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Are you ready to open your imagination to the possibility that God has a vision for your life that is greater?
We all have honest moments when we’re gripped by a desire to feel that what we’re doing matters more. That who we are matters more.
And according to one of the most shocking verses in the Bible, Jesus wants the very same thing for every one of us:
“Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.” -John 14:12
That single promise—“even greater things than these”—should be enough to shatter our acceptance of spiritual mediocrity. Unfortunately, most believers have only tried and given up on vague notions of greatness…then settled into a life that’s just good enough.
Good enough = Baseline living that is marked by mediocrity, stuck in spiritual survival mode, and controlled by complacency.
Greatness = Vague, unrealistic aspirations of doing better that don’t work in real life and lead to endless frustration.
But there is a third way.
Greater = The life-altering understanding that God is ready to accomplish a greatness in your life that is entirely out of human reach—beyond anything you see in yourself on your best day, but exactly what God has seen in you all along.
In Greater, Pastor Steven Furtick draws on the biblical story of Elisha to empower you to:
• Take a God-given dream from idea to reality
• Stretch your limited resources and abilities in ways you never thought possible
• Replace the images of yourself that keep you feeling stuck in the past
• Make a significant impact with your life starting today, rather than making endless plans for tomorrow that you never get around to
If you’re tired of being ordinary, it’s time to dream bigger. If you’re feeling overwhelmed about where to begin, it’s time to start smaller. It’s time to ignite God’s Greater vision for your life.
Steve and Me I used to want to do great things for God. That was before I found something greater.
My mom says she’ll always remember that she was sitting in a social studies class when the loudspeaker beeped and crackled and someone announced that President John F. Kennedy had been shot. All the kids would be going home for the day.
I wonder if I’ll always remember that my two sons and I had just shared kung pao shrimp at P.F. Chang’s when I stopped in my tracks on the way out the door. I had to make sure I had correctly read the words that were scrolling across every television within sight:
Apple founder Steve Jobs—dead at 56.
I can’t explain why, but my hands were shaky and sweaty as I pulled my iPhone out of my pocket to verify.
One of the first things I saw was a statement from President Obama. He said that Steve Jobs “was among the greatest of American innovators.” That “he transformed our lives, redefined entire industries, and achieved one of the rarest feats in human history: he changed the way each of us sees the world.”
Then I looked at my Twitter time line to see what the rest of the world was saying about Jobs. Everybody seemed to be weighing in. The outpouring was overwhelming.
“R.I.P. Steve Jobs. You led the world into the 21st century.”
“R.I.P. Steve Jobs. You improved life as we know it.”
“Steve Jobs—On behalf of every dreamer sitting in his or her garage who is crazy enough to try to change the world, you will be missed.”
I suddenly felt the urge to tweet my own thoughts about his passing. But it felt melodramatic for me to share some deep thought about a person I’d never met. Still, he was the greatest business leader of my lifetime. So I fired off a three-word tweet:
Steven Furtick @stevenfurtick 5 Oct
“What a life.”
My next thoughts made my stomach hurt. Or was it the kung pao? Either way, I got downright introspective. I was wrestling with a tension:
Steve Jobs was a great man. He changed the world through technology.
I’m a pastor. I have a mission to change the world through the gospel.
But am I really achieving that mission? I’m doing well by some standards, I guess.
I love Jesus. I have integrity. I love my family.
But still…
I’m not redefining an industry. I’m not accomplishing one of the greatest feats in human history. So what am I really doing? That matters? That will matter?
That will set my life apart?
In short, I was processing the nauseating feeling that, when I stack it all up, I don’t feel like I’m anything close to being the great man of God I want to be. Some days, actually, I feel like I sort of suck as a Christian. I didn’t tweet any of that. But I couldn’t stop thinking it.
I’m guessing you’ve had thoughts like that too. I’m not saying you want to be the next Steve Jobs or build your own technology empire. But I think we all have these honest moments when we’re gripped by a desire to feel that what we’re doing matters more. That who we are matters more. A few hours later, after I tucked my boys into bed and prayed for them, I sat on my bed and opened my MacBook.
