Broken-Down House: Living Productively in a World Gone Bad

I've just barely started reading and already it's amazing! I'm dealing with some issues in my home and it seems that prayers just aren't being answered quickly enough. One of the chapters starts with a scenario where the author is asking his children to just TRUST him - in spite of the fact that it doesn't seem like what he's doing is the right thing. He asks them to remember that he loves them, that he has never hurt them, that he always has their best interests in mind, and given all of this, that even though they think He's wrong right now, PLEASE trust him and let HIM be the Daddy. And of course, this is what God is asking us to do! That visual has been timed perfectly for my situation!

AS CHRISTIANS IN THE WORLD, THE AUTHOR REMINDS US OF OUR DAY TO DAY INFLUENCES AND OUR NEED TO BECOME WHO WE ARE NOT LATER BUT NOW...MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN A WORLD BEING BOMBARDED WITH EVIL

This is one of the most realistic books about life that I have read. Author Paul David Tripp acknowledges that this is a beautiful and broken world. He is neither overly optimistic, like so many books that claim to offer the "key idea or practice" that will unlock everything, nor overly pessimistic, holding out no hope of progress or joy. The book begins with making sure that the reader understands the condition of the world and ourselves. Tripp uses the metaphor of the Broken-Down House to describe our lives and the world. We are called to remember where we are (in a world corrupted by sin one day to be restored) and who we are (sinners who are also children of grace because of the work of Jesus). We are also to trust in God's sovereignty, especially when we can't make sense of life in the broken-down house. Tripp then reminds us that, in contrast to the sovereign God, we are limited, finite creatures, who must not try to usurp God's sovereign place in our lives. We live in proper perspective when we keep our minds fixed on eternity, on the truth that the broken-down house will be restored. Tripp finishes the book with a section on doing. He calls us to reject passivity, pursue community, determine to love, celebrate grace and minister everywhere. The book ends with the truth that we all leave a legacy. This legacy is something we should examine, to see if it honors God. This book was very helpful as I read it with a group of men. The discussions from our readings were very profitable and shed much light on the book.

God has a restorer's eye! If that were not true, He would stop at the curb, examine our broken-down lives and drive off. But, He is not that way. He has intimate knowledge of our condition, and even while we were His enemies - Christ died to restore us (Romans 5:8). After being redeemed, it becomes our privilege to join with God in this restoration project of our broken-down world. Paul Tripp's latest book was written in the genre of a modern word picture, that of a broken-down house. We are called not just to survive the damage, but to take active part in the restoration of the fixer-upper. This book proposes to teach one how to live productively (above the damage) in a world that has been torn down by sin. The first section of the book (which covers 10 chapters) explains truths we need to know in order to live productively in this broken-down house. It includes topics like being honest about our sin and weaknesses, trusting God, relying on Scripture, waiting on God, and living for eternity. The second section of the book (which covers 5 chapters) explains what we need to do in order to live productively. This seems to follow the often-used pattern of the Apostle Paul who used the knowing/doing motif (i.e. Romans, Ephesians, Colossians, etc.). This section includes topics like rejecting passivity, pursuing community, and having a ministry lifestyle (not just practicing ministry on a time-clock). The book concludes with 1 chapter on the legacy of one's life. Further notes on the book: * The descriptions/nuances of grace (pp. 42-43) were excellent. I have included some of them below. * Tripp's chapters on waiting (ch. 9) and ministry (ch. 15) are especially good. * Overall, the book has the keen analysis and diagnosis of life that you would expect from an expert in biblical counseling. Tripp does a very fine job of connecting truth with the way it attaches itself to real life. The life examples do not seem forced or far-fetched. They are well thought out and relevant...which does a better job of making me/us accountable to the lessons he brings. Thanks is given to him for his valuable contribution of this book...one I wholly recommend. Some excerpts on grace from chapter 3: "Grace will turn your life upside down while giving you a rest you have never known." "Grace will convince you of your unworthiness without ever making you feel unloved." "Grace will make you acknowledge that you cannot earn God's favor, and it will remove your fear of not measuring up to his standards." "Grace will put you in your place without ever putting you down." "Grace will confront you with profound weakness, and at the same time introduce you to new-found strength." "Grace will make you as uncomfortable as you have ever been, while offering you more comfort than you have ever known." "Grace will decimate your kingdom as it introduces you to a better King."