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This Light of Mine: Living Like Jesus in a Non-Jesus World
If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do? Psalm 11:3
Followers of Christ have every right to be concerned about the troubling shifts in our culture. On nearly every front things are different. Much of what we see is a direct contradiction to divinely revealed truth and the convictions we hold dear. At times, we feel like we’ve lost the battle for what’s good and right.
The challenge for us now? To respond in ways that communicate the gospel without alienating people who need to hear about the good news of Christ's redemptive work. Unfortunately, many of us have responded with a sense of hopelessness and despair. Others have entwined evangelicalism with political alignments. Both strategies have made our message less than attractive and have betrayed the hope we have to offer a world gone wrong.
This Light of Mine is a call to evangelicals to pivot from being consumed in a battle for our earthly kingdom and to embrace the privilege of advancing the kingdom of Christ. Drawing from the Scriptures and the life of Jesus, Joe Stowell provides a hope-filled, courageous response that empowers us to light up the darkness by living like Jesus in a non-Jesus world.
Followers of Christ have every right to be concerned about the troubling shifts in our culture. On nearly every front things are different. Much of what we see is a direct contradiction to divinely revealed truth and the convictions we hold dear. At times, we feel like we’ve lost the battle for what’s good and right.
The challenge for us now? To respond in ways that communicate the gospel without alienating people who need to hear about the good news of Christ's redemptive work. Unfortunately, many of us have responded with a sense of hopelessness and despair. Others have entwined evangelicalism with political alignments. Both strategies have made our message less than attractive and have betrayed the hope we have to offer a world gone wrong.
This Light of Mine is a call to evangelicals to pivot from being consumed in a battle for our earthly kingdom and to embrace the privilege of advancing the kingdom of Christ. Drawing from the Scriptures and the life of Jesus, Joe Stowell provides a hope-filled, courageous response that empowers us to light up the darkness by living like Jesus in a non-Jesus world.
- GenresNonfiction
144 pages, Paperback
Published January 7, 2025
13 people are currently reading
38 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
February 7, 2026
“If we are in sync with the ways of Christ’s kingdom, we are different.”
THIS LIGHT OF MINE is a slight and weak book, and this despite the fact that author Joseph M. Stowell repeatedly insists that Christians must not back down from biblical mandates or biblical truth. On the surface, this sounds commendable. However, the problem is not what Stowell claims to believe, it is the language he chooses to use when addressing key cultural issues. When discussing matters such as sexuality, gender, and other cultural flashpoints, Stowell relies on euphemistic and compromised terminology rather than clear, biblically grounded language. Stowell repeatedly adopts the words of those who oppose biblical Christianity. When a Christian author uses the inaccurate or ideologically loaded language of his opponents, the argument is already lost. The battlefield has been surrendered before the conversation even begins.
A clear example appears in his discussion of gender. On the same page where he urges Christians to defend biblical values, he employs terminology that reflects secular ideological assumptions rather than biblical categories. He actually uses the term “transition care for minors.” Are you kidding me?
Later in the book, Stowell refers to illegal migrants as “border immigrants.” Again, language matters. When terms themselves are misleading or evasive, truth becomes obscured. If we cannot accurately name reality, we cannot meaningfully defend it. In such cases, compromise is not an accident, it is built into the vocabulary. His call to kindness rings empty because clarity has already been sacrificed. As a result, this text comes across as vague and platitudinous. It is not particularly useful for Christians who are seeking to faithfully and courageously defend biblical truth in a hostile culture. That disappointment is compounded by the list of individuals who chose to endorse the book.
Quotes:
• “…the pinnacle proof of our love for Him is obedience to Him”.
• “…every day there are opportunities to show our love to someone else as an expression of our love for God and the betterment of their lives.”
There is no shortage of Christian literature today, and this book does little to rise above the noise. One can only hope it quickly fades into the crowded well of forgettable Christian publishing. There are far better books available. Works that defend Scripture with clarity, offer practical application for daily Christian living, and do so with both boldness and humility.
Christians do not need softer language or borrowed terminology. We need voices that speak with both grace and truth. The full counsel of God, clearly and courageously proclaimed.
THIS LIGHT OF MINE is a slight and weak book, and this despite the fact that author Joseph M. Stowell repeatedly insists that Christians must not back down from biblical mandates or biblical truth. On the surface, this sounds commendable. However, the problem is not what Stowell claims to believe, it is the language he chooses to use when addressing key cultural issues. When discussing matters such as sexuality, gender, and other cultural flashpoints, Stowell relies on euphemistic and compromised terminology rather than clear, biblically grounded language. Stowell repeatedly adopts the words of those who oppose biblical Christianity. When a Christian author uses the inaccurate or ideologically loaded language of his opponents, the argument is already lost. The battlefield has been surrendered before the conversation even begins.
A clear example appears in his discussion of gender. On the same page where he urges Christians to defend biblical values, he employs terminology that reflects secular ideological assumptions rather than biblical categories. He actually uses the term “transition care for minors.” Are you kidding me?
Later in the book, Stowell refers to illegal migrants as “border immigrants.” Again, language matters. When terms themselves are misleading or evasive, truth becomes obscured. If we cannot accurately name reality, we cannot meaningfully defend it. In such cases, compromise is not an accident, it is built into the vocabulary. His call to kindness rings empty because clarity has already been sacrificed. As a result, this text comes across as vague and platitudinous. It is not particularly useful for Christians who are seeking to faithfully and courageously defend biblical truth in a hostile culture. That disappointment is compounded by the list of individuals who chose to endorse the book.
Quotes:
• “…the pinnacle proof of our love for Him is obedience to Him”.
• “…every day there are opportunities to show our love to someone else as an expression of our love for God and the betterment of their lives.”
There is no shortage of Christian literature today, and this book does little to rise above the noise. One can only hope it quickly fades into the crowded well of forgettable Christian publishing. There are far better books available. Works that defend Scripture with clarity, offer practical application for daily Christian living, and do so with both boldness and humility.
Christians do not need softer language or borrowed terminology. We need voices that speak with both grace and truth. The full counsel of God, clearly and courageously proclaimed.
January 21, 2025
Great new book by former Moody Bible Institute President Joe Stowell. Helpful reminders on living out our Christian faith in the world. Includes some good advice on the dangers of mixing a political message in with Christian witnessing.
November 20, 2025
The author of this book was my pastor during my college days nearly fifty years ago. I recently heard him teach at a conference. His style is very winsome and so is this book as he grapples with the titanic shifts in our American culture. Full of hopeful stories and examples, this book is excellent guide on how to follow Christ in the nitty-gritty of life. It is a short book and a quick read, but lots to ponder.
January 29, 2026
Dave and I first "met" Pastor Stowell when we watched his, The 7 Churches of Revelation, DVD. We shared this DVD with several of our church small groups and our condo women's bible study as well. We actually did "meet" Pastor Stowell this past Fall in Indianapolis; we attended a Moody Bible Institute event. Dave/I received a copy of this book there; we have now both read it and are "paying it forward" with others in our community. Solid read that we'd suggest you check into as well.
January 2, 2026
Highly recommend reading. This book explains how as Christians we are called to respond and act in this upside down world. It addresses several current cultural and controversial topics and gives direction on how to handle those as a Christ follower.
Overall very inspiring, humbling, and encouraging!
Overall very inspiring, humbling, and encouraging!
February 17, 2025
I never know how to rate this books but this was great - very insightful and thought provoking
March 2, 2025
This is quite an eye opening book. I’d say even life changing for me. Heart changing for sure! I appreciated the challenges and questions to ask myself at the end of each chapter!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews