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The Bravehearted Gospel: The Truth Is Worth Fighting For
Eric Ludy calls believers to put a stop to an alarming trend in today's church. Contemporary culture has accused Christians of being politically incorrect, unloving, and narrow-minded in their devotion to God and His Word. And the church has unwittingly played right How serious is the problem, and what are the solutions? What does a bravehearted kind of Christianity look like? Eric presents the Christianity of the Bible as the most explosive, most vibrant, most extraordinary force on Earth—a force meant to bring glory to the Most High God and turn people's hearts in His direction. After reading The Bravehearted Gospel, no Christian will ever want to go back to "Christianity as usual"!
256 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2008
26 people are currently reading
298 people want to read
About the author
Eric Ludy
31 books235 followersEric is a bestselling author, internationally-recognized speaker and president of Ellerslie Mission Society. He is also the senior pastor at the Church at Ellerslie and the lead instructor at Ellerslie Leadership Training in Windsor, Colorado. Ludy is the author of more than a dozen books, many of which were co-authored by his wife, Leslie Ludy. The Ludy's books have sold well over a million copies in the United States and have been translated into over a dozen different languages and circulated widely throughout the world.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
February 22, 2018
I can't get over how awesome this book is. And how desperately needed. Anyone who is or has a brother, father, son, husband, boyfriend, uncle, guy friend who could use some encouragement in being a man of faith--anyone who's gone or is going to churches that leave them cold--tomboys, girly-girls, feminists, and keepers of the home alike should read this book. It has the grit and growls that it so boldly defends, and it will set any Christian immediately on fire for truth and faith.
October 11, 2021
Starts a little whiny but great theology mid and later!
June 5, 2021
The core message here is an argument for the gospel to be presented fully without adornment or appeal to sinner/worldly sensibilities. Emphasize holiness and righteousness alongside mercy and forgiveness. Emphasize truth and sound doctrine alongside acceptance and unity. Never separate the gospel from its parts. “Christianity is actually supposed to work. It is supposed to have power to perform and implement a supernatural overhaul within the humans body and soul.”
Unfortunately, Eric is extremely verbose in this book, seemingly as if he was hesitant to get to the point. Or perhaps the publisher demanded a specific word count that couldn’t be achieved with a straight-to-the-point presentation. Page 68, the end of section 2, still has Eric pleading with the reader to give this book a chance. Several of the chapters could be removed entirely without detracting from the message, or at the very least reduced to a single paragraph. Much of the prose is written to combat specific movements of a specific time period, thus some parts of this book remain only loosely relevant to Christianity today. If you manage to get past and overlook the superfluous appeals to your book-consumer sensibilities, the heart of this book is gold.
This is a reminder that those who claim belief in Christ are called—in fact, commanded—to be a Christian after God’s own heart, to be despised by man for God’s glory, to lay down everything of this world and obey the call of Jesus. Christ’s body and bride needs no approval of culture when following God’s clear command. Know your God, know His Word, have absolute confidence that He is who He claims to be, and believe Him when He warns you that being His follower means persecution must come. You can either make God happy, or you can make man happy—you can’t do both.
Enticing people into the church places truth behind a veil. Presenting an acceptable Jesus does not help people find a savior. Jesus was not “cool,” and His uncoolness was by design. The God of the Ages came to earth in poverty in a manger instead of as a prince in a palace. He was born of a virgin, appearing to all as an illegitimate child. He surrounded himself with commoners instead of legions of angels. He died naked between two thieves. He demonstrated through weakness that the Spirit of God is the only true and lasting source of power. And He asks us to follow Him.
Unfortunately, Eric is extremely verbose in this book, seemingly as if he was hesitant to get to the point. Or perhaps the publisher demanded a specific word count that couldn’t be achieved with a straight-to-the-point presentation. Page 68, the end of section 2, still has Eric pleading with the reader to give this book a chance. Several of the chapters could be removed entirely without detracting from the message, or at the very least reduced to a single paragraph. Much of the prose is written to combat specific movements of a specific time period, thus some parts of this book remain only loosely relevant to Christianity today. If you manage to get past and overlook the superfluous appeals to your book-consumer sensibilities, the heart of this book is gold.
