I love a simple, yet profound, challenge for my Christian life. I love a devotional work with enough bite to deliver that challenge. John Stott’s final volume is just such a work.

He covers eight areas that he feels are “some neglected aspects of our calling”. Short, sweet, and inspiring, these chapters carry more punch than their size suggested.

His first chapter entitled “Noncormity” was extraordinary. In only eleven pages he wove the ideas of escapism and conformism being forbidden, the failure of pluralism, materialism, and relativism, and ugliness of narcissism in a meaningful way. He explained how self-love is a sign of the last days. The next chapter on Christlikeness was moving in that he wrote from the perspective that “God wants his people to become like Christ, for Christlikeness is the will of God for the people of God.

In the chapter on maturity he answers the question about what is the best description of Christianity today. What is that answer? “Growth without depth.” Wow! Could it be better stated? That whole chapter was memorable.

I really couldn’t connect on the next two chapters, but the rest of the chapter more than compensated for the two I felt of little worth. After these two, he got back on track.

The final two on dependence and death were as compelling as any I have read. Dependence, even in a declining health situation, can be a good thing. His own suffering punctuated the words that made sense even if we must begrudgingly admit it. His chapter on death would not have meant as much written by a young man. He would die within two years of writing this chapter. He stared down death as one safe in Jesus and I was moved as I read it.

Reasonably priced, not too long, but a real spiritual treat–I recommend this as a treasure.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.