What do you think?
Rate this book
The Hard Corps: Combat Training for the Man of God
Heard the one about the guy who wrestled a lion in a pit on a snowy day just for fun? Or about the guy who took on a giant Egyptian twice his size? Or the three special ops ninjas who risked their all in enemy territory - just to get a bottle of spring water for their General?
These are just some of the startling exploits of the Mighty Men who fought alongside King David. The stories are gripping, astonishing and powerfully brought to life in the pages of this book.
But these are not just bed-time tales of heroic men from a lost age. They are stories that shine a powerful and sometimes uncomfortable light on what it means to be a true man of God – a Christian – today. Read it, reflect on it, think through the implications by yourself or with others to train yourself for the greatest battle of all.
Oh yes, and what's so special about a bean field that would make you want to stand your ground alone against a slavering horde of Philistines?
The answers to these and many more questions are to be found within this no-holds-barred guide to spiritual warfare for today's Christian man...
These are just some of the startling exploits of the Mighty Men who fought alongside King David. The stories are gripping, astonishing and powerfully brought to life in the pages of this book.
But these are not just bed-time tales of heroic men from a lost age. They are stories that shine a powerful and sometimes uncomfortable light on what it means to be a true man of God – a Christian – today. Read it, reflect on it, think through the implications by yourself or with others to train yourself for the greatest battle of all.
Oh yes, and what's so special about a bean field that would make you want to stand your ground alone against a slavering horde of Philistines?
The answers to these and many more questions are to be found within this no-holds-barred guide to spiritual warfare for today's Christian man...
- GenresChristian
128 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
About the author
Dai Hankey
10 books6 followersDai Hankey is a church-planting Pastor in the Welsh Valleys where he lives with his wife, Michelle and four young children. Dai is a former skate-boarder and loves to DJ. He is the author of The Hard Corps and A Man's Greatest Challenge.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
September 19, 2012
We live in a world filled with distractions. Whether they're good or bad is irrelevant, either way they tend to take us away from the important things in this life, namely the cause of Jesus Christ, the power of the Gospel and the hope of glory. We're often aware of this most acutely after we read a book or hear a particularly penetrating message that gets at the heart of our own personal struggles. If we're honest with ourselves, it's not that we're uninterested in becoming a soldier for King Jesus and joining in the battle. Before we get out there on the front lines, we have some problems that need to be dealt with. First up is our feelings of unworthiness, shame and guilt. The reality of our situation is that in the face of a holy God, we are unworthy. We've all done things that have rightly left us filled with shame and guilt. Try as we might, we're unable to clean ourselves up. We're a lot like that white t-shirt covered in grease and grime after we changed the oil in our car. No amount of washing with detergent and bleach is going to make that t-shirt white again. Does this mean we're doomed to a life of despair, because we're unable to clean up our own act? No, this is exactly the place of realization each of us needs to come to. The truth is we can't do this on our own, it's impossible. That's precisely why God the Father sent his precious son Jesus to this earth. He came to seek and save the lost. That's you, that's me, we're all lost.
If this is all new to you and you're still in that place where you're trying to clean yourself up, I recommend you take some time and read through the Gospel of John. As you make your way through this gospel, ask God to help you understand what you're reading and that He would reveal to you what bearing it has on your life. Undoubtedly, you're going to have some questions about what you read in the Gospel of John and other questions about what it really means to be a Christian. When you find yourself at that point, seek out a friend or acquaintance who you know is a Christian and ask if you could meet with him or her over coffee to discuss what you've been reading and learning. If there are questions that they are unable to answer, you may also want to ask them to introduce you to their pastor, who I suspect will be more than happy to speak with you about the gospel and the life-changing transformation that occurs when we come to know Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.
Whether you're a brand new follower of Jesus Christ or you've been a part of God's family for quite some time, there are times when we find ourselves in a place where we're feeling spiritually stuck and complacent. I know this was me during my early days as a follower of Jesus Christ. For me what was really lacking was mentoring and instruction on how to live as a man of God. Let me rephrase this using the army analogy found in The Hard Corps: Combat Training for the Man of God. It's like we're enlisted, we passed the physical, but we've been sitting at the bus depot waiting to be transported to basic training. Well soldier, your day has finally come. In fact I hear a bus pulling in to the station right now. It's big, it's green and it has a white and orange Good Book Company bumper sticker on the back. You better stand at attention! Drill sergeant Dai Hankey is stepping off the bus right now and he's coming your way. He told you to grab your bag and head to the bus, so you better get a move on. The bus is full and it's time to move out of the station. I bet you're feeling a little excited and a little nervous at the same time. In the end you know this training will be worth it.
Now this isn't you're average basic training. You're going to be studying some of the most elite soldiers to ever grace a battlefield. These are King David's mighty men that we read about in the Old Testament book of 2 Samuel in chapter 23. Let's take a quick look at your training manual titled The Hard Corps. In this book you're going to learn about:
*Josheb-basshebeth - chief of an elite squad of 3 mighty men, who single-handedly slew 800 enemy soldiers in one spectacular stand-off
*Eleazar - the swashbuckling Samurai of the group who struck down the Philistines until his hand was weary, but never lost his grip on his sword
*Shammah - He made a stand against the Philistines in the midst of the lentil fields at Lehi. After all it's the promised land, these are God's beans.
*Three Nameless Ninjas - The 3NN were willing to sneak behind enemy lines to bring their King a glass of water from his favorite well in Bethlehem.
*Abishai - Commander of the squad of 30 mighty men, who wielded his spear against 300 men
*Benaiah - "Pastor's Kid" who exhibited great courage taking down two ariels of Moab, a lion in a pit, and an Egyptian giant
Using these mighty men as a springboard, drill sergeant Dai will help you to reflect on who your are, who God is and show you what it's going to take for you to become a full-fledged soldier for Jesus Christ. Each training class (chapter) finishes with some special combat training. This special training helps to reinforce what you read in the preceding chapter, draws you deeper into God's word, and helps you to begin applying your training to your own life and particular circumstances. Now I know some of you may have a tendency to skip over questions that come at the end of a chapter, but this is an important part of your training. If drill sergeant Dai finds out that you're slacking in your combat training, he's likely to tell you to drop and give him 50 push ups. You might be thinking that's an awful lot of push ups, but that's just how seriously he takes this stuff. I'll let you make your own decision here, but consider yourself warned
As you are nearing the end of your basic training, you're likely going to feel pretty good about yourself. It's good to be confident. You've made good progress, you're achieving goals, but remember this is just the beginning. When the training is over, it's time to begin your mission. You're probably thinking you'd like your name to be listed in the hall of heroes that you saw in the lobby on your way into camp. It's possible, but it's a lifelong pursuit. As you begin applying the training you learned in The Hard Corps, it's going to impact all areas of your life. The legacy you will be leaving for your family, your community, and the Church is going to be far different now that you're a fully trained solider in the service of King Jesus. Following this training, remember to fully stock your armoury with the weapons (books and other resources) talked about at the end of your training manual. These will help you to always remain sharp and on mission.
Many thanks to Dai Hankey for writing and The Good Book Company for publishing The Hard Corps: Combat Training for the Man of God. This is a book I wish I had been able to read in my late teens to early twenties. As Christian men we all need to respond to the call to be drafted into the service of King Jesus. Dai's style throughout is entertaining and engaging. The military theme and graphics in the book make this a fun read for both young men and those of us who are still young men at heart. Whether you're 15 or 50, you'll find much to benefit from in these pages. If you're a Christian man who's tended to stand on the sidelines, get yourself a copy of this book and read it. If you have friends and family who would benefit from this book, consider hosting a small group of men in your home and work through the book together. If you have a men's ministry or some men's small groups at your church, get copies of The Hard Corps into the hands of your leadership. As Christian men, we need to be in community, praying for one another, and sharpening and challenging each other. I pray that The Hard Corps would be a catalyst that God uses greatly to kick us out of our apathy and complacency towards unashamed, life-long service to King Jesus!
