Primal (book review)

It’s been quite a while since I have been this excited about a book. Mark Batterson has given us a winner with the release of this third book entitled Primal. I highly recommend that you add this to your 2010 reading list, as this would be a great way to start your new year.

One of the knocks I hear non-churched people level at Christians is, “You have too many rules to follow. It seems like being a Christian is too restrictive.” Unfortunately, far too many people who call themselves Christian live like this. Their definition of Christianity boils down to We can’t do that or We don’t do that or These are the rules.

In Primal, Batterson takes us back to the life Jesus intended for His followers to live. Jesus is asked what it takes to be a follower of God, and He answers with this primal phrase, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.” This is primal Christianity.

Mark then leads us through a reawakening of what it really means to love God fully in these four areas:

  1. Passionate, God-directed, and others-focused love
  2. Wide-eyed, awe-struck, transcendent wonder
  3. A searching, engaged, holy curiosity
  4. Energetic, all-encompassing, servant-hearted work

It’s so simple. It’s so primal. And it’s so liberating to be reminded of the raw essence of living a Spirit-empowered life which is so God-glorifying and Christ-magnifying.

This book gets all five stars from me.

I am a Multnomah book review blogger.

Even Greater Things

A stream-of-consciousness post. This is just how the Holy Spirit speaks to me, and I hope it will be helpful to you too.

“I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in Me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.” —Jesus (John 14:12)

“God is looking for people through whom He can do the impossible—what a pity that we plan only the things we can do by ourselves.” —A.W. Tozer

“I don’t want to live my life in a way that the best I can do is the best I can do.” —Mark Batterson, in Wild Goose Chase

“God’s gifts put man’s best dreams to shame.” —Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Sonnets Of The Portuguese

I’m dreaming big dreams today—dreams of “even greater things”—impossible dreams that would fail unless God helps me.

Thanksgiving Thought from Mark Batterson