The Christian Atheist: Believing in God but Living As If He Doesn't Exist

by Craig Groeschel

“The more I looked, the more I found Christian Atheists everywhere.”

Former Christian Atheist Craig Groeschel knows his subject all too well. After over a decade of successful ministry, he had to make a painful self admission: although he believed in God, he was leading his church like God didn’t exist.

To Christians and non-Christians alike, to the churched and the unchurched, the journey leading up to Groeschel’s admission and the journey that follows—from his family and his upbringing to the lackluster and even diametrically opposed expressions of faith he encountered—will look and sound like the story of their own lives.

Now the founding and senior pastor of the multicampus, pace-setting LifeChurch.tv, Groeschel's personal journey toward a more authentic God-honoring life is more relevant than ever.

Christians and Christian Atheists everywhere will be nodding their heads as they are challenged to take their own honest moment and ask the question: am I putting my whole faith in God but still living as if everything was up to me?

Genres: Christian, Nonfiction, Christian Living, Christianity, Faith, Religion, Spirituality

256 pages, Hardcover

First published March 5, 2010

About the author

Craig Groeschel is the founding and senior pastor of Life.Church, a multisite church with locations throughout the United States and globally at Life.Church Online.

Craig and his wife Amy started Life.Church in a two-car garage in Edmond, Oklahoma in January 1996. While Life.Church has grown over the years, its mission remains the same: to lead people to become fully devoted followers of Christ. Today, the church is known for its innovative use of technology to spread the Gospel, launching the first fully digital church experience in 2006 and the most downloaded Bible app in history, YouVersion, in 2008.

As a widely respected leader in the Church, Craig speaks frequently at leadership events and conferences worldwide. He is a New York Times best-selling author with books about topics like dating and marriage, social media, purpose, direction, church leadership, and more. He also hosts the Craig Groeschel Leadership Podcast, a practical tool to spark new ideas and prompt innovative thinking in leaders at every level within any organization.

Craig and Amy married in 1991 and have six children. They live in Oklahoma where Life.Church began.

Visit www.craiggroeschel.com to be the first to hear about new podcast episodes, books, leadership events, and more.

Reviews

[Cody · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't disagree with most of what Groeschel has to say, but this book was very disappointing.
Instead of addressing the topic in an insightful way, this book reads like any other self help book with verses from the Bible and Christian themes thrown in every so often.
I can't stand the way these kinds of books are written. They follow the same structure chapter after chapter, starting with a story, then moving on to some kind of lesson, then failing to live up to that lesson, then another story, and then you arrive at some kind of final understanding told in lame, christian jargon.
I equate these kind of books to "Christian Music" scene. While the words aren't necessarily wrong and may be uplifting, they tend to be generic, boring, and have that corporately produced feeling that I can't stand.

[Holmes · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book cuts through my thick feel-good hide and leaves me out to bleed - every drop of guilty blood, guilty of feeling like a Christian but not acting like one. I suspect many are like me: believing in God, wanting to please Him, even holding His words deep in our hearts - yet not doing 1% of what we're supposed to do if we claim to be His followers. Why do I cringe whenever I hear the word "tithe" (giving 10% of your salary to church)? Why do I pursue happiness as if it is the real god? Why am I so hesitant to share with others my faith - especially with the ones I care most about? Why do I honestly believe in an omnipotent God but somehow doubt that He can change me? Why am I reluctant to go to church when I myself can be part of the church, because Jesus says, "where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them" (Matthew 18:20)? If you're like me, this book will read like a thousand knives piercing your heart. It's painful, but it's good, because you can still feel the pain. To heal the pain, the only way is to get moving. Stop thinking about actions; stop talking about actions, start taking those actions.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

my views have changed so I edited this post. I would not read this book again

[Panda Incognito · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although this book did an adequate job of pointing out the differences between genuine Christians and "believers" who have not truly experienced God, it fell short of facilitating genuine heart-change. Since the book was targeted towards nominal Christians, I tried to read it with that mindset, taking in the parts that applied to me, but mostly thinking through it theoretically. The further I got into the book, the more I sensed that something was missing: the gospel. Though the author explained the gospel story and referenced it throughout the book, it was insufficiently applied to the Christian walk, leaving each chapter little more than self-help tripe. If I were a nominal Christian reading this book, instead of feeling convicted that I did not know God at all, I would merely sense that in order to be Varsity-level Christian, I needed to sin less, give more, worry less, and not trust in my money.

