Greater: Dream Bigger. Start Smaller. Ignite God's Vision for Your Life. - Couverture souple

Furtick, Steven

Couverture souple

ISBN 10 : 1601426550 ISBN 13 : 9781601426550

Editeur : The Crown Publishing Group, 2014

Synopsis

Are you ready to open your imagination to the possibility that God has a vision for your life that is "greater"?We all have honest moments when we're gripped by a desire to feel that what we're doing matters more. That who we "are" matters more. And according to one of the most shocking verses in the Bible, Jesus wants the very same thing for "every one "of us: "Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater thingsthan these, because I am going to the Father." -John 14:12That single promise--"even greater things than these"--should be enough to shatter our acceptance of spiritual mediocrity. Unfortunately, most believers have only tried and given up on vague notions of "greatness..."then settled into a life that's just "good enough."Good enough = Baseline living that is marked by mediocrity, stuck in spiritual survival mode, and controlled by complacency.Greatness = Vague, unrealistic aspirations of doing better that don't work in real life and lead to endless frustration.But there is a third way.Greater = The life-altering understanding that God is ready to accomplish a greatness in your life that is entirely out of human reach--beyond anything you see in yourself on your best day, but exactly what God has seen in you all along. In "Greater, "Pastor Steven Furtick draws on the biblical story of Elisha to empower you to: - Take a God-given dream from idea to reality - Stretch your limited resources and abilities in ways you never thought possible - Replace the images of yourself that keep you feeling stuck in the past - Make a significant impact with your life starting today, rather than making endless plans for tomorrow that you never get around to If you're tired of being ordinary, it's time to dream bigger. If you're feeling overwhelmed about where to begin, it's time to start smaller. It's time to ignite God's "Greater" vision for your life.

A propos du livre

Revue de presse :

New York Times bestseller

Praise for Greater

“Writes Steven Furtick, ‘Good enough leaves you stuck in stagnation. Grasping for greatness leads to endless frustration. But greater is a third way.’ My advice? Don’t waste another second to embrace the third way. In Greater, Steven shows you that God’s vision for your life is ready to be ignited. Go ahead—strike the match!”
—Jentezen Franklin, senior pastor of Free Chapel, Gainesville, GA, and New York Times best-selling author of Fasting

“If you ever felt like you were meant for more yet have settled for less in life, then Steven Furtick’s new book, Greater, is for you! Its proven biblical insights and practical applications will put you on your path to the greater life.”
—Kerry Shook, senior pastor of Woodlands Church, Houston, TX, and coauthor of the New York Times best-selling One Month to Live and the national bestseller Love at Last Sight

“Most people crave more out of life and sense there is a greater reason for our existence. Pastor Steven’s new book, Greater, is the perfect book to stir your faith, build your spiritual confidence, and inspire you toward the unique calling for your life. If you read only one book this year, make it Greater.”
—Craig Groeschel, senior pastor of LifeChurch.tv, Oklahoma City, OK, and author of Soul Detox and Dare to Drop the Pose

“My friend Steven Furtick has an insatiable passion for the church to discover the fullness of life in Christ. In Sun Stand Still, Steven dared us to pray audacious prayers and believe God for the impossible. Now in Greater, he walks us through what it looks like to live out an audacious life—a life marked by nothing less than greatness God’s way!”
—John Bevere, best-selling author of Relentless and The Bait of Satan

“Steven Furtick boldly pursues God with audacious faith like no one else I know. He is unapologetic about allowing God to accomplish greater things through him. This book will inspire you to do the same. To reach for greater. To believe for greater. To be greater.”
—Stovall Weems, lead pastor of Celebration Church, Jacksonville, FL

“In every generation God empowers a few great leaders to speak his truth with boldness. Steven Furtick is one of those voices in our generation. In his new book Greater, you will learn how to embrace God’s present plan for your greater calling and purpose.”
—Christine Caine, director of Equip and Empower and founder of the A21 Campaign

“Greater is about walking in God’s higher purpose for your life. Whether that’s as a teacher, preacher, leader, parent, musician, artist, engineer, or entrepreneur, Steven Furtick will show you how to let go of your fears and embrace your greater purpose in God.”
—Israel Houghton, Grammy Award–winning recording artist and worship leader of Lakewood Church, Houston, TX

“People today are bored, depressed, and confused because they have settled for ‘good enough.’ But ‘good enough’ is keeping us from living the life that God has called us to. In Greater, Steven Furtick embarks on a brilliant journey of transformation that every follower of Christ needs to take. This book delivers!”
—Perry Noble, senior pastor of NewSpring Church, Anderson, SC, and blogger on leadership, vision, and creativity

“Pastor Steven’s powerful yet vulnerable teaching grabbed my heart, equipped my mind, and stirred my soul like no other book I’ve ever read. This is one I will return to again and again. For anyone who has ever dared to dream but doesn’t know how to turn their dreams into reality, Greater is a must-read.”
—Lysa TerKeurst, New York Times best-selling author of Made to Crave and president of Proverbs 31 Ministries

“Some of us wear ourselves out trying to achieve ‘greatness.’ Others of us miss our calling and settle for ‘good enough.’ In Greater, Steven Furtick shows us the surefooted path to the Greater life.”
—Mark Batterson, lead pastor of National Community Church, Washington, DC, and author of Primal and In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day

“Steven Furtick is living exactly what he’s written about in this book—start small, dream big, and see what God will do! Our church has been massively blessed by the example of Pastor Steven, his family, and Elevation Church. Take it from the best. Don’t underestimate what God can do with your small start. Get this book and be encouraged!”
—Dino Rizzo, lead pastor of Healing Place Church, Baton Rouge, LA, and author of Servolution

“Steven Furtick understands spiritual vision like few people I know. If you desire a life beyond your imagination, read this book! Greater will take you to a whole new level and invite you to experience the power of God every day.”
—Jack Graham, senior pastor of Prestonwood Baptist Church, Dallas, TX, and author of Powering Up

“The distance between desire and doing is often intimidating because we don’t know where to begin. But in Greater, Steven Furtick shows that God’s ‘greater’ for our lives is as far away as our first step of obedience.”
—Ed Young, senior pastor of Fellowship Church, Dallas, TX, and author of Outrageous, Contagious Joy

“Steven Furtick is in my head again with Greater. He’s challenging me to be greater—and the good news is that all I have to do is think big and start small.”
—Tim Sanders, author of Today We Are Rich and CEO of Net Minds 

“My friend Steven Furtick calls us to a faith-filled life of trusting and believing God for greater lives than the ones we are living now. It’s not about us, though. It’s about God’s greater glory in and through our lives. If you are ready for a life-altering experience with Jesus Christ, pick up a copy of Greater.”
—James MacDonald, senior pastor of Harvest Bible Chapel, Chicago, IL, and author of Always True and 10 Choices

Extrait :

Steve and Me
I used to want to do great things for God. That was before I found something greater.

My mom says she’ll always remember that she was sitting in a social studies class when the loudspeaker beeped and crackled and someone announced that President John F. Kennedy had been shot. All the kids would be going home for the day.

I wonder if I’ll always remember that my two sons and I had just shared kung pao shrimp at P.F. Chang’s when I
stopped in my tracks on the way out the door. I had to make sure I had correctly read the words that were scrolling across every television within sight:

Apple founder Steve Jobs—dead at 56.

I can’t explain why, but my hands were shaky and sweaty as I pulled my iPhone out of my pocket to verify.

One of the first things I saw was a statement from President Obama. He said that Steve Jobs “was among the greatest of American innovators.” That “he transformed our lives, redefined entire industries, and achieved one of the rarest feats in human history: he changed the way each of us sees the world.”

Then I looked at my Twitter time line to see what the rest of the world was saying about Jobs. Everybody seemed to be weighing in. The outpouring was overwhelming.

“R.I.P. Steve Jobs. You led the world into the 21st century.”

