Jesus > Religion
Why He Is So Much Better Than Trying Harder, Doing More, and Being Good Enough
- 240 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
Jesus > Religion
Why He Is So Much Better Than Trying Harder, Doing More, and Being Good Enough
About this book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
Abandon dead, dry, religious rule-keeping and embrace the promise of being truly known and deeply loved.
Jefferson Bethke burst into the cultural conversation with a passionate, provocative poem titled "Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus." The 4-minute video became an overnight sensation, with 7 million YouTube views in its first 48 hours (and 23+ million in a year).
Bethke's message clearly struck a chord with believers and nonbelievers alike, triggering an avalanche of responses running the gamut from encouraged to enraged.
In his New York Times bestseller Jesus > Religion, Bethke unpacks similar contrasts that he drew in the poem--highlighting the difference between teeth gritting and grace, law and love, performance and peace, despair, and hope.
With refreshing candor, he delves into the motivation behind his message, beginning with the unvarnished tale of his own plunge from the pinnacle of a works-based, fake-smile existence that sapped his strength and led him down a path of destructive behavior. Along the way, Bethke gives you the tools you need to:
- Humbly and prayerfully open your mind
- Understand Jesus for all that he is
- View the church from a brand-new perspective
Bethke is quick to acknowledge that he's not a pastor or theologian, but simply an ordinary, twenty-something who cried out for a life greater than the one for which he had settled. On this journey, Bethke discovered the real Jesus, who beckoned him with love beyond the props of false religion.
Praise for Jesus > Religion:
"Jeff's book will make you stop and listen to a voice in your heart that may have been drowned out by the noise of religion. Listen to that voice, then follow it--right to the feet of Jesus." --Bob Goff, author of New York Times bestsellers Love Does and Everybody, Always
"The book you hold in your hands is Donald Miller's Blue Like Jazz meets C. S. Lewis's Mere Christianity meets Augustine's Confessions. This book is going to awaken an entire generation to Jesus and His grace." --Derwin L. Gray, lead pastor of Transformation Church, author of Limitless Life: Breaking Free from the Labels That Hold You Back
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Information
Table of contents
- Cover Page
- Title Page
- Copyright Page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Author’s Note
- Foreword
- Introduction: Why I Hate Religion But Love Jesus
- 1. Will the Real Jesus Please Stand Up?
- 2. Why I Still Think Jesus Hates Religion (and You Should Too)
- 3. Fundies, Fakes, and Other So-Called Christians
- 4. Religion Makes Enemies / Jesus Makes Friends
- 5. With Religion, There Are Good and Bad People / With Jesus, There Are Only Bad People In Need of Grace
- 6. Religion Is the Means to Get Things from God / If We Seek Jesus, We Get God
- 7. With Religion, If You Are Suffering, God Is Punishing You / God Already Punished Jesus On Your Behalf, So Suffering Is His Mercy
- 8. Religion Says, “God Will Love You If . . .” / Jesus Says, “God So Loved . . .”
- 9. Religion Points to a Dim Future / Jesus Points to a Bright Future
- 10. Why Jesus Loves the Church (and You Should Too)
- Conclusion: Do You Know Jesus?
- Acknowledgments
- Notes
- Recommended Reading
- About the Author