The Ragamuffin Gospel

I wish I had read this book 10 years ago!\\r\\n\\r\\nMost books speak to your head, some books speak to your heart. This is definitely the later. This book is only talking about one thing: how undeserving we are and how great God's grace in Jesus is. Manning brilliantly speaks this truth in many different ways and stories. It really is a delight to read!\\r\\n\\r\\nIf you are reading this book, the best way is to read it slow. Let the stories be digested in your heart and let the grace of Christ be revealed through them. \\r\\n\\r\\nThe book really does speak to the heart. Not many books have the effect that this book has on me. \\r\\n\\r\\nHighly recommended!

In A Ragamuffin Gospel, Manning speaks of God's amazing grace, of how God loves us based on His standards not our own, about how Christianity is a grace-laden mystery. Manning's theme is that we underestimate grace, we fail to understand that God loves us no matter what. It's a ragamuffin gospel,""""written for the bedraggled, beat-up and burnt-out"""", for those who are weary and discouraged. \\r\\n\\r\\nManning's message hasn't been universally accepted. Many churches preach what has been called a """"Jesus-plus"""" gospel: to be a proper Christian, you have to have Jesus and tithe your 10%. To be a proper Christian, you have to have Jesus and attend church three nights a week and twice on Sunday. To be a proper Christian, you have to have Jesus and pray for an hour a day. \\r\\n\\r\\nThis is a church that preaches the grace of Jesus but doesn't always practice it, and it's bringing Christians under condemnation for never being good enough. That's what Manning is saying: we will never be good enough on our own, but we are all good enough in Jesus. All we need is to accept God's grace. It's not that tithing, attending church or praying are bad-they're not-but they don't affect our salvation. God loves us unconditionally, and can't love us any more or any less. \\r\\n\\r\\nAnd that's the Ragamuffin gospel. Jesus, and his grace extended to me and you. It's not what you do; it's Who you know. Recommended. \\r\\n\\r\\nThanks to Blogging for Books for providing a free ebook for…

Throughout this book Brennan Manning reminds us that God loves us and and accepts us just the way we are, because of who He is, even though at times it is so easy to believe that we aren't good enough, or that there should be someway to earn His love. Luckily God's love comes free, no strings attached. \\r\\n\\r\\nI'm lucky in some ways, coming from an environment and community that has imparted a reasonable understanding of God's love and grace, so some of the earlier chapters, though good, weren't as relevant for me. Even so there was plenty for me in the book, both new or that I needed to increase my knowledge and understanding of. \\r\\n\\r\\nThis book presents the good news of the gospel for everyone, whether they are jaded, or broken, wandering, or wondering.