“R.I.P. Steve Jobs. You improved life as we know it.”

“Steve Jobs—On behalf of every dreamer sitting in his or her garage who is crazy enough to try to change the world, you will be missed.”

I suddenly felt the urge to tweet my own thoughts about his passing. But it felt melodramatic for me to share some deep thought about a person I’d never met. Still, he was the greatest business leader of my lifetime. So I fired off a three-word tweet:

Steven Furtick @stevenfurtick 5 Oct
“What a life.”

My next thoughts made my stomach hurt. Or was it the kung pao? Either way, I got downright introspective. I was
wrestling with a tension:

Steve Jobs was a great man. He changed the world through technology.

I’m a pastor. I have a mission to change the world through the gospel.

But am I really achieving that mission? I’m doing well by some standards, I guess.

I love Jesus. I have integrity. I love my family.

But still...

I’m not redefining an industry. I’m not accomplishing one of the greatest feats in human history. So what am I really doing? That matters? That will matter?

That will set my life apart?

In short, I was processing the nauseating feeling that, when I stack it all up, I don’t feel like I’m anything close to being the great man of God I want to be. Some days, actually, I feel like I sort of suck as a Christian. I didn’t tweet any of that. But I couldn’t stop thinking it.

I’m guessing you’ve had thoughts like that too. I’m not saying you want to be the next Steve Jobs or build your own
technology empire. But I think we all have these honest moments when we’re gripped by a desire to feel that what we’re doing matters more. That who we are matters more. A few hours later, after I tucked my boys into bed and
prayed for them, I sat on my bed and opened my MacBook.

For some reason I felt compelled to pull up a certain Bible verse. It’s one of the most staggering statements Jesus ever made.

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. (John 14:12)

I’d read that verse so many times. But I had a new context for it.

And it sliced me with the edge of fresh challenge. Greater things than Jesus, the greatest man who ever lived? What does that even mean? How can we do greater things than Jesus?

Does it mean that we’re able to do more powerful miracles than Jesus? Have a bigger impact than Jesus? I don’t think so. After all, I don’t know many people who have walked on water, multiplied fish and loaves to feed thousands, opened the eyes of the blind, or given salvation to the world.

If you’re looking to be greater than Jesus, put down your crack pipe, my friend. That’s not happening.

By leaving and then sending His Spirit to dwell inside His followers—ordinary people like you and me—Jesus released a
greater power for us to do extraordinary things on an extraordinary scale. The kinds of things the early church saw and did.

The kinds of things He still wants to do today through us. Jesus isn’t calling us to be greater than He is.

He’s calling us to be greater with Him through His Spirit within us.

Meant for More

As I tried to process the brain-bending implications of that claim, I thought through some conversations I’d had recently with people who were feeling disappointed and stuck in their relationship with God and their place in life.

I’m meeting more and more believers who are unsatisfied with the kind of Christians they’re becoming and the version of the Christian life they’re experiencing. These aren’t bad people. They aren’t gangbangers and ungodly pagans. If they were, their discontent would make more sense.

The thing is, most believers aren’t in imminent danger of ruining their lives. They’re facing a danger that’s far greater:
wasting them.

These are some of the very people Jesus talked about in John 14:12. People who are supposed to be doing greater works than—forget about Steve Jobs—Jesus Christ Himself.

Yet it’s not happening. For most of us, the experience of our daily lives is a far cry from the greater works Jesus talked about in John 14:12. Or even the achievements of a luminary like Steve Jobs.

We’ve had some big dreams about what God might want for our lives. But so many of us are stuck in the starting blocks. Or are dragging along at the back of the pack.

We know we were meant for more. Yet we end up settling for less.

We’re frustrated about where we are. But we’re confused about how to move forward.

I wonder if you can relate.

What a life...

À propos de cette édition

• Éditeur: The Crown Publishing Group
• Date d'édition: 2014
• ISBN 10: 1601426550
• ISBN 13: 9781601426550
• Reliure: Broché
• Nombre de pages: 224