According to Jim Cymbala, Satan is the "master thief" of our day, robbing us of faith. In Fresh Faith, the inner-city pastor and author of the bestselling Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire, challenges despair with the sword of Christian belief. In the wake of Satan's crime wave, Cymbala sees an overriding despondency that leads people to drugs, violence, and suicide. Even among pastors, Cymbala sees a turning away of Christ as "the first love," and instead he finds church leaders who are "hollow shells" of their former zealous selves. The final two sections of his book are devoted to "Getting Past the Barricades" and "Following the Divine Channel," showing readers how belief and trust can restore even the most damaged souls.

While Cymbala isn't the first pastor to try to ignite a fresh fire of faith, he is one of the most qualified. When he took over the leadership of the Brooklyn Tabernacle, the congregation was on the verge of extinction with only 26 members. The church is now 6,000 strong and a nationally recognized example of what a community's faith can do. --Gail Hudson


From Publishers Weekly
This sequel to Cymbala's 1997 success, Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire (still holding its own on the hardcover religion bestseller list), manages to offer what few sequels can muster: a "fresh" and invigorating perspective. Cymbala has a real knack for bringing Bible stories to life (King David, with all of his flaws, figures prominently here). The book's short homilies comprise readable chapters on issues such as trusting God, overcoming discouragement and acting on God's promises. Cymbala shares stories from his congregationAincluding of his daughter's miraculous healing and the unforgettable conversion of Amalia, a drug-addicted incest victimAto demonstrate God's power in transforming lives. Cymbala has some hard words for those who rely upon good works in hopes of earning God's approval, which in his estimation demonstrates a grievous lack of faith in grace. He chastises those who profess belief in the truth of the Bible but never read it for themselves; they suffer from "stale" faith because they refuse to be refreshed. On the other end of the spectrum, his message is also for "those Christians who pound the Bible the hardest [but] are the most unbelieving and cynical about God ever doing a new thing in his church." Some of Cymbala's politics may offend readers (one chapter profiles an ex-gay husband and father who renounced his former lifestyle and established a ministry to AIDS victims), but he generally manages to rise above divisive polemics to preach a gospel of truth-telling and ineffable love. Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Pastor Jim Cymbala calls us back to a fiery, passionate preoccupation with God that will restore what the enemy has stolen from us: our first love for Jesus, our zeal, our troubled children, our wounded marriages, our broken and divided churches. Born out of the heart and soul of the Brooklyn Tabernacle, the message of Fresh Faith is illustrated by true stories of men and women whose lives have been changed through the power of faith. The same faith that can transform your life -- starting today, if you choose.

SYNOPSIS

Fresh Faith will restore your faith in the promises of God and revitalize your relationship with him.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly