Note: Those who know me well can tell you that I’m not a fan of most books. It takes a lot for a book to impress me. So let the reader understand — for me to write a book review like this is no small thing.
Book Review: 11 Indispensable Relationships You Can’t Be Without by Leonard Sweet
In the Christian world today, some people are echoes while others are voices.
Leonard Sweet is a voice.
He’s one of those rare breeds that offers fresh insight and new thinking on old issues and questions.
Sweet’s new book, “11”, is an example of the above. After you read it, new creases will appear on your brain that didn’t exist before.
In this page-turner, Sweet sketches out 11 types of people that every Christian needs in their life to properly cross the finish line. These 11 people are “God’s dream team” for the development of our spiritual character. Sweet presents all 11 characters by using various people in the Bible as examples – Nathan, Jonathan, Timothy, Jethro, Paul and Peter, etc. One of the main points of the book is that the believer’s journey is as important as the destination.
The book is packed with uncanny insights — biblical, psychological, and social. Just the quotes alone that Sweet uses to buttress his points are worth the price of admission. What I found most intriguing about it was that it contained a good deal of sound, practical wisdom. This is rare in a book today.
As I read the book, one character seemed to be missing, I felt. That character is Saul. I’ve had the displeasure of having a Saul in my life, and most men who are engaged in serving the Lord have had theirs as well.
Perhaps Sweet didn’t add this character because God doesn’t give every Christian a Saul. (Thank God for that.) It seems that Saul only makes his appearance in the lives of Christian workers. (That’s one reason why those who are genuinely called to God’s work would prefer not to have the job!)
Even so, Sweet’s “11” is fantastic, and I think every Christian should read it. You will benefit. Order from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/11-Indispensable-Relationships-Cant-Without/dp/1434799832/ref=pd_bbs_sr_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1207093253&sr=1-3
Visit Len’s website at http://leonardsweet.com/ and be sure to check out his “Napkin Scribbles.”
