Resilient Faith by Lewis and Sarah Allen Book Review

About the Book:

We all encounter problems and challenges on a daily basis, ranging from small things—traffic, losing your keys, or running late—to much bigger issues—job insecurity, health issues, and relationship struggles. What should a believer in Christ do in the face of such adversities? 

Authors Lewis and Sarah Allen propose that while the world may teach us one way to approach challenges, there is a better way—complete dependence on Christ and pursuit of wise living. With the help of the Holy Spirit, Christians are able to live more joy-filled lives in the midst of adversity. In a conversational and personal tone, the Allens walk through key biblical passages as they relate to challenges and share stories, case studies, and illustrations to encourage us to rely on Christ and commit to his church in the battle of Christian life. 

• Ideal for New or Young Christians: Especially those feeling discouraged by doubt and disappointment
• Engaging and Interactive: Includes case studies and illustrations, with questions and prayers at the end of every chapter 
• Practical and Realistic: Readers will receive biblical direction for applying these principles to their daily lives 

 You can read chapter one here.

My Review:

We all stumble and fall. We all get discouraged. Resilience is required to get back up and continue on the journey of faith. The Allens address many issues facing young people and career age. They cover emotions such as feeling like a failure or feeling rejected. Rather than feeling sorry for ourselves, they encourage us to remember that God has compassion for us. We can share that compassion with others, taking our minds off of ourselves and onto helping others. Some of the topics covered are practical things, like exercise and sleep and our diet. They go through the armor in Ephesians six for instruction, ending with prayer.

The book is rather conversational in style so would appeal to young Christians or those busy with family and career. It is not a deep, theological study. The authors suggest reading a chapter a day. I think that is a bit much. A chapter a week would make for a good study with a trusted group of friends. There are questions for reflection that could be used for discussion. There is also a prayer for each chapter.

This book is good encouragement to remain grounded in trust and faith in the midst of trials. There is an emphasis on the importance of being in God's Word as that is what God uses for our transformation. Practical suggestions are included for getting in the Word and for maintaining a good prayer life.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

 

About the Authors:

Lewis Allen (ThM, Westminster Theological Seminary) serves as senior pastor of Hope Church in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England, which he helped plant after twelve years of pastoring a church in West London.

Sarah Allen (MTh, Union School of Theology) is an English teacher and the northern director of Flourish Course (a Gospel training initiative). She also leads the women’s ministry at Hope Church in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England. 

Crossway, 240 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

(My star ratings: 5-I love it, 4-I like it, 3-It's OK, 2-I don't like it, 1-I hate it.)