Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Matt Bays
Follow
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Finding God in the Ruins: How God Redeems Pain Paperback – March 1, 2016

by Matt Bays (Author)
See all formats and editions
When the reality of your pain doesn’t line up with what you’ve been taught in church, then what? While many abandon their faith or embrace hopelessness, it is possible to discover the God who heals your heart in the midst of the pain.

Matt Bays has been where you are. His unforgettable stories of loss and healing will usher you into a life where gratitude overpowers anger, hope overcomes despair, and hunger for God replaces indifference to God. With a fresh and original writing style, Bays demonstrates that true redemption is far more powerful than the temporary fixes of sanitized Christianity.
Previous slide of product details
  1. Print length
    256 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    David C. Cook
  4. Publication date
    March 1, 2016
  5. Dimensions
    5.5 x 0.75 x 8.25 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0781413834
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0781413831
  8. See all details
Next slide of product details
The Amazon Book Review
The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.

Customers who viewed this item also viewed

Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
Previous page
  1. Leather & Lace: A Gay Man, Lost Love, and a Road Trip With His Dead Sister
    Matt Bays
    5.0 out of 5 stars 44
    Paperback
    $18.99
    Get it as soon as Saturday, Jul 20
    FREE Shipping on orders over $35 shipped by Amazon
Next page

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Matt Bays is a writer, speaker, and musician with a passion to call people out of their hiding places. In ministry for twenty years, he and his wife, Heather, live in Indianapolis with their fun-loving and insightful teenage daughters.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ David C. Cook (March 1, 2016)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 256 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0781413834
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0781413831
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 8.8 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.75 x 8.25 inches
  • Customer Reviews:

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Matt Bays

Matt Bays

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

In the tradition of Anne Lamott, Donald Miller, and Glennon Doyle, comes the fresh voice of Matt Bays, offering hope to those who have experienced deep loss or pain as well as those who crave more than trite answers about life, God, suffering, and sexuality.

Bays' books were birthed from his own deep struggles in a dysfunctional home, dysfunctional church, and decades of hiding his sexuality. With wisdom, personal transparency, and unforgettable stories, he shows that true redemption comes through living authentically and doing the work to recover.

Matt Bays is a writer, speaker, and life coach with a passion to call people out of their hiding places; calling forth others' stories is the hallmark of his spiritual vocation and purpose. Matt has two incredible daughters, two amazing bonus sons, and lives with his husband, Chris, in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
302 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book refreshingly honest, raw, and beautiful. They appreciate the accessible writing that tackles deep truths and challenges Christians. Readers describe the characterization as stunning and touching. They also describe the writing style as transparent and compelling.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Select to learn more
AuthenticitySpiritual contentReadabilityCharacterizationEmotional impactWriting styleHumorDifficulty level
34 customers mention "Authenticity"34 positive0 negative

Customers find the book refreshingly honest, raw, and brave. They also describe the emotions over each beautiful and bold chapter as compelling.

"...of reading books like this, I don't think I've ever read anything so raw, beautiful and brave...." Read more

"...writing in a manner that is accessible for the reader while being brutally honest, open and transparent about his own life’s pain, struggles, doubts..." Read more

"...It is a moving and at times inspiring story aimed at the understanding that through telling our stories and finding the sources of our pain, only..." Read more

"...In reading the book I felt as if I was having a very honest and open conversation with the author...." Read more

32 customers mention "Spiritual content"32 positive0 negative

Customers find the spiritual content enlightening, refreshingly honest, and giving hope. They also say the book tackles many issues about suffering and pain, and how we relate to talking to God. Readers also appreciate the amazing examples of how God worked in so many people's lives. They say the content is perfect for opening up the dialogue on pain and feeling betrayed and untrusting.

"...illustrated several times throughout the book and is one of the most refreshing explanations of what life with God is like...." Read more

"...I loved the humor that was throughout the book and the amazing examples of how God worked in so many people lives in the book...." Read more

"This story is easy to read and makes tons of sense." Read more

"This book is perfect for opening up the dialogue on pain and feeling betrayed and untrusting towards the God of Sunday School teachings...." Read more

16 customers mention "Readability"16 positive0 negative

Customers find the writing accessible, bold, honest, raw, and poetic. They also say the book is read by Matt, a talented writer and singer.

"...With a fresh and original writing style, Bays demonstrates that true redemption is far more powerful than the temporary fixes of sanitized..." Read more

"...He can work in yours too! Again, a very easy read for a non-reader. I couldn’t put the book down...." Read more

"This story is easy to read and makes tons of sense." Read more

"...Matt has incredible courage to write so openly about issues most only whisper about...." Read more

5 customers mention "Characterization"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the characterization stunning, raw, and brave.

"...like this, I don't think I've ever read anything so raw, beautiful and brave...." Read more

"...This book will make you laugh and cry - but through the authors vulnerable, transparent REALness it will also help all of us real people who have..." Read more

"Matt Bays poured his heart into this book. With stunning vulnerability, he takes us deep into the ruins of his own life seeking God's redemption of..." Read more

"...Not fun, yet filled with endless joy and sadness, mighty strength and weakness, brightest light and darkness...." Read more

5 customers mention "Emotional impact"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the book very touching, empathetic, intimate, and authentic. They also say it makes a thoughtful gift for anyone who has experienced tragic loss.

"...Makes a thoughtful, empathetic gift for anyone who has a tragic loss, or is currently struggling with grief, disaster, addictions, or disease." Read more

"...Just such a wonderful, intimate and authentic book. Thank you for sharing your heart with us...." Read more

"Honest, raw, poignant. A written work of art in human self-revelation." Read more

"Beautiful and deep. Reading this feels like sacred space...." Read more

5 customers mention "Writing style"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the writing style transparent and compelling.

"...is accessible for the reader while being brutally honest, open and transparent about his own life’s pain, struggles, doubts and questions...." Read more

"...Thank you for your transparent, honest story!..." Read more

"...make you laugh and cry - but through the authors vulnerable, transparent REALness it will also help all of us real people who have real stories find..." Read more

"One of the most transparent and compelling books I've ever read!..." Read more

3 customers mention "Humor"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the humor in the book to be funny.

"...He felt the pain too. I loved the humor that was throughout the book and the amazing examples of how God worked in so many people lives in the book..." Read more

"...This book is deep and wise- it's also funny when you least expect it...." Read more

"...with its easy readability, the infectious writing style, and the humorous moments from the author's own story, this book held my attention from the..." Read more

3 customers mention "Difficulty level"0 positive3 negative

Customers find the book difficult to understand. They mention that they are not satisfied with the pat answers and clichés. They also say that there are no easy answers and that trusting God is the only thing they can do.

"...I found something was missing, and a little unsatisfying, though. As if the message was slightly hazy or intangible...." Read more

"...Maybe i expected to much from the book. There are no easy answers and trusting God is the only thing i can do...." Read more

"not satisfied with pat answers and clichés..." Read more

Thought provoking, real life issues and incredible depth of understanding
5 out of 5 stars
Thought provoking, real life issues and incredible depth of understanding
This is a fabulous book for disallusioned people, grieving and or not fitting into the normal boxes society trys to put us in when they don't understand the realities life can throw at you. Matt has incredible courage to write so openly about issues most only whisper about. If you have a painful past or a wounded present life, this book will meet you right where you are. Raise a fist, curse, shout but God will still find you in the ruins of your life, if you let Him. After losing a son, this book was oddly comforting like an old pillow that knows your body; he really "gets" my pain. Makes a thoughtful, empathetic gift for anyone who has a tragic loss, or is currently struggling with grief, disaster, addictions, or disease.
Hide
Thank you for your feedback
Sorry, there was an error
Sorry we couldn't load the review

Top reviews from the United States

Anonymous
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful and deep. Reading this feels like sacred space.
Reviewed in the United States on August 21, 2016
Verified Purchase
This book is blowing my mind! It's like reading MY pain but in HIS book.
In all my years of reading books like this, I don't think I've ever read anything so raw, beautiful and brave.
He openly shares about family abuse, sexual abuse, from the head of the family down to the bottom. He also shares about the suffering you endure growing up with the weight of that kind of bull-s*** put on you. He becomes a pastor at a young age, and even though he knows all that bible stuff, all the pain, shame, running, hiding, takes it toll and it's time to pay the piper. Many of us try to find an "outward solution to an internal problem," and as a pastor he wasn't immune. But as he sorts through the rubble of his ruins he finds hope and resurrection.
Here's an excerpt that struck a cord in me, "I used to look down on those who had set their life's GPS just two degrees shy of hell, but after my own personal trip there, I realized our enemy punches in the coordinates for us. Yes, we might have followed every ding we heard, but we didn't know where we were headed or how to override the system. The day always comes when the jig is up, and when it does, we will have to punch in new coordinates for a new destination if we want a new life. The temptation to follow the rerouting prompts is powerful, though not too powerful to ignore. And if we want a life that isn't driven by our past hurts, we must squeeze ourselves onto a tiny dirt road and trust that it will lead us somewhere good."
See I took a personal trip there as well. Beaten and battered from the journey, I had almost given up any kind of hope. But I stumbled upon a tiny dirt road, cause I sure as hell wasn't gonna listen to them dings anymore, it was gonna be old-school traveling, with map in hand and follow the yellow brick road. Low and behold, what do I find along the way, Finding God in the Ruins.
So let me just say, IF you've gone through any pain, or shame, or felt like you've failed as a human being, let alone Christian, Finding God in the Ruins will rock your world.
His final exhortation before diving in, "And finally, to whoever reads this book ---let the healing begin.
For me, it already has.
You, like me, may have been swallowed up in so much pain throughout your life that you couldn't care less about somebody else's story of recovery or overcoming. But I'm telling ya -- you do not want to miss out on this one. Your gonna be throwing down the popcorn, sitting on the edge of your seat! "Our stories can deliver hope to others only if they are able to see a bit of who we once were."
2 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
@joemcfddn
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book especially for those wondering where God is amidst their pain!
Reviewed in the United States on May 2, 2016
Verified Purchase
When the reality of your pain doesn’t line up with what you’ve been taught in church, then what? While many abandon their faith or embrace hopelessness, it is possible to discover the God who heals your heart in the midst of the pain.
If God is love, why do we hurt so much?

Matt Bays has been where you are. His unforgettable stories of loss and healing will usher you into a life where gratitude overpowers anger, hope overcomes despair, and hunger for God replaces indifference to God. With a fresh and original writing style, Bays demonstrates that true redemption is far more powerful than the temporary fixes of sanitized Christianity.

“God in real life, is nothing like the God we’ve been taught about in church. Anyone who has been through tragedy, pain, trauma, or devastating loss knows that in those moments, and in the terrible aftermath, hell often feels much more powerful than heaven. In the midst of our suffering, we find ourselves trying to bear the absence of God, sometimes while doubting his very existence…Perhaps you struggle to understand a God who allows such shocking personal tragedy and pointless suffering.” (p. 14-15)

In Finding God in the Ruins: How God Redeems Pain. Author Matt Bays does an excellent job at writing in a manner that is accessible for the reader while being brutally honest, open and transparent about his own life’s pain, struggles, doubts and questions. This is definitely a book I will find myself recommending to others over and over again.

I couldn’t help but find large pieces of my story woven into Bays’ story and at the cross-section of them to see God’s story as well as the backdrop of them both. I found myself saying over and over again “me too”, “you are not alone”. I am convinced that everyone has hurts, habits and hangups. Not necessarily to the same extent or degree, but all our stories intersect especially in pain and suffering; and if we look deep enough into the ruins we find it is also part of God’s story as well and that we are part of His story too.
2 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Al S
5.0 out of 5 stars How could God let such terrible things happen?
Reviewed in the United States on March 3, 2016
Verified Purchase
This book is undoubtedly going to help many people who have been through incomprehensible pain and suffering in life.

My takeaway was this: We all struggle with this question of 'How could God let such terrible things happen?'. If God were to give us the answers, would it make the pain easier? We like to think that it would. Because God, as we have learned through His word, is both darkness and light, He could never provide us these answers. Instead, the logical solution is that we don't get to have these answers. The author articulates that redemption doesn't come through answers, but through other means of our lives. Redemption comes when we realize that portions of our life stories that are good and full of light have only come to exist because of the dark. This punctuation of the grace of God is beautifully illustrated several times throughout the book and is one of the most refreshing explanations of what life with God is like.

The author doesn't claim to offer step by step instructions for those who experience great pain, only his personal account of finding God despite these ruins of our life. It is a moving and at times inspiring story aimed at the understanding that through telling our stories and finding the sources of our pain, only then can we overcome.
17 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

Peter D. Money
5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible!!
Reviewed in Canada on August 30, 2017
Verified Purchase
Matt has chosen to be vulnerable in a way like I have never read in an author. His story to some may seem hopeless, but his risking to share with the world has meant a great deal to me! He has risked mining through the ruins of his life and he found that God was there in every slip on a jagged rock, every crevice that he tripped over and every hole that he didn’t see because he was walking in darkness. Like none other Matt has breathed hope in our lives that we thought were hopeless. Thank you Matt for being willing to show your scars. Thank you for sharing your story. It has changed my life!!
Report
rmary2
5.0 out of 5 stars Difficult and deep reading
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 11, 2017
Verified Purchase
Superbly and beautifully written, this is such an important and honest book. If we had more Christian books, talks, services and conversations that were really honest how much closer would we be to God? It's far from easy reading but a great comfort comes through the pages. It certainly made me think and wonder and respect doubt and questions rather than dismiss them or berate myself for having them. I strive to be a Christian who shows others God's love and grace above all else and this book will help me do that. I will listen without feeling the need to platitude away someone's pain or answer questions that are being asked of God and are his to respond to.
Report
Wenneu
5.0 out of 5 stars This book is an affirmation that even in the most ...
Reviewed in Canada on March 25, 2017
Verified Purchase
This book is an affirmation that even in the most difficult and disappointing circumstances, God is there. It is an affirmation that nothing is too far from God. He is present in every situation. This is a book of encouragement and hope for all who are struggling with life.
Report
Mrs. J. Lock
5.0 out of 5 stars Mind blowing, heart wrenching and soul healing
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 30, 2016
Verified Purchase
Awesome , brilliantly written. The simplicity of Gods redeeming power is capture so well by Matt's testimony. Thank you, hopefully my story and insight can be used to heal the broken too
Report
donald budge
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 30, 2016
Verified Purchase
a moving book.. resonate with things he said.. do not do recommendations on what folks should read... READ THIS
Report