About the Author:
Dai Hankey is a DJ, a rapper and a church-planting pastor in the Welsh valleys, where he lives with his wife and four young children. He is also part of the Acts 29 network and runs Porterbrook Training in Cardiff.
Disclaimer:
This book was provided by the publisher for review. The reviewer was under no obligation to offer a favorable review.
If this is all new to you and you're still in that place where you're trying to clean yourself up, I recommend you take some time and read through the Gospel of John. As you make your way through this gospel, ask God to help you understand what you're reading and that He would reveal to you what bearing it has on your life. Undoubtedly, you're going to have some questions about what you read in the Gospel of John and other questions about what it really means to be a Christian. When you find yourself at that point, seek out a friend or acquaintance who you know is a Christian and ask if you could meet with him or her over coffee to discuss what you've been reading and learning. If there are questions that they are unable to answer, you may also want to ask them to introduce you to their pastor, who I suspect will be more than happy to speak with you about the gospel and the life-changing transformation that occurs when we come to know Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.
Whether you're a brand new follower of Jesus Christ or you've been a part of God's family for quite some time, there are times when we find ourselves in a place where we're feeling spiritually stuck and complacent. I know this was me during my early days as a follower of Jesus Christ. For me what was really lacking was mentoring and instruction on how to live as a man of God. Let me rephrase this using the army analogy found in The Hard Corps: Combat Training for the Man of God. It's like we're enlisted, we passed the physical, but we've been sitting at the bus depot waiting to be transported to basic training. Well soldier, your day has finally come. In fact I hear a bus pulling in to the station right now. It's big, it's green and it has a white and orange Good Book Company bumper sticker on the back. You better stand at attention! Drill sergeant Dai Hankey is stepping off the bus right now and he's coming your way. He told you to grab your bag and head to the bus, so you better get a move on. The bus is full and it's time to move out of the station. I bet you're feeling a little excited and a little nervous at the same time. In the end you know this training will be worth it.
Now this isn't you're average basic training. You're going to be studying some of the most elite soldiers to ever grace a battlefield. These are King David's mighty men that we read about in the Old Testament book of 2 Samuel in chapter 23. Let's take a quick look at your training manual titled The Hard Corps. In this book you're going to learn about:
*Josheb-basshebeth - chief of an elite squad of 3 mighty men, who single-handedly slew 800 enemy soldiers in one spectacular stand-off
*Eleazar - the swashbuckling Samurai of the group who struck down the Philistines until his hand was weary, but never lost his grip on his sword
*Shammah - He made a stand against the Philistines in the midst of the lentil fields at Lehi. After all it's the promised land, these are God's beans.
*Three Nameless Ninjas - The 3NN were willing to sneak behind enemy lines to bring their King a glass of water from his favorite well in Bethlehem.
