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Displaying items 1-5 of 9
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  1. BridgetHaymond
    Sarasota, FL
    Age: 45-54
    Gender: female
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    Balanced, truthful and grace based approach
    February 22, 2012
    BridgetHaymond
    Sarasota, FL
    Age: 45-54
    Gender: female
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    "Every Body Matters" by Gary Thomas is a book full of relevant information for the Body of Christ today. This book has been very insightful in making the correlation between the physical body, including healthy eating plus exercise habits, and comparing it to spiritual health via the strength of soul with the corresponding benefits of endurance and self-control. Thomas directly ties this into the ability to fulfill the plan and purpose of God in the Believer's life.

    The author uses a very balanced approach to the subject of carrying too much weight. In referring to the Body Mass Index (BMI) Thomas summarizes it by stating it like this, "Sin can lead us to become overweight but being overweight is not, in and of itself, a sin." He is quick to point out the drawbacks from carrying too much weight in terms of the decreased mobility, breathlessness, discomfort of moving around and accepting the gradual decline in personal health.

    Gary Thomas stresses that caring for our bodies is a form of stewardship that must be taken seriously. The temptation to eat more, sleep more and lie around more rather than engaging in life are the greatest thieves of life purpose. An unfortunate effect of laziness is that it can become an ingrained behavior that spills over from the physical into the spiritual. Physical activity benefits the brain and can help prevent age-related brain fogginess that develops by age 65.

    Also covered in this book is the late nineteenth-century movement from England called Muscular Christianity. I had never heard of this movement before and it is one that the modern church would benefit from greatly. Even more fascinating was that movement's awareness of the need to have a body fit for service to the Lord for an effective, influential, energetic life that commands respect as an effective witness to the world. Their goal was to have Christians ready for the warfare of the Kingdom, by having victory in the warfare of the flesh through the disciplines of self-denial, courage and perseverance.

    Thomas notes that we are all susceptible to the draw toward comfort and ease rather than sacrifice and denial. Unfortunately the American church has been so focused on loving and not wanting to hurt people's feelings that we are guilty of loving them to an early death by not having an honest conversation with them. Even worse is that over weight pastors minister from pulpits across the country giving the impression that there is nothing wrong with all the extra weight. The question is do we love them enough to confront and bring the hidden things of darkness into the light so true freedom can come?

    This is a very truthful and grace based approach to a subject that many in the church would rather avoid for fear of offending. Gary Thomas does this beautifully and with a heart that recognizes the value of each individual's contribution to the overall plan and purpose of God. One of the great things he does is help the reader think about and identify circumstances that make you vulnerable and offer ideas for safeguards that help the reader to fortify their soul against failure. I highly recommend you add this book to your library and pass it along to others when you're done with it.

    By way of disclosure: I received a free review copy of "Every Body Matters" by Gary Thomas from Zondervan in exchange for writing a review–good, bad, or otherwise.
  2. Dan
    Age: 45-54
    Gender: Male
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    A must read!
    September 29, 2012
    Dan
    Age: 45-54
    Gender: Male
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    I just finished this book and I can say that this is the kind of book that can change lives. It shows how the physical and spiritual impact each other. If we ignore one aspect of our lives the other will suffer as well. It is very motivational in nature. By cultivating good physical health we make ourselves more available to be used by God.
  3. Anonymous
    martinezsylvia09@gmail.com
    Age: 45-54
    Gender: female
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    Loved, loved, loved this book
    February 18, 2013
    Anonymous
    martinezsylvia09@gmail.com
    Age: 45-54
    Gender: female
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    I just loved, loved, loved this book.  I purchased this book after listening to Focus on the Family.  I was intrigued by a part of the book the author was reading about the sloth in the Bible and the modern day version of it.  I finished this book in four days.  It is truly an inspirational book.  I have been on my journey to getting healthy and fit but I came to a halt.  After reading this book I am getting back on track.  We should not become soft but ready for what good work God has for us.  Thank you for such a great book I am now inspired to reboot my fitness and healthy lifestyle.  If you feel it is time for a change.  That you are tired of feeling. The way you feel.  Ask God to help you and pick up this book it will help you in the right direction.  God Bless
  4. Bartik
    California
    Age: 18-24
    Gender: male
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    This book will improve your relationship with God
    January 28, 2012
    Bartik
    California
    Age: 18-24
    Gender: male
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    Every Body Matters by Gary Thomas is a book truly needed for your time and generation. It is to no ones surprise that Americans health has been declining but it may be a surprise that Americans spirituality has been on the decline as well with over 7.9 million people leaving the church annually, this equates to 150,000 people walking away from the church each week!! But is there a correlation? Gary Thomas suggests that there is. Gary reminds us about the importance of our health and how it affects our spiritual life. I personally am not obese or overweight but nonetheless I found this book to be a great reminder to be cautious of my eating habits and my lifestyle.

    I've known that that the body is the temple of God (1 Cor. 6:19-20) but I've never thought how disregarding my fitness level and occasional unhealthy eating my relationship with God. In this book Gary offers us solutions to living healthier and being more spiritual.

    The book has also been endorsed by:

    Ryan Hall — American long-distance runner and U.S. record holder in the half marathon

    Dr. Ed Young — Senior pastor of Second Baptist Church in Huston Texas

    I appreciate Gary writing this book because he can relate to the average Joe experiencing problems that the rest of us have when it comes to eating right and exercising. This is a great book with an important message for all believers.

    This book has been sent to me by Zondervan for an honest review, the thoughts expressed are based on my honest opinions.
  5. Booklover10
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    Wonderful way to start the new year!
    January 25, 2012
    Booklover10
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    Why is it that so many Christians decide that physical strength doesn't matter and doesn't affect their heart, soul, and mind? Why is it that we make so many excuses for our lack of discipline when it comes to the physical things but we think that we are so disciplined in other areas? How can we be a disciplined person when this one area is the one that we decide to overlook?

    When I was first asked to review this book, I was pretty hesitant. It took several days for me to think about it because I figured it would be another book on health full of information we all know but many choose not to apply. However, after realizing that Gary Thomas wrote it and the fact that I love Sacred Marriage and Sacred Parenting by him, I decided to go for it. I'm so thankful I did! I highly recommend this book so that one can begin recognizing the connection between the sin of letting our bodies go so that we are of no further use to the Kingdom of God. Gary doesn't talk about the fact that obesity is a sin. Instead, he talks about the addiction of food and how we don't lump it in the same category as other sins of addiction, like alcohol, drugs, etc. Some say that the Bible doesn't talk about being overweight so it's okay. I would argue that gluttony is in the Bible and is considered a sin.

    Gary brings out some interesting points about how the men of faith, like Paul for example, was pelted with stones, dragged outside the city, and left for dead. Gary writes "If his persecutors thought he was dead, Paul must have been pretty beat-up. Yet we're also told that after they left him, Paul 'got up and went back into the city, and the next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe.' The next day! For the record, Derbe was over sixty miles from Lystra. A physically weak man could never have recovered like that." I loved this comparison because we usually think of these men as someone who is strong spiritually and forget that they also had the physical endurance to press on for God. I think that is why faith is often likened to a race. They knew perseverance. But do we? Do we know perseverance and endurance not just spiritually but also physically?

    This book is a great resource and reminder that our bodies need to be in shape. It's not so that we do the "cultural thing" or so we look more appealing. It's so our bodies are ready to carry out the work of God. If we're out of shape, how can we possibly serve to the best of our ability when it comes to the physical things that people in the Church and community need help from Christians to do?

    _____________________

    I received this book free from Zondervan in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.
Displaying items 1-5 of 9
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