Bible Reference(2,141)
Bible Studies(1,720)
Biblical Studies(1,659)
Biography(2,806)
Business & Careers(241)
Catholic(279)
Children(2,173)
Christian Living(10,656)
Bible Promise Books(429)
Charismatic Interest(435)
Discipleship(2,284)
Holy Spirit(322)
Prayer(743)
Spirituality(6,198)
Church & Pastoral(2,172)
Church History(618)
Closeouts(4,125)
Commentaries(2,199)
Devotionals(5,841)
Family(5,611)
Fiction(25,605)
Gift Books(825)
Personal Growth(9,076)
Philosophy(52)
Prophecy & End Times(1,059)
Theology(2,738)
Shop Now At Christianbook.com
Shop Spirituality or
Choose a Category
- Academic
- Accompaniment Tracks
- Advent
- Adventures in Odyssey ™
- Audiobooks
- Bible Accessories
- Bible Covers
- Bible Studies & Curriculum
- Bibles
- Blooming Bargains
- Books
- Catholic
- Children
- Christian Living
- Christmas
- Church & Pastoral
- Church Supplies
- Closeouts
- Clothing & Accessories
- Crafts & Recreation
- DVDs
- Download
- Easter
- Education
- Fall
- Family
- Father's Day
- Fiction
- Focus Magazines
- Focus Resource
- Focus Reviewed
- Focus on the Family
- Gift & Home
- Graduation
- Homeschool
- MP3 Music Downloads
- Mother's Day
- Music
- New Release
- Patriotic
- Pre-Order
- Radio Theatre
- Slightly Imperfect
- Software
- Spanish
- Spring
- Subscriptions
- Sunday School
- Teens
- Thanksgiving
- VBS
- Videos
- Winter
- eBooks
Customer Reviews for David C. Cook Hell is Real: But I Hate to Admit It
David C. Cook Hell is Real: But I Hate to Admit It
Does hell matter? Jones believes that the reason most Christians don't tell their friends and family about Jesus has nothing to do with not knowing how---it's because they don't think they need to. Drawing on Scripture, he leads you on a collision course with "apocalyptic urgency" that will strengthen your faith and free you to share the gospel. 272 pages, softcover from Cook.
Average Customer Rating:
(8 Reviews) 8
Rating Snapshot (8 reviews)
5 stars
6
4 stars
2
3 stars
0
2 stars
0
1 star
0
8 out of 8100%customers would recommend this product to a friend.
Customer Reviews for Hell is Real: But I Hate to Admit It
Review 1 for Hell is Real: But I Hate to Admit It
Overall Rating:
Hell Is Real (But I Hate To Admit It)
Date:November 1, 2011
Ralph C
Location:Owasso, Oklahoma
Age:45-54
Gender:male
Quality:
5
out of
5
Value:
5
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
5
out of
5
I initially bought the book thinking it would be abouit hell. Instead, I found the book to be more about evangelism and why we do not have an "apocalyptic urgency" to share with those who are lost. I am now using the book in a 4-week study in my small group at church. More importantly, I have gained a renewed energy to share the truth with others that (1) Hell is indeed very real, and (2) Jesus died for all of us so that we don't have to spend eternity there.
Share this review:
0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
Review 2 for Hell is Real: But I Hate to Admit It
Overall Rating:
Humorous & light-hearted but serious & challenging
Date:October 25, 2011
In the wake of Rob Bell’s controversial book "Love Wins", a plethora of books have appeared clamoring to answer the question “Does Hell exist?” Most of these books take us back to the Bible and answer the question in the affirmative. A new book from Brian Jones is no exception. What is different about his book, however, is apparent from its title: "Hell is Real (But I Hate to Admit It)". Jones uses a healthy dose of humor and personal candor as he tackles this ever-troubling topic.
Jones shares his story of secretly disbelieving in Hell for his first four years as a pastor. When he realized his error and confessed his secret sin, he was met with bewilderment. Why confess a doctrinal shortcoming? “Pastor, we were worried there was something more serious going on!” was how many took his news. This is indicative of the sad state of affairs in the church today and part of the reason Jones has given us this book.
His book is written in a simple, straightforward style. He explains the Bible’s teaching on Hell, but more than that, he gets into the question of why it is that he and so many others wanted to believe there isn’t a Hell. He then finishes the book with a call for “apocalyptic urgency” and a straightforward witness to the lost around us.
He doesn’t dismiss social concerns but calls the church to be more forthright in its evangelistic fervor. By the end of the book you aren’t surprised to learn that he was fired from the Princeton Theological Seminary bookstore for being too evangelistic. Jones has a passion for Jesus Christ, and it shows!
This book is accessible and at times humorous. And more importantly, it won’t steer you wrong. It might just spur you on toward a more serious view of evangelism. If we really do believe there is a Hell, shouldn’t that belief burden us all with “apocalyptic urgency”? Brian Jones thinks it should, and I have to agree. Read this book and be challenged. You won’t regret it.
Disclaimer: This book was provided by David C. Cook publishing. I was under no obligation to offer a favorable review.
Share this review:
0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
Review 3 for Hell is Real: But I Hate to Admit It
Overall Rating:
Challenge Your Beliefs
Date:October 4, 2011
Quality:
3
out of
5
Value:
4
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
4
out of
5
Once a month, Brian would take a spiritual retreat and go off to a monastery to pray, journal, walk in the woods, and then leave late in the afternoon. One day he received a spiritual revelation at the monastery. God connected with him and impressed on him that his life as a pastor was a charade, as he wasn’t preaching the whole Bible, particularly about Hell. To challenge God’s words about Hell, like “Russian roulette,” he opened his Bible randomly to see if what God was saying was true. To his surprise, everything he opened up to related to Hell. This led to conviction, repentance, and the writing of this book.
It seems fair to say that at least one time in many of our lives, we thought of God as a loving God who wouldn’t punish anyone in hell. However, we fail to acknowledge that He is also a holy God of justice and punishes unrepentant sinners with eternal death. He cannot allow sin to enter His holy presence. Even mankind wants justice when someone has committed a crime against them. Where do we get this sense of justice?
Brian Jones, in his book, Hell is Real (But I Hate to Admit It), starts out with six ‘logical’ reasons why he didn’t believe in hell. I am sure many of us can resonate with his objections.
Brian challenges us, based on the teachings of Jesus, to witness as though people’s’ eternal lives depended on it, because it does! He examines reasons why Christians avoid talking about Hell. His book is also a compilation of how-not-to and how-to methods of reaching those who don’t trust and believe in Jesus. Most of the presentations are based on his own experiences. The subject headings help ground you in his style of writing.
Initially I felt the author dwelt too heavily on just avoiding hell. But as he progresses in the book, he balances out the urgency of bringing people to the Lord because He wants us to live with Him eternally in relationship. So if you seem to get bogged down part way through, keep going to the end of his book. You’ll be glad you did!
What Brian doesn’t mention is that eternal fire was initially prepared for the devil and his angels. But in Mathew 25:41, we see that He does send those who are accursed to eternal fire also. A sobering thought–one to spur you on to reach people for Jesus! So don’t fall for today’s media controversy and ideas that Hell isn’t real. Peoples’ lives depend on it!
Many people have heard John 14:6, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” There’s another powerful Scripture that deals with Jesus in Acts 4:12, “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”
This book was provided by Audra Jennings of The B&B Media Group, Inc., in exchange for my honest review. No monetary compensation was exchanged.
Share this review:
0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
Review 4 for Hell is Real: But I Hate to Admit It
Overall Rating:
Excellent view
Date:October 3, 2011
Carlisle Lloyd
Age:Over 65
Gender:male
Quality:
5
out of
5
Value:
5
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
5
out of
5
This book really gives an excellent explanation of how and how to respond when dealing with those who seek answers regarding hell. Brian Jones clears up some misconceptions. A great read!
Share this review:
0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
Review 5 for Hell is Real: But I Hate to Admit It
Overall Rating:
Eye-opening and engaging look at eternity
Date:September 12, 2011
Quality:
5
out of
5
Value:
5
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
5
out of
5
Hell is Real (But I Hate to Admit It) by Brian Jones is an eye-opening response to Rob Bell's Love Wins. Jones was a pastor for several years but never actually believed in the existence of hell. His years in seminary and conversations with other pastors led him to believe that a loving God would never send anyone to eternal damnation and torment. An experience in prayer forced him to search the Scriptures to research what Jesus really had to say about the matter, and he was shocked to discover that he was really and truly wrong. This discovery gave him "apocalyptic urgency" to save everyone around him, often with less than successful results because of his methods. Jones first wants readers to gain that same sense of apocalyptic urgency to save those they love, and then give them the tools they need to do it successfully. He uses Scripture to shake up readers' sense of God and eternity. His words of blatant truth feel like a sucker punch to the soul, and anyone who reads the book will be hard pressed to remain unchanged by the last page. Jones' advice to teach people about Jesus is completely counter-intuitive to what most Christians have been teaching for years. Don't separate yourself from the world, make yourself an interesting person by learning about different subjects and hobbies so you can have a real conversation, and most importantly, develop a relationship. If more Christians read this book, it will change the often painful, yet true, popular image of Christians as insensitive, judgmental, and elitist. All of this could be hard to swallow by another author, but Jones is engaging and self-deprecating, making the book an enjoyable read, as strange as that seems.
Share this review:
0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
Review 6 for Hell is Real: But I Hate to Admit It
Overall Rating:
necessary reading for every Christian
Date:August 21, 2011
Quality:
5
out of
5
Value:
5
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
5
out of
5
Would you be willing to run into a burning building to save lives? On a vacation, Brian Jones did exactly that. Then he faced the reality of the question: if you were willing to do that, why aren't you concerned about hell and people going there?
