Christian Book Notes

Russell, Robert Lloyd. Thy Will Be Done on Earth: Understanding God’s Will for You. Xulon Press, 2008. 178 pp. $14.99. Purchase at Amazon for $11.69 or less.

Introduction

Robert Lloyd Russell is a Bible teacher and seminar leader whose purpose in writing is to help Christians develop a living theology and dynamic discipleship. He has a Master of Christian Leadership Degree from Western Seminary. You can find out more about Robert at his website.

Thy Will be Done is the first book in a series entitled Christian Concepts. There are at least two more written and I believe three more waiting for time to put pen to paper.

Summary

This book is divided into four parts (really three) and is a quick read. Part one lays a foundation from Scripture for what God’s desire is. Part two looks at one of two graphic models that the author uses to show how we can discern God’s will. The third part develops the second illustration showing how you can be confident that your decision-making will be in-line with God’s will. The final part is one chapter that is four pages long detailing the benefits of doing your best to follow God’s will for your life.  The ultimate conclusion is that in order to understand God’s will for your life, you must be disciplined and willing to life a life dedicated to His service.

Review

I have to admit that at first, I didn’t think this book was going to be good at all. However, as I read it, I found myself marking “good” beside many sentences and paragraphs throughout the book. While Russell’s diagrams are very complicated to look at, he does a fine job of explaining each component and not overwhelming the reader with information. Each chapter is from two to 5 pages long not counting the end section.

At the end of every chapter, there are “Think and Grow” questions. These are written to take you further and deeper in your study of what was just read. Because of Russell’s writing style, these questions are essential to gain a better understanding of what he is saying in his chapter.

There were a couple of chapters that I thought could be better explained or at the very least more written. Nonetheless, each chapter did drive home a point and each chapter was instrumental in the reader’s understanding of how this all worked.

Also, and this is a pet-peeve of mine, he misuses some passages of Scripture. Most notably is when he is sharing the gospel and he quotes Rev. 3:20 or when he reads John 3:16-18 and then gives the “put your name here” line. Personally, I think that is a misuse of Scripture though it is not heretical.

Recommendation

I must say that while I was at first skeptical of this book because of 1)it’s being published by Xulon and 2) the topic being discussed, I was fairly impressed with the ease of the read and the soundness (except for what I noted above) in the doctrine and theology being expressed. Given the shortness of the chapters and the in-depth study questions following each chapter, this book makes for an excellent group study in Sunday School or home groups. While there are many, many books on discerning God’s will, Thy Will be Done is a worthwhile introduction to the subject.