It's Not Too Late and You're Never Too Far
By: Louie Giglio
ISBN: 9780718042189
Publisher: Thomas Nelson-W Publishing
Publication Date: 10/20/2015
Format: Other
My Rating: 5 Stars
Have you ever longed for a comeback?
We all know what it feels like to have life disappoint us and not work out as we’d hoped. We all know what it’s like to long for something different, something better, something more.
The Comeback celebrates new beginnings. It offers encouragement and perspective, and it’s for you if you feel frustrated or confused, if you’re sorrowing or in pain, if you’ve made mistakes or are grieving, if you’re disappointed or feel as though life doesn’t make sense.
The good news is that God is in the business of giving fresh starts to people. He gives hope to the hopeless. Direction to the directionless. Help to those who need help. God is always good, all the time, and God’s plans will always prevail, even when our plans don’t.
God already knows what the solutions are. No matter what kind of disappointment or grief or pain or trouble or heartache you encounter, God always offers a new beginning, a change of heart, or a powerful spiritual turnaround. God offers the way forward, and his pathways are always good.
Your current circumstances will not get the final say in your life. God is the God of the comeback, no matter what kind of challenge you’re facing. And your story can become a great comeback story too.
My Review
A special thank you to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
THE COMEBACK It's Not to Late and You're Never Too Far, by Louie Giglio, is a powerful and inspirational book about comebacks, turnarounds, fresh starts, and new directions. Whatever the problems you may be experiencing, God already knows what the solutions are. A must read for any age, or wherever you are along your spiritual journey. God is in the business of giving fresh starts. Hope to the hopeless, direction to the directionless, help for those who need help. God always prevails. No matter what kind of grief, pain, trouble, or heartache we encounter, God can provide for our needs. Whether your sin is quiet (mind and heart; hate, or lust, or perhaps you think your sin is not hurting anyone), or overt and public; everyone knows you are leading a defiant life. Possibly, you cannot forgive, a wound festering and growing. You are loaded with bitterness, hatred, and resentment. From legalism, rage, shame, built, intellectualism, entitlement, arrogance, jealousy, disappointment, or disillusionment. At some point everyone needs a fresh start. A change of direction, a spiritual turnaround, a new beginning. No matter what you have done. You can experience a Comeback.
Sometimes God allows our lives to be stripped down to the bones, in order for us to reach out to find Him. When things are going great, it’s far easier to forget God--hardest time to be close to God.
As soon as the great job or relationship, or someone is hurting or dying, that is when we turn to God. Sometimes He strips away the earthly things we cling to, in order to get us back to the center of our existence. The times when life is difficult-- are the times when we make the most progress and see the most rewards in our personal relationship with God. (we have all experienced these low times). The Bible says that spiritual death is very real. Spiritual death is something we’re born into. “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Rom. 3:23). The Enemy wants to steal, kill, and destroy. Jesus has a way to get you off the stretcher. From stretchers of sinking, disappointment, unmet expectations, wrong decisions, grief and pain. Louie refers to many stories in the Bible, along with some his own life experiences, of family, his dad's illness, friends, and those from his ministry. He shares honestly his journey through unsure times. People successfully overcoming obstacles as part of their comeback process. From hurt, addictions, sorrow, loss--to healing, addiction-free, joy, to gain. They are powerful and encouraging. They have overcome, and set free. However, he also addresses those who do not get a happy ending. Sickness, death, loss. How could those be examples of comebacks? What if there is no way possible to have a comeback?
"God can take a stone-cold heart and put a living heart within us. God can give breath, where there are only dry bones. He can help get us through a raging storm. Jesus is enough. We will not always have happy endings to our comeback stories—not here on earth. Things break in this life and can’t always be repaired. Not every story has a happy conclusion on this side of eternity. We do not understand the reasons God allows grief to come into our lives, but it does. A journey. God can define."
Sustaining grace. The moment-by-moment grace. God gives for each and every moment of intense grief, frustration, sorrow, agony, or pain. Specific. Timely. Personal. This is the type of grace God gives when you get the phone call that changes your life forever. Death of a loved one. There is grace for everything. What you need, to hold you together. A different grace for each circumstance. This grace is what God gives to you when you have nothing left. Hope. We all need a good comeback story. Whether our problems are spiritual, emotional, physical, mental, relational, financial or directional. Whatever they are, God sees our need, and comes through. From sin, waywardness, mistakes and failure. He comes through in his time and in His way. God is the God of the Comeback, no matter what kind of challenge you’re facing. It is never too late. Lots of interesting questions. What if Jesus had stayed dead? Without the resurrection, we’ve got nothing. Jesus is alive. He is able, and your comeback is ready to begin.
On a personal note:
Was delighted when I discovered Louie’s book on NetGalley. Reminds me of the old days in Atlanta.
In 1994, I relocated to Atlanta, with my job. Shortly thereafter, started attending the weekly 7:22 Bible studies led by Louie and Bill Willits, for singles. At the time it was held at Dunwoody Baptist before it moved to Northpoint/Buckhead. It was AMAZING! 3,000 singles weekly for worship and teaching-- until 2008. I attended the First Baptist Atlanta-Charles Stanley, and then onto the old Avon building warehouse on 285, led by Andy Stanley, while building North Point. I met so many friends and stayed connected for years, even outside of church (they became part of my family). In 2002, my job relocated me from Atlanta to Florida. In 2004, I returned to Atlanta to the Buckhead/Midtown area for a few years, and was delighted to discover Buckhead Church (Andy Stanley’s Northpoint Church). Louie spoke at many of our services. Seems like yesterday, we started out a variety of locations, and then the old Harris Teeter building on Roswell Road. (before the new building at GA 400 was built). I joined the church and became very active as a pre-school director, and a small group women’s leader. I treasure these times at the church with the original team (some a part of Louie’s church now). In 2006, my work took me back to South Florida, relocating to West Palm Beach, FL, where I currently reside. Several years ago, met another dynamic leader, Rev. Jimmy Scroggins, where I joined First Baptist Church West Palm Beach, FL (Family Church Downtown). We are continuing to build many satellite churches, for outreach in the surrounding area. I have been very fortunate to have great leaders, ministers, teachers, and mentors in my life. It was nice catching up with Louie and Shelly, and their extraordinary Passion Ministry- still going strong yet today! As always, Louie is such a dynamic speaker, communicator, and author; instrumental in reaching thousands of youth all over the world. He speaks honestly about his life and his incredible journey. Further indicating God works in own great ultimate way. Highly Recommend!
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About the Author
Louie Giglio is the pastor of Passion City Church in Atlanta, Georgia, and founder of Passion Conferences—a global movement of college-aged people living for the fame of Jesus Christ.
A dynamic and effective communicator, Louie holds a master of divinity degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He and his wife, Shelley, live in Atlanta. Website Twitter
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