Thursday, April 4, 2013

Book Review: Altar Ego (2013)



Altar Ego by Craig Groeschel. February 2013. Zondervan. 240 pages.


The subtitle of Altar Ego reads, "Becoming Who God Says You Are." This Christian living book is about surrendering your ideas--for better or worse--of who you are and what you want and embracing God's will and vision for your life. On the one hand, it is a book about surrender and sacrifice. On the other hand, it's about exchanging lies for the truth. For example, in the opening section, Groeschel discusses how damaging labels can be, and how people can become burdened down with ideas and labels. Some labels are given to us. Some are very negative. Other labels we give ourselves. Again, they can be very negative and destructive. These can be "truths" we tell ourselves--perhaps unknowingly. But what would it be like to live life embracing our identity in Christ, to see ourselves as Christ does, to find our worth and identity in Christ.

Altar  Ego was a nice read, but it isn't a favorite.

Part One: Sacrificing Your False Self for Your Sacred Identity in Christ

  • Overcoming the labels that bind you
  • You are God's masterpiece
  • You are an overcomer
  • You are God's ambassador

Part Two: Sacrificing Cultural Relativity for Eternal Values

  • Living with patience
  • Living with integrity
  • Living with honor
  • Living with gratitude

Part Three: Sacrificing Self-Justification for Passionate Obedience

  • Bold Behavior
  • Bold Prayers
  • Bold Words
  • Bold Obedience

Favorite quotes:
No matter what you have or haven't done, God's power is big enough to change you. There is no sin too great for God's grace. There is no habit too big for his healing. There is no label too strong for his love. Let me say it again, because I want you to believe this: God's power is bigger than your past. And his power is rooted in his love for you. He knows you really are no matter what others label you--or what you label yourself. What's true about you now doesn't have to be true about you later. (19)
There is no name given to you that is more powerful than the name of Jesus. (30)
In Christ, your life should be a poetic statement of God's goodness. (37)
© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

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