing can inspire you to dive in, I will have succeeded.

In 1997, Joshu More...

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Jun 29, 2011

Margaret rated it:

It is always difficult for me to really share my thoughts on reading a non-fiction book. When I read fiction, I can share a bit about the story, plot-line and what-not as well as favorite scenes and the overall opinion of how it made me feel in the end... the whole whether or not I'd look for the author again and if indeed this book is one for the keeper shelf or trade pile. I suppose within that context, I can answer a few of those questions. This one is a keeper. I will definitely look for the More...

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Nov 30, 2010

Linda rated it:

This was a fantastic book, especially because it is a light primer on some basic tenets of biblical theology that is unpretentious and easily understandable. I found myself deeply moved by Harris' journey of faith and how he has processed the understanding of the gospel in his life. The last 2 chapters of the book titled The Invisible made Visible and Humble Orthodoxy are chapters that I am reading again and again because it is truly a beautiful picture of what we envision God desires for His ch More...

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Nov 08, 2011

Wendy rated it:

"I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built." (Luke 6:47-48, NIV).

We're either building our lives on the reality of what God is truly like and what he's about, or we're basing our lives on our own imagination and misconceptions. We're all the More...

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Aug 09, 2011

Joon rated it:

Personal convictions: got some? Pastor Joshua Harris' treatise on the Christian faith is a highly readable work of doctrine and autobiography that will stir both the young believer and the church veteran. We do not often stop to think on what we actually believe, and as Harris writes, what we think of God determines everything else: feelings, choices, character, our fate.

From stories of a wild youth group to Harris' hippie father to Harris' mentorship under C.J. Mahaney, the book is c More...

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Aug 09, 2010

Mike rated it:

This was a really quick read, but really resonated with my own spiritual walk. I grew up in a Christian home, but never really thought about why we believed what we did. Some beliefs were merely verbalized, while others were held to strongly. It was only until I began reading the Bible on my own and started to seriously think about doctrine that the gospel really opened up to me.

Harris makes a strong case for the importance of doctrine. We are all theologians whether it's realized o More...

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