*Abishai - Commander of the squad of 30 mighty men, who wielded his spear against 300 men
*Benaiah - "Pastor's Kid" who exhibited great courage taking down two ariels of Moab, a lion in a pit, and an Egyptian giant
Using these mighty men as a springboard, drill sergeant Dai will help you to reflect on who your are, who God is and show you what it's going to take for you to become a full-fledged soldier for Jesus Christ. Each training class (chapter) finishes with some special combat training. This special training helps to reinforce what you read in the preceding chapter, draws you deeper into God's word, and helps you to begin applying your training to your own life and particular circumstances. Now I know some of you may have a tendency to skip over questions that come at the end of a chapter, but this is an important part of your training. If drill sergeant Dai finds out that you're slacking in your combat training, he's likely to tell you to drop and give him 50 push ups. You might be thinking that's an awful lot of push ups, but that's just how seriously he takes this stuff. I'll let you make your own decision here, but consider yourself warned
As you are nearing the end of your basic training, you're likely going to feel pretty good about yourself. It's good to be confident. You've made good progress, you're achieving goals, but remember this is just the beginning. When the training is over, it's time to begin your mission. You're probably thinking you'd like your name to be listed in the hall of heroes that you saw in the lobby on your way into camp. It's possible, but it's a lifelong pursuit. As you begin applying the training you learned in The Hard Corps, it's going to impact all areas of your life. The legacy you will be leaving for your family, your community, and the Church is going to be far different now that you're a fully trained solider in the service of King Jesus. Following this training, remember to fully stock your armoury with the weapons (books and other resources) talked about at the end of your training manual. These will help you to always remain sharp and on mission.
Many thanks to Dai Hankey for writing and The Good Book Company for publishing The Hard Corps: Combat Training for the Man of God. This is a book I wish I had been able to read in my late teens to early twenties. As Christian men we all need to respond to the call to be drafted into the service of King Jesus. Dai's style throughout is entertaining and engaging. The military theme and graphics in the book make this a fun read for both young men and those of us who are still young men at heart. Whether you're 15 or 50, you'll find much to benefit from in these pages. If you're a Christian man who's tended to stand on the sidelines, get yourself a copy of this book and read it. If you have friends and family who would benefit from this book, consider hosting a small group of men in your home and work through the book together. If you have a men's ministry or some men's small groups at your church, get copies of The Hard Corps into the hands of your leadership. As Christian men, we need to be in community, praying for one another, and sharpening and challenging each other. I pray that The Hard Corps would be a catalyst that God uses greatly to kick us out of our apathy and complacency towards unashamed, life-long service to King Jesus!
About the Author:
Dai Hankey is a DJ, a rapper and a church-planting pastor in the Welsh valleys, where he lives with his wife and four young children. He is also part of the Acts 29 network and runs Porterbrook Training in Cardiff.
Disclaimer:
This book was provided by the publisher for review. The reviewer was under no obligation to offer a favorable review.
September 12, 2012
Author and South Wales church planter, Dai Hankey, wants to help raise up a generation of strong committed Christian men and he doesn't think that following Jesus makes men weak:
And so instead of rolling out all those lovey-dovey, gentle gospel passages, Hankey goes O.T. on us by turning to Second Sam and David's Mighty Men (Hoo-Rah!). These are the decorated officers in David's army and through the strength, courage and virtue, they have lots to teach us. Hankey profiles several of these mighty men to help us super manly men become more like the heroes we were meant to be. Among the Mighty men profiled:
Josheb-Basshebeth shows us radical trust in God by defying the odds (800:1) and killing lots of people in battle.
Eleazer slays the Philistines until his arms get tired, which means that we also should be good 'sword handlers' and be able to quote lots of bible verses when we feel tempted.
Shammah stands his ground in a bean field because he knows he is defending the Lord's promise to his people (in the OT, God's promise is 'the land'). Likewise we learn purpose and commitment from him, holding fast to God's will in our relationships, family and work life.
Three 'Nameless Ninjas' whose devotion to their king cause them to risk their lives to fetch him a drink.
Abishai, who though a great warrior in his own right, was not among the three (the first three names listed above); nevertheless he proved faithful to David and was humble (Josheb-Basshebeth killed 800 at one go whereas Abishai only managed a measly 300).
Beneniah courageously bested two Moabite freaks, went toe to toe with a lion in a pit on a snowy day,and killed an Egyptian giant. From him we learn to face our fears.
Hankey uses these manly, manly killing machines to metaphorically speak of the Christian life, and along the way he also points to New Testament texts. These are the OT heroes, Jesus is the über hero. Dai Hankey is a humorous communicator (from him I learned of a 1980's UK phenomenon-the 'milk tray man.' I enjoyed reading this and thought he did a wonderful job encouraging the virtues of faith, courage, purpose, devotion (loyalty) and humility. However I also had a few issues with this book.
First, I was unsure of Hankey's exegetical method. Sometimes Hankey extrapolates the motivations of these mighty men to make a point, and he goes farther than the text warrants. The thing about David's Mighty Men, is we don't really know much in the text about them outside of a few exploits. There personal character is not known to us, but Hankey ascribes to them Godly motivations to make a point (he also points out where they clearly screwed up). Other places he allegorizes their feats to make a point (i.e. Eleazer's 'sword handling' is really about 'how well we know our Bibles'). Hankey tends to make suggestive and evocative leaps, but I felt like the passage he quoted weren't saying what he thought they were saying. I wish his exegesis was a bit more careful.
Secondly, I felt that David's Mighty Men did not really carry the freight that he placed on them. Some men are exemplary soldiers. They are dedicated, effective, courageous and really good at achieving their military objectives. There are good things that we can and should learn from them, but we should not assume that effective, courageous soldiers are necessarily godly. They could just be really good at killing people and really dedicated to their jobs. The one to one ratio between soldiering and discipleship is off-kilter. When I read 2 Samuel 23, I read a chapter which recounts the exploits of military heroes. This is historically significant, and God achieved his purposes through them, and we should learn from their virtues, but they are not the hero of the Bible. God is. In 2 Samuel 24, God sends a plague in judgment for David's census and trusting in his own military might (rather than God). I certainly think that these men are held up as examples, but it is striking to me, that the very next chapter of scripture challenges the notion of trusting in anything but God.
A third minor point, is I want to set the battle metaphor alongside other metaphors for discipleship. Some Christians are uncomfortable with any warfare/militant language and tend to soft pedal hard truths. But if the battle metaphor becomes dominant, likewise the gospel is misrepresented. Certainly we need to be told to man up (as men anyway) but we also need to live in the experience of grace in our life. By all means read this book and be challenged, but do not read it along side your Bible and other literature which speaks of God's radical self-giving love.
So yes, this could be a good discipleship book if you are a young man (high school or early college) and have action hero fantasies (like when you are stuck in the line at the bank and you wonder how you would save everyone there is 800 Philistines took you and the others hostage). You will enjoy it and it will encourage you to pursue God and grow in your faith. However, eat the meat and spit out the bones. There is good stuff here for the careful reader.
Thank you to Cross Focused Reviews and The Good Book Company for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for this review.
Well, the good news is that, contrary to popular belief, there’s not a single verse in the Bible to suggest that when a man starts to follow Christ he has to hand in his testicles at the door. Far from it. Scripture teaches that men should be strong, adventurous and willing to fight for what matters! As such we should seek to emulate the heroes of the Bible, who were passionate, courageous, uncompromising, and spiritually solid.
Dai Hankey (2012-07-09 12:44:35+01:00). The Hard Corps (Kindle Locations 50-53). The Good Book Company. Kindle Edition.
And so instead of rolling out all those lovey-dovey, gentle gospel passages, Hankey goes O.T. on us by turning to Second Sam and David's Mighty Men (Hoo-Rah!). These are the decorated officers in David's army and through the strength, courage and virtue, they have lots to teach us. Hankey profiles several of these mighty men to help us super manly men become more like the heroes we were meant to be. Among the Mighty men profiled:
Josheb-Basshebeth shows us radical trust in God by defying the odds (800:1) and killing lots of people in battle.
Eleazer slays the Philistines until his arms get tired, which means that we also should be good 'sword handlers' and be able to quote lots of bible verses when we feel tempted.
Shammah stands his ground in a bean field because he knows he is defending the Lord's promise to his people (in the OT, God's promise is 'the land'). Likewise we learn purpose and commitment from him, holding fast to God's will in our relationships, family and work life.