This is a reminder that those who claim belief in Christ are called—in fact, commanded—to be a Christian after God’s own heart, to be despised by man for God’s glory, to lay down everything of this world and obey the call of Jesus. Christ’s body and bride needs no approval of culture when following God’s clear command. Know your God, know His Word, have absolute confidence that He is who He claims to be, and believe Him when He warns you that being His follower means persecution must come. You can either make God happy, or you can make man happy—you can’t do both.
Enticing people into the church places truth behind a veil. Presenting an acceptable Jesus does not help people find a savior. Jesus was not “cool,” and His uncoolness was by design. The God of the Ages came to earth in poverty in a manger instead of as a prince in a palace. He was born of a virgin, appearing to all as an illegitimate child. He surrounded himself with commoners instead of legions of angels. He died naked between two thieves. He demonstrated through weakness that the Spirit of God is the only true and lasting source of power. And He asks us to follow Him.
July 4, 2021
I think Eric Ludy presents a good case for masculinity in modern contemporary Christianity. While there are one or two times he drifts a little too near to legalism, his arguments are Scriptural and needed in a world of compromise and man buns. I highly recommend it as a good read.
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October 19, 2020Read half of the book
May 6, 2025
If I could have given this more stars I certainly would have. I feel convicted and yet my heart is full of what God can do even through me.
September 22, 2011
If I had to sum up the book in one sentence, it would be this: What Radical did to motivate and mobilize the church, The Bravehearted Gospel does to fortify the church. The book is divided into seven “parts,” each of which has several smaller chapters. Eric discusses how modern Christianity emphasizes the feminine side of the gospel: “an emphasis on mercy, forgiveness, beauty, allure, relationship, unity, acceptance, and feeling”… all of which is a part of the gospel, to be sure! The problem comes with the neglect of the masculine side of the gospel: “an emphasis on holiness, righteousness, conquering, achieving practical real-world goals, repairing what is broken, the accuracy of truth, the preservation of sound doctrine, and the just need to wage war for the right and to uproot the wrong.” (pp. 47-48)
Eric makes no bones about it. He’s not of the Rob Bell-emergent type; he’s 100% for the truth. He calls men and women in the faith to arms – to refuse the “open mind” of tolerance and pluralism and to embrace the “canon mind”… the mind that filters every thought and decision against what the Word says and lives accordingly.
One of my favorite chapters in the book is chapter 2, where Eric discusses the life of Job. He showed me many things I hadn’t taken the time to notice about Job before. For example: First, “the land of Uz”–what a bizarre place! But what’s interesting about it is that Uz means “a place of wood.” Second, the name Job means “hated and despised”…The whole book seems strange and a tad bewildering until we realize what it links us to. Where else in the Bible do wood and someone hated and despised get put together in one story? That’s right–the despised King who bore our shame and our penalty upon the wood. (pp. 26-27)
That thought sends shivers down my spine! I never looked for the parallel between the story of Job and the life of Jesus… I always thought Job was a kind of “misplaced” book. It wasn’t until Eric explained it that I began to see the similarities.
The only detractor I could find in this book is the repetitive nature of Eric’s writing style. He doesn’t say the exact same thing twice, but he does have a way of rephrasing the same concept… two or three times. If that’s something you take issue with, this book won’t be easy for you to read.
Overall, I’d recommend this book to anyone, especially if you’ve read Radical. Like I said before, what Radical did to mobilize the church, The Bravehearted Gospel does to strengthen it. We cannot be a solid church if we do not return to the truth of God’s Word and allow it to be the lamp unto our feet.
Eric makes no bones about it. He’s not of the Rob Bell-emergent type; he’s 100% for the truth. He calls men and women in the faith to arms – to refuse the “open mind” of tolerance and pluralism and to embrace the “canon mind”… the mind that filters every thought and decision against what the Word says and lives accordingly.
One of my favorite chapters in the book is chapter 2, where Eric discusses the life of Job. He showed me many things I hadn’t taken the time to notice about Job before. For example: First, “the land of Uz”–what a bizarre place! But what’s interesting about it is that Uz means “a place of wood.” Second, the name Job means “hated and despised”…The whole book seems strange and a tad bewildering until we realize what it links us to. Where else in the Bible do wood and someone hated and despised get put together in one story? That’s right–the despised King who bore our shame and our penalty upon the wood. (pp. 26-27)
That thought sends shivers down my spine! I never looked for the parallel between the story of Job and the life of Jesus… I always thought Job was a kind of “misplaced” book. It wasn’t until Eric explained it that I began to see the similarities.
The only detractor I could find in this book is the repetitive nature of Eric’s writing style. He doesn’t say the exact same thing twice, but he does have a way of rephrasing the same concept… two or three times. If that’s something you take issue with, this book won’t be easy for you to read.
Overall, I’d recommend this book to anyone, especially if you’ve read Radical. Like I said before, what Radical did to mobilize the church, The Bravehearted Gospel does to strengthen it. We cannot be a solid church if we do not return to the truth of God’s Word and allow it to be the lamp unto our feet.
December 29, 2015
Actual rating 3.5 stars.
Author Eric Ludy is concerned about the present state of the church. He feels believers in the western church have more in common with the world than with Christ, so much so that both the church and the Gospel of Jesus Christ have been drained of their power. He contends that the message has been changed to primarily be about the grace of God, while the muscle and power of God to change lives has largely been forgotten. Ludy feels that the western church has been emasculated; "The Bravehearted Gospel" is a call to regain the backbone that has been missing. The author feels that we need to restore the "masculine" side of faith and practice, while balancing that with the "feminine" side that dominates the church now.
The book is a call back to radical Christian living and holiness. I feel the book has several shortcomings: 1) This is not a new theme, and it has been done better elsewhere (e.g. David Platt’s "Radical"). 2) In addition, I have some concerns about Ludy’s inclusive language. He often writes, "We do this ..." or "We do that ..." Although I share the author's concern about the state of the church, the problem is by no means universal within the western church. Consequently, his words will feel like accusations to those who are largely living as they should. For the large number of those who are not living as they should, this is the kind of book that will make them uncomfortable. That could be a good thing. 3) Ludy also chose to quote the King James throughout the book. Though he said his reason for doing so would be apparent, it seems to me the book would have been better without it. 4) The author's writing skills are average at best. There are many Christian writers out there who are more gifted.
Author Eric Ludy is concerned about the present state of the church. He feels believers in the western church have more in common with the world than with Christ, so much so that both the church and the Gospel of Jesus Christ have been drained of their power. He contends that the message has been changed to primarily be about the grace of God, while the muscle and power of God to change lives has largely been forgotten. Ludy feels that the western church has been emasculated; "The Bravehearted Gospel" is a call to regain the backbone that has been missing. The author feels that we need to restore the "masculine" side of faith and practice, while balancing that with the "feminine" side that dominates the church now.
The book is a call back to radical Christian living and holiness. I feel the book has several shortcomings: 1) This is not a new theme, and it has been done better elsewhere (e.g. David Platt’s "Radical"). 2) In addition, I have some concerns about Ludy’s inclusive language. He often writes, "We do this ..." or "We do that ..." Although I share the author's concern about the state of the church, the problem is by no means universal within the western church. Consequently, his words will feel like accusations to those who are largely living as they should. For the large number of those who are not living as they should, this is the kind of book that will make them uncomfortable. That could be a good thing. 3) Ludy also chose to quote the King James throughout the book. Though he said his reason for doing so would be apparent, it seems to me the book would have been better without it. 4) The author's writing skills are average at best. There are many Christian writers out there who are more gifted.
September 21, 2012
It took me awhile to warm up to what the author is saying because he is being over cautious (he speaks about being religiously correct and he is!) but this aside his message is one of great importance and he doesn't need to be so apologetic about it. I think he deals very well with the truth issue that is involved in todays false interpretation of God's Word and the syncretism that has crept in to the average persons worldview which for some is decidedly unbiblical. I think a book like this is a good wakeup call to see if we are on the right track spiritually regarding issues of truth and faith and a call to align ourselves with the Bible rather than the 'gospel according to me' or some other who have their own version of the gospel for those too lazy to do their own research and study.
