The book is wonderful. I particularly enjoyed the chapters highlighting busyness and the ways that the enemy will use that to steal our attention. The comparisons and stories mentioned are thoughtful and relevant. Thank you JP for such an honest and helpful book.

I’ve read everything Jonathan Pokluda writes and they’re all full of great insight and biblical wisdom. This is another great book that I feel is different from most Christian books available as it tackles so many of the daily struggles and provides guidance on becoming a better person and stronger Christian. For avid listeners of JP’s podcasts and sermons, a lot of the content will sound familiar and maybe even repetitive. That’s not a bad thing though. Definitely recommending this book to others as a great resource.

I ordered this book expecting an excellent and convicting read and I was not disappointed! If you are a Christian wanting more from your life, frustrated by continuing to do what you wish you wouldn't do, this book is for you! 

JP's writing style is very personable and engaging, and he doesn't shy away from getting into the nitty-gritty details of life, calling us to conform more to Christ every day. Even in some chapters that I thought might not be relevant for me as struggles, I still found meaningful things to take away and was even surprised by how much of a stronghold certain vices had in my life. 

Overall it was a great book, one that I can see myself reading over and over again, and I would highly recommend it to just about anyone!

Another fantastic book by Jonathan Pokluda. This book will help Christians evaluate the choices they make and find freedom in Christ to live victoriously.

Why Do I Do What I Don't Want to Do is an amazing book that walks readers through the root of the vices in our lives. JP does a great job of not only breaking down each vice, but also sharing personal experiences that add to the authenticity of the book. He uncomplicates the concept of decision making and encourages readers to take practical steps through reflection questions. I re-started my read because I actually wanted to walk through the questions at the end of each chapter. This is a book everyone needs to read and I'm excited to keep learning from it!

This book is life changing and has some great examples, passages, and verses that are key to combat things inside of the church and inside our lives. I highlighted and took notes on so many areas in this book because it's definitely something you will refer to and go back to in the time needed.

I think the book is great. It gives great examples and points back to scripture to help support the advice given. My only disappointment was over 90% of the content that i read in this book I had already heard him discuss on his podcast. The stories, the examples, the helpful tips and advice has already been talked about before so if you are an avid podcast listener (like I am) then you will likely think this book is repetitive. If you’re not a podcast listener then I think you’ll love this book!

Do you ever feel as though your sin controls you? Do you find yourself unable to stop returning to indulgence of your flesh time and time again? This book is for you. JP brings his trademark honesty and humor to cover common vices plaguing the Church and the virtues to combat them. He uses his own history of sin (in a refreshingly candid way), stories from his time in ministry, and biblical passages to illustrate his points.

I'd highly recommend this book to my brothers and sisters in Christ. Even in chapters where I felt as though I don't struggle with the particular vice, I was convicted and absorbed something. This book was life-giving and challenging in the best ways.

Thank you to NetGalley and Baker Books for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I'm excited to buy a physical version and annotate it when the book is published!

How many times have you asked, "Why do I do what I don't want to do?" Why am I still so stressed and exhausted? Why am I so critical of the people I love? Why do I hide behind a façade? Why do I choose wrong when I know what's right? This book identifies the most common vices and shows the virtues that provide a better way of life. Becoming a better person is more than building good habits. God can work in us to replace our sinful vices with godly virtues. Pokluda categorizes these ten vices as five ancient battles and five modern wars, and identifies corresponding virtues so we can change the way we live. These virtues show us who we want to be: humble, or grateful, or restful, or optimistic. They also show us who we don't want to be and possibly who we already are: prideful or entitled or stressed out or cynical.

What I loved about this book is how Pokluda uses real-life stories to illustrate the vices. I also appreciated the Bible passages he uses to back up each of his points, and the questions he asks to help his readers identify where they practice these vices in their own lives. This book convicted me in almost every chapter and helped me to identify how to make changes. It was empathetic and hard-hitting and freeing, all at the same time. I plan to write the list of vices and virtues with a list of verses to accompany it and put it on my mirror at home as a daily reminder.

If there is any area to improve in this book, it would be in how to actually make these changes in your own life. I felt like the purpose of this book was more to help you identify the vices and the virtues rather than to actually makes these changes. It was to say, "Hey, you are living with these vices in your life. Get closer to God and seek to live more soberly/humbly/diligently." This was the part of the book that I struggled with most because I want to see clear life change, and I was ready for a 500-page manual!

Overall, however, I absolutely loved this book. I really admire JP outside of this book, and this gave me a new perspective on his ministry. He asked questions that helped me self-evaluate. I will be thinking and applying this far into the future. 5/5 for sure!!

I am so grateful this book exists. In any season of life, it’s important to reflect on your own vices and virtues. What this book does is lay out not only 10 common vices, but the virtues we can turn to instead. The author has given readers the gift of his own authenticity— he is very honest about the mistakes he’s made from his life what he learned from making them. Although I’m not a Protestant and I grew up in pretty much the opposite environment that he did, I so related to and appreciated his wisdom. At the same time, even as he shared anecdotes, the entire book is rooted in and constantly goes back to scripture. Finally, the reflection questions at the end of each chapter were extremely helpful. Nothing in this book is sugarcoated. This is one of those rare ARCs that I think I will actually buy and go back to. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy.