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How to Be a Christian in Today's World: Shame or Fear of Failure vs. Living Confidently in God's Love
Is it possible to embrace faith and lead a Christian life in today’s modern world? This is the question at the heart of How to Be a Christian in Today’s World, an indispensable guide for anyone who is searching for, questioning, or wanting to deepen their faith. Part memoir, part passionate testimony, part self-help guide, in How to Be a Christian in Today’s World, pastor and counselor, Reverend Matthew Hogan, delivers the practical, compassionate message that it is possible to lead a life of faith while being a part of the world. Growing up, Rev. Hogan witnessed his parents’ marriage dissolve beneath the stress of losing their son, his brother. He dealt with the grief of losing his father at a young age. He helped his wife, Kimberly, battle health issues throughout their marriage. As opposed to becoming angry or resentful of the challenges he experienced throughout life, Hogan found each challenge as an opportunity to deepen and grow his faith. As Rev. Hogan dissects key moments from scripture and shares his own compelling life story, readers will build a foundation for their faith that acknowledges, allows for, and even celebrates worldly experiences.
No matter if you’ve been a Christian many years or are just starting out in your faith journey, everyone deserves the opportunity to truly know God’s love. With this as the core value of How to Be a Christian in Today’s World, Rev. Hogan’s work sets itself apart from other books about faith, Christianity, and spirituality. Too often in his over 30 years of ministry and counseling did Rev. Hogan witness Christians beating themselves up for living their lives, having the experiences they’ve had, and not being able to fully live up to their potential as a Christian. Seeking to calm the anxiety and self-doubt that rages within the hearts of even the most ardent believers, How to Be a Christian in Today’s World creates and holds a vibrant space for readers to grow in their faith. Removing the pressure so many Christians put on themselves to live up to their faith, Rev. Hogan guides readers towards a more honest, real connection with God and His love.
No matter if you’ve been a Christian many years or are just starting out in your faith journey, everyone deserves the opportunity to truly know God’s love. With this as the core value of How to Be a Christian in Today’s World, Rev. Hogan’s work sets itself apart from other books about faith, Christianity, and spirituality. Too often in his over 30 years of ministry and counseling did Rev. Hogan witness Christians beating themselves up for living their lives, having the experiences they’ve had, and not being able to fully live up to their potential as a Christian. Seeking to calm the anxiety and self-doubt that rages within the hearts of even the most ardent believers, How to Be a Christian in Today’s World creates and holds a vibrant space for readers to grow in their faith. Removing the pressure so many Christians put on themselves to live up to their faith, Rev. Hogan guides readers towards a more honest, real connection with God and His love.
130 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 25, 2022
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January 9, 2023
This is a book on Christian spirituality: how to follow Jesus and be a good Christian. I enjoyed the author’s stories and parables: I thought they drove home the point in question. In particular, the stories of the author’s difficult life encourages the reader to pull up one’s socks, tie one’s boot laces, and follow him on his journey. The book is written in short chapters: excellent for the busy reader.
The author believes in a holistic treatment of the Bible: which is ultrafine with me; but he tends to sweep its doctrinal contradictions under the carpet, specifically, Acts 16:31 and Ephesians 2:8–9 (i.e., salvation strictly through faith in Jesus) versus Matthew 25:31–46 (i.e., salvation through good deeds alone); not to mention James 2:14–26 (i.e., the necessity of good deeds accompanying faith). The author is right, of course, that faith in Jesus also requires an internal conviction, but I think he fails to make the crucial connection between the above seemingly contradictory passages. For example, according to the biblical scholars of the “New American Bible,” “To confess Jesus as Lord was frequently quite hazardous in the first century [CE] (cf. Matthew 10:18; First Thessalonians 2:2; First Peter 2:18–21; 3:14). For a Jew it could mean disruption of normal familial and other social relationships, including great economic sacrifice.” (NAB, Romans 10:9–11 footnote) In other words, reciprocal good deeds among Christians were probably part and parcel of becoming a Christian and confessing Jesus as Lord in those days. We then come along, two thousand years later, and interpret a biblical statement, like Acts 16:31, at its face value, totally oblivious of its context, because we believe that every Bible verse is God’s word. The author shies away from a clear statement about the controversial subject of whether good deeds are 'also' or 'solely' a requirement for salvation.
