Sometimes freedom from shame feels like an impossibility. Actually, I should have typed, "Freedom from shame feels like an impossibility." Not sometimes.

The things that makes that feeling so dangerous is that we live out of that belief trapped in unhealth and brokenness. Pass has taken the time to encourage truth about freedom from shame and about ourselves. She does an excellent job and I know that this is a book that I will need to come back to frequently to act as a reminder of truth.

Thank you, Denise Pass.

Everyone has something to be ashamed about and this is a very good book on how to handle shame. Each chapter has questions for you to answer to help you overcome shame and the effects it has on your life, and a prayer. I plan on rereading this book again because I did find myself getting distracted when I was reading,(some chapters were too long and lost my attention). Thank you NetGalley and Abingdon Press for the ARC copy of this book. This is my honest opinion of this book.

Shame Off You
From Hiding to Healing
by Denise Pass
Abingdon Press

Christian , Religion & Spirituality
Pub Date 21 Aug 2018


I am reviewing a copy of Shame Off You through Abongdon Press and Netgalley:


In this book we are reminded that shame is an assault of who we are at the very core. Shame is not something we are born with but in fact it is something we learn, and shame can stiffle our very existence.

We often experience shame due to trauma, something we can not help but yet sometimes we are made to feel shame.

The author address the importance of addressing shame in order to move past it and to experience redemption, because hiding it just allows the shame to grow.

We are also reminded that if we shut down shame without examining what we are feeling we aren't going to be healed.


I give Shame Off You five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

I decided to read this book because I received a Kindle copy for free in exchange for my review. I didn't expect it to resonate with me as much as I did. Shame is so insidious; it nestles into the corners of my life and makes me feel like this is the new normal. I have to hide who I am because it is shameful. But what a lie this is! When God forgave me, He didn't do so grudgingly, with the intent to hold my wrongs over my head. So when I feel my past being held over my head, I can quickly recognize that it isn't God.

Shame comes from any sources, not just from within. Churches and family members are notorious for expecting perfection, while also knowing our deepest flaws. Unfortunately because so many people wrestle with shame, they don't know how to deal properly with it, so try to sweep things under a rug.

The author shares her story here, and while my story looks nothing like hers, I do know people with broken families or who are abuse victims. After reading this book, I feel equipped to both deal with my own shame and also to help my friends recognize and eradicate the shame form their own lives. God does not intend his people to live bowed down in shame.

We all feel shame at some point in our lives. This is what makes this book so relatable and relevant. This book contained some personal stories from the author, encouragement and teaching on why we should not let shame control our lives, and a devotional and prayer at the end of each chapter. I am a type A perfectionist who can be very hard on myself at times, so there were a lot of quotes that really stood out to me:

"In Christ, our worth could never be based on performance because Christ alone defines our worth."
"Our victory over rejection depends on our belief and trust in God over man."
"People can be so cruel and can communicate our lack of worth rather clearly and painfully. But we gave them that power."
"While we attempt to hide our shame, God always provides a remedy,"
"We give shame the power to harm us when we let other people define our worth."
"There is no shame on us for who we uniquely are. God gave us all of the worth we will ever need."
"We never were enough, but God is."
"We are in a losing battle if we become enslaved to the opinion and acceptance of man."
"But when we have accepted the label of being tolerated, and feel we are a burden to others, we are forgetting part of our identity in Christ, which says we are celebrated."

If you are feeling anxiety and shame about who you are, mistakes in the past, worry about the future, or because of traumatic events in your life, I highly recommend this book. I wish the author would have shared a little more of her personal story, but overall, it was a valuable read.

I love the message behind this book and was excited to read it. I like the devotionals and prayers at the end of each chapter. That said, I felt the book was too long. I feel like the message could have been conveyed in way less words because I found myself getting lost in the long chapters. I do love that this book is written from the heart.

I hadn't read this author before but I'm glad I was able to read this book. She helps us recognize the many voices of shame that are all around us. She shares about shame in her own life. She shares how we don't often see the shame we are receiving or giving out. There are scriptures in the book to help one balance shame in light of the Truth and use the healing process from the darkness of shame, to help shed light into our own lives as well as others. We've all been exposed to shame at one time or another, if you're ready to shake the Shame Off You I'd recommend starting with this book.

A few of my favorite quotes in the book are:

It's the unspoken pains that are often the biggest source of shame.

Rejection is a part of life. Acceptance is a part of faith. So let go of other's definition of you and pick up God's instead.

God's definition of us overrides man's.

When we live for an Audience of One, the voices of shame all around us get quieter.

I received an advance readers copy of this book. Thankful to share my thoughts on this book

Denise Pass faced an avalanche of shame when her former husband sexually abused one of her children. She faced a difficult divorce, many court appearances, and a lack of support from her church. Through this harrowing situation, Denise turned to her faith in God to sustain her and help her find freedom from the stigma of shame.

Shame can be a heavy subject for a writer to address. But Denise handles it well, balancing the truth with self-effacing stories. She has a goofy sense of humor and often casts her own shame stories in a funny light. Yet she still addresses tough topics with sensitivity.

While reading Denise’s stories, God helped me uncover some hidden areas of shame in my heart. Even though they aren’t the same struggles Denise described, her stories helped me turn to God for comfort and insight. I’m grateful that this book helped me deal with areas that I didn’t realize were affecting me.

She grounds her book in biblical truth, helping you learn how to overcome shame through the power of God’s Word. She also shows you how Jesus endured the worst shame possible on your behalf. He identifies with you and will lift you up out of your shame. He will give you a new identity that has no room for shameful labels anymore.

While you read this book, your spirit will be lifted as you realize God is your comforter and strength in your own shame stories.

Favorite Quotes from Shame Off You

“When our work and lives are truly focused on serving the Audience of One, we don’t fear shame or seek accolades, we want just His glory alone.”

“The root of our shame is formed by a fear of rejection and cultivated by comparison.”

“Rather than letting shame turn into resentment, hurt, or bitter feelings, we can powerfully choose to forgive those who shamed us and pray for them. Their shaming does not apply to us unless we let it.”

“The need to be able to process shame biblically is crucial in a social media-rich society.”

“There is no shame on us for who we uniquely are. God gave us all the worth we will ever need.”

Shame Off You includes a Scripture Reference Guide full of meditation verses for many different aspects of shame, such as anger, comparison, finances and parenting. This helpful guide will enable you to eradicate shame from your thought life.

Abingdon Press and Netgalley graciously provided a review copy of this excellent book for me.

This is a very good book on how to handle shame. Each chapter has questions for you to answer to help you overcome shame and the effects it has on your life, and a prayer. This is a book that I will be referring back to time and again. I would say that this book is for everyone because deep down everybody has a shame from their past that needs to be healed. Thank you NetGalley and Abingdon Press for the ARC copy of this book. This is my honest opinion of this book.