A new book exploring missional living through the rediscovery of Abba Father. Live in your Father,s delight.
The authors writing here are some of the most fearless thinkers and activists in the Christian orphan care movement. Read. Be empowered. And then join Jesus for the orphans of the world.Russell Moore, Dean of Southern SeminaryRead more
REVIEWS FROM PASTORS, AUTHORS, AND CHRISTIAN LEADERS
"Reclaiming Adoption captures the heart and soul of what it means to be a child of God, walk as the feet of Jesus on this earth, and live for eternity with our loving Savior. Make no mistake, this isn’t simply a book on adoption. It’s about the reason we were created and how we are to spend the rest of our days loving others."
—Tom Davis, Author of Fields of the Fatherless, Scared: A Novel on the Edge of the World, and Priceless
"There is no greater need in our day than theological clarity. We live in a pragmatic, hype-driven, emotionally manipulated spiritual landscape. We need the ancient wisdom of the Bible, not another business book or glory story from some cool church. Dan has brought us near to the heart of God, who by His Spirit cries out in our hearts, ‘Abba, Father.’ As you read Reclaiming Adoption, you will sense the need to embrace your own acceptance as God’s adopted son or daughter."
—Darrin Patrick, Author of Church Planter and For the City
"Jesus protects the fatherless and the widow. And Jesus isn’t dead anymore. The Spirit of Christ is afoot in the churches of the Lord Jesus all over the world, pulling us into Jesus’ mission for the orphan, the stranger, the marginalized. Reclaiming Adoption is part of that pull. The authors writing here are some of the most fearless thinkers and activists in the Christian orphan care movement. Read. Be empowered. And then join Jesus for the orphans of the world."
—Russell D. Moore, Author of Adopted for Life: The Priority of Adoption for Christian Families & Churches
"A stirring call to be involved in the ministry of adoption for Jesus’ sake. Gospel-centered. Prophetic. Practical. Reclaiming Adoption addresses an issue that has transformed our church as much as any other."
—J. D. Greear, Pastor and author of the upcoming book GOSPEL: Recovering the Power that Made Christianity Revolutionary
"Reclaiming Adoption is the best kind of theological work: it sings and it sends! As I read, I wanted to praise the Triune God for his great love. Then I felt the urgency of the call to live that love among the world’s orphans. Completely accessible and appealing to ordinary Christians, Reclaiming Adoption is thoroughly grounded in Scripture and flows from the great heart of the Church’s historic understanding of the Word. The authors have uncovered new depths and fresh passion in expressing how adoption clarifies the meaning of our union with Christ. Too much evangelical theology today is shallow and powerless because it arises from an abridged gospel. Reclaiming Adoption expands our vision to the fuller glory of the whole narrative of Christ’s work. Thus, this book can transform the worship, education and mission of any church bold enough to explore its truth."
—Gerrit Dawson, Pastor and author of Called By A New Name: Becoming What God Has Promised
"The wonderful good news of our adoption by God is such an important truth for Christians today. Too many of us believe we will be acquitted on the last day, but in the meantime we live as slaves, distanced from God because we do not embrace him as our loving Father. As a result our obedience is reduced to mere duty instead of being animated by joy. How can we put this right? Reclaiming Adoption is a great place to start. Enriching theology and missional application are beautifully interwoven. The result is a book that will warm your heart and might just change your life."
—Tim Chester, Author of You Can Change and Total Church
"I can’t recall ever hearing about, much less reading, a book like this before. Simply put, this remarkable volume by Dan Cruver and his co-authors fills a much-needed gap in our understanding of what the Bible says both about God’s adoption of us and our adoption of others. What you read here will do more than inform your mind. Yes, it will do that in a wonderfully biblical way, but it will also convict your heart, energize your will, and inflame your affections as you contemplate what God has done in making you His child. I highly recommend it."