The author sees the Bible not through reason and open-mindedness but strictly through his faith; consequently, several statements he makes stick out like a sore thumb to the Bible enthusiast. For example: (1) He thinks the Trinity is implied in Genesis 1:26. But the Hebrew word “Elohim,” for “God,” is plural in that language; hence its translation into English becomes, “Let 'us' make man in 'our' image, after 'our' likeness.” (Genesis 1:26, KJV, emphasis mine; see also Genesis 3:22) Its use is also similar to the royal “we,” implying that God is more than a simple person. The word “Trinity” doesn’t even occur once in the Bible. (2) The author writes, “Once they [Adam and Eve] ate the apple, everything changed.” The ‘forbidden fruit’ wasn’t an apple: it was the fruit of the 'tree of knowledge of good and evil' (which, incidentally, doesn’t exist and never existed). (3) He assumes, “He [God] sent Christ to die for us. We all know that.” Do we? The talking serpent in Adam and Eve’s story is a clear giveaway that it belongs to the realm of fables: in other words, it is only a myth, so 'original sin' never happened; consequently Jesus had no ‘shackles’ to free us from. Indeed, 'humanity’s fall' is templated on the “Epic Poem of Gilgamesh,” written in cuneiform on clay tablets about a thousand years before Genesis. As often happens, Jesus was killed because he stood up for the underdog. (4) The author states, “There are between a little over 300 and 456 Biblical prophecies, all fulfilled by Christ.” The author must have a different version from my Bible because I (including biblical scholars) could hardly find one the last time I looked. Although Jesus was probably the 'Messiah' (or 'Christ') originally promised to King David, he was so remote from what Scriptures foretold. The Messiah was supposed to be a great king, the caliber of King David or King Solomon, who would rule the whole world in conjunction with God’s assistance. In fact, Jesus was even questioned by John the Baptist (Matthew 11:2–6; Luke 7:19–20) whether he was the promised Davidic Messiah. John the Baptist realized that Jesus was nothing like the Scriptures and Jesus even admitted it himself, stating, “Blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in [shocked by] me.” (Matthew 11:6, KJV) To this effect, New Testament scholar Bart Ehrman, in his book “Did Jesus Exist? The Historical Argument for Jesus of Nazareth,” states, “The single greatest obstacle Christians had when trying to convert Jews was precisely their claim that Jesus had been executed. … They had to deal with it and devise a special, previously unheard of theology to account for it. And so what they invented was … the idea of a suffering messiah. That invention has become so much a part of the standard lingo that Christians today assume it was all part of the original plan of God as mapped out in the Old Testament. But in fact 'the idea of a suffering messiah cannot be found there'” (p. 173, emphasis mine). (5) The author also opines, “The Word [Bible] is so consistent from beginning to end that we can’t really screw that up.” In actual fact, the Bible is literally littered with contradictions; and every time I research something, I find another. But this is not the place to criticize the book scholarly—so enough of such examples.
The author encourages Christians to behave like Jesus because, he writes, “Our behavior is always on display.” However, he also aptly observes, there’s not much to admire in the way we live: we are nothing like Christ. Indeed, in his book “Rediscover Catholicism: A Spiritual Guide to Living with Passion & Purpose,” motivational speaker Matthew Kelly writes, “In reference to a well-known fact that [Mohandas] Gandhi read the New Testament every day and often quoted the Christian Scriptures, a reporter once asked him why he had never become a Christian. He answered, ‘If I had ever met one, I would have become one.’” (p. 24) The author anguishes over the poor demonstration of our Christian life. He recommends, “Loving others as ourselves, being gentle and loving and kind, indeed being different from the world.” The author is absolutely right, of course, when he writes “Too many churches are more like hospice homes where the sick go to slowly die.” It is his wake-up call for all of us Christians.
The author hits the nail on the head when he writes, “No matter what you’ve done, no matter who you’ve been, he [God] wants you.” God loves us unconditionally and desires to have a relationship with every one of us. But then, he apparently believes that only Christians can be saved. Aren’t the other five and one-half billion non-Christians worldwide also called to have a relationship with God? I think this is why we have 'all' been created. Christians, like the Jews before them (also Romans, Greeks, Egyptians, you name it) think they have been especially chosen by God (or the gods). It seems to me more like wishful thinking that they are God’s 'chosen ones.' It amazes me how Christians can write in total disregard to the rest of the overwhelming majority of humanity.
