The Case for Hope: Looking Ahead with Confidence and Courage

by Lee Strobel

Can you really trust in hope? Does hope sometimes feel like a risk that isn't worth taking? Bestselling author, journalist, and former atheist Lee Strobel proves that hope is real, the true Source of our hope, and why we can trust it.

In The Case for Hope, Lee Strobel pairs his trademark investigative style with an uplifting message of the hope found in Jesus Christ. Strobel will walk you through why holding on to hope is so crucial, why we can trust in the hope of Jesus Christ, and how that hope can change our lives for the better.

Strobel will take you on a journey to discover:


how to find hope in a hopeless world
the source of real hope
the hope of a transformed life
hope for today and beyond
hope that transcends doubt
the hope of heaven
hope for every person
With more than 14 million books sold, Lee Strobel has already helped millions delve deeper into their faith and examine more deeply the how and the why of what they believe. Whether as a gift of encouragement during a difficult season, a reminder of our true hope at Christmas or Easter, a baptism or new member gift at church, or as a self-purchase when you need a lift in your faith, The Case for Hope is sure to inspire and ignite hope in the hearts of all who pick up this book.

Genres: Christian, Nonfiction, Christianity, Religion, Inspirational, Christian Living, Christian Non Fiction

178 pages, Paperback

First published September 29, 2015

About the author

Lee Patrick Strobel is an American Christian author and a former investigative journalist. He has written several books, including four that received ECPA Christian Book Awards (1994, 1999, 2001, 2005)[2] and a series which addresses challenges to the veracity of Christianity. He also hosted a television program called Faith Under Fire on PAX TV and runs a video apologetics web site.

Reviews

[Oceana Reads Co. · Rating 4 out of 5]

The way Lee Strobel uses stories as evidence for each Case is my favourite thing.

SO encouraging. SO hopeful. Recommend.

[Halley Hopson]

4.5 stars!

Lee Strobel does occasionally recall or repeat stories from his other novels in newer books of his but these 100% do not need to be read in any series order in case anyone was wondering 😝

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Case for Hope" is about what we put our hope in, why we can have confident hope in Christ, and how to live that hope out. Due to the title, I expected a bunch of interviews like in his early books ("Case for Christ", "Case for Faith"). While some interviews were worked into the flow, it's more his take on the subject than exploring other people's answers. I thought he did a good, Bible-based job of explaining the hope we can have through Jesus.

He started by explaining the different uses of "hope" in our culture and what biblical hope means--a sure hope, not a please-let-it-be-true hope. He explored why we can have assurance that Jesus was the Son of God and how his death and resurrection provides us with hope. This hope can transform our lives, and our hope can still be sure even in times of doubt. He described various people whose lives have been transformed by knowing Christ, even people who actively rejected Christ. At the end, he provided a 30-day Journal. Each day had a scripture on hope to think about and room underneath to write down your thoughts.

The author did a good job of describing biblical hope, why we can feel confident in it, and how this can change our lives. I'd recommend this book to new Christians or those who feel like they don't have a confident hope in anything.

I received this book as a review copy from the publisher through BookLook.

[T. R. · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were parts I enjoyed in this book, but there were other pieces I struggled with. Overall, the Gospel is shared. Sin is discussed, but toward the beginning and maybe middle of the book sin isn’t as clear. Words like weakness is used when we really need to use the word sin. I think it’s important to note we love our sin and sin will always lead to corruption, we will always remain unsatisfied. We need Jesus to open our eyes to His truth.

Lee brings up Rick Warren, at one point. And he shares how Rick Warren coped with the loss of his son. I don’t want to belittle Rick Warren’s grief at all because sorrow should be given compassion and respect. But I did have issue with something that was shared, so I want to provide just some clarity that I find helpful. From how I understood the text - it sounded like when we go through difficult things to think about Easter. There’s sorrow and sadness, but then the rock is rolled away.

