"No Matter the Cost" (Vance Brown)

TITLE: No Matter the Cost
AUTHOR: Vance Brown
PUBLISHER:  Minnesota, MN: Bethany House Publisher, 2012, (208 pages).

Are you exhausted from the insatiable demands of life? Have you been discouraged by work or relationships that wear you down more often than not? Are you a man who needs some form of hope to turn from a discouraged individual to become a mighty man of God? Recognizing that there are many discouraged men out there, Vance Brown sets out to tackle the challenge of exhorting tired men to break out of their shell of despair, so that they can be charged up, and take responsibility, no matter the cost. This comes about when men can stand up for one another, grasp the purpose of life, and to live for something, and in particular Someone. Like how Clarence the Angel brings hope to George Bailey in the Christmas classic, "It's a Wonderful World," or how William Wallace rallies his troops in Braveheart, Brown attempts to encourage the man's soul, and to stand up and fight for things that matter.

Let hope awaken the potential in your heart. This is the crux of this book, written to exhort men to rise up, take courage, to live well and bring hope. It begins with a call to listen to the King. Instead of living lives of quiet desperation, men are called to live out their potential in great expectation. Using the Lord's Prayer as a framework, Vance Brown sends waves after waves of powerful messages of encouragement for the weary, explication for the perplexed, and enthusiasm for the energized. With God as our redeeming Light, God as our constant Guide, and as our Great God, men do not need to linger around as helpless lambs of doubt but mighty lions of faith. Part One of the book prepares the ground by affirming the worth of the individual. It urges the men not to go it alone, and that the words of Jesus are an "invitation to live, a call to arms, a bracing cost of discipleship, a ground-level map to hold on to for dear life."

Part Two speaks to readers in plural. Two war stories are used to rouse up the men to action in the name of the Father. As brothers, we are called to action, to do God's will together. In unity, brothers learn to trust God, to forgive one another, to go the distance in power and in humility.

Part Three is an essential reminder about the purpose of it all, for God's glory. It is no use to remain stuck in self-fulfillment or in brotherly togetherness for their own sake. Only a higher purpose fits a higher calling. The book also contains a 6 weeks study guide and call to commitment. Designed for men, the study guide gives men a clear and easy to follow guide to talk about their issues. Whether you are a busy executive or a tired professional, the book provides a means for men to come together, to share, and to carry one another's burdens. The short chapters help in quick reading and understanding. The questions give readers a chance to re-read passages that demand closer study. The overall flow of the book helps us appreciate the Lord's prayer even more. Above all, this book will bring a fresh dose of encouragement to anyone tired from the mundane or challenging agenda of life.

Rating: 4 stars of 5.

conrade

---

This book is provided courtesy of Graf-Martin Communications and Bethany House Publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.