David Platt tells of a life changing mission trip backpacking through the Himalaya Mountains, that altered the trajectory of his ministry. Seeing such desperate need in a remote area, still very unreached by the Gospel, people disabled by fast growing infections, rampant superstitions, and child prostitution.



Mr. Platt documents his journey day by day along with his daily Scripture reading through Luke, sharing interactions with the people he met as well as conversations with his travelling companions. He is very honest about how his perspective changed over the course of the journey, and he shares his heartfelt struggles with radically living the great commission.



I have read many other books by David Platt and I am a huge fan, and I really enjoyed how this book showed how parts of his ministry began and grew into his Radical ministry. This book had a different tone than his previous books, as it takes a more heartfelt, storytelling path, sharing his heart and calling us to action to step out from our American painted view of Christianity, but instead to live our faith Biblically.



Overall, a must read book for all Christians, very convicting, with hard truths, yet still encouraging, and inspiring. It is a good reminder that we are called and chosen to live God honoring lives, doing His work and spreading the Gospel. We are responsible to not turn a blind eye or be ignorant of the needs of others, not just physical or material, but most importantly of all their spiritual need for Christ.



I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Truly a work of art reading through this book. I felt like I was taking the trek alongside David throughout. I felt the cold each night and my heart hurt each village we visited. A real eye opener that something does need to change in the way we do church as Christians.

In this book that raises so many important questions, I found answers for my own life.

The narrative the author shares revitalizes my thinking and my world view; it calls me back to living authentically and re-seeing life urgently.

This book will find those God wants to read it. This book will help change the world.

I am still dazed and in shock at what I just read in the past 2 hours. I was on the verge of tears from this raw, authentic, challenging book. My heart broke for every person mentioned. My heart raced when I could see God's hand moving throughout this story.

I believe that every Christian should read this book. Yes, it will be challenging. Yes, it will make you feel uncomfortable BUT I believe that we Christians in America need to read books like this. We NEED to have our eyes open to see the need for Christ around the world and around us. We NEED to allow Christ to do a work in our hearts and lived for the growth of the His Kingdom. We NEED to allow ourselves to be open to do WHATEVER God calls us to do.

We tend to forget in the business of life that there is a Hell. Sure, we know it but we never think about it. We never see those around us as souls that are doomed for eternal suffering and separation from God. We hear statistics about people dying overseas from preventable dieses yet we never stop and think about how those are souls heading straight to Hell.

God calls ordinary people to do extraordinary things. God has given us everything we need to do the work that He has called us to do. We have gifts that He gave us when we became believers. The only thing is, is will you listen to God's call when He calls you? Will you surrender your whole life to Him? Will you allow yourself to be one of those ordinary people doing extraordinary things through the One who saved us?

I'm sorry if this makes anyone feel uncomfortable or upset that I am talking this way but I will have you know that everything I am saying is backed up by scripture and I will not be silent on it. I will not be silent anymore. I am going to speak up and I want to see a change in America and around the world. I want the church of America to wake up and get out of their selfish desires. I want the church to have a heart for missions and orphans like God calls us to have. I want us to be a people that is so on fire for God that everyone around us can see it.

Y'all, something really does need to change. And guess what that change started with you and me.

*FTC: I received this book from Multnomah and Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review. All thoughts are my own.*

I found Something Needs to Change by David Platt to be a book that was an easy flowing read that brought with it challenges. As I read through, I was really blessed that he went through the book of Luke on his journey in the mountains. I enjoyed reading Luke through with him and also reading his journal entries. He describes his interactions with the men he journeyed with and with the mountain people he came in contact with and heard about. One time he got to share at a church service on the top of a mountain where people had to walk for hours to gather as a body of believers. And then after the gathering they had to journey back down the mountain to their homes in the dark. I felt that the author didn’t hold much back but he shared some raw challenges that he faced and how he feels God is leading him forward. If you choose to read this book, which I highly recommend, be aware that you will be challenged right along with the author in the pursuit of following closely with the Savior in the needs of the world.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.


