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Reviewed by Shane Raynor, publisher of Wesley Report (www.wesleyreport.com) and certified lay speaker in the Southwest Texas Annual Conference Do Not Live Afraid: Faith in a Fearful World By John Indermark John Indermark is clear about his purpose for writing Do Not Live Afraid. He begins by noting that the first word from God spoken to people in scripture during holy encounters is often a variation of "Do not be afraid,” or “Do not fear.” Indermark then invites readers to take this word and run with it, or more specifically, to live by it. But like many spiritual growth books written for a mainline audience, this book doesn’t offer a discernible action plan given for doing that. That's not a problem in itself; authors don't have to use a "how-to" approach to write a successful book. Sometimes pointing out needs and asking the right questions will stir readers to action in ways that other approaches won't. But will those readers finish this book "aching for freedom" the way the back cover blurb describes? Indermark separates his book into two parts. Part One, the first two chapters, frame his discussion around the tension between fear and love. According to scripture, "the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,” but the same Bible tells us that "there is no fear in love because perfect love casts out fear." Indermark briefly touches on the concept of fearing God, and in that brief discussion wonders if we've domesticated God too much: "In our efforts to make religion more accessible and to demistify it for ease of approach, have we sold the birthright of religious awe for a domesticated pottage of God-as-our-chum?" For Indermark, wisdom begins at fearing God, but it doesn't end there. Love is the other end of the continuum where wisdom finds its fulfillment. While this makes sense on one level, I'm not sure the author does enough to differentiate between fear of the LORD and all those other kinds of fears that keep us awake at night. Part Two, the last five chapters, deals with the possibilities that come when we don't live afraid. In a chapter on transformation, Indermark points out the importance of not being held captive by the past. Such captivity, he reasons, can create a situation where "what has been will block efforts to change what is and what still can be." That statement should be common sense, but it's often easier to recognize wisdom when we're giving advice to others rather than seeking it for ourselves. I didn't finish this book aching for freedom, but for specifics. The author persuaded me to put away fear, but I was hoping for more of a road map for how to get there. (I'm imagining a sequel titled Living Unafraid.) Although Indermark focuses more on persuading readers to leave fear behind than on enabling them with specific ideas on how to do that, Do Not Live Afraid is still filled with practical tools. The spiritual exercises at the end of each chapter are ideal for taking a personal inventory—essentially a way to figure out where the "you are here" spot would be on the roadmap to fearless living. There's also a substantial leader's guide in the back of the volume for use with a prayer or spiritual formation group—a standard feature in many Upper Room resources. The activities and questions seem to be designed to encourage a solid amount of group participation. That's important, because the group study setting just may be the place where the author intended for readers to develop that specific road map for living unafraid. 
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