Roll Away Your Stone: Living in the Power of the Risen Christ

If I could make any book mandatory reading for my fellow Christians, it would be this book. Mr. Sheets has done an excellent job of explaining the gospel so that the reader really 'gets' why Jesus died on the cross. His exogesis (breaking down the original greek and hebrew meanings of biblical words) is so right on target. I got a new revalation on what it means to be a sinner, and what it means to be 'crucified with Christ'. Then Mr. Sheets tells us step by step what to do when God convicts us of sin in our life; what it means to repent, and how to get out of works and into the grace of God. This is honestly one of the best books I have every read. But be advised - this is, thankfully, not light reading. You need to read it with a pen and blank paper in your hand. Thank you Mr. Sheets. And thank You God for causing this book to be written!

I really enjoyed Dutch Sheets book "Roll Away Your Stone." Although, he covered material I have heard before, he did it in a new and fresh way. In the first section of the book "The Problem", Sheets makes a statement that I really liked, "God's wants to roll your stone away...He wants you just as free as Jesus is risen." One of the points Sheets made to go along with that was that, strongholds in our minds are often what keeps us from living the life of freedom God's wants for us. I appreciated that he didn't blame our strongholds purely on the demonic, but went into great detail about how strongholds are often formed based on what we believe to be the truth when it actually is not. In the next section "The Provision", Sheets talks about how salvation in Christ is the answer to defeating strongholds, and our struggles with soul and body. He says, "Jesus is the way back to truth for our soul, and life for our spirit". Sheets explains how at the point of salvation our spirit was saved and our soul is still in the process of salvation. I have heard that many times before, but when he got into our fight with self will...well I think that is why God brought this book into my life. He has been speaking to me a lot about surrendering fully to him, so I found what Sheets said to be very convicting. In the final section "The Process", Sheets talks about the process of salvation for our soul, and "being just as free as Christ is risen". He gives five steps: believe, abide in His Word, know the truth, be free, and be free indeed. Sheets emphasis' in each step the key is delving deep into God's Word. I personally love to study the Bible, but I found this last section to be very inspiring and made me have more of a hunger to spend time in God's Word, and press on to the freedom God wants for me. I would highly recommend this book to anyone, especially new Christians.

This is the best explanation of all that resulted from Adam's fall, the significance of Jesus going to the cross, what salvation and living the abundant life really entails that I have read and I am an avid reader of Christian teaching. This would be great book for every Christian and for small group study. I am hoping he will develop a study guide and DVD to accompany this.

I've been a Bible student for nearly 60 years and this book is the first one I've read that clearly explains what happened to the human race when Adam chose to follow his own will versus God's. It clearly shows what we lost and why Jesus had to go to the cross. For the first time I see that what He gave up on the cross wasn't just His physical life but more importantly His desire to do it any other way than the way already prescribed by the Father. He nailed our self-will to the cross so that we may re-gain real life--spirit-led life. Then Dutch goes on to tell us God's ordained tool for us to attack the strongholds in our lives and see them nailed to the cross forever---we start to truly live the new creation that God put in us at salvation. This is a real rubber meets the road book. Every Christian needs to read this book and start application ASAP. I'm not going to divulge the punch lines--you need to read them yourselves. This isn't a quick fix--it is a lifestyle. Be blessed.

Reviewed by Debra Gaynor for Reader Views (2/07) When we ask Jesus Christ into our hearts our life has new definition. We're excited. We're on fire. Then something happens, a setback; it could be a divorce, illness, job loss. We weaken, often in the same place over and over again. "And, eventually, we felt like a hopeless cause--an inept, ineffective Christian." We begin to feel far from God, like we're letting him down. This book is about "finding a full, lasting solution. Throughout history God has always provided a way to overcome. He is the Great Physician and deliverer. And despite your frustrations with what you thought was His way to fix your problems turns out, it wasn't His solution brings complete, permanent results." "God did not intend for you to live a defeated Existence that always loses its battle." First, we must come to recognize who we are. We usually look to ourselves for who we are instead of looking to God. Since God created us, we cannot define ourselves. Second, we must "know our enemy." Third, we must know "the specific principles God communicates to us through His Word." This book arrived at a timely moment. I was at a weak point, once again facing back surgery. I'd prayed for a healing. My church had anointed me and still the pain was there and the test showed a ruptured disc. I'd assured my congregation I knew the Lord was with me. He had answered our prayers - after all I saw a surgeon within days, not weeks, and the surgeon is a Christian. Still, I was frightened. I didn't doubt God's existence or that He loved me, but I needed a boost and received it from this book. I needed a reminder not to look inside myself, but to God. We all face times of weakness and doubt, and try to depend upon ourselves instead of God. Thank you, Pastor Dutch, for the reminder that ultimately the Lord is in control. It is not the mind God speaks to, but the spirit. It is with great honor that I highly recommend "Roll Away Your Stone" to all, for we all have weakness and fall short of the "Glory of the Lord."