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In My Father's House: Finding Your Heart's True Home
We need to get to know God as Father and relate to Him as a blessed child. However, our relationship with our earthly father positively or negatively impacts how we relate to Father God. Mary Kassian encourages women to clear barriers hindering them from seeing their loving Heavenly Father, basing their relationship with God on the truth of who He is rather than falsehoods about Him.
- GenresChristian
240 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
16 people are currently reading
83 people want to read
About the author
Mary A. Kassian
33 books93 followersMary Kassian is an award winning author, popular speaker, and a distinguished professor of women’s studies at Southern Baptist Seminary. She has published several books, Bible studies and videos, including: Girls Gone Wise, In My Father’s House: Finding Your Heart’s True Home, Conversation Peace, Vertically Inclined, and the Feminist Mistake.
Mary graduated from the faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine from the University of Alberta, Canada and has studied systematic theology at the doctoral level. She has taught courses at seminaries across North America She is a popular conference speaker and has ministered to women’s groups internationally. Mary has appeared on numerous radio and television shows, including Focus on the Family, Family Life Today, and Marriage Uncensored.
Mary was born and raised in Edmonton, Canada. She and her husband, Brent, have three adult sons and one daughter-in-law. Mary has mastered the art of cheering after spending countless hours in rinks, arenas, and gyms: her husband is chaplain for a professional football team, her two older sons play ice hockey, and her youngest, volleyball. The Kassians enjoy biking, hiking, snorkeling (when they can find some warm water!), music, board games, mountains, campfires, and their family pets: Miss Kitty and black lab, General Beau.
Mary graduated from the faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine from the University of Alberta, Canada and has studied systematic theology at the doctoral level. She has taught courses at seminaries across North America She is a popular conference speaker and has ministered to women’s groups internationally. Mary has appeared on numerous radio and television shows, including Focus on the Family, Family Life Today, and Marriage Uncensored.
Mary was born and raised in Edmonton, Canada. She and her husband, Brent, have three adult sons and one daughter-in-law. Mary has mastered the art of cheering after spending countless hours in rinks, arenas, and gyms: her husband is chaplain for a professional football team, her two older sons play ice hockey, and her youngest, volleyball. The Kassians enjoy biking, hiking, snorkeling (when they can find some warm water!), music, board games, mountains, campfires, and their family pets: Miss Kitty and black lab, General Beau.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
September 27, 2021
Though this topic is very needed, the format just didn't lend itself to application. This was published back in 2005, before Bruce Jenner came out as transgender, changing his name to Caitlyn Jenner and opening the door for this fluid gender crisis. I wish the author had been able to address some of the more practical consequences of fatherly issues that we face today like gender identity.
There were no discussion questions, no Bible study to go along with it, no way to apply the lessons other than the few activities she specifically mentions within a few chapters, such as writing a letter to your earthly father and writing a letter to your heavenly father.
The small, squished font and margins tried to pack in too much fluff to reach a publisher's arbitrary word count. Thirty short chapters make it more like a devotional, but a good portion of each chapter was not necessary. I felt like the quotes, stories, and Bible verses at the beginning of each chapter were irrelevant and almost a waste of time, as the verses were then mentioned within the chapter where they fit in the context. I feel like this topic should have been a long, thorough article with lots of lists. It really wasn't enough for an entire book.
That being said, my best friend, who recommended it to me after she read it and loved it, said that she enjoyed the other people's stories at the beginning of each chapter because it validated what the author said. The author herself said she had a great relationship with her own father, which made it hard for me to see how those with poor fatherly relationships were able to relate. But the other people's stories she included helped.
A personal pet peeve of mine is when pronouns referencing God or Jesus or the Holy Spirit are not capitalized. It became especially confusing when she would capitalize Father when referencing God but not Him or His, even though earthly fathers were also mentioned and could be the “him” or “his” referenced.
So even though I loved the idea and the main message, I felt that the method of delivery prevents me from recommending it.
