40 Loaves: Breaking Bread with Our Father Each Day

by C.D. Baker

"Why don't I have more faith?" "Why am I so bored with Jesus?" "Why are Christians so hard for me to like?" There are many questions we're not supposed to ask when playing by the religious rules. It... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0307444902
• ISBN13: 9780307444905
• Release Date: October 2009
• Publisher: Waterbrook Press
• Length: 162 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.3" x 7.5"

Customer Reviews

An Honest Response to Normal Struggles

There are so many devotionals available that most of the time I feel I'd rather not try to wade through them to find the one that would fit me. In fact, I can't remember the last time I read through a devotional at all. I know it's been years. Till now. C. D. Baker's 40 Loaves is different. Very different. How about topics like, "Why are Christians so hard for me to like?" and "Why am I afraid to read my Bible?" When Water Brook sent me this as a review copy I had only one word with which to respond: awesome! I loved reading through one man's struggles and finding the answers that worked for him. I found that not all of his answers worked for me, but that's fine, because the process of working my way through tough questions about faith, love, the Bible, God, anger, frustration and so on are what grows me. A devotional that moves me along the path God has for me was just what I needed, and 40 Loaves hit the spot. I recommend this book for anyone who is struggling with so-called deep questions about faith and doubt, any one who also asks questions like, "Why do I only pray in emergencies." An honest book that turns into bite sized devotions the struggles and faith of the author. This isn't some preachy, everything will turn out right devotional. This is real. This book was provided to me by the publisher as a review copy.

makes you dig deeper

I really enjoyed this devotional. I found it interesting, compelling and moving. Baker really asks a lot of tough questions. Each chapter or slice will give you insight, encouragement and perhaps a renewed sense of worth in your relationship with God. He asks a lot of tough questions with his "Food for Thought" questions, such as why don't I have more faith? or why am I so bored with Jesus? And one that really touched me was why don't I feel connected at church? or Why don't I know what I want in life? I tell ya he covers questions that you didn't even THINK you had an issue with! It really made me question my motives, and gave me an opportunity to have a real heart to heart with God. It pushed my buttons to think beyond myself and make me move forward with my relationship with Christ and that is so important! "40 Loaves is something of a collection of the kinds of questions I felt finally free to ask of myself and of my relationship with Christ," says Baker. "It's my belief that these questions are shared by many others who long for the freedom to simply ask them out loud. I hope this book becomes a platform that frees others to search their hearts more deeply and be fed with the Bread of life." Quite simply to say I loved it. Thanks to WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for providing me with this book for my honest review!

The difference between true Christians and performance Christians

If you want to know about Jesus, but have questions you want answered, you really need to turn to CD Baker's book, 40 Loaves. I have a strong faith in God and I still found this book amazingly helpful for myself. Baker shows us the difference between true Christians and performance Christians. Through 40 Loaves, we learn about God,yes, scriptures from the Bible, yes, but more importantly, we learn about ourselves and how we view God-whether we are just "using" God or whether we truly have Him for our Savior. This would make the perfect gift for someone struggling with their Christianity, or as a Bible study. A book that I truly loved reading and learning from, and one that I would highly recommend to others! This book gets 5 star praises from me!

40 Loaves is more than your typical Daily Bread

If you are a fan of daily readings then you will really appreciate C.D. Baker's new devotional, 40 Loaves. Each of the forty chapters starts off with a question that may be underneath the surface but has had trouble finding its voice. Religious devotion can tend towards childish belief systems where the subjects are only made to listen and not question. Baker challenges this one-sided conversation, suggesting that Jesus invited questions and even asked some himself. It is amazing what happens when we address our fears and frustrations about our faith. Instead of feeling reprimanded as I read through this book, I found myself feeling comforted. Some of the questions covered are: * Why am I so uncomfortable with doubts? * Why can't I overcome sin in my life? * Why do I get so angry with God? * Why am I afraid to read my Bible? * Why am I so confused about finding God's will? * Why does grace sometimes make me feel uncomfortable? * Why do I try so hard to fit in? Although Baker only takes a few pages to discuss each question, he easily provides good ideas to chew on through the day. He also incorporates additional questions at the end of each chapter for reflection as well as a short prayer. His writing style is very conversational and gentle. Even if you do not normally make use of daily readings, I'd suggest that you might like the ones in this book anyways.

40 Loaves is a wonderfully insightful little book

Each of the "40 loaves" is a sermon-ette, a nugget of Biblical wisdom. The author poses a question in each segment that many people will relate to, questions related to life and faith. He then answers those questions with a combination of short stories, his personal life experience, and most importantly Biblical wisdom. Each segment is a quick read, and any of them can be read individually as needed. But I would encourage you to read them all. Struggle with the tough questions that are asked, like "Why do I want Jesus in my life?" or "Why is my life such a mess". Each segment is just a couple of small pages long, but each segment packs great faith shaping and Biblically grounded wisdom. I definately recommend this book, and I suspect I will be using it as a gift book in the very near future!