{"id":10537,"date":"2017-01-06T23:03:11","date_gmt":"2017-01-07T04:03:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/?p=10537"},"modified":"2017-01-06T23:03:11","modified_gmt":"2017-01-07T04:03:11","slug":"book-review-befriend","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/?p=10537","title":{"rendered":"Book Review: befriend"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"befriend_cover_web\"<\/a><\/p>\n

“Grace is scandalous. \u00a0Sometimes it\u2019s terribly offensive to our sensibilities<\/em>.” Scott Sauls<\/a>, befriend<\/em> <\/a>. \u00a0This quote alone made the cost of this book totally worth every penny. \u00a0Gamechanger for sure! \u00a0This book is an excellent read even if you choose to just sit down and read it straight through. \u00a0It’s also a good one to read a chapter a day and really marinate in the points that Sauls is making about how we love and serve others through the lens of the gospel. \u00a0I could also really see this book working well as a resource for a small group or discipleship study time. \u00a0I’m already praying about who I want to read this with the next time I read it. \u00a0Sauls is the pastor of Christ Presbyterian Church in Nashville. \u00a0I’ve heard great things about his work and time in NYC serving under Dr. Tim Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian.<\/p>\n

This book resonated with me in a variety of ways…but mostly under the umbrella of loving well. \u00a0One of my goals for 2017 revolves around focusing on deep and meaningful friendships that help me experience the glory of God in new and exciting ways. \u00a0I could see Scott Sauls and Bob Goff having an absolute blast writing a book together. \u00a0In the meantime, I’m going to pick up Sauls other book and add it to my list for 2017.<\/p>\n

