Witness - by Darren Carlson (Paperback)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

The same God who turned the world upside down two thousand years ago is still changing lives and communities today.

Because the media doesn't report the spread of the good news across town and around the globe, it's easy for Christians to be unaware of the incredible work God is actively doing today. The gospel continues to spread and transform lives across cultures and contexts today, just as it did in the early church. In this sixty-day devotional, Darren Carlson shares the stories of modern-day Christians and draws parallels to the experiences of first-century Christians in the book of Acts, giving readers a virtual world tour of God's work both near and far.

As readers dive into the book of Acts, they will be challenged to look for ways God wants them to grow as his ambassadors and develop a deeper appreciation of the unity and diversity of the global Church. Each day's devotion includes a passage from Acts, a reflection on its significance, and a modern-day story that connects the biblical text to contemporary experiences.

Review Quotes

"No one encourages me more than Darren Carlson when he tells stories from the front lines of the global church. I just love the way this devotional bridges between Acts and today to show how God still works in miraculous ways."
Collin Hansen, Vice President for Content, The Gospel Coalition; host of the Gospelbound podcast

"This is a unique and delightful blend of biblical insight and snapshots of what is happening in and through the church around the world. A wonderful way to enrich and enlarge our vision of what the message of Jesus can accomplish."
Sam Allberry, Immanuel Nashville; author of One With My Lord

"How would your family's perspective on God's work in the world change if you heard reliable reports of his work among the nations? We encourage you to read Witness around your dinner table with your family and find out. We've already started reading it with our kids, and our hearts have been stirred! This book relays faith-building stories of current events and connects them to biblical teaching about the work Jesus did right after he ascended to heaven."
Dave and Gloria Furman, Chancellor, Gulf Theological Seminary; author of Being There and Embracing God in Your Suffering; author of Missional Motherhood and Treasuring Christ When Your Hands Are Full

"With reflections on Acts and anecdotes from the global church, Darren Carlson invites us to consider how the gospel changes lives--and could change us. Within a generation, the apostles' witness turned the world upside down. Reading this might turn us right-side up."
Elliot Clark, Author of Evangelism as Exiles and Mission Affirmed

"There are few prayers God delights in answering more than, 'Use me to make your name known.' Witness connects God's faithfulness in the early church with his faithfulness in building his church today in a way that will fuel your faith to praise, pray, and trust God in fulfilling the Great Commission."
Garrett Kell, Pastor, Del Ray Baptist Church

"Want to see Acts with new eyes, learn more about global Christianity, and ponder in prayer God's place for you in the amazing work he is doing worldwide? Then this book is for you. Read it for information, inspiration, and motivation. Then let your life and voice join in with the dramatic expansion of Christ's saving work in the current generation."
Robert W. Yarbrough, Professor of New Testament, Covenant Theological Seminary

"Carlson writes, 'We are living in what may be the greatest advance of the gospel in history.' But the continuing task is also more vast than any time in history. Because of population growth and the stagnant percentage of Christians, today there are more non-Christians in our world than ever before. I pray that Carlson's delightful missiological exposition of Acts and the encouraging examples he gives will be used by the Lord to light a fire for missions in the global church."
James E. Plueddemann, Retired professor of missions, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School; former chair of educational ministries, Wheaton College; former International Director of SIM and missionary in Nigeria

"Jesus promised to build his church, and he likewise assured his disciples that the gospel of the kingdom would be proclaimed to all nations. Carlson's book is an encouraging and hopeful call to pray to the Lord of the harvest, to watch for his saving power among the nations, and to continue in the Great Commission. This book rightly directs all our hope to God alone, who builds his church through imperfect servants. I highly recommend it."
E. D. Burns, Professor, Asia Biblical Theological Seminary; executive director of training and development, ABWE; missionary in Southeast Asia

"This engaging devotional volume by Darren Carlson combines solid, insightful exposition of the book of Acts with sparkling, inspiring stories of the contemporary worldwide church. It's a blast of fresh air, a spotlight shining on our global God. Read this book to be more amazed by who God is and more attuned to what he's doing among the nations."
Stephen Witmer, Lead Pastor, Pepperell Christian Fellowship; author of A Big Gospel in Small Places and Eternity Changes Everything

"We often forget that the New Testament was written in a missionary context, and the book of Acts is a missionary book. I love how Witness takes the truths of God's Word and connects them in a powerfully practical way with the work God is doing around the world today."
Scott Dunford, Pastor, Western Hills Church; cohost, The Missions Podcast

About the Author

Darren Carlson, PhD, is the lead pastor of Redeemer Church in Bozeman, MT and the founder of Training Leaders International, which provides theological training to underserved areas around the world. He is the executive producer and creator of Jesus in Athens, a movie depicting the work of God amid the refugee crisis in Greece. Darren and his wife, Amy, have five children.