Experiencing the Joy of Personal Revival - Seeking Him

then this is your book. It's a wookbook designed to find road blocks to having the spiritual life you want. Even though I worked it in a group, I think it would work equally well as a solitary study.

I must warn you, it will make you look at yourself with unvarnished honesty. Some of the excerises will make you squirm! However, if you have the guts and honesty to face yourself, it will help you find your way back.

B. Story

For anyone who is seeking the truth about God and a genuine relationship with Him, I would advise against this study. If you are not a believer yet or a new one, definitely "seek" another way to know Him. In my opinion this study lacks the essential emphasis on what Christ did on the cross for our sins. Yes, God is a God of grace and mercy but He is also a God of justice. He cannot deny one part of His nature to support the other.
In this book "Seeking Him" (Experiencing the Joy of Personal Revival) the author doesn't go into great length to explain the fact that God the Father needed justice and restitution for our sins. "The wages of sin is death." Romans 6:23
In the study book on page 86 the author speaks to God's grace and forgiveness for our sins in the illustration but only dedicates a small paragragh to God's necessary justice. The Bible makes a huge deal about how Christ's death on the cross brought us salvation and without the cross there would be no grace.
Romans 5:6-8
This is where the author misses out on explaining the most marvelous thing about our faith. Christ's death on the cross was the only way we could be forgiven for our sins. God could not just forgive us for our sin but because of His justice someone had to die. And moreover it couldn't be just anyone. It had to be someone who had never sinned.
We have all fallen short of the glory of God and have sinned...all of us. Romans 3:23 but the gift of God is salvation through Christ because He paid the penalty for sin on our behalf. We died with Christ on the cross and when He arose from the dead, we were raised with Him in newness of life. We no longer live for ourselves but for Christ who gave up His life so that we could be forgiven for our sins and have eternal life. He took our place...does that make sense? It is crazy actually. Why would God send the Son, the 2nd Person of the Triune God to become a man and then die for a sinner like me? That IS amazing love and amazing grace, that Christ would die for me!
I hesitate to be too critical of this study but God proclaims in His word that Jesus Christ is King of kings and Lord of lords, that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow and tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. This book talks a lot about God but Jesus just seems to be in the background, almost like an inanimate object that God uses to prescribe salvation. Mix a little of Jesus with God's grace and presto change-o you have forgiveness for your sins. I'm disappointed.

Tedious, condemning, unrealistic, some odd theology, pick-and-choose portions of scripture to make points...no joy personal or otherwise. On the positive side the study questions have been a catalyst for discussion in our group. Many women have shared painful events from their life so we have all gotten to know each other better and trust each other more. Each chapter begins with a story of a person who attended a Revival Crusade and decides to deal with some issue related to the topic in that chapter. The stories are very phony. In every story the characters all forgive everybody; get forgiven by everybody; are immediately delivered and never relapse from drug addiction, homosexuality, serial adultery and pornography; get a pass for perjury, theft, cheating in school, moral lapse as clergy. This aspect of the book wore on many women in our group over time and by about chapter 8 many comments were being made wishing in at least one story someone would have to deal with real-life consequences so that people who've experienced similar circumstances in life wouldn't feel like such failures given that their lives didn't turn out equally perfect. Then each chapter uses a well-known Biblical story and portions are selected to portray the character as completely obedient to the trait of the week - example Moses as always obedient to God and Saul not obedient - no balance is given to mention Moses didn't enter the promised land because of disobedience (same with Samuel we don't include that he appointed his ungodly sons as judges or that Joseph jailed his brothers - rather she portrays Samuel as entirely blameless in life an Joseph as entirely forgiving, etc.). Much of the "theology" is a twelve step plan. No grace in this book. She asks participants to drag up every sin that they might possibly ever have committed in their life. She calls people to return to their affair partners to appologize while most Christian authors tell adulterers to stay far-away from affair partners forever - ditto with getting together with men who molested a woman.

What makes this book on revival unique is that it’s loaded with clear and uncertain direction in how to have a personal revival. The seemingly simple topics – humbling yourself, honesty, repentance, grace, holiness, obedience, a clear conscience, forgiveness, sexual purity, the Holy Spirit, a personal devotional life – are like fire and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces (Jeremiah 23:29).

It’s formatted as a workbook, so it can be used individually, or in a small group, or as a resource for guiding others in spiritual renewal. Coinciding worksheets are also available online that are very useful.

12 Important Steps to Personal Revival

Our church recently selected "Seeking Him - Experiencing the Joy of Personal Revival" for a 12 week study guide for group study. Although I did not personally attend the class I opted to use the book as a personal Bible study guide.

Authors Nancy Leigh DeMoss and Tim Grissom with Life Action Ministries help the reader find personal revival while they grow in their desire to know God more intimately. Studies on grace, holiness, forgiveness, and God's power within us direct our thoughts toward God. Other studies concentrate on humility, honesty, repentance, and purity and the importance of developing a personal devotional life in the revival process.

The format of the study leads the participant step by step through the scripture, using element of story, interactive questions, key point, tips, insights, leading to personal application and specific suggestions for prayer. Each study is designed to be completed in five days for a weekly study.

The Biblical truths emphasized in this study do not change with time or culture but remain relevant for Christians of every generation. Highly recommended.