May 2, 2011
This book is a wake-up call to the post-modern emasculated Church. It is a call for Her “return to the old-fashioned power of the Christian faith in which the feminine and the masculine reunite to bring a more complete picture of the kingdom of Jesus Christ to earth.”
This book is a shout to all Christians to be Gospel believing, Gospel walking, Gospel teaching warriors that will turn deaf ears to the preachers of today that want to diminish the truths of the Word and make new interpretations of the Scriptures.
Lastly it is a reminder to all Christians that we can only do the work God calls us to by His grace. “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.” (2 Cor. 9:8 NKJV)
This book is a shout to all Christians to be Gospel believing, Gospel walking, Gospel teaching warriors that will turn deaf ears to the preachers of today that want to diminish the truths of the Word and make new interpretations of the Scriptures.
Lastly it is a reminder to all Christians that we can only do the work God calls us to by His grace. “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.” (2 Cor. 9:8 NKJV)
September 7, 2010
The Bravehearted Gospel is Eric Ludy's tenth book, but it is much different from his others. Far from a mere "When God Writes Your Love Story," book, The Bravehearted Gospel is full of the marrow of Scripture and the grit of rugged, gospel-centered truth. Ludy provides a helpful and compelling biblical worldview that challenges the errant tendencies of the emergent church while still engaging the world in a biblical way. Anyone wanting to engage the world with the gospel will want to read this book.
July 25, 2012
I was torn between giving this a 3 star rating and 4. I chose 4 as the book did redeem itself in it's message. Finally. The bad part is that it took forever to get to the point.
I recommend the book highly but take note that the 1st half may slow you down or even stop you. Eric spends so much time apologizing for how he is wording his message he seems to forget to get on with it.
However, I will add that surely the 1st half if for the more sensitive of Christian readers. And more to the point women readers. This portion is for you.
I recommend the book highly but take note that the 1st half may slow you down or even stop you. Eric spends so much time apologizing for how he is wording his message he seems to forget to get on with it.
However, I will add that surely the 1st half if for the more sensitive of Christian readers. And more to the point women readers. This portion is for you.
December 18, 2009
This was an average book for me. I agreed with much of what he was talking about. This is a book about being a real Christian man. It was challenging, and made me think about the way churches are run and how ministry is done and How men and women are so different in how they approach Church and ministry.
November 25, 2011
This book was a little disturbing, not because I thought he was teaching heresy (he's not), but he is extremely judgmental about one of my favorite authors and extremely harsh about some areas of Christianity. I wouldn't say I disagree with him about everything, but I'm very concerned about some of his ideas.
February 13, 2012
I'm at chapter ten right now and he is FINALLY getting to the substance. He ironically over-apologizes (in order to people please?) for 9 chapters before starting into how Christians need to quit being people pleasers. Granted, I'm not done with the book yet.
September 23, 2008
The first few chapters get a little redundant and too apologetic. But if you can get past that, the rest of the book is thought provoking and convicting.
August 13, 2009
Great book on how to effect change in your sometimes luke-warm Christianity. A must read!
July 12, 2010
A good book on the importance of truth and holiness. It shows and denounces how in these days truth is often pushed aside because it is not "loving".
December 31, 2010
I loved the message of this book, just not how long it took him to get to it! Still, a recommended read.
January 11, 2011
This was somewhat of a hard read for me, and I think I'll have to read it again to fully understand it, but I believe it's worth it.
February 11, 2012
An appeal to live out our faith more courageously. A good challenge to what we're doing with in our faith journey. A worthy and quick read.
April 21, 2016
This is a Gospel Centered version of "Wild at Heart", and thus, in my opinion, much better.
August 29, 2012
I high recommend this book for men of faith!
June 30, 2013
Excellent book, all Christians should read it to familiarize themselves with the dangerous trends of watering down the truths from the Bible that we are seeing in churches these days.
April 3, 2016
A tad repetitive at times, but an important read that deals with relevant, convicting, and essential truths for all believers.
December 3, 2012
SO good.
Gospel pure and undiluted.
Gospel pure and undiluted.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews