If God Disappears: 9 Faith Wreckers and What to Do about Them [Hardcover]

David Sanford (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 27, 2008

Virtually everyone has—or will—face crises of life and faith. These pivotal times are part of everyone's spiritual journey. Why then do some people emerge from the crisis with their faith intact while others give up on God, the church, and holy living? If God Disappears comes alongside the Christian who is spiritually drifting—or is on the verge—or knows someone who is considering leaving God and the church behind—and compassionately empowers them to re-embrace their faith. Author David Sanford shares nine “faith wreckers” and nine “faith builders” to help us better understand which circumstances and attitudes undermine our faith and which ones draw us closer to God.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: SaltRiver (August 27, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1414316178
• ISBN-13: 978-1414316178
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,835,943 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

David Sanford is the founder of Sanford Communications, Inc., which in December 2008 joined Credo Communications, LLC. In his new role at Credo, David continues to work closely with leaders, organizations, and publishers to develop life-changing books and other resources.

Among his many credits, David is the author of the acclaimed book If God Disappears: 9 Faith Wreckers and What to Do about Them. David and his wife, Renée, are also the general editors of Focus on the Family's Handbook on Thriving as an Adoptive Family. Both are published by Tyndale House Publishers.

Over the years, David has been featured or interviewed and quoted by leading news services, national broadcast networks, numerous Web sites and blogs, stacks of magazines, and scores of newspapers, including USA Today, the Los Angeles Times, and the Wall Street Journal. His detailed biography appears in Who's Who in America, Who's Who in the West, Who's Who in Media and Communications, and Who's Who in American Education.

The Sanfords live "on the road to Damascus," outside Portland, Oregon, where David serves as a lay teaching pastor at Spring Mountain Bible Church.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read if God Has Let you Down!, September 19, 2008

By 

Victorya Rogers "Life & Life Coach, Author" (Dallas, TX United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: If God Disappears: 9 Faith Wreckers and What to Do about Them (Hardcover)

Has you been so shattered by some tragic event, disappointment, loss or death that you've thrown in the towel on your faith and given up on God? Have you come to accept that everything about God you have ever believed has turned out to be nothing more than a man-made lie? If this describes you, you MUST pick up a copy of David Sanford's new book IF GOD DISAPPEARS. In a "been-there-done-that," non-judgmental fashion, Sanford exposes nine of the most common faith wreckers that not only take away our faith, they literally steal, kill and destroy the very quality of our lives. Sanford boldly faces the toughest faith challenges, reveals truth (yes, truth) and offers hope in the midst of numbness and hopelessness. Could it be that you have come to misread or misinterpret the facts of your own circumstances to mean something they in fact do not mean? What is truth, really? And who, what and where is God when he seems to disappear? Do yourself a favor and pick up David Sanford's book to find out. After all, at this point in your life you have nothing to lose.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful devotional about trusting God even when we can't see Him, September 17, 2008

By 

Christina Lockstein "Christy's Book Blog" (Oconto Falls, WI USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: If God Disappears: 9 Faith Wreckers and What to Do about Them (Hardcover)

If God Disappears by David Sanford is a powerful book about the times when we question God in our lives and how we can seek and find him. Sanford picks nine crises that when they strike can make us wonder what God is doing or if He is even paying attention. Sanford offers several anecdotes about the ways that God has worked for him and people he knows, and sometimes when God hasn't worked, but we still have to trust him anyway. I can't help but admire Sanford's deep faith after growing up with an atheist father who disapproved of his son's decision to follow Jesus. The chapter about betrayal by the church resonated strongest with me. After the deep pain Jesse and I suffered at our previous church, we are healing at our current one. But it isn't perfect, and we still have issues with commitment there. Sanford reminds me that no church is perfect, but God is there, and I need to trust in and wait on that. The most powerful part of the entire book just may be the epilogue. Sanford tells the story of how Jesus got Peter and his brother to follow him; by meeting them, hanging around, and then disappearing so that they had to seek him out. Perhaps that's just what God does on occasion: disappear so that we seek Him out. The book is intelligent with a great deal of heart, the type you want to read over the course of several readings so that you can really take in the message and let it soak into your soul.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Powerful, Relevant and Riveting!, September 4, 2008

By 

Dewayne A. Moore (Huntsville, AL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: If God Disappears: 9 Faith Wreckers and What to Do about Them (Hardcover)

David Sanford's book, If God Dissappears, ministered to me and encouraged me from the very first page. Mr. Sanford has an uncanny ability to weave simple, real-life stories with timeless principles. I loved how the chapters were easy to read, yet very engaging and filled with scripture. It's obvious that this author has invested a great deal of time in the Bible. He shares some of his own times of anger, discouragement and failure throughout the book. He teaches with authority about the nine "faith-wreckers," because he has personally encountered every one of them. Yet,through prayer, God's Word and other Christians, he overcame them, and his faith was strengthened. I have family members who are still angry at God for things in their past. I intend to share this book with them. I believe Mr. Sanford's words and loving, conversational writing style may help break through and soften their hearts toward God again.--Dwayne Moore, author of Pure Praise: A Heart-focused Bible Study on Worship