I just finished “The Secret Message of Jesus” by Brian McLaren and it was fantastic! The purpose of the book is to explore what is the Gospel that Jesus preached and what it the kingdom of God.

I am a big fan of Brian’s writings. I believe that he is certainly one of the best writers in the church today. His style is engaging, his thoughts are profound, and his topics are courageous. I literally underlined 60% of the sentences in this book.

My favorite aspects of the book were his exploration into the political world that Jesus was born into, as well the politically charged words that Jesus used to proclaim His message. I was personally challenged “to be about the Gospel of the Kingdom” and to more earnestly pray for God’s kingdom to come and for His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven.

I loved the chapters that focused on the Sermon on the Mount, which is one of my favorite areas of Scripture. But I guess what always challenges me about Brian is that he is a free thinker who looks at ministry, theology, and service is a fresh way. This challenges my perspective and makes me ask why I believe what I believe. Even if nothing changes in my thinking, I feel I am better for it just because someone challenged me to think.

Bottom line: 4.5 out of 5 stars! Order it here.