—Sam Storms, Pastor and author of The Singing God: Discover the Joy of Being Enjoyed by God
"Have you noticed that Hollywood has more of a voice for orphans and adoption than the church does? It is a shame, considering that God has placed a clear and concise calling upon the church to engage in the care of the orphan. I am convinced that the global orphan crisis is one of the main barriers to seeing the great commission fulfilled. If the church is to fulfill the great commission, it must take true religion seriously and practice it joyfully and passionately. James, the brother of Jesus said this: the practice of true religion consists of caring for the orphan (James 1:27). Since the gospel is the only power in the universe that can mobilize and empower the church to care for the orphan, the church that cares for the orphan by the power of the gospel will also fulfill the great commission. Reclaiming Adoption is a book that brings together these two massively important and inextricably connected issues by giving us a robust theology of adoption and the gospel. If you want your church to be a church for the great commission and for the orphan, reading Reclaiming Adoption is where you need to start."
—Matt Carter, Pastor and author of For the City
Fear never produces faithful outreach. Doubt does not drive acts of compassion. Those who view God as a harsh master will not be mobilized for mercy ministry. Reclaiming Adoption is a joyous call for believers to return from the ‘far-country’ of fear, doubt, and estrangement from God and, instead, to live in the reality of their glorious adoption in Christ. This book helps us to see that the adopting love of the Triune God is the only lens through which we can make sense of the broken stories of our lives. And by daily delighting in the communion of the Father’s love, we are empowered to move outward in mission to the broken world around us. Make no mistake, O Christian, you are loved by God!
—Scott Anderson, Executive Director, Desiring God
"Reclaiming Adoption grounds our understanding and support of horizontal adoption in the biblical understanding of our vertical adoption; and it engages heart and head in the process. I am the prodigal, the rebel, the orphan that my Father in heaven redeemed to call son and to love forever. And through the adoption of children I have the opportunity to proclaim that redemption and love to the world! Reclaiming Adoption renews my passion for orphan care by reminding me of God’s unending care for me."
—Shaun Groves, Nashville-based Singer-Songwriter; Speaker; Blogger; and Manager for CompassionBloggers.com
"Many Christians today would not invest much time toward thinking about adopting an orphan. It is not unrelated that the doctrine of adoption is sadly one of the most overlooked doctrines amongst Christians today. It is into this void that Reclaiming Adoption speaks so powerfully and reclaims the central place that adoption must take in the thinking of any child of God. Reclaiming Adoption is a must read; it will tell your head who you are and move your heart to live in response."
—Steve Chong, Lead pastor, Kirkplace Presbyterian Church, Sydney Australia; Director of RICE Movement
"Reclaiming Adoption is first, a clarion call for the church to remember the sweetness of our redemption through adoption into the family of God. Second it is a call to the church to explore our call to minister to the fatherless. Although not all are called to adopt, all are called to find the expression of God’s love to orphans that is in our spiritual DNA. Reclaiming Adoption challenges us to seek God’s face and to find His unique calling for each of us as we fulfill His commission."
—Dr. Karyn Purvis, Director, Institute of Child Development at Texas Christian University; Co-author of The Connected Child
"I am grateful for the work that Dan has done to lift our eyes to the grand story of adoption. With spiritual insight and effective teaching, Reclaiming Adoption will help believers better understand our place with Christ and work in His kingdom."
—Ed Stetzer, President of LifeWay Research; Coauthor of Transformational Church
"The biblical mandate to care for orphans in distress is unequivocal. But mandate alone cannot serve as the fountainhead of motivation for obedience, especially in a realm of such crushing need and difficulty. Rather, we must be animated by a flooding sense of responsive gratitude at how God first loved, pursued, and adopted us. Dan Cruver consistently draws us back to this supreme truth and helps us see its power and beauty. He reminds the burgeoning movement of Christians committed to caring for orphans that it always must be the love of Christ that compels us. Any lesser motivation will ultimately run dry. It is the Gospel alone that can carry us forward, amidst both celebration and struggle, for a lifetime of response to God’s call to ‘defend the fatherless’ through adoption, foster care and orphan care across the globe."
—Jedd Medefind, President of Christian Alliance for Orphans
"This book can make you come more alive to the heart of the gospel and the mission of the gospel. Reclaiming Adoption says better in 100 pages what many have attempted to say in 1,000 pages. This is a fresh telling of the best news in the universe, good news that changes everything: the fatherless receive a Father!"
—Justin Buzzard, Pastor and blogs at Buzzard Blog
"I’m excited to share this book with those interested in or involved with earthly adoption. But Reclaiming Adoption deserves a much wider audience. This is a book about the Gospel, about our heavenly Father’s love for us and our adoption by Him. It’s a book about responding to our adoption by joining God’s mission to spread His love. Read it. It just may change the way you think of earthly adoption. It just may change the way you think of God’s love."
—Steve McCoy, Pastor and blogs at Reformissionary
"Adoption isn’t limited to child-placement, it’s not just for a few and it isn’t plan B. Adoption is at the very center of the Story of Redemption–and of the heart of God. We were all orphans without a home or hope in this world and God brought us into his family and gave us his name. Reclaiming Adoption: Missional Living Through the Rediscovery of Abba Father is a thoughtful, inspiring and moving call to understand the wonderful truth: adoption, far from being plan b, is in fact plan A+ with God."
—Sally Lloyd-Jones, Author of The Jesus Story Book Bible
"Reclaiming Adoption is more than a faddish call to adopt children. It dives deeper and swims further. By exploring the theological depths of the triune God’s saving, adopting love, the authors show us its far-reaching implications for Christian identity, ecclesiology, and mission. Those interested in the doctrine of adoption will benefit significantly by reading this book."
—Jonathan Dodson, Pastor and author
"In recent years much attention has been given to the issue of adoption in our society. While many in our culture are expressing a heightened interest, Dan Cruver winsomely pleads with us that it should be Christians at the forefront of the fight for orphans, because all of us were once orphans, who solely by the work of Christ have been adopted into the family of God. If you want to find yourself both inspired and challenged you’ll want to read this book!"
—Bryan Loritts, Pastor and author of God on Paper: The Bible–the Wildest Story of Passion and Pursuit You’ll Ever Read
"As the US head of an organization that ministers to thousands of orphans and vulnerable children around the world each year, I was deeply impressed by Reclaiming Adoption’s excellent Biblical exposition and call to action on behalf of the ‘least of these’. Dan Cruver has assembled an impressive group of authors who challenge us to fully embrace God’s adoption of us and from that foundation to work in tangible ways to bring more fatherless and motherless children into loving and committed families. I highly recommend this book to all who have a heart or want to have a heart for the world’s orphans."
—David Evans, US President and Global Executive Officer, Food for the Hungry
"Reclaiming Adoption won’t guilt you into doing one more thing for Jesus. It merely wants to celebrate the forgotten truth that changes everything: you’re adopted! This book will flood your heart with gratitude, which if you’re not careful, might inspire you to do something really special for Jesus."
—Mike Wittmer, Professor of Systematic Theology and author of Don’t Stop Believing: Why Living Like Jesus Is Not Enough
"Reclaiming Adoption is an invaluable contribution to the church’s burgeoning re-emphasis on obeying God’s command to pure religion. It is theological and practical, convicting and compelling, and uniquely gospel-rich."
—Jared Wilson, Pastor and author of the upcoming book Gospel Wakefulness
"Scripture tells us we are part of God’s family. We become part of his family through both the new birth and adoption. We often think of both of these earthly pictures as the reality used to describe a spiritual process. Dan and his co-contributors show us through deep engagement with God’s Word that the Spiritual realities came first and that our earthly relationships are patterned on the eternal relationships of the Trinity. Adoption has been a neglected area of theological study until recent days. Reclaiming Adoption goes a long way in remedying that neglect. This is an important book for all believers to read, and consider as it provides the opportunity to rejoice in the reality of adoption by the Living God."
—Terry Gibson, Pastor
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