Favorite quotes:
“Few idea shifts in this century have had such enormous implications. At stake is who we are as male and female, what type of society we will become, and even more importantly the way we understand and relate to God.” (p. 1)
“Skeptical, hostile feelings toward men have translated into skeptical, hostile feelings towards God who images himself as Father. But the need to be well-fathered is a fundamental need of the human heart.” (p. 2)
“How tragic, foolish, and arrogant of us to shy away from this name because some human males are poor examples of fatherhood or because our culture regards a God named 'Father' as oppressive and patriarchal.” (p. 5)
“The task of this book is to help you explore what the Bible says about God the Father, to challenge and correct any misperceptions you might have, and to encourage you to get to know him better. It's my prayer that through these pages you will discover truth, clear away falsehood, experience healing, find hope, and above all, fall deeply in love with the Father who loves you.” (p. 6)
“Let me say something that ought to shock you a bit. We need to realize that knowing Jesus is not the ultimate goal of Christianity. God's purpose has always been that we know the Father through Jesus.” (p. 25)
(My best friend lent me this book at her recommendation. I was not compensated for this review. All opinions are my own, as was the decision to write this review.)
There were no discussion questions, no Bible study to go along with it, no way to apply the lessons other than the few activities she specifically mentions within a few chapters, such as writing a letter to your earthly father and writing a letter to your heavenly father.
The small, squished font and margins tried to pack in too much fluff to reach a publisher's arbitrary word count. Thirty short chapters make it more like a devotional, but a good portion of each chapter was not necessary. I felt like the quotes, stories, and Bible verses at the beginning of each chapter were irrelevant and almost a waste of time, as the verses were then mentioned within the chapter where they fit in the context. I feel like this topic should have been a long, thorough article with lots of lists. It really wasn't enough for an entire book.
That being said, my best friend, who recommended it to me after she read it and loved it, said that she enjoyed the other people's stories at the beginning of each chapter because it validated what the author said. The author herself said she had a great relationship with her own father, which made it hard for me to see how those with poor fatherly relationships were able to relate. But the other people's stories she included helped.
A personal pet peeve of mine is when pronouns referencing God or Jesus or the Holy Spirit are not capitalized. It became especially confusing when she would capitalize Father when referencing God but not Him or His, even though earthly fathers were also mentioned and could be the “him” or “his” referenced.
So even though I loved the idea and the main message, I felt that the method of delivery prevents me from recommending it.
Favorite quotes:
“Few idea shifts in this century have had such enormous implications. At stake is who we are as male and female, what type of society we will become, and even more importantly the way we understand and relate to God.” (p. 1)
“Skeptical, hostile feelings toward men have translated into skeptical, hostile feelings towards God who images himself as Father. But the need to be well-fathered is a fundamental need of the human heart.” (p. 2)
“How tragic, foolish, and arrogant of us to shy away from this name because some human males are poor examples of fatherhood or because our culture regards a God named 'Father' as oppressive and patriarchal.” (p. 5)
“The task of this book is to help you explore what the Bible says about God the Father, to challenge and correct any misperceptions you might have, and to encourage you to get to know him better. It's my prayer that through these pages you will discover truth, clear away falsehood, experience healing, find hope, and above all, fall deeply in love with the Father who loves you.” (p. 6)
“Let me say something that ought to shock you a bit. We need to realize that knowing Jesus is not the ultimate goal of Christianity. God's purpose has always been that we know the Father through Jesus.” (p. 25)
(My best friend lent me this book at her recommendation. I was not compensated for this review. All opinions are my own, as was the decision to write this review.)
February 1, 2013
I read this book along with a Bible-study workbook with a friend. Though the study wasn't anything mind-blowing, it offered really good food for thought and some solid encouragement about how the Lord relates to us as Father. I probably won't re-read it but it definitely helped me work through some ideas about where I've come from and where I am now.
February 5, 2018
If you have a complicated relationship with your earthly father you have a hard time relating to the Lord. This is a helpful book for that, but it isn't easy.
April 24, 2025
Me encanto leer este libro, tomarlo como devocional y poder aprender grandes cosas gracias a el y al discipulado que Dios me dio la dicha de asistir
August 1, 2009
This is an outstanding book about how much our heavenly Father loves us! It enables us to see some preconceived ideas that we have inadvertently believed about God and how that has affected our view of the Father. I think it is a 'must read'...especially for women as we tend to be more easily deceived by the enemy than men.
January 22, 2016
This was a short Bible study filled with familiar scripture. Interested in a peek into the the care and love of your Heavenly Father and reconcile issues with your earthly father. This is an intro into the faithfulness of God's love for you. Good for someone who hasn't spent time in this area of their heart.
December 19, 2009
Everyone should read this as only God is the perfect Father and we are created to fellowship with Him
January 2, 2010
Learning about healing from an absentee father.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews