God’s Outrageous Claims, Discover What They Mean To You   by Lee Strobel

Lee Strobel, the author of God’s Outrageous Claims, reviews his own book in these words: “This isn’t a book to read passively. It’s not a collection of feel-good platitudes that offer easy answers. You’ll find much of it encouraging, some of it challenging, but all of it intensely practical.”

Within the thirteen chapters, Lee Strobel writes about the way accepting God’s challenge to follow Jesus and his way of life affects every area in the life of a Christian. Jesus taught “love your enemies” and forgiveness. How is that possible? “The only way we can ever really emulate Christ is by yielding to the Spirit’s influence in our life and allowing him to produce the love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control that the Bible promises he will manifest over time in the followers of Jesus.”

The chapter on forgiveness includes several steps an individual can take to begin the process.

In Chapter Eight, he considers God’s cure for loneliness--friendship and community. He asks, “What are the ingredients in a friendship that’s rich and real, caring and enduring, intimate and mutually fulfilling?”

And then answers: “affinity, acceptance, authenticity, assistance, and affirmation.”

And then issues a challenge: “To put it bluntly, you have a choice. God has given you the desire and capacity to enter into community with others and thereby drive a stake through the loneliness that would otherwise darken your life. It’s scary, it’s risky, it’s time-consuming, it’s messy, it’s frustrating. And it’s worth it.”

This is only a taste of the advice he gives in this chapter. He also supplies examples of friendship in action.

In the last chapter, Lee Strobel confides, “Instead of feeling suffocated through living by God’s game plan, I’ve found liberation and security.” He changed, in his own words, “from being a stone-hearted, atheistic journalist to becoming a committed follower of Jesus. My world has been turned inside out--and looking back, I wouldn’t want it any other way.”

The only way to know for certain whether God’s Outrageous Claims are true is to take God up on his offer. Reading Lee Strobel’s book may give you the encouragement you need to do just that.