Where do you go when all that once stabilized your spiritual life suddenly shifts underneath you? When your faith is shaken and your leaders fail you? When you're languishing in ministry burnout? When you're grieving a friend who walked away from God? When the doubts, disappointments, and sufferings of this broken world tempt you to walk away from him too?
Author and Bible teacher Courtney Reissig has wrestled with these questions. And when painful circumstances pulled down the trappings of easy Christianity and pushed her back against the wall of her faith, she had to decide. Will I walk away, or will I stay? And if I stay and wade through the rubble, what is left there to believe in?
It is here in the hardest point of her story—in the season where trust was eroded and spiritual stability seemed elusive—where God met her. By opening her eyes to crucial and comforting moments in the Gospel of John, God made it even in the most unstable and changing of times, there is One who stays the same. His name is Jesus Christ, and he's someone to believe in.
If you feel disoriented, doubting, grieving, exhausted, or shaken in your faith, open this book, and encounter the steadying power of the unchangeable Christ.
Courtney Reissig is a wife, mother, and writer. She has written for numerous Christian publications including the Gospel Coalition, Christianity Today, and the Her.meneutics blog. She lives in Little Rock, Arkansas, with her husband, Daniel, and their three sons.
Someone to Believe In takes the reader on a journey through the book of John to discover through the eyes of “the one whom Jesus loved” how Christ is worthy of our wholehearted devotion and unwavering trust. I found myself resonating with many of the stories the author weaves into each chapter--stories of infant loss, grievous genetic diagnoses, and of waiting on God in the midst of difficulty and heaviness. Reissig clearly and compassionately demonstrates what it looks like to lean into the Lord throughout life's many challenges.
“In an ever-changing world with its ever-changing characters, Jesus can’t change on us.” -Courtney Reissig
All of us have had moments that shake our faith, whether it be a church hurt or pastoral failing or some personal loss. When we experience these kinds of moments, we begin to question God and wonder if it’s even worth following Him. But in Courtney Reissig’s new book, she demonstrates through an examination of the Gospel of John that Jesus truly is someone to believe in and is our stable anchor in unstable times. Through biblical truths and personal testimonies, this book will encourage and challenge your faith and give you hope for the future.💚
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A big thank you to B&H Publishing for sending me a copy of this book! All thoughts and opinions above are my own.📗
This book was such a good reminder of the anchor believers have in their savior as seen through the eyes of his beloved disciple. Although the gospel of John is a familiar book, I found myself thankful for the reminders of the truths I have held for so long. This book was encouraging and a refreshing reminder to hold on to the anchor we have in Jesus in the midst of the uncertainties of life.
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
It took me some time to grasp what this book was really about. From the subtitle and what I had gathered online about the book, the topic seemed nebulous. But I was quickly rewarded when reading the introduction to learn that this book is about maintaining belief in Christ—as opposed to falling away from Him.
Particularly helpful for me, though I am not at a point of doubt or questioning my faith, was the ability to slow down and be taken through some of the passages in John that were cited. I appreciated the discussion, for example, about the raising of Lazarus and how Jesus waits two days before returning to His friends Mary and Martha. I got a sense of how they questioned Jesus about His delay. Similarly, in my life, answers to prayer have sometimes come after difficult delays. So this section spoke to me. God always has a purpose. And He ministers to us individually in our waiting—as He spoke to Mary and Martha differently upon His return.
I invariably enjoy Reissig’s writing and have waited for this book since I first knew it was coming. Her words never feel trite to me; they feel earned. This book was no different.
In a world where it seems that chaos sometimes reigns, isn't it good to be reminded that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8)? This verse and the theme of belief in the book of John frame the outline of this book, which shows us how Jesus is worthy of our wholehearted belief in our past, our present, and our future.
I enjoyed how full of Scripture this book was and how it reminded me of so many gospel truths. But what sets it apart is that it includes stories of real women who have walked through some unimaginable difficulties and come out on the other side still finding Jesus to be who he has always been. There is power in giving testimony, and my faith was strengthened by reading those included in this book.
Some favorite quotes:
"There is no gap in coverage with the presence of the Lord. For all who believe in him, he's with them always."
"The entire book of Acts is devoted to this mission, where the once scared and confused disciples become the bold and Spirit-filled apostles."
"But Jesus's point here is to assure his disciples that they will bear fruit if they are united to him, so when the pruning comes, they don't doubt that God's given up on them."
Thank you to B&H Publishers and Netgalley for the advanced review copy. All opinions are my own.