Taking Down Goliath

Brief Summary We were not created to just get by with average, unrewarding or unfulfilling lives. God created us to leave our marks on our generations. Every person has seeds of greatness planted within by the Creator. When life weighs upon us, pushing us down, limiting our thinking, labeling us in negative ways, we have what it takes to overcome and rise above into the fullness of our destinies. In his dynamic, inspiring and faith-building new book, BREAK OUT: Five Ways To Go Beyond Your Barriers and Live an Extraordinary Life, best-selling author Joel Osteen provides practical steps and encouragement for creating a life without limitations. This book will help readers break out and break free so they can believe bigger, increase their productivity, improve their relationships and accomplish their dreams. Osteen's uplifting message focuses on moving beyond barriers by: Daring to believe that the best will happen for us Adopting an irrepressible "break out" attitude Making room for increase Praying bold prayers Following God's plan beyond our circumstances Filled with faith and inspiration, BREAK OUT challenges readers to have a new perspective, to let nothing hold them back, and to reject any labels that might limit them. Osteen inspires and encourages with the message that our first break outs must occur within our own minds: "When you break though in your mind, believing you can rise higher and overcome obstacles, then God will unleash the power within that will enable you to go beyond the ordinary into the extraordinary life you were designed to live."" ISBN:1455576791 Author:Joel Osteen

This uneven effort by the indomitable Jakes (The Lady, Her Lover, and Her Lord) inadvertently contains two discrete books--one on family, and one on personal finance. The sections on family are the best; Jakes compares the ideal Christian family (two parents, one of whom is a stay-at-home mom, and both of whom were virgins when they wed) with the more diverse reality of contemporary America. He quite effectively addresses nontraditional configurations such as blended, one-parent, and grandmother-headed families in a supportive and nonjudgmental tone. Jakes speaks specifically to African-American families like his own, who were left ""emancipated but incapacitated"" after generations of slavery. The finance portion of the book reflects Jakes's desire to avoid preaching the health-and-wealth gospel while simultaneously telling readers that God wants them to be financially comfortable. Jesus, says Jakes, desires Christians to have the kind of worldly influence that only wealth can bring. Much of Jakes's financial advice is typical of other Christian money gurus such as Larry Burkett and Mary Hunt, though without their detailed plans for debt-free living and profitable investing. Jakes stands out with his memorable biblical examples of prudent money management and his clear stance that Christian tithing should be from gross, not net, income.