Conversion: How God Creates a People (Building Healthy Churches)

Very practical well written book you can clearly understand. No emotions just Biblical truths.

I've enjoyed every book in this series, and this was no exception! Concise theological overview of the doctrine of conversion. The first half of the book talks about the spiritual realities that take place at the moment of regeneration, and the other half looks into the necessary fruit that arises from a convert's heart, which is the only true evidence of one's conversion. This book was so rich with scripture and gospel nuggets that I gave it to a coworker of mine who isn't a Christian. He guzzled it down in a few days and we later met to talk about his thoughts on it. So not only was this book a great & educational resource for Christians, but it is a great tool for evangelism.

Really well explained. Recommended for every church to study this. God is good and He has given us placed us in churches to give Him the glory

This book is a critical read for every pastor and church member. A right view of what the Bible teaches about conversion is crucial to having a healthy church and for keeping the Gospel message clear in our churches. I've read the entire 9Marks Building Healthy Churches Series, and in my view, this is the best out of all of them (which is saying something, because all of them are fantastic). Buy this book. Read it and then re-read it. Take church members you are discipling through it. And watch as a correct theology of conversion transforms your church.

Well written and easy to read . Mike does a great job at presenting the gospel and what true conversion and life of the church looks like. Blessings brother. Keep on keeping on

I accepted Jesus as my personal Lord and savior when I was 15 years old. All I had to say was "I repent of my sins and ask Jesus to be my Lord and Savior." Bam! Born again! Forever. No one told me that being a believer of Jesus meant actually obeying him. You know, finding it within me to love my enemy, restraining my lips from falsehoods, bearing the sin of my brother, forgiving someone who had hurt me deeply. I never learned how to do that, and there didn't seem much reason for that much self-reflection. Hey, I'm reading the Bible, I'm going to church, I'm hanging out with Christians. And I'm a drunk.Proclaiming Jesus as Lord didn't just mean verbal assent to his lordship over all--a concept of sovereignty--but especially surrender to his Lordship in my life. Obedience to his teachings should bear evidence in the works of my life. To me conversion meant believing something and belonging somewhere. To Lawrence, it's about changing from worshiping myself and the world to worshiping God. No wonder I walked away from what was unworkable. The Biblical promises were more like the Grand Joke of the Universe to me, a little worm.I know a Calvinist who can argue doctrine with the best of them, but his heart is hard and he has no love for anyone, including himself. Then there's the missionary woman with the dramatic conversion who gave up alcohol for Jesus only to replace it with a much costlier pot habit. And don't let me forget the Christian poker player who has a bad word to say about everybody and everything.It isn't Jesus turning people off to the gospel; it's his so-called people!Lawrence write, "We can easily harvest, manipulate, and collect decisions. But Jesus told us to go and make disciples. Not decisions, not converts, but disciples--life-long followers who endure hardship, take up their cross, and follow Jesus." And, "If repentance really is a change of worship, then our churches must not pressure people to make hasty, ill-considered "decisions" for Jesus, and then offer them quick assurance. Instead, we must call people to repent. When we separate repentance from conversion, either because we think it can come later or we fear scaring people off, we reduce conversion to bad feelings or moral resolve. Worse, we risk assuring a "convert" that he is right with God when in fact he is not. It's almost like giving someone a vaccine against the gospel."Exactly. It's exactly like that. Thousands of people cramming into churches on Sunday who will happily cheat you in business, judge you against their own standards while ignoring them themselves, gossip about others, cheat on spouses, hate their neighbor, and proclaim themselves the children of God while demonstrating zero power in the lives of others.I'm quite happy that Lawrence is addressing this most important topic, because the church has made it sinfully easy to be sinful. Just raise your hands and shout, "Jesus is Lord," and you're golden. Meanwhile, the world has no use for you, because the world needs love. It needs healing. It needs to eat and drink and sleep safely and have purpose. It needs God's love. And it needs God's children to come together and love ALL.A Christian is one who follows the teachings of the Christ, so they should look like Jesus with the same love, compassion, and lack of judgment, with eyes toward pleasing their heavenly father. Someone who sees the germinal seed inside the prodigal son and says, "God loves you, too. Come home."I have to part ways with Lawrence when it comes to the church. He writes, "When God saves us, he brings us into a relationship with himself. But not only that, he also brings us into a community...Being reconciled to God means being reconciled to God's people, like an adopted child finding him or herself not just with new parents but with new siblings...God has made us one, so we must act as one." And Lawrence considers our siblings to be other Christians, and you'll know you're a Christian by your love for the "brethren." But this isn't what Jesus taught.When asked how to pray by the masses, they instructed them to pray, "OUR father." He said to call no one on earth Father, for we have one Father in Heaven. There is only ONE father over all mankind. As Paul clearly states there is "One God and Father of all, who is over all, and through all, and in all." This is why Jesus could say that when you give a glass of water or plate of food or go visit someone in prison, you're doing it unto him. And there's no sense waiting for Jesus to return, because Paul placed him already: IN YOU. When we begin to treat everyone as a child of our heavenly Father and our loves increases, then we will know that God abides in us and we in Him.But Christians make it all about us vs. them with their tens of thousands of sects. I guarantee that Lawrence would not allow me into his church. Not because I don't obey Jesus, which I do, but because I could never agree to his doctrinal creed. And I wouldn't go to any church that says, "We're of Apollo" or "We're of Paul," or "We're of Timothy," because Paul stated such churches were still carnal because of their divisiveness. Until the "churches" grow up, they can count me out.And like all good Biblical religionists with an "either or," threat, Lawrence places God's grand promise in heaven after death or perhaps you'll meet his wrath as He tortures you for all eternity to demonstrate His great love for you. Jesus very clearly stated that the Kingdom of Heaven is within you, so it's not a stretch to realize that hell is within you as well. Hell is being separated from God. And being in heaven is being in communion with God, abiding in the vine, and it happens now, in this life. That's the gospel. That's the miracle.

It is a quick read and gives a great explanation as to why churches should have a understanding of what genuine conversion looks like. I bought it so that the men i disciple know what to look for when a person says they are a Christian and aren't confused.

Very fast delivery. Very satisfied with book.

Solid biblical and gospel centred.