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Overwhelmed: Winning the War against Worry
Stressed out? Anxious? Overwhelmed? Good news―you’re not alone!
No one ever said life was going to be easy. Between financial struggles, marital issues, health scares, and the regular, run-of-the-mill problems of everyday life, it’s easy to feel weighed down and trapped by your circumstances. In times like these, it’s tempting to just throw in the towel and quit. Well, don’t do it!
Perry Noble has stood at the edge of the abyss himself, and in Overwhelmed , he shares the keys to unlocking the chains of anxiety and despair once and for all. Building on the premise that when we shift our focus from our circumstances to Christ, everything changes, Perry walks readers through a life-altering plan for overcoming stress, worry, depression, and anxiety so we can be free to enjoy the abundant, joy-filled lives we were created for.
God knows we’re frustrated. He knows we’re tired. He knows we’re struggling. But He also knows how things are going to turn out. He is greater than anything you are going through . . . so don’t give up on God. After all, He’s never given up on you.
No one ever said life was going to be easy. Between financial struggles, marital issues, health scares, and the regular, run-of-the-mill problems of everyday life, it’s easy to feel weighed down and trapped by your circumstances. In times like these, it’s tempting to just throw in the towel and quit. Well, don’t do it!
Perry Noble has stood at the edge of the abyss himself, and in Overwhelmed , he shares the keys to unlocking the chains of anxiety and despair once and for all. Building on the premise that when we shift our focus from our circumstances to Christ, everything changes, Perry walks readers through a life-altering plan for overcoming stress, worry, depression, and anxiety so we can be free to enjoy the abundant, joy-filled lives we were created for.
God knows we’re frustrated. He knows we’re tired. He knows we’re struggling. But He also knows how things are going to turn out. He is greater than anything you are going through . . . so don’t give up on God. After all, He’s never given up on you.
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2014
99 people are currently reading
1128 people want to read
About the author
Perry Noble
17 books31 followersPerry Noble is the founding and senior pastor of NewSpring Church in Anderson, South Carolina. At just twelve years old, the church averages more than eighteen thousand people during weekend services at seven campuses throughout South Carolina. NewSpring currently has campuses in Anderson, Charleston, Columbia, Florence, Greenville, Myrtle Beach and Spartanburg. At each campus, people experience practical teaching and excellent worship in an exciting atmosphere. Services at NewSpring can be viewed live on the Internet from anywhere in the world.Perry is a gifted communicator and teacher who has a conviction for speaking the truth as plainly as possible so that everyone can understand. God has given him a vision and a passion for helping people meet Jesus, and each week he shares God's work and its practical applications for people's daily lives. In addition to teaching at his church, Perry is a nationally known speaker who travels the country to address thousands of people at conferences and events including Catalyst East, Catalyst West, Whiteboard, the Uprising, Orange Conference, Ignite Conference, Radicalis at Saddleback Church, and the Dream Center. Perry also speaks at NewSpring Church's three conferences: Unleash in March and the NewSpring Leadership Conference in September (which together attract more than five thousand church leaders from around the country) and the Gauntlet in Daytona Beach, Florida, a youth conference for NewSpring Church's thriving youth group of more than sixteen hundred students.Perry can also be found online at Perrynoble.com, where he averages more than one million visits a year, and on Twitter, where he has more than fifty thousand followers. Perry, his wife, Lucretia, and their daughter, Charisse, live in Anderson, South Carolina.
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March 28, 2014
This book represents a rare moment of honesty for Perry; he's admitted that he struggles with depression and has had to take medication to deal with it. That's good. The biggest step to solving a problem is admitting that the problem exists. This book purports to be advice learned from Perry's own experience.
What kind of advice do we get?
In chapter 1 Perry says that there are two things he is not going to do.
First, he's not going to tell you that it's no big deal and just get over it. But then in chapter 1 under the section "Choosing Abundance" he says, "The path to victory is paved in making the decision that life is not going to overwhelm you anymore - period." In other words, just make the decision to get over it.
Second, he's not going to be one of those "let me tell you my story" kind of people. Yet, the entire introduction is his story. In fact, Chapter 7 is even titled, "My Story."
It's these simple kinds of lapses in editorial skill that frustrate me when I read books by men who lead churches filled with thousands of people. How can you get away with saying exactly what you said you weren't going to say unless you expect that the people reading the book, or sitting in the chairs, are not really paying attention.
In the book Perry uses the events surrounding Daniel's life, found in the book of Daniel in the Old Testament, as an example of how to handle being overwhelmed. There's no doubt that Daniel was dealing with some extreme circumstances. If we could face the day the way that Daniel did we'd all be better off. Perry rightly says that we can trust God to get us through these situations.
This is where things go wrong. Well, more wrong...wronger?
In Chapter 5 he spends a lot of time bashing the church. I know, he doesn't like it when people critique his church, but in this chapter he goes out of his way to point out all the stereotypes he can which always apply to other churches.
In Chapter 9 he does, if briefly, mention the need for repentance. Perry says, "I understood that my relief [from depression] would only come through repentance." Unfortunately back in chapter 6 he said it's sad that some church leaders say, "if a person is dealing with depression, it's because of some unconfessed sin in their lives that they need to deal with."
"Just because we follow Jesus, it doesn't mean we escape stressful and anxiety-filled circumstances." This is true and Perry proves it with a lot of personal stories. Nearly every chapter, with the exception of only a couple, starts with a personal story of Perry's and usually results in showing how angry, or obstinate, he can get. I understand that he's using these personal stories to relate, but after the first dozen, or so, I started to feel like a morbid voyeur of a "reality" show.
Then, of course, there's some just plain bad theology. At the end of chapter 21 he says, "Any time He asks us to give up something, it's because He wants to give us something even better." Well, don't tell that to Paul the Apostle. In chapter 23, he claims that the two men on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24) didn't recognize Jesus because they weren't expecting to see him, they believed Jesus was still dead, and they were too busy. He claims that "people" have different opinions on they didn't recognize Jesus. The scripture answer this plainly in Luke 24:16, "But their eyes were kept from recognizing him." Then Perry goes on to use this event as a case against busyness. Busyness isn't good, but this passage has nothing to do with it.
