Flourish

Title: Flourish: Grace-Centered Practices to Protect and Grow a Fruitful Life In Christ

Author: Ava Pennington 

Publisher: Kregel Publications

Genre: Christian Nonfiction, Christian Living,

Source: Kregel

My Review:

Flourish: Grace-Centered Practices to Protect and Grow a Fruitful Life In Christ is focused on the fruits of the spirit that are listed in Galatians 5:22-23.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I took my time reading it (which I highly recommend) to get the most out of it. I appreciated the author's research and saturation of scripture throughout the book. Her conversation style made the book a quick read and easy to understand.

I have many highlights and tabbed pages. I learned so much about the fruits of the spirit, but I also learned things about myself. Some sections spoke more to me than others, but one particular section really stood out. In this particular section, the author is talking about God's silence and the lies Satan will throw at us during this time. Using the example of Mary and Martha and the death of their brother, and a quote from Oswald Chambers, God's silence is explained in a way I had never heard before. A brief snippet of Chambers' quote:

...When you cannot hear God, you will find that He has trusted you in the most intimate way possible-with absolute silence, not a silence of despair, but one of pleasure, because He saw that you could withstand an even bigger revelation.

Wow! In the case of Mary and Martha, after God's silence, they saw their brother raised from the dead! We tend to think that when God is silent, He isn't listening to us, but that is not the case at all.

There are SO many good parts to this book, and so much to savor, and wisdom to learn from. I highly recommend it.

Thank you to the author and Kregel Publications for the opportunity to read this book. I was not required to provide a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

★★★★★/5

Synopsis (Goodreads):  

Bible teacher Ava Pennington reveals how to reclaim and defend the fruit of the Spirit from the Enemy

The fruit of the Spirit is promised to every Christian, so why do so many believers lack love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control? For those dissatisfied with their level of spiritual maturity, those seeking tools and guidance to cultivate their relationship with God, and those looking to transform their lives, Flourish is the perfect resource, designed to help readers grow in their faith journeys.

With a grace-centered perspective on the fruit of the Spirit, author and Bible teacher Ava Pennington equips readers with biblical principles and practices to recognize Satan's attacks, shield their hearts, and recover what the thief has stolen. Readers will learn how to nurture growth in Christ, protect their fruitfulness, and share the harvest.

Instead of being cheated out of fully ripened godly characteristics, readers can fight spiritual battles with spiritual weapons and reclaim the fruit of the Spirit in their lives. With personal application and discussion questions at the end of each chapter, Flourish is a perfect small group resource.