"Go Ahead ask Anything" Book Review
Daniel Crosby • March 12, 2025
“Go Ahead Ask Anything” by Jim Lyons is a fun book to read because it’s different. Imagine if you went to church and the pastor let you write down literally any question that you have about faith, the Bible, or just the world in general. That’s exactly what this book is.
Sometimes it’s refreshing when someone doesn’t put stipulations on what is and is not allowed. Now granted the author is a pastor, and he answers every question from a biblical perspective. I felt like he was fair and balanced in his answers, and he gave ample evidence from scripture about how he came to his conclusions.
I shared this book recently with the pastor friend, and he was intrigued and said that he might even do his own version of this at his church.
The book isn’t new, but a lot of the same topics are still relevant today. Topics like illegal immigration, same-sex relationships, the accuracy and validity of the Bible are all in there. It’s not a political book at all.
If you’ve ever wondered about these and more questions, then this would be a fun one to check out and read. I’ll even challenge the pastors out there. I wonder if your church would enjoy doing a service or reading a blog where you answer some of their questions from the biblical perspective?
Check it out. “Go ahead Ask Anything” by Jim Lyons.
“Uncomfortable: The Awkward and Essential Challenge of Christian Community” by Brett McCracken is a great book to read if you’re a church person or if you’ve become somewhat detached and frustrated with the church. McCracken challenges all of us, conservatives and progressives, to think about the WHY behind Christian community and one of the fundamentals of finding the WHY is approaching it with humility. Maybe you having it your way and telling everyone else they’re wrong wasn’t exactly what Christ had in mind when He instituted the church. iPhones and iPads seem to have morphed into iChurch in a sense. American culture has turned Christ’s church into a business that caters to our comforts aesthetically, relationally, and politically. It’s made us consumers, critics, and reviewers of the Church rather than servants of THE Kingdom. It’s not wrong to have preferences and to like some things better than others. Music, décor, and speaking style are all over the spectrum at different churches, but he argues that the point of picking a church and serving in it should be less about does it meet my needs and more about whether I’m showing up and using this place along with this group to glorify God. He annoyed me in parts because he steps on my toes but maybe we need that a little more often. If you’re disenfranchised with the status quo and you feel like it’d be good to be challenged about church then go grab “Uncomfortable” by Brett McCrackin.
Look for beautiful things when you're restless, uncomfortable, or on edge. There's something about acknowledging the good around us that helps us reset and realize that it's not all bad. If you're struggling to see beautiful things in the world, come see me and we can talk more about it. www.danielcrosbycounseling.com
“The Needs of the Heart” by Chip Dodd is a book that will blow your mind. When I picked it up, it’s a very small thin book. Less than 100 pages. I assumed I’d breeze through it in a couple of hours. About a month later I finished digesting it. The truth is we cannot fully live the life God has called us to unless we acknowledge that we do have needs, that these needs are good, and discover the healthy ways of meeting these needs. Chip takes common human needs like Security and Accomplishment and he unpacks what they really are pointing us to in his typical concise but brilliant depth. There’s no fluff here. With chapters just 3-4 pages each, you’re going to want to have a highlighter ready to underline, to ponder these topics, and maybe then to discuss them with someone you know and trust. You’ll come away from this book with a deeper sense what is already fulfilled within you and ones that might be lacking where you need to go do a deep dive with a lot of prayer and introspection. If you liked Chip’s book “The Voice of the Heart,” this is one is your next read. Go grab “The Needs of the Heart” by Chip Dodd.
