This book is a reminder of our purpose here on earth, if we call ourselves Christians. Our commission is to spread the news of God’s mercy and forgiveness, and his ability to rescue us. Yet we are distracted by our busy lives, entertainment, our fears, and by our many church-related activities.
Ronnie Floyd’s passion for people drives him to remove whatever roadblocks are in the way of their knowing God’s love for them. He steers us back to our highest priority; chapter-by-chapter he challenges our reasons for not sharing the gospel, then gives us tools to carry out that task.
I was excited to read this book because I was anxious to learn good attitudes and practices for sharing this good news of the gospel. I have met very few people who seem hungry for spiritual things. Yet I want to give them a taste of what a joy this life on earth can be when they walk with the Lord, and know the promise of eternal life after physical death.
I tend to get overwhelmed by the concept of how much the world tends to naturally move away from God. But I am encouraged by Floyd’s reminder that we don’t work alone to bring light, and that the best remedy for spiritual dryness is action. An important part of our action is prayer, and we are given nine actions we can take to talk to Jesus daily.
I would have appreciated some more examples of how this pastor and others have helped people with crises and struggles. When our friends try to manage their lives apart from God, we can encourage them to find spiritual answers to their troubles. I like hearing about these accounts. I want to know what the turning point is when someone changes their mindset and finds new hope and faith.
I love how the author constantly challenges the reader. “Think of the ways we allot our time and energy—our causes, our quests, our dreams, our hobbies and our pursuits,” he writes in Chapter 1. “How much eternal importance is in each one?” This reminds me of something I heard many years ago about taking a look at how you spend your time and money, and that will show you what you value most in life. A whole chapter in Our Last Great Hope covers the topic of evaluating everything financially.
I like the “Signs of Awakening” at the end of most chapters, gleanings from other authors and voices. For example, I am encouraged by a concept that the world is flat: no longer influenced only by a select few governments and businesses on the top, but also by all cultures and peoples, especially via the internet. I’m intrigued by the comment that as Christians we’ve been fleeing to the suburbs, leaving our inner cities to decline, and inspired to know about the Moravians in the 1700’s who prayed for a century.
I recommend this book. It will help you focus on what matters the most, and on being intentional about sharing your faith.
[Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.]
Happily Writing 