I recently had been given an opportunity to deliver a sermon at St. Stephen’s Presbyterian church in Scarborough, ON. I was shocked to have even been asked. Lord am I equipped? Lord what if I make a mistake? Lord I am not even formally trained! Where do I even begin?
Through the power of the Holy Spirit and through prayer I realized it wasn’t about me. It was about the almighty Lord and how I was able to be obedient enough to listen. Thank you to Reverend Alexander Wilson, Linda Wilson, Oliver Wilson and St. Stephen’s for this opportunity to glorify God.
God continues to remind me that it is He who qualifies us and equips us to serve Him. It is God who gave me the wisdom to deliver His truth on healing. Thank you Lord for the courage to try something new and to step out of my comfort zone all to glorify you.
Readings: Psalm 103; Jeremiah 30:4-17; Mark 5:25-34
Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. Your suffering is over.
I am in awe of the author’s ability to be
vulnerable and share her story in order to help and encourage others when
dealing with their own version of shame. Her emotions are real and raw. Denise Pass openly shares her experience of
shame when her ex-husband sexually abused their thirteen year old daughter. What
made matters worse, was that she did not receive the support that she needed from
her church during a time of turmoil and trauma.
Her story is guided deeply in Scripture.
She writes about shame that is relatable as we all experience shame in our own
individualized ways. Each chapter ends with a review and reflection, reflection
questions, an opportunity to “name your shame—and let it go”, a devotional and
a prayer. Her book is thoughtfully structured and organized. I think the most
important part in her book is where she discerns condemnation from
conviction. When we can distinguish and identify
the differences between the two, only then are we “able to hear the voice of
God when shame calls our name” (Pass, 2018, p. 24). What is unique about this book is that the
author includes a reference guide at the end of her book which lists various
topics of shame, its roots (where our feeling of shame stems from) and its cure
(what we can do to overcome shame).
I rate this book 5 starts out of 5. If you
are looking for healing and validation, this book would be a great start to
read. I believe that the Bible is our main guide and it was helpful for me to
have it with me as I read the book.
*Note: I was given a free copy and all
views are my own.
About the book:
“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in
Christ Jesus.” — Romans 8:1
Shame is an assault on the core of who we are. It assassinates
our character, minimizes our worth, and dashes our hope. Like Adam and Eve, we
often hide shame, but hiding never heals it. Left unattended, shame can develop
into a crippling reality that paralyzes us. Like an infectious disease, shame
impacts everyone . . . but not all shame is bad.
Shame can either be an oppressive and powerful tool of worldly
condemnation or a source of conviction that God uses to bring his people back
to himself. Having the discernment to know the difference and recognize shame
in its many forms can change the course of one’s life.
In a transparently honest style, Pass shares of her experience
dealing with shame after learning that her former husband was a sexual
offender. Having lived through the aftermath, she leads you into God’s Word
where you will see for yourself that God is bigger than your pain, shame,
mistakes, and limitations.
Shame Off You shares how
freedom can be found in choosing to break the cycle of shame by learning from
the past, developing healthy thinking patterns, silencing lies, and overcoming
the traps of vanity and other people’s opinions.
Denise Pass, author of Shame Off You,
is an award-winning CCM recording artist and singer-songwriter, accomplished
writer/blogger, speaker and worship leader at women’s conferences as well as a
worship leader on staff at her home church. After a crushing discovery of her
former husband’s hidden life as a repetitive sex offender, and surviving a
painful divorce, she now shares an inspirational message through her ministry,
Seeing Deep Ministries, about seeing the deeper truth in God’s word when life
hurts. Denise also founded and directed a home educational co-op for 12 years
and engaged in many educational pursuits, including forming and directing a
classical children’s choir. A graduate from the University of Maryland, Denise
now resides in Virginia, with her “Kinsman Redeemer” husband and five children.
I have received the paperback copy of this book and I found that the back description of this book did not provide an adequate synopsis about the topic. I had to read the press release description of the book to truly understand the foundational message. Note: You will need to be in the right mindset to read this book—in other words, get ready for some deep reading! If you’re looking for a light read, you may want to postpone this one. Overall, I agree with what the author’s message is: that Christians can speak up about faith with confidence and humility. It does, however, take the author two chapters in to get to the point of the book. I found it difficult to follow because there were so many points in each chapter that I lost sight of where it was going. There was great humour and reference to Scripture throughout. There is a lot of content that can be thinned out and sifted.
I was given a free copy and my views are my own
About the Author
Steve Brown is the Founder of Key Life Network, Inc., the Bible teacher on the radio program Key Life and host of the talk show Steve Brown, Etc. He was a pastor for more than thirty years and continues speaking extensively.
He has authored numerous books, including How to Talk So People Will Listen, Three Free Sins, Hidden Agendas and his latest release, Talk the Walk. Brown has also written for publications such as Leadership, Decision, Plain Truth, and Today’s Christian Woman. He previously served as a member of the Board of Directors of Christianity Today and Harvest USA.
Brown and his wife have two married daughters and three granddaughters. They make their home in Orlando, FL.