I highlighted several things while reading and have posted those notes below…<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n
    \n
  • It is best to befriend those now who we hope to be his friend for all eternity. \u00a0It is best to consider anyone a friend who drives us closer to God.<\/li>\n
  • \u201cFriendship is not a reward for our discrimination and good taste in finding one another out. \u00a0It is the instrument by which God reveals to each the beauties of all the others.\u201d CS Lewis<\/li>\n
  • Real friends not only agree but disagree; real friends not only applaud each other\u2019s strengths but challenge each other\u2019s weaknesses; real friends no only enjoy life together but struggle through life together; real friends not only praise one another but apologize to and forgive one another; real friends no only rally around their points of agreement but love and learn from their points of disagreement.<\/li>\n
  • There is real, loyal, across-the-lines-of-differences friendship, and there is lesser, surface-level friendship. \u00a0Lesser friendship leaves us distanced, isolated, and afraid. \u00a0We become the best version of ourselves, and we come to know Jesus best, through real friendship.<\/li>\n
  • Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. \u00a0You are my friends. \u00a0John 15:13-14<\/li>\n
  • God will take great delight in you\u2026he will rejoice over you with singing. \u00a0Zephaniah 3:17<\/li>\n
  • Grace comes before ethics.<\/li>\n
  • Heavenly Father, Grant me character that exceeds my gifts. \u00a0Grant me humility that exceeds my platform.<\/li>\n
  • Eulogy-virtue love is a cruciform love, the kind that compels us to broaden our embrace, to move toward the \u201cother,\u201d to include the \u201cother\u201d in our \u201cus\u201d because Jesus has included us in his.<\/li>\n
  • If I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. \u00a01 Corinthians 13:2<\/li>\n
  • Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me. \u00a0Matthew 25:40<\/li>\n
  • \u201cYou can safely assume you\u2019ve created God in your own image when it turns out that God hates all the same people you do.\u201d Anne Lamont<\/li>\n
  • Anxiety and depression have been God\u2019s way to reminding me that I don\u2019t have to be awesome.<\/li>\n
  • For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. \u00a0For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:10<\/li>\n
  • Because Jesus shields us like this, we should of all people be zealous to restore reputations versus destroying reputations, to protect a good name versus calling someone a name, to shut down gossip versus feeing gossip, to restore broken relationships versus begrudging broken people.<\/li>\n
  • \u201cOnly reckless confidence in a Source greater than ourselves can empower us to forgive the wounds inflicted by others.\u201d \u00a0Brennan Manning That same confidence can also empower us to stop inflicting wounds and to start catching people doing good instead.<\/li>\n
  • There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. \u00a0Romans 8:1<\/li>\n
  • I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:6<\/li>\n
  • All of us need partners in life who know the whole truth about us, who recognize that our social media profiles, resumes, and best behaviors tell only part of our stories. \u00a0All of us need people who know us as well in private as they know us in public. \u00a0Because only those who know us close can help us in the journey of becoming our truest, best selves. \u00a0I need you to call my bluff. \u00a0You need me to call your bluff too.<\/li>\n
  • Man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart. \u00a01 Samuel 16:7<\/li>\n
  • Can we envision a world in which convictions are not abandoned but deeply kept, and that not in spite of those convictions but because of those convictions, friendships are made and honoring dialogue happens \u201cacross lines of difference\u201d?<\/li>\n
  • For what have I to do with judging outsiders? \u00a0It is not those inside the church whom you are to judge? \u00a0God judges those outside. \u00a01 Corinthians 5:12-13<\/li>\n
  • What if the church were the place where anyone in the world could find refuge and solace from the age-old malediction that it is not good to be alone? \u00a0This is exactly what God intended for the church to be.<\/li>\n
  • These words are trustworthy and true. \u00a0Revelation 21:5<\/li>\n
  • I am the resurrection and the life. \u00a0Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet he shall live. \u00a0John 11:25<\/li>\n
  • A first step toward true diversity\u2014whether cultural, economic, political, ethic, or otherwise\u2014is to recognize that \u00a0charity toward minorities by itself is not enough. \u00a0Charity, to be truly charitable and biblical, must also result in empowerment, where the majority humbles and positions itself to follow there minority voice regularly. \u00a0Especially where injustice and inequality exist, the majority must proactively seek out ways to surrender microphone and gavel rights to the minority. \u00a0Invitations to give \u201cinput\u201d must be replaced with opportunities to lead. \u00a0Crumbs from the table must be replaced with a seat at the table. \u00a0Otherwise, we remain stuck with an anemic, counterfeit diversity.<\/li>\n
  • The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord. \u00a0Job 1:21<\/li>\n
  • Grace is scandalous. \u00a0Sometimes it\u2019s terribly offensive to our sensibilities.<\/li>\n
  • Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. \u00a0But I received mercy. \u00a01 Timothy 1:15-16<\/li>\n
  • \u201cBuild relationship and community. \u00a0There is enough hurt to go around\u2026I believe that abortion is wrong. \u00a0I believe that God is the giver of life. \u00a0As a Christian, I want to support a society that does give preference to biblical ethics on this matter, because I believe that biblical ethics lead to human flourishing.\u201d \u00a0excerpt from a note written by a doctor at Christ Presbyterian Church in Nashville<\/li>\n
  • When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. \u00a0You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt; I am the Lord your God. \u00a0Leviticus 19:33-34<\/li>\n
  • All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. \u00a0Psalm 139:16<\/li>\n
  • For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. \u00a0Galatians 5:1<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    “Grace is scandalous. \u00a0Sometimes it\u2019s terribly offensive to our sensibilities.” Scott Sauls, befriend . \u00a0This quote alone made the cost of this book totally worth every penny. \u00a0Gamechanger for sure! \u00a0This book is an excellent read even if you choose to just sit down and read it straight through. \u00a0It’s also a good one to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[21,14,35,25,16,19,23,28,17,32],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10537","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bible-study","category-book-review","category-creative","category-education","category-family","category-funny","category-generosity","category-integrity","category-leadership","category-marriage"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10537","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=10537"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10537\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=10537"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=10537"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=10537"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}