Platt shares some hard truths about the level of commitment to truly be like Jesus and what that really means to those of us who are used to worshipping Jesus from the comfort of our easy chairs in our warm living rooms sipping on our gourmet coffee and reading our leather gold leaf edged Bibles....truly being Christlike challenges us to be willing to step out of our comfort zone..walk away from the American dream and live like Jesus to make disciples from the four corners of the earth. It asks you to reevaluate just how committed are you to living like Jesus.

When I was a child, my grandmother would say, "Clean your plate, there are starving children in Africa." I had no idea what that fact had to do with me. But today, I clearly see that it has everything to do with me. "Radical" puts into words what I feel in my heart. David Platt makes the case for the truth of my grandmothers words and makes me own that truth as a Christ follower. He challenges us to break free from the seclusion and comfort that has become the convenient church life in America. In my morning devotion I keep reading " for all nations." Over and over those words jump of the pages of my Bible. My husband and I participated in a "Daniel diet" a few weeks ago. That along with reading "Radical" has brought me to a new awareness of how gluttonous our society has become while others starve. How could Jesus be pleased with the USA? What have we done with the immense blessings God has provided?

So what I am saying is that I wish every Christian in the USA would read "Radical". We need to return to our grandmothers' insight and remember, there are starving children in Africa and prepare to move on that!

This was a hard hitting book that inspires as it questions what the American protestant church teaches in our comfortable pews, and asks you to explore w/the writer what the teachings of Christ and example of the initial church leaders believed and taught was the rewarding work that Jesus asks for us to do. I felt it took you one step further than the books "not a fan", and "christian atheist". It also helped me feel not as useless as I try to talk w/some of my coworkers and kids to develop and strengthen their understanding of our God and His Holy Word, instead of just trying to witness to others who don't seem ready to listen or consider Christ and what He's done for us. Making true disciples takes time and effort and is what we need to try and do---Let's not lose beginning believers to the wiles, false teachings (cults, evolution, cultural pleasures) and temptations that draw them away like seeds that start to grow only to fail because the soil their faith was in was too shallow to develop deep roots.

I have to admit that David Platt is amazingly convicted to make a change in his own life. While he makes excellent points that draw me to reconsider my "comforts", I cannot help but be annoyed by the use of Scripture which is taken out of context. The book has entirely too many holes and I can see the potential that this book carries to make people judgmental. I am a stay-at-home mother, raising 2 (soon to be 3) children. This, indeed, is my mission field in this season of life. Mr. Platt fails to recognize that the Sovereign Lord has people serving in a million different capacities. Bottom line, I was disappointed & not impressed.

My wife bought this book for me for Christmas and I am grateful; I've watched a few David Platt sermons online and am convicted by his passion for believers to go back to the Bible as the source of their Christianity. Those in America that profess to be Christian follow a faith more rooted in patriotism, prosperity, and comfort, and this is the main point Platt is addressing. To his admission, he doesn't have all the answers and is just shining a light on a problem in our American church that need fixing. The book is only radical because most people in the Christian faith in this country don't preach a sound gospel, leave all to follow the Lord, and help others only when it suits them (I, too, have fallen into this trap and praise God I can repent from those things and move forward to serve the Lord). Before I read this book or heard of Platt, I remember reading Luke 14:26-33 about leaving it all if you truly want to be Jesus' disciple and Matthew 15:8-9 about drawing close to Jesus with our mouths but being far from Him in our hearts and being convicted to examine my walk with the Lord. This book basically does that, throwing out challenges and examples of those wanting a truer, deeper walk with God. While this book doesn't replace the Bible and may have some disputable points here and there, it is worth reading. And ask yourself, do we serve the Jesus of the scriptures or the Jesus of the American dream?