Joshua Harris | bio | site | free book for your pastor

This book gives a fresh call to the world to become radical church-livers. It screams at you from the first page to commit to your church...because that is what God has for you. As you dig into this powerful book, Josh lays out strong practical applications based solely on great insight into the Word. I loved the foundational exposition of Ephesians 5; it was gorgeous picture of our Christ's view of the church. Josh Harris finds a kind, direct way to say that we are wasting our lives if we are not plugged into the local body of Christ. One quote by Mark Dever, Pastor of the Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, D.C. said, "If you are not a member of the church you regularly attend, you may well be going to hell...I don't mean for a second, that you literally have to have your name on a membership card in a church somewhere to go to heaven...[but] in the New Testament it seems that the local church is there to verify or falsify our claims to be Christians." (55) The emphasis on the living moving Body of Christ is so refreshing. Josh lays out beatuifully and clearly what God expects of a believer when it comes to His Church-Sunday is not just any other day. It is the special day. The day when we can meet our God.

A great read. This book organized and fleshed out some thoughts that have been bouncing around in my head recently. I was energized to hear Josh say that we must fall in love with our church. He gave practical steps to finding the right kind of church, and what to do if you can't find one. The blessings to me came when He described what a Sunday is and should be like in my life. The scripture this book cited was powerful in moving me to realize that I need to plan ahead for my times of worship.

"Who can ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who hoes not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false. He will recieve blessing from the Lord and vindication from God his Saviour. Psalm 24:3-5

excerpt from the book:

Every Sunday, the One who sought us and saved us from our sin extends an invitation to draw near to Him together through the work of His Son. He invites us to recapture the passion of Psalm 122:1 which says, "I was glad when they said to me, 'Let us go into the house of the Lord!'"

This Sunday, millions of Christians around the world will gather in the open air, in mud huts, in rented theaters, in homes, in elementary schools, in multimillion-dollar facilities. But the places we gather are of little consequence. What matter is the One we have come to worship and enjoy. What matters is that we will be together, with Him, on His day.

- - I hope you'll be there, too . . . with all your heart.

RESCUING SUNDAY | Chapter 6
Josh Harris