Three 'Nameless Ninjas' whose devotion to their king cause them to risk their lives to fetch him a drink.
Abishai, who though a great warrior in his own right, was not among the three (the first three names listed above); nevertheless he proved faithful to David and was humble (Josheb-Basshebeth killed 800 at one go whereas Abishai only managed a measly 300).
Beneniah courageously bested two Moabite freaks, went toe to toe with a lion in a pit on a snowy day,and killed an Egyptian giant. From him we learn to face our fears.
Hankey uses these manly, manly killing machines to metaphorically speak of the Christian life, and along the way he also points to New Testament texts. These are the OT heroes, Jesus is the über hero. Dai Hankey is a humorous communicator (from him I learned of a 1980's UK phenomenon-the 'milk tray man.' I enjoyed reading this and thought he did a wonderful job encouraging the virtues of faith, courage, purpose, devotion (loyalty) and humility. However I also had a few issues with this book.
First, I was unsure of Hankey's exegetical method. Sometimes Hankey extrapolates the motivations of these mighty men to make a point, and he goes farther than the text warrants. The thing about David's Mighty Men, is we don't really know much in the text about them outside of a few exploits. There personal character is not known to us, but Hankey ascribes to them Godly motivations to make a point (he also points out where they clearly screwed up). Other places he allegorizes their feats to make a point (i.e. Eleazer's 'sword handling' is really about 'how well we know our Bibles'). Hankey tends to make suggestive and evocative leaps, but I felt like the passage he quoted weren't saying what he thought they were saying. I wish his exegesis was a bit more careful.
Secondly, I felt that David's Mighty Men did not really carry the freight that he placed on them. Some men are exemplary soldiers. They are dedicated, effective, courageous and really good at achieving their military objectives. There are good things that we can and should learn from them, but we should not assume that effective, courageous soldiers are necessarily godly. They could just be really good at killing people and really dedicated to their jobs. The one to one ratio between soldiering and discipleship is off-kilter. When I read 2 Samuel 23, I read a chapter which recounts the exploits of military heroes. This is historically significant, and God achieved his purposes through them, and we should learn from their virtues, but they are not the hero of the Bible. God is. In 2 Samuel 24, God sends a plague in judgment for David's census and trusting in his own military might (rather than God). I certainly think that these men are held up as examples, but it is striking to me, that the very next chapter of scripture challenges the notion of trusting in anything but God.
A third minor point, is I want to set the battle metaphor alongside other metaphors for discipleship. Some Christians are uncomfortable with any warfare/militant language and tend to soft pedal hard truths. But if the battle metaphor becomes dominant, likewise the gospel is misrepresented. Certainly we need to be told to man up (as men anyway) but we also need to live in the experience of grace in our life. By all means read this book and be challenged, but do not read it along side your Bible and other literature which speaks of God's radical self-giving love.
So yes, this could be a good discipleship book if you are a young man (high school or early college) and have action hero fantasies (like when you are stuck in the line at the bank and you wonder how you would save everyone there is 800 Philistines took you and the others hostage). You will enjoy it and it will encourage you to pursue God and grow in your faith. However, eat the meat and spit out the bones. There is good stuff here for the careful reader.
Thank you to Cross Focused Reviews and The Good Book Company for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for this review.
August 18, 2012
For decades researchers, statisticians and pollsters have been charting the decline of men within the church and Christianity. Many suggest that Christianity is not drawing in men or keeping the ones who grow up in it. For others, there is the charge that Christianity is too masculine. Just read books like Wild At Heart by John Eldredge and The Masculine Mandate by Richard Phillips and you will get quite a different take on what masculinity looks like from a Christian perspective.
Recent on the scene of books helping men see themselves as God desires them to be is The Hard Corps: Combat Training for the Man of God by Dai Hankey. Dai is a man who was saved from a life of sin and is now a church planter and a married man with four kids. Dai has a desire to reach the men of this generation with the love of Christ and show them that God has a plan for their lives. The Hard Corps came out of a sermon series he preached through 2 Samuel 23 on the mighty men of David with the desire to show men what Christian masculinity looks like.
