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 […]
“I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”- Philippians 4:13 “A failed attempt is not failing. Failing is not trying. If you are trying, you are succeeding.”- Mark Batterson Mark Batterson continues Chapter 11 of All In by emphasizing that there comes a point in our lives when enough is enough. We know […]
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me.”- Isaiah 6:8 “Do the best you can with what you have where you are.”- Mark Batterson As Mark Batterson continues Chapter 11 of All In, he stresses that […]
In Chapter 11 (“Grab Your Oxgoad”) of All In, author Mark Batterson discusses Shamgar (Judges 3:31), who killed six hundred Philistines armed only with one farm implement- an oxgoad. Even though Shamgar only had a long stick used by a farmer to prod his animals, that didn’t stop him from doing what he could. Pastor […]
“Noah did everything just as God commanded him.”- Genesis 6:22 As Mark Batterson continues Chapter 10 of All In, he theorizes that Noah must have thought that God was kidding or crazy when He called Noah to build the ark. Because this calling was totally unprecedented, Noah didn’t even have a cognitive category for processing […]
“When your life is over, the world will ask you only one question: ‘Did you do what you were supposed to do.’ “- Korczak Ziolkowski In Chapter 10 (“Build the Ark”) of All In, author Mark Batterson begins with the story of the monument to Crazy Horse being carved out of a mountain in South […]
As Mark Batterson concludes Chapter 9 of All In, he states that it’s important to distinguish between personality issues and spiritual issues. Although all of us land at different places on the risk spectrum, we’re not exempt from taking risks simply because we aren’t natural risk takers. For example, in regard to spiritual gifts, even […]
Author Mark Batterson continues Chapter 9 of All In by differentiating between two basic types of people- those who ask why and those who ask why not. Why not people go all out and look for God-ordained opportunities. Why people look for excuses and are afraid of making mistakes. Pastor Batterson believes we’ve conveniently forgotten […]
I have engraved you on the palms of my hands.”- Isaiah 49:16 “Put everything in God’s hand and eventually you’ll see God’s hand in everything.”- Author unknown After Erling Kjelland returned home to Chicago following his service in the U. S. Navy during World War II, his wife presented him with two blue parakeets. That […]
“Treat a man as he is, and he will remain as he is. Treat a man as he can and should be, and he will become as he can and should be.”- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe “Potential is God’s gift to us. What we do with it is our gift to God.”- Mark Batterson As […]
As Mark Batterson concludes Chapter 6 of All In, he notes that the prophet Elisha came from wealth, as evidenced by his ownership of twelve yoke of oxen. That meant Elisha was divesting himself of his share of the family when he burned his plowing equipment. Elisha was all in. Unlike Elisha, we tend to […]
“Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”- Philippians 3:13-14 In Chapter 6 of All In, Mark Batterson asserts that at some point in our lives, most of us stop utilizing our imagination and […]