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Customer Reviews for Bethany House No Matter the Cost: Igniting a Life of Strength and Honor
Bethany House No Matter the Cost: Igniting a Life of Strength and Honor
Declaring that men today are discouraged, exhausted, and questioning their worth, successful entrepreneur and ministry leader Brown offers a heartening message to his brothers in Christ: "Have courage. God needs you here, now . . . this day." You'll be inspired by his battle plan for men who are willing to make their lives extraordinary for God. 176 pages, softcover from Bethany.
Average Customer Rating:
(18 Reviews) 18
Rating Snapshot (18 reviews)
5 stars
15
4 stars
2
3 stars
1
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0
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18 out of 18100%customers would recommend this product to a friend.
Customer Reviews for No Matter the Cost: Igniting a Life of Strength and Honor
Review 1 for No Matter the Cost: Igniting a Life of Strength and Honor
Overall Rating:
A Needed Book!
Date:January 11, 2013
Quality:
5
out of
5
Value:
5
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
5
out of
5
Men, are you discouraged or broken? Have you even made foolish decisions? Do you need the courage and hope to go on? Then this book by Vance Brown with John Blasé and published by Bethany House is the book you have been waiting on.
We have here the call for “imperfect, broken, foolish men” to step up in the battle and fight “no matter the cost.” Do not suppose, however, that this book is just a pep talk, or an inspirational challenge. This is a realistic view of us coupled with a realistic view of Christ.
Because of a mix up at my home, I didn’t realize I had this book to review till I just discovered it recently. By that twist of fate I had an entire night in a waiting room to devour this book carefully. It moved me.
He weaves the story of George Bailey from “It’s A Wonderful Life” and shows that is the story of far more of us than we’d care to admit. He says this defines many of us men: “all alone, exhausted, weary, bone-tired, questioning our worth, feeling much more dead than alive, courage struggling for oxygen.” We have our dreams, or at least we had them. Years and events mingled with some stupidity and we lose hope.
Amazingly, he also uses the Lord’s Prayer to teach us. While it might not be the most exegetically precise thing you have ever read, it really works. It takes you somewhere. Somewhere you need to go. You will notice that he focuses on our relationship with the Lord on the one hand and our Christian brothers on the other. It makes sense!
He writes well. The illustrations are exceptional. The transparency is amazing. He shares real failure and proves that the Lord was not done with him. What could encourage us more?
You may be aware that Mr. Brown heads Band of Brothers. Don’t be concerned that this book is just a selling job for that organization. While the principles of this book underlie that organization, that is rarely the focus of the book. No, he writes at your heart and life. At least he spoke to mine and I highly recommend this book.
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255
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Review 2 for No Matter the Cost: Igniting a Life of Strength and Honor
Overall Rating:
"courage in need of oxygen"
Date:July 16, 2012
Lauraharg
I have just begun reading it and already I am deeply moved, motivated and inspired to pull up my bootstraps and take on a more conscientious role in the spiritual war that rages all around us...this book is written with, to and for men...broken men, defeated men, men who are existing as "courage in need of oxygen" as the book puts it...but as a woman I am also deeply inspired as well as enlightened about the inner struggles and warfare that tear into the hearts of the men/warriors we love. Please consider reading this book and encouraging the men in your community/church to read it as well. This book is going to, not-so-gently, nudge/push the "shallow enders" out deeper and the "so close-ers" (as the book calls it) to go "into" the canyon and relish the experience rather than stand on the edge in awe of it's beauty ..BUT BE CAREFUL ~ because I am confident that on the other side of reading this you will find men cloaked in war paint with a rediscovered, unique and purposeful battle cry rallying a band of brothers to go into battle... I hope and pray this does not scare you...
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Review 3 for No Matter the Cost: Igniting a Life of Strength and Honor
Overall Rating:
Must Have For leaders
Date:June 19, 2012
doccking
Age:45-54
Gender:male
Quality:
4
out of
5
Value:
5
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
5
out of
5
With over 10 years in ministry with men, I would say this is one of the best books I have read. If your looking for a tool to lead yourself or others to a deeper level and understanding of the brotherhood of Christ, then you must read this book. The links for follow up are without question a great way to keep in unity with other men, long after you complete the book. The real life stories, are told in a bold and brave way not found in todays teaching. Buy it today
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Review 4 for No Matter the Cost: Igniting a Life of Strength and Honor
Overall Rating:
Understanding the Cost
Date:June 11, 2012
Konrad
Location:Baxter, MN
Age:35-44
Gender:male
Quality:
4
out of
5
Value:
5
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
4
out of
5
In 2009 while deployed to Iraq I started a Brotherhood, taking the existing material and creating a study guide from it using largely my own experiences and situations as reference for our group discussions. The one piece that seemed to be missing from that, however, was the underpinning of where this 'No Matter the Cost' battle cry came from. This book provides that key piece of intel needed to help those of us who struggle daily find strength in knowing that the very foundation of Band of Brothers is not just theory or pie-in-the-sky garbage. It was forged by the very breaking down of men who've counted the cost, cracked open the very depths of their souls and were willing to move forward together; knowing that each one of them no longer had anything to fear. This book provides insight and courage to any man wondering if he has the courage to strike out in his home, his church, his community; living each day forward for the cause of Christ and His Kingdom.
