Customer Reviews

Single Servings: 90 Devotions to Feed Your Soul

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One thing that keeps book reviewing an interesting task is the sheer variety of the books I am privileged to read. In the past month I've read biographies, theology and devotionals. I've read about marketing the church, reclaiming the church and new ways of doing church. And now I've read about singlehood, admittedly a topic I know little about. Because my wife and I began dating when I was eighteen and we married when I was twenty-one, I have difficulty relating to the situations of men and women who find themselves single or single again in their late twenties, early thirties and beyond. Because of this I assumed that Single Servings by Lee Warren would have little to offer me. But it turns out that I was wrong.

Single Servings is a devotional book targetted at single adults. Author Lee Warren ministers to singles as a columnist for Christianity Online. He has been published in several other publications and often travels to speaking engagements. He is well-qualified to write a book to challenge and encourage other singles.

I must admit that because my schedule did not allow me to spend 90 days on a single book, I read the entire book in just a couple of days. I felt afterwards like I had eaten 90 single servings in only a couple of sittings. While I enjoyed it, I know I would have been able to digest more of the book if I had been able to read it the way it was intended.

The book is divided into nine parts: Community, Completeness, Emotional Health, Physical Desires, Longing For Love, God's Timing, No Fair, Expectations and Embracing Life. Each of the 90 chapters follows a typical devotional format. It begins with a verse of the Bible and that is followed by the author's reflection. There are also five questions that help apply that day's text.

A chapter that especially caught my attention is one entitled "Our Spiritual Act of Worship," in which Warren discusses the satisfying of physical desires. He writes, "Why then do we as singles dwell on what we're missing? God's people have no rights over their bodies. We have no right to demand that our physical desires get met. God is happy to do so within the context of marriage, and someday he may choose to give us a spouse. But until then we can show our love for him by laying our physical desires on the sacrificial altar as an act of worship. And in so doing, we will experience the joy and contentment that always come from sacrifice" (page 95). Insights like that are as valuable to a married man as to a single man. There are plenty of similarly valuable reflections throughout the text.

There are a couple of areas I might suggest some improvement. I would liked to have seen some serious interaction with Paul's statement about those who are given the gift of celibacy and how these people differ from those who are single because God has not yet seen fit to bless them with a spouse. The author also writes quite often about hearing God or listening to God's voice, but without indicating whether this is to be done only through Scripture or whether he refers to hearing God's voice through subjective impressions and so on. Clarity in this matter would have been useful. An index of Bible passages would also be welcome for later reference. And while I'm putting together a wishlist, the gratuitous mention of Mother Teresa on the last page could also disappear without harming the book's impact.

I found this to be a valuable book, not only in edifying me, but also in helping me to understand the unique challenges faced by singles. Warren works well within a restrictive format. He is transparent without being exhibitionist, vulnerable without being whiny. He does not back down from presenting a serious challenge to single adults. At the same time, he does not offer them false hope or allow them to bemoan their condition. He rightly sees singlehood as an opportunity for great blessing and unrestricted service to the Lord. Singlehood, while it may be difficult, can and should be a great blessing to the church. And Warren clearly hopes that all singles who read his book will accept this challenge. I am happy to recommend this book.

Single Servings explores the single mindset and challenges people to live their lives with a purposeful style. The author, Lee Warren, is a single man who shares what he has both lived and learned from other singles, on a deep level and speaks honestly. The questions at the end of each devotional will stir up your thoughts and experiences and press you into thinking about how relevant is your lifestyle in comparison to scripture. If you are hungry for meaning and relevance in your life and have a hard time focusing on the issues, then Single Servings can help you sort through what's in your heart. It is a great tool for helping singles dialogue with God about the things that really matter such as community, completeness,expectations, fairness, physical desires, and more.

The devotionals in this book lift you up and help you to realize, you really are not alone. So many churches aren't really addressing the issues of singles, but this book does not back off from any of them. I love the "Digging Deeper" questions into the Bible passages at the end of each devotion. If you are single, for whatever reason, or you know someone who is--this is the book. Get it.

Lee Warren makes every word count in each of these power-packed devotionals for single adults. In a culture that questions people's singleness, this book is truly a gift to anyone whether they have chosen to remain single or are waiting for God's choice of a mate. Single Servings uses scripture, true-life stories, biblical examples, and thought-provoking questions, to help singles find their satisfaction in Christ.

