A Dangerous Faith

by James Lund

Where did we get this idea that God wants us to be complacent? What if we were called to forfeit our comfortable lifestyles?

Meet the mountain climbers, deep-sea divers, fighter pilots, and jungle missionaries who follow God into the adventure of a lifetime. Dangerous Faith tells their dramatic true stories, revealing incredible truths only risk can inspire.

Each of these trailblazers rejects security to reach for a perilous place few Christ-followers dare. Their stories will thrill and amaze you. What they discover just might revolutionize your life–because He’s calling you, too, into a life of risk.

Adventure. Passion. Freedom. Truth. Are you prepared for a Dangerous Faith ?

Genres: Nonfiction

Hardcover

First published April 1, 2008

Reviews

[Dorcas · Rating 4 out of 5]

this is an exciting fast paced book with stories of people faced with dangerous situations. It kept me on the edge of my seat. There is some evangelical theology that I could not agree with but overall it is a great book if you need a book with short stories for those ten minute time slots.

[Jason · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a reasonably interesting set of short, true stories about Christian men and women who have engaged in extraordinary events either because of responding to God's call or who have engaged in events with a Christ-like response and what that has meant to their lives.

The mix of stories is interesting, and if you are a person who likes to hear stories from other peoples' lives, than this is a good read simply for hearing some interesting stories.

All the stories are tenuously held together under the banner of a dangerous faith...meaning that God does not call us to places of comfort and complacency, but to places of excitement and potentially danger. When you read through some of the author's experiences themselves, you grasp that the adventuresome spirit is at home with these two guys and that is how they relate to life and to their relationship with God. There is not a real story line amongst everything, nor do they really pull them all together, except for saying that these people followed God and ended up in dangerous places....but were glad they did.

As with most reads, I feel that there are things that you can learn, pull out, or insights that are worth writing down and remembering...here are a couple that I pulled from this book.

Bruce Olson wrote about walking through a cacophony of sounds in the jungle and the Montilone people remarking about the sound of a piping turkey...The Montilone's were able to hear, notice and appreciate the small voice amidst this chaos...and Bruce remarked "It was a poignant moment for me. I wondered what else I'd missed-not only in the jungle, but also in my own spiritual life. How much had I overlooked when I'd failed to patiently tune in to God's subtle voice in the midst of life's chaos and stresses?"

At one point in thinking about Bruce's adventure, the author remarks that maybe we misconstrued what God's peace really is...not that we will live in safety, but regardless of the circumstances we are in, our soul is safe and thus we can have peace.

One other story reminded me of how we have to immerse ourselves in the lives of those that we want to have an impact on and that often the most difficult circumstances and challenging places are the very events that strip away everything that is not real from our lives and allows us to actually strengthen our relationship with God.

So, read this book for the stories, to be inspired by people following God's call and being obedient to Him

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is like Chicken Soup for the Christian action hero. Maybe not quite that dramatic, but it is really just a collection of stories that illustrate the simple fact that our opportunities to grow closer to God are often greatest in times of great crisis. In the case of many of the stories in this book, “crisis” means imminent physical peril. While I think some may consider these stories to imply that closeness to God requires one of these “awakening” moments brought on by physical danger or trial, I think they really just makes the point that sometimes it takes the absence of all sense of personal control before we are willing to rely completely on God. What is probably more important to take away from this book, however, is how quickly we become complacent in our faith and how God uses our struggles and challenges to remind us why we are here. Would recommend this book to (certain) Christians.

[Valerie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of different people's adventures on the edge - of mountains, in jungles, in plane wrecks, under enemy gunfire, in the face of death. The challenge is to live on the edge of life to experience the fullness of God. The focus is not on each persons amazing endurance, but on the personal faithfulness of God in all circumstances. (A short "devotional" follows each story - just so you don't miss the point? They are thoughtful.)

If you've read many good missionary bio's, this will not sound like anything new, or unusual. That it is not just a a missionary bio is it's advantage. Some great stories and challenges to live bigger, trust deeper.

[Roger Sigmon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great collection of stories of people finding God or renewing their relationship with God during moments of extreme adventure. This assortment has a little for everyone. I have read the full accounts of a few of the stories highlighted in this collection, and enjoyed the authors commentary on each.

[Diane Stephenson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book with excellent testimonies of God's protection in some very dangerous situations.