Winner of 'Rescuing Ambition' - Was It You?!

The Random Number Generator has chosen the winner of 'Rescuing Ambition' by Dave Harvey. That winner is....


Linda


Congratulations, Linda! I will be sending the book out to you shortly.


Thanks to those of you who entered; loved reading your comments about Christian ambition! It's all about our motivation, as is the case with many things, eh?!


Thanks to Angela at Crossway for providing the two copies of this fine book! 


Please come back for more ponderings, reviews and giveaways!

‘Rescuing Ambition’ by Dave Harvey – Book Review and Giveaway

I can personally attest to the fact that, as a Christian, I have been taught that ambition is a bad thing. In ‘Rescuing Ambition,’ Dave Harvey makes the case that ambition, properly applied, can be a godly virtue.

Here is the description of this interesting book:

This pioneering book rescues ambition from suspicion by putting it to work for the glory of God.

Many think of ambition as nothing more than the drive for personal honor or fame. As a result, ambition—the God-implanted drive to improve, produce, develop, and create—is neglected and well on its way to paralysis.

For some, dreams are numbed. For others, there are no dreams; life just happens. And for those who are dreaming, motives are often confused. One thing is certain: ambition needs help.

Dave Harvey is calling for a rescue. He wants to snatch ambition from the heap of failed motivations and put it to work for the glory of God. To understand our ambition, we must understand that we are on a quest for glory. And where we find glory determines the success of our quest.

Has your God-given ambition been starved and sedated for too long? Are you ambitious? It’s time to reach further and dream bigger for the glory of God.

Here is the biography of the author:

Dave Harvey (DMin, Westminster Theological Seminary) is responsible for church planting, church care, and international expansion for Sovereign Grace Ministries, having served on the leadership team since 1995. He is the author of When Sinners Say I Do and a contributor to Worldliness: Resisting the Seduction of a Fallen World.

Here is Dave Harvey explaining how we fight selfish ambition:

In the Foreword, C.J. Mahaney of Sovereign Grace Ministries states that Pastor Harvey has helped him to change his mind on ambition:

          Humble ambition. Is such a thing even possible?

          If you asked me twenty years ago, I would have said, “I don’t think so.”

My friend Dave Harvey is one of the men who have helped me see otherwise. Humility doesn’t have to quench ambition. And ambition – the right kind – doesn’t have to trample humility. In fact, we honor the Savior by cultivating both. (p. 9)

In the Introduction, Pastor Harvey shares that our culture has distorted the concept of ambition:

You see, I believe that ambition – godly ambition, that is – is noble force for the glory of God. But let’s face it: ambition has mostly hovered outside respectability. For church leaders from Augustine to Jonathan Edwards, ambition was synonymous with the love of earthly honor, vainglory, fame-hunting – pretty slimy stuff.

Today’s cultural climate doesn’t help. The prevailing worldview in the West involves a distrust in big ideas and man’s ability to achieve them and the firm belief that objective truth doesn’t exist. But when we deny truth, we suffocate ambition.  Without truth as a foundation and ideas worth exploring, meandering replaces meaning, confusion trumps conviction, ambivalence swallows aspiration – nothing really matters all that much.

Ambition must also be rescued from a wrong understanding of humility. That may sound crazy, but I’m serious. I think this issue quenches a lot of evangelical fire. Humility, rightly understood, shouldn’t be a fabric softener on our aspirations. When we become too humble to act, we’ve ceased being biblically humble. True humility doesn’t kill our dreams; it provides a guardrail for them, ensuring that they remain on God’s road and move in the direction of his glory.

Ultimately, it’s we ourselves who hold ambition hostage. We’re sinners, we love ourselves, we aspire to bring glory to ourselves, and we’ll drop godly dreams if something more attractive shows up – and in the process, the right kind of dreams die.

