Forging a Real World Faith

It took a while for me to put into words what this book was about. At times it seems disjointed and disconnected, but at the end, everything really clicks into place.

It's about how to live as a Christian in the real world - beyond the church, beyond the 'safety' of any Christian gathering.

What we can do to sharpen our faith, like a refiner of silver. This takes guts and effort.

Our responsibility to grow our faith, and not remain stagnant.

Gordon MacDonald frequently examines the life of Daniel in the Bible, as the example of someone who made a real impact on the culture without compromising his faith in God.

It's a challenging book, but a bit dry in parts. The use of the term 'self-mastery' throughout irked me, until I realised he meant self-discipline. I think it falls short a bit on God's grace and the power of the Spirit in changing us (it's not all up to us).  Possibly a bit more balance was needed here. But it's worth a read, and for those Christians living in a bubble (it's easy to do), it's good shake-up.