Good News for Those Trying Harder

by Alan Kraft

Countless believers are pursuing spiritual growth, only to repeatedly find themselves spinning their wheels and making no progress. Many are driven to just try harder. Others feel a growing sense of failure and distance from God. But for all involved, it's a frustrating cycle. What can we do when trying harder isn't working? Author and pastor Alan Kraft invites us to be still.still enough to hear the twin melodies that comprise the good news of the gospel-brokenness and faith. These core strains have the power to lift our exhausted heads so we may experience life to the full as Jesus promised. Discover the power of a broken spirit, embrace the wonder of living by faith, and experience the joy found when you just stop trying.

Genres: Christian, Nonfiction, Christian Living, Christian Non Fiction, Religion, Spirituality

208 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2008

Reviews

[William DiGena · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're the type of person who is constantly trying to grasp how to be better for God. Who's standard for themselves is perfection. Who's always trying harder to be a better follower of Jesus, then stop reading all the spiritual guidebooks on your book list and read this.

Praise be to Jesus the Son, who saves me, his enemy, over and over again and gives me His peace and mercy.

[Sequin DeMar · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am pleased to say that I know this pastor personally, because he is my pastor! A great teacher and a very Godly man whose goal it is, is to minister. Very well!

[John Tijerina III · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read! A reminder to be valuable with others and be authentic with our lifes. Constantly be blown away by God's awesomeness. We need to be aware of of brokenness in a healthy way in order to begin to comprehend God's mercy. Accept His mercy and share it. It won't be all rainbows and sunshine but it will be real and more beautiful as God engulfs everything about you. I have found peace and encouragement reading through this book.

[Gabrielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the Gospel emphasis. The first half of this book is especially excellent in calling the Christian to apply the Gospel to all areas of life--it is not just for salvation, but for sanctification too. I had a few theological concerns in the later chapters, but the overall point and arc of the book was excellent.

[Jorge · Rating 5 out of 5]

si estás cansado de esforzarte mucho, es por acá

Uno se cansa de intentar ser espiritual o vivir mejor. El autor nos propone un”menos es más “ de la vida cristiana

[Simon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a book that I needed to read. It's thesis is that Christians are acceptable to God solely because of Jesus and what he has done for them. However, as Christians it's easy to gradually forget this basis of our acceptance with God and to try to please God through the things that we do. As a result, we can become performance orientated and can continually be seeking in our own effort to make ourselves pleasing to God. This leads to frustration and weariness.

Kraft keeps reiterating that the Gospel is not just something that we need at the beginning of our Christian lives to bring us into the Kingdom. Rather, it's something that we need to hear each day of our lives and it's what is to motivate us to living a life pleasing to God. God meets us in our brokenness and reminds us that his mercy for us in Jesus is sufficient for us.

[K · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was tremendously moving. It made the gospel fresh again. It gave me a lot of hope as Kraft diligently went through the scripture, making plain that Jesus's job has been finished. My only criticisms are that he cuts this short in favor of giving us things to do, which he spends the first half telling us not to do. The clumsiness with which the second half was written makes me believe the publisher told the author he needs to add a "to do" list to sell the book. The book should have ended with the good news of the gospel, leaving the reader to be inspired by the Spirit to make his own "list of to dos". The first half is so well written, though, it makes up for this deficiency!

[Doug Dale · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is actually the second time I've read this book and for whatever reason I really appreciated what Alan Kraft has shared in this book this time around. I've had a lot of discussions around what a "gospel-centered" life is or what it means to "apply the gospel" in various situations, and I really like Alan's approach to it. This will be a book I'll recommend to people trying to understand how the truth of the gospel is not just about the one-time moment we stepped into faith in Jesus, but also how we live every day and even every moment.

[Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has lead me to an epic moment in my spiritual journey. For someone raised in a very legalistic denomination, being able to come to the understanding that my salvation has been already accomplished and I can't work hard enough to attain it - it's already done - has been more than a "light bulb" moment! I will definitely be reading this book again so the incredible message can keep sinking in to this old brain. I highly recommend this book. It is a MUST READ!

[Nat · Rating 3 out of 5]

I believe the books strengths lie in the first seven chapters or so. I felt the last few were pretty weak and based on too much experiental emphasis. Why force it?

Also, quoting Blue Like Jazz? Shouldn't they have been confessing to God and not man their sins? I understand what they were trying to do, but where was the gospel in that (which is at the core of Kraft's book)?

[Peter Mead · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very easy read, and a very helpful one too. Our sin is worse than we realized, but our salvation is so much greater than we even dared to imagine. This is a book to read and a book to give away. I wish he’d offered something a bit bolder on Bible reading, but other than that caveat I wholeheartedly endorse the book.

[Tamera]

Awesome book

So good. Would recommend this to anybody and everybody. For somebody that is very rule oriented, it's helped me see how I need to embrace my brokenness and not try to have a list of requirements I fulfill to earn Jesus' love. Amazing book. It has changed my entire perspective and I know it will change my life.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome! This book had a huge impact on me and opened my eyes to so many things. I've been trying to focus less on "doing" and more on "being," and this was just what I needed to read. I'm going to read it again!

[Don · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really appreciated this book. Kraft does a fine job emphasizing how the Gospel leads to freedom and joy, not legalism and rules, for followers of Christ. I highly recommend this book.

[Christian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tired of trying, read this! Gospel at its core. Worth reading. It will transform your life!

[Renada Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I must have copied a dozen passages from this book into my journal. Plan to reread.

[Tim Ogle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a good restarting point for you.

It truly is good news.

[Tamera · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book. I would recommend it to anyone!