Out of despair...hope | In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day: How to Survive and Thrive When Opportunity...

Off to run in the snow after a lion... | In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day: How to Survive and Thrive When Opportunity Roars | Mark Batterson

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	• In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day: How to Survive and Thrive When Opportunity Roars Mark Batterson Multnomah Books, 2006 - 192 pages average customer review:based on 50 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Interesting!

Using an obscure scripture from 2 Samuel Chapter 23: 20-21, Mark Batterson introduces us to Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, a valiant warrior. In this scripture, Benaiah chases a lion into a snow-filled pit and despite the icy slopes and snow, he slays the lion.

Batterson uses this scripture to encourage readers to gird up their loins and slay the lions they face. That despite the odds, despite their fears, God is at their side. When we face the impossible, God is at hand.

Mark Batterson defines spiritual maturity as "seeing and seizing God-ordained opportunities" no matter their size and allowing Him to see you through to the end. As the founding pastor of National Community Church half a block from Union Square, he prayed one of those ridiculous prayers for a building that cost more than he could dream. He risked his reputation. And God heard his prayers.

Batterson's book points out Biblical heroes who reached beyond the probable and discovered they served a mighty God. What an encouragement for those of us today too timid to consider God really cares.

Find a pit, look for a lion. And trust God. He will see you through.

Armchair Interviews says: Interesting look at life's opportunities/challenges.

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Out of despair...hope

Now here's a metaphor that resonates with me. Ever wrestled one of life's lions? Still have the wounds and scars to prove it? Do you, even years later, feel battered and beaten by the experience? If so, Mark Batterson has an incredble message for you. He certainly had an incredible message for me!

To quote Madison Avenue and Snickers, "Sometimes life comes at you fast." Mark's message is that everything that is happening now and has happened in the past are invaluable tools to help us reach the the glorious potential God desires for us.

...And if you haven't exactly squared off with one of life's great lions yet, this book with undoubtedly inspire you to become a lion chaser!

Mark has a profound gift for communicating spiritual truth in a way that really, really resonates. I cannot begin to articulate how marvelous this book is. What a wonderful read!

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Off to run in the snow after a lion...

Just finished reading this book. Amazing. I am blown away at the thoughts that this book has brought into my mind and heart. Mark Batterson is so on with this writing and the way he leads you to examine your own life. Your own lions. Your own call from God.

This book is a most have for every church leader, church planter, missionary, christian, everyone that wants to get off their butts and do something for God in their life. I'm planning on making my whole staff read this book.

New note on my door and on my voicemail "Off to run in the snow after a lion..."

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Chase the Lion

What do you do when opportunity roars? According to Mark Batterson, we must rediscover our chasing gene, lock eyes with our lion, and sprint directly towards it.

In the first chapter of In a Pit With a Lion on a Snowy Day, Batterson weaves a thrilling tale that will keep you on the edge of your seat and the adrenaline pumping. Then, you discover it's actually a re-telling of a Biblical story. It's the story of Benaiah and his rise from lion chaser to David's chief military advisor. It's a story we may have read a hundred times before and breezed over without fully experiencing its drama and passion. (We do that with a lot of the Biblical texts, don't we? When did we make the Bible boring?) But in the opening pages of this entertaining and at times unsettling book, Batterson breathes new life into this ancient tale in a creative, thought-provoking, and challenging way.

We've all seen lion tamers. But lion chasers? That's just plain crazy. And yet that is what God is calling us to be. People who realize that Jesus did not die on the cross just to ensure that we could live safe lives. In a Pit With a Lion on a Snowy Day dares us to go back to Biblical faith, which is risky, uncertain, and dangerous. But it always leads to God.

Batterson uses Benaiah's encounter with the lion as a backdrop to explore seven lion chasing skills:

* Overcoming adversity
* Unlearning fears
* Embracing uncertainty
* Calculating risks
* Seizing opportunities
* Defying odds
* Looking foolish

This book challenged the way I think about faith, and I hope it will find expression in the way I live out my faith. As Yoda challenged Luke Skywalker, I must unlearn what I have learned. I need to realize that my action regrets will pale in comparison to my inaction regrets.

Sprinkled with references to pop culture and ancient culture, In a Pit With a Lion on a Snowy Day digs out Biblical principles and helps us understand their relevance in our everyday-walking-around lives in the 21st century. But ultimately it's not Mark Batterson's story. And it's not even Benaiah's story. It is God's story and it is one that he wants to write in and through each of our lives.

This book made me want to jump out of my chair and start running after God with more intensity and focus than ever before. It's a fast and funny read, and it will leave you with lots of good stuff to chew on.

Get it and begin your lion chasing training today.

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Let it ROAR!

Warning. This book will challenge you! (It definitely pushed me!)

Some books start strong and lose steam. This book starts strong and gets better with each turn of the page. I read it in two sittings and hated when it ended.

Mark's writing is fun and engaging. His content is rich. His illustrations are unforgettable. His application of Scripture is life changing.

I felt like a wise mentor was encouraging me to see more than I've seen, do more than I'm doing, and believe God for more than I could imagine.

As a pastor, I'm ordering a bunch of boxes of this book to get into the hands of the members of my church and staff. This is a must-read.

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