The Gospel According To Lost Book Review

I just finished reading a book called, The Gospel According to Lost, by Chris Seay.  This book was sent to me by Thomas Nelson Publishers by my choice.

To be fair, I am not a fan of the show Lost.  To me the best part of the show will be at the end of the season when it ends without an ending and everybody will remain lost and sitting there with the feeling of having wasted years of their life.  With that being said I was impressed with Chris and his ability to make something that I’m not a fan of  engaging.  I did find myself intrigued at his ability to draw out real world comparisons with each character.

I like how he said in the prologue that, “The narrative of the show asks more questions than it answers.” In reality that seems to be the story of life and I loved the parallel.  What a great leadership principle as well to ask more questions than you answer.  For me the most intriguing quote of the book was on page 47, “The island has a way of recognizing each castaway’s Achilles’ heel and bringing about a healing journey as each confronts his or her weaknesses.” A healing journey as they each confront their weaknesses.  That statement stuck out to me in my own life.

Overall it was an okay book.  I do think he wrote this book because of his love for the show, not so much because of the gospel.  Each person will have a different view on this.  I am passing this book on to my wife who is extremely excited about it.  Great writer, engaging in his approach, the topic just did not resonate with me.

 

PRIMAL A Quest for the Lost Soul of Christianity_Book Review

Getting a chance to write a review for Mark Batterson’s new book Primal was exciting for me because his first two books, In A Pit With A Lion On A Snowy Day and Wild Goose Chase have been two books that have helped reshape my philosophy on life and to some degree my trajectory of focus.  Primal is no exception.  Mark is a very talented and gifted writer who is able to articulate intense depth at a practical level.

He writes in the cover, “Is there a place in your past where you met God and God met you? A place where your heart broke for the things that break the heart of God?  Maybe it was a sermon that became more than a sermon.  Maybe it was a mission tip or retreat.  Maybe it was a vow you made at an altar.  In that moment, God birthed something supernatural in your spirit.  You knew you’d never be the same again. My prayer is that this book would take you back to that burning bush-and reignite a primal faith.”

“A place where your heart broke for the things that break the heart of God?” Sometimes you get so busy in the craziness of life that you don’t stop to think about that statement, and if we’re honest with ourselves, we would rather not be hassled with those things, those things can be taken care of by somebody else.

Mark breaks down Christianity to four things: compassion, wonder, curiosity and power.  Mark says, “Faith is not faith until it is acted upon” and this book is challenging me to look at those four areas in my life and ask myself am I acting upon them.  Does my heart break for the things that break the heart of God?  Do I remember what it was like in the beginning before I learned about religion, back when it was about a relationship?

Whether you’ve been a Christ follower for years or just starting out in your journey this book is a book that will challenge you to think outside the box, feel outside the box and act outside the box.  I highly recommend it to anybody out there and would strongly recommend that Primal be the first book you read in the New Year.

Thank you to waterbrookmultnomah.com for providing me with a free copy of this book and a chance to review a life changing book for so many.

To purchase the book yourself you may go to RandomHouse.com