Wow this book is Amazing! How did I let this sit on my iPad unread for so long? I feel I let the author, publisher and NetGalley down. But now I am reviewing this wonderful thought provoking book. I have the e-version but will be getting one I can page through and wear it out.
This is a book I would recommend for daily reads of 10-15 pages at a bite. It needs to be mulled over and let soak in. I don’t normally share a ton of excerpts but wow I highlighted so many pages and passages that just made me really think about my life with God and my relationship with His only son Jesus Christ. Here goes the focus is on how we see ourselves the name tags we are given by others and maybe ourselves.
The Bible says we are called as friends in John 15, to give all our cares and worries to God because He cares for us. Peter 5:7. Yes the creator of our universe cares for each of us.
Joy comes through freedom 1 Peter 1:8
God’s thoughts and ways are greater than ours and things that catch us off guard are not a surprise to Him. Isaiah 55:9 Matthew also describes a time in his life when he attempted suicide, he was brought to his knees and realized that was a great place to be before His God.
Paralyzing fear can be reversed, look at the lives of Joshua and Jonah when they prayed and obeyed their lives were changed. God wants us to take our eyes off our fears and look to Him, he gives us a reason to trust Him alone. Philippians 4:6-7
I’ll stop with this, “it ain’t what they call you, it’s what you answer to.” Accredited to W.C. Fields
We are not a case of mistaken identity because the creator of the universe knows us and each hair on our heads.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher Worthy books for letting me read this amazing ebook.

A couple years ago it seemed like every time we got in the car Matthew West's "Hello, My Name Is" was playing on the radio. He has expanded on the message of that song in Hello My Name Is: Discovering Your True Identity. With inspiring stories and abundant scripture, West reminds the reader to find his or her identity in Christ. As the song says, "Hello, my name is child of the one true king."



As Christians, we have been saved, changed, and set free, but we don't always live like it. West's songwriting gift, it turns out, translates beautifully into a gift for story telling. Hello My Name Is is chock full of heart-warming, faith-building stories that encourage readers to remember to live like they're saved, changed, and set free.



I enjoyed hearing the back stories not only of this song, but of others West has written for and about people. Clearly West has a passion for seeing lives changed and inspired through his music. On the radio and in live shows, his songs have touched lives in deep and lasting ways. Even if you don't enjoy his music (although, how could you not, it's very easy to like) you will enjoy hearing about how this man uses his gifts to touch others. Read this book and his stories will touch you, too.





Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!

This is by far one of the best non-fiction books I've read in a long time. The format of the book includes 3 sections: 1. The Greatest Truth: Understanding who you are starts with knowing whose you are. 2. The Biggest Lies: tearing off the false name tags that cover up your true identity. 3. The Future You: living your life as a child of the one true king. I found myself saying "yes! That's me! I've thought that before". Or "oh wow never thought of it like that!" West backs all his claims with scripture and personal stories which makes everything easier to understand in a practical sense. Application is not glossed over and the reader feels challenged to seek Christ for real life change. This is a book you should read and reread. There is so much packed into the pages of this book that it demands a 2nd 3rd or even 4th read through. The book is relatable and funny but serious at the same time. An excellent book. Loved seeing how God has worked in Matthew West's life. Gives hope to people going through what he writes about.
I received a digital copy of this book from netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion. What a privilege it was to read this book! I will purchase it!

Matthew West is a true inspiration. He encourages us to find a our TRUE identity in Christ and not dwell on the labels the world puts on us. He shares that the world lies. It calls us names. It discourages us. But Christ does not. The Lord is the author of who we are. This book is very encouraging, uplifting, and would be good for everyone to read. I feel this would be great for a group or a study!

Matthew West caught the attention of my lyric-loving ears way back when. Wow, who is this guy who tells such phenomenal stories and makes such spot-on points in his songs? And what’s with this guy who asks people for their stories for inspiration and then uses them in his songs? He wrote a book? Great!

This book does not disappoint. Each chapter is an exploration into discovering who Matthew found himself to be or wanted to be. Each chapter begins with a story, either his own or someone else’s. Then he relates the story back to Scripture. Basic and real, it’s not meant to be a canyonous theological treatise. It’s meant to be an approachable, practical, and applicable book, encouraging the readers to" discover [their] true identities."

If you struggle with finding your identity, or if you know someone who struggles with their identity, I highly recommend this book. In it, you will find those problems that are common to all humankind and discover the only true Solution for those problems – Jesus Christ.

I gratefully received this book as an eARC from the author, publisher and NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased review.

I'm ashamed to say it, but I didn't expect to get so much out of a book written by a singer/songwriter. Never judge a book by its cover and all that! Forgive me, Matthew West! I can say with all honestly I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Matt was honest, down to Earth and non-judgmental. He covered a variety of fears and struggles that we all have experienced. From negative self thoughts to addition, it never read as if he were looking down on anyone. In fact, he was very positive. Matt truly shined with the love of Christ when writing this book.



The book starts with the big question "Who am I?" As he shared a variety of anecdotes, he made it clear that before we can truly "find" ourselves, we first need to acknowledge Whose we are. There's a reason Hello, My Name Is happens to be one of the songs Matt's remembered for. It's a declaration, that despite the labels the world pushes onto us, despite what lies the devil wants us to believe, we are so much more. We are children of the one true King. That's the greatest truth. With such an honest, heartfelt look on life, Matt points out so many areas that each of us struggle with. What we've done doesn't define us. God does. We just need to open our hearts and let Him remove the false labels placed on us by Satan.



God loves you just the way you are, but He refuses to leave you that way. -Max Lucado.



