In the Introduction to Missing Jesus: Find Your Life in His Great Story, authors Charles and Janet Morris of Haven Ministries note that we decide to read a particular book based on our answer to one basic question: “What’s in it for me?” What we don’t need, they emphasize, is another book that’s all about […]
“Grace is loving people for who they are, where they are. It’s loving people before they change, not just after they change. And that grace is the difference between holier and holier than thou. Holiness, in its purest form, is irresistible.”- Mark Batterson Mark Batterson concludes Chapter 16 of All In by presenting an alternative […]
As author Mark Batterson continues Chapter 16 of All In, he asks what idol provokes us to jealousy. Pastor Batterson defines the idol that provokes to jealousy as “anything that diverts our attention from God, our affection for God, or our reliance on God. It’s anything that consumes more time or money than our pursuit of […]
“The Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven and in visions of God he took me to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the north gate of the inner court, where the idol that provokes to jealousy stood.”-Ezekiel 8:3 “There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which […]
“For where you treasure is, there your heart will be also.”- Matthew 6:21 “You can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving.”- Mark Batterson As Mark Batterson concludes Chapter 15 of All In, he observes that “it is much easier to act like a Christian than it is to react like one. Pastor […]
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.”- Galatians 5:22 “Only one life, ’twill soon be past; only what’s done for Christ will last.”- C. T. Studd In Chapter 15 (“Thirty Pieces of Silver”) of All In, author Mark Batterson cites a 1972 Stanford University study, popularly known […]
“If you don’t find your identity and security in what Christ has accomplished for you on the cross, you will try to hide your insecurities behind your hypocrisies.”- Mark Batterson As Mark Batterson concludes Chapter 14 of All In, he states that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did not defend themselves against King Nebuchadnezzar’s order. They […]
As Mark Batterson continues Chapter 14 of All In, he tells a story of the time his family vacationed at a friend’s home that was nestled in a densely wooded area. They were warned about brown bears in the area that would show up looking for food. One evening, while Mark was soaking in the […]
Chapter 14 (“Take a Stand”) of All In is based on the Old Testament account of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Daniel 3), specifically their refusal to bow down to the ninety-foot-tall statue of King Nebuchadnezzar. As author Mark Batterson notes, near-death experiences, especially in a literal fiery furnace, “often become defining moments in our lives.” […]
Then the Lord asked him, “What is that in your hand?” “A shepherd’s staff,” Moses replied. “Throw it down on the ground,” the Lord told him. So Moses threw down the staff, and it turned into a snake.- Exodus 4:2-3 (NLT) “You can have faith or you can have control, but you cannot have both.”- […]
“But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere.”- 2 Corinthians 2:14 After the Roman army had won a great victory, they marched through the streets of Rome in triumphal procession, with captives in their train. […]
Mark Batterson begins Chapter 13 (“Throw Down Your Staff”) of All In with the observation that sometimes going all in feels like it’s all for nothing. But nothing is over until God declares that it’s over. And in the kingdom of God, failure is never final. Yes, when we go all in and all out […]