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Review 5 for No Matter the Cost: Igniting a Life of Strength and Honor
Overall Rating:
A book for men seeking a purpose in their life!
Date:June 11, 2012
Daniel
Location:Walla Walla, WA
Age:55-65
Gender:male
Quality:
5
out of
5
Value:
5
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
5
out of
5
As a retired educator and school administrator, I have talked to and counseled many tired, hurting, discouraged men, both Christian and non Christian. Many of these men fit a quote from Henry David Thoreau’s book “Walden.” “The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them.” Most of these men realize that they were created for a purpose and destined for good works. These same men wanted more out of life but accepted less. Most men wanted to do more, to make more of his life but they resigned themselves to the ho hum status quo of life. They lacked purpose and passion. Many of these men were lone rangers. Even though they accepted life’s status quo they longed for so much more, so, so much more. President Lyndon B. Johnson knew what they were looking for and he addressed it in his January 20, 1965 inaugural address. He said “Men want to be a part of a common enterprise a cause greater than themselves.” These two issues are addressed in “No Matter the Cost.”
If you are one of the men I mentioned I urge you to read this book and then read it again with a friend. You will find that “Just as iron sharpens iron so one man sharpens another.” This book is destined to be a classic for Christian Men’s ministry. If you are not a Christian you may still find this an enlightening read. I would also recommend that you read the book “Resolution for Men” after you read “No Matter the Cost.”
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Review 6 for No Matter the Cost: Igniting a Life of Strength and Honor
Overall Rating:
Great read!
Date:June 11, 2012
Jeff
Location:Alpharetta, GA
Age:45-54
Gender:male
Quality:
5
out of
5
Value:
5
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
4
out of
5
Thanks Vance for your willingness to be so raw and real in this book. You and your Band of Brothers are a great encouragement to all men seeking God and wanting to be all that God has called them to be.
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Review 7 for No Matter the Cost: Igniting a Life of Strength and Honor
Overall Rating:
Overall, a good book
Date:June 10, 2012
Allan
Location:Wamego, KS
Age:45-54
Gender:male
Quality:
4
out of
5
Value:
5
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
4
out of
5
I received an advance reading copy of "No Matter the Cost" and found it to be an engaging read. The personal stories that were included at the end of the chapters were a highlight for me. They served to model the authenticity the author is challenging men to enter. I also really liked the perspective on the Lord's Prayer. Having grown up in a liturgical, traditional church, the words come out easily without the brain being fully engaged. This section of the book really brought the Lord's Prayer back to life for me.
The overarching theme of the book was to encourage men to find others with whom they can be authentic and battle by one another to live out the purpose God has for each of us. There were places it seemed like the book could have flowed more smoothly, but it was good read and a great encouragement. It will be especially helpful to those who work through the material with their own band of brothers.
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Review 8 for No Matter the Cost: Igniting a Life of Strength and Honor
Overall Rating:
Raw & unpolished- real thru & thru- just like life
Date:June 10, 2012
XtraFibre
Location:Washington State
Age:35-44
Gender:male
Quality:
5
out of
5
Value:
5
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
5
out of
5
This book is a call to brotherhood- the community we were designed for. We were not made to go it alone.
Hope is a dangerous thing. Hope can drive a man insane. Isolation leads to a life of quiet desperation, a life without hope- or worse, a life of hope that drives a man insane.
This book offers hope, a way to joy in spite of our past mistakes and current problems. Within a Band of Brothers where there is no condemnation, no shame, and no regrets a frightened boy or a frustrated man can come to grips with his part in the larger story. My broken story has a purpose in the battle. All I have to do is engage in the battle.
"That is when I knew my son was now a man. Unafraid to die, unafraid to live, and willing to trust God for his life story."
This book provides a way to become a man who is unafraid.....to die, but more importantly, unafraid..... to LIVE!
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Review 9 for No Matter the Cost: Igniting a Life of Strength and Honor
Overall Rating:
One of the best books I have read this year...
Date:June 9, 2012
txbassbum
Age:35-44
Gender:male
Quality:
5
out of
5
Value:
5
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
5
out of
5
This was a wonderful read. I had it read within the first 24 hours after I received it...I just could not put it down. It is and will be a great tool for men's ministry. I would say it is a must have in your must read/must share library.