Jones was a seminary graduate, becoming a pastor. He was sure hell was a myth. He knew the objections to hell (and he covers them). He went through the New Testament and what he found shocked him. He thought he'd find a few scattered references to hell. “I was wrong;” he says, “hell is taught everywhere.” (24)
Jones wants his readers to face that fact. He wants you to understand why hell makes sense. He wants you to believe in the Bible – all of it. He wants you to be confident in defending what you believe. And he wants you to know how to have an authentic conversation with your friends about it.
At the heart of Jones' book is what he calls apocalyptic urgency, “the all-consuming conviction that overtakes you when you realize hell is real, and that it is within your power to help people avoid going there.” (34) If you don't have that urgency, “You either don't believe in hell, or you don't care that your friends will go there when they die.” (37)
Jones reviews the various reasons Christians stop believing in hell. He then takes you through the biblical accounts of God's wrath, including the New Testament. Understanding the wrath of God is necessary, Jones says, to appreciate the urgency of the gospel. He admits that the concept of propitiation seems barbaric. (146) He reminds us that it results not because God is angry but because God is holy. (148)
Jones asks you to “repent of caring more about what non-Christian friends and family members think of you than what God says is going to happen when they die.” (174-5)
He does want you to have balance, however. Work in your yard and meet your neighbors. “The challenge is learning to do evangelism in the context of our normal, everyday lives...” (185) He gives sample ideas to do just that. He encourages you to build authentic relationships before you say anything about Jesus. “The art of sharing your faith is knowing when to open your mouth and when to shut it.” (237)
Early on Jones says, “My prayer is for God to so disturb you by what you read in the following pages that it will be impossible for your life to go back to the way you lived it before.” (39) Reading this book will do that.
Jones was a seminary graduate, becoming a pastor. He was sure hell was a myth. He knew the objections to hell (and he covers them). He went through the New Testament and what he found shocked him. He thought he'd find a few scattered references to hell. “I was wrong;” he says, “hell is taught everywhere.” (24)
Jones wants his readers to face that fact. He wants you to understand why hell makes sense. He wants you to believe in the Bible – all of it. He wants you to be confident in defending what you believe. And he wants you to know how to have an authentic conversation with your friends about it.
At the heart of Jones' book is what he calls apocalyptic urgency, “the all-consuming conviction that overtakes you when you realize hell is real, and that it is within your power to help people avoid going there.” (34) If you don't have that urgency, “You either don't believe in hell, or you don't care that your friends will go there when they die.” (37)
Jones reviews the various reasons Christians stop believing in hell. He then takes you through the biblical accounts of God's wrath, including the New Testament. Understanding the wrath of God is necessary, Jones says, to appreciate the urgency of the gospel. He admits that the concept of propitiation seems barbaric. (146) He reminds us that it results not because God is angry but because God is holy. (148)
Jones asks you to “repent of caring more about what non-Christian friends and family members think of you than what God says is going to happen when they die.” (174-5)
He does want you to have balance, however. Work in your yard and meet your neighbors. “The challenge is learning to do evangelism in the context of our normal, everyday lives...” (185) He gives sample ideas to do just that. He encourages you to build authentic relationships before you say anything about Jesus. “The art of sharing your faith is knowing when to open your mouth and when to shut it.” (237)
Early on Jones says, “My prayer is for God to so disturb you by what you read in the following pages that it will be impossible for your life to go back to the way you lived it before.” (39) Reading this book will do that.
I received a copy of this book from The B & B Media Group for the purpose of this review.
Share this review:
0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
Review 7 for Hell is Real: But I Hate to Admit It
Overall Rating:
Date:August 17, 2011
Suzanne Bowser
Location:Carlisle, PA
Age:45-54
Gender:female
Quality:
5
out of
5
Value:
5
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
5
out of
5
Interesing topic that needs to be explored and made more relevant.
Share this review:
0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
Review 8 for Hell is Real: But I Hate to Admit It
Overall Rating:
this book is the wake up call that I've needed
Date:July 27, 2011
newyorkyankeefan2
Quality:
5
out of
5
Value:
5
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
5
out of
5
Challenging and transparent, Brian Jones' "Hell is Real (But I Hate To Admit It)" spells out in no uncertain terms the who, what, where, when, why, and how of Hell. All the while, Jones acknowledges that for many of us, the reality of what this means for people we know and love is a difficult pill to swallow. The best part about this book, though, is that he doesn't stop and leave you there. Whereas other works have come up short right at the point where you're saying, "Ok. I get it. Now, what should I do?" the last few chapters help you work through the practical implications of how (and how not to) share your faith with the people who need to hear it. This is foundational stuff and I'm looking forward to seeing the people of our church read this book and start living out their faith with a renewed sense of urgency. Thanks, Brian, for speaking the truth in love.
Share this review:
0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.