Customer Reviews

Clutter-Free Christianity: What God Really Desires for You

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Would you do surgery on yourself? No? You need a surgeon? Okay, would you help your surgeon do surgery on you? How about heart surgery?

Of course, in the physical realm, we would never perform heart surgery or even try to help our cardiac surgeon do the procedure. But in the spiritual realm, it's required. Although we become new creations when we are accept the Master, the process of sanctification -- becoming like Yeshua (Jesus) -- is the work God does in us with our cooperation and with us doing a lot of the work.

Clutter Free Christianity, What God Really Desires for You by Robert Jeffress describes how to assist God in performing heart surgery on you. He describes six fundamental areas where we need to have a change in heart in order to become more Christlike: We need to learn to (1) forgive, (2) obey, (3) trust, (4) be content, (5) serve others and (6) pray. This process is a lifelong journey toward transformation.

Clutter Free Christianity focuses on what God really requires from us in order to have a relationship with Him. Too often we get busy with our "to do" list -- we volunteer our time, we cook for various functions, we take Bible study classes, we chaperone the youth retreat -- and we lose sight of what God really wants us to focus on in order to be good disciples of the Master. The funny thing is, when we focus on the changes our heart requires, the "to dos" of corporate worship become easy. You'll never learn to forgive, trust, be content, etc., from cooking for a church supper, but if you work on forgiveness, trust, being content, etc., cooking for a church supper will naturally flow out of those heart transformations.

This book is great for baby believers, but is even better for those who have been at it awhile -- it brings back your focus to what really matters to God.

This book was like bad cold--I couldn't shake it.

Dealing with the heart of the matter in following Christ, there wasn't a lot of new information for me. Which is why I kept trying to put it down...but every time I'd read a little I found I wanted to keep going.

Jeffress is witty, real and smart in his writing. I felt like I got to know him in this book. Like a great mentor, he gently and compellingly kept encouraging me to do what I already knew I needed to be doing to strengthen my walk with Christ.

Here's a two for one review...from me and my wife:

I don't know where to start with my review of this book; however, I will say that I think it will be one of the most impactful books that I will read this year. Quite the statement and needing some qualification I am sure. What makes it so impacting? You might wonder; "Is it profound and revelatory?" No, there is nothing profound...at least to my thinking, but there is page after page of affirming teaching. Most exciting is the succinct and down-to-earth delivery of Dr. Jeffress. One can sense the wisdom and years of pastoral experience coming through the delivery of this message. And what a message it is! Clutter-Free Christianity does not do justice to what resides beneath the title and between the covers. This book is about life...real life, ABUNDANT LIFE; the kind of life that our Savior Jesus Christ came to this earth to give us. This book is about redemption, reconciliation, and restoration. This book is about the invitation, acceptance, and participation of new life transformed into the image of the first-born of many brothers. It is about imago-dei and the call to "be thou transformed."

The subject and the context of the book are enough for me to do cartwheels of excitement over, but there are other technical merits that I'd like mention too. For starters, the book is an easy read. This doesn't mean that it is elementary is sharing deep spiritual truths. It means that deep spiritual truths are shared in such a way that every person, regardless of education or Biblical training, will glean benefit...perhaps that is part of the "clutter-free" meaning behind the title. The book is not weighted down with heavy terms, definitions, and doctrinal treatise. This makes it an easy read. Second, Dr. Jeffress uses down-to-earth examples and illustrations that help the reader connect to the simple but deep truths that are being expounded upon chapter after chapter. Finally, I loved the inductive style of writing and the logical flow of the premise and thesis that carried the book from beginning to conclusion. I am sure that it will be helpful to me in my own efforts of teaching, writing, counseling, and preaching.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough. I will be ordering several more copies to put in rotation in my lending library. It will have a place of prominence on my list of "must read" books. Thank you, Dr. Jeffress, for a great read and a compilation of wonderful teaching and thank you WaterBrook Press for introducing me to this book.

I have included the review of my best friend and wife, Laurie Borden, below:

Review by Laurie Borden

Except for the title, I loved this book! I would like to see something in the title about transformation or life change or freedom because that is the wonderful truth that this book presents. The premise of the book is that God intends for us to be conformed to the image of His Son, which I believe, but the illustrations and practical suggestions were the part I loved because they are easy to understand, to apply, to remember, and to share with others. I see many Christians who would like to experience the life change that God offers, but they don't know if it is possible or how to make it happen. Even though I know that it is possible, I have found that it is not an easy concept to explain to others. In this book, the author has given me words, illustrations, and tools to assist me in my attempts to share this vital truth with others. Mr. Jeffress begins the book by stating that it is indeed possible, but only if we have a transformed heart. He then spends the remainder of the book sharing practical insight into areas of our heart that keep us bound in failure and discouragement as well as helpful suggestions for surrendering and allowing God to change those areas.

As I was reading this book, I recalled a book by Chip Ingram, "Holy Transformation", which contains much of the same information. I would highly recommend both books. I hope to utilize "Clutter-Free Christianity" in a Sunday School class this year, as the book contains questions for self-evaluation as well as suggested group discussion questions. I have already shared a selection during a worship service as a challenge to our congregation. Since then, I have quoted the book in several conversations, and I used one of the suggested exercises in a small group setting.

If you struggle with worry, discontentment, bitterness, destructive habits, stress, or fear that you are not pleasing God, I encourage you to get a copy of this book. It contains truths from God's Word presented in a way that can transform your life today.

My favorite part of this book was the author's chapter on having a content heart. "I imagine that God is similarly embarrassed when He hears us complaining about our living conditions to anyone who will listen. Children of God who are continually dissatisfied with their circumstances or are anxious about whether they'll have what they need to survive reflect poorly on their heavenly Father." I was challenged to focus on all the blessings we have from God and to write them down.

Dr. Jeffress also encourages readers to write down their prayers. He writes that the discipline of it forces you to be specific in your thoughts and helps prevent the mindless banalities that characterize so many prayers. Keeping a list of things prayed for and answered also reminds us of the things we can thank God for every day. It's easy to become ungrateful and making a written note can really help. (reviewed by Shari Dolleman)

Clutter-free Christianity by Robert Jeffress helps cut through the dogmatic differences between denominations to get to the heart of faith. Jeffress focuses in on ten main points that are necessary to not only be a Christian but to grow in faith, such as prayer, obedience, and forgiveness. He develops each point through Scripture and short anecdotes bringing to life what it means to have a relationship with God. Sometimes the language seems a bit too professional for the average reader, but every point is solid and informative. Jeffress emphasizes growth from the inside out, and readers can't help but be affected.

I have to admit I let a little pride get to me when I began to read this book. I thought it would be like a lot of the other Christian books I've read that don't speak to me but God knew what He was doing and spoke to me through this book at the very time I needed it most. If you are like me, the average American, then you can do a some introspection and see that like me you are busy 25 of 24 hours given to us each day. We allow or schedules to become so full that it's hard to squeeze in anything else even if it's what we need most. Clutter-Free Christianity by Robert Jeffress is a great book to help you stop and look inward and realize that we don't need more busyness but to de-clutter our lives and make time for God.

I throughout the introduction the author really lays it out, God's desire is to have a relationship with Him and what happens (shown through Biblical accounts) when His people don't spend their time focusing on God and allowing His Spirit and our work change us into becoming more like Christ. Mr. Jeffress goes on throughout the rest of the book talking about our personal areas where we need to allow God to work in us so that we can reflect Him more and show His glory as we live our lives where God placed us: in our families, communities, work place and churches.

I think the best quote in the book that really summed it up for me is "without God's power we can't become like Christ and without our effort we won't become like Christ".

This is one of the most thought-provoking books I've read in a long time. It has definitely been a key in my growth process and will be for a long time. Dr. Jeffress asks seemingly simple questions that can haunt you all night! Such as, do you really want to be like Christ? At first thought our answer is "Of course I do!" But think about it . . . if that's the case why aren't we spending our time and money the way He did?

By focusing on connecting our hearts to God's power, this book addresses the key elements of our faith: forgiveness, obedience, trust, contentness, service, and prayer. And instead of just telling us what we should do, Dr. Jeffress helps us create a specific plan that will help change our lives.

I would definitely recommend buying this one -- it is one I'll schedule to read at least once per year.

For years I felt the more work I did in church, the better God was pleased with me. I wish I had read this book back then. Do you feel your life is too full? Are you so bound by responsibilities you don't have time to be you? Are you too busy to enjoy your Christian life? Dr. Robert Jeffress cuts through the self-imposed burdens of traditon, human expectations and rules to find the simple, joyful life God intends for us to have. Every chapter opened a new door for me. I disccoverd a new way of looking at things, a new way to enjoy my Christian life. I think we all would benefit from a little spiritual house cleaning, a clearing away of the man-made concepts that sap the excitement from our walk with God. A thought-provoking book every Christian should read.

My impression is that for a book that teaches how to live a Clutter-Free life, it's very cluttered.

I almost stopped after reading the first two sentences in Chapter 1. "Imagine your employer announces that in two weeks you'll be moving to Vienna, Austria...forever. How would you react?"

My reaction would be to walk up to my employer and say "I quit".

But after awhile, I resumed reading. And while I agree with many of the things Jeffress says, like "What does our Creator desire from us...? A heart fully devoted to him...that loves other[s] ... as much as we love ourselves", I feel that there are many things that just distract me from the points he's trying to make.

I feel that Chapter 1 should start and end on page 11, and Chapter 2 should have only four paragraphs, three from page 26 and one from page 28. That everything else in the first two Chapters are unnecessary clutter which hinders Jeffress' message.

To sum up and conclude my review, I'll repeat my original statement. I think that for a book that teaches Clutter-Free Christianity, it's very cluttered.

-Revision-
My Church has finally finished reading this book. And to de-clutter it, I think you should rip out the first 9 chapters and go straight to Chapter 10. Because Chapter 10 sums up everything else in the book without distraction or clutter.

I would highly recommend Robert Jeffress' Clutter-Free Christianity: What God Really Desires for You. I was fortunate enough to receive two copies in a special pre-release (which I shared with one of our ministry interns). [...]

My favorite chapter was the one titled, "A Trusting Heart: Allowing Peace to Rule Your Life." The author defines faith as believing that God will do what he has promised - and acting accordingly." I constantly tell my students that faith is simply trusting obedience (I took that definition from a professor at Northwest University. The chapter goes on to explain that a trusting heart is "allowing our confidence in God's character to govern our inward emotions and our outward behavior" (Jeffress, 92). He highlighted what Jesus said to his closest disciple just moments before Peter would deny him, "Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers" (Luke 22:31-32). What the enemy was going to use as an attempt to destroy Peter's faith, Jesus passionately prayed that the circumstance would be a test that would actually strengthen him. Peter would go on to fail Jesus when he needed him the most. However, Christ would take that exact moment and allow Peter to receive forgiveness and restoration. God brought peace and purpose to Peter's life even through his greatest failure.

Official Description: When did the Christian life become so complicated? Your greatest desire is to please God, but with each passing week, your spiritual to-do list grows longer. As you strive to fulfill a never-ending inventory of requirements for being a godly parent, spouse, voter, employee, and more, you feel increasingly disconnected from the God you're trying to serve.
It's time to cut through the clutter and get to the heart of what it means to please God. In this liberating look at the core principles of faith, Dr. Robert Jeffress reveals the truth about what God really wants from you-and what He wants to do for you.

Through solid biblical teaching and practical insights, Dr. Jeffress points you toward a revitalized faith centered on becoming more like Jesus in action, attitude, and affection. You'll learn how to partner with God in the process of spiritual transformation as you choose to follow Christ in forgiveness, obedience, trust, contentment, service, and prayer.
Through a renewed focus on experiencing the kingdom of God right now, you'll find your to-do list shrinking and your spiritual life deepening. It all comes with embracing Clutter-Free Christianity.Includes a Bible study guide for personal growth and group discussion.

Official Biography: Dr. Robert Jeffress is the senior pastor of First Baptist Dallas, one of the most historic churches in the Southern Baptist Convention. The author of sixteen books, he is a graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary and Southwest Baptist Theological Seminary. In addition, live broadcasts of Dr. Jeffress' weekly messages reach millions of listeners and viewers each week, while his daily sermon series airs on 1,100 television stations and cable systems nationwide. Dr. Jeffress and his wife, Amy, are the parents of two adult daughters.