What do you think?
Rate this book
Lord Change Me
Change is hard. It’s even harder without practical guidance on how to do it. From author James “I have written this book to actually help people change. It's for people who desperately want to change, a practical ‘How-to’ manual… The truths in this book are stained with my own tears of trying and failing and trying again to be the man God wants me to be. So I have written this with the urgency of a loving heart for you and your situation… James MacDonald is serious about the business of change according to God's Word, and he walks you through it in three Includes study questions, exercises, and single sentence chapter summaries
- GenresChristianNonfictionFaith
224 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
33 people are currently reading
135 people want to read
About the author
James MacDonald
265 books105 followersJames MacDonald (D. Min. Phoenix Seminary) is married to his high school sweetheart, Kathy, and both are from Ontario, Canada. He is the father of three grown children, a daughter-in-law, a son-in-law, and grandfather to four amazing grandsons. James’ ministry focuses on the unapologetic proclamation of God’s Word. In 1988, along with a small group of ministry partners, James and Kathy planted Harvest Bible Chapel which has grown to 13,000 people each weekend, meeting in six locations.
In 1997, a Bible-teaching broadcast ministry called Walk in the Word was established, now reaching more than three million people weekly. In 2002, a church planting ministry called Harvest Bible Fellowship was born and has established more than 70 churches across North America and around the world. James’ vision is that God will use him to help plant 1,000 churches in his lifetime.
James’ extensive ministry also includes a training center for pastors, a year-round camp, a biblical counseling center, a disaster recovery organization, and a Christian school—all used to reach more people with the life-changing message of the Gospel.
Now impacting millions of lives annually, God’s favor upon these ministries has been described by James as “abundantly baffling.” The MacDonalds’ view their ministry as proof that God still uses broken vessels to pour out His grace.
In 1997, a Bible-teaching broadcast ministry called Walk in the Word was established, now reaching more than three million people weekly. In 2002, a church planting ministry called Harvest Bible Fellowship was born and has established more than 70 churches across North America and around the world. James’ vision is that God will use him to help plant 1,000 churches in his lifetime.
James’ extensive ministry also includes a training center for pastors, a year-round camp, a biblical counseling center, a disaster recovery organization, and a Christian school—all used to reach more people with the life-changing message of the Gospel.
Now impacting millions of lives annually, God’s favor upon these ministries has been described by James as “abundantly baffling.” The MacDonalds’ view their ministry as proof that God still uses broken vessels to pour out His grace.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
April 12, 2014
Unless you’re truly serious about changing, don’t read Lord, Change Me by James MacDonald. This highly practical yet challenging book is designed for Christians frustrated with trying to change time and again, only to experience failure. . .again. In this heavily scripture-focused book, MacDonald helps readers discover the truth about lasting and radical personal transformation.
“The reason why you are here is because God wants to display His power and splendor through your life,” says MacDonald, “and if you realize that you are not doing it very well, then you truly understand why He wants to change you.”
Lord, Change Me is divided into three parts: The Preparation for Change, The Process of Change, and The Power to Change. In the first section, MacDonald deals with faulty methods of change and helps readers discover the right method. Readers also prayerfully identify areas where they need to change. In “The Process of Change,” MacDonald describes the biblical process for change and leads believers to repent, to believe they can change and to have faith that sin’s power over them has been broken. In the final section, MacDonald leads readers to tap into the power to change in order to experience consistent victory over sin.
The study questions included throughout the book challenge readers to put into action what they are learning about God and His desire for their personal transformation. MacDonald includes three kinds of questions at the end of each chapter. “Teacher Questions” are aimed at the mind, helping readers to improve their understanding of specific matters related to personal change. “Prophet Questions” are designed to confront readers with language that’s direct and concise, and “Shepherd Questions” promote hope.
Additionally, each chapter ends with a very practical section, “Let’s Get to Work.” These exercises help readers implement what they are learning so they see the true, lasting change for which they’re hoping. Each chapter closes with a prayer that leads readers directly to the heart of God, verbalizing what they’re learning and connecting with the One who gives the power to change.
Heavily based on the Scriptures, the book is practical, challenging, encouraging, and hopeful. I highly recommend it to anyone who feels they’re stuck in a rut and who hungers for true, lasting transformation. Be warned, though. Lord, Change Me is only for those serious about change. It’s hard work. It takes honesty, careful examination, and a willingness to surrender all to God so that He can “add your greatest areas of defeat and frustration to His record” of amazing stories of transformation.
This is one volume I plan to reread, working slowly, carefully and honestly through it so I can experience victory in some areas of previous defeat in my own life. It’s also a book I plan to keep handy to use in small group situations as I disciple other Jesus followers who are hungry for authentic and radical transformation.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
James MacDonald is the founding and senior pastor of Harvest Bible Chapel in Rolling Meadows, Illinois. Pastor MacDonald has written many books, including Lord, Change My Attitude, When Life is Hard, and Gripped by the Greatness of God. Pastor MacDonald’s teaching can be heard on Walk in the Word, a daily radio program heard on outlets across North America. Pastor MacDonald and his wife, Kathy, have three children and reside in the northwest suburbs of Chicago.
*I received a copy of the book from Moody Publishers for this review. However, the opinions expressed in the review are my own.
“The reason why you are here is because God wants to display His power and splendor through your life,” says MacDonald, “and if you realize that you are not doing it very well, then you truly understand why He wants to change you.”
Lord, Change Me is divided into three parts: The Preparation for Change, The Process of Change, and The Power to Change. In the first section, MacDonald deals with faulty methods of change and helps readers discover the right method. Readers also prayerfully identify areas where they need to change. In “The Process of Change,” MacDonald describes the biblical process for change and leads believers to repent, to believe they can change and to have faith that sin’s power over them has been broken. In the final section, MacDonald leads readers to tap into the power to change in order to experience consistent victory over sin.
The study questions included throughout the book challenge readers to put into action what they are learning about God and His desire for their personal transformation. MacDonald includes three kinds of questions at the end of each chapter. “Teacher Questions” are aimed at the mind, helping readers to improve their understanding of specific matters related to personal change. “Prophet Questions” are designed to confront readers with language that’s direct and concise, and “Shepherd Questions” promote hope.
Additionally, each chapter ends with a very practical section, “Let’s Get to Work.” These exercises help readers implement what they are learning so they see the true, lasting change for which they’re hoping. Each chapter closes with a prayer that leads readers directly to the heart of God, verbalizing what they’re learning and connecting with the One who gives the power to change.
Heavily based on the Scriptures, the book is practical, challenging, encouraging, and hopeful. I highly recommend it to anyone who feels they’re stuck in a rut and who hungers for true, lasting transformation. Be warned, though. Lord, Change Me is only for those serious about change. It’s hard work. It takes honesty, careful examination, and a willingness to surrender all to God so that He can “add your greatest areas of defeat and frustration to His record” of amazing stories of transformation.
This is one volume I plan to reread, working slowly, carefully and honestly through it so I can experience victory in some areas of previous defeat in my own life. It’s also a book I plan to keep handy to use in small group situations as I disciple other Jesus followers who are hungry for authentic and radical transformation.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
James MacDonald is the founding and senior pastor of Harvest Bible Chapel in Rolling Meadows, Illinois. Pastor MacDonald has written many books, including Lord, Change My Attitude, When Life is Hard, and Gripped by the Greatness of God. Pastor MacDonald’s teaching can be heard on Walk in the Word, a daily radio program heard on outlets across North America. Pastor MacDonald and his wife, Kathy, have three children and reside in the northwest suburbs of Chicago.
*I received a copy of the book from Moody Publishers for this review. However, the opinions expressed in the review are my own.