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Review 10 for No Matter the Cost: Igniting a Life of Strength and Honor
Overall Rating:
Good for Group Study/Discussion
Date:June 9, 2012
John P
Location:Mentor, OH
Age:45-54
Gender:male
Quality:
5
out of
5
Value:
5
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
5
out of
5
This book guides a men's ministry on how to get to the real issues of Spiritual Manhood. Too many men, just want to scratch the surface and not get to the core problems all us men face as we walk with Christ. We all face the same issues, and by sharing our experiences, good and bad, we can help each other grow into better Christians. This book guides you on the journey, and I plan on using it in our Men's Ministry.
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Review 11 for No Matter the Cost: Igniting a Life of Strength and Honor
Overall Rating:
Excellent Read!
Date:June 8, 2012
Larry
Location:Fort Worth, TX.
Age:45-54
Gender:male
Quality:
5
out of
5
Value:
5
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
5
out of
5
"No Matter the Cost" is for every man! We all find ourselves falling short. Vance brings sound Scriptural principles and great insight for men to get back to their feet and find freedom,
As a men's pastor I am amazed at what this can do for the heart of men! This is a must read for every man.
As a men's pastor I am amazed at what this can do for the heart of men! This is a must read for every man.
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Review 12 for No Matter the Cost: Igniting a Life of Strength and Honor
Overall Rating:
This book is for MEN who need God!
Date:June 8, 2012
Radardan
Location:Spotsylvania, VA
Age:35-44
Gender:male
Quality:
4
out of
5
Value:
5
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
5
out of
5
I was blessed with a read-ahead copy of this book and I have been waiting to get my hands on it to give to men that I know who need it. It is not for your average guy that shops in Christian Books stores, this book is for the guy that has found Jesus but feels like he has done things in his past that will hold him back. We all have doubts about ourselves and some guys will keep away from God because of excuses like "knowing what I have done, how could God love me?" This book will help guys realize that we all make mistakes but nothing we can ever do can seperate us from God's love as long as we seek Him first! This book is a true blessing to me and I know it will be to others!
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Review 13 for No Matter the Cost: Igniting a Life of Strength and Honor
Overall Rating:
Raw and Beneficial
Date:June 8, 2012
chapin87
Location:Norman, OK
Age:25-34
Gender:male
Quality:
4
out of
5
Value:
5
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
5
out of
5
I was excited to start reading this book. I found it raw and real. No frills or doctored to taste good and go down easy. I guess I would compare it to a raw diet. It is hard to get down sometimes but the bennifits are great. To know that I am not the only guy out there questioning, strugling and wondering how will I get through. To have the encouragement of the stories of men. The true raw unhindered stories of men who are not giving up. Who have and are battling. Every man should read this book. I feel it has given me a voice and the courage to face each day and to know that others are deciding that no matter tha cost is the way they are going to live.
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Review 14 for No Matter the Cost: Igniting a Life of Strength and Honor
Overall Rating:
This book is a great assett for men!
Date:June 8, 2012
Brian
Location:Cleveland, Tennessee
Age:35-44
Gender:male
Quality:
4
out of
5
Value:
4
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
5
out of
5
The inclusion of an online ministry connection from the book is an incredible assett for many men! Too many times have stuggling men read book after book with no options to have any dialogue for fear of rejection etc.. There are so many guys not able to have that small group but yet are able to obtain strength from the online community. Thanks for continuing the vision God put in your heart, many men and their families will be blessed by the Band of Brother's ministry!
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Review 15 for No Matter the Cost: Igniting a Life of Strength and Honor
Overall Rating:
A Call to Arms
Date:June 8, 2012
1rollinred
Location:Oregon
Gender:male
Quality:
5
out of
5
Value:
5
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
5
out of
5
Having attended one Band of Brothers retreat and subsequently organizing two after that, I have been so looking forward to this book hitting the streets.
The entire concept of men needing other men in their lives for encouragement, validation as a man, and someone to really be accountable to flies in the face of what I call the "John Wayne" syndrome. Don't misunderstand me here because I love John Wayne, but we men have grown up with the "I can do this myself" attitude and if you can't seem to handle whatever life throws at you by "pulling yourself up by your bootstraps" you are just some kind of a wuss.
Finally, we have in the midst of all the "self help" MAN books one that speaks to the real issue. We are not meant to face the battles in life alone.
What this book is not is another "fix-it-for-you" temporary band aid. I'm not in my brother’s life to "fix him," I'm in his life to walk with him through the mud and the blood of the battle.
The day I received the advance reading copy of the book I set the mail down on the island in the kitchen and headed back out to the shop. Coming back into the house about an hour later I found my wife already on page 30 something. I said "Hey, gimmie that, you can't read it first!" and she begrudgingly handed it over.
