Rating: 
Summary: Real Stuff That Will Make You Laugh and Change
Review: This book is enjoyable reading with challenging content. Ortberg writes with the down-to-earth humor and wit he is known for, and yet at the same time penetrates into the real motivation behind our spiritual activities and presents the true goal of our relationship with God and others. It is like no other book on the Christian disciplines that I have ever read. At face value it appears light and entertaining and then as you continue reading, you feel all of your outward righteousness being stripped away and come to realize you're not nearly so holy as you thought you were, because you were focused on the wrong goal and were motivated by the wrong reasons.This book is simple enough for those young in the faith and challenging enough for the most seasoned saint, though definitely written for the 30 and up crowd. Ortberg uses numerous examples from everyday life and the writings of authors from a wide spectrum of viewpoints, but he fortifies every chapter with sound biblical teaching. I would have liked him to supply more scripture references, however. Though the book is designed to be one that you interact with, rather than study. If you've been a Christian for a while and are looking for a book to refresh your faith, this is it.
Rating: 
Summary: The Best Book I've Read in a Long Time
Review: This book was great. It caused me to think about different problem areas in my life and see that I, and my way of handling them, was the problem. I was so impressed, I made my wife read it and she is having the same experience.
Rating:
Summary: The Best Book I've Read in a Long Time
Review: This book was great. It caused me to think about different problem areas in my life and see that I, and my way of handling them, was the problem. I was so impressed, I made my wife read it and she is having the same experience.
Rating:
Summary: Great Spiritual Disciplines Text
Review: This is a wonderful book for growing in your walk with Christ. I recommend this book to all my friends.
Rating:
Summary: The Book You've Always Wanted to Read
Review: This is a wonderful book for liberal evangelicals, the retarded, the retired, and anyone who is over-paid and under-worked. The advice given in this book suffers from the same affliction as many Christian "self-help" books. The authour assumes that everyone makes over $60,000/year, the wife stays home all day, has unlimited vacation time, and makes their own hours. The truth is that most people scratch and work just to get by, have to clock-in at a certain time, have limited vacation time to be used at the boss' discretion, and both husband and wife have to work to make ends meet. This book extensively quotes such great heroes of the faith as occultist Carl Jung, and socialist George Bernard Shaw. The Bible is rarely quoted even though this is supposed to be a Christian book. Jesus Christ is not looked to as the Saviour of the world, but as more of a guru who's life we can emulate. This is not a book for the average hard-working, blue-collar person that truly wants to glorify God.
Rating: 
Summary: A Book Any New-Ager Can Enjoy
Review: This is a wonderful book for liberal evangelicals, the retarded, the retired, and anyone who is over-paid and under-worked. The advice given in this book suffers from the same affliction as many Christian "self-help" books. The authour assumes that everyone makes over $60,000/year, the wife stays home all day, has unlimited vacation time, and makes their own hours. The truth is that most people scratch and work just to get by, have to clock-in at a certain time, have limited vacation time to be used at the boss' discretion, and both husband and wife have to work to make ends meet. This book extensively quotes such great heroes of the faith as occultist Carl Jung, and socialist George Bernard Shaw. The Bible is rarely quoted even though this is supposed to be a Christian book. Jesus Christ is not looked to as the Saviour of the world, but as more of a guru who's life we can emulate. This is not a book for the average hard-working, blue-collar person that truly wants to glorify God.
Rating:
Summary: Ortberg Hits Another Home Run!
Review: This work is the second title I have read by John Ortberg. The first title, "If You Want to Walk on the Water..." was impressive, and this second one certainly was not disappointing. I am eager to his latest release, "Love Beyond Reason." Perhaps the best way to describe this book is to parallel it to Dallas Willard's classic work on spiritual formation. Willard's writing is profound and powerful, yet is often difficult for an average layperson to follow. Ortberg comments in his preface, "...one of my private working titles for this book was 'Dallas for Dummies'." The author here introduces the concept of spiritual disciplines. He then describes several disciples in easy-to-understand, entertaining language. Ortberg includes the practices of celebration, slowing, prayer, servanthood, confession, guidance from the Holy Spirit, secrecy, and reflection on Scripture. He concludes with comments on a well-ordered heart and the importance of Christian endurance. This book is simply excellent. I recommend it wholeheartedly to all Christians, leaders and laity alike. Don't pass on this one!
Rating:
Summary: Ortberg Hits Another Home Run!
Review: This work is the second title I have read by John Ortberg. The first title, "If You Want to Walk on the Water..." was impressive, and this second one certainly was not disappointing. I am eager to his latest release, "Love Beyond Reason." Perhaps the best way to describe this book is to parallel it to Dallas Willard's classic work on spiritual formation. Willard's writing is profound and powerful, yet is often difficult for an average layperson to follow. Ortberg comments in his preface, "...one of my private working titles for this book was 'Dallas for Dummies'." The author here introduces the concept of spiritual disciplines. He then describes several disciples in easy-to-understand, entertaining language. Ortberg includes the practices of celebration, slowing, prayer, servanthood, confession, guidance from the Holy Spirit, secrecy, and reflection on Scripture. He concludes with comments on a well-ordered heart and the importance of Christian endurance. This book is simply excellent. I recommend it wholeheartedly to all Christians, leaders and laity alike. Don't pass on this one!
Rating:
Summary: WOW!...gripped me in the first few pages and never let go.
Review: Use Amazon's "Search Inside" and see for yourself if this book has the same effect on you. John Ortberg's first few pages beautifully put to words feelings I've had for some time, but could not articulate. As I finished the first few pages I reflected on how uncharacteristically I was affected as I wiped tears from my eyes. This was it. I was hooked. And the book never let go from there.
Raised as a Christian, I've read the Bible a few times. I went to Sunday school throughout childhood. And then, as an adult, I slipped away to my own lukewarm relationship with Christ. This book made me see Jesus and the Father as I've never seen before. It made me see that the transformation I needed but couldn't put my finger on, awaits me - and always has. For me, it clearly painted the picture of my own disappointment with myself. And, more importantly, it made clear the path to satisfaction and true happiness. By the time the book got to discussing spiritual disciplines, I was ready to soak them up and put them into action in my life. For me, really, there is no looking back.
This was an easy read. The pages practically turned themselves. And by the time I was done, I thanked God for the gift. It's morphing time, indeed!
Rating:
Summary: Easy to read, but lifechanging
Review: Usually, I find that books or sermons on 'Spiritual Disciplines' cause a short-term spurt of motivation, followed by longer-term disillusionment. Eventually I feel guilty for not measuring up, and finally I ignore the issues. Ortberg has a totally different approach, which had a very different impact on my life. Instead of telling us to work harder, pray more, get up earlier, etc, he shows us how to view the daily activities in our own lives as spiritual disciplines. He explains that the phase of one's life is no excuse for not growing spiritually. For example, a mother of small children might not be able to schedule large amounts of solitude and quiet time, but rather can learn to see her daily tasks as the "discipline of the mundane". The most ordinary situations of our lives contain spiritual activities. Reading this book made me feel more hopeful, because it did not equate spiritual growth with the ability to spend countless hours in solitary prayer, rather it describes how to train ourselves to use our own life circumstances as a path to maturity. The measure of a spiritual discipline is not how many chapters of the Bible you read, or how many hours you kneeled, but how much you grew in love.
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