How Do You Know He's Real? and How Do You Know He's Real? God Unplugged

by Amy Hammond Hagberg Reviewed by Katherine Swarts Price: $14.99 each To order: Visit Amy's Web site (In the text of this double review, the first title is referred to as How Do You Know and the second as Unplugged.) "How do we know Christ is real? I just couldn't let go of that question," says Amy Hammond Hagberg, explaining why she decided to assemble a collection of celebrity testimonies for seekers and struggling Christians. "What would convince people ... that Jesus is worth a try? The thought came to me that ... maybe if an admired celebrity talked about Jesus, they would listen" (How Do You Know, p. 24). Thus began the journey that resulted in two books comprising more than seventy testimonies, with plans of more to come. The books can be read separately or as a set; either furnishes more than enough celebrity comment and intriguing life stories to interest the most jaded skeptic. (Be warned: about 20 percent of the articles in How Do You Know have duplicate entries in Unplugged.) Sample testimonies from How Do You Know: "Mankind cannot make a tree or an insect or an animal or any of the natural things. ... Some of the greatest scientists ... understood that it would be impossible for the order of nature to happen haphazardly." (Gary Burghoff, actor; "Radar" O'Reilly on M*A*S*H) "I am amazed at the diversity of beliefs I have embraced and rejected ... all coming to dead ends. But what I found [in Christ] was not another end, but the beginning of a new life." (Kerry Livgren, songwriter; member of the "'70s Super Group" Kansas) "One of the ways I know God is real has been receiving the gift of ... speaking in tongues. ... It's such an awesome gift ... it gives you a great sense of peace." (Charlotte Smith-Taylor, WNBA Forward, Washington Mystics)   From God Unplugged: "I finally realized that you can be awesome in what you love to do and still love Christ and give Him all the glory for it. ... [Once, my] whole perception about being a Christian was that it was a boring lifestyle and you would never achieve anything." (Bruce Crisman, professional BMX athlete) "I went down a rough road, made horrible choices, and lived more than thirty years of my life completely separated from God [and still] thought I was a good person and ... that was enough to get into heaven. ... If [that] were true, Jesus would have died in vain. ... I know I was created to ... let people see that God is real because of my transformed life." (Christian Hosoi, professional skateboarder) "It's a daily struggle to remind myself that God made me the way He wanted me, and He's gifted me the way He wanted me to be gifted. He loves me no matter how fat or thin, cool or uncool, I am." (Heather King, pop/rock band Daniel's Window) Following each testimony are two pages of Bible verses on relevant topics.