The last thing I want to point out is the contradiction of chapter 30. Perry writes, "Don't allow the religious world to tell you that God's love is something you can earn or achieve." To this I say, "Yes and Amen." God's love is given to us by His grace and mercy. I wish Perry would have stopped there. A few sentences later he adds this about feeling far from God and wanting to return to Him. "Doing this simply requires a willingness to stop doing what He's telling you to stop doing and a willingness to start doing what He says you need to start doing."
So, I can't earn God's love, but if I'm "far from Him" I need to be willing to stop doing certain things and start doing other things. If I don't does that mean I won't be near God? How much do I have to start, or stop, doing? When will I know? How do I know if I'm doing it right? If I'm "required" to do something to get near to God doesn't that mean I have to earn God's love?
Here's a better idea. It's God's kindness that leads to repentance, so in response to His kindness repent and receive the forgiveness of sins. If you feel far from God know that He is right there with you and will never leave you or forsake you. In response to that live for Christ knowing that you are never truly far from Him.
While this book fails in so many ways I would be remiss if I didn't point out that at times Perry does have some wonderful, God-honoring statements. However, when you can read these things in books that are not so convoluted and shoddy, to spend time trying to find these nuggets in Overwhelmed is a lot like crawling on all fours through a pig pen, when you could just walk around. All you really need to know about this book is on the back cover.
"God knows we're frustrated. He knows we're tired. He knows we're struggling. But He also knows how things are going to turn out. He is greater than anything you're going through."
So, don't buy the book. Just go to your local bookstore, pick up a copy and read the back cover. Then put it back on the shelf.
What kind of advice do we get?
In chapter 1 Perry says that there are two things he is not going to do.
First, he's not going to tell you that it's no big deal and just get over it. But then in chapter 1 under the section "Choosing Abundance" he says, "The path to victory is paved in making the decision that life is not going to overwhelm you anymore - period." In other words, just make the decision to get over it.
Second, he's not going to be one of those "let me tell you my story" kind of people. Yet, the entire introduction is his story. In fact, Chapter 7 is even titled, "My Story."
It's these simple kinds of lapses in editorial skill that frustrate me when I read books by men who lead churches filled with thousands of people. How can you get away with saying exactly what you said you weren't going to say unless you expect that the people reading the book, or sitting in the chairs, are not really paying attention.
In the book Perry uses the events surrounding Daniel's life, found in the book of Daniel in the Old Testament, as an example of how to handle being overwhelmed. There's no doubt that Daniel was dealing with some extreme circumstances. If we could face the day the way that Daniel did we'd all be better off. Perry rightly says that we can trust God to get us through these situations.
This is where things go wrong. Well, more wrong...wronger?
In Chapter 5 he spends a lot of time bashing the church. I know, he doesn't like it when people critique his church, but in this chapter he goes out of his way to point out all the stereotypes he can which always apply to other churches.
In Chapter 9 he does, if briefly, mention the need for repentance. Perry says, "I understood that my relief [from depression] would only come through repentance." Unfortunately back in chapter 6 he said it's sad that some church leaders say, "if a person is dealing with depression, it's because of some unconfessed sin in their lives that they need to deal with."
"Just because we follow Jesus, it doesn't mean we escape stressful and anxiety-filled circumstances." This is true and Perry proves it with a lot of personal stories. Nearly every chapter, with the exception of only a couple, starts with a personal story of Perry's and usually results in showing how angry, or obstinate, he can get. I understand that he's using these personal stories to relate, but after the first dozen, or so, I started to feel like a morbid voyeur of a "reality" show.
Then, of course, there's some just plain bad theology. At the end of chapter 21 he says, "Any time He asks us to give up something, it's because He wants to give us something even better." Well, don't tell that to Paul the Apostle. In chapter 23, he claims that the two men on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24) didn't recognize Jesus because they weren't expecting to see him, they believed Jesus was still dead, and they were too busy. He claims that "people" have different opinions on they didn't recognize Jesus. The scripture answer this plainly in Luke 24:16, "But their eyes were kept from recognizing him." Then Perry goes on to use this event as a case against busyness. Busyness isn't good, but this passage has nothing to do with it.
The last thing I want to point out is the contradiction of chapter 30. Perry writes, "Don't allow the religious world to tell you that God's love is something you can earn or achieve." To this I say, "Yes and Amen." God's love is given to us by His grace and mercy. I wish Perry would have stopped there. A few sentences later he adds this about feeling far from God and wanting to return to Him. "Doing this simply requires a willingness to stop doing what He's telling you to stop doing and a willingness to start doing what He says you need to start doing."
So, I can't earn God's love, but if I'm "far from Him" I need to be willing to stop doing certain things and start doing other things. If I don't does that mean I won't be near God? How much do I have to start, or stop, doing? When will I know? How do I know if I'm doing it right? If I'm "required" to do something to get near to God doesn't that mean I have to earn God's love?
Here's a better idea. It's God's kindness that leads to repentance, so in response to His kindness repent and receive the forgiveness of sins. If you feel far from God know that He is right there with you and will never leave you or forsake you. In response to that live for Christ knowing that you are never truly far from Him.
While this book fails in so many ways I would be remiss if I didn't point out that at times Perry does have some wonderful, God-honoring statements. However, when you can read these things in books that are not so convoluted and shoddy, to spend time trying to find these nuggets in Overwhelmed is a lot like crawling on all fours through a pig pen, when you could just walk around. All you really need to know about this book is on the back cover.
"God knows we're frustrated. He knows we're tired. He knows we're struggling. But He also knows how things are going to turn out. He is greater than anything you're going through."
So, don't buy the book. Just go to your local bookstore, pick up a copy and read the back cover. Then put it back on the shelf.
