Undefended: Discovering God When Your Guard Is Down
An Authentic Spiritual Awakening
Doubt. Death. Vulnerability. Loneliness. Fear. Pain. Conflict. Need. Sorrow.
They’re not experiences we normally seek out. And yet—when we present ourselves undefended before God in the midst of such circumstances—we can experience God’s heart through an authenticity we may not even realize we’re missing when our lives are going “well.”
In Undefended, Daniel Bush approaches ten different life experiences that we would normally avoid and shows how they bring us nearer to Christ. Writing from a gospel-centered and grace-driven perspective—as well as having over 15 years in pastoral and counseling ministries—he draws on stories from the Bible, history, and his own life to help bring awakening to the reader’s own life.
Praise for Undefended
Reading a Daniel Bush book is always a delight! This book is incredibly refreshing and profound—and so practical. Here, you will find real-life “hard places” and the good news that Jesus shows. This is a book that could change your life.
—Steve Brown, radio broadcaster/founder of Key Life Network and author of Hidden Agendas and Three Free Sins
Undefended strikes truth after beautiful truth at the bull’s-eye of what it means to be human. Informed yet accessible, with humor and humility, Bush offers poignant wisdom relevant to any life season, but especially to those times in which we are laid most bare. To me, this book will always be a timely, needed, and reorienting read. In other words, Bush indeed gives a blood transfusion to the anemic advice: “Just trust in God.”
—Dr. Carolyn Weber, professor, speaker, and author of Surprised by Oxford and Holy is the Day
Forged in the fires of dryness, discouragement, and pain, Daniel Bush writes from experience: his defenses burned down, his soul exposed to his own weakness and vulnerability. He writes broken by an acute awareness of unfulfilled needs and the struggle to surrender to his heavenly Father.
—Dr. Jeffrey Pipe, licensed psychologist, Tapestry Associates, Marietta, Georgia
Contents
- Let Them See You
- Crossing All Points
- Leaving Eden
- Taming the Mississippi
- Shadow Boxing
- Drowning the Victim
- Peering Beyond the Depths
- Surrendering at Appomattox
- Dedazzling Embrace
- Dancing in the Desert
- Digging for Potatoes
- Living at Tether’s End
Top Highlights
“faith develops out of the most difficult aspects of our existence, not the easiest’ (Eugene Peterson).” (Page xxvii)
“Communication experts say that 48 percent of our message is communicated through tone of voice, 45 percent through body language, and only 7 percent through the words that are actually spoken.” (Page 6)
“‘What if self-protection is actually the worst strategy for a flourishing life, both with God and other people? What if fortification against admitting uncomfortable truth is the more certain way to be defeated by those truths? What if we actually get embraced by what we most long for when we let down our spiritual guard?’” (Page xiv)
“Authenticity means eliminating the gap between your inner belief and what you reveal to the outside world—in other words, letting your true self be seen.” (Page xxiv)
“The limitation of our nature isn’t because we’re human, but because we’re turned in on ourselves.” (Page 7)
Product Details
- Title: Undefended: Discovering God When Your Guard Is Down
- Author: Daniel Bush
- Publisher: Kirkdale Press
- Publication Date: 2017
- Pages: 189
- Format: Logos Digital, Paperback
- Trim Size: 5.5x8.5
- ISBN: 9781577997467
About Daniel Bush
Daniel Bush (Ph.D., University of Aberdeen) has over 15 years of Christian ministry experience—including time in pastoral ministry, academic teaching, and spiritual directing. He is the coauthor of Embracing God as Father and Live in Liberty and is a guest blogger for KeyLife Network and Faithlife.