Lynn Vincent Reviews

Added May 14, 2007

The Prodigal Comes Home

My Story of Failure and God's Story of Redemption

Author: Lynn Vincent
Publisher: Thomas Nelson, Inc.
Available At: Bookstores everywhere
Publishing Date: April 10, 2007
Genre: Autobiography
Format: Hardcover
Price: $21.99
ISBN-10: 0-8499-01731
ISBN-13: 9780849901737
Author Email/Website: http://www.michaelenglishmusic.com/
Reviewer: Joyce Handzo
Rating: 9 Gargoyles

Prepare to be blessed.

These pages go behind the headlines to reveal the personal heartache and hope of Michael English. After topping the charts with godly Christian music, he toppled from the pinnacle of success when he had an affair with a married woman. His personal life and career spiraled out of control, leaving him dependent on drugs, despondent, and on his way to an early death. Michael records his journey from the paradise of prestige to the hell of hopelessness, yet his story doesn't end there.

Candid and compelling, this book magnifies the mercy of God. Michael's halting rise to fame is captured with humility and a sense of wonder. As his story progresses, the emotional element intensifies, while he struggles to find his own place within the music industry. His honesty concerning his lack of spiritual commitment explains his actions, while his intense hunger for God's love and intervention cries for a response.

Parts of this book are very difficult to read. Michael's graphic descriptions of his bondage to drugs are gritty but provide the necessary backdrop to the rest of his story. Although he could have become another statistic on the road to fame, God reached out and saved him. Michael admits this wasn't a Damascus experience, whereby he was instantly transformed. Rather, his recovery was slower, allowing him time to understand and appreciate the power and the love of God.

These pages tell Michael's story, simply and sincerely. Yes, he made a lot of bad choices, and if he continued on that path, he would have died a broken man. Yet, his cries for deliverance and acceptance reached the Throne of Grace and caused the Creator to make a new beginning out of the ashes of his old life.

Readers will join their voices with Michael English in praising the God who delights to show mercy!

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