From Saddleback Church pastor Fields comes an upbeat guide to reviving your faith---and making a fresh start! Tackling subjects such as dealing with pride, defining success, finding true friendships, overcoming discouragement, facing rejection, and attacking anger, he shows that real change isn't about "trying harder," but about plugging into God's transforming power. 224 pages, hardcover from Nelson.
Average Rating: 4 out of 5 stars(4 out of 5 stars)
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3.5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Leisha (Huntsville, AL), December 09, 2009
Doug Fields, teaching pastor at Saddleback Church invites us to accept "God's invitation to a great life" in his most recent book Fresh Start, a straightforward honest look at how we struggle in our walk as Christians. Fields hits the hot buttons head on as he honestly examines the places that we find our greatest challenges and through it all offers real life practical ideas to get ourselves "unstuck" and lead us to the fresh start God has for us.
I struggled to get through this book. Fields humor which is a little on the "smart" side was a turn off to me. I wanted to get what he was offering but had a hard time overlooking comments that I felt were not at all appropriate or even border line off color. There was plenty of meat to chew on and for me that was the saving grace. He offers good insight into how we get stuck in destructive cycles and how to work our way out to the freedom God wants us to have. There is a transparency in his writing that made the book very readable despite my struggles.
The practical, step-by-step examinations and solutions that Fields puts on the table are do-able and user friendly to the masses.
He concludes this project with a journal and small group guide to work through the book one chapter at a time - I love this. Many books offer "ideas" with little follow up, Fields delivers the information and gives us legs to walk it out with.
This is a worthwhile read for anyone - we are all stuck and in need of a fresh start in at least one area of our lives!!
4 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by amy (seattle, wa), November 09, 2009
Do you know who you are really? Are you a child of God or do you feel not worth it at all? Maybe you just need a fresh start with God!
Lucky for you there is a book called Fresh Start by Doug Fields.
I wasn't sure what to think of this book I was totally on the fence about it, but in the end it was totally amazing. A lot applied to me in this book and that is a good and bad thing sometimes I wasn't fond of it applying to me. Which i'm sure is a natural reaction. Without giving too much away this is a really super amazing book to read if you aren't sure who you are right now or where to go. It is about rejection, fears, anger, relationships pride loneliness you name it and its probably in this book and it can totally be a blessing in disguise (even if you might not necessarily want that blessing). All in all it was really a really great help.
4 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Wendy Miller (CT), November 05, 2009
Fresh Start by Doug Fields asks the question, do we really believe all things are possible with God? Fields espouses that the key to getting unstuck in life is cooperation with God.
I read this book like a sunbather. I read a chapter and then put it down. You know how sunbathers ease into the water slowly and eventually decide to dive in, immersing their bodies fully? That about sums up how I read this book. My start/stop/start reading did not reflect the witty and intelligent way the book was written. Fields offers practical wisdom about how to power through those inevitable times in life where getting out of bed doesn’t garner much appeal (for whatever reason). I think my jerky reading commitment had much more to do with the meaty chapters. Each chapter hits upon a takeaway lesson and I didn’t want to miss anything.
I’d heard a lot of the insight, carefully categorized in the book, during sermons or in Bible studies before, but reading it all in one comprehensive place added to the book’s value for me. I found myself drawn to the authenticity and humor Fields evoked. Even though some of his points have the potential to be hard to swallow, points encouraging conviction, accountability and a desire to grow, I never felt as though I was being beaten over the head or preached at. Instead, Fields provides comical examples from his own life experience to shed light on what growth and becoming unstuck can look like.
I enjoyed the book and it was an honor to review it for Thomas Nelson.
3.5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Deb Willis (Jasper, Alabama), October 06, 2009
I am very excited to be doing reviews for Thomas Nelson Publishing!! For an avid reader, this is a great opportunity and a huge blessing!
You can visit Thomas Nelson at www.brb.thomasnelson.com
I want to share the book Fresh Start by Doug Fields.
I knew just from the title that this book was for me, and I’d venture to say, many of you as well. Have you ever just found yourself always taking two steps forward and one step back? Have you ever tried and tried to stop a bad habit only to fail miserably? Have you ever just wanted to start over?
I have, and in this book Doug Fields gives us the tools to do just that....make a Fresh Start, Jesus’ way.
Doug allows us to be real with ourselves in deciding it we truly do want to make a permanent change in our lives.
Do we want to be free from guilt, anger, hurt...our past..?
In each chapter, he shows us how to confront the issue and then he takes us to God’s Word to show us how to move forward in Him to freedom.
While Fresh Start is very encouraging and helpful, for me, I found it a read that was hard to stay focused on. As an older Christian, Doug just reaffirmed what I should be doing along, trusting Christ and allowing Him to give me the ability to start over when I’ve messed up–when I’ve walked away from His best for me.
For someone who is unsaved or a new Christian, this book would be a perfect resource in directing you to the One Who can make all things new and give you a Fresh Start.
4 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Michael Childs (Hiram, GA), September 30, 2009
Fresh Start by Doug Fields
Have you ever walked so far in the wrong direction that you thought you would never find your way back. For most people the answer is probably no, but what about spiritually? Have you ever or are you currently at the point where you feel like you have gone so far off course that not even God can find you? If so, then you have found the right book.
This book is written for people who have messed up in many areas- whether someone has just scraped his or her spiritual knee, or has gone extremely away from God. In its pages are keys, tools, incite, and personal stories that bring the revelation of God's never-stopping, always-enduring,
second-chance plan to the forefront of minds.
This book brings a fresh look to timeless principles. I really enjoyed the first couple of chapters, but as I continued to read I found myself predicting what I was about to read just by reading the title of the chapter. As I said earlier “Fresh Start” might be a new book but the principles in the book have been around for a while. I found myself a little bored while reading it; however, Fields does bring something to the table that separates this book from all the other books on this subject- and that's his incredible ability to use his outstanding sense of humor. Although I found it a little boring, I do highly recommend this book (above all the other similar books I've read) to anyone that is struggling and needing a second chance.
4 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Matt Nash (Spring Lake, Michigan), September 22, 2009
If you have ever started something and failed (which is everyone) this book is for you.
Doug Fields, a pastor at Saddleback Church in California, author of Purpose Driven Youth Ministry, wrote this new book called
FRESH START.
This is a brilliant work that looks at issues of pride, success, hurt, rejection, anger, fear, joy and other things in this book and he does such a great job of telling stories from the Scriptures and his own life to illustrate how powerful a Fresh Start can be for a person.
My favorite line from the book is from page 57 where he says, "God wants to take your checkered past and guide you to a genuine conversion...Don't miss out on a genuine conversion because of your past." This is not a book that will give you seven steps to a new you. This is a life changing book that gives very practical applications for the daily pressures we face. In the last chapter, "What You Value Most" he creates a journal page right in the book where he asks three questions to help you examine your life and make steps to move to a fresh start. The book also has a study guide in the back for individuals and groups. I would highly recommend this book for small groups - especially church youth groups - because often times in small groups we don't encourage a fresh start.
This book is not about just putting makeup on problems, it is about life transformation. Buy it today from Thomas Nelson Publishing!
Matt Nash
Thomas Nelson Book Reviewer
4 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by C.Jean Selis (Potterville, MI), September 15, 2009
"Fresh Start- God's Invitation to A Great Life" is a good book to read for those who wrestle with things such as loneliness, regret, exhaustion, disappointment and other ailments of our fast paced and demanding lives. It reveals heart issues and then gives tools to come to a place of newness. Most folks I know are looking for a second chance a "do-over" so to speak....and this book offers direction for that fresh start. With humor and story-telling, Doug Fields shares from his own life (and the lives of others) to help anyone looking for answers on how to get "unstuck" and live the life God created you for.
The book caused me to think about things that keep me "stuck" in my own life. I considered different aspects of my life in the light of the Bible and how my choices or ways of thinking might cause me to not make any forward progress in my life journey. The invitation to an "unstuck" life...is one that calls out to a hurting heart, to be sure. The chapter on "Freedom from Hurt" was one I had to work through slowly . Other times, also I would stop and consider what he had said and perhaps do the suggested activity.
The last part of the book was the most compelling, as I began to feel hope again for my future with these words:
"God will give you all the power you need to get a fresh start. He will help you make up for lost time s you finally begin to pursue what matters most." and ..."It's not about adding years to your life; it's about adding life to your years."
I would recommend this book to those looking for more tools that draw them toward the freedom of a life--fulfilled!
3.5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Becca Christensen (Tampa, FL), September 13, 2009
Throughout our lives we all reach a point in which we want nothing more than a Fresh Start. A 'do over' or a chance to move beyond that which is holding us back from the future our hearts desire. When you reach this place, Doug Fields is ready to tell you just how to get 'unstuck' and start moving forward, with faith as your guide. Whether it's issues of forgiveness, defining who you are, overcoming rejection in your past, moving beyond your anger, or finding freedom from sins God's already forgiven - this book offers you a method, a system.
If I'd found this book a few years ago, I can't imagine how much faster I would have arrived at where I am today. Still, when I found this book through Thomas Nelson Publishing's Book Review Bloggers program (www.brb.thomasnelson.com) I was still drawn in by the topics it was said to contain: Finding true friendship, overcoming discouragement, even defining success. If you feel stuck in a rut than this book has answers you need. The book was directed at those early on in their walk or going through a long dry season spiritually. However, even in my current walk I found this book refreshing, renewing, and a testament to how far God can bring you from where you've been. Doug Fields presents his message in a way that allows anyone to be able to read, understand, and receive it should they approach it with an open heart. I recommend this book to you if you feel trapped by something holding you back from God's best, whatever your particular 'rut' may be.
It is God's desire for you to 'have life...and have it to the full' (John 10:10). Don't stay stuck! There's freedom through the power of Christ.
Love,
B
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