I like that every week has a different main topic. It makes you think deeper than just surface level questions. It really helped me to feel more revived in my walk with God. I would make sure to recommend this study to everybody looking to deepen their faith and understanding in God

I have recently read Henry Blackaby's "Holiness, God's Plan for Fullness of Life" and was challenged with his statement that revival cannot come to those who have never been alive (have not been born again). Revival must come to the Church (those of us who are born again Christians) so that we may be brought back into intimate relationship with Jesus Christ SO THAT we may be used by the Lord as He plans to bring life transforming change to the culture around us (My paraphrase).
This study just built upon that premise and forced me to make personal application of the points being addressed. As I have told those with whom I was sharing the study, "It has really pinned me to the wall", intending that comment in an extremely positive way (He is no longer letting me "wiggle around" the areas which He has been wanting to address in my life and in my walk with Him).
If you work through this with an accountable group you will find God teaching you old truths at a much deeper level so that hope arises in your heart of truly being led to "walk in the Spirit". Old failures will cease to burden you as the Holy Spirit begins to lead you into a brand new level of intimacy with our Lord Jesus.
As you can see, I highly recimmend this study.

If you are ready and willing to examine yourself and let God do the work in you that needs to be done, then this study is the study for you. You must be willing to be honest with yourself. God already knows, but you have to find it out and then be willing to change. After doing this study God began a work in me and brought me to such a higher place in Him. I did this study about 2 years ago and am still reaping the fruit of it. I praise Him for this book and highly recommend it.

Seeking Him was purchased for a ladies only home Bible study group. There are 15 members, all of whom are believers in Christ, but of various ages and levels of spiritual maturity. We prepare the lesson ahead of time at home during the week, then discuss each question as a group. It will take us longer to complete the study, but speed is not the object. A closer walk with Jesus is the goal for each of us. Seeking Him provides an excellent, thought provoking study that is guiding us into serious reflection and soul searching. All 15 of us would highly recommend this study for other groups!!!

This bible study has been wonderful! The word revival can be misleading, but we all need to revive (renew the life) in our relationship with the Lord from time to time. Most days, it's easy to just get the homework done and not really feel like you've accomplished much. In reality, you're preparing for day five, which is like being face to face with yourself and having to admit who you truly are to yourself. This is definitely a suggested study!

I have done several Bible studies and this was one of the hardest, most depressing, joyless one I've ever done. Very little diving into scripture, emphasis on corporate confession was discussed in several of the lessons, lots of lists to see what you may or may not be doing as a follower of Christ (which are incredibly impossible to do), and the faith builder lessons are stories about people understanding their need to confess something after having a revival at their church. Yes it is important to address the issues of sin and to confess them to God and others you've wronged, but only God can cleanse you through Jesus Christ. There is alot of guilt and condemnation after completing pages of lists. It is difficult to look at ourselves and to see areas in which we need to admit and confess sin to God, but we did not touch on the gift of Grace and forgiveness of sins through Jesus Christ and His work on the Cross and His resurrection. All the stories seem to end up hunky dorey and were pretty unbelieveable. Each week our small groups discussed how the material was presented and we had to infer what the author was trying to say. There were many questions and comments that were truly misleading. I don't doubt that the author's intent was to help, but this study could damage people and relationships if not guided by Christian counselors and Pastors. To tell someone who may have been physically hurt or sexually abused to ask the offender to forgive you for for responding incorrectly was a little bit out there. I still have 2 lessons to go so maybe it'll change? I just keep coming back to the point that it is my confession to Jesus Christ that washes me clean, that it is God working in me that changes me - not Christ plus me... but Christ alone that reconciles me to a God that loves me beyond my wildest dreams. This study depressed me and did not create a revival at all in me. My husband asked me to please quit taking it as it was not healthy for me or for our marriage. I know this study received high ratings, but I don't understand why. Ugh! It was based on a 12 step program and not focused on the grace and mercy of God through Jesus Christ. I hated it and quit nit.

This is an excellent book for anyone seeking to have a better understanding of how our relationship grows with God. Our women's group used this book once a week, and couldn't get enough! Nancy has hit the mark with this one...applying what I learned is truly helping me seek God first.

We are currently doing Seeking Him in 2 small groups at our church. The second session we had a hard time getting the session started due to everyone wanting to share how they were impacted by the Holy Spirit this week through this study. Bible Study can't get any better than that! My prayer is that God speaks mightily to you through this study and that are able to put these truths into action through the power of Jesus Christ.

This book "SEEKING HIM" by Nancy Leigh DeMoss is all about what and where every Christian should be and doing, to enhance their relationship with God, yourself and others. It helps you spend a hour or less and most times, even more time with God. It's finding out about yourself and the best ways, for you, to walk in and walk-it-out for a happier life everyday. I recommend you give this workbook a try. Carolyn, Flordia

This study is written to help the reader recognize their need for a closer intimacy with God. I've only read and completed the first week in the lesson, but it penetrates the heart and reveals areas of sin and weakness, leading the reader to depend upon the Lord in every area of life. It is an excellent study for friends who want to draw nearer to God, experience accountablity to and with each other, forgiveness for others and self and all together know and live their own personal revival as God changes their hearts by His Spirit's work.

This is an excellent small group resource. We have used it in our church and the comments have all been positive. What is more exciting than the comments are the people that are growing in their faith.