So this book is my little attempt at a rescue operation. The idea is to save ambition – specifically, godly ambition – and return it to where it belongs. To do this, we must snatch ambition from the dust heap of failed motivations and put it to work for the glory of God. (pp. 14-15)

When we become a Christian, God wants to shape our ambition:

God has an agenda: it’s to bring us into the image of his Son. And one way he brings about this change is through our dreams and ambitions. God works in us through that to which we aspire.

Sometimes God brings our dreams to life; sometimes he doesn’t.  But how we respond to his work becomes an important intersection for change in our lives. As we cooperate with him, we discover that it’s not ultimately about nailing the promotion, or raising well-behaved kids, or winning the Daytona 500 – as good as all those things may be. It’s about something bigger: how I become like Christ while I pursue those dreams. (p. 70)

Sometimes God makes us wait for our ambitions:

Waiting is God’s backhoe in the excavation of our ambitions. Waiting unearths and brings to the surface what we really want.

Yet, waiting is a strange thing. God’s purposes are not a bus stop where we just sit, waiting for the right option to come by. No, we keep walking while we wait, and we wait while we walk. This may sound ironic, but it serves many purposes. (p. 72)

He then goes on to enumerate what waiting does for us:

1.   Waiting purifies our ambitions.

2.   Waiting cultivates patience.

3.   Waiting redefines our definition of productivity.  (pp. 72-73)

An interesting point that Pastor Harvey makes is that contentment requires divine power:

At the heart of discontent lies this conviction: “I don’t have what I deserve.” The gospel answers with this cheery news: “You’re absolutely right. And you can thank God for that!” The gospel turns our complaint on its head and reminds us that regardless of our state – high or low, plenty or hunger, abundance or need – we live infinitely above what we really deserve. (p. 129)

In the Afterword, Pastor Harvey explains why he wrote this book:

I wrote it because I don’t want the past to rob us of the future. I don’t want the people I love and the people you love to be conformed to the world’s way of thinking about today or tomorrow.

As Christians, there’s much in the past that we love, but we’re also called to the future. It’s a future secured by the cross and commissioned by the Savior. A future both given and grabbed, protected and pursued. It’s our future if we dare to believe God’s promises.

The future is too important to put off until tomorrow. We must dream about it today.

I believe God wants ambition back in our understanding of godliness and spiritual health. Sure, let’s not fail to evaluate our motives and strive for humility – that’s essential. But let’s not be paralyzed by self-analysis.

God calls us to “run with endurance the race set before us” (Heb 12:1). He calls us to run it in such a way that we win the prize (1 Cor. 9:24), to forget what lies behind and strain forward to what lies ahead (Phil 3:13), to invest our talents wisely (Matt. 25:14-30), and to be people “zealous for good works” (Titus 2:14). Those are biblical ways to exclaim, “Keep the pistons of ambition pumping for God!”

Let’s not just kick-start a conversation. Let’s move into the future expecting that God can use us to make a difference.

That’s why I wrote this book. (pp. 215-216)

I have to admit that I have difficulty with selfishness and discontent. I guess that makes me human; I am not unique from others. I appreciate how Dave shows us that God wants us to be ambitious – but ambitious for Him! There is nothing wrong with that – that’s how He wired us. That is a relief to me!

You can order this book here.

This book was published by Crossway Publishers and provided by them for review and giveaway purposes.

___________________________________________________________

I have one copy of this insightful book that I would love to send along to one of you! 

There are several ways to gain entry:

1) Leave a comment here on the blog, telling me what you think of this book. Please make sure to leave your email address in this format – sample[at]gmail[dot]com.

2) Follow me on Twitter; I will more than likely follow you back!  If you are already a Twitter follower, that counts, too!  Please leave a new comment to that effect.

3) Follow me as a Google Friend on this blog; if you are already a Friend, that counts, too!  Please leave a new comment to that effect.

4) Become my Facebook friend.  Please leave a new comment to that effect.

5) Follow this blog as a NetWorked Blog Follower after you’ve become my Facebook friend.  Please leave a new comment to that effect.

So there are five chances to enter!  Please limit one entry per option.