The Biblical principles were sound, but by glossing over the truth of gospel change, the book offers nothing more than life advice. While offering a clear view of what constitutes "true believer behavior" and what does not, the book explains nothing about how to have the kind of relationship with God that empowers you to live that way. Although everything the book preached was sound, the missing core message makes it dangerous, threatening both genuine believers and "Christian atheists" by placing the emphasis on their behavior. Someone can have genuine faith without perfectly following the signs outlined in each chapter, and a book which is ultimately nothing more than a well-intentioned to-do list risks leading a true follower of Christ into doubt and insecurity about their faith. On the other hand, a nominal Christian is led away from challenging their presuppositions about Christianity, and will walk away with the misconception that attending church more often and giving more money will qualify them as sincere believers.

The pastor who wrote this clearly expresses throughout the book that faith comes by grace alone, but his practical application does not mesh with his theology. You will find some good insights and spiritual thoughts here, but nothing that explains what it means to be truly transformed, able to sincerely love God and desire righteousness. For an explanation of how to get past works-based behavior and how to really know and experience God, skip this book and read one or all of the following:

"Gospel: Recovering the Power that Made Christianity Revolutionary," J.D. Greaar
Stop Asking Jesus Into Your Heart: How to Know for Sure You Are Saved," also by J.D. Greaar
"Am I Christian?" by Mike McKinley

[Kathleen Fuller · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was interesting--on the surface there was nothing new presented as far as the gospel and living a Christian life. But it is one of the most challenging books I've ever read. I didn't realize it, but I'm a Christian atheist (and working to change that). Through the whole book I was nodding my head and saying "that's me, that's me, that's me". And I'm not happy about that. What I found most helpful though were the personal stories, or rather failures and confessions, by the author who is a prominent pastor. Because while I was saying "that's me" I was comforted in knowing that "I'm not alone". This is a great book that might be dismissed because of lack of theological depth, but should be read by every Christian who's ever wondered or even thought that they are truly living for God. Maybe your spiritual life needs a tune up. Or, like me, it needs a complete overhaul.

[Aurimas Gudas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Knyga tiems, kurie tiki Dievu, bet gyvena tarsi ateistai.

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had really big hopes for this book. It has a catchy title and a topic that I'm passionate about. The author has an easy to read style of writing. Unfortunately, the author lost me when every single chapter was turned into a sermon. I finally just started skimming through each chapter until I got to the last one - the one I was really hoping would be worth reading - "When you believe in God but not in His Church". Unfortuntately this chapter fell as flat as the others before it. Instead of addressing how Christians can fix the fact that their churches are full of hypocrites and money hungry pastors, he just accepts that as the way it is and just tells Christians to quit whining and just go to church. Really? That's it? I'm sure every "Christian atheist" out there knows they're supposed to go to church. Writing a sermon about it isn't going to change anything. My only hope left for this book is that some author out there will start with the topic of "Christian atheists" and actually do something with it.

[Timotej Stuchlý · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book ‘Christian Atheism’ by Craig Groeschel is hardly a feat of theological rocket science, rather, it is a straightforward and engaging work that confronts a struggle I found SO REAL in my own life: Do I genuinely live in accordance with my belief in God’s omnipotence? While my answer to this question is often less than encouraging, Groeschel nevertheless illuminates the end of the tunnel - there is hope! Either Jesus is a fool, or He. Is. God. Period.
Although the book is not meant to be a theological deep dive, it proved genuinely helpful in guiding me toward (at least partial) responses to ethical questions within Christianity, especially through Groeschel’s honesty and openness in addressing issues such as the problem of pain, the delusional “hunt for happiness”, and the occasional (however, exceptionally persistent in the Western mind!!) tendency for faith to hit the “snooze button”.

A brief side note to my fellow ENTJs: exercise patience😁 Even when the journey from A to B meanders through F, R, and Z, it indeed is worth the wait. While certain passages potentially might have benefited from the briefness of an article, you will likely be rewarded with a few humorous stories along the way:))

Enjoy!!

[Hope Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

this is a great book for anyone that is seeking to deepen their faith/is a new believer. good review for the longtime christians, yet still very convicting.

[Josh · Rating 1 out of 5]

I always find it interesting to read or listen to fundamentalists talk about how people other than themselves do not have faith pure enough to get into heaven. This whole book judges the faith of other people for not being fundamentalist Christians. The author has a discontinuous interpretation of the Bible which he fails to effectively express in his narrative. Really, this book is for people who already believe in God, but aren't all that active in their own faith. It is also for privileged, middle-class white people who really don't have all that much to worry about in the first place. The examples of sinfulness are stale, and lousy examples--and others are badly deduced reasons why everyday actions are sinful.. like worrying. It is a based on a reductive understanding of faith and superficial interpretation of the Bible.

The part that was the most worrisome about this book was the chapter in which the author talked about visiting people on their death bed, scaring them into believing with threats of Hell. What an irresponsible way to preach. I imagine that when Craig Groeschel dies, he will be standing in front of the Throne of Judgment, and God will look at him and say, "Craig, do you know how many people you pushed away from Me with your ministry? How many people you needlessly scared with ideas of Hell? Do you not know that I forgave people and their sinful ways with the sacrifice of my Son because I know it is impossible for people to truly live as though I exist and I didn't want them to spend their whole lives chasing ideals that would leave them unfulfilled? Who are you to judge the hearts of those people who don't appear to be as faithful as you? Did you miss the parts about not having ostentatious faith, or only sharing certain things with me--like what a person should and should not call pure? No. You failed in your self-importance and self-righteousness, Craig. You are undeserving of my love. But do not despair, for I forgive you as much as anyone else even in your misguided intentions to save all Christians from lukewarm faith. That's the whole point of faith" or something like that. I do not recommend this book to anyone, believer or not.

[Clark Goble · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author Craig Groeschel coins the term “Christian Atheist” to denote a believer who isn’t living his or her life in a way that exhibits that belief. Far from judgmental, this book is an exhortation for the reader to experience a fullness in their relationship with God. Groeschel uses several anecdotes from his own life to explore such weighty topics as shame, love, prayer, worry, and evangelism. Groeschel’s work reads almost like a biography documenting his own journey from Christian atheist to maturity in faith.

The goal for this book is to encourage the reader to strive for and embrace what Groescel refers to as “Third Line Faith.” Groeshell paints the picture of a Christian who crosses three separate lines on their road to spiritual maturity. The first line denotes a Christian who believes in the gospel of Christ just enough to benefit from it. The second line represents the Christian who has matured enough to have the desire to contribute to the Kingdom of God as long as it is comfortable to do so. The third and final line represents the Christian who believes so devoutly in the gospel of Christ that they are willing to give their entire life in service to it.

I don’t want to reveal too much because my hope is that you will read this book. I highly recommend it to all Christians who seek to grow and mature in their faith. Personally, I had a couple of “light-bulb” moments as I read this book; specifically when reading Groeschel’s chapters on forgiveness and worry. This book encompasses enough subjects that any believer who reads it should be able to identify their own obstacles on the road to spiritual maturity.

I’ll be adding this book to my list of highly recommended titles.

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

As someone who has lived as a "Christian Athiest" for period of time and has been submerged in an environment filled with them, I would recommend this book for any young Christians who are looking to take their faith to the next step. While it starts off slow for the first few chapters, it eventually finds its rhythm and grows stronger as the book goes on. It is a very practical and easy read, as Groeschel gives his own personal life experiences to support his points.

If you are looking for a book that deals with these topics on a more theological level, I would probably turn you in other directions. However, if you are looking for practical ways to take your personal faith to the next level, this book is a good place to start.

[Jon Håversen · Rating 5 out of 5]

En meget flott bok jeg hadde veldig glede av å lese.
Lettlest bok som fremdeles er utfordrende når det gjelder kristen livspraksis. Boken tar opp temaer som mange kristne vil kjenne seg igjen, jeg kjente meg iallfall igjen i flere av punktene og ble utfordret. Vil anbefale alle kristne venner og lese denne. Kanskje aller mest vil jeg anbefale til de som er langt inne i akademisk apologetikk, men alle har godt av å la seg utfordre av disse punktene.

Rent teologisk er det jo alltid noen småting man reagerer på - men ikke noe avgjørende ting jeg reagerer på. (Annet en kapitlet om fortapelse, som jeg i bunn og grunn ikke er helt fan av).

Det er tydelig at dette er en bok som ønsker å ta for seg kristen livsutfoldelse, istedet for å være en lærebok i kristen teologi - og dette syntes jeg er bra! Vi er hele mennesker, ikke bare hoder, men også hender og føtter. Et fint bidrag til en helhetlig etterfølgelse av Jesus.

[Cayleigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Lord so kindly used this book to minister to me! Phenomenal read! Borrow my copy! Please!

[Kris · Rating 3 out of 5]

While the aim and purpose of this book seems genuine and honorable, I still have many problems with it. (I'll try to keep this review a mix of positive and negative points.)

I admire Groeschel's attempts to highlight the fact that there are many Christians in name only -- those who speak the truths of Christianity superficially, but don't live by it in practice. But I think the term "Christian Atheist" is a very inaccurate way to describe this phenomenon. He should have chosen his words more carefully.

In my opinion, the author takes too much liberty in speaking for God. He offers advice in saying things like "God wants this from you..." or "God hates it when you do this..." And while he does use scripture throughout, I don't think he uses it enough to support his claims, and therefore they ring hollow for me.

I do like the format and organization of the book: each chapter is set up as a "When You Believe in God But Not _____" fill in the blank with what have you (e.x. prayer, forgiveness, happiness, church). It's a good way of tackling many issues specifically.

And while Groeschel's aims are good, and no doubt his church has done great things and should continue to do so, the overall presence of only nondenominational Christianity, and the avoidance of specific Christian practices, seeps through every page. It's impossible to get away from. Frankly, Groeschel doesn't explain enough theology, and doesn't quote enough scripture. Whenever someone relies too heavily on a major "conversion experience" in adulthood as proof of faith, and always, always, being saved by a prayer alone, I quickly get suspicious.

But, in fairness, I suppose this is more of a motivational, "self-help your faith" kind of book, rather than academically-minded. Bottom line is, I was close to giving this one two stars. But since it's a generally good aim, just not specifically good, I'll let it slide.

[Chauncey Lattimer]

I know that you are probably getting tired of me saying the same word frequently, but Wow! I barely sat the book down from the initiation of the read to completion. Craig Groeschel has written a very transparent look into how we are so often guilty of not living up to what we know to be Scriptural. With a mixture of humor, personal memoir, experience, and solid biblical instruction, Groeschel walks us through the many ways in which we are not living like we truly believe in the God who cares and is there. I found the book to be challenging in many ways – but primarily in re-examining my purpose as a Christian. Dealing with such practical and oh so appropriate topics as guilt, worry, evil in the world, the pursuit of happiness, prayer, and evangelism, Craig calls for us to step over the line – the third line, that is. Not the first line – believing in God and the gospel of Christ enough to benefit from it; not the second line – believing in God and Christ’s gospel enough to contribute comfortably; but the third line – believing in God and Christ’s gospel to give our lives to it! Thanks Craig, for the challenge to cross another line!

[David Perkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

While there was nothing groundbreaking in this book, I still really enjoyed the way he presented the topics. A lot of what he covered in this book are challenges that I personally face in my own faith and reading about them with advice and scripture on how to improve was great. It was also very well-written which made it easier to enjoy reading as well.

[Justin Boshoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book that should be read and re-read annually as Christians. Craig really highlights the issues Christians face and the reason why there are negative perceptions of followers of Christ. Well researched, well written and a personally challenging book that is indeed necessary.

[Raul Filea · Rating 5 out of 5]

A pleasant interaction with Craig, as always! Conveying a clear message with healthy principles, Craig describes the lives of most of us. He doesn't only point to the wrong things, but comes with solutions to each point he makes.

Simple and easy to read. I'd say a must-read for every Christian!

[Sty1iani · Rating 2 out of 5]

don't love, I read this for school and don't love having someone who cheated on their wife more than once tell me to do better, but I'm also not religious and I'm sure someone religious would really enjoy this.

[Jen Edwards · Rating 4 out of 5]

After taking some time off of Christianbooks since reading Radical, which totally scared the crap out of me and was incredibility convicting, I have picked up another book. I'm now reading The Christian Atheist. http://christianatheist.com/

This book still has the potential to be convicting, but it's not so in your face about what a bad Christian you are from the get go as Radical was. Seriously, I thought I was going to hell after reading chapter one of that book. Here is a sneak peak of The Christian Atheist:

The Christian Atheist, by recovering Christian Atheist Craig Groeschel, is an honest, hard-hitting and eye-opening look into the ways people believe in God but live as if he doesn’t exist. From his own lapses in faith as a young man to the painful self-admission he had to make as an established pastor, Groeschel’s own journey will immerse you and challenge you into a deeper, Christ-filled life.

“The more I looked, the more I found Christian Atheists everywhere.” Former Christian Atheist Craig Groeschel knows his subject all too well. After over a decade of successful ministry, he had to make a painful self admission: although he believed in God, he was leading his church like God didn’t exist. To Christians and non-Christians alike, to the churched and the unchurched, the journey leading up to Groeschel’s admission and the journey that follows—from his family and his upbringing to the lackluster and even diametrically opposed expressions of faith he encountered—will look and sound like the story of their own lives. Now the founding and senior pastor of the multicampus, pace-setting LiveChurch.tv, Groeschel personal journey toward a more authentic God-honoring life is more relevant than ever.

Christians and Christian Atheists everywhere will be nodding their heads as they are challenged to take their own honest moment and ask the question: am I putting my whole faith in God but still living as if everything was up to me?

I definitely don't see myself as a Christan Atheist, but there is always the potential for me to fall into that way of life. I feel as though I really try (for the most part) to be a loving and giving person. I try to serve the Lord as often as I can through my life group, ushering, facilitating Alpha, and volunteering at LTH or other areas where I can serve the poor. God really wants us to serve and spread the gospel.

But this book is also about knowing the Lord and having a personal relationship with Him. That is where I lack. I do all the things i do to be pleasing to the Lord. But in terms of knowing Him, I'm still learning. And with time, after getting to know Him, I will form more of a personal relationship with Him. That is what I'm hoping to get from reading this book, as well as from continuing to read the Bible.

Reading the Bible has been really interesting. So far, it's mainly been stories about Job, Abraham, Isaac, Noah, etc.... But something that I have noticed in the Old Testament is that He seemed to be a vengeful God. You read so much about His wrath. When I think about God, all I think about is His love, which I'm looking forward to reading more about as the days, weeks, months come.

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have just finished rereading this book. There is really no way that I could recommend it too highly. Each time I have read this book up I end up completely captivated by it and finish it within a couple of days.

Groeschel's title says it all. Each chapter is devoted to discussing a way that we live as though God does not exist though we claim to believe in Him. Though this sounds as though it could come across as judgemental or pious, it does not. The examples of failing in his faith are all personal and help draw you into the words of a man who struggles with the same things we do. (You mean pastors aren't perfect and this doesn't all come easy to them?! Yes, that's what I mean.)

It's difficult to choose just a few examples since I found myself highlighting throughout each chapter, but here are some favorites of mine. To demonstrate how sin can seem fun at first or even while we're committing it but leaves a huge mess, Groeschel tells the story of one of his kids sneaking onto a zip-line. She is cheering all the way down until she smacks into a tree and has to be rushed to the emergency room. In the chapter titled "When you believe in God but won't forgive," he shares his own painful testimony about God leading him to forgive a man who had molested his sister and the miraculous results.

"When you believe in God but don't think you can change" was the chapter that impacted me the most during this reading. He seemed to know all of my excuses. That's just the way God made me. Well, I just come from an overweight family. How can I act a different way around people who already know me? Then Groeschel said, "If you keep making excuses, you're insulting God's power." Wow. I am.

I could quote a powerful line like this from each chapter whether your concern is worry, sharing your faith, pursuing happiness at any cost (is there any larger concern in our society?), prayer, or anything else. Groeschel does not miss much and he courageously gives a personal example for each one which keeps him from becoming "preachy."

If you are a Christian but feel like you should be doing more, read this book. In fact, read it. Put it away for a few months. Then read it again.

[Thomas Foster Foster · Rating 4 out of 5]

I definitely believe in God and I definitely have set limits on where God is and is not welcome in my life and how far he can go!

This book helps me consider my position and my response - to live as though I really believed in God for every area of my life.

So as I reflect I can then see I have 3 options:

1. I can deny I'm making any compromises in how I follow Jesus.

2. I can accept I'm making compromises, but sort of pragmatically refuse to do anything about it (none of us are perfect after all and I have so many areas in my life on which I might focus)

3. by God's grace and as part of a community I can be gradually, slowly, but really changed.

The Bible tells me that if I'm looking at Jesus through my day-to-day relationship with him - then I'll be changed to become more like him. The Bible also teaches me (and experience lines up with this), that as I become changed by knowing him more, I become more deeply satisfied in my relationship with him.

However I find it's easy to choose options 1 and 2 - to hide away - guilt, denial .. they really do come very naturally to me!

But rather than get locked up in my own little world of struggle I've found getting some advice and teaching through this book to be very helpful. In fact the chapter on the Church states very helpfully why we need each other and can't just work these things out on our own.

So in this book Groeschel identifies a number of areas such as being ashamed of our past, praying or not, trusting God for justice, believing God loves me, how I pursue happiness, and highlights ways in which we can (and very often do) choose to not follow God - some striking a resounding note with me than others, but I've been able to easily empathise with all of them!

He reflects honestly on his own challenges giving examples of his own weaknesses and failures, but also then provides biblical teaching and some fantastic personal stories on how he has come to more fully trust God in his life.

I especially enjoyed the chapters on money, church, and the 'afterword'.

Shortish chapters meant good material for my morning reading :-)

[Chloe Hawker · Rating 3 out of 5]

For about the first seven chapters of this book, I was completely unimpressed. I think this book, to a great extent, talks about what many other books of its kind discuss in much the same way. There is very little here that's new. However, three chapters did get to me: the chapter on worry (chapter 8), the chapter on money (chapter 10), and the chapter on the church (chapter 12). These three chapters offer a higher level of insight than the rest of the book does. I'd probably only give the rest of the book two stars, but these chapters had enough of an effect on me that I'll give it three. The chapters on worry and money were convicting as to things I struggle with, and the chapter on the church expressed something I have a hard time communicating to other people. While the rest of the book is fairly white bread standard Christian self-help stuff, for me, it was worth reading for just the three chapters that I thought had a little something more. It's not world-shaking, but probably worth the read.

[Kelli · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Are you a Christian Atheist? Do you believe in God but live as if he doesn't exist?" --Craig Groeschel

One of my friends posted a picture of this book on Instagram earlier this year and noted that it was a thoughtful read and a book that she had referenced several times. I had to read it because I thought perhaps I am a Christian Atheist.

The Christian Atheist was written by a minister and former party guy who shares his path to God.
In every chapter the author provided an example of a real story and how it related to the point he was getting across. Then he went on to provide passages from the bible. I wish the book was about half the length and just provided verses from the bible with very short anecdotes. I underlined a lot of the bible verses in the book which I do think I will make reference to again and again. He got the point across every time, but took a long time to do so. I'm 50/50 on this one. It had meaningful content, but the stories didn't speak to me very much. 2.5 stars rounded up to 3. I had hoped to be much more inspired.

[Hilary · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was written thoughtfully, articulately, relatably, and honestly. It is theologically sound, while coming across like a conversation with a down to earth friend. It is not easy to hear, it’s not written to make you feel good- it points you to Christ. I personally have been feeling stifled in my faith and tired of “Christianese”. I knew I was living like I didn’t believe in God even though I do. This book literally addressed each of these areas, in a compassionate but challenging way. I appreciated the way the chapters are laid out and I had many take-aways. I felt the Bible passages chosen for each section where woven in appropriately and were used in proper context. This book will be a staple on my shelf, I will have to own this one. This book places faith and the American dream in perspective.

There are some harsh reviews on here, but all I can say is maybe timing matters when you read this book. It was exactly what I am going through so it meant a lot to me and I found it very relevant.

[Dave Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bought this book for $2 through an Amazon special.

The theme of this book is why do Christians who, by definition, believe in God act as if they don't. I expected that these would emphasize the hypocritical acts of Christians. Instead it focuses on mindsets (e. g. You: don't think He is fair, believe in money over God, don't participate in church, worry, et al.) I like Mr. Groesch's writing style. He examines these heavy topics in a manner that is real, poignant, humorous, and just-plain-readable.

I would give this book 4.5 stars.

I also admire Life Church that he pastors. It is one of the most innovative ministries I've seen. I daily use the YouVersion Bible app it developed.

[Brendon Whelan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has been a phenomenal challenge in the sense that it is challenge me to the Core as well as made me think am I really living for Christ pastor Craig has written a book that all Christians should read as it will pose the question am I really following the Simplicity of following Jesus I strongly recommend that you read this book and make sure that you don't fall into the Trap of being a Christian atheist we put our hope in Money in work as well as in things of this world instead of truly living a faithful life.

[Sandy Sandmeyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would highly recommend this book for every Christian. It would be a great book for a small group study or for a teaching series for a pastor. It is a shocking reminder that we are such flawed creatures and that we need to be relying solely on Jesus Christ.

I won a copy of this book through http://thewayitcouldbe.com/?p=1653, so I was surprised when I get a message from @chadmissildine on Facebook to ask for my address.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gave me a lot to think about. I really liked the chapters on prayer and worry. But some of the chapters left me lacking. Was this a suppose to be a "how to" book? I was never quiet convinced and wondered at some of the points he was trying to make.