"Gracenomics" by Mike Foster :: book review

This book was disturbing to read.

I have long been a supporter of Mike Foster's organization, "People of the Second Chance," which is all about waging grace as a way of life. I've been inspired by Mike and his partner Jud Wilhite to get off my high horse and let go of judgment in choosing radical, irrational grace-filled interaction with everyone I come in contact with. I've been inspired to extend grace like Jesus did - in loving broken people and wrecked people who need the life-changing power of the grace of God through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. That grace is what they need. It is really the ONLY thing we need... before anything else. The grace of Jesus Christ is our breath and heartbeat. Our only hope.

Therefore it was disturbing to read "Gracenomics." I tore into it, eagerly expecting a platform - a scriptural framework - a manifesto of the powerful grace of Jesus alive in us that undergirds and empowers our ability to give grace to others in return. Instead, there wasn't a single mention of God.

Not one.

Mike Foster is a Christ follower. I understand that People of the Second Chance is a 501-c3 faith based organization, yet per their website, they "work diligently to produce 'human' messages and not religious ones." These ideals stand in conflict with one another.

Instead of a grace-filled reminder of the cross of Jesus and our freedom to love the marginalized and wounded in His name, "Gracenomics" presented a combination of self-help therapy and a law-filled "do it better, do it more, try harder" message that, frankly, is the OPPOSITE of grace. Without Jesus, our best efforts are anemic at best, misguided and ineffective and dangerous at worst. Without Jesus, "Gracemenomics" is empty.

For those who believe, we can still read Jesus INTO the book, and try to filter the grace dynamic through our own theological grid, but the size and depth of the missed opportunity here is staggering.

Also, I found the many editing errors to be very distracting. The book design is flat-out gorgeous, but cool graphics can't redeem sentences that end with "anyways" and phrases like "all of the sudden" and spelling REIGN as RIEGN. I stopped counting after about a half dozen or so of these errors. Even though the book is beautiful, the shoddy editing made it hard to take seriously.

I still love Mike and Jud and what POTSC is all about. I'm not about to chisel the "People of the Second Chance" sticker off the back of my Jeep just yet, or change out my POTSC desktop on my laptop any time soon. There is some irony here as I write out a stinging critique of a book all about GRACE. And yet, we are also called to speak the truth in love. I just have to be honest about "Gracenomics."

It was shallow. It seems like it was rushed to print. Frankly... It just wasn't very good.

Book Review :: "Counterfeit Gods" by Timothy Keller

"Every human being must live for something. Something must capture our imaginations, our heart's most fundamental allegiance and hope. But, the Bible tells us, without the intervention of the Holy Spirit, that object will never be God Himself." -Timothy Keller


In the front cover of my copy of this book, the friend who gave it to me wrote, "This book was life-changing for me. Right up there with Piper's 'Desiring God,' to use your scale." My friend knows me well, and he understands my heart for the Gospel-rich message of the supremacy of God in all things. Yes, this book is a life-changer, and it pairs very well with John Piper's great message - the Biblical message - that we are most satisfied when God is most glorified in us. Keller utilizes this foundational truth and sets it as a foil against the corrupt heart of sinful man, who constantly chases after false gods to satisfy his lust for power, for satisfaction, for self-worth, and for lasting peace.

But idols lie to us. They seduce us, intoxicate us, and kill us when our guard is down. As Keller writes, "In ancient times, the deities were bloodthirsty and hard to appease. They still are."

But don't think that the idols Keller speaks of are merely carved wooden or cast-metal replications of ancient mythological creatures that we bow the knee to when no one is looking. No, Keller proclaims a Piper-like view (read "Biblical view") of God's place as the only and all-consuming King on the throne of our hearts, to whom we are called (read "blessed") to pledge our deepest affections, give our most focused attention, and commit our most passionate adoration. He writes, "If anything becomes more fundamental than God to your happiness, meaning in life, and identity, then it is an idol."

This book revolutionized my thinking about the broken patterns of behavior that accompany our human condition. As we have all been created to be worshippers of God, I have built my life and ministry upon the truth that the great problem of mankind apart from God has been that they are not fulfilling their purpose, thereby robbing God of the glory due His great name. This is true, but Keller has given me more clarity - from a practical perspective. While it may be true that lost souls are not fulfilling their created purpose, it is compelling to help people understand this problem through the lens of idolatry - namely, that they are dealing with the emotions and consequences of a fruitless chase after meaning in life, identity, and personal validation because they have given their heart over to idols rather than the one true Answer that will satisfy every longing.

Read it. Keller will clarify the idol-worship that has sunk its roots into your heart. Then, through prayer and the grace of God, let our affections for our idols be eradicated by the expulsive power of a Greater Love. Read it now.