Official Interview: Frederick J. Sievert

[kandscreeley]

Today's chat with Sarah features Frederick J. Sievert author of Grace Revealed. This inspirational tome was book of the month in May of 2020.

To view the official review, click here.

To view the book on Amazon, click here.

To participate in the book of the month discussion, click here.

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1. It looks like you've done many things in your life, from teacher & Greyhound bus driver to actuary and ultimately president of a Fortune 100 corporation. Is there one moment in your life that you would say was one of the single most influential things that happened to you?

Yes, in my first book God Revealed, I recounted 31 stories of my own encounters with God over the course of my life. The one experience that perhaps changed my life the most was a mystical encounter with God at age 12 that resulted in a life-long, unwavering faith and a burning desire to learn more. It is the very first story in the book.

2. Having earned a master's degree in religion after retirement, no one can accuse you of being unsuccessful. What made you decide to add a book to your list of accomplishments?

During a dinner with my adult daughter Dena and her husband Doug, I told them numerous stories of the many blessings among my business and personal experiences. To my surprise, they were totally captivated, and Dena said to me, “Dad, you have probably told many of those stories to thousands of New York Life agents and employees but many of them you’ve never told to your own family. That hit me hard
because I realized she was right. How dumb I was not to share my story with my family. She went on to say, “You should at least memorialize them in writing for the benefit of the family. In God Revealed, I did just that.

3. Let's talk more about your book, Grace Revealed. What led you to write that book?

After writing the first book, I made many TV & radio appearances and also spoke to dozens of small and large groups. At those sessions, I told some of my own inspiring and often emotional stories of encounters with God and that seemed to give permission to participants to open up to me with their stories.

A remarkable number of people shared with me that they had experienced a very difficult, sometimes life-threatening crises and the only way they found comfort, relief and recovery was through their faith and their relationship with Jesus Christ. Many of the stories were
so compelling that I felt called to write a second book.

Just recently the 700-club sent film crews out to the homes of two of the subjects of stories in the book and aired their stories on their show. What a blessing to be able to positively impact so many lives through their viewing audience.

4. Can you tell us a bit about what makes your faith so important to you?

All of us humans face challenges, difficult times and even crises in our lives. Following my mystical adolescent experience at age 12, I have maintained a strong faith that has sustained me through the rough spots in life. Just two of many examples were times I considered bankruptcy and other times when I thought I would be fired from my job. But I always relied on prayer and the guidance of the Holy Spirit to get me through those (and other) challenges. Were it not for my faith, I would not have experienced the many blessings of my life and now am eager at work serving the Lord in ministry to others.

5. Speaking of faith, what Biblical character would you most want to meet and talk with?

Aside from Jesus, whom I speak to daily, I would love to meet with the Apostle Paul to ask about his “road to Damascus experience” and to learn more about the challenges he faced on his ministry to young Christian communities on his travels.

6. The book Grace Revealed covers different types of trials we will face in life and has real-life experiences from others. These are real people's experiences, correct?

These are people, some of whom I have known for many years, and others who I met following the writing of my first book. They have extremely compelling stories of how God poured out his grace upon them to give them peace, comfort and healing from extremely difficult (but not uncommon) crises faced by millions of Americans. In every case, the person was in crisis, cried out to the Lord, received His grace and out of gratitude repaid God’s grace through Christian service to others in need. The first chapter of the book elaborates on the meaning of Grace and the last chapter shares assurances from Jesus himself on accessing Grace.

7. Is there another story of triumph over crisis that did not make it into the book (or perhaps you learned about after the book was  
published) that you could tell us about?

I originally wrote up the stories of over 40 people, but the initial manuscript was far too long and on the advice of my agent and publisher I cut the number in half for the final manuscript. So yes, there are many stories that did not make the final version but they are all very compelling. Some of those that weren’t in the book can be read on my website: www.StoriesofGodsGrace.com.

8. We all go through difficult times. What would you say to someone who is in the struggle of their lives right now?

There is no cookie-cutter approach to getting through a crisis and all individual experiences are in some ways unique. However, in my book there is a common theme of individuals in crisis crying out to the Lord and finding relief. I asked every contributor what Bible verses they relied upon and not surprisingly there is some redundancy of verses that people found helpful. Perhaps the most commonly mentioned was Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” In addition, at the end of every chapter I give a sample prayer that can be modified to meet the person’s particular circumstances as they have gone through a crisis similar to the one covered in that chapter. Many readers have told me the book helped them and many others have said they bought copies for friends and family members in crisis.

9. What is next for you?

I am currently considering a topic for a 3rd book that will either be a continuation of the theme of “people in crisis” or alternatively a book focused on the ways in which readers can bring God into the workplace and access His love and grace as a very powerful business partner.

I like to end on a few lighter questions.

10. What's your favorite food?

This is perhaps your most difficult question yet! I love almost all types of food.

I travelled the world extensively during my career, and I would have to put French and Italian cuisine at the top of my list. However, nothing beats hot dogs, hamburgers and corn on the cob at a family picnic.

11. Besides your own, do you have a favorite book?

Again, a difficult question. After the Bible, I must acknowledge Bob Buford’s book “Halftime” because it was instrumental in causing me to give strong consideration to early retirement and my pursuit of a divinity school degree. That decision has led me to now feel younger, healthier and happier in my “retirement” pursuits.

I often say that I now view my long and successful business career as mere prologue to what I am doing today; writing and speaking about my faith.

12. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or none of the above?

Facebook : @fredsiev1
Twitter: @Godrevealed
Website: www.StoriesofGodsgrace.com

[Dragonsend]

Thank you both for your time! One of the best ways to open a discussion about God I to tell an inspirational story. I thank God every day when he moves someones heart to share their personal stories of how grace through Jesus Christ has affected their lives. Looking forward to reading the book. Very nice interview!

[kdstrack]

How true that others hear the stories before the family! The daughter's comments were such an inspiration to writing his book. I enjoyed learning about his favorite Biblical character and why. Thanks for including the link to the website.

[Mcjones1]

Great interview! I’m so looking forward to reading both of the author’s books. It is amazing what God can do in your life when you have faith.

[RachelEmmanuel]

It was nice to hear from the author and get to know the person behind the book a little better. I enjoyed reading Grace Revealed and I believe it will be a source of strength for many people seeking to find God in the midst of their troubles.

[Kidd Essence]

Great interview! I have personally read Grace Revealed and can attest to how it can impact the lives of many believers who have momentarily forgotten God's grace.

[Oghenekobaro C]

Thanks Frederick for sharing your faith experience and those of others with the world. There is no better time than presently when there is so much suffering around that there is hope in God.

[Luyar]

Thank You! Greate artical and blog.

[Emmah Achieng 1]

Great interview! I have read Fast Starting a Career of Consequence: Workbook
by Fred Sievert and it was a very interesting book. I am also looking forward to reading the book, Grace Revealed.

[Ramon Scott]

This author offered some eye opening views on faith. I would definitely love to read their work. Love the interview.

[Ammarah Azhar Khan]

It's a very difficult task nowadays to just include the element of faith in one's book, but to write a whole book based on this topic is praiseworthy.

[Chandelier Eden]

When I see an author write about his faith in Jesus, it's always so amazing. The guts alone, in a world that does not want to hear a lot about faith, are worthy of praise.

[Lakshyaaj J]

Your interview was insightful and engaging, providing a deep dive into your creative process and inspiration. Thank you for sharing your journey and wisdom with us.