Sun Stand Still [Paperback]

One thing is clear as soon as you pick up Sun Stand Still - it's an extremely challenging book! Pastor Steven Furtick is the lead pastor and founder of the growing Elevation Church in Charlotte, NC. He's a very talented young man, a passionate and biblical preacher, and someone who demonstrates audacious faith. The tittle of the book comes from a passage in the Old Testament describing a highly unusual event. Joshua prayed and God caused the sun to stand still for a full extra day (!) The theme of the book can be summed up in two words: audacious faith. Furtick's clear goal is to encourage us to trust God to do powerful things through us, to awake a sense of vision "lying dormant inside you for years. In short, I'm out to activate your audacious faith. To inspire you to ask God for the impossible. And in the process, to reconnect you with your God-sized purpose and potential."

I found this book to be simultaneously very easy to read, and very hard to read. It was inspiring, but at times discouraging. It was easy to read because Furtick writes heart-to-heart, in plain terms. It was hard because it's so darn challenging! He succeeds at encouraging the reader to consider a faith and a life far beyond what we can do in our own strength, and for this he is to be commended. The difficult part for me is that much of what he talks about assumes the reader has a clear dream or vision from God, a definite purpose that perhaps seems too big to tackle. He says "Before you can pray a Sun Stand Still prayer, asking God to do the impossible you've got to set your sights on the specific impossible thing God wants you to trust him for in your life... When I use the word 'vision' I mean a "clear sense of purpose regarding what God wants to do through your life." Some people would refer to it as a calling or life mission." Therein lies the difficulty. How do you respond when the sense of calling or "life purpose" is but a small cloud?

In any case, there were a number of powerful insights I took away from the book.
- The key to being a disciple is being completely available to Jesus: unconditional obedience.
- Whatever you're good at, that's your calling. Wherever and wherever it may lead you, is holy ground.
- Every member of the body of Christ is a link in the life-change process of other people
- Furtick also hates the phrases "just a volunteer" and "full-time Christian ministry"
- The scope and impact of your vision will be determined by who you believe God is.
- "If you're going to pray for God to make the sun stand still, you'd better be ready to march all night!"

Sun Stand Still is an important and powerful call to trust God to do things completely beyond our own ability, while also giving it absolutely all we've got. If you've got a dream but are lacking the faith to see it come to pass, or if you just find yourself too stuck in comfort and safe prayers, this is definitely a book worth checking out.

Sun Stand Still: What Happens When You Dare to Ask God for the Impossible by Steven Furtick

I'm not sure where to start with this review. My impressions are all over the map with this book; I like it, I hate it, I'm encouraged, I'm depressed, I wanted to quit reading it, I wanted to read "just one more chapter," and those are just some of my reactions to it. I found it simple at times and profound at times, I found it condescendingly redundant at times and full of inspired repetition at others. Honestly, I still haven't determined if I like it or loathe it. Maybe that is the sign of a "good" book or a "stirring" read.

Let's get some of the technical details out of the way. The book is about faith; faith in God, faith in life, faith in action, faith in purpose... Faith... Audacious Faith (remember that, you'll hear it a lot). The book is not a difficult read and it's not loaded with deep theology. The book is broken into twenty short chapters; helpful for those readers with short attention spans or for those readers who don't have time to read for extended periods. The story is also filled with alliterated one-liner twitterific quotables; great for people who like those types of easy-to-remember inspiration snippets. There is also an equal portion of real-life testimony and personal experience to help support the message of audacious faith... I found the mixture of "cheese" and "classic" content to be almost equal portion. As I said, I have had a love/hate relationship with this book from the start to finish.

I realize that my review may seem a bit unfair or lacking grace, but that is not the case. I'm sharing my opinion and an honest impression from my read. I'm not a shill or a hater of Pastor Steven or Elevation Church. I've followed the history of Elevation since some of its earliest days of posting podcasts of its sermons. I've watched videos and followed the blogs of its ministry leaders. Two years ago, while on vacation, I specifically routed our travel so my family could visit Elevation Church and meet with some of its ministry leaders. I have used some of the model of Elevation's ministry philosophy as example to my own church family. See, not a hater. I believe in the work Pastor Steven is doing and I believe in the work and ministry of Elevation Church. I simply believe there is a little more hype in the book than there is practiced reality. For instance, chapter thirteen "When the Sun Goes Down," is a very balanced and real examination of "what about when you pray audaciously and the sun doesn't stand still." Personally, I think there could have been more than a single (and short) chapter devoted to this. Again, in fairness, Pastor Steven does give time to "the other side of the prayer coin" (what about when God says no or says nothing), but throughout most of the book this balance comes across as an embarrassed whisper... or at least it did to me.

In closing let me add, I'm living an audacious faith life. I've staked my entire being on following the Way of Jesus. I've left secure jobs (yes, more than one), and left comfortable ministry positions in order to pursue an outrageous dependency on God. I'm in a waiting-for-God to answer my audacious faith prayer even as I type out this review, so I give props to Steven Furtick for living and writing about Sun Stand Still type of faith. I've needed the inspiration, but could do without the cheese. Like I said, love it and hate it... you'll have to be your own judge.

I received this book free from Multnomah Books as part of their book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

I began this book wanting to like it.

Steven Furtick, the author of Sun Stands Still, is pastor of Elevation Church in Charlotte, North Carolina and the church has exploded since it's inception around 5 years ago. I rejoice with the idea of church growth, people newly coming to faith in Jesus, and churches reaching a young generation.

Elevation Church is a Southern Baptist Church. I am part of a Southern Baptist Church.

Steven Furtick received his theological education at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. I am soon moving to Louisville where I, too, will pursue theological education at Southern.

I did not like this book, nor would I recommend it to others.

Here is my greatest concern:

Furtick's focus throughout is what we can do for God, through audacious faith, if we dare to believe the impossible. His focus is on us - not God.

His definition for audacious faith is found on page 40:

Audacious faith isn't some newfangled, extrabiblical variety of faith. It's a return to the core of Christianity: trusting Jesus completely in every area of your life and setting out to devote your life wholly to revealing his glory in this world.

I have no problem with his definition. I agree that those who call themselves the church need to go through life with an audacious faith in God. Our goal should be to "reveal his glory in this world". I simply disagree with his emphasis. The church needs to be challenged to trust and obey God in little things - sacrifically loving their spouse, leading their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, integrity in personal and business affairs, being charitable with those nearby in need, offering food to the hungry and shelter to the homeless, pursuing holiness and purity in all things, putting to death fleshly desires... Furtick challenges the church not in these areas, but in dreaming big and asking God for the impossible. His challenge is to dream big, pray hard, and with audacious faith step out to accomplish big things for God. Where is the waiting? Is their value in pouring over requests in prayer to God?

This book contains hints of "word of faith" and "prosperity gospel" theology - If we want it, if we can dream it, God is big enough to deliver, so ask, believe and step out in faith.

I have waited many months to write this review. I have attempted to be fair and balanced. This is Pastor Furtick's first book, and I sense that he is a man full of ambition, zeal, and vision. I hope that this, his first book, is an overflow of such enthusiasm and not a complete picture of his theology. I will look forward to his second work, hoping for more theological balance.

(I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. It was not required that I provide a positive review.)