June 8, 2016
I have struggled so much recently with worry anxiety and fear. This book was exactly what I needed in this season. Very well written. Reads just as if Perry Noble was talking to you.
January 13, 2019
I'm always skeptical of books I can get for free and writers I'm not familiar with. I downloaded this book for free years ago. I had no idea who Perry Noble was, but the title of the book seemed relevant to my lifr as an anxious person. To make a long story short, I loved this book. Perry is so funny and tells great stories. He brings up a lot of Scripture within the proper context. He gave me new perspective on Bible stories I thought I knew well. Perhaps my most favorite aspect was how humble and real he is. I would certainly recommend this book to anyone who struggles with worry and overwhelming circumstances. Thanks, Perry!
April 1, 2014
Am I overwhelm? That’s putting it mildly! I’m overwhelmed all the time! I wake up overwhelmed and I go to sleep overwhelmed. I’m overwhelmed right now writing this review on Overwhelmed: Winning the War Against Worry!
As a mother of three, I am constantly worrying about my kids healthy, safety, happiness, raising them right etc. I also worry about how on earth I will get a hundred hours worth of things to do in a twenty four hour day. I knew as soon as I saw the title, this was the book for me!
I liked Perry’s point of view and his common sense advice. So much of our being overwhelmed lies on our own shoulders and a shift in perspective can lighten our load. Are you putting all the pressure on yourself? Are you focusing on what isn’t done instead of what isn’t and what is wrong instead of what is right? As I read, I realized how much I am responsible for my own stress and constant state of being overwhelmed.
I really liked Noble’s straight to the point writing and his personal stories that he always starts the chapters with. This made him relatable and established a connection, knowing that he really does understand and can in fact relate.
I also respected how candid he was on the topic of depression that he experienced. Too often it’s swept under the carpet and a taboo subject that is not to be talked about. As a person who has experienced depression, I found this especially helpful and comforting. It’s nothing to be ashamed of and definitely contributes to the feeling of being overwhelmed if you let it.
Perry Noble really understands what it is to be Overwhelmed and respects the fact that everyone has their own issues and just because one person might be worse off than another, it doesn’t diminish or minimize what that individual is going through. His practical insight and advice is invaluable and should be read by anyone feeling overwhelmed!
As a mother of three, I am constantly worrying about my kids healthy, safety, happiness, raising them right etc. I also worry about how on earth I will get a hundred hours worth of things to do in a twenty four hour day. I knew as soon as I saw the title, this was the book for me!
I liked Perry’s point of view and his common sense advice. So much of our being overwhelmed lies on our own shoulders and a shift in perspective can lighten our load. Are you putting all the pressure on yourself? Are you focusing on what isn’t done instead of what isn’t and what is wrong instead of what is right? As I read, I realized how much I am responsible for my own stress and constant state of being overwhelmed.
I really liked Noble’s straight to the point writing and his personal stories that he always starts the chapters with. This made him relatable and established a connection, knowing that he really does understand and can in fact relate.
I also respected how candid he was on the topic of depression that he experienced. Too often it’s swept under the carpet and a taboo subject that is not to be talked about. As a person who has experienced depression, I found this especially helpful and comforting. It’s nothing to be ashamed of and definitely contributes to the feeling of being overwhelmed if you let it.
Perry Noble really understands what it is to be Overwhelmed and respects the fact that everyone has their own issues and just because one person might be worse off than another, it doesn’t diminish or minimize what that individual is going through. His practical insight and advice is invaluable and should be read by anyone feeling overwhelmed!
January 22, 2015
Review on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/review/RO0RTJ4A...
Review on my blog (to be posted 1/20): http://christianbookshelfreviews.blog...
Overwhelmed was a great book to read! One of the things I took from the book is to not focus on how big your problems are (because that will just make you feel even more overwhelmed) and instead try to focus on how much bigger God is and that He is in control.
I liked the way the book was written -- in a friendly and, at times, humorous manner. It was easy to read and helpful too.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book and recommend it.
*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention/review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.*
Review on my blog (to be posted 1/20): http://christianbookshelfreviews.blog...
Overwhelmed was a great book to read! One of the things I took from the book is to not focus on how big your problems are (because that will just make you feel even more overwhelmed) and instead try to focus on how much bigger God is and that He is in control.
I liked the way the book was written -- in a friendly and, at times, humorous manner. It was easy to read and helpful too.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book and recommend it.
*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention/review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.*
October 31, 2018
What I Liked
Way too few Christian books talk about anxiety. This is why I purchased and read Overwhelmed. My life has been a battle against anxiety since I was seven or eight years old - and I want to support any effort that is made toward de-stigmatizing mental illness in the church today.
What I Didn't Like
The weirdest part of this one is the hypocrisy. In chapter one, Noble lists everything he won't be doing in this book. He acknowledges that it takes more than just "getting over it" to overcome anxiety, and he promises he won't use his life as an example. But he contradicts those things over and over and over again.
Nonstop in this book are we given examples of Bible characters who entered difficult circumstances and overcame them with God's help. So we should too. Never mind that we all have different stories, that we suffer and struggle and overcome in different ways. Never mind that we might be fighting to overcome different battles.
Then I looked up Noble's past to try and figure out who this guy was and why his Biblical understanding seemed so shaky at times, as there were a couple of interpretations of Scripture that I didn't agree with it all. I saw his very recent rocky past, his questionable social media, and I realized that Noble and I just don't mesh, anxiety in common or not.
Way too few Christian books talk about anxiety. This is why I purchased and read Overwhelmed. My life has been a battle against anxiety since I was seven or eight years old - and I want to support any effort that is made toward de-stigmatizing mental illness in the church today.
What I Didn't Like
The weirdest part of this one is the hypocrisy. In chapter one, Noble lists everything he won't be doing in this book. He acknowledges that it takes more than just "getting over it" to overcome anxiety, and he promises he won't use his life as an example. But he contradicts those things over and over and over again.
Nonstop in this book are we given examples of Bible characters who entered difficult circumstances and overcame them with God's help. So we should too. Never mind that we all have different stories, that we suffer and struggle and overcome in different ways. Never mind that we might be fighting to overcome different battles.
Then I looked up Noble's past to try and figure out who this guy was and why his Biblical understanding seemed so shaky at times, as there were a couple of interpretations of Scripture that I didn't agree with it all. I saw his very recent rocky past, his questionable social media, and I realized that Noble and I just don't mesh, anxiety in common or not.
February 12, 2014
One of the things I love about Perry is his transparency. It's one of the reasons why I loved this book so much.
Perry is open and honest about his battle with depression and how the Lord has helped him. Plus, it's also a hilarious book because Perry's one of the funniest guys I know.
Some takeaways.
"Most of us tend to believe that God is good when circumstances are going our way but that He isn't so good when things are falling apart. What we need to grasp is that our circumstances do not alter His character. If we refuse to allow our circumstances to shape what we believe about God, we will walk in freedom from fear, knowing that the One who holds tomorrow is good and is in complete control.
The temptation when we're feeling overwhelmed is to focus on our problems and circumstances - the things that got us stuck in the first place. However, when we do that, we give our problems more weight and we end up more overwhelmed than before.
It's a dangerous thing to place our emotional stability in the hands of people. It's a dangerous thing to allow those who know us the least to define us the most. It's a dangerous thing to believe what others say about us rather than what God says about us.
Perry is open and honest about his battle with depression and how the Lord has helped him. Plus, it's also a hilarious book because Perry's one of the funniest guys I know.
Some takeaways.
"Most of us tend to believe that God is good when circumstances are going our way but that He isn't so good when things are falling apart. What we need to grasp is that our circumstances do not alter His character. If we refuse to allow our circumstances to shape what we believe about God, we will walk in freedom from fear, knowing that the One who holds tomorrow is good and is in complete control.
The temptation when we're feeling overwhelmed is to focus on our problems and circumstances - the things that got us stuck in the first place. However, when we do that, we give our problems more weight and we end up more overwhelmed than before.
It's a dangerous thing to place our emotional stability in the hands of people. It's a dangerous thing to allow those who know us the least to define us the most. It's a dangerous thing to believe what others say about us rather than what God says about us.
March 27, 2015
I really did enjoy this book. Perry Noble is able to share truth in a very relatable, irreverent way. At times it was a bit repetitive, but great.
March 10, 2014
My child will be going to a church camp this summer. That terrifies me. As a former youth worker who has spent much time in youth and children’s ministry I know the damage that can be done by many well-intentioned camps. Much rides on the main speaker and how he is going to approach certain aspects including the mandatory (cultural, not Scriptural) altar call. I began researching the speaker for this camp, including looking for the people that he quotes, reads, follows on blogs/twitter/etc.. This is often a good way to get a gauge on someone that you may not know much about. Birds of a feather, right? This speaker had two names that were vaguely familiar to me, Steven Furtick and Perry Noble.
I couldn’t remember much about Perry Noble but I did remember that his name had bad connotations in my thinking. It so happened that NetGalley had an ARC of his forthcoming book and I figured this would be a good opportunity to check out some of his work.
Noble’s newest book is titled Overwhelmed. It is on the topic of busyness and stress and fear and disappointment and, well, being overwhelmed with life and all that it brings. This is an important topic because it is hard to live in this world and not experience this feeling, this burden.
Noble offers some great advice on how our perspective affects our experience. “If we constantly focus on our circumstances, we will be overwhelmed.” Noble encourages the reader to shift their focus away from their circumstances and towards God, the One who deserves our undivided attention. He also encourages the reader to see what God is using their circumstances for and how their pains and trials exist to grow and train them. “I was looking to Jesus to change my circumstances; He was trying to change me.”
One of the highlights of the book is that Noble doesn’t minimize the experience of each individual, even if from a global perspective the things that often overwhelm us seem pretty trivial. This is important because God deals with us in the same way. He doesn’t look at our hurt and our fear and say, “Huh, don’t you know that this person or this group or this period in history had it much worse”. No, He meets us where we are like a loving Father and gives us perspective, but in a healing and restorative way. God does not deal with us with an “others have it worse, get over it” approach and we shouldn’t deal with others in that way either. Noble does not tell the reader to look at the plight of others and count their blessings of their own circumstances. Nope, he says to take the focus off of circumstances and place them firmly on God
“Crazy as it may seem, the best way to conquer feeling overwhelmed is to take our eyes off whats consuming us and get a bigger picture of what’s really important. One of the main ways we accomplish this is by changing our perspective so we can get a true sense of God’s character.”
Noble returns over and again to the unbelievers need to believe the Gospel. While repentance does not get much space, Noble is explicit and persistent about the need for a person to come to Christ in faith.
Over and again Noble harps on the fact that the Christian life is not “easy” and, rather, is one of suffering. While there are times where what he says could fit well in Smiley J. Houston’s next best-seller, Noble is adamant that the reader know that a life of following Christ is likely to be hard, uncomfortable, and suffering-filled. In this vein, Noble hits over and over again on the indwelling sin in believers and in the church corporate and how we should be a refuge for those who are, with us, pilgrims on the way and works in progress. One of the main ministries of the church is to show grace to each other and that is important to Noble and it is critical to the health of any Christian body.
Noble deals well with the topic of depression. He deals with depression and how it is mishandled in the Church. This seems to be an area that God led him through and allowed him to suffer through in order to minister to others. His counsel on depression is honest, wise and biblical. He encourages the reader to fix their eyes upon Christ, knowing that even in the midst of their despair that “as long as Jesus is alive, there is always hope.”
Noble’s answers on how to deal with issues are often strikingly biblical and Christ-centered. Depression and hopelessness? Remember that “as long as Jesus is alive, there is always hope.” Feelings of anxiety and fear? Focus on the character of God, how He is good and holy! “Holiness and goodness are not what He does but rather who He is. And He can’t cease to be who He is.” Beyond that, God is near and “God’s presence is greater than our problems.”
When Noble is on-topic and dealing with practical cures for being overwhelmed this book flourishes and offers much hope and great benefit. However, there is much in the book, and Noble’s teaching as a whole, that is concerning and cause for hesitation.
How Noble interacts with the Old Testament narratives as a whole is misguided. They are used as a sort of sermon illustration for how to be not overwhelmed. This is shown in one statement like, “The biggest lesson we can learn from Daniel’s life is that correct thinking leads to correct actions.” Noble’s interpretation of the focus of Daniel and Job is a type of pragmatic moralism that fits in well with the prevailing motif of Western church culture, what Smith refers to as Moralistic Therapeutic Deism.
Also, Noble’s interaction with indwelling sin and a person’s identity would seem to preclude an understanding of the believer as simul lustus et peccator, that is simultaneously just and sinner. In fairness, nowhere in the book does he explicitly reject this, but his language seems to indicate an inherent opposition to this understanding of the believers experience. This rejection logically leads to the Gospel being viewed as a ticket in, useful to become saved but rather unnecessary once one is a believer. The Gospel becomes superfluous in the ongoing life of the believer.
I was also troubled with Noble’s recounting of a story of an elderly lady who was offended by him early in his ministry. Noble had spoken of a woman’s water breaking from the pulpit and this older saint was offended that he had done so. Noble attributes this to the fact that people are often fake in churches and don’t want to deal with anything that is messy. He never seems to consider the fact that it might have more to do with understanding what is appropriate in a corporate worship setting or a mixed setting or a multi-generational setting and what is not. This is, of course, the man who later would utilize AC/DC’s Highway to Hell in an Easter worship service and see no problem with it even when confronted by other pastors. If only he would have listened to this elderly saint rather than judge and mock, he might not have slid so far down into the pits of cultural engagement means sacrilege.
Beyond that, Noble shows his anti-intellectual, experience driven bias. “Somehow church has become a place where we don’t want to hear about real issues or relevant struggles or sins we’ve been dealing with all week long. We’d rather hear obscure history lessons, Greek and Hebrew word training, and lots of quotes from dead white guys.”
This false dichotomy of theology vs application, engaging the head vs engaging the heart, creeds vs deeds, depth vs relevance is pervasive in our Christian sub-culture and leads to the sheep not being equipped to live a life of faith. It leads to disciple-less churches, a problem even Bill Hybells has recognized and sought to rectify. Noble would do well to take a cue from this pioneer of seeker-sensitive and add some meat to the milk so that his flock might grow in their faith and be able to stand on their own. Keeping people ignorant has always been a way to control and pastors do not seek to exercise this type of abusive control over their flocks.
After spending pages using his church’s numerical growth, Noble then offers this very troubling statement:
“As our attendance increased and awareness about our church spread, it became obvious that some people who called themselves Christians didn’t like what we were doing or how we were doing it. As a result, a flurry of criticism and personal attacks came my way.”
This is disconcerting for a number of reasons. First off, there is the implicit understanding that numerical growth equals proof of Gospel fidelity. Take a trip to Houston and check out Reliant Stadium on a Sunday morning and this will prove to be an unnecessary conclusion. For Noble, obviously if people are coming it has to be of God. This Gospel of William James that bows itself to the idols of pragmatism and numbers is false and dangerous. To see how numbers are not equal to fidelity just look at the earthly ministry of Jesus and how many times the masses abandoned Him.
Secondly, it is a bad place to be where you can honestly argue in your heart that someone who criticizes you and disagrees with you is an unbeliever. Those who “called themselves Christians” dared to question the great Perry Noble. This is cult-logic and I hope that this is not how he truly thinks or operates.(In fairness, I have no reason to believe he does. His language in these situations does concern me however.)
Chapter 26 is a great example of the good and bad of this books. The points he makes about God’s love are priceless and encouraging and Scriptural, but his use of Daniel’s narrative like a fabel to get there is unhelpful and causes Daniel to be the focus, not Christ. This way of using Scripture to make a point always puts a bad taste in my mouth.
Noble’s interaction with the Apostle John is ridiculous. It is built on conjecture and the desire to make points rather than actually engaging the text properly. Noble imagines some things and presents them as unassailable fact. John gave himself a nickname, Peter and Andrew were fishermen because they were rejected, John was “religious”, that is self-righteous. (Noble follows the contemporary antithesis between religion and faith/relationship) Noble knows this because he is able to see the intentions behind John’s actions even though the Scriptures do not reveal them. This may make for entertaining reading and great stories, but it is not necessarily based on Scripture. At all. It is always dangerous to reach beyond what God’s word says in order to make a point and Noble makes a habit of this. Sometimes the point is great, but that doesn’t excuse his handling of the Scriptures, which is poor at many points.
This book offers some very practical helps on dealing with an overwhelmed life and is wildly encouraging at parts (especially how he addresses depression), but there are too many negatives to be able to recommend it. If you are looking for a good book on how to deal with an overwhelmed life I would suggest Crazy Busy by Kevin DeYoung.
I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley for review purposes.
I couldn’t remember much about Perry Noble but I did remember that his name had bad connotations in my thinking. It so happened that NetGalley had an ARC of his forthcoming book and I figured this would be a good opportunity to check out some of his work.
Noble’s newest book is titled Overwhelmed. It is on the topic of busyness and stress and fear and disappointment and, well, being overwhelmed with life and all that it brings. This is an important topic because it is hard to live in this world and not experience this feeling, this burden.
Noble offers some great advice on how our perspective affects our experience. “If we constantly focus on our circumstances, we will be overwhelmed.” Noble encourages the reader to shift their focus away from their circumstances and towards God, the One who deserves our undivided attention. He also encourages the reader to see what God is using their circumstances for and how their pains and trials exist to grow and train them. “I was looking to Jesus to change my circumstances; He was trying to change me.”