***Also posted on B&N, CBD

This is one of those books that makes you wonder if you could do more with your life. Following David through a trek up the Himalayas gives a perspective on a life we cannot imagine. The terrifying death rituals, the sex trafficking of little girls, & the awful medical conditions there make your heart want to stop beating.

This book reminds me of my trips to Haiti. It is impossible to come home and not think about what people are doing to get by in a population that is 85% unemployed. People turn to all sorts of false religions (sprinkled with Christianity) to beg a demon for help. People are starving and dying because of preventable issues. The question David poses to us is what we will do with what we know.

I felt like there was more to say that was left unsaid, but the book spoke to me.

David Platt is a well-known author and pastor, so when a trek through the Himalayas can completely make him question his career choice, something is up. The back cover blurb says: Life's hardest questions don't just demand answers. They REQUIRE action!

Something Needs to Change is written as a day-by-day journal of Platt's Himalayan trek. The incredible spiritual darkness he encounters while on the trek blows him away and makes him question if the God he serves really is good. Each chapter begins with Platt reading scripture and connecting it to things he's seen on the trek - from extreme physical suffering to little girls trafficked for sex to complete antipathy toward spreading the Gospel. Along his journey, Platt encounters such urgent, physical needs that seeing the urgent spiritual needs often gets overlooked.

A few favorite quotes as I read that seemed to hit at the heart of the book include:
"It's easier to stomach poverty as long as you just look at numbers on a page. The poor are easier to ignore if they're a statistic. Everything changes when you know one of them."
"This is hard work, and it doesn't succeed overnight. What's needed are people who are willing to work hard for ten or twenty years until a breakthrough happens. A lot of Christians, and most churches in America who send them, aren't willing to stick it out that long."
"People and places in the world not reached with the Gospel are unreached for a reason. They're difficult to reach. They're dangerous to reach. I'm pretty sure all the easy ones are taken."

Platt leaves readers with the challenge to work hard to help well amid earthly suffering, work hardest to keep people from eternal suffering, be the church God calls his people to be, and to run the race God calls you to run. Platt came away from his trip with a sense of urgency, and a sense of the overwhelming unmet need in the world. He also saw the ways people were using their gifts and abilities to help alleviate the needs that are put before them. "What if each of us really considered all the ways we might play a unique part in the spread of the Gospel where it has not yet gone?"

This book made my heart hurt for all of the people Pratt encountered on his journey. I was especially broken when he got to the village that had no little girls in it from the ages of 5 to 16 because they had been taken by sex traffickers. This is such an evil in the world, and that it persists anywhere must hurt God's heart as well. Anyone reading this book will conclude, as Pratt has, that Something Needs to Change. While we can't all travel to the places of greatest, most urgent need, we can find ways to support those who do!

I absolutely recommend this book! I am usually a Christian fiction fan, but this book kept me engaged from beginning to end. I wonder what kind of an impact all of us who read it can make on a world where darkness is the norm?

In "Something Needs to Change" David Platt takes his readers on a journey with him through the Himalayan Mountains. Platt tells us about the poverty and suffering he encountered on his trip and encourages his readers to look for those who are hurting around them. The question is not only, "Who is hurting around me?" but even more so, "How can I help those who are hurting around me?" "Something Needs to Change" is a convicting and thought-provoking book which I highly recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

There are books you read to escape reality, diving into a fantastical world of fiction that transports you into a simpler time. Then there are books that challenge your current, long held, cherished, naive views on reality. This book falls into the later.

I worked for 18 years in Christian Retail and have read many books. I have read Radical by Platt and even taught life groups around this book. Those books challenge you for a moment. You either like them or you don't.

'Something Needs to Change' can not be said to be a book that just challenges, as much as a book that haunts you in a life changing way. It is the story of the author and the things he experienced on a one week hiking trip with a missionary in an Asian country. We don't just hear about statistics but we meet, through the eyes of the author, individuals who need hope, help and healing. We wrestle with the urgency of the need along with the author. We weep with the weeping of the author. We burn with the anger along with the author.

