What do you think?
Rate this book
Provocative Faith: Walking Away from Ordinary
Real-life stories, observations, and interviews encourage readers to discover the grace, humility, and truth at the heart of Jesus's message, through an insightful and uplifting exploration of what happens when Christians pursue a passionate faith. Original.
- GenresNonfictionFaith
192 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2005
49 people want to read
About the author
Matthew Paul Turner
44 books296 followersMatthew Paul Turner has made his mark as a force in the Christian children's book publishing market. With his unmatched gift for rhyme blended with deliberate messages of hope and empowerment, Turner's books When God Made You and When God Made Light have become bedtime favorites for families across America. His latest anticipated release is When I Pray for You, which will debut in February 2019.
Turner's storied writing career started nearly 20 years ago, and he has published a book every year. Called “one of Christianity’s fresh voices” by Publisher’s Weekly, Turner's other notable works include Our Great Big American God, Churched, Coffeehouse Gospel and The Christian Culture Survival Guide.
When God Made You was an Evangelical Christian Publishing Association Bestseller, described as “‘Oh, the Places You'll Go' meets the Divine” by recording artist Amy Grant.
Additionally, Turner is an accomplished photographer and journalist. Turner traveled all over the world documenting National Geographic’s “The Story of God with Morgan Freeman”. For the past decade, he has also traveled extensively with World Vision to places such as Tacloban, Philippines; Entebbe, Uganda; Cochabamba, Bolivia; Gyumri, Armenia; and other locations documenting the vast effects of poverty and the humanitarian efforts of the non-profit. His writing has appeared in outlets that include the Washington Post, National Geographic, USA Today and Daily Beast.
Turner lives in Nashville, Tenn. with his wife Jessica and their three elementary-aged children. In his free time, he enjoys portrait photography, woodworking, and cooking for his family and friends. Connect with him at www.matthewpaulturner.com
Turner's storied writing career started nearly 20 years ago, and he has published a book every year. Called “one of Christianity’s fresh voices” by Publisher’s Weekly, Turner's other notable works include Our Great Big American God, Churched, Coffeehouse Gospel and The Christian Culture Survival Guide.
When God Made You was an Evangelical Christian Publishing Association Bestseller, described as “‘Oh, the Places You'll Go' meets the Divine” by recording artist Amy Grant.
Additionally, Turner is an accomplished photographer and journalist. Turner traveled all over the world documenting National Geographic’s “The Story of God with Morgan Freeman”. For the past decade, he has also traveled extensively with World Vision to places such as Tacloban, Philippines; Entebbe, Uganda; Cochabamba, Bolivia; Gyumri, Armenia; and other locations documenting the vast effects of poverty and the humanitarian efforts of the non-profit. His writing has appeared in outlets that include the Washington Post, National Geographic, USA Today and Daily Beast.
Turner lives in Nashville, Tenn. with his wife Jessica and their three elementary-aged children. In his free time, he enjoys portrait photography, woodworking, and cooking for his family and friends. Connect with him at www.matthewpaulturner.com
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
January 21, 2011
"Faith, done Jesus style, isn't usual. It causes you to grate against the norm. Provocative faith is living passionately and loving relentlessly, yet being willing to come in last."
This book reminded me in some ways of Crazy Love by Francis Chan, in that it shares the message that a life devoted to God will break through the confines of normalcy and comfort. Turner speaks passionately about freedom, sharing his own story about coming to grips with the reality of grace in his struggle with pornography, and how when we learn to accept God's crazy love and grace it can free us to do the unthinkable that Jesus demands.
I compared Provocative Faith to Crazy Love, but I enjoyed it a lot more. I'm not sure I could say why... Beside the similar message, they were both written in a frank, conversational tone, both include interesting stories and illustrations, both show a deep passion for what it REALLY means to follow Christ, but Provocative Faith just seemed to hit closer to home. Maybe because before we can live out that Crazy Love, we have to have the kind of faith Turner is talking about. No book can teach you to have deeper faith, but the fresh insight in Provocative Faith will inspire you to move toward it.
This book reminded me in some ways of Crazy Love by Francis Chan, in that it shares the message that a life devoted to God will break through the confines of normalcy and comfort. Turner speaks passionately about freedom, sharing his own story about coming to grips with the reality of grace in his struggle with pornography, and how when we learn to accept God's crazy love and grace it can free us to do the unthinkable that Jesus demands.
I compared Provocative Faith to Crazy Love, but I enjoyed it a lot more. I'm not sure I could say why... Beside the similar message, they were both written in a frank, conversational tone, both include interesting stories and illustrations, both show a deep passion for what it REALLY means to follow Christ, but Provocative Faith just seemed to hit closer to home. Maybe because before we can live out that Crazy Love, we have to have the kind of faith Turner is talking about. No book can teach you to have deeper faith, but the fresh insight in Provocative Faith will inspire you to move toward it.
March 23, 2019
Highly recommend for young and new believers!!
May 26, 2016
Matthew Paul Turner is a product of American evangelicalism, something that turned out not to be a complete blessing. In fact, it pretty much shipwrecked his faith. Like many young men he regularly got stuck with internet pornography, simply tried harder to get himself free and like a fly stuck in a spider's web, the more he struggled the more stuck he became.
Provocative Faith: Walking away from ordinary is his journey of faith away from surface, shallow faith that is marked by legalism to a more grace filled, deeper, more real relationship with God through faith in Christ. This sort of faith, by its very nature, is provocative to others because it's marked by joy and trust. It's written with honesty, self-deprecating humour and a passion for something authentic.
At the end of several chapters there are small interviews with friends of MPT and it's these that are the hardest hitting. The conversation with the couple who struggled to conceive, the woman abused in her childhood struggling but finding the strength to forgive, the guy who lost his job and marriage because he had an affair, the pastor who has buried teenagers; all demonstrate either the shallowness of what MPT wants to leave behind or the real faith that he hopes we will discover.
However, I did have a few issues with the book. In his chapter on our longing for community MPT basically holds up Friends as a good example of community and then describes his nearest experience to finding it. Well, that's setting most people up to fail at community. There are no old people in friends, there are no children in friends, there are no people with proper jobs and responsibilities, there is no purpose, there are no difficult people and no one new can join the group. Friends is a rubbish community.
MPT also ends up with a slightly more gospel-centred version of the American dream with chapters such as Participate in God's dream for you that propagates the myth that we are all somehow destined for greatness, all participants in heaven's version of the X-Factor. MPT says, "I believe the dreams that God has for us are just as grandiose, ridiculous and exciting...I believe each of us has a God-calling on our lives that only we can accomplish."
Sounds nice. Only for most people, that just ain't true. Unless by that he means, dependably and faithfully raising children, holding down a job, serving in church in ordinary ways, not giving up through the ups and downs of life and just being obedient in the next thing that God asks you to do given that it might be something quite small. Simply put, not all of us are called to be world-changers. All of us are called to 'lead a quiet life' (1 Tim 2:2). I'm not saying you're not special or that God has no plans for you, but we can easily get confused with examples like Billy Graham. He was exceptional in the outcomes of his ministry. All of us can be faithful and upright as Billy is and was but maybe not all of us, in fact most of us, won't be exceptionally successful.
This book is OK but I'm not sure I'd be any clearer how God frees me or how to live free after reading this. I think I'd just give them something by Terry Virgo on Grace instead. It does articulate the experience of growing up in an evangelicalism infected by legalism and the resulting weakness of faith this results in, it's one I can personally identify, with but it comes up short with some of its solutions.
Provocative Faith: Walking away from ordinary is his journey of faith away from surface, shallow faith that is marked by legalism to a more grace filled, deeper, more real relationship with God through faith in Christ. This sort of faith, by its very nature, is provocative to others because it's marked by joy and trust. It's written with honesty, self-deprecating humour and a passion for something authentic.
At the end of several chapters there are small interviews with friends of MPT and it's these that are the hardest hitting. The conversation with the couple who struggled to conceive, the woman abused in her childhood struggling but finding the strength to forgive, the guy who lost his job and marriage because he had an affair, the pastor who has buried teenagers; all demonstrate either the shallowness of what MPT wants to leave behind or the real faith that he hopes we will discover.
However, I did have a few issues with the book. In his chapter on our longing for community MPT basically holds up Friends as a good example of community and then describes his nearest experience to finding it. Well, that's setting most people up to fail at community. There are no old people in friends, there are no children in friends, there are no people with proper jobs and responsibilities, there is no purpose, there are no difficult people and no one new can join the group. Friends is a rubbish community.
MPT also ends up with a slightly more gospel-centred version of the American dream with chapters such as Participate in God's dream for you that propagates the myth that we are all somehow destined for greatness, all participants in heaven's version of the X-Factor. MPT says, "I believe the dreams that God has for us are just as grandiose, ridiculous and exciting...I believe each of us has a God-calling on our lives that only we can accomplish."
Sounds nice. Only for most people, that just ain't true. Unless by that he means, dependably and faithfully raising children, holding down a job, serving in church in ordinary ways, not giving up through the ups and downs of life and just being obedient in the next thing that God asks you to do given that it might be something quite small. Simply put, not all of us are called to be world-changers. All of us are called to 'lead a quiet life' (1 Tim 2:2). I'm not saying you're not special or that God has no plans for you, but we can easily get confused with examples like Billy Graham. He was exceptional in the outcomes of his ministry. All of us can be faithful and upright as Billy is and was but maybe not all of us, in fact most of us, won't be exceptionally successful.
This book is OK but I'm not sure I'd be any clearer how God frees me or how to live free after reading this. I think I'd just give them something by Terry Virgo on Grace instead. It does articulate the experience of growing up in an evangelicalism infected by legalism and the resulting weakness of faith this results in, it's one I can personally identify, with but it comes up short with some of its solutions.
December 28, 2017
Definitely some good nuggets in this book. "We often spend too much time analyzing and judging the lifestyles of people rather than looking for a way to love them" is a quote from my fave chapter. Really got me thinking and evaluating the way I treat other people.
September 29, 2008
This is one passionate guy with a gift for writing about faith & life. At points, he seems to wander a bit (esp. near the end of the book) but it's well worth reading if you want to break out of "churchianity."
July 14, 2008
This book is so wonderful...for anyone who struggles with the church, but loves Jesus, this is an honest, real look at faith and Christianity.
July 11, 2008
Own this.
A good book, but not as wildly profound as I was hoping for. I had to laugh at the multiple mentions of the author in his boxers! LOL. :P
A good book, but not as wildly profound as I was hoping for. I had to laugh at the multiple mentions of the author in his boxers! LOL. :P
June 23, 2010
You gotta love the penguin! A very enlightening book about one's faith.
August 23, 2009
Good read, lots of interesting points. A good perspective.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews