Synopses & Reviews
“One morning you wake up, totally unaware that today you will make a decision that
will define your life for years to come, perhaps forever. If you had known this moment
was approaching, you would have prepared for it. But you didn’t . . . That moment is
coming—maybe today, perhaps in a week, a month, or a year, but it is coming, and you
won’t be able to escape it . . . You can hope you will say or do the right thing, or you
can prepare for that moment now.” — From the Introduction
Your character is the scene of battles, great and small,
where life-changing decisions arise.
“But character cannot be summoned at the moment of crisis if it has been squandered by
years of compromise and rationalization . . . The only preparation for that one profound
decision which can change a life . . . is those hundreds of half-conscious, self-defining,
seemingly insignificant decisions made in private. Habit is the daily battleground of
character” (Senator Dan Coates).
Fortunately you can learn from those who have gone before. When you can
extract and apply insights and wisdom from the experiences of others, you are
better equipped to handle your own defining moments in God-pleasing ways.
The Bible is full of defining moments, both good and bad. From accounts in
the Old and New Testaments, Dan Schaeffer highlights some of these defining
moments from the lives of real people in real-life situations to encourage you
and help you prepare for your own.
As the apostle Paul wrote, “Whatever was written in earlier times was written for
our instruction, that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we
might have hope” (Romans 15:4).
Synopsis
Life is full of defining moments, those once-in-a-lifetime decisions that change the direction of our lives for better or worse. Dan Schaeffer looks at the defining moments of some biblical characters, and tells us what pitfalls to avoid. Youll identify with the heroes of the Bible in ways you never have before.
About the Author
Dan Schaeffer is an award-winning writer who pastors Shoreline Community Church in Santa Barbara,
California. His work has appeared regularly in more than thirty different Christian magazines and periodicals, in many different countries and languages. He is also the author of A Better Country: Preparing for Heaven; Restored! God's Salvage Plan for Broken Lives; In Search of the Real Spirit of Christmas, and When Faith and Decisions Collide.
Table of Contents
Introduction:
Are You Ready? 7 1.
On the Edge of Fulfillment 15 2.
The Tragic Tale of an Empty Lot 29 3.
Rescuing Your Decisions from Pride and Prejudice 47 4.
A Fatal Attraction! 65 5.
When the Choice Means No Return 81 6.
An Image to Die For 95 7.
Hanging by a Scarlet Thread 111 8.
The Slippery Rocks of Success 125 9.
Defining-Moment Friendships 141 10.
Money and the Defining Virtues 155 11.
Promises for Rent: Decisions of Desertion 169
Conclusion: The Most Defining Moment 183