Running Time: 11:32
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Speaker, teacher, mother and wife Jennie Allen created a book about her family’s experience with offering God the ultimate permission to mess up their lives. It’s honest. It’s practical. It’s inspiring. Listen to the episode to hear how you can get a free copy! – EXTENDED DEADLINE is June 21st
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Show Notes:
This episode of BooksForABetterYou is sponsored by the team at AndyAndrews.com. Get 15% off your order today at andyandrews.com when you use the coupon code betteryou15.
The author:
* Jennie Allen lives in Austin, Texas with her four kids and husband, who pastors a church there.
* She has a video Bible study series called Stuck and her latest book called Anything continues her pattern of authentic perspectives on the Christian life.
* What’s really cool is that Jennie is also my friend and client. I host her show called “If God Is Real” and you can hear that on iTunes or find all the episodes on Jennie’s site, which is JennieAllen.com
The book:
* The greatest way to explain this book is to read the introduction so here it is:
* I think most men would avoid picking up this book because of the color, the image on the cover or maybe because the book is pretty raw emotionally. But this book was really good for me to read as a Christian, as a father and as a person who wants to live a better story
* One of the best books I’ve ever read on living a better story is Donald Miller’s A Million Miles in 1,000 years. The reason his book was so powerful and Jennie’s is as well is that they don’t talk about changing your life, they tell the story of how they changed their own. This is NON-fiction at its finest. It’s not preachy or condemning or throwing guilt all over you. It doesn’t cause you to “Should” all over yourself…you know, I should do this, I shouldn’t do that. No Shoulds, just raw, honest perspectives on a life before her prayer and after her prayer.
Passages:
– How does one know God? – Read passage = RISK
– Barefoot Church is a book by Brandon Hatmaker, we’ll be reviewing it on a future show and I’m starting a podcast with him next month (June 2012). His book is about a radically different kind of church and church life. His book is all about RISK and I LOVED it. IT’s living at its finest.
– My wife and I were talking last night and we were talking about our dissatisfaction with our church because the first word we both thought of to describe it was “Safe” Well, Jennie gives us a great example of how to get out of “Safe” and get into the flow of plans too big for us but not too big for God.
– There a moments when we read books that cause us to stop and reflect deeply on our lives. Her book made me do that several times but one in particular was very difficult. “I remember the first time it occurred to me that my life looked more like the people Jesus rebuked than the people Jesus drew near to….I felt that way. I also knew nobody really knew it, and I liked it that way.
– So Jennie gets her answer of what she needs to do and her life starts to change. Then her church family starts praying the same prayer and their lives change too.
– They don’t live happily ever after though. Life doesn’t get easier when you surrender it, but the order of authority simplifies. You’re not in charge anymore and that’s scary but freeing for Jennie and her family.
– Here’s where the fear comes in and probably what’s really going to keep you from reading this book yourself. “We all would say God’s character is loving and good, but do we really trust hat the won’t get crazy and dish out the same life he game Job? – We’re afraid of our loving God so we hold onto control. Jennie let go of control in some big areas…her biggest areas, and her life radically changed.
I hope you’ll read Anything. I hope you’ll pray the same prayer Jennie and her husband did and then I hope you’ll listen for what God says because I think you want a better, richer, fuller life. I know I do.
To get a free copy of the book…
Leave a comment on what you’re afraid God will ask you to do or take away from you if you say you’ll do anything for Him and Tweet or share this post on Facebook using the links on this page. Do this by June 21st! The winner will be announced on the next episode of the Books For A Better You Show.
Congrats to Ben for winning a copy of Chris Guillebeau’s book $100 Startup. You can hear that review at http://www.takepermission.com/booksforabetteryou/100-startup-by-chris-guillebeau/
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