Maybe I misunderstood the text, but it sounded like the story of the Resurrection was being compared to our trials. This bothered me in the sense that the Resurrection happened only once. The Resurrection is not like our trials. We will have repeated trials, but the Resurrection was only once. Now, I can agree that our sorrow won’t last forever. Our pain and trials are temporal.
I just found the comparison of trials and the Resurrection confusing.

A separate point regarding Rick Warren. Sometimes we read books and we see people listed so we get curious on whether or not we should check out that suggested person. As someone who used to love the book by Rick Warren, Purpose Driven Life - I have now realized Purpose Driven does not share the Gospel message, and it’s very Seeker-Driven, very vague on how to seek God.

I used to think I needed to seek God outside of scripture a lot of the time and Purpose Driven continued my confusion about my talents, purpose, and the like. I know now that Christ alone is my purpose. I do not have to seek God outside of scripture, but rather, read His word in proper context. I have found so much relief and encouragement from drawing close to the Lord just from His word, instead of external experiences.

While I have found a number of Lee’s books helpful, I would not recommend anyone to listen to Rick Warren. I would recommend looking up on YouTube Chris Rosebrough’s videos that he’s done on Rick Warren, and I believe Justin Peters has also done some videos explaining teaching issues. Polite Leader, as well.

I did enjoy some of the testimony stories that were shared. I also appreciated to hear how lack of hope truly destroys a person, which is what sin does to us, it kills us. Sin does not want us to find hope in Christ because Jesus alone sustains us.

Overall, there are much better books by Lee. I would recommend his book on Grace over this one.

[John Funderburg · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fine book, but more simplistic and emotional compared to his other "Case for" books. There is some good content here, but it definitely feels more along the lines of "Christian Inspiration" rather than "Apologetics." Worth a look.

[Tim Baumgartner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lee Strobel has written numerous "The Case for..." books [Christ; Faith; Creator; Grace; the Real Jesus; Miracles; etc.] but for some reason this has been the least talked about. I assumed there was a good reason for that, but as I read it, I didn't think there was any warrant for it. This book, like Strobel's others, was REALLY well written! Not only did it include apologetic [defense-of-the-faith type] material, but it includes VERY practical ideas and resources for REAL HOPE [Included is a 30 Day Journal]!!!

The book starts off dealing with a very common query: wishful thinking, blind optimism, hopeful dreams versus biblical hope. It CLEARLY shows the difference between them all before explaining how to live with hope on a daily basis.

Next, Strobel anchored that hope with the historical events of the resurrection using Gary Habermas and Michael Licona's material [The Minimal Facts argument].

The explanation as to how God gives us the power to live for him both now and in the future followed.

Then, doubt was dealt with by demonstrating how it is okay to do so, and how it can lead to a greater hope and faith after getting answers to the questions we were wondering about. The hope of heaven came after that.

Throughout the book, several case studies were included that provided hope for God's transformation in our lives.

Lastly, the book kept in mind those we might think of as "too far gone" or "they're never going to change" cases by sharing some more examples of people who God worked miraculously through to draw them to Himself.

If you want to grow in confidence and courage through hope, don't overlook this book!!!!!!!

[Alyssa · Rating 5 out of 5]

“for most people, hope is something they do, but the Bible talks about hope as something we can have.”

I enjoyed reading this book quite much. It delivers helpful information in simple way; how to differentiate between Doubt and Unbelief, for example. And the message of this book can introduce (and remind the Christian readers) to the hope we can have in Jesus Christ. It also serves as an encouragement to persistently pray for and love those some people we know in our life who we seem “beyond God’s reach”.

Though not so many interviews of the author you can find here compared to his other work such as “The Case for Miracles “, those few real stories are nonetheless powerful in showing the readers that Christ can change what seem to be impossible for human.

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was called to pick up this book just when I felt I needed it most. I appreciated the chapter on doubt the most. It is good to know that doubt is a sign of faith, and can be used as a tool to increase in it. I hadn't really noticed John the Baptist's doubt until it was pointed out in this book, along with Jesus's reaction. That story gives me a lot of hope. I also thought the chapter that discussed hope as more than wishful thinking, blind optimism, or hopeful dreams was important to take note of. I enjoyed the examples and differences of each, especially in contrast to our true source of "living hope" in the biblical hope that is found in Jesus Christ. I liked the real life examples that were used in this book as well. I love hearing about how Jesus changes lives. I've been trying to keep my heart open to others in my life, and I've also gotten down about my own doubts for both myself and others. Knowing that doubt can increase faith helps me to rejoice in it, and actively seek answers instead of beating myself up. My husband will be reading this in the near future as well, and we are hoping to do the 30-day hope journal in the back of the book together at the beginning of the year. This book has definitely touched my life, and provided clarity and insight that I didn't have before. A big thank you goes to the author.

[Larry White · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always Be Prepared

In the Christian apologist’s guiding verse, 1 Peter 3:15, the apostle encourages us, “. . . always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have . . . “. The seeking Christian can be well-served by beginning an inquiry in Lee Strobel’s “Case for” books. His latest, “The Case for Hope” is particularly on point. Furthermore, it fulfills an affirming need for many Christians who might be experiencing challenges to their hope in a world that seems unusually in disarray, and is rapidly becoming more so.

Strobel emphasizes that his aim is to make a case for Biblical hope, the truly important hope distinguished from the superficial hopes that are prevalent in secular culture. He explains the distinction and the reasons why Biblical hope, salvation and redemption, must be our true hope. His case examines how our lives are transformed, our perspective expands beyond the present to the eternal, how doubt is overcome by Biblical hope, and how such hope is available to each and every person.

It’s an easy read at fewer than 175 pages, well written and conceived, and an important source for anyone, believers and nonbelievers alike, who finds the message of this world of hopelessness the cause of anxiety and discouragement. It will brighten your outlook.

[Susan Barnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lee Strobel begins his book, The Case for Hope, with the importance of hope and how people without hope, like prisoners of war, unaccountably die. Strobel contrasts biblical hope with wishful thinking, blind optimism and hopeful dreams. He makes it clear that biblical hope is a stronger foundation for our lives than these other options.

Through the following chapters, Strobel looks at the following issues: Jesus as the source of our hope, how God’s ability to transform lives gives us hope, how we can have hope for the future, how to handle our doubts and how no one is a hopeless cause. He makes good use of biblical passages, personal illustrations and testimonies and in doing so shows the power of hope. We live in a world desperately short of hope and Strobel’s contribution to the subject is valuable. He writes in a down-to-earth and easy-to-read style.

The final chapter is a 30-day journal where Strobel provides 30 Bible verses about hope to daily reflect upon. There’s space to write thoughts, prayers and possible actions. The book presents an effective rationale for Christians to have hope.

Overall, the book is a great encouragement.

[Becky B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Is there any reason to have hope in a world full of hard things, catastrophes, and news filled with doom and gloom? Lee Strobel examines reasons for legitimate hope in Christ.

Several of these chapters are little summaries of topics Strobel has written whole books on, but with a focus on how those topics can provide hope. He uses many fresh illustrations and true stories not featured in his other books. I appreciated the new parts the most as having read many of his other books those chapters felt repetitive to me. The ending was mostly new content and very encouraging stories and points. This is much shorter than any of Strobel's other books, so it would be a good little introduction to his arguments for faith and hope for those who haven't read his other longer books.

Notes on content: No language issues or sexual content. There are some stories that involve deaths of real people from a variety of causes. No gory details.

[Lydia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mr. Strobel breaks down many reasons we can find proof and encouragement for divine hope even in bad circumstances, hard times or broken pasts.

I feel like this is a great read for anyone who has struggled with any amount of depression, even if they only feel stuck in the rut of life. They may not feel trapped in the dark of night, but feel like they are constantly in cloudy weather and simply can't find the sun. This book reminds you that the sun is still there and how to look for it in your past to help believe it will be back in the future. I could definitely see this being at least a biannual read for me, good reminders and helpful points.

No language issues other than saying people swore. Contains descriptions of peoples' pasts including things they did to others and others did for them, which mostly including violence, but may have other mature content.

[Mathew Nix · Rating 4 out of 5]

As with his other better known books, Strobel's writing talents shine here to make this a very enjoyable read that makes its points with expert craft. Strobel focuses on what Christian hope truly means and why we should have it through various well-defended arguments. This would be a great read for anyone who is doubting hope because of struggles or difficulties. Or, if, like me, you just enjoy reading the works of Strobel, you will find this to be a rewarding and satisfying book that is well worth your time.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have loved everything that I have read by Lee Strobel and this is no exception. The Case for Hope obviously focuses on the Hope we have in Christ. The whole Bible is full of hope as there are 97 uses of the word hope in the OT and another 83 uses in the NT. Biblical hope is different than any we could be given by the world as it is anchored in the ONE who has power. Whether you are a believer or not, this book will show you, or remind you, of the hope you can have in Christ Jesus.

[Anne Emenheiser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Filled with Hope! :)

I really enjoyed this book. It provided me with a lot of reasons for hope and renewed my faith! I liked the chapters explaining why Jesus' resurrection is so important in our hope.

[Zach Josh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book! The hope of mankind is our God coming to die the death we deserved. And our hope is His imminent return coming on the clouds of Heaven. The Son of Man will reign forevermore, this is our hope.

[Jrobert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a positive and uplifting read for this season of thanksgiving. Lee strobes gives us so many reasons to be thankful and hope via scriptures. Several stories of real people coming to follow Jesus Christ. A heart warming book full of grace and mercy but most of all hope.

[Jessica Mitchum · Rating 5 out of 5]

A perfect book to focus on the true source of hope! I did it with my small group and all of us loved how the Bible was woven into each chapter. The real life stories illustrated unending hope in God's promises!

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. I listened to the audiobook and I just love Lee Strobel's voice, so warm and engaging. A timely book - the world seems so dark and hopeless these past few years, it's good to be reminded of our real reasons for hope.

[Andy Febrico Bintoro · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a quick read with 30 days journal to be filled in the end of the book. Usually the author would written about himself or many other stories to investigate about a theological concept, but in this book more on theory. Well, its okay too of course, just a bit weird about the writing style 😉

[Alex Zarycka · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a well - written book, as are all books by Lee Strobel! I enjoy his content. I felt so assured of my faith through this book because of how much evidence Strobel provided on the resurrection of Jesus. I also liked his points about hope of course.

[Ben · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing Book

I thoroughly loved this book.

This was a truly amazing book.

Uplifting, inspiring, great stories.

Short, but very powerful read.

This book has the potential to change your life few other books do.

5.0/5

[Renée Knight · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was such an encouragement for the beginning of the year. After struggling with anxiety all of last year, I needed to read something strengthening like this to reshape my thinking. It's full of Bible quotations and real-life stories about the true meaning of hope in Christ.

[Marsha Compton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy read will likely go back through for a refresh on some of the topics. Did lift my spirits after a couple of down days. Did feel last part of the book was geared more towards people who had not yet received Christ verses finding hope inspite or daily adversities.

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book about holding on to hope from "Case for Christ" author Lee Strobel.

[Audra Murray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book on hope for any stage of your journey of belief. I would recommend as a gift to someone in your life that is not a believer or new to the faith.

[Heather G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing

Lee Steinem breaks it down so well in these books, bringing in a solid, understandable way of looking at scripture.

[Brian Zondi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book

The book define hope and it's importance based on the scripture by using biblical reference. It shows the author has great understanding about the Gospel of Christ.

[Charlotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was familiar with this author from his other book, A Case for Christ. I enjoyed and learned a great deal from this one on hope and faith.

[Christian Pilgrim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Similar, but different to the case for grace… I loved the chapter on the ex stuntman Evel Knievel.