At the same time, during the last two hundred years we've developed a distinct identity. Like other tribes, we've accepted ways of thinking and speaking that we're comfortable with and that define us as a group. These don't always stand up under scrutiny in light of what Scripture teaches.

One of these ideas, frequently heard in evangelical circles, is that "God has a wonderful plan for your life." It may be shocking for evangelicals to learn that this is not a biblical idea and is fraught with difficulty. Among the themes addressed in this book are forgiveness (we set unrealistically high standards); evangelism (we often do it for the wrong reasons); preaching (we confuse it with teaching); healing (actually, it's very rare); and prayer (will God really change the weather for the church picnic?).

The book is warm and positive but challenges many of the ingrained truisms prevalent in evangelical circles.

Author:

Mark Woods is a Baptist minister who moved into religious journalism after sixteen years in pastoral ministry. He served as editor of The Baptist Times and then as consulting editor of The Methodist Recorder, and is now a contributing editor for the online magazine Christian Today. He is in leadership in his home church and in his spare time enjoys films and the outdoors.