Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Review: The Jesus Code By O. S. Hawkins







  • Imitation Leather: 288 pages
  • Publisher: Thomas Nelson (July 29, 2014)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0529100827
  • ISBN-13: 978-0529100825


Book Description


Jesus gets attention not with exclamation marks, but with question marks.

Jesus was always asking questions. Whether with a small group or large crowd, Jesus opened hearts and minds by asking questions that grasped attention and made one think. In The Jesus Code, author O. S. Hawkins poses fifty-two thought-provoking questions found throughout the Bible that believers should be able to answer as they grow in their faith and share their faith with others. Each question features a devotional thought to help readers find answers and promote further reflection.
Sample questions include:
  • What does the Lord require of you?
  • Where can I go from Your Spirit?
  • Who is my neighbor?
  • What is your life? A vapor that appears and vanishes away?
  • Why do you seek the living among the dead?
  • Will a man rob God?
As with The Joshua Code, all royalties will go to Mission:Dignity, whose mission supports retired pastors and their wives (or widows) living near poverty level.
Features & Benefits:
  • Includes 52 thought-provoking questions and answers
  • Handsome burnished leathersoft binding for a rich, classic look
  • This release follows peak of O.S. Hawkins’ book, The Joshua Code with sales of more than 150,000 units
  • All royalties go toward Mission:Dignity, an organization that supports retired pastors and their spouses living near the poverty level
About the Author

 O. S. Hawkins came to GuideStone Financial Resources in 1997 as President and Chief Executive Officer. Prior to his tenure at GuideStone, he served as Pastor of First Baptist Church of Dallas (1993-1997) and Pastor of First Baptist Church of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, for 15 years (1978-1993). Prior to these two pastorates, he served as pastor of two Oklahoma churches, First Baptist Church of Hobart (1972-1974) and First Baptist Church of Ada (1974-1978).

Hawkins was baptized as a 17-year-old in the historic Sagamore Hill Baptist Church. Hawkins earned a bachelor of business administration degree from Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas. Upon returning from a mission trip to Matamoros, Mexico, he felt called to the ministry. He earned his Master of Divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and his Doctor of Ministry degree from Luther Rice Seminary. He has also received several honorary doctoral degrees.

In addition to his role as GuideStone president and a long-time pastor, Hawkins is a noted author, having published more than 25 books throughout his ministry. Many of those books are available for free download. His most recent books, The Pastor’s Guide to Leading and Living and The Joshua Code: 52 Scripture Verses Every Believer Should Know, are available for sale through fine bookstores and online through Amazon.com. All proceeds and royalties from the sale of these two books benefit the Mission:Dignity ministry.

Hawkins oversaw two of the Southern Baptist Convention’s most noted churches. In Fort Lauderdale, Hawkins oversaw tremendous growth in the church due to outreach efforts within the church. He was named Clergyman of the Year by the Religious Heritage of America in 1993.

In 1993, he was called to pastor the 23,000-member First Baptist Church of Dallas, succeeding the legendary Dr. W.A. Criswell.

He has been married to his wife Susie since 1970, and they have two married daughters, Wendy and Holly; two sons-in-law, Brian and David; and six grandchildren.
 
My Review

Brilliant book. Author and Pastor Hawkins finds 150 questions that God is asking his believers in the Gospels alone. He found over 3,000 questions in both the Old and New Testaments. For Christians to grow they need to ask questions. This book will help you with your Christian growth. 

The book is laid out so that you can utilize it to study the bible over the course of a year...52 weeks...52 questions and chapters. For example the first question and answer:

“Has God indeed said . . . ?” The answer is a resounding, “Yes, He certainly has.” And what He says in His Word is true. We can trust Him. Remember this week that doubt is deadly when the Deceiver comes to you in various ways to get you to doubt what God has said in His Word.

Hawkins ends his introduction to The Jesus Code with:  "So let me pose a personal question: Are you ready to begin looking at the fifty-two questions in The Jesus Code, questions with answers that impact not only today but eternity? After all, some answers for life just can’t be found on Google! Let’s turn the page and begin with the first question recorded in Scripture."

Hawkins concludes with: You can now join millions of Christ’s followers in answering Pilate’s question, “What shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” by confidently affirming, “I will believe Jesus is the one and only Savior, and I will put my trust in Him . . . for now and for eternity." In reading this book you will ponder and find the answers to the most important questions Christians should be able to answer. This will be a great help for witnessing to others.

Highly recommend The Jesus Code. It is available at the end of July.

 

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