I just finished "Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire" and "Scratch Beginnings." FWFF was a timely book in a reminder that 'church' has really gotten off track when it comes to prayer. Now, Scratch Beginnings was a different kind of read for me. As many of you know I do not read much recreationally (by your standards) so to pick up a 'current affairs' book would be a rarity for me, however, this book was given to me for my birthday by a dear family.
Introduction (Main Idea or Thesis of the Book):

Before reading this book, I would like to start with saying that our worlds are changed by the books we read and the relationships we have. I would also add by the things we listen to on tape/cd too. This book is just that. A relationship. A helpful worldview of "just what is going on" from a biblical standpoint should be started here. Also remember, this is a reflective review by a sinner. I have not discussed this review with the author, but I did send him an email to let him know about it.

Scratch Beginnings is set in Charleston, SC!!! Essentially the plot of the book is a guy reacts to another book (the American dream is lost or something) and sets out to prove it wrong, thus, Scratch beginnings... 25$, a sleeping bag, and some toiletries. His goal, 365 days later is have an apartment, job, a vehicle and $2500 in the bank (which he does).

Adam Shephard takes a first person approach to the story and is the main character of the book, along with some other characters sprinkled with him and only from the main characters perspective.
The overall organization and layout of the book made for a quick read. Well done.
Major Conclusions and points: Adam Shepherd sums up his book with the following quote, "1) Those who make things happen; 2) Those that watch things happen; 3)Those who sit back, scratch their heads, and wonder 'What the hell just happened?" However I found that the Bible speaks clearly about the 'sluggard' and exhorts us to action. Proverbs would be a great source to see that this is also a truth there as well (see (NASB) Pro_6:6; Pro_6:9; Pro_13:4; Pro_19:24; Pro_20:4; Pro_21:25; Pro_22:13; Pro_24:30; Pro_26:13; Pro_26:14; Pro_26:15; Pro_26:16)

Strengths: Two strengths of the book was its very good story flow (concise, easy to follow and read, pick up where I left off, etc) and the relational tone the author took with the story bring an element of authenticity and realness!

Weaknesses: Because it is 'research' it has a 'sanitized' sense to it as well, in that Adam's character purposefully takes some roads in the story not to draw attention to him or make others aware of what he is doing. It desensitizes the relational aspect I think Adam was trying for but then again, although a critique, it was right in line with what the author intended. Another strong weakness that I sensed in the work was after reading it, I was depressed. Characteristic of the post-modern writers today, works are cynical, pessimessistic, and lack hope. Essentially, when I finished reading, I sensed that Adam was telling the world, "Suck it up and drive on, this is all there is." Even his attempts to charge us to get involved in something bigger than ourselves falls on deaf ears as well as the 'research' example he provides with this story does not follow this charge either. See (NASB) Eph_2:12; 1Th_4:13

Evaluation: I think it is well done. Its audience, I don't know. But for me, resigning from ministry to work as an IT Manager, this book was a reminder of a Scratch Beginning for myself both with this recent change and one from the past. I did this at age 16, when I ran away from my foster home and went to CA for three months. I had a new name, identity, and was working at an A&W and working towards management! I still live my life with some of the truths that Adam brings out (contentment for instance is something God has graced Connie and I with). For more on contentment see (NASB) Luk_3:14; 2Co_12:10; Php_4:11; 1Ti_6:8; Heb_13:5.
Some of the noteworthy gems in the book were the exchanges between a couple of the characters on pages 199-201. My ribs hurt I was laughing so hard. I shared it with a few people and they too laughed about has hard! See (NASB) Pro_3:18; Pro_14:21; Pro_29:18.

I would like to conclude the review with a few statements regarding how this book has impacted me.
1. There are many people everyday who are at 'scratch beginnings' who think that this is all there is. I used to be one of them. It is NOT all there is. Who are you going to invest in today? One of the questions I kept asking myself was, he mentions Crisis Ministries, but he does not mention that they offered biblical counseling or anything gospel oriented. There are some passing exchanges of 'going to church' and 'baptisms' but for spiritual content, it did not offer any hope. Was he really isolated from spiritual resources? (Rm. 1:18-32?) Where was the hope? The reality is;
a) God has solutions to our problems.
1 Cor. 10:13. No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.
b) God’s grace is sufficient for every need.
2 Cor. 9:8. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.
c) God is able to do more than we ask or imagine.
Eph. 3:20. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.
d) God is always faithful.
Lam. 3:32. Though He causes grief, Yet He will show compassion According to the multitude of His mercies.
e) Hope is an anchor for the soul.
Heb. 6:19–20. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil, where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.
f) Put your hope in God.
Ps. 42.
Ps. 42:5. Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him For the help of His countenance.
g) Put your hope in a faithful and almighty God.
Ps. 146:3–10.
Ps. 146:5–6. Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, Whose hope is in the Lord his God, Who made heaven and earth, The sea, and all that is in them; Who keeps truth forever.
h) Hope produces endurance and perseverance.
1 Thess. 1:3. Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father.
i) Believers have a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 1:3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

2. It is possible to go through life without one significant relationship, but just drift from one relationship to another without investing in others. If you knew gas was .25 down the street would you tell anyone? I see this regularly. People tell me all the time that they just want time to themselves, etc. I am all for that, heck, I like my time to myself (I couldn't write and read if I did not have the time to myself), but for many of us, it is an excuse not to get involved in the messiness of relationships. I highly recommend "Relationships: A Mess Worth Making" by the way (shameless plug). I also believe in the fellowship of believers, see (Heb 10:23-27 NASB).

3. Our generation is one that is lost; I do not imply a derogatory meaning in this observation, but one of fact and reality. I define lost in this context as aimless, unfocused, emotional, needs/rights driven and apathetic. Scratch Beginnings is just a snapshot of what is happening in the hearts of our culture. Great... so you reacted to something, you overcame it, now what are you going to do with the rest of your life? He ends the book by going to take care of his parents (admirable) but essentially heading off to 'start all over again' and one gets depressed thinking about it. He does mention a sentiment of a 5-year plan, but what about that...
Trying to reach this generation is hard, but if you can get them talking, about processing, about thinking through their 'spirituality' it is a very cool thing...

Part of my isolation of late was to honor my convictions of love for the local church. I was not going to process my pain in the community of believers I had grown within the last 3 years, so finding new people that God is using in my life has been a challenge. However, God has provided. I am currently engaged with a guy and we are reading the Evidence Bible together. There was/is an aspect of being lost too, in that we continue to look for meaning through our filters of experience and interpretation. Adam is interpreting the events in his book on how he sees them and wants to present them to others. I imagine talking to him would be fascinating and stimulating. Adam was given a great gift (safety, resources, basic needs, and relationships) to make his book possible. But I highly suspect that the book doesn’t even begin to touch the impact, changes and wisdom that Adam acquired due to this mercy from God. For more on wisdom see (NASB) Pro_1:2; Pro_1:7; Pro_1:20; Pro_2:2; Pro_2:6; Pro_2:7; Pro_2:10; Pro_3:13; Pro_3:19; Pro_3:21; Pro_4:5; Pro_4:7; Pro_4:11; Pro_5:1; Pro_7:4; Pro_8:1; Pro_8:5; Pro_8:11; Pro_8:12; Pro_8:14; Pro_9:1; Pro_9:10; Pro_10:13; Pro_10:23; Pro_10:31; Pro_11:2; Pro_13:10; Pro_14:6; Pro_14:8; Pro_14:33; Pro_15:33; Pro_16:16; Pro_17:16; Pro_17:24; Pro_18:1; Pro_18:4; Pro_19:8; Pro_21:30; Pro_23:9; Pro_23:23; Pro_24:3; Pro_24:7; Pro_24:14; Pro_29:3; Pro_29:15; Pro_30:3; Pro_31:26.

4. Having a spiritual worldview is evident with everyone. If everything IS spiritual, then Adam had a spiritual experience. How we respond to that experience is what determines the benefit of it. Adam was cynical, distant, and isolated, much of what many of our society are today. My heart grieves because it is not just about meeting goals, accumulating more stuff, about writing a book (even though I want to do that someday too), but to me it is much more than that. If you have some assumptions about the world, they are going to be the filter in which you view it. In Adam's case, he was reacting. Therefore his observations are reactions, versus investments. I have yet to meet Adam, but have met many "Adam" types and remember myself once thinking like this...
What is a worldview? It refers to the framework of ideas and beliefs through which an individual interprets the world and interacts in it. I was sharing the gospel with myself and some friends yesterday, and I tried to explain how foundational this TRULY is when having discussions. For the Christ follower Matthew 7:24-27 and Luke 6:45-49 are foundational understandings of a worldview. What is Adam’s worldview? It was hard to tell in this type of writing but let me take a consideration here.

People need to be roused from their easy acceptance of flawed assumptions. I sensed Adam wrestling with this even in his writing and interpretation of his experiences. One of the items Adam came to his senses about was the fact that, some things cannot be true. Generalities are not acceptable as you attempt to survive with $25. Adam also struggled with the fact that some things can be partially true. I would have liked to ask these questions of Adam throughout his time (maybe over multiple cups of coffee?);
a) What makes you believe that?
b) What convinces you of that?
c) Where have you heard that?
d) What is the strongest case for that?
e) Has someone persuaded you of this perspective?
f) Is it possible…?
g) Have you considered…?
These would have been great reflective questions that may have brought more to the book.

5. Fundamentally we need to answer some questions with everything that we do. Some of the questions that I think we can understand from any worldview are these;
What is the motive or agenda, or desired result of this action that you are seeking? What is it that you want so bad you’re willing to sin to get it?

I think was Adam was trying to say in his book was this; “Love will find a way. Indifference will find an excuse.” I saw this especially in the end of the book and by looking at his website. These would be the fruit of his reflection as I see it. But has Adam struggled with eternity questions or as Charles Spurgeon said, “Men have been helped to live by remembering that they must die.” Using these thoughts perhaps as a filter, would spur us onto thinking past today, right now, to the next generation. Maybe it would get us thinking about who we can invest in around us today, tomorrow or next week.

