Fresh Faith:  What Happens When Real Faith Ignites God's People
According to Jim Cymbala, Satan is the "master thief" of our day, robbing us of faith. InFresh Faith, the inner-city pastor and author of the bestsellingFresh Wind, Fresh Fire, challenges despair with the sword of Christian belief. In the wake of Satan's crime wave, Cymbala sees an overriding despondency that leads people to drugs, violence, and suicide. Even among pastors, Cymbala sees a turning away of Christ as "the first love," and instead he finds church leaders who are "hollow shells" of their former zealous selves. The final two sections of his book are devoted to "Getting Past the Barricades" and "Following the Divine Channel," showing readers how belief and trust can restore even the most damaged souls.While Cymbala isn't the first pastor to try to ignite a fresh fire of faith, he is one of the most qualified. When he took over the leadership of the Brooklyn Tabernacle, the congregation was on the verge of extinction with only 26 members. The church is now 6,000 strong and a nationally recognized example of what a community's faith can do.--Gail Hudson