Awaken: Letters of a Spiritual Father to this Generation

We live in a time when the church is failing to live up to its own standards. It has tragically been losing the respect of those it tries to win to Christ because it has succumbed to sin, pride, and corruption. In the past, a lost world looked to the church as the example of hope and integrity; today, many people laugh or roll their eyes when the church is mentioned. It has largely lost its relevance in the world. In Awaken, best-selling author Terry Nance has composed a series of letters to younger and newer believers, aiming to help them avoid many of the sins and mistakes of their spiritual fathers as they hold high the standard of the kingdom of God with which they have been entrusted. We the church must realize that we are called to be kingdom leaders for Jesus Christ, not empire builders for ourselves. We must awaken to the understanding that we carry Jesus to this world, and His spirit within us must be reflected in everything we do. Nance’s challenge is clear: Set a standard of holiness in your own life, endure affliction as a good soldier of Christ, run your race with patience, and persevere until you come to the finish line. As you do, you will leave behind an army of leaders in the next generation who can take up your banner for Jesus and carry it forward with honor. Review Paul told to the Corinthian church that they were living epistles, written in the heart by the Holy Spirit. This book is epistle material in its instructions to the young leader. Read it and allow the Holy Spirit to take you further and deeper in into how you should live the life of a God-called leader. Know that there are those who do have a desire to see you grow and succeed. This book is written clearly and accurately to give you, this new generation of leaders, divine insight into principles of leadership that you will not find elsewhere. Thank you, Terry, for being bold enough to communicate this vital message to the “young lions.”-Sam Carr, Senior pastor, Word of Life Center, Shreveport, LouisianaAwaken is a book for young and older ministers alike. It is bold; it is challenging; it is definitely needed, but most of all, it is anointed. Terry has earned the right to give an honest critique of the way ministry has been done and the way in which it needs to be done. Every word is bathed with love and grace. A must-read! Thanks, Terry.-Steve Dixon, Senior pastor, Christian Life Cathedral, Fayetteville, ArkansasThis generation is crying out for true spiritual fathers, and Terry Nance has heard that cry. In his new book, Awaken, he passionately speaks as a true spiritual father would to a son or daughter who is genuinely loved-with their best interests at heart. While not ignoring the faults/sins of past spiritual leaders, Terry challenges this generation to rise up and be all that God has called them to be. Having known Terry for many years, I can assure you that these letters are written from the heart of a true spiritual father. This is a needed and timely book that can be trusted to place into the hands of young men and women who are weary of charisma and are desperate for character.-Mark Cowart, Senior pastor, Church for All Nations, Littleton/Colorado Springs, Colorado; Liberal, KansasI have known Terry Nance for many years and have always found him to be a man of prayer. God has given Terry these letters to Awaken the hearts of ministers, young and old, and to speak to this generation about God’s plan for them on this earth. Through these letters from a spiritual father of the faith, we will begin to see the restoration that God can and will do in this generation! If you can live through the turbulence of the tests and trials you will face as a result of your choice to know God better, you will be rewarded with a greater sense of intimacy with the Creator. Allow yourself to be pliable in His hands and let your hearts be disturbed to action by these letters that God has given to Terry.-Daniel Bohler, Mili