The author insists in giving the credit for all our good deeds to Jesus. While, admittedly, one should not brag excessively about one’s good deeds or achievements, as the Pharisee in Jesus’s parable did (Luke 18:11–12); on the other hand, I think one should not undervalue oneself with false ‘humility.’ God doesn’t try to get all the attention: like the husband who says, “Oh, my wife only looks beautiful because of the dress 'I' bought her.” That’s awful! God is much more of a gentleman than that. True, we tend to pray more to him while we are down and out, but God doesn’t want us to fail or to be desperate so that he gets more of our attention: like a good Father, he wants us to succeed and be happy in life. He doesn’t need to rob us of our puny credit: he has all kinds of praise from his angels, anyway. So, as always, I think balance is the key.
Despite reading it several times, I couldn’t exactly figure out the author’s opinion on what kind of relationship a Christian married couple should have: that is, whether the wife should be subordinate to her husband (see Ephesians 5:22–33); but it seems to me he recommends following what the Bible says, and God will help them achieve it. Whatever problem one faces, the author’s emphasis is always on God, the Holy Spirit, or Jesus rather than the individual’s efforts. This might be the classical Christian doctrine, but I find it discouraging. I think one should try one’s utmost as if everything depended completely on the individual. Then, “God helps those who help themselves.”
The author also seems to have a problem with loving one’s spouse more than God. He writes, “The real danger, though, is that with a deep, fulfilling love, one might begin to love their spouse more than God.” I think I disagree with the author here because our love of neighbor is always a measure of (proportional to) our love for God. To this effect, in his book “The Misunderstood God: The Lies Religion Tells about God,” former pastor, conference speaker, relationship counselor, and Christian evangelist Darin Hufford writes, “God is not in competition with your love. … He is quite all right with you giving all of yourself over to your mate. The God who is love loves it when we love. He doesn’t concern himself with whether or not someone else is receiving more than Him. … 'Anytime you love a person, you are not far from God.' … He doesn’t get jealous or envious of our love for His people; He delights in it because that is how he created life to work. … God is not insecure.” (pp. 54–55, emphasis in original) Notice the subtitle of Hufford’s book: “The Lies Religion Tells about God.”
The author exhorts us to return the favor to God or Jesus; in other words, since he was so generous with us, we should find it in our heart to be generous with him: that is, by living a good Christian life. Our love of neighbor is our litmus test: showing how much we truly love God. He writes, “It shouldn’t be a solo effort, but a response to the love he has already shown us.” But then, I don’t think we should feel obliged to do this: Jesus died for us with no strings attached: he doesn’t hold us hostage because once upon a time he died for us. That’s the way God loves, unconditionally, and Jesus is his Father’s perfect image. If we do reciprocate, we must do it strictly out of love, not guilt.
The author discourages living in the fear of death; he aptly points out that it’s not a healthy, growing Christian living. May I add that we shouldn’t live in the fear of God, either?
The author talks about God’s will for us: as if God has some major plan for every one of us. To this effect, Hufford writes, “When you ask God where He wants you to go or what He wants you to do, His response is, ‘Where do 'you' want to go? What do 'you' want to do?’” (The Misunderstood God, p. 102, emphasis in original) God gives us life unconditionally: to do with it what we like—with no strings attached. The relationship God desires with every one of us is optional, not obligatory: that is, only if we also desire it. The author too agrees with our relationship with God being optional; so, why does he talk about God’s will for us?
What seems to be very important to the author is the clause “Go back to the beginning” because he repeats it several times. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to grasp its exact meaning; he refers to Genesis (in chapter 7), to Jesus’s death (in chapter 27), and to the Bible in general (in chapter 29): my guess is he means the latter. Although the author states his reason (i.e., to check things out for ourselves) for citing rather than quoting biblical passages, I found it cumbersome having to continuously refer to my Bible: in fact, I wasn’t always sure of what he was trying to convey, either. Finally, as an aside, I think the book would benefit considerably if a copyeditor revised it for sentence structure, grammar, and punctuation; however, I disregarded this last aspect in the book’s final-aggregate evaluation.
