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| So You Don't Want to Go to Church Anymore | 
 enlarge | List Price: $11.99
Buy New: $6.37
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Avg. Customer Rating:  (based on 65 reviews)
Sales Rank: 479
Category: Book
Authors: Jake Colsen, Wayne Jacobsen, Dave Coleman
Publisher: Windblown Media
Studio: Windblown Media
Manufacturer: Windblown Media
Label: Windblown Media
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 191
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 8.2 x 5.3 x 0.6
ISBN: 0964729229
Dewey Decimal Number: 248
EAN: 9780964729223
ASIN: 0964729229
Publication Date: March 1, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 Wonderful, eye-opening book for everyone! October 18, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This book confirms a lot of what I've come to believe and also provides awesome insight into things that I didn't fully understand. I think everyone, Christian or not, should read this book to get a better understanding of what following Jesus is all about!
Amazing Insight October 16, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
This is one of the best books I have ever read. I read it immediately after reading The Shack. My life has been changed. This book gives amazing insight on people just going through the motions of "being a good church memeber". Helps you get to being a friend of Jesus not just a friend of the decon. If you are going to church and still feeling empty, read this amazing book.
Bad title - fantastic book! October 15, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Every once in awhile a book comes along that you just want to shout about from the rooftops and everyone should read and digest and it is a life changing kind of book. They don't come around often enough, but they do come around. This book is like that for me. I think everyone should read it and don't do so unless you have a pen or highlighter in your hand because the wisdom and insight in this book is uncomparable and you will want to be able to go back and catch the highlights over and over.
I feel that I owe it to you to tell you the downsides of this book first though. It should win a prize for the "Worst Name of a Book" contest. Yep, the worst part of this book is the title - it makes it sound like a non-fiction book (but it is fiction) although it is non-fiction wisdom in a fictional scenario. The reason the name is so bad is that it gives the impression that this book is going to be anti-church and it is really not. It is pro-relationship with Father God and definitely about priorities, but not "Don't go to church again!" So now that I have clarified what is wrong with the book, let me tell you a few things that are great about the book...
I started the book and got about 3 chapters into it before I finally said to myself, "Would you just grab a pen and start underlining already?!?" So I did. I thought I could share a couple highlights with you in this review - except that by the end of the book I had highlighted so much that I'll have to read through it a couple more times to even be able to highlight the highlights!
One quote from the book is in the context of trying to get Father God to approve of us so we can be fully loved -
"You think you can earn Father's approval. We're approved not because of anything we can do, but because of what He did for us on the cross. Honestly, there is not one thing you can do to make him love you any more today, and there's not one thing you can do to make him love you any less, either. He just loves you."
There is another section about Sunday School and a fork that is fantastic and the part about the journey and the paragraph about the caterpillar from the inside out... you get the picture.
Do yourself a favor and treat yourself to this book - you will not regret it!
 Not Enough to Grab My Attention October 12, 2008
5 out of 6 found this review helpful
So You Don't Want to Go to Church Anymore is the second fiction title by Windblown Media, which is most famous for publishing The Shack. Like The Shack, this book has been criticized for bad theology. It would be easy for me to say that this book is purely fiction, but that would be a lie. This book is merely a vehicle for Wayne Jacobsen and Dave Coleman's views on Christianity. I would hesitate to call it bad theology, because the authors really do not delve into standard theological issues. They are more concerned with relational issues.
The plot centers around a man named Jake, who is an associate pastor at a popular church in California. He becomes disillusioned with church after meeting a man named John, who tries to explain to him the type of life that God wants people to live. This life is not even close to the way Jake is living, and his self-discovery during his conversations with John lead to a series of events that completely changes his world.
The main problem I have with this book is the fact that it is a work of fiction, and with that in mind, it is terrible fiction. The characters are bland and one dimensional. There is way too much dialogue. The plot is generic, and the prose is weak. There were times when I would skip over the extremely long paragraphs because they would just repeat the same rhetoric that I've heard before in other books.
The message of this book is good; however, it is poorly written. There's not much original about it. I've haven't read any of the critiques of it, because I wanted to remain objective. But as far as theology, there wasn't anything that jumped out at me. Bottom line: I wouldn't pay much money for this book.
 Don't miss the forest for the trees October 7, 2008
5 out of 6 found this review helpful
I finished the book in about two days. A very good and intriguing read. Perhaps the greatest thing that I have taken away from the book is a reminder of both the complexity and simplicity of Father's love.
I have read several of the comments written about this book, and I can't help but wonder if the majority of them have still missed the central message of the book and the gospel itself: Everything is about the Father's love.
A search of scripture will quickly reveal that the Father is much more interested in our unqualified fellowship with him than making sure that our ecclesiology is correct.
I read the book and immediately wanted my wife and all others I know to read it too. My hope was that they would get the same revelation that I did. Unfortunately, Father doesn't work that way. Father understands that this thing called "Christianity" is a journey not a destination. As He leads us, He desires intently that we remain in fellowship with him. His holiness is not subverted merely because we we forsake structure and seek him as a loving father, rather his holiness is magnified the tighter we cleave to him.
Paul wrote in Galatians that is was for freedom that Christ set us free. Not so that we can be burdened again with the yoke of the law; or as this book alludes, institutional religion. To be sure, in nearly every body of believers there are those who love the Lord with abandon and who deem it a privilege to be on this journey, seeking more and more about His person. But there are also those who seek their own gain and labor to perpetuate the institutionalism of the establishment. Serving the "church" for the sake of the "church." Doing away with "church" was not the goal of this book; rather it was about focusing on Father's love and leading--however that may look.
Let's not miss the proverbial forest for the trees. Gal 5:6 (NIV) "The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love." If we remain focused on Father's love for us, then our motives, actions, speech and direction will follow his leading and will be centered upon him. We won't need regulations, bylaws and rules because the driving factor is Father's love. When we miss the mark (sin) his forgiveness and grace readily abound. We then use our forgiven, grace-infilled lives as testimonies of Father's love.
If a fictional book can shift our focus to Father's love--great! If a Sunday morning service can shift our focus to Father's love--awesome! If a movie, car accident, children's book, documentary, tragedy, illness, or whatever can shift our focus to Father's love than praise be to God! The goal is Father's love. Period.
Look for Him to reveal His love as you read this book and know that He has promised that He will reveal it to you. Blessings on your journey!
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