6. I am thankful for Adam’s book in that it got me thinking about the significant things of life. It challenged me to consider deeper motivations for why it is that I do the things that I do. It challenged me to reach out more and to be intentional about reaching out to others. Not because I ‘have to’ or ‘want to’ but because I ‘get to’ because of the mercy I have been shown. I like the quote, “Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark; professionals built the Titanic.” Joshua Harris recently stated in an interview;

Q: In addition to commitment issues, your book describes how younger generations tend to be highly critical of the local church. What does this communicate to the unchurched?

A: Well, when a person with a critical mindset (and I’ve been one of those people) is grouching about the church, it’s not going to inspire the unchurched to want to be there.
Our generation wants to relate to the unchurched, to show them that we’re not associated with things in the church that are less than appealing. But it’s much more compelling when we say, “You know what, there are problems here, and I’ll be honest with you, I’ve contributed my own set of problems. But here is who Jesus is and here’s how He’s changing us. And I want to be a part of a generation that’s seeking to fix the problems and be obedient."

Ultimately, a church only changes when people claim their role in the body of Christ and work hard to contribute and strengthen other members.
I close with a quote,

In August 1992, Reader’s Digest published an article entitled “How ‘Average’ People Excel.” It related how “fast-trackers,” people who succeed in school, often fizzle in the real world. Their main problem is that they are driven by their own inflated ego, and they set goals too high for themselves. They, more than anybody, understand how clever they are, so they are never happy with playing second fiddle to anyone. In other words, their pride is their downfall. The article, written from a purely secular viewpoint, had some very relevant thoughts that we may apply to the kingdom of God. Here are the keys to success found by a corporate consultant, after interviewing more than 190 “ordinary” individuals who had achieved secular success:

• Learn self-discipline. This is the key to being successful as a Christian. Of course, we don’t measure success in dollars as the world does; we measure it in terms of our lifestyles being pleasing to God. Self-discipline means that we read the Word daily and obey what it says. It means listening to the voice of our conscience and the voice of the Spirit. Self-discipline means self-denial. Consider Jesus in this respect. His ministry was a complete denial of self, from the temptation in the wilderness, to Calvary’s terrible cross. He denied His own will, and disciplined Himself to follow the will of the Father, for the sake of the kingdom of God.
• Bring out the best in people. There is nothing more pathetic than a selfish person. The Christian has crucified selfishness, and now lives to love his neighbor as much as he loves himself. The dividends are rich. He who loves others will be loved himself, and he who brings out the best in others will bring out the best in himself. Jesus lived and died for others. This is the key to successful relationships and especially to a good marriage.
• Build a knowledge base. Think of Jesus when He sat as a twelve-year-old at the feet of those who could give Him understanding of the Scriptures. He grew in grace and knowledge of the things of the kingdom of God. We are commanded to give all diligence to “add to your faith, virtue and to virtue, knowledge...” (2 Peter 1:5). To do so is to enrich the Christian life.
• Develop special skills. Our skills are not in the natural realm. We seek skills that will save sinners from everlasting damnation. We long to rightly divide the Word of truth as a skillful worker who need not be ashamed. We develop dexterity so that we might be sensitive to the voice of the Spirit, and so that we might speak a word in season to those who are weary.
• Keep promises. A Christian always keeps his word even when it hurts him (see Psalm 15:4). His “Yes” will be yes, and his “No,” no. If he says he will do something, he will do it if it is at all possible. In this way, he is following after righteousness, and simply doing what is upright.
• Bounce back from defeat. I have had many failures. I have begun writing books that I have abandoned. I have printed tracts that I have thrown into the trash. I have floundered while witnessing. I have wasted money on projects that have failed. I have preached dry sermons, prayed pathetic prayers, and made just about every blunder one can make. When our ministry first started in 1974, we published a Christian paper called “Living Waters.” On the back I ran a large advertisement with the words “Problems? Just call this number. You don’t have to say a word...just listen.” The number was for a local Dial-a-sermon, and I thought it would be a blessing to those who found themselves needing comfort. Unfortunately, I forgot to include the area code and some poor woman in another part of the country began getting calls with heavy breathing on the line. People with problems called her and they didn’t say a word. They just listened.

Most of us could write a book on flops, washouts, mess-ups, blunders, botches, duds, bungles, and failures, but who hasn’t blown something in his life? Those who blunder the least are usually those who attempt the least. Steven Pile, the head of the “Not Terribly Good Club” of Great Britain, was forced to resign from his position when a book he wrote, The Book of Heroic Failures, became a bestseller. He couldn’t even succeed in his position as president! Albert Einstein said, “Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.” Don’t let the past limit you. With God all things are possible...so strive to do what others think is impossible. Donald Trump said, “As long as you’re going to be thinking anyway, THINK BIG.”

Thank you Denise for this timely investment in me. Thank you Adam for writing your challenging thoughts that you spurred in my life.

(John 6:68 NASB) Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life.

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