One part that I laughed on was when he spoke about the movie Thief in the Night. Most kids that grew up in the church during the 70s-80s most likely saw this movie. Scenes showed what was left once the rapture hit. An unmanned lawn mower, cars crashed without their drivers. With Christians taken to Heaven, the Earth was left to go through years of the Tribulation. Trust me, you don't want to be around for that. So imagine the kids that had seen this movie, freaking out when they'd find themselves home alone. I laughed because it messed me up too! I thought I was the only one. Matt described his personal experience of when he'd arrived home to find the house empty and panicked that the rapture had come and he'd been left behind.



This is an excellent book by Matthew West. He has a great sense of humor and it reads well. He's honest, painful so sometimes, using his own life. Despite how different we may be, he still managed to strike a chord with me. How is it that a songwriter can reach even someone like me? We are practically from different worlds....at least different states. I guess we have one thing in common: Dairy Queen. ;) Matt is our cheerleader, encouraging and rooting for us to "fight Satan's past tense lies with God's present tense truths". He urges us to focus on the end goal, to not forget the final destination. "Life is the airport, not the final destination."

For anyone who feels lost, alone and unworthy, for those who've believed the lies about themselves, as I have, I highly recommend this book.

Who am I? I am a child of the One True King.



Disclosure: I chose to receive a copy of this book through Net Galley in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you for the galley. Unfortunately, I could not read the book before it was archived.

Imagine with me that you are walking into a meeting. You don't know the people you are going to be meeting with. When you arrive at the meeting you are presented with a blank tag that says My Name Is________________. You pick up the marker to write your name, but right before you do, the individual behind the table looks at you and says, _please write a name that defines who you are, not your birth name. That is how you will be known here._ Taken back for a second a whole bunch of words you could put down come flying into your mind. You evaluate them _if I put that down, then everyone will think I'm_______________. I don't want to be perceived that way._ The humble person you are looks around, trying not to be noticed as you look at what names those around you have chosen to wear.

The meeting is getting ready to start, so you hurry up and choose a name. You hope for the best because there are so many words you could choose from, but you can only pick one.

In Matthew West's book Hello, My Name Is he takes the approach of name tags to help the reader evaluate how they view themselves and how we are viewed by God.

I really liked this concept of name tags. I found it to be a great way to explain the point. I also enjoyed how it made me think of what my name tag would say.

I love Matthew's personality and that came through in this book for sure. Matthew shared stories of other people, but he also shared stories from his life. I enjoyed getting to know him better through this book. I also enjoyed his humor.

I found this book easy to read because of the topic as well as the way it was written. It was easy to read and yet, it held my attention.

With an interesting and relatable concept, mixed with Matthew's personality and sense of humor, this was a very enjoyable book.

I have been on a personal journey to finding myself since 2010. These past few years, I have really been trying to hone in on particular aspects of myself and see who I am from a different perspective. It's hard to see things when you are on the inside looking out but that's where God comes in. Who else knows you better than the One that created you?

I know I am not alone in my journey to finding who I was created to be, and after reading Hello My Name Is by Matthew West I feel even more motivated to stay the course.

Matthew West is an amazing storyteller. When you listen (or sing along) to any of his songs, you can tell that he has a way with words. We all have many names, and Mr. West reminds us that no matter your name is God's got a name that covers all the names you have. He reminds us that no matter what, God is in control and there is power in His name. This thought alone should give us all comfort. God's got this.

Woven throughout the book is wonderful stories; a few of them even made me laugh out loud. The stories pull you in and then Mr. West hits you with a truth that really takes that story home. It is not about WHO you are but WHOSE you are!

Chapter 7 was especially touching for me. I've been a "people-pleaser" my entire life which is why I am on this journey to finding who I am. When you are a people pleaser, you put who you are aside and do/say things just to please other people. All these years I've been wearing a false name tag and I didn't even realize it! Now I am putting on MY name tag because I am fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14) and it's about time!

This book is a quick read but one that packs a punch. I think everyone should read this book but especially anyone who is new to their faith. It's important to have a firm foundation and the way Mr. West writes it makes deep truths easy to understand.

I feel more strengthened in my faith and in who I am after reading this book and I think you will be too.

I love Matthew West's songs and think he is an excellent songwriter so I was excited to read this book. I enjoyed his stories as they gave an insight into his life and what inspires his songwriting. They were really thought out about how he incorporated them into each point he wanted to bring across. He uses stories from his life, the lives of people he's met, and from people who have written to him. I enjoyed the writing style as well. I found it to be a conversational style and wasn't too theological nor too flowery. It had serious moments, as well as lighter moments.

It was one of those books you have to read. Christian or not, religious or not, you would benefit from the stories included in this book, written by, in my opinion, one of the most relatable Christian singers out there. If you are struggling with an identity crisis in God or in life, depending on how you view religion and spirituality, this book is a good guidebook to understand who you are and what your purpose is. I really enjoyed it and recommend it.

Matthew West is an award-winning Christian artist who enjoys writing music not only from the heart but from personal life experience or stories his fans send in. This book has so much potential and greatness. It is not only for all Christian readers but all readers in general. He goes thru the motions, you laugh, you cry, you believe, you feel inspired. I loved getting to know each tidbit, each backstory of not only the songs but his failures and triumphs in the name of god. I highly recommend this book to everyone from church goers to non-believers and everyone in between.

I really enjoyed reading this book as Matthew took his time to share his personal stories that gave strategies on how to be authentically yourself. The insights given made me reflect on ways to showcase my identity apart from what I do.

Additionally, it was very humorous and quite easy to read without being overbearing. I laughed out loud from the very first page but at the same time, I learned fundamental lessons based on Christian principles that serve as a guide to keep discovering who I am.

Favourite Quote: "Some identities we acquire throughout our lives are ones that we are actually proud to display on our nametags."