This giveaway is for U.S. residents only.  The deadline for entry is Monday, October 25, 2010 at 11:59 p.m. EST.  A winner will be chosen via the Random Number Generator on Tuesday, October 26, 2010 and will be contacted via email.  The best to all of you!

‘Run To Win The Prize: Perseverance in the New Testament’ by Thomas R. Schreiner – Book Review

Being that I am involved in a marathon/half marathon runner training program, the subject of perseverance is dear to my heart at the moment. Thomas R. Schreiner has written a book called ‘Run To Win The Prize: Perseverance in the New Testament.’ Although I was quite sure before I read it that it does not relate to running – but instead to persevering in our Christian walk – there are applications to other areas of life.

Here is the synopsis of this book:

The doctrine of perseverance in the New Testament is often misapplied and misinterpreted. While the doctrine has been met with hostility and fear by some, it’s simply confusing or irrelevant to real life. What does the Bible really say about perseverance?

Thomas Schreiner looks at the New Testament’s collective exhortations and warnings to persevere. As he addresses misunderstandings and difficult passages, a fuller picture of perseverance emerges and we see that there is great assurance and joy for believers who hold to the truths of this precious doctrine.

Here is the biography of this author:

Thomas R. Schreiner (PhD, Fuller Theological Seminary) is the James Harrison Professor of New Testament Interpretation at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. In addition to his PhD, he holds an MDiv and a ThM from Western Conservative Baptist Seminary. He is the author of Paul, Apostle of God’s Glory in Christ and the author or editor of more than ten other books.

Dr. Schreiner asserts that perseverance is prevalent in the New Testament:

…[R]ecent converts are exhorted to continue in the faith, but such an exhortation is not limited to new believers. The exhortation to persevere until the end is a staple of NT teaching. Peter sums up his entire letter in 1 Peter 5:12, remarking that he has declared to them “the true grace of God.” Then follows the admonition addressed to churches facing persecution: “Stand firm in it.” In other words, they are to stand fast in God’s grace in the midst of their troubles. The devil is on the prowl, attempting “to devour” and destroy believers (1 Peter 5:8). And the devil aims to shatter the faith of believers by inducing them to commit apostasy. Believers will not commit apostasy and fall away if they “resist” the devil by being “firm in [their] faith” (1 Peter 5:9). Peter does not exhort the readers to do something usual or surprising at the onset of persecution. Rather, they are to continue trusting in God for strength to face the pressures and persecution that afflict them. (p. 19)

In concluding that chapter on ‘Exhortations to Persevere,’ he states:

[W]e have indications in exhortations given to both new believers and experienced believers that perseverance is required to obtain eternal life. NT authors did not promise an eschatological reward regardless of how someone lived in the future. Instead we have seen that both new believers and experienced believers are urged to persevere to receive eternal life. The varied examples given here suggest that this was commonplace in NT teaching. (p. 23)

There are several warnings in Scripture threatening final judgment. Here is a warning from the Gospel of Mark:

Jesus, in addressing his disciples regarding their mission, declares, “So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven” (Matt. 10:32-33). Clearly, Jesus speaks to all his disciples here, so the text cannot be confined to those who are almost Christians. The decision facing them is starkly put. Either they acknowledge Jesus before others or they deny him. If they confess him as Lord and Christ, he will acknowledge them as belonging to him before the Father. If, on the other hand, they repudiate and deny him, then he will disavow them before the Father. It seems quite clear in the context that the penalty threatened is not merely loss of rewards but final judgment – being excluded from the Father’s gracious presence. Such a view is confirmed by the remainder of the discourse, for Jesus also affirms that only “the one who endures to the end will be saved” (Matt 10:22). Conversely, then, those who fail to continue in the faith will be destroyed. (p. 28)

Another book in the New Testament that includes warnings is Hebrews:

The admonitions in Hebrews are warnings. They function prospectively, urging believers not to fall away. In other words, they admonish the readers not to commit apostasy and fall away from Jesus Christ. The writer’s aim is not to counsel believers against sin. Rather, he admonishes them not to commit apostasy. The author, of course, does not take sin lightly, but what he warns against is final definitive rejection of Jesus Christ. That is why he says there is no sacrifice that can not be offered for those who have rejected Christ’s atonement (Heb. 10:26). The sin envisioned is not a temporary lapse but represents a re-crucifixion of the Son of God (Heb. 6:6), which is unthinkable and represents forsaking Jesus. (p. 46)

Chapter Three looks at the fact that persevering in faith is not perfection. That’s a relief for me to hear! We need to strive for it as much as possible:

Even though perfection will only be attained at the resurrection (Phil. 3:11-12), the delay of perfection to the future does not produce moral laxity in Paul. Paul runs the race with effort and energy in order to obtain the eschatological prize on the last day. How he runs the race presently is not severed from the future reward, even if he does not run perfectly in the present evil age. Those who are “mature” or “perfect” (teleioi) know that they cannot be perfect in this life. They are deeply conscious of their sin, their pride, their selfishness, their irritability, their pettiness, their anger, and their lusts. Still, they keep running the race, but not in order to obtain their reward by works. They run the race in faith, not trusting their own righteousness but looking to Christ for every good gift. Even if they fail and fall repeatedly, they do not quit the race. Instead, looking to Christ, they rise again and run to obtain the prize, trusting in the righteousness of the one who saved them, not in their own righteousness. (pp. 54-55)

Neither is persevering in faith works-righteousness. Paul addressed that issue in his book to the Galatians:

Paul reproached the Galatians because they began their new life in faith and tried to complete it by works (Gal. 3:1-5). He clarifies that just as one begins the new life by the power of the Spirit and by faith in Christ, so one continues the Christian life in the same way. We do not begin in the Spirit and become perfected in the flesh. Hence the Christian life from start to finish is a call to trust God. Every step of the way, we look to Christ for our righteousness. Those who stumble and fall may be restored again and again, as long as they keep running the race by looking to Christ for salvation and putting their trust entirely in him.

The paradox here is quite striking. If we concentrate on the quality of our works, we are apt to become consumed with ourselves and our righteousness. The pathway is thereby opened to pride and self-delusion. (p. 73)

The Cross of Christ as the only means of salvation is all over the New Testament:

Apostasy in Hebrews, then, as in Galatians, occurs when believers cease clinging to Christ and his atonement. Believers persevere by continuing to find their forgiveness and final sanctification in Christ instead of in themselves. Hebrews does not call upon believers to look at themselves but to Christ. Those who commit apostasy end up looking to themselves and trusting in themselves. Assurance is found only by those who lean upon the sacrifice of Christ. (pp. 80-81)

One of the most famous chapters in the New Testament is Hebrews 11, nicknamed the ‘Faith Hall of Fame.’ That chapter confirms that perfection is not necessary for salvation:

Hebrews 11, then, confirms that the life of faith is not a life of perfection. Indeed, it is evident that many of the believers commended were deeply flawed, just as we are today. The significance of this observation increases when we realize that Hebrews contains the strongest warnings in the NT. The writer warns against falling away from Jesus; he does not teach perfection. Believers are to be like Samson who, despite his sins, continued to put his trust in the Lord and presumably repented of his sin. The life of perseverance is a life of faith and repentance. It places all its trust with what Jesus as the Great High Priest accomplished on the cross. It looks away from self and looks to Christ. (p. 83)

Dr. Schneider makes a distinction about the people to whom the warnings are directed:

They are prospective, admonishing believers to keep clinging to Jesus Christ, so that they do not turn to idols (1 John 5:21). The warnings were not written as retrospective reflections on the status of those who have already fallen away. They are instructions shouted to runners during a race, so that they will not give in to exhaustion and discontinue running. They are instructions given to troops in the midst of the battle. They are not armchair reflections on those who deserted during the battle. (p. 105)   

In the Epilogue, Dr. Schreiner closes out his book this way:

If the warnings are directed to Christians, do they quench and dampen our assurance? Certainly not. The admonitions are the means God uses to keep believers on the path of faith. Believers are even more assured of their salvation as they heed the warnings, because their response to the warnings demonstrates that they truly belong to God. And the argument of this book is that the elect and those in the new covenant always heed the warnings. God loses none of those who belong to him. Just as all the elect believe the gospel when it is proclaimed to them, so too all those who are foreknown and predestined will certainly be glorified. God’s promise that all those who are his will persevere does not exclude the need to heed the warnings. (p. 113)

And the final paragraph includes these encouraging lines:

They look away from themselves and what they have accomplished and put their hope in Christ crucified and risen. Those who persevere are not perfect, but they never turn away from Jesus Christ. They never forsake him as the fountain of living waters. They do not put their trust in their own works but in the atonement secured by Jesus Christ. Perseverance, then, does not lead to pride but to humility, for it is nothing other than clinging to Christ and his righteousness. We show our trust by obeying, for there is no other way to receive the prize on the last day.   

This is the first book of Dr. Schreiner’s that I have read, and I learned a great deal. I appreciate his scholarship in bringing all of the pertinent Scriptures together. I was greatly encouraged by ‘Run To Win The Prize’! It is a terrific reminder that we need to always seek Christ, and to never get distracted by ourselves or our circumstances.

You can order this book here.

This book was published by Crossway Books and provided by them for review purposes.

The Winners of 'Surprised by Grace' Are.....

The Random Number Generator has chosen the two winners of Tullian Tchividjian's 'Surprised by Grace: God's Relentless Pursuit of Rebels.' The winners - drum roll, please! -are:

Linda 

and

JennAnn

Congratulations to the two of you! I will be making contact via email today.

Thanks so much for the wonderful comments! I only wish I had lots more copies to give away!

For those of you who would like to order a copy, you can do so here.

I appreciate the interaction and participation, and hope you come back soon!

‘Surprised by Grace: God’s Relentless Pursuit of Rebels’ by Tullian Tchividjian – Book Review and Giveaways

One of the stories in the Bible that has always been very intriguing to me is the story of the prophet Jonah.  And, in the last few years, the Lord has been having me embark on a long-lasting study of grace.  The latest book by Tullian Tchividjian, ‘Surprised by Grace: God’s Relentless Pursuit of Rebels’ uses Jonah as an example of God’s amazing grace.

Here is the synopsis of the book from the dust sleeve cover:

Many of us think we know God’s heart better than we do.  We think we have a good handle on what should and should not be acceptable to God.  But God has never conformed to our faulty assumptions about his character.  Indeed, his compassion and pardon are utterly shocking in their lavish abundance – a lesson learned the hard way by one man who kept resisting God’s grace in whatever way he could.

The man’s name isn’t new.  It’s Jonah, the famous Old Testament prophet.  We find his story compelling because all of us hesitate to follow God from time to time; Jonah’s story has been our own.  However, Tullian Tchividjian shows that the emphasis of our story is not on our disobedience, but on God’s persistent grace.

This powerful journey through unforgettable events and imagery reveals how God relentlessly pursues rebels, a category that ultimately includes everyone, though he has every right and plenty of reasons to give up on us all.

Encounter the story of Jonah in a gripping presentation that will open your eyes wider than ever to God’s relentless, purposeful, and inexhaustible grace.

And here is the biography of the author:

Tullian Tchividjian (MDiv, Reformed Theological Seminary, Orlando) is pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.  Tullian is a dynamic communicator who is well-known for his ability to passionately present God's deep, unchanging truth to our changing world in a fresh and compelling way.  He is a contributing editor of Leadership Journal and the author of Unfashionable: Making a Difference in the World by Being Different and Do I Know God? Finding Uncertainty in Life’s Most Important Relationships.  His sermons are broadcast daily on the radio program Godward Living.  An avid surfer, he and his wife Kim are the proud parents of Gabe, Nate, and Genna. 

