This book smacks hard in the heart. Ragamuffin Gospel seeks out to focus the reader on the different aspects of Grace and why we ever get it and what it truely means to us. Brennan Manning shows the reader what God thinks of us and helps us to focus on how we should think about God.
I especially loved focus on needing to be broken so far down before you can understand God's love, the story of the man in the alcohol rehab clinic and what it took to break all his walls to the point where he fi... (show more)

This book smacks hard in the heart. Ragamuffin Gospel seeks out to focus the reader on the different aspects of Grace and why we ever get it and what it truely means to us. Brennan Manning shows the reader what God thinks of us and helps us to focus on how we should think about God.
I especially loved focus on needing to be broken so far down before you can understand God's love, the story of the man in the alcohol rehab clinic and what it took to break all his walls to the point where he finally understood.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a little insight, a little help focusing on the aspects of Grace and why God could ever even love me. Brennan does a great job at making this book something that made me take a hard look at myself.

Brenn (show less)

The Shack. I cannot remember the last time the mention of a simple title was enough to spark many different attitudes from people in their reaction. I have just finished reading this book, and give it a high rating.

But keep in mind, my high rating is based solely on what it is-a work of FICTION. This book will not fix your understanding or cement your understanding in an all-mighty God and the trinity. This book will not replace a Bible-based understanding of the relationship God had wit... (show more)

The Shack. I cannot remember the last time the mention of a simple title was enough to spark many different attitudes from people in their reaction. I have just finished reading this book, and give it a high rating.

But keep in mind, my high rating is based solely on what it is-a work of FICTION. This book will not fix your understanding or cement your understanding in an all-mighty God and the trinity. This book will not replace a Bible-based understanding of the relationship God had with the Son and Spirit and ultimately with all of us. It will however be a good read. It will be entertaining, emotional, difficult at times and refreshing at times. You will enjoy it if you read it-I did-just do not try to paint a better understanding of what it means to be a Christ-follower from it.

Almost everyone that reads this will get the emotional component, but for those that want to shoot it down, first; go read it if you have not. Second, keep in mind that this book is being read by A LOT of people...use it as a spring-board-discuss the qualities, chew over it with others, share in their emotions...

Again, I do not assume that one would use this book to replace their Bible-based understanding of God, but if you do-you are getting the wrong idea...Enjoy this book for what it is, an attempt, as the cover says, of trying to find eternity in tragedy. It is a man's attempt at trying to explain the hurt and fallen nature of our world-an aren't we we all really trying to find that answer. I applaud the raw emotion in this work, and hope it turns some on to accepting that God's loves them, understanding that, and ultimately TRUSTING in that notion and relationship. (show less)