While he says pleasing God is not an imperative to be taken lightly, his approach is to convince us of the real joy we find in pleasing Him. In this heartwarming book, he describes pleasing God in the areas of spiritual fitness, prayer, sacrifice, relationships, vocation, suffering, discipline, materialism, humility, and evangelism. Throughout, he also shares endearing stories from his own life which add a personal tone, making readers feel as though Begg is having a private conversation with them. Incidentally, he gives us a worldwide view of the faith with illustrations from Africa, India, and his native Great Britain.
Begg draws a parallel between physical fitness and spiritual fitness, giving the strong impression that each individual is a unified whole. He outlines ways we can test our heart rate, flexibility, endurance, and strength to find out just how spiritually fit we really are. The chapter on "Relationships" is devoted to building a marriage that pleases God.
The final "benchmark" treated in the last chapter is evangelism. This is obviously a topic close to Begg's heart (he is from missionary stock), but readers may wish Begg had devoted more time and space to his discussion of seeker services and the pleasure to be found in bringing others to the Lord.
Referring often to Scottish runner and Olympic champion Eric Liddell, Begg is a native of Scotland himself. He is currently senior pastor of Parkside Church in Cleveland, Ohio, and is heard on over 100 radio stations with his "Truth for Life" broadcast.
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