REVIEW: Dug Down Deep by Joshua Harris

Synopsis

What are you going to build your life on?

Dug Down Deep is systematic theology like you've never seen it before. Readable. Relevant. Powerful. As best-selling author Joshua Harris shares his own journey from apathetic church-kid to student with a burning passion to truly know God, you'll be challenged to dig deep into the truths of God's word.

With humor, conviction and compelling insight Dug Down Deep covers the basics of faith--God, scripture, Jesus, the cross, salvation, sanctification, the Holy Spirit and the church. Don't settle for superficial faith, dig deep. 

Paperback, 271 pages

Published May 17th 2011 by Multnomah Books (first published January 1st 2000)  

About the Author

Joshua Harris lives outside Washington, D.C., in Gaithersburg, Maryland, where he's a pastor at Covenant Life Church. His greatest passion is preaching the gospel and calling his generation to wholehearted devotion to God. Each January he leads a national conference for singles called New Attitude.

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My Thoughts

It's strange to see an Amish girl drunk.

Joshua Harris is a pastor and author, a father and husband, and a disciple of Christ. His book Dug Down Deep shares his journey to becoming a Christian.

The book title refers to the need to build your faith upon a solid foundation.

I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. (Luke 6:47-48, NIV)

And the author attempts to contribute to your solid foundation, first sharing with you his story of growth and enlightenment. He begins with what he terms his "rumspringa", which is based on the Amish tradition of allowing teenagers to run wild and explore the world before they make their choice on whether or not to stay in the Amish world. He says that his rumspringa couldn't compare-- he never got drunk or did drugs, but just displayed some mild rebellion-- but he was somewhat apathetic about God and his faith when he was younger. He grew his faith over time.

He then explains about the meaning of common terms like "doctrine" and "orthodoxy", and other common Christian building blocks, like the Trinity, Jesus, his crucifixion and resurrection.  And his final chapter touches on how humility is needed when following and spreading God's Word. It is about recognizing how flawed we all are, and coming to God in humility and repentance. 

The author is very "readable" and relatable. He doesn't talk down to you or over-complicate things. He uses a lot of personal stories (both his own and of others) as examples. And he is humble.

Don't build your foundation on sand. Think, study, and seek Jesus. Dig deep, and build on the rock.

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My Rating:

Disclosure:

I received a copy of this book to review through Blogging for Books, in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not financially compensated in any way, and the opinions expressed are my own and based on my observations while reading this novel.