Finishing Strong: Finding the Power to Go the Distance [Paperback]

Steve Farrar (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 1996

Bestselling author Steve Farrar has good news for the average man: it doesn't matter if you've had a great start in the Christian life, or a rough one. It doesn't matter if you've stumbled time and again, or even fallen flat on your face. What matters most in this all-important race of life is how you finish. According to Farrar, the man who hangs in there for the long haul with his wife, his kids, and his Lord is an exception these days. Finishing Strong, now in trade paperback, offers lively use of Scripture, contemporary illustrations, and study questions to equip every reader to be that exception. For the man who wants to climb the character ladder more than the corporate one, this is an essential tool.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Steve Farrar is the founder and chairman of Men's Leadership Ministries in Bryan/College Station, Texas, and brings his message to thousands of men each year. He holds a master's degree from Western Seminary and an earned doctorate from Dallas Theological Seminary.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Multnomah Books (July 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1576730239
• ISBN-13: 978-1576730232
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,819,879 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Steve Farrar is the founder and chairman of Men's Leadership Ministries. A graduate of California State University, Fullerton, with a Master's degree from Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon, he also has an earned a doctorate from Dallas Theological Seminary. Steve authored the best-selling book, Point Man: How a Man Can Lead His Family and has since written fifteen other books. He is a frequent speaker at conferences, for Promise Keepers and at many other events nationwide. Steve and his wife, Mary, have three grown children and currently reside in suburban Dallas, Texas.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Read for Those Who Want to Finish Strong in Their Lives, March 3, 2004

By 

Michael Taylor "Michael Taylor" (Indian Trail NC) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Finishing Strong: Finding the Power to Go the Distance (Paperback)

Farrar's title is an excellent encouragement for those who desire a strong finish to their lives.

Among the points Farrar covers include:

1. The qualification for ministry is proven character.
2. Be careful of relationships with other women.
3. God's success radically differs from the world's definition of success.
4. Do not let a busy lifestyle come between you and your relationship with God.
5. Uninterrupted success for a prolonged period of time can result in a dangerous form of pride.
6. Characteristics of people who think they are leaders but are not.
7. God will use our times of unemployment, obscurity, waiting, and loneliness to mold us into the people He wants us to be.
8. God can use the failures and disappointments of our lives to mold us into His likeness.

All in all, a good and recommended read!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Read "Finishing Strong," and then pass it on to a friend., April 18, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Finishing Strong: Finding The Power to Go The Distance (Hardcover)

Next to the Bible, "Finishing Strong" yeilds more insight and common sense on people (in particular men)than any book I have ever read. My wife and I treasure the time we spent reading and discussing this book. You'll not only learn a great deal about yourself, you will learn a considerable amount about the character of God. I highly recommend "Finishing Strong."

17 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Misses the mark., January 12, 2006

By 

Jeffrey A. Thompson (Iowa City, IA USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Finishing Strong: Going the Distance for Your Family (Paperback)

We read this book in our men's group for church. The other men in the group like this book. I did not like it as well. The best part of the book is the character studies. He looks at both the best known and the least known characters of the Bible and draws conclusions. Farrar does this well and it is challenging. Another good feature of the book is the discussion guide at the end. The questions are very good and facilitate good discussions.

The book has a good beginning. Farrar paints a grim picture, perhaps accurately, of how few men finish strong in the faith. This is a great wake-up call to faith. He uses anecdotal evidence and some statistics to prove his point. This brings me to one of the major flaws of the book. Logic is not his strong suit. For example, he lists from his research several things that these men did not do that stopped them from finishing strong. One of the points is that these men who did not finish strong were not in a small group. I can not agree or disagree with this. I agree small groups are important. However, his logic is flawed. These men did not do a lot of things. They probably did not walk on the moon. They probably did not swim the English channel. This inaction in these areas probably did not stop them from finishing strong. One can exhort men to meet in small groups from the evidence of scripture. One can also research men who did finish strong. One can may be able to assert after research that all these men were in small groups. This also does not prove the point, but it is better than what he wrote. Do not insult my intelligence by using questionable logic and spotty research.

His exegesis is questionable at times. In one case he takes a passage of scripture and proves his four points. The exegesis is stretched to prove the points, but at least he tries. Then he writes, well you have include this fifth point if you want to finish strong. He does not prove the point from scripture. It is a good point, but why use scripture at all if he is simply going to assert principles from his experience?

The other men in the group like his writing. I found it too folksy, too cute, and too repetitious. I have just one more disagreement with the book. He talks about vision, but his focus is on the family. The Church is not mentioned at all in this book. The Church is the pillar and support of the truth. The Church is the body of Christ. How he could leave this out as part of staying strong in the faith? This lack does not make sense scripturally or spiritually. He focuses on the family. This is good. However, the church is a family of families. Our ministry needs to be within its context. We need to finish strong within the body of Christ.