The God Who Stays- Life Looks Different with Him by Your Side by Matthew West
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Web ID: 16835816Immanuel God with Us
In The God Who Stays, Matthew West writes about releasing his hit song of the same name shortly before the pandemic shut everything down. At home with his family, concerts cancelled, he came face to face with a suddenly very uncertain future (as did we all). In this book, Matthew shares what the Lord taught him during that time about the God who stays with us, in good times and bad. God does not social distance Himself from us, but He loves us and chooses to be with us, as imperfect as we are. He always has a plan, and no matter what we are going through we can know He is right by our side, He is completely in control, and He is going through all of it with us. He wants to give us a New Normal spiritually that is better than what we had before. And He can then use us to be there for others to demonstrate what the God Who Stays looks like in action. This is the second book I have read by Matthew West (the other being his devotional Today is Day One). Drawing from his own life experiences and stories from others, everything he says is backed with scripture and is very relatable. I find his style is like sitting down over a cup of coffee listening to him pour his heart out about his life, what God has taught him, and what God can do for you too. One controversial subject that was briefly mentioned several times in the book is the Enneagram. Matthew describes finding his Enneagram number as a type of personality test. He did not venture into extra-Biblical subject matter, but I mention it purely for full disclosure. I recommend this book as an approachable, encouraging read that reminds us that God does not just exist, He is not just out there somewhere or nearby, but He is Immanuel, God with us – and He is with us to stay. *I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Publishing. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
A mixed bag
I enjoyed learning more about West in this read, and the stories that inspired some of his recent songs. He's very personable, and has a great sense of humor; both of these shine throughout the book. That being said, I have mixed feelings about books stemming as much out of covid/the pandemic as this one did--sometimes the content simply felt #toosoon. The pandemic isn't really "over." We're still in it; it's (probably) (hopefully) making its way toward being endemic; regardless, its impact is all over the place. So seeing a ton of pandemic references throughout the read, and all the words that go with it ("unprecedented," for one), made me a bit twitch-happy--I'll admit. There were also a few points of concern for me in the read. Lysa TerKuerst wrote the foreword, and Christine Caine gets a decent-sized mention in the book. I've read a couple TerKuerst books and definitely found elements helpful, though she and I may differ theologically in some areas; I only know Caine's name in connection with some concerning "theology" and recent claims of plagiarism within her books and speaking engagements. Topically, the Enneagram also gets a bit of press, and West also mentions how God uses hard times to make us "the best versions of ourselves." (Interesting timing to read that part today, as one of my church's pastors preached just this morning on Romans 8:28-30 and how God "works all things for good according to his purposes"--which is ultimately to sanctify us in/to the image of Jesus). Maybe it's semantics, but maybe not. Whatever West's intentions, which I absolutely want to believe the best and be optimistic of, I feel that element could have been clearer. I am in no way saying we all need to agree on all the things here--but I also want folks to go in with eyes open. I received an eARC of the book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com