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Start with Me
by Michael Seaton with John Blase
Reviewed by Dale Lewis
"Start with Me is well-crafted, contemporary and relevant. It is emotionally charged, yet beautiful . . . challenging but overwhelming with practical application."
In Start with Me, a fictional group of friends are walking through life
as normal, safe, American Christians. Each of them has begun to wonder
independently, 'Isn't there more?' As they begin to emerge from their carefully
constructed comfort zones, transformation is not far behind.
Set in Santa Fe, New Mexico, the cast of characters are as diverse as any “best-selling” novel.
They include a freelance writer, a college professor, a homeless man, a
senior pastor, a road-weary prostitute, a young Army widow with two boys
and first time soup kitchen volunteers. How they interconnect within this
city and community is believable and draws the reader into their lives.
As each of their stories within the greater story unfolds, the reader experiences
what stepping out in faith looks like as each learns to 'love their neighbors'
in this hurting world.
This book is for those of us who sit in the pews, soak up sermon after
sermon and then step back into our own reality with our own problems, oblivious
to others while at the same time questioning what we’re missing in
life! Our practical help, healing touch, prayers are not exclusively our
own keepsakes.
One of my favorite convicting lines from this modern parable is “I
believe that’s what Jesus wants us to do. Leave hints or traces or
whiffs of grace and mercy and forgiveness, words that mean something, in
the lives of those both near and far.”
The storytelling and “preaching,” for the most part, are balanced
well. Sometimes the “sermon” is subtle. At other times, the
sermon jumps off the page with “in your face” facts and commentary.
Start with Me is well-crafted, contemporary and relevant. It is emotionally
charged, yet beautiful . . . challenging but overwhelming with practical
application. It is an exhortation to all who name the name of Christ to
wake up, open our eyes to the needs around us and to love them as we’re
loved by Jesus.
Start with Me is part of “Start Becoming a Good Samaritan,” a
nationwide church and small group DVD experience that features an impressive
list of national and international supporters.