Conclusion:
The book is positive in many respects, but also negative in others. If the reader happens to believe in the divine origin of the Bible, one will probably enjoy it: it’s a reasonably faithful rendering of mainstream Christian doctrine. Although, personally, I disagree with some of it, it is still a useful tool in developing a personal relationship with God: it’s a book on Christian spirituality, not biblical scholarship. Had the author written rigorously, probably most Christians wouldn’t appreciate it.
The author believes in a holistic treatment of the Bible: which is ultrafine with me; but he tends to sweep its doctrinal contradictions under the carpet, specifically, Acts 16:31 and Ephesians 2:8–9 (i.e., salvation strictly through faith in Jesus) versus Matthew 25:31–46 (i.e., salvation through good deeds alone); not to mention James 2:14–26 (i.e., the necessity of good deeds accompanying faith). The author is right, of course, that faith in Jesus also requires an internal conviction, but I think he fails to make the crucial connection between the above seemingly contradictory passages. For example, according to the biblical scholars of the “New American Bible,” “To confess Jesus as Lord was frequently quite hazardous in the first century [CE] (cf. Matthew 10:18; First Thessalonians 2:2; First Peter 2:18–21; 3:14). For a Jew it could mean disruption of normal familial and other social relationships, including great economic sacrifice.” (NAB, Romans 10:9–11 footnote) In other words, reciprocal good deeds among Christians were probably part and parcel of becoming a Christian and confessing Jesus as Lord in those days. We then come along, two thousand years later, and interpret a biblical statement, like Acts 16:31, at its face value, totally oblivious of its context, because we believe that every Bible verse is God’s word. The author shies away from a clear statement about the controversial subject of whether good deeds are 'also' or 'solely' a requirement for salvation.
The author sees the Bible not through reason and open-mindedness but strictly through his faith; consequently, several statements he makes stick out like a sore thumb to the Bible enthusiast. For example: (1) He thinks the Trinity is implied in Genesis 1:26. But the Hebrew word “Elohim,” for “God,” is plural in that language; hence its translation into English becomes, “Let 'us' make man in 'our' image, after 'our' likeness.” (Genesis 1:26, KJV, emphasis mine; see also Genesis 3:22) Its use is also similar to the royal “we,” implying that God is more than a simple person. The word “Trinity” doesn’t even occur once in the Bible. (2) The author writes, “Once they [Adam and Eve] ate the apple, everything changed.” The ‘forbidden fruit’ wasn’t an apple: it was the fruit of the 'tree of knowledge of good and evil' (which, incidentally, doesn’t exist and never existed). (3) He assumes, “He [God] sent Christ to die for us. We all know that.” Do we? The talking serpent in Adam and Eve’s story is a clear giveaway that it belongs to the realm of fables: in other words, it is only a myth, so 'original sin' never happened; consequently Jesus had no ‘shackles’ to free us from. Indeed, 'humanity’s fall' is templated on the “Epic Poem of Gilgamesh,” written in cuneiform on clay tablets about a thousand years before Genesis. As often happens, Jesus was killed because he stood up for the underdog. (4) The author states, “There are between a little over 300 and 456 Biblical prophecies, all fulfilled by Christ.” The author must have a different version from my Bible because I (including biblical scholars) could hardly find one the last time I looked. Although Jesus was probably the 'Messiah' (or 'Christ') originally promised to King David, he was so remote from what Scriptures foretold. The Messiah was supposed to be a great king, the caliber of King David or King Solomon, who would rule the whole world in conjunction with God’s assistance. In fact, Jesus was even questioned by John the Baptist (Matthew 11:2–6; Luke 7:19–20) whether he was the promised Davidic Messiah. John the Baptist realized that Jesus was nothing like the Scriptures and Jesus even admitted it himself, stating, “Blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in [shocked by] me.” (Matthew 11:6, KJV) To this effect, New Testament scholar Bart Ehrman, in his book “Did Jesus Exist? The Historical Argument for Jesus of Nazareth,” states, “The single greatest obstacle Christians had when trying to convert Jews was precisely their claim that Jesus had been executed. … They had to deal with it and devise a special, previously unheard of theology to account for it. And so what they invented was … the idea of a suffering messiah. That invention has become so much a part of the standard lingo that Christians today assume it was all part of the original plan of God as mapped out in the Old Testament. But in fact 'the idea of a suffering messiah cannot be found there'” (p. 173, emphasis mine). (5) The author also opines, “The Word [Bible] is so consistent from beginning to end that we can’t really screw that up.” In actual fact, the Bible is literally littered with contradictions; and every time I research something, I find another. But this is not the place to criticize the book scholarly—so enough of such examples.