One of the highlights of the book is that Noble doesn’t minimize the experience of each individual, even if from a global perspective the things that often overwhelm us seem pretty trivial. This is important because God deals with us in the same way. He doesn’t look at our hurt and our fear and say, “Huh, don’t you know that this person or this group or this period in history had it much worse”. No, He meets us where we are like a loving Father and gives us perspective, but in a healing and restorative way. God does not deal with us with an “others have it worse, get over it” approach and we shouldn’t deal with others in that way either. Noble does not tell the reader to look at the plight of others and count their blessings of their own circumstances. Nope, he says to take the focus off of circumstances and place them firmly on God
“Crazy as it may seem, the best way to conquer feeling overwhelmed is to take our eyes off whats consuming us and get a bigger picture of what’s really important. One of the main ways we accomplish this is by changing our perspective so we can get a true sense of God’s character.”
Noble returns over and again to the unbelievers need to believe the Gospel. While repentance does not get much space, Noble is explicit and persistent about the need for a person to come to Christ in faith.
Over and again Noble harps on the fact that the Christian life is not “easy” and, rather, is one of suffering. While there are times where what he says could fit well in Smiley J. Houston’s next best-seller, Noble is adamant that the reader know that a life of following Christ is likely to be hard, uncomfortable, and suffering-filled. In this vein, Noble hits over and over again on the indwelling sin in believers and in the church corporate and how we should be a refuge for those who are, with us, pilgrims on the way and works in progress. One of the main ministries of the church is to show grace to each other and that is important to Noble and it is critical to the health of any Christian body.
Noble deals well with the topic of depression. He deals with depression and how it is mishandled in the Church. This seems to be an area that God led him through and allowed him to suffer through in order to minister to others. His counsel on depression is honest, wise and biblical. He encourages the reader to fix their eyes upon Christ, knowing that even in the midst of their despair that “as long as Jesus is alive, there is always hope.”
Noble’s answers on how to deal with issues are often strikingly biblical and Christ-centered. Depression and hopelessness? Remember that “as long as Jesus is alive, there is always hope.” Feelings of anxiety and fear? Focus on the character of God, how He is good and holy! “Holiness and goodness are not what He does but rather who He is. And He can’t cease to be who He is.” Beyond that, God is near and “God’s presence is greater than our problems.”
When Noble is on-topic and dealing with practical cures for being overwhelmed this book flourishes and offers much hope and great benefit. However, there is much in the book, and Noble’s teaching as a whole, that is concerning and cause for hesitation.
How Noble interacts with the Old Testament narratives as a whole is misguided. They are used as a sort of sermon illustration for how to be not overwhelmed. This is shown in one statement like, “The biggest lesson we can learn from Daniel’s life is that correct thinking leads to correct actions.” Noble’s interpretation of the focus of Daniel and Job is a type of pragmatic moralism that fits in well with the prevailing motif of Western church culture, what Smith refers to as Moralistic Therapeutic Deism.
Also, Noble’s interaction with indwelling sin and a person’s identity would seem to preclude an understanding of the believer as simul lustus et peccator, that is simultaneously just and sinner. In fairness, nowhere in the book does he explicitly reject this, but his language seems to indicate an inherent opposition to this understanding of the believers experience. This rejection logically leads to the Gospel being viewed as a ticket in, useful to become saved but rather unnecessary once one is a believer. The Gospel becomes superfluous in the ongoing life of the believer.
I was also troubled with Noble’s recounting of a story of an elderly lady who was offended by him early in his ministry. Noble had spoken of a woman’s water breaking from the pulpit and this older saint was offended that he had done so. Noble attributes this to the fact that people are often fake in churches and don’t want to deal with anything that is messy. He never seems to consider the fact that it might have more to do with understanding what is appropriate in a corporate worship setting or a mixed setting or a multi-generational setting and what is not. This is, of course, the man who later would utilize AC/DC’s Highway to Hell in an Easter worship service and see no problem with it even when confronted by other pastors. If only he would have listened to this elderly saint rather than judge and mock, he might not have slid so far down into the pits of cultural engagement means sacrilege.
Beyond that, Noble shows his anti-intellectual, experience driven bias. “Somehow church has become a place where we don’t want to hear about real issues or relevant struggles or sins we’ve been dealing with all week long. We’d rather hear obscure history lessons, Greek and Hebrew word training, and lots of quotes from dead white guys.”
This false dichotomy of theology vs application, engaging the head vs engaging the heart, creeds vs deeds, depth vs relevance is pervasive in our Christian sub-culture and leads to the sheep not being equipped to live a life of faith. It leads to disciple-less churches, a problem even Bill Hybells has recognized and sought to rectify. Noble would do well to take a cue from this pioneer of seeker-sensitive and add some meat to the milk so that his flock might grow in their faith and be able to stand on their own. Keeping people ignorant has always been a way to control and pastors do not seek to exercise this type of abusive control over their flocks.
After spending pages using his church’s numerical growth, Noble then offers this very troubling statement:
“As our attendance increased and awareness about our church spread, it became obvious that some people who called themselves Christians didn’t like what we were doing or how we were doing it. As a result, a flurry of criticism and personal attacks came my way.”
This is disconcerting for a number of reasons. First off, there is the implicit understanding that numerical growth equals proof of Gospel fidelity. Take a trip to Houston and check out Reliant Stadium on a Sunday morning and this will prove to be an unnecessary conclusion. For Noble, obviously if people are coming it has to be of God. This Gospel of William James that bows itself to the idols of pragmatism and numbers is false and dangerous. To see how numbers are not equal to fidelity just look at the earthly ministry of Jesus and how many times the masses abandoned Him.
Secondly, it is a bad place to be where you can honestly argue in your heart that someone who criticizes you and disagrees with you is an unbeliever. Those who “called themselves Christians” dared to question the great Perry Noble. This is cult-logic and I hope that this is not how he truly thinks or operates.(In fairness, I have no reason to believe he does. His language in these situations does concern me however.)
Chapter 26 is a great example of the good and bad of this books. The points he makes about God’s love are priceless and encouraging and Scriptural, but his use of Daniel’s narrative like a fabel to get there is unhelpful and causes Daniel to be the focus, not Christ. This way of using Scripture to make a point always puts a bad taste in my mouth.
