Customer Reviews

Fields of Gold

5 star:		(7)
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3 star:		(1)
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This is a book that tackles the difficult topic of money and the church. Stanley does a great job of answering the "why"... rather than just the "what". It is one of the few books that approaches generous giving w/o being manipulative, using guilt, or trying to make you feel less spiritual because you struggle in this area.

This book provided not only biblical references to back up claims of the our responsibility of becoming good stewards of God's resources, but it also gave me real examples of how men and women have been transformed through the process of being committed to God's work to give to the needy. I now see the concept of "prosperity" in a very different light. It's not about me, me, me and the accumulation of financial wealth as a demonstration of God's blessings upon my life. It's about allowing God to work through me to bless the nations in need so that God would get the glory.

Thank you Mr. A. Stanley for this work. I am starting to apply the principles in this book.
March 7, 2010

This book will literally change your life and the way you view your money. It explains the principles of giving, not out of duty, but out of trust. I have always been a giver but after reading this book, my giving has increased tremendously and I have constantly received much more than that. Giving to get will not work but giving in trust does........all the time.

This is an EXCELLENT book! I have even tried it and it works. I had my doubts at first but through faith I tried and was amazed. It is a must read for anybody. I love Andy Stanley and his father, Charles' CD's, DVD's and books because I know that I will be able to get something out of any of them.

I didn't hate this book, but I didn't really like it, either. It doesn't really give any new information or revelation, though it does cover an area of giving that most books ignore: fear. Stanley gives fear as the prime reason that most people do not give.

Stanley gives great examples of fearless givers, telling their stories in detail. After reading about a few of them, you are almost tempted to sell everything you own and give to the poor. But other than that, this book is filled with the same old rhetoric that other books on tithing are thick with. I appreciate the fact, though, that Stanley seems unconcerned with personal acquirement of wealth to give. He is more concerned with giving from what you have. There are no radical challenges, such as giving away all your possessions, and no candy-coated claims of being blessed if you give more. In fact, the people he describes as givers usually have to settle for a lower quality of living(at least in a materialistic sense) because of their giving.

This book is a quick read. You could probably flip through it at the bookstore and get the gist of it. It's at least worth a glance.

Stanley does an excellent job addressing finances from a biblical perspective. There is so much financial misinformation out there, from a spiritual standpoint. If I'm not careful, I can swing between thinking God isn't pleased with me because I'm not filthy rich to thinking God isn't pleased with me because I'm not giving away all the money He brings into my life except what is absolutely necessary to live, all in a single day. Phew!

Intellectually, I know neither approach is correct- that God loves me unconditionally and that what I give is between me and God as an act of worship- but I'm still left with so many questions. Like, "how can I truly give sacrificially when I have an emergency fund and 401k?" I mean, if you don't have those things you might lose your job or get to retirement and become a burden on other people, which is not a good witness, but if you do have those things is that a lack of faith? That was a question I was really struggling with when I picked up this book, and I've never seen it addressed to my satisfaction, so I was surprised when I came across a solution that makes perfect sense to me.

I still have questions- I think that's part of the process and God reveals what you need when you need it- but this book is an excellent read for anyone who desires to use the money God gives you, for the things He wants you to use it for.

A short book rich in applications:

It's sometimes very hard for Christians to let go when it comes to finances - it involves a step of faith. "What ifs" seem to make giving impossible.
Fear inhibits our ability to give. We are God's stewards of His resources. If we believe that God is who He says He is, we have no reason to fear.
The principle of sowing and reaping. If we sow fear, what will be our harvest? And conversely, if we sow faith, what will we grow? If we give % of net, do we expect a net harvest over a gross harvest?
When we truly understand God's power and presence, we can't help but trust Him to meet our needs.
Once we realize that it really is better to give than to receive, there's no limit to what God can do with our gifts.
Sowing Lessons: The four P's that should guide thithing encourage us to be generous in all areas of our being (heart, mind, strength and soul):
(1) Priority giving: giving to God first prevents good intentions from waning when finances run low at the end of the month.
(2) Percentage giving: deciding on a specific amount maintains discipline in giving.
(3) Progressive giving: gradually increasing the percentage given promotes growth in faith.
(4) Prompted giving: being willing to meet spontaneous needs prevents the relational aspect of giving from growing routine.
What we keep for ourselves fluctuates in value, but what we invest in God's kingdom yields returns that will not depreciate.
The way to counter fear is not with courage but with joy.
Giving Plan and Impulse giving. Moving from fear and guilt about giving and into confidence, security, and excitement.
Money we give away is not really ours - this changes our attitude toward giving (Eternal Perspective)
When giving becomes based on a personal relationship with God, giving becomes exciting rather than dreadful.

Awesome book on giving. Will challenge your normal way of thinking about giving to the church. It goes way deeper than just tithing and giving the usual and safe 10%. This book revolutionized my thinking on giving to the Kingdom of God!