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Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Greater review

Book Description:

Are you ready to open your imagination to the possibility that God has a vision for your life that is greater?  We all have honest moments when we’re gripped by a desire to feel that what we’re doing matters more. That who we are matters more.

And according to one of the most shocking verses in the Bible, Jesus wants the very same thing for every one of us:
Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.” -John 14:12
That single promise—“even greater things than these”—should be enough to shatter our acceptance of spiritual mediocrity. Unfortunately, most believers have only tried and given up on vague notions of greatness…then settled into a life that’s just good enough.
Good enough = Baseline living that is marked by mediocrity, stuck in spiritual survival mode, and controlled by complacency.
Greatness = Vague, unrealistic aspirations of doing better that don’t work in real life and lead to endless frustration.
But there is a third way.
Greater = The life-altering understanding that God is ready to accomplish a greatness in your life that is entirely out of human reach—beyond anything you see in yourself on your best day, but exactly what God has seen in you all along.
In Greater, Pastor Steven Furtick draws on the biblical story of Elisha to empower you to:
   • Take a God-given dream from idea to reality
   • Stretch your limited resources and abilities in ways you never thought possible
   • Replace the images of yourself that keep you feeling stuck in the past
   • Make a significant impact with your life starting today, rather than making endless plans for tomorrow that you never get around to

If you’re tired of being ordinary, it’s time to dream bigger. If you’re feeling overwhelmed about where to begin, it’s time to start smaller. It’s time to ignite God’s Greater vision for your life.

My Review:

First, I have never attended a Pastor Furtick's church, had never listened to one of his sermons before this book, and I didn't realize that he was as well known as he apparantly is.  I read this book for two reasons.  First, the topic really interested me.  **Seriously, why else would I read a book!  ;o) **  Second, Melissa Taylor was going to be leading an online Bible study using this book in November 2012 (you can find out more at www.MelissaTaylor.org ). 

Let me start by simply saying my Kindle had so many highlights that I really think someone could have read just my highlights and totally understand the book!  It was awesome!  From the beginning when Furtick says, "You can't keep living like this.  It's not fine for you to settle for going every day to a job you'd prefer to quit, doing decent work, being a pretty good person compared to your neighbor, paying your bills on time and sporadically reading the Bible as though it's your guide to the great things God did in other people's lives in the past." I knew this was going to be a life changing book. 

Furtick takes us through the story of Elisha and his path to "greater" and shows us how we too can walk that path.  From burning our plows to raising an axhead from a river, to learning that even though we may be surrounded by enemies we always have more with us that against us if we open our eyes and look around.  Furtick tells us that like Elisha, we will come to a point where we are "standing at the crossing point to your future...parents, friends, maybe your spouse, maybe your children...are waiting for you to do the things only you can do by the power of God's Spirit.  They are waiting for God to touch them through you, even if they don't know it yet."

We are reminded that we each have a purpose, a calling, in our lives.  We can not simply stand in the middle of the path and watch the world flow around us and think that we are making a difference in Jesus name.  We are called to be greater than that and Pastor Furtick inspires us to discover where our path to greater starts and begin walking, no begin RUNNING, on that path!  Greater isn't something only "special" people should strive for, it is a calling for us all.  If you are looking to improve your relationship with God then this is a great kickstart!

You can find out more about the book here



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