Faithful Thinkers: The Grand Weaver by Ravi Zacharias- Audio Book Highlight

Introduction

Audio is one of my favorite ways to consume books. I've found that its a great way to review the books that I've read when I just need a refresher or to have the hard copy (or ebook) and read along. It is tough to pass up a great deal on the audio versions of my favorite books, and I never want to pass up the opportunity to let others know of a great deal. Twice every year ChristianAudio.com runs a sale on most of their collection of audio books, and you can usually pick them up for $7.49. It is now that time of year!

I will be highlighting some of my favorite audio books. I'll include a few of my favorite quotes from the books, my recommendation from my chapter-by-chapter reviews, links to posts that were inspired by the books, and, of course, I will include links to the audio book deal throughout the article. Today, I am highlighting "The Grand Weaver" by Ravi Zacharias.

"The Grand Weaver" by Ravi Zacharias- My Recommendation

The Grand Weaver: How God Shapes Us Through the Events of Our Lives is a fantastic and uplifting book. It has much value for the apologist as it addresses the emotional problem of evil head-on. Zacharias does not just address the issue from a disconnected distance, he brings the reader into his own life and demonstrates his points from his own experiences. The book is not written at an academic level that is beyond what the lay person can understand, but it does challenge them as it brings them comfort. The book flows very smoothly and is easy to read, yet difficult to put down.

The apologist should have several copies of this book in their library- one for their own consumption (in their personal life and in their defense of Christianity) and the others to give to those who are struggling with painful events in life- whether believer or not. For the believer, Zacharias provides a biblical perspective that may not be immediately clear to those experiencing pain. For the skeptic, Zacharias explains how Christianity brings meaning and life to their pain and suffering.

Finally, this book is highly recommended for pastors. Pastors, in their roles as teachers and counselors (especially), are depended upon to help people struggle through and overcome difficulties in their lives- people are not just searching for solutions to the painful events but purpose for those painful events. In The Grand Weaver, Zacharias brings to light much that scripture has to say about God's sovereignty and purpose for what happens in our lives- both good and bad. Not only can this help a person triumph through the crisis, but also stand against doubts about the goodness or existence of God from personal life experiences.

"The Grand Weaver" by Ravi Zacharias- Favorite Quotes

"We must recognize that divine intervention is nowhere near as simple a thing as we might imagine. For it to sustain us and give us staying power- to help us remain firm and see God's hand at every stage of our lives- it must look quite different from what we would usually prescribe for ourselves. It cannot be only a journey of unmistakable blessing and a path of ease. To allow God to be God we must follow him for who he is and what he intends and not for what we want or what we prefer."- Ravi Zacharias

"How easily we take for granted the gist of being 'normal." Sometimes those of us who have been blessed the most seem to be the least capable of seeing God's gracious hand on us."- Ravi Zacharias

Quote from Ravi Zacharias' book "The Grand Weaver": "How easily we take for granted the gist of being 'normal." Sometimes those of us who have been blessed the most seem to be the least capable of seeing God's gracious hand on us."

"Yesterday's victory doesn't guarantee tomorrow's. The relentlessness of the enemy of our souls demands that we remain ever watchful, and that's the hard part. We want results without effort. We want a lifestyle, but we don't really know what life is about. We want success without having to pay the price to get there. We want straight A's, but we don't want to study. We want a blessed marriage, but we don't want the effort and commitment that it takes."- Ravi Zacharias

"God can call us by slow, encouraging methods as well as by dramatic ones. The real challenge is to ponder how we come to terms with God's sovereign working and how we respond to his plan and calling."- Ravi Zacharias

"The moral law serves as a profound reminder that in God there is no contradiction. The moral law stands as a consistent, contradiction-free expression of God's character. if I violate this law, I bring contradiction into my own life, and my life begins to fall apart. This is why a humble spirit, as it honors God, realizes how near and yet how far it is from God."- Ravi Zacharais

"No one is made righteous before God by keeping the law. It is only following redemption that we can truly understand the moral law for what it is- a mirror that indicts and calls the heart to seek God's help. This makes moral reasoning the fruit of spiritual understanding and not the cause of it."- Ravi Zacharais

"The Christian faith, simply stated, reminds us that our fundamental problem is not moral; rather, our fundamental problem is spiritual. It is not just that we are immoral, but that a moral life alone cannot bridge what separates us from God. Herein lies the cardinal difference between the moralizing religions and Jesus' offer to us. Jesus does not offer to make bad people good but to make dead people alive."- Ravi Zacharias