The author encourages Christians to behave like Jesus because, he writes, “Our behavior is always on display.” However, he also aptly observes, there’s not much to admire in the way we live: we are nothing like Christ. Indeed, in his book “Rediscover Catholicism: A Spiritual Guide to Living with Passion & Purpose,” motivational speaker Matthew Kelly writes, “In reference to a well-known fact that [Mohandas] Gandhi read the New Testament every day and often quoted the Christian Scriptures, a reporter once asked him why he had never become a Christian. He answered, ‘If I had ever met one, I would have become one.’” (p. 24) The author anguishes over the poor demonstration of our Christian life. He recommends, “Loving others as ourselves, being gentle and loving and kind, indeed being different from the world.” The author is absolutely right, of course, when he writes “Too many churches are more like hospice homes where the sick go to slowly die.” It is his wake-up call for all of us Christians.
The author hits the nail on the head when he writes, “No matter what you’ve done, no matter who you’ve been, he [God] wants you.” God loves us unconditionally and desires to have a relationship with every one of us. But then, he apparently believes that only Christians can be saved. Aren’t the other five and one-half billion non-Christians worldwide also called to have a relationship with God? I think this is why we have 'all' been created. Christians, like the Jews before them (also Romans, Greeks, Egyptians, you name it) think they have been especially chosen by God (or the gods). It seems to me more like wishful thinking that they are God’s 'chosen ones.' It amazes me how Christians can write in total disregard to the rest of the overwhelming majority of humanity.
The author insists in giving the credit for all our good deeds to Jesus. While, admittedly, one should not brag excessively about one’s good deeds or achievements, as the Pharisee in Jesus’s parable did (Luke 18:11–12); on the other hand, I think one should not undervalue oneself with false ‘humility.’ God doesn’t try to get all the attention: like the husband who says, “Oh, my wife only looks beautiful because of the dress 'I' bought her.” That’s awful! God is much more of a gentleman than that. True, we tend to pray more to him while we are down and out, but God doesn’t want us to fail or to be desperate so that he gets more of our attention: like a good Father, he wants us to succeed and be happy in life. He doesn’t need to rob us of our puny credit: he has all kinds of praise from his angels, anyway. So, as always, I think balance is the key.
Despite reading it several times, I couldn’t exactly figure out the author’s opinion on what kind of relationship a Christian married couple should have: that is, whether the wife should be subordinate to her husband (see Ephesians 5:22–33); but it seems to me he recommends following what the Bible says, and God will help them achieve it. Whatever problem one faces, the author’s emphasis is always on God, the Holy Spirit, or Jesus rather than the individual’s efforts. This might be the classical Christian doctrine, but I find it discouraging. I think one should try one’s utmost as if everything depended completely on the individual. Then, “God helps those who help themselves.”
The author also seems to have a problem with loving one’s spouse more than God. He writes, “The real danger, though, is that with a deep, fulfilling love, one might begin to love their spouse more than God.” I think I disagree with the author here because our love of neighbor is always a measure of (proportional to) our love for God. To this effect, in his book “The Misunderstood God: The Lies Religion Tells about God,” former pastor, conference speaker, relationship counselor, and Christian evangelist Darin Hufford writes, “God is not in competition with your love. … He is quite all right with you giving all of yourself over to your mate. The God who is love loves it when we love. He doesn’t concern himself with whether or not someone else is receiving more than Him. … 'Anytime you love a person, you are not far from God.' … He doesn’t get jealous or envious of our love for His people; He delights in it because that is how he created life to work. … God is not insecure.” (pp. 54–55, emphasis in original) Notice the subtitle of Hufford’s book: “The Lies Religion Tells about God.”
The author exhorts us to return the favor to God or Jesus; in other words, since he was so generous with us, we should find it in our heart to be generous with him: that is, by living a good Christian life. Our love of neighbor is our litmus test: showing how much we truly love God. He writes, “It shouldn’t be a solo effort, but a response to the love he has already shown us.” But then, I don’t think we should feel obliged to do this: Jesus died for us with no strings attached: he doesn’t hold us hostage because once upon a time he died for us. That’s the way God loves, unconditionally, and Jesus is his Father’s perfect image. If we do reciprocate, we must do it strictly out of love, not guilt.
