Thought For The Day
The mass of men live lives of quiet desperation.
Henry David Thoreau
Book Review
When you hear the words idol and idolatry, what images come to mind?
Do you conjure up pictures of people making sacrifices to unknown gods…
Temples filled with statues of pagan gods and goddesses…
Cultures where animals and ancestors are revered?
If this is what comes to mind when you think of idols…
If you believe you are free from idolatry in your life…
Think again!
In his book, Empty Promises – The Truth About You, Your Desires and the Lies You’ve Been Believing, best-selling author and pastor Pete Wilson shows how idolatry is a trap that we must guard against every moment of our lives… and how idols are more than statues we worship.
Pete defines idolatry in terms that are relevant to our lives:
Idolatry is when I look to something that does not have God’s power to give me what only God has the power and authority to give.
It’s when we take good things like a successful career, love, material possessions, even family, and turn to them in the hope that they’ll provide what only God can provide.
It’s when we buy into the empty promise that such things can give us the significance, security, safety, and fulfillment we crave.
It’s when we feel a God-given appetite and try to fill it with something that isn’t God.
Empty Promises helps us identify and free ourselves from the hidden idols in our lives… idols we have turned to in the hopes that they will fill our empty spaces… idols like power and achievement… money and beauty… even religion.
Empty Promises shows us how, ultimately, only God can fill our most fundamental needs.
Pete Wilson has written an engaging, thought-provoking book filled with hard-hitting truths. I highly recommend Empty Promises. It delivers what it promises, and leaves you feeling quite fulfilled.
Empty Promises Video by Pete Wilson
If you are reading this book review in a format where you cannot see this video, click here.
Pete Wilson
Pete Wilson is the founding and senior pastor of Cross Point Church in Nashville, Tennessee – one of the fastest growing churches in America. He is also a speaker and the best-selling author of Plan B. He and his wife, Brandi, have three boys.
For More Information:
- Visit Pete’s Website
- Follow @PWilson on Twitter
More Great Resources
If this book interests you, here’s a few more great books you may enjoy:
- Live Like You Mean It by T. J. Addington
- Same Life New Story by Jan Silvious
- Stuck by Jennie Allen
For more great books, visit Create With Joy – Book Reviews!
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Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from Thomas Nelson for review purposes. I was not compensated for this review, nor was I required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.
Oh, thank you so much for sharing this! I am going to read this asap. I really love a good book that makes you really think about yourself and how you’re living, and especially when the author points out things that you know needs changing, things you didn’t even realize you were doing wrong. This is why I love Joyce Meyer so much. She’s always making me dig deep and really examine my life/how I live and things that need improvement. 🙂
Thanks, Joy, you always have lovely blog posts that pique my interest. I’m glad to have read about this book! Looking forward to more shares from you.
With love,
Kendra
Twitter: CreateWithJoy1
says:
Thanks Kendra for your feedback – I hope you enjoy the book! I am passing this along to my husband to read as well (which means it is REALLY good!) 🙂
Lovely post, thank you, and so true.
All these things are the false idols we ‘ve warned about, but mostly we don’t recognise them as such….including status and our blog stats!!!
Twitter: CreateWithJoy1
says:
That is SO true Valerie – it is SO easy to get caught up in the least important of things. I was thinking about Paul’s warning for Christians to guard themselves against idols the entire time I was reading this book!
It’s hard to admit how easy it is for us to fall into the temptation of worshiping God’s creation and not the Creator…
Have a wonderful day!
Twitter: goaskkatie
says:
Thank you for sharing at the Thursday Favorite Things hop xo
Twitter: _eHope
says:
have it downloaded – now have to make time for the reading of it !
This is so true. Sounds like a good book. We in America have many idols – probably more than in most places. When we were in India, we saw many idols with little shrines set up for them. It was so sad. We don’t have these kinds of idols, but we have a different kind. Thank you for sharing this important book.
Blessings,
Charlotte
Twitter: login4108
says:
Nice Review.
Stopping by from Cym’s Blog.
Elizabeth
Silver’s Reviews
http://silversolara.blogspot.com
I love this book! Pete is my pastor and he is pretty amazing!! You should check out his other books too!
Twitter: CreateWithJoy1
says:
Dear Kristen
Thanks so much for stopping by! How fortunate you are – Pete sounds like he would be an amazing pastor!
I think I would enjoy his first book, Plan B, and look forward to reading that in the future! 🙂