Noble’s interaction with the Apostle John is ridiculous. It is built on conjecture and the desire to make points rather than actually engaging the text properly. Noble imagines some things and presents them as unassailable fact. John gave himself a nickname, Peter and Andrew were fishermen because they were rejected, John was “religious”, that is self-righteous. (Noble follows the contemporary antithesis between religion and faith/relationship) Noble knows this because he is able to see the intentions behind John’s actions even though the Scriptures do not reveal them. This may make for entertaining reading and great stories, but it is not necessarily based on Scripture. At all. It is always dangerous to reach beyond what God’s word says in order to make a point and Noble makes a habit of this. Sometimes the point is great, but that doesn’t excuse his handling of the Scriptures, which is poor at many points.
This book offers some very practical helps on dealing with an overwhelmed life and is wildly encouraging at parts (especially how he addresses depression), but there are too many negatives to be able to recommend it. If you are looking for a good book on how to deal with an overwhelmed life I would suggest Crazy Busy by Kevin DeYoung.
I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley for review purposes.
August 21, 2019
Such a relevant book...
This book came across my eyes at the right time for me specifically, but realized through reading it, that there is always a good time for this book! Thank you, Perry for putting my expectations of Jesus in the proper prospective by putting my faith in His perspective. Thank you for the sound Biblical references. Thank you for adding enhancements through context and anecdotes. I can’t wait to re-read Overwhelmed for reinforcement because it’s a perspective I want to make ubiquitous throughout my walk with Jesus!!
This book came across my eyes at the right time for me specifically, but realized through reading it, that there is always a good time for this book! Thank you, Perry for putting my expectations of Jesus in the proper prospective by putting my faith in His perspective. Thank you for the sound Biblical references. Thank you for adding enhancements through context and anecdotes. I can’t wait to re-read Overwhelmed for reinforcement because it’s a perspective I want to make ubiquitous throughout my walk with Jesus!!
September 27, 2021
First of all, the book cover looked like the cover of one of my favorite books to this day, The Subtle Art of Not Giving A F*ck. Both of these books tell us how to cope with stress. But Overwhelmed takes on a different path of dealing with stress, and I have to say this works even better than what the other book advised, although I can't take away the fact that the other book also helped me greatly before. :) But I would fondly recommend this book to anyone who feels overwhelmed in their current situation or just anyone who wants to improve their faith in God. :D
July 30, 2025
Overall, the book was well-written, but I didn't feel it had enough substance to warrant finishing. I found it odd the author chose to compare the common stressors of today to those experienced by Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. I guess the logic is, if they trusted God in their situation, we can trust God in ours, as it is unlikely we are facing a life or death situation like they were? Also, many of the personal stories shared were specific to being a pastor (a common but understandable fault of many books written by pastors) and so might not be as relatable for most readers.
April 23, 2019
"For one thing, sometimes I think I can handle certain things that are too heavy for me. We've all been there - we encounter a situation and think, 'No big deal, I can handle it.' But then the unexpected happens, and the situation we saw as manageable comes crashing down on us. That's because life is cumulative. What we thought wasn't a big deal may not be, in and of itself; however, when we throw it in with everything else we're facing, it can be the final thing that makes us lose our grip."
September 23, 2018
Eye Opening!
Perry addresses the issue of being overwhelmed by sharing how big God is! While sharing many personal battles and victories I found myself giggling out loud at his candid humor, while looking inward at my own troubles. In the end God is still God and we are still flesh, yet He is able and will provide a way out and bring us victory in our overwhelming circumstances.
Perry addresses the issue of being overwhelmed by sharing how big God is! While sharing many personal battles and victories I found myself giggling out loud at his candid humor, while looking inward at my own troubles. In the end God is still God and we are still flesh, yet He is able and will provide a way out and bring us victory in our overwhelming circumstances.
July 14, 2019
This book helped me out so much. It took me awhile to read this book, because I kept re-reading the chapters. I learnt so much about myself. It was easy to read. It was straight forward and filled with humor. I hope I can find another one as pleasant able to read. I’m now a follower of this author. I might get luck!
December 10, 2019
I did not like the writing style of this author at all. I kept waiting for it to get better, but eventually wound up not even finishing it. I also kept waiting for something "deep" or strongly Scriptural and just didn't find it in this book.
May 22, 2020
Chapters 1-3 were awesome — and then chapters 4-35 were essentially repeats of the same idea. And it became a very skin deep assessment on the battles of anxiety and worry, as well as how to find peace in them.
July 5, 2017
Good message but too much emphasis on religion
January 31, 2018
read during a particularly stressful time
it's ok
it's ok
June 10, 2018
I really enjoyed this! Lots of good verses to remember and things to consider.
December 10, 2018
It's not the typical book that will tell you steps on how to remove or ignore your anxiety. It will tell you what really matters and that's what everyone needs to hear.
January 11, 2020
I enjoyed reading a Christian book about anxiety. Religion and The Church seem to push this topic aside and place a silver lining on everything.
February 6, 2022
Decent enough read, some good content, but needed more in-depth writing.
November 1, 2022
Good book
January 18, 2024
After all Pastor Perry has been through, this is such an inspiration. I love this book and his story. People deserve a second chance. Check this book out
March 19, 2024
Lots of good, thought-provoking stuff in this book. Very relatable and encouraging.
June 18, 2024
This book gave me chills! Loved it!
March 6, 2024
read this in hopes of focusing in on depression, anxiety, & overwhelming feelings— felt like i only got about 5 chapters of that. in the 30 chapters that followed there were still good Biblical insights; but a Bible overview was not what i was expecting / hoping for from this one.
January 12, 2022
It's a problem that any breathing human has to wrestle with. That chest tightening, heart racing, sweaty feeling that shows us we are overwhelmed. Whether we are overwhelmed with anxiety, worry, our to do list, looming projects or fear every one of us struggles with what to do when we just can't handle it anymore. If you haven't been there yet you can count on the fact you one day will.
Perry Noble, pastor of NewSpring Church, releases his newest book on April 1st titled Overwhelmed: Winning the War Against Worry. I had a chance to read an advance copy of the book and found that Overwhelmed provides a practical, down-to-earth approach to understanding and confronting anxiety.
Perry is known for his transparent and casual style of preaching and Overwhelmed is no different. I often felt like I was sitting with him over coffee at Starbucks getting advice from someone who's been down the road a little further than me. What makes Overwhelmed different than other books about anxiety is Perry's point of view on the subject. Perry shares his story of struggling with depression and suicide for years before finally admitting the problem to close friends and seeking professional help. (You can read his recent post about taking anti-depressants here or see the 2012 sermon about depression here) In a world where the church as a whole has remained uncomfortably silent on mental health issues, Perry's honesty on this no doubt will offer many freedom from shame.
But Overwhelmed isn't just for those with clinically diagnosed depression. Perry provides Bible insights and application for anyone struggling with feeling anxious at any level. Overwhelmed provides good advice and insight on how to start walking in freedom from anxiety. Perry writes:
Change begins with a decision: overwhelmed or overcome?
If you struggle with feeling overwhelmed, or think you might, reading Perry's book Overwhelmed is a great first step towards overcoming.
Perry Noble, pastor of NewSpring Church, releases his newest book on April 1st titled Overwhelmed: Winning the War Against Worry. I had a chance to read an advance copy of the book and found that Overwhelmed provides a practical, down-to-earth approach to understanding and confronting anxiety.
Perry is known for his transparent and casual style of preaching and Overwhelmed is no different. I often felt like I was sitting with him over coffee at Starbucks getting advice from someone who's been down the road a little further than me. What makes Overwhelmed different than other books about anxiety is Perry's point of view on the subject. Perry shares his story of struggling with depression and suicide for years before finally admitting the problem to close friends and seeking professional help. (You can read his recent post about taking anti-depressants here or see the 2012 sermon about depression here) In a world where the church as a whole has remained uncomfortably silent on mental health issues, Perry's honesty on this no doubt will offer many freedom from shame.
But Overwhelmed isn't just for those with clinically diagnosed depression. Perry provides Bible insights and application for anyone struggling with feeling anxious at any level. Overwhelmed provides good advice and insight on how to start walking in freedom from anxiety. Perry writes:
Change begins with a decision: overwhelmed or overcome?
If you struggle with feeling overwhelmed, or think you might, reading Perry's book Overwhelmed is a great first step towards overcoming.
August 27, 2014
I've had Overwhelmed by Perry Noble on my "want-to-read" list for awhile now, so I was really excited when I saw that it was free on Kindle for a limited time and downloaded it right away. The description for Overwhelmed sounds like it has a great premise: "Stressed out? Anxious? Overwhelmed? Good news—you’re not alone!
No one ever said life was going to be easy. Between financial struggles, marital issues, health scares, and the regular, run-of-the-mill problems of everyday life, it’s easy to feel weighed down and trapped by your circumstances. In times like these, it’s tempting to just throw in the towel and quit. Well, don’t do it!
Perry Noble has stood at the edge of the abyss himself, and in Overwhelmed, he shares the keys to unlocking the chains of anxiety and despair once and for all. Building on the premise that when we shift our focus from our circumstances to Christ, everything changes, Perry walks readers through a life-altering plan for overcoming stress, worry, depression, and anxiety so we can be free to enjoy the abundant, joy-filled lives we were created for.
God knows we’re frustrated. He knows we’re tired. He knows we’re struggling. But He also knows how things are going to turn out. He is greater than anything you are going through . . . so don’t give up on God. After all, He’s never given up on you."
I can definitely relate to all of this, so I couldn't wait to read the book. I deal with anxiety and worry problems, so I was hoping there would be a lot of take-away for me in these pages. Noble states that he's not going to give platitudes or quick fixes in this book, but he does at times. My main disappointment with this book is that it dealt mainly with depression, as opposed to worry and anxiety. The book description focuses on worry and anxiety, so it was a bit of a surprise that it focused so much on depression instead. I think this could be a decent book for people going through depression - it does have lots of Scriptures and some good tools. Also a minor concern, but the cover could definitely be more appealing. It's not a cover that would draw me to it in a bookstore. I'd recommend this book to Christians struggling with depression, but there are many other books out there that are better.
No one ever said life was going to be easy. Between financial struggles, marital issues, health scares, and the regular, run-of-the-mill problems of everyday life, it’s easy to feel weighed down and trapped by your circumstances. In times like these, it’s tempting to just throw in the towel and quit. Well, don’t do it!
Perry Noble has stood at the edge of the abyss himself, and in Overwhelmed, he shares the keys to unlocking the chains of anxiety and despair once and for all. Building on the premise that when we shift our focus from our circumstances to Christ, everything changes, Perry walks readers through a life-altering plan for overcoming stress, worry, depression, and anxiety so we can be free to enjoy the abundant, joy-filled lives we were created for.
God knows we’re frustrated. He knows we’re tired. He knows we’re struggling. But He also knows how things are going to turn out. He is greater than anything you are going through . . . so don’t give up on God. After all, He’s never given up on you."
I can definitely relate to all of this, so I couldn't wait to read the book. I deal with anxiety and worry problems, so I was hoping there would be a lot of take-away for me in these pages. Noble states that he's not going to give platitudes or quick fixes in this book, but he does at times. My main disappointment with this book is that it dealt mainly with depression, as opposed to worry and anxiety. The book description focuses on worry and anxiety, so it was a bit of a surprise that it focused so much on depression instead. I think this could be a decent book for people going through depression - it does have lots of Scriptures and some good tools. Also a minor concern, but the cover could definitely be more appealing. It's not a cover that would draw me to it in a bookstore. I'd recommend this book to Christians struggling with depression, but there are many other books out there that are better.
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