For some reason I felt compelled to pull up a certain Bible verse. It’s one of the most staggering statements Jesus ever made.
I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. (John 14:12)
I’d read that verse so many times. But I had a new context for it.
And it sliced me with the edge of fresh challenge. Greater things than Jesus, the greatest man who ever lived? What does that even mean? How can we do greater things than Jesus?
Does it mean that we’re able to do more powerful miracles than Jesus? Have a bigger impact than Jesus? I don’t think so. After all, I don’t know many people who have walked on water, multiplied fish and loaves to feed thousands, opened the eyes of the blind, or given salvation to the world.
If you’re looking to be greater than Jesus, put down your crack pipe, my friend. That’s not happening.
By leaving and then sending His Spirit to dwell inside His followers—ordinary people like you and me—Jesus released a greater power for us to do extraordinary things on an extraordinary scale. The kinds of things the early church saw and did.
The kinds of things He still wants to do today through us. Jesus isn’t calling us to be greater than He is.
He’s calling us to be greater with Him through His Spirit within us.
Meant for More
As I tried to process the brain-bending implications of that claim, I thought through some conversations I’d had recently with people who were feeling disappointed and stuck in their relationship with God and their place in life.
I’m meeting more and more believers who are unsatisfied with the kind of Christians they’re becoming and the version of the Christian life they’re experiencing. These aren’t bad people. They aren’t gangbangers and ungodly pagans. If they were, their discontent would make more sense.
The thing is, most believers aren’t in imminent danger of ruining their lives. They’re facing a danger that’s far greater:
wasting them.
These are some of the very people Jesus talked about in John 14:12. People who are supposed to be doing greater works than—forget about Steve Jobs—Jesus Christ Himself.
Yet it’s not happening. For most of us, the experience of our daily lives is a far cry from the greater works Jesus talked about in John 14:12. Or even the achievements of a luminary like Steve Jobs.
We’ve had some big dreams about what God might want for our lives. But so many of us are stuck in the starting blocks. Or are dragging along at the back of the pack.
We know we were meant for more. Yet we end up settling for less.
We’re frustrated about where we are. But we’re confused about how to move forward.
I wonder if you can relate.
What a life…
Anonymous
Posted September 5, 2012
This book will really feed your soul and help you find God's ultimate will for your life. Read, pray and open your heart and see what amazing things God has in store for you!
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted September 6, 2012
These words couldn't have landed in my life at a better time. Relevant and sharpening!!
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted September 4, 2012
“You'll never be greater unless you're ready to leave good enough behind!"
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.BookGeekie
Posted February 19, 2013
"Most of us aren't in danger of ruining our lives. We're in danger of wasting them." - back cover, GREATER.
I didn't know much about Steven Furtick before I read this book. I'd heard a sermon or two, I knew of his church, Elevation, and I knew he had really cool hair. Beyond that, I didn't know much.
When I saw the title and description of GREATER, I was intrigued and excited. The idea that we are created to do great things for God is very exciting. Learning how to get from here to my end-calling seemed very helpful. And to read it in a cool, conversational voice, even better!
Getting ton the book, however, was slow, disjointed and never really gets off the launch pad. I read and read, hoping to learn something, and I was very disappointed. Furtick would make a statement, and then his examples seemed to contract that statement. One of the most glaring was when he talked about not making drastic changes...and then used the example of him selling everything and moving to Charlotte to launch Elevation Church.
Starting at page 132, I finally found something useful. I appreciated his comments on fasting, and I'd encourage him, at some point, to expand his thoughts on fasting. Unfortunately, page 132 is way too late in a 190 page book to start making points.
Bottom line, here's my conclusion. If you like hip-sounding platitudes, you'll love this book. If you're looking for substance, skip this one and, instead reach for David Platt's Radical or Francis Chan's Crazy Love.
I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Greater
By: Steven Furtick
I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started reading this book. I expected to be motivated to be more than I was before I read the book, but I didn’t know what that would entail. This book, Greater, has changed how I look at things.
In the beginning, Furtick states, “I want you simply to ask the Lord, in this moment, to begin to open your eyes—by faith—and help you perceive that He has greater things in store for your future.” Do you know what God wants you to be doing for Him? Do you know the kind of life God has in store for you? If not, this book is for you. God is looking for people who are willing to listen to Him and move when He says. Are you willing? This book will show you how to have:
The confidence to know that nothing is impossible with Him
The clarity to see the next step He’s calling you to take
The courage to do anything He tells you to do
See the impossible become possible. Take the first step, and God will meet you there in ways you never expected. The study questions at the end make this a great study book for one on one study or a group study. I just wish I had found this book sooner. For confirmation, the very weekend I was reading this book, a preacher preached his sermon on the topic Good Enough. Topics in this book were brought out in his sermon. Yes, it is time for me to step out in faith and do what God has called me to do! Pick up this book today and watch your life be transformed in God.
Anonymous
Posted April 8, 2013
Not everyone likes this book.Pray before reading asking God to open up your eyes to His (Gods) revalation.This is a book to help ignite our spiritual flames not give us step by step road map.God directs our steps and uses people to help.This book was great and can only be greater when we the readers ask for Gods guidness.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted March 20, 2013
Very inspiring and affirming - reassures you that you don't need to be a globe-trotting evangelist to be 'great' in God's eyes. Wherever you are and whatever you do, you can have a great life following God.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.JMRaby
Posted February 13, 2013
Steven Furtick has burst on to the Evangelical scene in many different ways. For instance starting a church that runs 10000 on an average Sunday, impressive since he started the church only 6 short years ago. He starred in the infamous "Elephant Room" hosted by Pastor James MacDonald. He has been in a controversy with an event coined the "Orange Code Revival" which he supposedly censored Matt Chandler in his presentation of the gospel at this so-called revival. He has been coined as a "Health/Wealth Guy." Whether you agree with him or not he is on the evangelical scene.
His recent book *Greater* is a breath of fresh air with an awful stench of pop culture and hipster phrase-ology. The premise is simply to start small and be greater in a small way on a small scale which produces greater results than trying to turn an ocean liner in half a second. While the book is refreshing in that aspect it has been litter with a person trying to be so "relevant" with #hashtagging and culture that the book will not last for the ages. It looks as if it might be outdated in about one year. Also Mr. Furtick emphatically states that it is not a self help book, but in truth it is. I hate to be over critical in the reading of this book, I do not know Mr. Furtick, I do not know how he operates, or what he is like face to face. He has some admirable qualities concerning his care for his family, some of his preventive counseling when it comes to being a pastor for his church (which he describes in the book.) I feel as if he could write a much better book than this. Ultimately the book could have been cut down to an essay that probably could fit on one page. Pick one thing to be greater at and try it, is the whole book. Mr. Furtick if you ever read this hope that you will produce a book for the ages someday...Keep trying!
hinza
Posted November 21, 2012
Great book, very inspiring.
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.AnneAR
Posted October 27, 2012
If you want to get un-stuck from the rut of mediocrity, this book is for you. If you know you can do greater things, but just haven't made the effort, read this book! What an encouragement. This book is a boot under your backside as well as a boost for your desire to be more than you are. You really can be more in God's Kingdom. I would recommend this book to anyone who is struggling with middle-of-the-road living and thinking.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.IsabelB
Posted October 5, 2012
Highly motivating. Gives an inspirationally new and deeply moving approach to living with and for our God in a world where "good enough" just isn't.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted September 21, 2012
I love this book and what it tells me about doing what Gid has in store for my life... absolutely reccomend it to anyone who feels like they can't do anything right... you need to know that you are greater...<3
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.KSherrell
Posted September 18, 2012
Awesome messages, easy to understand and full of practical application.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted September 17, 2012
This book will enpower you to do more.
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted October 27, 2012
No text was provided for this review.
Anonymous
Posted October 11, 2012
No text was provided for this review.
Overview
Are you ready to open your imagination to the possibility that God has a vision for your life that is greater?
We all have honest moments when we’re gripped by a desire to feel that what we’re doing matters more. That who we are matters more.
And according to one of the most shocking verses in the Bible, Jesus wants the very same thing for every one of us:
“Very truly I tell ...