Follow the Cloud by John Stickl was a quick read for me. I found myself highlighting a lot as I journeyed through it. He uses quite a few practical examples that I enjoyed seeing how they related to what he was talking about. My least favorite part was part 3. I found myself wondering the direction he was going in.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.


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FOLLOW THE CLOUD: Hearing God’s Voice One Next Step at a Time
by John Stickl (Multnomah/Waterbrook Press; 2017)

FOLLOW THE CLOUD by pastor and first-time author John Stickl takes a relatively brief, yet
fulfilling and encouraging look at the desire that God has to lead His children on a continual
basis, and that this type of intimate and relational expression of life with God is available to all
Christians now. Using the Old Testament example of how the Lord led the Israelites through the
wilderness to the Promised Land through a cloud by day (and fire by night) to lead the people
exactly where they needed to go when they needed to go. Stickl challenges readers to “follow
the cloud —- courageously taking next steps when we see God move.

The author breaks his explanation of following God more closely into four sections. Section 1
— Awaken to Life — makes the case that believers today have more access to God than the
Israelites did in the Old Testament, and that the Lord means for us to follow Him in a dependent
and trusting daily walk. Section 2 — Receive His Grace — builds a foundation for this intimate
walk by demonstrating the love and grace of God, and believers’ identity as sons and daughters
rather than servants or sinners. Section 3 — Experience His Presence — goes into detail to
describe what “following the cloud” entails, and all the various ways that God communicates
with us. Finally, Section 4 — Release His Kingdom — lays out a vision of what a willingness to
trust and obey God can mean in the individual believers’ lives, as well as in the lives of their
family, friends, coworkers, church members, communities and society at large.

Stickl writes in an honest, self-effacing manner as someone who has only recently learned more
about the love of God and His desire to lead him and all believers in all things; so that striving
and despair can cease, and Christians can live in the joy and freedom that Christ desires and
delivered to us through His sacrifice and obedience to the Father. This aspect of Stickl’s writing
reminds me in a good way of other authors like Craig Groeschel who write not as “super
Christians” who have had very extraordinary experiences and blessings with God that would
make readers feel guilty and self-conscious; but rather as a follow struggler who has had to learn
some difficult lessons, but now wants to share his joyful discoveries with others. This book is
extremely encouraging and uplifting, and as a believer who has had many ongoing struggles in
learning to trust God and totally depend on Him, this book was like a breath of fresh air to me. I
would highly recommend this book for all believers.

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