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40 of 40 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Passionate and Intense...A Great Book, January 31, 2006
This review is from: Chasing Daylight: Seize the Power of Every Moment (Paperback)
Erwin Raphael McManus, author of UPRISING and THE BARBARIAN WAY, fills readers with hope and motivation in CHASING DAYLIGHT: Seize the Power of Every Moment. Previously published as SEIZING YOUR DIVINE MOMENT, the book challenges readers to look at their dreams through God's lenses and reflect on their true calling.
In nine fast-paced chapters, McManus walks people through the process of coming to terms with a major change in their life and helps readers recognize the relationship between initiative, passion and God. Throughout the book he tackles tough questions, including how to know if a dream or passion is really from God, how to step forward in confidence and courage, and how to know if we're in God's will.
McManus points to two practical dimensions of faith that he calls "first-dimension" and "second-dimension" faith. The first dimension includes stepping out into an area that is within reach or within the realm of possibilities. For example, God asks us to do something he has asked us to do before, or something that is outside our personal comfort zone but that he's done in the lives of countless others. The second dimension is more challenging. It requires us to step into the realm of impossibilities and of things we've never seen done before, except that we feel God's leading to move forward. This book is an invitation to grasp both first-dimension and second-dimension living.
Writes McManus, "This relationship between faith and uncertainty is inescapable. What required faith for you yesterday may become commonplace for you tomorrow. Although they are still expressions of your faith, they are no longer the challenges that launch you to a new-faith experience. While at first simply trusting God to take you outside your experience is a huge leap of faith, eventually God will expect more of you. Remember, faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."
Throughout the book, the author draws from his own experiences as well as those of friends, family and members of his congregation. The result is both a personal and vulnerable account of the author's own spiritual journey. In addition, the book is packed with biblical stories; you'll read about everyone from Moses to Jonathan to Jesus.
The writing itself is tight, packed with countless observations, insights and details. McManus is a writer whose words and pace are fast. He writes as if he can't get the words on the page quickly enough. Thoughts are racing. Ideas must be captured. If they aren't captured on paper soon, then they'll evaporate. So it's with a passionate intensity that McManus records his ideas. The approach is surprisingly easy to follow and memorable.
Overall, this is a great book. Designed for thinkers but accessible to all, it is a must-have for those who feel stuck in their spiritual journey or hunger for more. CHASING DAYLIGHT is a passionate answer to anyone who has ever longed to see more of God in their life.
--- Reviewed by Margaret Feinberg
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good read, February 11, 2008
This review is from: Chasing Daylight: Seize the Power of Every Moment (Paperback)
A good read, motivational. It is a little rambling for my preference, the author seems to say the same thing many different ways ie take action, just do something for the kingdom of God etc. It gives overall good advice for believers in Jesus Christ but I wouldn't treat the book as a book on theology. The personal stories the author gives are excellent and are the most motivating part of the book.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Adrenal Spirituality., September 14, 2007
This review is from: Chasing Daylight: Seize the Power of Every Moment (Paperback)
Chasing Daylight: Seizing the Power of Every Moment is the"Red Bull" of devotional books, a passionate call to action. Erwin McManus is, in his own words, "a husband, father, writer, futurist, activist, artist, and a spiritual and cultural leader." Chasing Daylight embodies McManus' high octane approach to life and spirituality.
Chasing Daylight is an invitation to view Christianity as something more than mere "sin management." For McManus, faith is adventure, and each second of our life is an on-ramp to living life purposefully. McManus uses language that feels alien to a discussion of Christianity, but shouldn't--courage, initiative, risk, embracing uncertainty, influence, and movement. These traits should be the buzzwords of every believer.
The narrative of Jonathan and his shield bearer choosing to attack the Philistine camp without support (1 Samuel 14) makes up the backbone of the book. Pastor Erwin sees Jonathan as a temple of personal discipleship. We see a need that only a God-energized agent can meet and attack it. McManus calls this the Jonathan Factor, and he believes that this should be a standard feature of every Christ-follower.
Chasing Daylight is filled with personal stories from Erwin's personal life and from the life of his congregation. McManus has gone where he's calling others to go. His stories of starting out as a pastor and risking his financial security and reputation for the sake of God's calling gives him the credibility to dare others from their lives of complacency. The story of how his church, Mosaic, risked looking foolish in their quest to begin influencing north Los Angeles resonated deeply in me.
McManus also weaves references from pop culture and fictional diary entries of a mysterious character, Aydan, to simultaneously add familiarity and mystery to his book. Chasing Daylight is intense, urgent, and fast.
It's hard to find a fault with this book, other than it cost me some sleep. I started reading the book in bed, thinking I'd take in a chapter before falling asleep. However, McManus' writing pushed every leadership and motivational button in my body. It's like singing "Eye of the Tiger" to your infant as a lullaby. It's impossible to read this book with a detached perspective; you'll find yourself personally engaged in the call to spend your life well.
Chasing Daylight is a great book for anyone needing a jolt from complacency, living in a rut, or even laziness. This is the perfect gift for the graduates in your life who are just beginning to launch their adult lives.
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