Clutter-Free Christianity: What God Really Desires for You

This book was like bad cold--I couldn't shake it. Dealing with the heart of the matter in following Christ, there wasn't a lot of new information for me. Which is why I kept trying to put it down...but every time I'd read a little I found I wanted to keep going. Jeffress is witty, real and smart in his writing. I felt like I got to know him in this book. Like a great mentor, he gently and compellingly kept encouraging me to do what I already knew I needed to be doing to strengthen my walk with Christ.

For years I felt the more work I did in church, the better God was pleased with me. I wish I had read this book back then. Do you feel your life is too full? Are you so bound by responsibilities you don't have time to be you? Are you too busy to enjoy your Christian life? Dr. Robert Jeffress cuts through the self-imposed burdens of traditon, human expectations and rules to find the simple, joyful life God intends for us to have. Every chapter opened a new door for me. I disccoverd a new way of looking at things, a new way to enjoy my Christian life. I think we all would benefit from a little spiritual house cleaning, a clearing away of the man-made concepts that sap the excitement from our walk with God. A thought-provoking book every Christian should read.

Here's a two for one review...from me and my wife: I don't know where to start with my review of this book; however, I will say that I think it will be one of the most impactful books that I will read this year. Quite the statement and needing some qualification I am sure. What makes it so impacting? You might wonder; "Is it profound and revelatory?" No, there is nothing profound...at least to my thinking, but there is page after page of affirming teaching. Most exciting is the succinct and down-to-earth delivery of Dr. Jeffress. One can sense the wisdom and years of pastoral experience coming through the delivery of this message. And what a message it is! Clutter-Free Christianity does not do justice to what resides beneath the title and between the covers. This book is about life...real life, ABUNDANT LIFE; the kind of life that our Savior Jesus Christ came to this earth to give us. This book is about redemption, reconciliation, and restoration. This book is about the invitation, acceptance, and participation of new life transformed into the image of the first-born of many brothers. It is about imago-dei and the call to "be thou transformed." The subject and the context of the book are enough for me to do cartwheels of excitement over, but there are other technical merits that I'd like mention too. For starters, the book is an easy read. This doesn't mean that it is elementary is sharing deep spiritual truths. It means that deep spiritual truths are shared in such a way that every person, regardless of education or Biblical training, will glean benefit...perhaps that is part of the "clutter-free" meaning behind the title. The book is not weighted down with heavy terms, definitions, and doctrinal treatise. This makes it an easy read. Second, Dr. Jeffress uses down-to-earth examples and illustrations that help the reader connect to the simple but deep truths that are being expounded upon chapter after chapter. Finally, I loved the inductive style of writing and the logical flow of the premise and thesis that carried the book from beginning to conclusion. I am sure that it will be helpful to me in my own efforts of teaching, writing, counseling, and preaching. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. I will be ordering several more copies to put in rotation in my lending library. It will have a place of prominence on my list of "must read" books. Thank you, Dr. Jeffress, for a great read and a compilation of wonderful teaching and thank you WaterBrook Press for introducing me to this book. I have included the review of my best friend and wife, Laurie Borden, below: Review by Laurie Borden Except for the title, I loved this book! I would like to see something in the title about transformation or life change or freedom because that is the wonderful truth that this book presents. The premise of the book is that God intends for us to be conformed to the image of His Son, which I believe, but the illustrations and practical suggestions w

This is one of the most thought-provoking books I've read in a long time. It has definitely been a key in my growth process and will be for a long time. Dr. Jeffress asks seemingly simple questions that can haunt you all night! Such as, do you really want to be like Christ? At first thought our answer is "Of course I do!" But think about it . . . if that's the case why aren't we spending our time and money the way He did? By focusing on connecting our hearts to God's power, this book addresses the key elements of our faith: forgiveness, obedience, trust, contentness, service, and prayer. And instead of just telling us what we should do, Dr. Jeffress helps us create a specific plan that will help change our lives. I would definitely recommend buying this one -- it is one I'll schedule to read at least once per year.

Would you do surgery on yourself? No? You need a surgeon? Okay, would you help your surgeon do surgery on you? How about heart surgery? Of course, in the physical realm, we would never perform heart surgery or even try to help our cardiac surgeon do the procedure. But in the spiritual realm, it's required. Although we become new creations when we are accept the Master, the process of sanctification -- becoming like Yeshua (Jesus) -- is the work God does in us with our cooperation and with us doing a lot of the work. Clutter Free Christianity, What God Really Desires for You by Robert Jeffress describes how to assist God in performing heart surgery on you. He describes six fundamental areas where we need to have a change in heart in order to become more Christlike: We need to learn to (1) forgive, (2) obey, (3) trust, (4) be content, (5) serve others and (6) pray. This process is a lifelong journey toward transformation. Clutter Free Christianity focuses on what God really requires from us in order to have a relationship with Him. Too often we get busy with our "to do" list -- we volunteer our time, we cook for various functions, we take Bible study classes, we chaperone the youth retreat -- and we lose sight of what God really wants us to focus on in order to be good disciples of the Master. The funny thing is, when we focus on the changes our heart requires, the "to dos" of corporate worship become easy. You'll never learn to forgive, trust, be content, etc., from cooking for a church supper, but if you work on forgiveness, trust, being content, etc., cooking for a church supper will naturally flow out of those heart transformations. This book is great for baby believers, but is even better for those who have been at it awhile -- it brings back your focus to what really matters to God.