The author discourages living in the fear of death; he aptly points out that it’s not a healthy, growing Christian living. May I add that we shouldn’t live in the fear of God, either?
The author talks about God’s will for us: as if God has some major plan for every one of us. To this effect, Hufford writes, “When you ask God where He wants you to go or what He wants you to do, His response is, ‘Where do 'you' want to go? What do 'you' want to do?’” (The Misunderstood God, p. 102, emphasis in original) God gives us life unconditionally: to do with it what we like—with no strings attached. The relationship God desires with every one of us is optional, not obligatory: that is, only if we also desire it. The author too agrees with our relationship with God being optional; so, why does he talk about God’s will for us?
What seems to be very important to the author is the clause “Go back to the beginning” because he repeats it several times. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to grasp its exact meaning; he refers to Genesis (in chapter 7), to Jesus’s death (in chapter 27), and to the Bible in general (in chapter 29): my guess is he means the latter. Although the author states his reason (i.e., to check things out for ourselves) for citing rather than quoting biblical passages, I found it cumbersome having to continuously refer to my Bible: in fact, I wasn’t always sure of what he was trying to convey, either. Finally, as an aside, I think the book would benefit considerably if a copyeditor revised it for sentence structure, grammar, and punctuation; however, I disregarded this last aspect in the book’s final-aggregate evaluation.
Conclusion:
The book is positive in many respects, but also negative in others. If the reader happens to believe in the divine origin of the Bible, one will probably enjoy it: it’s a reasonably faithful rendering of mainstream Christian doctrine. Although, personally, I disagree with some of it, it is still a useful tool in developing a personal relationship with God: it’s a book on Christian spirituality, not biblical scholarship. Had the author written rigorously, probably most Christians wouldn’t appreciate it.
November 29, 2022
well written
This book was a delight to read. I really enjoyed reading about Matthew’s life and the insight he gives in this book having been raised a Christian and consider myself still one.
This book was a delight to read. I really enjoyed reading about Matthew’s life and the insight he gives in this book having been raised a Christian and consider myself still one.
March 27, 2023
Sometimes there’s a book that comes into your life at the exact right moment, it knocks you off your feet and makes you take a good hard look in the mirror, “How to Be a Christian in Today’s World: Shame or Fear of Failure vs. Living Confidently in God’s Love” was that book for me.
Author, Reverend Matthew Hogan does a great job opening this book by connecting with readers. He doesn’t immediately jump into preaching like so many books of this nature before it, but rather invites us first to his own story. Showing us his own path to faith, sharing the gritty, raw, and emotional bits before carrying us to God. Throughout the book, Rev. Hogan is respectful. Instead of directly quoting scripture he provides the verse and allows readers to find the passages in whatever book they call their own. However, in doing this he pairs it with a story and communicates it in a way that makes you want to embrace the noted verses and look it up so you too can relate and be in on the story. Hogan’s years of experience as a minister and councilor lend marvelously well to that of an author connecting and drawing in readers. I’ve never met Rev. Hogan in person, and yet I feel like his book counseled me on how I can truly be a better Christian and focus my life more precisely in the way of God’s teaching, exactly as he set out to do. I found many timely connections to my own life, as if God was reaching me through the author, plucking me out and telling me “listen.”
As Easter rapidly approaches it felt relevant the mentions of Easter morning in one of Hogan’s messages. In this story we are told Easter morning isn’t the end as we may feel compelled to believe with Jesus’ ascension to heaven and resurrection, but instead it is a story teaching us not to fear, a story in finding comfort in His ascension. I also felt immensely connected to the descriptions of the importance of baptism, the submersion and return to air that connects us to Christ. The symbolism and reminder this book provides me in remembering to come up for air as I remind myself repeatedly of God’s role in everything I do.
Like everyone, the author isn’t perfect. But, he reminds us of the importance of truly living a Christian life as God intends. We often lose sight as our lives are feeling “good.” When we get the job we wanted, afforded the new car, etc. we can begin to feel less of a need for God. Or, we attend the obligatory Sunday mass and then walk out the door and fail to keep God ever present and top of mind. This book is thus not only a key reminder, but a crucial guide to recognize our weaknesses, grab ahold and be willing to go back to the beginning to reconnect with, and reaffirm, our faith. While not always simple to humbly admit or do, the author shows us it can be done through his own life circumstances and the stories of scripture he shares. “How to Be a Christian in Today’s World” is the answer to a prayer you may not have even known you needed.
