Customer Reviews

Caught Off Guard: Encounters with the Unexpected God

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Everyone brings there own assumptions and experiences of life and God to the text of scripture. We then inevitably interpret the text through this lens. It is difficult to step away from that lens to see God more accurately by allowing Him to define Himself. In Caught Off Guard: Encounters with the unexpected God, Smith invites the reader to look at the scripture through a new lens. His conversational writing style allows him to speak profound truths in an understandable way.

I am currently using this book in a small group setting. I have found the questions that Smith offers are extremely provoking. These questions have caused our small group to enter a much deeper level of conversation. We are now going beyond the initial intellectual study of the meaning of the text and discovering the unsettling questions that our hearts are asking in which the intellectual truth answers.
The meaning of the text is only as helpful as it is able to be applied. Smith leads his reader to apply it.

The young adults in our ministry have been refreshed by reading Caught Off Guard: Encounters with the Unexpected God. This is most evidenced in that they are buying it for their friends and family.

As I read through "Caught Off Guard: Encounters with the Unexpecetd God," my heart was overwhelmed and drawn to worship. Dr. Smith takes his readers on a journey of discovery and renewal as he opens our eyes to the heart of God...a heart of relationship, intimacy, grace, compassion, power, mercy, justice, holiness, tenderness and eagerness.

I found the chapters to be well-written, easy to understand and balanced. The questions at the end of each chapter prove to be a highlight and should not be taken lightly. The reality of God's love and grace can be applied not only to biblical characters but to each one of our lives as well!

As I counsel, teach, pastor and lead, I have encouraged everyone around me to read Dr. Smith's book. Our family even gave copies of his book as Christmas gifts. I wholeheartedly recommend Dr. Smith's book to those who long to know and experience the God of creation, the God of the Scriptures and the God who longs for intimate relationship with you! As a result, your heart will be drawn to worship!

Along with others, I have eagerly anticipated this book for a couple of years now. The CCEF crowd have produced some of the best works of applied theology around -- Ed Welch's When People are Big and God is Small and Blame it on the Brain; David Powlison Power Encounters; Paul Tripp War of Words and Instruments in the Redeemer's Hand, etc. Bill Smith stands out as one of the most insightful of this school of thought. His talents and commitment are amply demonstrated in thus, his first book.

Caught Off Guard is about fleshing out knowledge of God in the midst of daily struggles. Bill's rich experiences have prepared him to guide us through this tricky task. He has lived in inner city Philadelphia rehabbing homes. He has a master of divinity from Westminster Seminary and a PhD from Rutgers. He is licensed to preach in the PCA and worked in churches for years. He's been a counselor with CCEf, and editted their journal. But his greatest qualification is as a wise and creative Bible teacher.

Accessible but profound; lofty but humble, this is Bible teaching and pastoral application at its best. Lively, fresh, arresting.

The book is broken into 20 short chapters of about 8 pages each. Each chapter concludes with basic but helpful questions, making this ideal for small group study.

If I were to strain for criticism I could mention two very minor items.
1. Not alot of meaningful reflection on how God meets and changes us through the sacraments.
2. While this is unparalleled in showing the glory of God, there is somewhat less ink spilled on the centrality of the church.

But overall, this is the most helpful book I have read so far this year. I heartily recommend it.