He also happens to be the grandson of Billy and Ruth Graham.

Pastor Tullian reviews the book of Jonah, verse by verse.  He compares Jonah’s story with that of Jesus.  Here he states his case:

For good reason, Christian people love the word gospel.  Tragically, however,        multitudes of Christians fail to grasp what the gospel fully is.  In fact, I’m convinced there’s just as much confusion inside the church as there is outside it regarding the gospel’s true meaning – sometimes even in churches where the gospel is regularly preached and taught.

To get a better grip on the gospel, maybe what we need most is to be startled…surprised…even shocked by it.

That’s exactly what I believe our situation calls for.  And one of the best books in the Bible for delivering such a jolt has to be Jonah – a story full of “shocking surprises and sensational elements,” as one commentary puts it.

And now, already, you’re surprised.  You’re astonished that any author would offer a book-length look at Jonah for a popular audience.  But for me, it was through probing the story of Jonah that I came face-to-face with one of the most life-changing truths in my experience.  I came to grips with the fact that the gospel is not just for non-Christians but also for Christian. (p. 15)

Pastor Tchividjian explains why he thinks the two stories are similar:

…Jonah is a storied presentation of the gospel, a story of sin and grace, of desperation and deliverance.  It reveals the fact that while you and I are great sinners, God is a great Savior, and that while our sin reaches far, his grace reaches farther.  This story shows that God is in the business of relentlessly pursuing rebels like us and that he comes after us not to angrily strip away our freedom but to affectionately strip away our slavery so we might become truly free. (pp. 18-19)

When taking a look at the possible reason why Jonah ran in the other direction when God called him to ministry in Nineveh, Pastor Tullian makes this assertion:

Do you know what would happen if every human being concluded that God’s way was the right way and God’s call the right call?  Every human problem would come to an end.  The root of every human problem is our desire to be our own god and to carry out justice in the way we ourselves are sure is best.

In all of human history, there has been only One who concluded – at every point, and in every way – that God’s way is always best and God’s call is always right.  Because of him, every human problem will someday come to an end.  In the meantime, we’ll never see the end of our own misery if we do not recognize Jesus, this one who so perfectly submitted to God’s way and God’s call. (pp. 33-34)

Jesus is indeed the only Way – and the only solution to human problems!

Tullian makes the important point – which many don’t consider – that Jesus is in the Bible throughout, not just in the New Testament:

…We make a huge mistake if we think we don’t really come across Jesus in the Bible until we reach the New Testament and the Gospels.  We encounter him in Genesis 1, when God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit come together for the purpose of creating everything out of nothing.  Then we see Jesus again in Genesis 3, when God promises that a seed from the woman will crush the serpent’s head.  All the rest of the Old Testament – including the book of Jonah – continues to build on that promise. (p. 34)

In reviewing Jonah verse by verse, the author shows that God often handles our rebellion this way:

When we run from God, his response is more likely to be stormy and upsetting than quiet and subtle.  He knows how to make us miserable.  And it makes those around us miserable as well:

Then the mariners were afraid, and each cried out to his god.  And they hurled the cargo that was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them. (Jonah 1:5)  (p. 41)

That is a pretty good incentive to not run away from God!

I was intrigued by this perspective about what happens to us with regard to how close to or far away we are from God:

We see that those who flee from God become increasingly thin and insubstantial and see-through, while those who pursue him become progressively more real and intense and solid.  Those running from God become less human the farther they run; those running toward him become more human the closer they get.  The more human we are, the more we become what God wants us to become, and the better it is for those around us.  The less human we are, the worse it is for those around us.  (p. 43)

I had never thought of it that way, but the truth of that statement is apparent when you look at those who are obedient to God’s direction versus those who aren’t.

Throughout the book, Tullian reviews different depictions of Jonah by artists in different media through history (reprints of the artwork is included in the book as well).  The one that most touched me was ‘Jonah’ by David Sharir.  Tullian describes it this way:

Many artists in recent times have continued turning to Jonah as a favorite biblical subject.  One of the most memorable portraits of the prophet is by the Israeli artist David Sharir done in 1971.  In the upper right corner is a simple, stylized cargo ship, its hold filled with wares.  On deck stands the solitary figure of Jonah, carrying luggage in each hand.  His wide eyes look forward.  What destiny awaits him?  He looks unsure.

Behind and below him, a bordered box across the bottom of the artwork encloses an ancient city packed tightly with building, roofs, archways.  The city looks sizable and cosmopolitan.  Is this the seaport Joppa from which Jonah departs?  Or rather, could it represent Nineveh – from which the prophet wants to be as far away as possible?  Meanwhile, between Jonah’s boat in the upper corner and the crowded city down below, the biggest part of the painting is taken up with the blue immensity of the sea, as if it’s waiting to play a much bigger part in Jonah’s story. (p. 37)

One of the lessons we learn from the book of Jonah is that God’s mercy is massive:

The supreme example of this massive mercy is Jesus.  The incarnation of Christ tells us most emphatically how God spares nothing in going after those who run away.  God’s becoming man is anything but a quiet and subtle response from God to our running from him.  It’s a huge and loud statement.  It shows to us that God confronts human flight in the most outspoken, powerful way. (p. 52)

I really was comforted by this observation:

Submitting self to God is the only real freedom- because the deepest slavery is self-dependence, self-reliance.  When you live your life believing that everything (family, finances, relationships, career) depend primarily on you, you’re enslaved to your strengths and weaknesses.  You’re trying to be your own savior.  Freedom comes when we start trusting in God’s abilities and wisdom instead of our own.  Real life begins when we transfer our trust from our own efforts to the efforts of Christ.  (p. 53)

That concept, in my opinion, is one of the hardest for those of us in the USA to grasp.  We are taught from birth – or so it seems – that everything depends on our efforts.  What a relief to accept that that is not the case!

Tullian shares with us this truth:

…I’ve recognized this: the gospel shows us how to find two things in Christ that most of us long for more than anything else – acceptance and affection.  I’ve discovered that God, in Jesus, has richly provided me with these two things - both of which I was created for, wired for, and designed to experience.  They are, in fact, two fundamental marks of what it means to be human. (p. 157)

I was greatly encouraged by this book.  I have always been intrigued by the story of Jonah, and how his story is a foreshadowing of the resurrection of Jesus.  It was interesting for Pastor Tullian to bring in information from other theologians, authors, etc… – Charles Spurgeon, C.S. Lewis, Francis Thompson (author of the poem ‘The Hound of Heaven’, John Piper, etc…, as well as provide his commentary for each verse of Jonah.  I appreciate what I learned from this very valuable book, and am happy to see that the legacy of Billy Graham continues in this wonderful man.

You can order this book here.

Provided by Crossway for review and giveaway purposes.

_________________________________________________

I have TWO copies of this book that I would love to send along to two of you (thanks, Angie!)! 

There are several ways to gain entry:

1) Leave a comment here on the blog, telling me what your thoughts are on this book and its message, and what it is particular that is intriguing to you.  Please make sure to leave your email address in this format – sample[at]gmail[dot]com.

2) Follow me on Twitter; I will more than likely follow you back!  If you are already a Twitter follower, that counts, too!  Please leave a new comment to that effect.

3) Follow me as a Google Friend on this blog; if you are already a Friend, that counts, too!  Please leave a new comment to that effect.

4) Become my Facebook friend.  Please leave a new comment to that effect.

5) Follow this blog as a NetWorked Blog Follower after you’ve become my Facebook friend.  Please leave a new comment to that effect.

So there are five chances to enter!  Please limit one entry per option.

This giveaway is for U.S. residents only.  The deadline for entry is Wednesday, June 9, 2010 at 11:59 p.m. EST.  A winner will be chosen via the Random Number Generator on Thursday, June 10, 2010 and will be contacted via email.  The best to all of you!