Single Servings is one of the most relevant, well-written books on the market for single adults. Every single adult ministry needs to buy this book by the case to use for small group discussion or individual study.

Yes, this book which encourages the reader to find satisfaction in Christ was very satisfying to read. Short, easy to read devotionals give an honest look at the struggles and benefits of the single life. I recommend this book to all singles. It will help you begin to discover the lasting solutions that only God can provide.

As a lay singles minister for most of my adult years, I'm always on the lookout for Bible studies and devotional books geared toward singles. Most of the time, I end up being disappointed as they're usually focused on how to prepare oneself for marriage. But not this time.

In Single Servings: 90 Devotions to Feed Your Soul, Lee Warren has used his own insights as a 30-something still-single Christian to write about topics that burden the heart of most Christian singles.

What Lee does best is make singles look at ourselves as whole people. People who need to first find our contentment in the Lord and then work on building our community, serving others, expressing our emotions, lining up our expectations with God's, and fully embracing life.

If you're single, you need to get this book -- you'll find yourself eager to spend time with it each day. If you're married, this book will give you better insight on how to minister to the singles in your church, community, workplace, or family. It's also a great read for those who are single-again or single parents. Lee's book speaks to anyone who has ever experienced the feeling of being alone in the world.

Filled with scriptures that speak to the Single soul and thought provoking questions, Single Servings: 90 Devotions to Feed Your Soul is one of the best devotionals I've experienced.

I've never looked at my single friends and felt that they wrestled with fears, doubts, insecurities, etc. I guess many married people look at singles with envy while singles look at us in the same way. Lee Warren's book, Single Servings: 90 Devotions to Feed Your Soul made me look back on my life and REMEMBER what I felt like when I was single. There wasn't a thing in this book I couldn't relate to in some way. Lee made me realize that I've forgotten what it feels like to be single and alone, single and broke with a head full of dreams and expectations. I wish I'd had the blunt talk, the scripture and insight offered in Single Servings-so many years ago. I have single friends of all ages and while reading these 90 devotions, I had to ask myself if I'm being the encourager God wants me to be. Am I letting my single friends fall through the cracks of our church and Sunday School class? Am I really there for them? Do they KNOW I'm there for them? I'm asking myself how I can encourage them to walk fearlessly, hand in hand with God. Through these devotions and especially the Dig Deeper questions at the end of each devotion, I see I need to eliminate some of the "on-the-spot" dialogue I have with my friends. This book has been a blessing and a lesson for me, and I believe it's a valuable resource for singles and married couples alike. I encourage anyone who has a heart for singles ministry to read this book, but also... for anyone who has an unmarried son or daughter they "feel" they can't relate to. This book will teach you a few things.

Who says life doesn't begin until you're married? Single Servings, a meaty devotional book written by Lee Warren, helps singles move past feeling "singled out." With helpings that are sure to appeal to everyone, Warren addresses eight problems which crop up for those in the single lane. Belonging, guarding emotional and physical health, and dealing with expectations are hit with directness yet firmness. Through scripture, stories, and dig-deeper questions, Warren commands attention and challenges your heart toward change. Don't wonder if someone else understands; Single Servings will assure you there are answers. This gem will refresh anyone, regardless of marital status. Truly a keeper!

I wish this book had been around when I was single. Warren's devotionals are insightful, thought-provoking, and above all, encouraging. It's tough to be single when you're surrounded by couples and families, but Single Servings points out that God's plan is perfect for everyone, and His timing is always the best. Highly recommended.

Lee Warren's Single Servings lives up to its subtitle as it filled this single's soul. While so many singles' books-even in the Christian market-are focused on finding your mate or becoming the perfect mate for someone in the future, Lee's focuses on our value as singles, our lives in the here-and-now, and how we in this season of singleness can live our lives to the fullest, complete in Christ.

From dealing with the longings we face and nosy relatives who question our marital status to being content as singles and allowing God to use us in amazing ways, Lee's book encouraged and inspired me to use this time for God's glory. Lee urges readers to not put their lives on hold for marriage, but to live life to its fullest where God has you right now! While I still pray for a future mate and family, I can honestly agree with the author's closing devotion-"I Like Being Single!" A must-read for Christian singles!