Caught Off Guard is right book at the right time. It is so kind of God to have had Bill write a book that for me, is akin to a spiritual survival kit. Even the Preface of this book was water to a thirsty soul in my case. From the moment I picked it up, I felt an excitement return to me that I hadn't felt in a long time. It seemed like Bill was "reading my mail" and his words renewed my hope for change, and encouraged my love for God. Each page of the book reminds me that as Believers, we live this life bathed in the grace of God. Here's what you get in 4 sections: Section 1 entitled "God Shows You His Heart," which was a wonderful collection of biblical stories that focus on the father heart of God for his people and how he comes after us time and again. His compassion and mercy are highlighted in these 5 chapters. Section 2: "God Calms your Fears." This was especially poignant for me while I was reading this book. I was in an extremely difficult situation wherein I was afraid down to my bones, and I found mercy and comfort in my pain in these 5 chapters. Section 3: "God Provides What you Need." A thoughtfully written account of a personal God who knows each and every thing you need and challenges us to remember his all of His spiritual provisions. Section 4: "God radically Transforms You." As if salvation weren't enough, Bill carefully brings to the foreground the unbelievable care God shows us in helping us to not hide ourselves from Him, and what a grace this is to us. Each chapter has challenging questions at the end that beg you to answer them. As you do, the knowledge of who God is and what He's about in your life come into focus in a way that is refreshing and hopeful. I am reminded page after page that God is intimately involved in every detail of my life, that He is not out to get me, that He truly is on my side, and has my good at heart. If you feel that there is a disconnect between your knowledge of God and the application of that knowledge, this book will be a strong encouragement to you. He provides insight into those crazy questions we find ourselves thinking about (translating into living out) in everyday life, and, I get the real sense that Bill has somehow been all the places he takes us himself! Thank you, Bill!

This book brings grace alive in a very personal and practical way. Each chapter takes a Biblical event and reveals Gods' amazing grace in the people's lives. A great Old Testament example in the chapter, "Do you embrace Jesus' restoration when you fall?" is Aaron, Moses' brother who blew it terribly. God shows up at his ordination to put His seal on Aaron's priesthood and reveal His forgiving grace to all of Israel. The personal, reflective questions at the end of the chapter both challenge my heart and give hope. I have used this book to minister to people in recovery and it has given them hope and revealed God to them in their lives.

In Caught Off Guard: Encounters with the Unexpected God, Bill Smith reminds us that God "is compassionate toward people who struggle to make their lives work." I am one of those have-not-yet-arrived folk; maybe you are, too. This book contains short, vignette-type chapters, each bringing to light different Biblical characters' situations and God's responsive, unfailing love. Dr. Smith does an unparalleled job of bridging the past to the present, seamlessly weaving relevant illustrations into the devotionals. The directive footnotes and reflective questions at the end of each chapter help reinforce understanding and application. Have you ever dug deeper into God's Word and walked away thinking, "I know I have read that passage in Scripture before--how many times?--but have never seen it, or God, in that way"? You will do this over and over again as you meander through Caught Off Guard. It is refreshing, restorative, and full of hope.

Caught Off Guard draws the reader gently toward the love of God through the use of honest, penetrating questions. The chapter titles are each phrased as a question and some of the questions are not the kind normally dealt with in run of the mill Christian books. For example, Smith asks, "Do you feel God is out to get you?" "Do you doubt that Jesus would ever want to be your friend?" "Are you scared He'll reject you when you let Him down?" "Are you growing in humble honesty?" The answers Smith gives are biblically rooted, full of grace, pointing to the love of God which does not leave us as we are but carefully shapes us to live in union with Him. This book would be excellent for those who set aside time each day for individual worship and Bible study. One could read a chapter a day and reflect on the questions at the end of each chapter with great profit.

In this, his first book, pastor and counselor William P. Smith has dealt with a problem that is too often ignored in our Christian walks, and that is the frequent tension between what know to be true, and how we actually live and what we actually feel. For me, I've often described it as the battle to have my head knowledge become heart knowledge. So, when I saw the back of this book saying "How can you take your head knowledge about the omnipotence, love and compassion of God and transfer it to your heart? How can you connect your everyday reality to the truths you say you believe?" I was hooked and knew I had to read it. I'm very glad I did!

Caught Off Guard: Encounters With the Unexpected God is a tremendously helpful and hopeful book that is of great benefit in helping a believer see how to apply the truth of God's Word and character to their hearts and lives. It is very well written and easy to understand. He has divided the book into four main sections: 1. God shows you his heart. 2. God calms your fears. 3. God provides what you need. 4. God radically transforms you. The chapters are all questions that we might ask ourselves, but might not be willing to share with others, such as: "Do you worry that you'll wear out God's patience?" (Chapter 4) and "Are you worried he won't help you until your faith gets stronger?" (Chapter 9). Each of the questions posed is answered with a biblical, grace-centered response by showing how God worked in the lives of men and women in the Bible. And, like in all good Christian writing, the author takes his own failures and struggles as well, and shows how Biblical principles and truths informed and are helping to transform him. His tone is not that of an expert who has "made it", but as a fellow struggler who is "in process". After reading this book, you'll have a better picture of who God is and how He works in your life in spite of your sins, doubts and failures. Here's some examples:

"Wow! A God who won't let you have what will surely destroy you. A God who uses his power to act in your best interests. Here again - in the curses, no less-you see a gracious God. Confronted with treasonous disloyalty, he commits himself to rebuilding relationships with his people." (pp. 20).

"If you are controlled by an agenda other than growth in godliness and a Christ-like love for others, you will be overwhelmed by your inabilities and the situations impossibilities. You will decide in advance to cut yourself out of the action because you don't expect to make a difference anyway. With that perspective, God's promise to be with you can seem weak. But if you want his will to be done and realize that he will not fail to bring it about in your life, his presence is more than comforting. It's more than a consolation prize substituting for what you really wanted-a girlfriend, a BMW, helpful children. His presence is real. It is energizing; it will give you courage to engage the impossible task he has given you to bring about his purpose in setting you free." (pp. 116-117).

Each chapter end with a series of questions to apply the truths shared in that chapter to your own life and feelings. I believe this book can be a great help to anyone who wants to grow in their faith, know their loving God better, and to anyone who really wants to deal with the things that are hindering their spiritual growth. In other words, if you are a believer, this will be a helpful and hopeful book for you! Grab one today, or better yet, get two and go through it together with someone else!

Caught Off Guard: Encounters with the Unexpected God is a book where the writer draws from various events in Scripture to show how God extended mercy to someone who didn't deserve it, or exhibited His power and might in unprecedented ways.

The book is divided into four major sections: God shows you his heart; God calms our fears; God provides what you need; and God radically transforms you. The book is written from a decidedly Christian viewpoint, as the author spends the bulk of each chapter discussing a certain passage of Scripture or a specific event. I found the footnotes helpful for following the portion of Scripture referenced. At times the author did a superb job in intermingling Bible stories with real life stories, dealing with the same scriptural principal. More often than not, however, the flow of a chapter was unnatural as he attempted to weave the Biblical principle into everyday life.

This book is best read in little chunks and with plenty of time to reflect upon what was just read. At the end of every chapter the author gives you four groups of questions to challenge you to own the chapter's content. For example, at the end of the chapter titled "Are you growing in humble honesty?," the author asks "What are some godly reasons to evaluate the negatives of your life?" This is an excellent question not only for the reader to meditate on, but also could be the beginning of a lively discussion with someone.

Armchair Interview says: A quiet read for personal reflection.

Wow, this book has been nourishment for my troubled soul.
It is not anything I have not heard in church. But, he does apply a fresh look at many different stories of the bible. One that looks at who God is and how that applies to us.
In all honesty, I'm in a point of struggling in my faith. And this has reminded me of so many truths that I needed.
Since, I come from the same circle of theology and churches as the Author, it is what I have heard before. But, it comes from a fresh perspective and clearly helps you reflect and apply the truth. Each chapter comes with a set of questions to make you think, pray and probe more.
And having sat in classes hearing William Smith teach it is even all the more comfortable for me. I can truly say, what you read from the Author is exactly who he is. It is how he lives his life and how he teaches.
The book is a must read for anyone needing to be reminded of how deep God truly cares for you.

R