Deepening Your Faith

I’ll admit, I’m not much for water. Oceans are pretty, but I’d rather climb the side of a mountain than fight the tide. When we hit the pool, my toe goes first. Then my foot. Then my ankle. It’s a long, tedious process that often occupies more minutes than time in the pool actually does.

Still, Lauren Gaskill’s book Into the Deep, complete with numerous water and swimming metaphors, beckoned me.

Gaskill’s voice is friendly, gentle, and endearing. The book reads like a conversation with someone who knows how to skip the small talk- in the best possible way.

Through Into the Deep, Gaskill partners with readers desiring a deeper faith by sharing:

• Personal stories
• Illustrations
• Scripture references and applications
• Good old-fashioned commentary
• Listicles

If you’re not familiar with the term, listicles are lists composed of short articles explaining each item on the list. Many of the chapters in this book feature listicles offering practical points and actions readers can take to enjoy a deeper faith.

Some of the quotes that stood out to me include:

• “When we fight for and step into faith, God’s Word and His promises begin to unfold in our lives.”
• “Relationships take time, and surrendering control is the only way to cultivate trust.”
• “The secret to surrender is trust.”
• “Faith isn’t meant to create more work in our lives; it is a gift that is meant to usher us into a beautiful new way of living.”
• “Ongoing connection is key to experiencing deep satisfaction and relationship with Christ.”

One of the unique qualities of Into the Deep is how honest Lauren is about ways her faith has been shallow. In one instance, she describes how her desire to get closer with God was really only because she wanted God to fix things for her. In getting closer to God, though, she realized that a deep relationship with God was a better goal and more satisfying.

For readers whose faith is shallow or who faith has grown stagnant, I believe Into the Deep will help mature and reinvigorate faith in our amazing God.

<I received a copy of this book before its release for the purpose of this honest review.>

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