In my retail career I was blessed to lead missions trips around the world. Thus the individual stories shared hit home deeply. It is easy to see the world wide issues of human sex trafficking, or preventable disease, or malnourishment, and many other issues as just statistics and they don't reach our hearts. We hear it and it sinks into our minds, and we might give a few bucks every now and then when reminded at a store, or by our church. It is not until you meet these "statistics" and have a face and a name with each one of them that it hits your heart.

I loved the honesty of the struggle of the author as he allows himself to answer the question's of our society that often we can't answer "If God is a loving God then why..." This book provided a clear guide to experience a heart wrenching and challenging experience that calls us to not just do something but to CHANGE and CHANGE NOW.

Nehemiah heard about Jerusalem and broke in compassion. He had all he could stand. This caused him to change. This caused him to do something. May this book spark a new wave in the church to not just through money at these causes but to actively seek ways to partner with those on the front line in these Majority World issues.

I would say I recommend this as a study, but first you must study it, read it, contemplate and struggle with it. Then challenge others to do the same. Don't just talk away the challenge it gives you. Don't just throw money at it. Allow God to tear out the selfish human heart in your chest and fill it with HIS heart of compassion and love for the world around us! If you do that, you will never be the same!

A invitation to travel along side David Platt in the mountains of the Himalayan. To witness what he witnessed when he realized that something needs to change.

David Platt is a well known pastor and author of many Christian books. I remember reading the book Radical and I believe this text is a balance that I needed to hear and experience. From his encounter with his friend Aaron who ministers to the Himalayan people and who invited David to see for himself the great need of the people but also see the greatest need of his own heart which I believe is the greatest need of our hearts as well. Aaron's own testimony of coming to the mountains is one of that changed his life forever. Going with friends on a hike when they encountered Sex Traffickers coming down with girls ranging from 8 to 14. Seeing the girls with empty eyes and with nothing to live for. How these men used girls as young as 8 for their own pleasure and how their families let their daughters go believing a better way.

The stories of the people that David meant are tragic however, they also show the conditions of our own heart and how change is needed. I appreciated the balance of the gospel and meeting the needs of the people was dealt with. How the gospel changes community as believers come together to make change and how we can part of that in big or small ways. It is easy to make our world small and not see or want to see the evil that millions endure but also more importantly do not have the gospel to put their hope in. The Gospel is hope because death will come. David's own journey encouraged him to look at the Parables of Jesus again and see the scriptures in a different light. We need to look at the scriptures in the light of poverty, oppression, and evil because we will never see the beauty of the Gospel if we do not.

A Special Thank you to Waterbrook and Multnomah and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest revie

If you’ve read any of David Platt’s books then typically you know what awaits you. Most likely, you are going to become uncomfortable. You are going to be challenged to your core. You are going to be called to examine whether you really believe what you say you believe when it comes to following Jesus. His newest book, Something Needs to Change is not exception.

Platt, who is the author of three New York Times best sellers, including Radical and is the lead pastor at McLean Bible Church in metro Washington, DC is inviting the reader to come on a wild journey with him in Something Needs to Change. In honesty and vulnerability, David Platt invites you to hike with him through some of the highest mountains in Asia. If you choose to go on this hike, not only will you get to know him better, but you’ll be shocked and surprised at what you encounter. Platt says, “So by inviting you to come with me into these mountains, I’m asking you to open yourself to the possibility that the way you view your life, your family, your church, or your future might not be the same when you return.”

As most of Platt’s books are, this one was gripping. I found myself fascinated while reading the journal entries Platt shared during his time hiking. In fact, this one of my favorite things in the book. To read David Platt’s journal entries makes you feel like you’re gaining access to something that many would long to look into. The other gripping thing for me was how vulnerable Platt was with his thoughts and emotions. He doesn’t hold back, but shares with the reader what he is wrestling through as he encounters shocking situations during this hike. He doesn’t provide neat and tidy answers either. Instead, you will wrestle too.