December 19, 2013
We all need to change. For the Christian, change, repentance, will be a part of our lives until the day that we stand before our Lord face-to-face. Sadly, for many, we have no plan for change and no process we intend to work through to accomplish life-impacting change. James MacDonald’s book, Lord Change Me, is a helpful tool that believers can use to wade into the process of change.
Positives
MacDonald writes very well on the issue of change. I specifically found his handling of the issue of repentance to be strong. Unlike many modern authors, MacDonald does not merely address one aspect of repentance such as new thinking or behavioral change; instead, he addresses repentance from a broader and more biblical view.
I would also add, among many positives, that MacDonald does the church a service by calling Christians to rely on God’s Spirit, to take intentional action, and to have godly friends in order to walk through the process of change.
Negatives
There is little negative about this work. At points during the work, I felt that MacDonald left a bit too much of a door open to a “name it, claim it” view of change. I know, however, that this is not MacDonald’s teaching and is rather simply an impression that some of the language gave me. I also found MacDonald’s few comments in his book regarding the struggles that he had while working on “The Elephant Room” conference to be unhelpful.
Recommendation
I would eagerly recommend Lord Change Me for Christians who are ready to work on their lives for the glory of God. This book would make a useful group Bible study resource or an excellent tool for one-on-one discipleship. Yes, it has a negative or two—or it could be taken wrongly in places—but the book is stronger than its weaknesses, which is the best we can say for any book that is not the Bible.
Audio
For the purposes of this review, I listened to the excellent audio version of this book provided by ChristianAudio.com as part of their reviewers program. Listeners to this book will find that the reading is very good, easy to listen to, and meeting Christian Audio’s high standards.
Positives
MacDonald writes very well on the issue of change. I specifically found his handling of the issue of repentance to be strong. Unlike many modern authors, MacDonald does not merely address one aspect of repentance such as new thinking or behavioral change; instead, he addresses repentance from a broader and more biblical view.
I would also add, among many positives, that MacDonald does the church a service by calling Christians to rely on God’s Spirit, to take intentional action, and to have godly friends in order to walk through the process of change.
Negatives
There is little negative about this work. At points during the work, I felt that MacDonald left a bit too much of a door open to a “name it, claim it” view of change. I know, however, that this is not MacDonald’s teaching and is rather simply an impression that some of the language gave me. I also found MacDonald’s few comments in his book regarding the struggles that he had while working on “The Elephant Room” conference to be unhelpful.
Recommendation
I would eagerly recommend Lord Change Me for Christians who are ready to work on their lives for the glory of God. This book would make a useful group Bible study resource or an excellent tool for one-on-one discipleship. Yes, it has a negative or two—or it could be taken wrongly in places—but the book is stronger than its weaknesses, which is the best we can say for any book that is not the Bible.
Audio
For the purposes of this review, I listened to the excellent audio version of this book provided by ChristianAudio.com as part of their reviewers program. Listeners to this book will find that the reading is very good, easy to listen to, and meeting Christian Audio’s high standards.
April 13, 2015
Overall, I think a good formula for Biblical change. It forces you to admit your dependence on God and has compelling phrases and illustrations you can hang your hat on as you attempt to follow its prescription. It has a couple of chapters that helped you pinpoint the area in your life that you want to change, and that had varying success in our small group. At least in our group, everyone seemed to feel particularly convicted by different things (either a mark of applicability or of a mess: who knows?). I personally enjoyed the chapter that focused on the Holy Spirit, which made me sheepishly acknowledge how much I had been neglecting Him.
Most of the Scripture references were on point, but every once in a while the author would follow a rabbit trail on a side point that didn't completely sell me, and that usually weren't very helpful to the primary points he was trying to make. This didn't happen very often, though.
This review of course comes with the caveat that the true test of any book like this is whether it, you know, works. Since that takes some time to become manifest, anything I say here comes with a big grain of salt.
Most of the Scripture references were on point, but every once in a while the author would follow a rabbit trail on a side point that didn't completely sell me, and that usually weren't very helpful to the primary points he was trying to make. This didn't happen very often, though.
This review of course comes with the caveat that the true test of any book like this is whether it, you know, works. Since that takes some time to become manifest, anything I say here comes with a big grain of salt.
December 30, 2020
Even if he hadn't told us, it wouldn't have been that hard to guess that MacDonald has an anger problem. He just comes across at times as so very angry with other people who are "twisting" the gospel in various ways... he just came across as so cynical, so negative, so angry, and not really showing any of the fruits of the spirit. I was really surprised that this guy is allowed to disciple other people. He actually equates (on page 194) the Lord's Prayer and Hail Mary, and says those are those are not the prayers to be praying. I know a lot of people really don't like liturgy, but the Lord's Prayer is in the BIBLE! It is Jesus showing us how to pray. It is never wrong to pray the Lord's Prayer.
Besides that, he is literally all over the place. One minute he is kicking positive thinking to the curb, saying it's a horrible idea and he thanks God that people are disproving such folly, and the next minute he is saying we can only truly change if we believe we can. Sounds a bit like positive thinking to me. He repeats this cycle with almost every other self-help formula on the market today.
Finally, he lists extreme quietness as a sin you might want to work on.
Besides that, he is literally all over the place. One minute he is kicking positive thinking to the curb, saying it's a horrible idea and he thanks God that people are disproving such folly, and the next minute he is saying we can only truly change if we believe we can. Sounds a bit like positive thinking to me. He repeats this cycle with almost every other self-help formula on the market today.
Finally, he lists extreme quietness as a sin you might want to work on.
August 28, 2018
This book has some great insights into the heart and process of change. The book starts like a home run, but the last 3 or 4 chapters it starts to fall apart. MacDonald uses an unfortunately inaccurate, and damaging, analogy about slaves not wanting to be free to highlight our slavery to sin, has some statements perilously close to prosperity gospel, and makes a few statements that reinforce toxic masculinity instead of building up biblical manhood.
It's a shame, as the core of the book really is quite good, but all these things make it something I wont be passing on.
It's a shame, as the core of the book really is quite good, but all these things make it something I wont be passing on.
April 15, 2013
In I Know, Lord. I Need to Change. Help Me, James MacDonald explored the transformation of changing that is only possible with admitting the areas in which you need to change. Next we have to repent and turn from them. Then we have to rely on the assistance of letting God change our hearts. The book had a whole list of areas readers might need to change. Some of these included: addiction, bitterness, fear, envy, negativism, low self-esteem, loner, sexual lust, worry, depression, anger, and many more. James MacDonald shared his own struggles and areas he needed to change, his anger and frustrations in his home life and business. He pointed out was the faulty methods of change and why people say they want to change and then why don’t follow through.
The book is divided into three sections, “The Preparation of Change”, “The Process of Change”, “The Power to Change”.
I would recommend this superb book on changing from the areas that are deeply effecting you to anyone who knows that their current life is heading in the direction that isn’t where God wants them to be. This isn’t a relaxed read because it’s not an easy topic. This book will require you to put in the work to learn how to change. This book immensely helped me to realize the areas that I needed to change with God’s assistance. Some of the areas were low self-esteem, being a loner, and letting fear to regulate my life. I had to confess my sins and admit my fears and concerns to God. I benefited from James MacDonald encouraging readers to declare out loud that they are dead to that sin. Satan enjoys people to believe that they are going to forever in bondage and they will never be free. But this is a complete lie from the enemy. I loved the suggestion that James gave on asking the Lord to fill you with His spirit and let Him began to work in your life. If you’re looking for a book to influence your life and to guide you on how to finally change, then this one is for you! It could massively contribute in the process of setting people free from addictions and negative attitudes.
"I received this book free from the publisher through the Moody Publishers book review bloggers program."
The book is divided into three sections, “The Preparation of Change”, “The Process of Change”, “The Power to Change”.
I would recommend this superb book on changing from the areas that are deeply effecting you to anyone who knows that their current life is heading in the direction that isn’t where God wants them to be. This isn’t a relaxed read because it’s not an easy topic. This book will require you to put in the work to learn how to change. This book immensely helped me to realize the areas that I needed to change with God’s assistance. Some of the areas were low self-esteem, being a loner, and letting fear to regulate my life. I had to confess my sins and admit my fears and concerns to God. I benefited from James MacDonald encouraging readers to declare out loud that they are dead to that sin. Satan enjoys people to believe that they are going to forever in bondage and they will never be free. But this is a complete lie from the enemy. I loved the suggestion that James gave on asking the Lord to fill you with His spirit and let Him began to work in your life. If you’re looking for a book to influence your life and to guide you on how to finally change, then this one is for you! It could massively contribute in the process of setting people free from addictions and negative attitudes.
"I received this book free from the publisher through the Moody Publishers book review bloggers program."
August 22, 2013
Have you ever tried to turn away from a bad habit or a sin, just to fall back into temptation?
Why is it so hard to stop behaviors when we know they’re wrong?
In Lord Change Me, James MacDonald shows us why it is all but impossible to change on our own. He exposes the faulty logic of relying on Christ only to save us, while pushing Him aside as we attempt to turn from our sins by our own strength and merit.
Instead, MacDonald explains how we need to rely on Christ to change us by bringing our hearts and minds into submission of the word of God, and allowing Him to work change through us.
This step-by-step guide brings you through the entire process of change, from prayerfully seeking the areas of our lives that need to be changed, to admitting that we cannot change on our own but through God alone, to scriptures that we can stand on and prayers of deliverance.
James MacDonald approaches the touchy subject of sin and repentance with understanding and humility, admitting the areas in his life that he is still working on changing, and pointing out that change is and should be a continuing process throughout our lives.
An excellent resource for all Christians, I would especially recommend this book for believers who are struggling with a particular issue in their life that they would like to change (anger, addiction, etc.).
I received a free copy of this book through Moody Publishers in exchange for an honest review.
Check out this review on my book blog: EpicBookQuest.wordpress.com
Why is it so hard to stop behaviors when we know they’re wrong?
In Lord Change Me, James MacDonald shows us why it is all but impossible to change on our own. He exposes the faulty logic of relying on Christ only to save us, while pushing Him aside as we attempt to turn from our sins by our own strength and merit.
Instead, MacDonald explains how we need to rely on Christ to change us by bringing our hearts and minds into submission of the word of God, and allowing Him to work change through us.
This step-by-step guide brings you through the entire process of change, from prayerfully seeking the areas of our lives that need to be changed, to admitting that we cannot change on our own but through God alone, to scriptures that we can stand on and prayers of deliverance.
James MacDonald approaches the touchy subject of sin and repentance with understanding and humility, admitting the areas in his life that he is still working on changing, and pointing out that change is and should be a continuing process throughout our lives.
An excellent resource for all Christians, I would especially recommend this book for believers who are struggling with a particular issue in their life that they would like to change (anger, addiction, etc.).
I received a free copy of this book through Moody Publishers in exchange for an honest review.
Check out this review on my book blog: EpicBookQuest.wordpress.com
November 14, 2014
Yikes... I find that a lot of Roman Catholic preachers similar to the sector of Catholicism are really negative and pointing blame. This book is positive in a negative way. Its all about blame, your a sinner, you sin, beg for forgivness, negative, negative, negative. I finished feeling worse. Not a recommended read.
November 15, 2016
4 stars
The book is a wake up call to my heart, not that I learned something new, but it reminded me of Jesus words of life and how, He calls us to a higher standard, being He purchased us with His blood! Thank you!
The book is a wake up call to my heart, not that I learned something new, but it reminded me of Jesus words of life and how, He calls us to a higher standard, being He purchased us with His blood! Thank you!
December 22, 2016
one of the most influential books I have ever read! God used it to change my life and I use it a lot with the guys that I mentor.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews