Dad of Divas' Reviews: Book Review - All In

Sunday, July 14, 2013

Book Review - All In

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About the Book
The Gospel costs nothing. You can't earn it or buy it. It can only be received as a free gift compliments of God's grace. It doesn't cost anything, but it demands everything. It demands that we go 'all in,' a term that simply means placing all that you have into God's hands. Pushing it all in. And that's where we get stuck---spiritual no man's land. We're afraid that if we go all in that we might miss out on what this life has to offer. It's not true. The only thing you'll miss out on is everything God has to offer. And the good news is this: if you don't hold out on God, God won't hold out on you. Readers will find Batterson's writing filled with his customary vivid, contemporary illustrations as well as biblical characters like Shamgar and Elisha and Jonathan and . . . Judas.

No one has ever sacrificed anything for God. If you always get back more than you gave up, have you sacrificed anything at all? The eternal reward always outweighs the temporal sacrifice. At the end of the day, our greatest regret will be whatever we didn't give back to God. What we didn't push back across the table to Him. Eternity will reveal that holding out is losing out.

The message of All In is simple: if Jesus is not Lord of all then Jesus is not Lord at all. It's all or nothing. It's now or never. Kneeling at the foot of cross of Christ and surrendering to His Lordship is a radical act of dethroning yourself and enthroning Christ as King. It's also an act of disowning yourself. Nothing belongs to you. Not even you. Batterson writes, for many years, I thought I was following Jesus. I wasn't. I had invited Jesus to follow me. I call it inverted Christianity. And it's a subtle form of selfishness that masquerades as spirituality. That's when I sold out and bought in. When did we start believing that the gospel is an insurance plan? It's a daring plan. Jesus did not die just to keep us safe. He died to make us dangerous.'

About the Author
Mark Batterson serves as the lead pastor of National Community Church in Washington, D. C. Recognized as 'one of America's 25 most innovative churches,' NCC is one church with seven locations. Mark's blog and webcast also reach a virtual congregation around the world. Mark is the author of several bestselling books, including New York Times Bestseller - The Circle Maker and In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day. Mark holds a doctorate degree from Regent University and lives on Capitol Hill with this wife, Lora, and their three children. SPANISH BIO: Mark Batterson, autor de El hacedor de circulos y Con un leon en medio de un foso, es pastor principal de National Community Church, en Washington, D.C., cuya labor esta enfocada en alcanzar a las nuevas generaciones. Tiene dos maestrias obtenidas en la Escuela de Divinidades Evangelica Trinity, en Chicago. Reside con su esposa Lora y sus tres hijos en Capitol Hill, Washington, D. C.




My Take on the Book
I never really read any of this authors' other texts in the past, but I have to say that I am going to go out and check them out now that I have read this one. 

What I loved about this book was that it challenges you to think outside the box and work toward living a life of purpose, and not just a meaningless one. He challenges you to change your routine and start living in a whole new way with God at the center.

I also enjoyed how the author uses examples that yo can relate to while pulling it all back to biblical characters as well.

You will be amazed at how much this book encourages you to make changes that you knew you should make but have been reluctant as well as giving you the motivation to act on it this time and stick with it!


A great book that all should read!


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