Rating: 
Summary: If only the televangelists would read this book.
Review: Actually, if the people who watch the televangelists would read this book the televangelists would be out of business. I initially read this book when it first came out years ago, and picked it up to read again a few days ago. The book is, first and foremost, practical. Nothing spooky or mysterious, just sound and methodical study of the Bible to show how God works in people's lives to give them real direction. A must for anyone who wants to know about decision making that pleases God.
Rating:
Summary: Helps you grow up!
Review: At the end of the movie "The Sixth Sense", a ring falls to the floor - an event which, if you're kind of slow on the up-take like I am, suddenly transforms your view of everything you've seen for the past couple of hours. Suddenly, right at the end, you are watching a different film, that makes a new kind of sense, and the story floods back through you in seconds.
This book, or rather the message in it, did that for me, but not by reminding me of two hours of film - more by rewriting my approach to life. If you are a Christian and if finding God's will for your life is important to you, and yet He never seems to tell you in a way you can see, then this book is for you. It tells you where the view you have heard is wrong, it replaces it with something so simple and biblical that you can't disagree, and it sets you on a new "grown up" approach where you can understand how God loves you like a father loves a child. I can't give more than five stars, but I want to.
Rating:
Summary: Informative, Helpful, Freeing.
Review: Be sure to read the introduction! The first part of the book lays out the common way the church seeks God's will- this lays out the authors argument but is opposite to it.Clairifying and practical. It took alot of prayer and struggling with the idea to grasp it, but was well worth the effort. It has changed drastically the way I make decisions, pray for and encourage others. I wish every Christian could have the freeing benifit of studying this book.
Rating: 
Summary: A liberating contextual approach to the scriptures
Review: Decision Making and the Will of God is by far the best book I have read on the subject of knowing God's will and our responsibilty toward it. As opposed to merely reciting verses and discussing them in a subjective, devotional manner to prove a point that may or may not be supported by isolated verses, Friesen and Maxson approach the subject from a historical, linguistic, and total-biblical context. In the end, I realized that very few people, even pastors, understand God's leadership and sovereignty, decision making as Christians, and our responsibility within the framework of a universe with a moral design. More importantly I realized that my decisions in regard to God's will had been shaped by an immature and incomplete understanding of God's will for our lives. I think my approach to decision making is now much less constrained by worry and vacillating uncertainty.
Rating:
Summary: A liberating contextual approach to the scriptures
Review: Decision Making and the Will of God is by far the best book I have read on the subject of knowing God's will and our responsibilty toward it. As opposed to merely reciting verses and discussing them in a subjective, devotional manner to prove a point that may or may not be supported by isolated verses, Friesen and Maxson approach the subject from a historical, linguistic, and total-biblical context. In the end, I realized that very few people, even pastors, understand God's leadership and sovereignty, decision making as Christians, and our responsibility within the framework of a universe with a moral design. More importantly I realized that my decisions in regard to God's will had been shaped by an immature and incomplete understanding of God's will for our lives. I think my approach to decision making is now much less constrained by worry and vacillating uncertainty.
Rating:
Summary: A Life Changer!
Review: Friesen provides a truly alternative perspective to knowing God's Will, and he provides plenty of detailed Biblical support for his conclusions. Because of this material, my understanding of how God relates to His creation has changed. I now enter boldly with confidence into decision making knowing beyond doubt that I am in God's Will.
Rating: 
Summary: I don't think so
Review: Friesen says that all we need for decision making is the Bible. 4 questions:
1. God created the world. Is He still creating. no. He did His job already, right?
2. How many times did Jesus have to die on the cross to pay for our sins? once. His job is done, right?
3. The Holy Spirit inspired the authors what to write. Is He still inspiring? nope. All three came to do their job. To determine God's will all I need is a third grade education, maybe 9th to read the prophetic books. Question: why do I need a relationship with God the Father, Son and Holy SPirit? Why pray? According to Freisen all I need is a third grade education and that will tell me the will of God. And if it isn't a moral question, just choose the one I like best. Does this not sound like humanism to anyone else? Gee, to bad we don't have a createor that inspired Psalm 139. You know, the one that talks about how intricatly we are formed and how He knows all about us. Study God's attributes. He is a very detailed oriented God. He isn't the author of confusion. I can't believe in a God that would leave people hanging. Read Deuteronomy sometime. God is a very detailed God. So why couldn't He ahve a specific plan for christian people lives? I don't mean to be cynical but does this not resonate well with anyone else?
Rating:
Summary: What does God want me to do? Very helpful book.
Review: Good summary of different views of the "will of God". The examples given of college students with two EQUAL job offers and trying to figure out what God wanted them to do was great. The authors response helped us decide to join Wycliffe Bible Translators.
Rating:
Summary: Life Changing - a must read for any Christian
Review: Growing up I was indoctrinated with year after year of "listen to the still small voice" and "God has a plan for your life". Of course there was also the "seek God's will" for any decision. As the writer so clearly lays out, this constant search for God's will when making any and all decisions leads to tremendous frustration and even eventual apathy. That is why this book is so essential for Christians to read. It lays out a framework for not only understanding the elements of God's will but how to use it to make decisions. The concepts presented are almost scary to some christians - they will challenge you to review scriptures and concepts that you learned long ago and now take for granted. If you read it with an open mind, your concept of decision making within the context of God's will will be forever changed. The freedom and release from anxiety are the real benefits from digesting this material.
Rating:
Summary: Life Changing - a must read for any Christian
Review: Growing up I was indoctrinated with year after year of "listen to the still small voice" and "God has a plan for your life". Of course there was also the "seek God's will" for any decision. As the writer so clearly lays out, this constant search for God's will when making any and all decisions leads to tremendous frustration and even eventual apathy. That is why this book is so essential for Christians to read. It lays out a framework for not only understanding the elements of God's will but how to use it to make decisions. The concepts presented are almost scary to some christians - they will challenge you to review scriptures and concepts that you learned long ago and now take for granted. If you read it with an open mind, your concept of decision making within the context of God's will will be forever changed. The freedom and release from anxiety are the real benefits from digesting this material.
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