Author, Reverend Matthew Hogan does a great job opening this book by connecting with readers. He doesn’t immediately jump into preaching like so many books of this nature before it, but rather invites us first to his own story. Showing us his own path to faith, sharing the gritty, raw, and emotional bits before carrying us to God. Throughout the book, Rev. Hogan is respectful. Instead of directly quoting scripture he provides the verse and allows readers to find the passages in whatever book they call their own. However, in doing this he pairs it with a story and communicates it in a way that makes you want to embrace the noted verses and look it up so you too can relate and be in on the story. Hogan’s years of experience as a minister and councilor lend marvelously well to that of an author connecting and drawing in readers. I’ve never met Rev. Hogan in person, and yet I feel like his book counseled me on how I can truly be a better Christian and focus my life more precisely in the way of God’s teaching, exactly as he set out to do. I found many timely connections to my own life, as if God was reaching me through the author, plucking me out and telling me “listen.”
As Easter rapidly approaches it felt relevant the mentions of Easter morning in one of Hogan’s messages. In this story we are told Easter morning isn’t the end as we may feel compelled to believe with Jesus’ ascension to heaven and resurrection, but instead it is a story teaching us not to fear, a story in finding comfort in His ascension. I also felt immensely connected to the descriptions of the importance of baptism, the submersion and return to air that connects us to Christ. The symbolism and reminder this book provides me in remembering to come up for air as I remind myself repeatedly of God’s role in everything I do.
Like everyone, the author isn’t perfect. But, he reminds us of the importance of truly living a Christian life as God intends. We often lose sight as our lives are feeling “good.” When we get the job we wanted, afforded the new car, etc. we can begin to feel less of a need for God. Or, we attend the obligatory Sunday mass and then walk out the door and fail to keep God ever present and top of mind. This book is thus not only a key reminder, but a crucial guide to recognize our weaknesses, grab ahold and be willing to go back to the beginning to reconnect with, and reaffirm, our faith. While not always simple to humbly admit or do, the author shows us it can be done through his own life circumstances and the stories of scripture he shares. “How to Be a Christian in Today’s World” is the answer to a prayer you may not have even known you needed.
January 9, 2023
Eye Opening
"Change what you think about – even if, in the beginning, you only have the strength to stare at a mountain." Rev. Hogan
My favorite quote from the book.
I struggle with accepting God's love for myself - this book reiterated what I logically know and reminds me even on my darkest days to stare at the mountain and find goodness in God's creation.
Would highly recommend this book to anyone struggling with accepting God's grace and unconditional love.
Rev Hogan's testimony is an awesome reminder of God's handiwork in our lives and when we allow God to work IN us and a gentle reminder of no deed will win God's love because we are loved just as we are.
Allow God to heal those wounds.
"Change what you think about – even if, in the beginning, you only have the strength to stare at a mountain." Rev. Hogan
My favorite quote from the book.
I struggle with accepting God's love for myself - this book reiterated what I logically know and reminds me even on my darkest days to stare at the mountain and find goodness in God's creation.
Would highly recommend this book to anyone struggling with accepting God's grace and unconditional love.
Rev Hogan's testimony is an awesome reminder of God's handiwork in our lives and when we allow God to work IN us and a gentle reminder of no deed will win God's love because we are loved just as we are.
Allow God to heal those wounds.
June 5, 2023
The author did a good job bringing out points such as our lives being changed when we really understand God's love for us, comparing our relationships in daily life with our relationship to God, and how we come to terms with what the Bible says we should do and what we actually do.
His voice is conversational. I felt, however, that in contrast with that, going into the Greek was too deep.
The author could tighten up his writing to get more to the point in each chapter.
His voice is conversational. I felt, however, that in contrast with that, going into the Greek was too deep.
The author could tighten up his writing to get more to the point in each chapter.
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December 9, 2022As a long-term minister, I've had the opportunity to spend extensive time working with people struggling in their faith. It is my great hope that it will help hurting people find Peace.
November 13, 2024
An enlightening read. Sharing about his walk and it is a great book. Explaining his failures and his victories. Makes me want to share with others.
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