Timothy S. Lane

My favorite line from this work is "Meanwhile for Genny Mori, the house started to feel like a foreign country she didn't have a passport for." How many of us feel something similar? Take a look around at your family members and this just hits home. This book is much more than the story of a basketball dynasty in small town America although it does give a straight-on look at team sports and the overblown emotion that follows with the strive for excellence. It's about soldering on through the show more aftermath of tragic events. It's about heroes who are humans with flaws and it's about a community's expectations for those it loves.
Is grandpa a whackadoodledoo or a man with a dream for his son? Is the father making loving and supportive parental decisions? This book needs to be read by you. The media needs to take a look at it for screenplay possibilities. I wish the author much success and thank Penguin for the opportunity to have an early read. show less

This is an excellent book on how change happens in a Christian's life. Convinced that many people are filling the void in their lives (what the authors call "the gospel gap") with things that are NOT the gospel, though they may be good (e.g. bible study, activities, experiences, etc.) the authors seek to drive home the power of the gospel itself to bring about genuine, lasting change in our lives. They talk about HEAT (the trials and testings that come our way0, THORNS (the negative show more responses we show under pressure), FRUIT (genuine evidence of gospel-centered change in our lives), and CROSS (the root of all true change). Their prose is smooth and easy to read, their stories are interesting and true to live, their theology is biblical and immensely practical, and the effect in my own life was increased wisdom, fresh passion, and strengthend hope. This is a REALLY good book that I plan to give away to others. show less

Basically, this book encourages Christians to grow by rooting their values in the gospel. Profound, lasting change can only happen when people come before (or, in the case of longtime Christians, come "back") to the gospel. The book provides a framework for readers to evaluate what they are going through: Heat - Thorn - Cross - Fruit. Heat is whatever situation you are going through. It could be struggles, but it also could be something good. This Heat brings out whatever is inside your show more heart. It may bring out Thorns -- thoughts, values, and behaviors that dishonor God. Or it may bring out Fruits -- thoughts, values, and behaviors that honors God. It is human nature to produce Thorns, but when we reflect on the Cross, reflect on our redeemed, loved stance before God, reflect on what Jesus had done for us, reflect on the promise we have in Him, we are empowered to produce Fruit that grew from the bottom of our hearts. Through the process of reading this book, I've found it helpful to analyze the difficulties I faced at the time through this Heat-Thorn-Cross-Fruit framework. Once I recognize the difficulties I was facing was Heat, and my response to the Heat was either producing Thorns or producing Fruit, it is very clear how I should view difficult/confusing/annoying/frustrating... situations, and how I should pray for myself. show less

show more 靠著基督的恩典經歷蛻變的喜樂
真實的悔改，信心的茁壯
許多人常以為［只要更換一個環境、中止一段關係，就能擺脫眼前難處］，卻忽略自己的角色、責任與影響力。其實，困境與順境都是生活百樣，關鍵在於十字架的功效與聖靈的更新。
真正持久的改變不是從信主年日、服事頭銜、聖經熟悉度、奉獻多寡、短宣次數等外在表現衡量。教會或福音機構常犯的錯是：當人還沒有［真正委身於每日悔改］就委以重任，導致服弗與生活問題
［人如何改變］三書是使者聖經輔導蛻變系列之一，期望經由教師講解、充分討論、課後操練，幫助學員靠著基督的恩典改變自己，確實活出基督的樣式之後，方能成為主的器皿，幫助他人生命更新！ show less