“We are all worshipers…of something.  Bur are we spending our lives and filling our days with what matters most?” – Louie Giglio

This is a great book for people who wish to grow a deeper understanding of what true worship really is.  The Air I Breathe is conversation and extremely thought provoking.

It’s also a great resource for a small group study, especially a worship team.  It should also be mandatory reading for all ministers, pastors, and church volunteers!

Quotables:

• “Worship is the activity of the human soul.”
• “Worship should matter to you simply because it matters to God.”
• “I’ve got to keep making sure that what matters most, matters to me.”
• “The things we champion-the values we serve-are not choices made in a vacuum.”
• “There’s a war raging for our worship, and it’s been that way since before there was time.”

Forget what I said earlier, Crazy Love is THE most dangerous book in America!  But I do believe that Francis Chan and Craig Groeschel were either separated at birth or are psychically linked.  Their 2 books, It and Crazy Love are an amazing 1-2 punch to today’s apathetic and lukewarm churches.

I just recently discovered Francis Chan at a recent conference, and I absolutely love the guy.  He comes off as real, sincere, and very passionate about God, and how Chan worships and communicates God’s love to us.

Crazy Love is a love letter from a man to his God and a challenge for everyone who calls themselves a Christian to follow Chan’s example.  One word of caution, if you sincerely and honestly read this book, it will wreck you.  You will not be able to walk away from this book and not be changed.  It truly is a mirror that, when used properly, will reflect how we REALLY feel about Jesus Christ.

Chan simply and practically reminds us about who and what God is and explains how we should naturally respond to Him.  He presents his arguments in a conversational, easy tone that is more of a conversation than a literary work.

“The goal of American Christianity is often a nice marriage, children that don’t swear, and good church attendance. Taking the words of Christ literally and seriously is rarely considered. Most of us want a balanced life that we can control, that is safe, and that does not involved suffering.” – Crazy Love

One additional aspect of the book is CrazyLoveBook.com, a companion website.  It creates more of an “experience” rather than just reading the book, you get to have some additional images and thoughts.

I will more than likely make Crazy Love a book I read annually, or more as needed.  There are thoughts and questions that a person could wrestle with their entire lives…and that is the beauty of the Gospel of Jesus, it’s not about OUR perfection, but the journey we take and how we are moving toward Perfection (Jesus Christ). I would encourage you to do the same.  Pick up a copy of  Crazy Love and start that journey today.

QUOTABLES

• “The world needs Christians who don’t tolerate the complacency of their own lives.”
• “Life is comfortable when you separate yourself from people who are different from you.”
• “Giving that it not motivated by live is worth nothing.”
• “Something is wrong when our lives make sense to unbelievers.”
• “Friends, we need to stop living selfish lives forgetful of our God.”
• “The wise man comes to God without saying a word and stands in awe of Him.”

Being from Atlanta, and a Christian, there are 2 names that you just know: Charles Stanley and his son, Andy Stanley.  Now, I have never met either man, but I have attended services at both of their churches, and they have both spoken into my life.  Through TV, Radio, Podcast, Bible Study, Devotional, or Book, both of these men have helped form my faith and my convictions.

So, it’s not a stretch that when Andy Stanley writes a book, I naturally want to read it, and The Principle of the Path is no exception.  At my current stage of life, making sure that I am on the right path is a priority.

Andy’s style of writing is engaging and very entertaining, much like his preaching style.  The basic premise of The Principle of the Path is that there are certain forces that are always at work in our lives, and these “principles” can be leveraged to either help us, or hurt us.  The Principle of the Path states; “Direction-not intention-determines our destination.”  It’s a pretty simple statement, but as Andy details in the book, there are many variables and paths that we can choose to go down, and they all led to different destinations.

I really enjoyed The Principle of the Path, I think that everyone should pick up a copy and read it, annually.  Andy makes some great points and challenges us to choose more wisely, the paths we take.  I whole-heartedly recommend you read The Principle of the Path.