Risky Gospel by Owen Strachan, my review

I’ve read “Risky Gospel: Abandon Fear and Build Something Awesome” (by Owen Strachan, Nelson Books, 2013) before. In fact I've read it several times. To be sure it had a different title, and a different author, and the words were pretty much different from all the other times.  But that’s okay. This book will reach people that the others may not have.

            And it’s a book that bears re-writing and re-reading because the message is so important: being a disciple of Jesus Christ is not just something that we do for an hour on Sunday. God is not meant to fit into a small compartment of our life, rather He should be present and visible in everything we do. Following Jesus is not something to put on a bucket list, but something that Christians should be doing all day every day -, at church, with the family, at work, in the community, on mission, and as we go about trying to be good citizens. We’re called to take risks for the gospel, not cower behind artificial fail-safe systems. Even in failure we have the opportunity to risk it all for the sake of Jesus.

            And taking risks is something that the early followers did on a regular basis. As Paul wrote to Timothy (2 Tim1: 7, NIV) “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.”  This book is a reminder that we truly can do all things “through Christ who strengthens [us]”(Phil 4:13, NKJV). But we have to be willing to take a risk. 

            Risk implies, but does not guarantee danger, struggles, or loss, and as Strachan leads us through Christian risk taking, he acknowledges that things may not always go smoothly. But, and he is in no way preaching a ‘prosperity gospel’, there is also the potential for great rewards.

            Bottom line are you willing to take a risk and in doing so become the Christian that God wants you to be, or are you content to strive for the world’s version of success, and along the way try to squeeze some God-time in when it’s not too inconvenient. Tired of sitting back wondering what’s next? Then get this book, read it, and go take a risk. Nothing to lose and everything to gain!

            I received a copy of this book in exchange for a review. I was not required to write a positive review.

4/5