I think this book is especially eye opening and challenging for Christians who may not have the means or ability to go on a trip like this or to some other third world part of the globe. I found myself crying at times. I found myself asking, “What can I do? What should I do?” A book like this serves to expand your worldview. If I’m honest, I probably need to read the book again.

This book will cause you to wrestle with your theology. This book will cause you to wrestle with how you’re living. Platt challenges the reader to, “Think about it this way: how would you want a person on the other side of the world to live if you were on a road leading to an eternal hell and no one had ever told you how you could go to heaven? Answer that question, and then live accordingly.” These are challenging words indeed.

I’d recommend that you not pick up this book if you want to stay comfortable and keep going about business as usual. However, if you truly want to take Jesus more seriously, be challenged, and start thinking about intentional ways of living then read this book. You won’t be able to read without being convinced that Something Needs to Change.

Something Needs to Change releases on September 17, 2019, but you pre-order a copy from Amazon and then go to this website and receive an advanced copy.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary advanced copy of Something Needs to Change from Multnomah in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Statistics on poverty, hunger, sex trafficking, and unreached, unbelieving people groups abound. Yet behind the numbers are real people facing intense suffering, both physically and spiritually. These people need to become more than mere numbers and statistics to the church if God’s people are going to be who He has called us to be to these people - something needs to change. This book puts names and stories to those statistics and brings them alive in ways that hit home to the reader and makes us think what our response would be if these circumstances were happening in our own lives. Platt gives account of his own trek to the Himalayan mountains where he comes face to face with the question of how to address people’s most pressing physical and spiritual needs during times of intense suffering. This book confronts the reader with real people Platt encountered and challenges believers on how to respond. While lighter on theology than I expected and would have liked, this book does weave how Scripture influenced Platt’s heart and mind while he was there and moved him to action in addressing the dire needs of these people. Platt calls the church to action in addressing the physical and spiritual needs of those people around us wherever we are.

If you are looking for a book to give you an awakening. Then this book is it. Eye opening and will have you ready to make a change in your life as well as others. This is definitely one book every christian needs to read.

This book, if you truly read it with an open heart and mind, will change you. You won't be able to un-know what you learn within the pages. As a reader, however, I can't give it more stars because of the journal entries included - they felt oddly surface level and generalized, which is a bit bizarre as a journal entry in that situation would be anything but.

David Platt has written a powerful, heart-wrenching account of his journey to the Himalayan mountains to learn, see for himself and minister to the people largely forgotten by the rest of the world. A chance meeting allows Platt the opportunity to travel to Asia to see the rumored mountains and its unique culture therein.

Throughout the book, Platt shares his personal experiences with the indigenous people who struggle to get medical care, lose children to trafficking and disease, yet still remain faithful in the midst of dire circumstances of poverty.

I have only read one other book by Platt, his wildly successful "Follow Me." He is vulnerable, honest and his writing--especially in this book--causes the reader to reflect and consider how we treat "the least of these."

I was challenged, full of admiration for the people of this unique church community and encouraged by this book. There should be a lot of self-reflection and internal work happening as you read "Something Needs to Change." I spent a few nights talking with my family about what I was reading and it opened the door to a lot of great communication with each other.

This book would be a great resource for a small group to do together, as there is lots to be learned within its pages. I am thankful that I was able to read early, thanks to #NetGalley and Penguin Random House publishers. I chose to leave a review and all opinions are my own.

Something Needs to Change
A Call to Make Your Life Count in a World of Urgent Need

by David Platt

WaterBrook & Multnomah

Multnomah

Christian , Religion & Spirituality

Pub Date 17 Sep 2019


I am reviewing a copy of Something Needs to Change through WaterBrook & Multnomah and Netgalley:




As he was leading a team on a week long trek to the Himalayas bestselling author and Pastor David Platt was shocked by the human needs he encountered, an experience so dramatic that it changed the course of his life life. He met a man who'd lost his eye from a simple infection and seeing the faces of girls stolen from their families and trafficked in the cities, along with other unforgettable encounters, opened his eyes to the people behind the statistics and compelled him to wrestle with his assumptions about faith.


In Something Needs to Change, Platt in
brings readers along on both the adventure of the trek, as well as the adventure of seeking answers to tough questions like, "Where is God in the middle of suffering?" "What makes my religion any better than someone else's religion?" and "What do I believe about eternal suffering?" Platt has crafted an irresistible message about what it means to give your life for the gospel--to finally stop talking about faith and truly start living it.


If you are looking for a book that will make you realize just how blessed we are needs to be Something Needs to Change is a book that I recommend for you!


Five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

A literary journey through the Himilayas that will literally change your perspective on life. In Something Needs to Change, David Platt takes readers through a week of hiking the the small, remote villages in the Himalayan mountains. As he wrestles with the goodness, justness and saving grace of God amongst a mostly unreached people, he invites us to do the same. Platt also helps us dissect the urgency of physical needs and spiritual needs, and why one comes before the other. If you truly read this book with open ears and open hearts, you will not walk away the same. Something needs to change is an honest call to action for believers.

What’s it like to go on a mission trip with David Platt? What would he write in his journal? That’s exactly what you'll see in his latest book (to be published in September). This is not a theological treatise nor a book on Christian living. You are reading into his mission journal on his trip to the Nepalese Himalayas. You’ll be walking in his shoes (without the blisters) as he hikes up the trails and meets interesting people, and everyone that he meets has a back story.

This is just one mission trip, not a collection of several. On the one hand, you can go on your own mission trip and have similar experiences. The conversations that he has with the natives and gospel workers, the things he learns from God in his quiet times, the lessons he learns each day – they are not that uncommon in the mission field. Yet, on the other hand, imagine going on a trip with one of the best mission team leaders. to the most remote parts of the Himalayas. That makes this book worth reading.

His motivation for writing this book is laid out in the last chapter. After you read this, you’re supposed to say to yourself, “Something needs to change!” And you need to practically change something in your life to address the questions that he asks in this book, such as, “How can so many people go to hell?” or “What can I do to help the physical and spiritual needs that are laid bare in this world?

He wants people to take these needs seriously and take real steps to make a difference. This book doesn’t lay out any steps or offer any practical advice. That’s not the point of this book. It’s supposed to get people to start thinking. I’m not sure if he really accomplishes this goal with this book. At any rate, at the least, it was good, pleasure reading.

A journey deep into the remote villages of the Himalayan mountains, "Something Needs to Change" shows us an up-close view of the poverty and need in the region. Platt describes in detail each day of his journey - hiking from village to village on mountain paths with a small group of other hikers. He shares his bible reading, devotions, and journaling that he does along the way. Platt asks many questions but does not find all the answers. He inspires and encourages us to ask the same questions of ourselves and our lives. What are we going to change to make a difference in the lives of our suffering neighbors? "Something Needs to Change" is honest, compelling, and well worth your read.

If you're happy with the status quo and you're not ready for your life to be turned upside down, then don't pick up David Platt's latest book, Something Needs to Change. But, if you're ready to be challenged and you're ready for that next step, it just might be what you've been waiting for to nudge you in that direction.

Something Needs to Change journals Platt's life-altering Himalayan trek that brought him in contact with poverty, human trafficking, health crises, and the beautiful church of Jesus. It's the very trek that led Platt and his family to make their lives a blank check for God to use as He wills. As Platt vividly describes his experiences on the mountain trek, you encounter the people he encounters, and you struggle with the experiences he struggles with, and you ask God the same questions he asks. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll question, and you'll sit in awe and wonder along with Platt as he sees how God uses his regular Bible readings to speak into each day's adventures. You'll marvel at God's handiwork, and you'll likely desire for God to speak to you in the same way. And you'll likely end the book thinking the same thing Platt does, that Something Needs to Change. And if God touches your heart as I imagine he will, you won't be able to stay the same after reading this book.

Note: I received a copy of this book by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for this honest review. The opinions expressed are my own.