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The Ways of God: Working Through Us to Reveal Himself to a Watching World
The author of Experiencing God offers a glimpse of God's will, using the Bible and personal experience to show how God world operates with a unique set of rules.
192 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 2000
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
January 20, 2018
This is a super straightforward, simply-written book about the ways God shows love. There's a lot of relevant Bible verses conveniently boxed right there in the text, so you don't have to grab another book to look up what's being referenced. I did think this would be a little more in-depth, but then saw there were discussion questions and realized while a solo read is fine, this book's best use is probably in introducing ideas to process with other people. (I got this at a yard sale. How was I to know?)
Bonus fun fact: The illustration at the end of chapter one references a story about a man throwing a lever on a bridge and sacrificing his son stuck on the tracks to save a train full of strangers. There's a Czech film called "Most" (translation: The Bridge) which stretches this story out for 30 minutes. It's pretty predictable, but still powerful! This tale alone sparks a lot of discussion and really impacts the kids in juvenile hall, so I could see how the six chapters of this book could take a small group a while to finish. If bits of it are bare-boned, all the better to flesh out with your personal examples! Or you could review the backstories of some verses, or pray it out with a partner... there's a number of ways you could approach this book, don't let me tell you what to do.
Bonus fun fact: The illustration at the end of chapter one references a story about a man throwing a lever on a bridge and sacrificing his son stuck on the tracks to save a train full of strangers. There's a Czech film called "Most" (translation: The Bridge) which stretches this story out for 30 minutes. It's pretty predictable, but still powerful! This tale alone sparks a lot of discussion and really impacts the kids in juvenile hall, so I could see how the six chapters of this book could take a small group a while to finish. If bits of it are bare-boned, all the better to flesh out with your personal examples! Or you could review the backstories of some verses, or pray it out with a partner... there's a number of ways you could approach this book, don't let me tell you what to do.
September 5, 2024
A question that I used to have often when I was starting to take my faith seriously is how do I know what the Lord has for me? Or how am I supposed to know what the Lord wants? Or even what is the Lord's will? Pastor Blackaby does an incredible job of showing us through Scripture how the Lord reveals himself to us and therefore reveals our purpose of following Christ and becoming more like Himself. Anyone that is struggling with what God is like should read this book and be challenged and encouraged. Anyone that just wants to learn more about what our Creator is like should read this book and let God's words and the words of Pastor Blackaby educate you!
August 30, 2012
The first Bible study I took part in was Experiencing God........way back in the mid 1990's. Our entire Church took part in this study. At that time our pastor was Dr. David Crosby (now the pastor of First Baptist Church New Orleans.) This study awakened in me a desire to read and study God's Word. Although I'd been a Christian for many years and I would "most of the time" read my Sunday morning lesson, I was not a daily reader or a studier of God's Word. Experiencing God led me to take part in other studies, including ten years in Bible Study Fellowship.
The opening sentence in the introduction is, "God's ways are different from our ways!"
We will be reminded of this throughout the book. I believe this is to get our mind in the right gear, the right frame of mind perse, to understand that God does not operate like humans. God is God. He is the Creator, Sustainer, Savior, Lord, and He is Sovereign. God reigns whether people on earth agree with Him, or believe in Him. God is still Sovereign.
We are told that throughout the Bible we, "will find that whenever God moves, it is not like anything you or I would have chosen to do. And yet, time and again, God chooses to work through His people to accomplish His purposes."
Isn't it radically amazing that God chooses to, "work through His people to accomplish His purposes?"
"God deliberately chooses not to use the ways of the world so that the world will know the difference that He makes. However, we are sometimes caught up in the ways of the world......God's goal is first to reveal Himself to the world so they will know Him and be drawn to Him-not simply to accomplish a task."
This last quoted paragraph is the purpose and theme of the book.
The audience is all Christians, no matter the spiritual growth.
The material is arranged simply, methodically. In the first chapter there is further teaching on, "God's Ways Are Not Our Ways. The next five chapters are on, What Are the Ways of God, for example: The Ways of God are Holy, The Ways of God Are Sovereign.
Henry T. Blackaby and Roy T. Edgemon are some of the most humble teachers and writers I know. When a statement is made by them such as, "do not presume upon God." It is made with frankness and humility; but it is accepted by the reader.
I'm reminded of Proverbs 25:11
"Like apples of gold in settings of silver
Is a word spoken in right circumstances." NASB
The right words are fitting and accepted even in rebuke.
There were several points in the book that resonated in my mind and heart. They were just what I needed to hear! For example in chapter six we are encouraged to live out an "Eternal Perspective."
We are to not just talk about being a Christian, but we are to live it out everyday; because if we do not the image that we profess will become "blurred."
At the end of each chapter is a "Think About-Pray About" section. There are four questions listed to help dig a bit more on what was taught in the chapter. There are some readers who may think these end of the chapter questions are redundant. I disagree.
1. Not everyone has the ability to create discussion questions.
2. We must understand what we've read or we've wasted a bit of our life in reading something we won't remember in a few seconds.
3. Teaching is just that, it is not just reading but further training that will affect us and mold us. This is especially true in our Spiritual growth.
The opening sentence in the introduction is, "God's ways are different from our ways!"
We will be reminded of this throughout the book. I believe this is to get our mind in the right gear, the right frame of mind perse, to understand that God does not operate like humans. God is God. He is the Creator, Sustainer, Savior, Lord, and He is Sovereign. God reigns whether people on earth agree with Him, or believe in Him. God is still Sovereign.
We are told that throughout the Bible we, "will find that whenever God moves, it is not like anything you or I would have chosen to do. And yet, time and again, God chooses to work through His people to accomplish His purposes."
Isn't it radically amazing that God chooses to, "work through His people to accomplish His purposes?"
"God deliberately chooses not to use the ways of the world so that the world will know the difference that He makes. However, we are sometimes caught up in the ways of the world......God's goal is first to reveal Himself to the world so they will know Him and be drawn to Him-not simply to accomplish a task."
This last quoted paragraph is the purpose and theme of the book.
The audience is all Christians, no matter the spiritual growth.
The material is arranged simply, methodically. In the first chapter there is further teaching on, "God's Ways Are Not Our Ways. The next five chapters are on, What Are the Ways of God, for example: The Ways of God are Holy, The Ways of God Are Sovereign.
Henry T. Blackaby and Roy T. Edgemon are some of the most humble teachers and writers I know. When a statement is made by them such as, "do not presume upon God." It is made with frankness and humility; but it is accepted by the reader.
I'm reminded of Proverbs 25:11
"Like apples of gold in settings of silver
Is a word spoken in right circumstances." NASB
The right words are fitting and accepted even in rebuke.
There were several points in the book that resonated in my mind and heart. They were just what I needed to hear! For example in chapter six we are encouraged to live out an "Eternal Perspective."
We are to not just talk about being a Christian, but we are to live it out everyday; because if we do not the image that we profess will become "blurred."
At the end of each chapter is a "Think About-Pray About" section. There are four questions listed to help dig a bit more on what was taught in the chapter. There are some readers who may think these end of the chapter questions are redundant. I disagree.
1. Not everyone has the ability to create discussion questions.
2. We must understand what we've read or we've wasted a bit of our life in reading something we won't remember in a few seconds.
3. Teaching is just that, it is not just reading but further training that will affect us and mold us. This is especially true in our Spiritual growth.
June 19, 2024
This book was alright; however, it takes the biblical text extremely literally, including the different genres of the bible where it is meant to be interpreted within that genre's context. If you do not believe that the Earth was formed 6,000 years ago, this book may not be for you. I read it and enjoyed it still; I thought there still something to learn.
December 26, 2008
Not as good as his other work I've read, his account of the prophet, Samuel.
July 26, 2011
Read JAN 2001
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews