Walking in the Footsteps of Jesus: A Journey Through the Lands and Lessons of Christ

I was very excited when I heard about this book and it definitely satisfied my expectations. Walking in the Footsteps of Jesus is a very fun read, especially for those who have been to Israel and can relate to the author's experience. I also love the comments that the author makes about the life of Christ and his observations.

It brought back many memories of the semester I spent studying in Israel and challenged me to keep pursuing a deeper relationship with Christ. Stiles writes in such a way that you feel you are right there with him, especially if you have actually been there. He does an excellent job of reminding the reader/tourist of the ultimate purpose of studying/visiting these important biblical sites, which is to know and love the Savior more.

Walking in the Footsteps of Jesus is every bit as enjoyable and vivid as Wayne's earlier work, Going Places with God (Going Places With God: A Devotional Journey Through the Lands of the Bible). If God ever blesses me with a chance to travel in the Holy Land, I would definitely want Wayne as a travel partner; until then, Wayne's tasteful narrative will serve nicely. It is a vibrant read, filled with wit, insight, knowledge and personal experience (and scripture) that brought to life, for me, many scenes from the gospels. I recommend Wayne's "Going Places..." as a daily devotional book, and I now heartily recommend his "Walking in the Footsteps..." as a text for coalescing in the mind of the reader the times, places, people and mindsets that were the settings for Jesus' ministry.

This book combines passion with humor in a unique "tour" through Jesus' life. Author Wayne Stiles has not written a "life of Christ" book, nor has he produced a work recounting the geographical background of Jesus' ministry. What he has done, through his deep knowledge of Jesus' life and land, is to take the reader on a delightful and challenging journey to the physical and spiritual places where Jesus lived and taught. Stiles' skill as a writer and "tour guide" makes the book engaging and rich with insights. As a pastor for many years, Stiles is gifted in making lofty ideas of Scripture readily understandable to the average person, and he does so with many fun anecdotes and helpful analogies from his travels in Israel. From Bethlehem, to Galilee and Jerusalem, and ending in Patmos, the book largely travels "in the footsteps of Jesus." If you haven't yet been on a trip to the Holy Land, you'll enjoy visiting it virtually through this book. If you have been, you'll see it in ways that you haven't before, even if you've visited countless times. This journey combines so many of my favorite things in one book: the places of the land of the Bible, the life of Christ, fascinating stories, excellent writing, and God-exalting, people-challenging truth.

During my sophomore or junior year in high school, my parents and I took advantage of an opportunity to tour the Holy Land, Egypt and Amman for 15 days. Words cannot describe the awe and wonder of walking where Jesus walked over 2000 years before, seeing Jerusalem, the Western (Wailing) Wall, to see the Garden of Gethsemane where He prayed and was arrested, to see Golgotha and finally, to see the Empty Tomb (He has risen indeed!)! Sadly, I didn't have the maturity and foreknowledge to journal all the things I saw, smelled, tasted, felt, and heard during my experience and thus, so many memories are lost. It is my greatest and deepest regret. Many times I have prayed for another such opportunity to visit Israel in the hopes of revisiting the hallowed ground and to journal my experiences there. As Wayne Stiles states in his introduction, this is NOT a chronological journal of the entire itinerary of Christ's life. Instead, it is one man's writings of his impressions, encouragement and challenges as he walks in Christ's footsteps and how He impacted those around Him during His ministry. Throughout the book, Stiles encourages us, the readers, with powerful words of wisdom, including his own personal experiences, lightly seasoned with good-hearted humor. You also get a glimpse into the heart and mind of the author as he challenges himself in his own relationship with Christ.