This book has some great things going for it. The graphics are eye catching with various military paraphernalia like knives, can-tines and gross looking military food splattered throughout the chapters. Dai has a way with words which probably comes from his rapping abilities and he sprinkles a bit of guy-only talk in there making the book a guy only read for sure. He does a good job trying to tie the various warriors mention in 2 Samuel 23 with Jesus. from this he also ties in the various OT characters and the lessons learned into the NT as well. The discussion questions at the end of each chapter are solid and thought provoking and make the book useful for a small group to use (GUYS ONLY!). You can tell Dai has a heart for men and making Scripture real to them.
As much as there are some great qualities about the book there is one aspect I found to be unconvincing. In Dai’s effort to bring the text to bear on men he seems to make some exegetical and hermeneutical jumps to do so. In several places I felt great liberties were taken to draw out meaning and application from the little detail that was given in the text. I realize some of these OT passages are hard to get practical meaning from but sometimes there just isn’t any – and that’s ok. Some passages are just there to record certain things whose meaning fits into the broader narrative of redemptive history. It’s not that the application was unbiblical but I just didn’t see some of it having a basis in the passage discussed.
All in all, The Hard Corps is a fine book to be used with a biblical message. God wants and needs men to advance His kingdom and Jesus is the supreme example to follow. Dai has a gift that he is using to reach men for Christ and that is to be commended.
NOTE: I received this book for free from The Good Book Company through Cross Focused Reviews in return for an honest review. I was under no obligation to provide a favorable review and the views expressed are my own.
Recent on the scene of books helping men see themselves as God desires them to be is The Hard Corps: Combat Training for the Man of God by Dai Hankey. Dai is a man who was saved from a life of sin and is now a church planter and a married man with four kids. Dai has a desire to reach the men of this generation with the love of Christ and show them that God has a plan for their lives. The Hard Corps came out of a sermon series he preached through 2 Samuel 23 on the mighty men of David with the desire to show men what Christian masculinity looks like.
This book has some great things going for it. The graphics are eye catching with various military paraphernalia like knives, can-tines and gross looking military food splattered throughout the chapters. Dai has a way with words which probably comes from his rapping abilities and he sprinkles a bit of guy-only talk in there making the book a guy only read for sure. He does a good job trying to tie the various warriors mention in 2 Samuel 23 with Jesus. from this he also ties in the various OT characters and the lessons learned into the NT as well. The discussion questions at the end of each chapter are solid and thought provoking and make the book useful for a small group to use (GUYS ONLY!). You can tell Dai has a heart for men and making Scripture real to them.
As much as there are some great qualities about the book there is one aspect I found to be unconvincing. In Dai’s effort to bring the text to bear on men he seems to make some exegetical and hermeneutical jumps to do so. In several places I felt great liberties were taken to draw out meaning and application from the little detail that was given in the text. I realize some of these OT passages are hard to get practical meaning from but sometimes there just isn’t any – and that’s ok. Some passages are just there to record certain things whose meaning fits into the broader narrative of redemptive history. It’s not that the application was unbiblical but I just didn’t see some of it having a basis in the passage discussed.
All in all, The Hard Corps is a fine book to be used with a biblical message. God wants and needs men to advance His kingdom and Jesus is the supreme example to follow. Dai has a gift that he is using to reach men for Christ and that is to be commended.
NOTE: I received this book for free from The Good Book Company through Cross Focused Reviews in return for an honest review. I was under no obligation to provide a favorable review and the views expressed are my own.
September 26, 2012
I am not sure what to make of this book. I think, as others had said, it is probably does have a target audience of teenager, young adult. It does have some helpful sections and the last chapter is, to my mind, a good summing of the contents of the book and what it is trying to achieve.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews