Customer Reviews

Experiencing God: Knowing and Doing the Will of God, Leader Kit UPDATED

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I ordered the Experiencing God study for our church small groups. This study is excellent! Easy to follow with clear and concise content. I like the fact that it always pushes the student toward listening to God and following God, not man. I am excited about using the videos as part of the curriculum... I have only previewed the first session and it was fairly good. Don't get the videos if you are looking for something fast paced or highly produced. It is simple and straightforward, showcasing the author and his son basically speaking from a lectern. Not very exciting, but still, good solid content. I highly recommend this series to any church looking to do an in-depth study.

In May, '10 I will complete leading this Bible study for the seventh time! I have watched 'mature' Christians grow as well as new ones blossom. I've seen people do this as their first study and their 20th... all have been grateful for their insights and fuller relationship with God. In many cases people became validated in the lives they've already lived. Don't miss this opportunity. Amazingly, I've 'done' this study each time I've lead it and it has been new every time...I've built on the shoulders of each. The Blackabys have been privileged and blessed by their efforts. More than 50 million people globally have completed Experiencing God....Experience it for yourself!

I thought I had ordered multiple copies of the Paperback version of Experiencing God, but instead had ordered 20 Leaders Guides by mistake. (I believe the website had a typo) The next morning, when I received the order verification I realized my mistake. I tried to reverse the order, which had yet to be shipped, but was advised that I could not do this. They would not let me cancel this order and order the correct item, which was unfortunate for them because my subsequent order was worth more money to them.
I purchased the paperbacks from another site, and will be giving the leaders guides to anyone who completes this course at our church and wants one. If you are contemplating ordering this course, especially in bulk, for yourself or church group read the product description carefully to ensure you receive what you want!

While many Christians today will be surprised to hear this, the very idea that God has a personal will for your life separate from His Sovereign or His Moral will is not uncontested. Blackaby simply assumes that his readers already agree with this view without giving any evidence for it (nor even bothering to state it). This assumption has gone unnoticed by most Christians, for this view of God's will is prevalent among evangelical churches. But the fact is that the idea of God having an individual will for every believer that can be known in advance may not be true. Blackaby's further assumptions (such as God's means of communication) are themselves based on this questionable premise. This opens the door for questioning not only Blackaby's methodology, but the most fundamental aspect of his teaching.

Further, "Experienceing God" promotes a dangerous view of God's methods (does God speak today like He spoke then? And to whom?); a dangerous view of the Christian Life (does the Bible always portray the believer's life like Moses' or Abraham's?); a dangerous view of Scripture (are only parts of the Bible God's word for us?); and a dangerous view of Christ - (did Christ have crisis of faith or make major adjustments for the Father?). These are all expanded upon here: [...]

In light of the very questionable and unsupported assumptions Blackaby relies on for his whole system, the objectively false philosophy he espouses, the confusing and sometimes contradictory methodology he supports, the dangerous consequences that many of his principles could lead to, and the impossibly subjective and circular means of verification that the system is tested by, it is my conclusion that Experiencing God should not be taught as a means for discovering God's will today (although it would be useful as a resource for learning how God spoke to unique men and women in Biblical times in order that they might fulfill their truly "God sized" assignments).

The New Testament does not teach that Christians must try to figure out where God is at work around them so that they can join Him. We already know God's will for us in this regard, we already have our "marching orders":

* Preach the gospel (2 Timothy 4:2)
* Defend the faith (1 Peter 3:15)
* Disciple the nations ( Matthew 28:19-20)

God is at work wherever we are - what are we waiting for?