Radical:Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream

As a participant in the WaterBrook Multnomah Press book blogger group, I recently received an email promoting a new book, called Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream, by David Platt. I was invited to go check out the first chapter of the book here, and post my thoughts on it. (By the way, you can download the first chapter there too.)
I found the first chapter to be pretty thought provoking. The premise of the book is that so many of us have rationalized away the direct instructions Jesus gave us. When Jesus said to sell all you have and give the proceeds to the poor, he meant that in the literal sense. ALL you have. Eek. How many of us are really willing to do that? How many of our churches are willing to forgo a fancy building and other amenities, in order directly minister to those in need?
It's fairly easy to be a Christian in America. Our lives aren't in danger, and neither are our livelihoods. What if they were? Would we still be willing to abandon our homes, our possessions, our families? Isn't that what Jesus explicitly told us to do?
I think this book would be good reading for anyone who is feeling a disconnect between what Christianity is supposed to look like, and what it really looks like, in this day and age.
If you want to find out more about the book, you can visit http://www.radicalthebook.com/, or you can request the Free companion booklet here: http://tre.emv3.com/HS?a=DNX7CkSi86948SA9MOOScOHnGHxKR6CJEQ_-.
Thanks to the publisher for a head's up on an interesting book, but please know that I was in no way compensated for this review, and the opinions stated are my own.