One night about 2 months later (after I had read the book and had lots of dialog with her about the foundational principles) we were getting ready for our weekly home fellowship time. The week before we had finished the study we were doing, and it was time to decide what to study next.
My buddy's wife picked up my copy of "No Matter the Cost" and began to read through parts of it and talking with my wife about it. They all wanted to read through "No Matter the Cost" out loud. After reading the first 2 chapters we had the best discussion we have had the entire time we have been meeting.
As I write this I think of how much loss our collective "manhood" has taken over just my lifetime and how glad I am that now we can have hope. We have a "tool" if you will, to really understand what it means to be engaged and to fight for a brother’s story. This isn’t just the next thing for men coming down the pike. It won’t sit on your bookshelf with the others, not becoming part of the fabric of your life. This is the real deal.
Get the book. Get engaged.
"You are not alone."
Jeff
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Review 16 for No Matter the Cost: Igniting a Life of Strength and Honor
Overall Rating:
A must read for every man!
Date:May 21, 2012
Michael G
Location:Rowlett, TX
Age:45-54
Gender:male
Quality:
5
out of
5
Value:
5
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
5
out of
5
When I got this book I was so excited to start reading it that I tore into the very first night! And I got all the way into the prologue when I realized this wasn't a book I was going to read in a couple of nights and then put on a book shelf and forget about. No, this was a book I was going to have to work my way through - praying and agonizing over each and every word. I say that because what I discovered as I got all the way into the prologue (yes, I know that's at the very beginning...) was that this book was written for ME. And not just for me - but about me. I read descriptions of myself over and over again as I worked my way through this book - and it started in the prologue. Ironically, in the prologue, Vance talks about George Bailey and the movie, "It's a Wonderful Life" - it just happens to be my favorite Christmas movie - and I discovered, even after years of watching that movie (and forcing my kids to watch it) that I am George Bailey. I've always thought I had never amounted to much of anything and that the world would be better off without me. I even blogged about how I'd always wanted to be a hero - the kind of man the world views a hero - think Rambo, Navy Seal and James Bond rolled into one - that's who I wanted to be. This book made me realize that in Christ I am much more than that - and I'm not alone!!!
I highly recommend this book for every man - those who may be struggling with self image, secret/hidden sin, shame - but also for those who see themselves as totally on top of the world. I promise you this book will have an impact on you - on every man who reads it!
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Review 17 for No Matter the Cost: Igniting a Life of Strength and Honor
Overall Rating:
Good Starting Point
Date:May 11, 2012
KTrost
Location:Knoxville, TN
Quality:
3
out of
5
Value:
4
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
2
out of
5
Over the past 5 years I have participated in men's ministries and read many books on the same subject contained in this book. "No Matter The Cost" would be a great resource for a man who has decided to follow Christ for the first time and desires to find his Band of Brothers to walk his journey with. The early chapters were full of information but were disjointed and hard to follow or understand the purpose of the writer. Chapter 1 alludes to how a man can keep the excitement of following Christ even during the mundane days and weeks of his life. I never found the answer in the pages of this book although the second half of this book was very enlightening, challenging, and motivational.
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Review 18 for No Matter the Cost: Igniting a Life of Strength and Honor
Overall Rating:
Powerful and so-so
Date:May 5, 2012
Craig M
Location:Lawrence, KS
Age:35-44
Gender:male
Quality:
4
out of
5
Value:
4
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
4
out of
5
No Matter the Cost by Vance Brown is a book for Christian men who want to follow Christ as part of a Band of Brothers. I think this book had enormous potential, but failed to fully live up to that potential. Parts of the book are truly brilliant and moving and well worth the time of reading the book and five full stars, but these parts are separated by sections that, although adequately written, don’t really have a significant impact and rate barely three stars. This is a short book and can be a relatively quick read. However, I think reading with a group of men and using the study guide provided at the back of the book would enhance the impact of the book significantly.
Overall the book is divided into three sections. The first section, chapters 1-3, attempts to set the stage for what follows by inspiring the reader to follow Christ into the battle, no matter the cost; to engage other brothers in this battle; and introducing the Lord ’s Prayer as the structure for what follows in the second section. I found the first section to be the weakest portion of the book because it rehashes what I have seen written in many different places. However, someone not familiar with John Eldredge’s works would probably benefit more than this reviewer.
The second section, chapters 4-15, takes the Lord’s Prayer as a guide and expounds on the phrases of the prayer. The author’s take on many parts of the prayer is unique and refreshing. This is the meat of the book and the strongest section, including most of the brilliant and moving parts of the book. However, this section also contains a combination of outstanding parts and so-so parts.
The third section, chapter 16 through the epilogue, wraps things up and challenges the reader to take up the battle with his own band of brothers. Overall, I recommend this book. I consider the best parts of the book to be well worth the time spent for the whole.
I received an advanced reading copy of this book for the purpose of writing this review.
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