In Altar Ego: Becoming Who God Says You Are author Craig Groeschel challenges his readers to be the person God means them to be. Groeschel breaks Altar Ego into three main sections: “Sacrificing Your False Self for Your Sacred Identity in Christ”, “ Sacrificing Cultural Relativity for Eternal Values”, and “Sacrificing Self-Justification for Passionate Obedience”. The first section outlines how to overcome one’s self image and the expectations of others to become God’s ambassador. The second discusses living with values like patience and honor. And the final outlines being bold in one’s true identity in words and deeds.
The book is easy to read with Groeschel providing an easy to access writing style. His use of stories helps show he is a skilled preacher who is familiar with weaving personal anecdotes in and out of teachings. The content itself will be familiar to those who read Christian Living books, with chapters on prayer and reorienting self around God’s images of you. Altar Ego is probably best suited to a new Christian or one that has shown interest in further exploring their identity in Christ. For those who have explored life with Christ in depth before the text would most likely serve as reinforcement of truth and opportunities to gather new examples of those truths.
Throughout Chazown author Craig Groeschel makes one simple thing clear. We are all going somewhere but few are going there on purpose.Our relationships, finances, work, health and more are all moving towards a positive or negative direction; but few people are directing that path to match their purpose.Groeschel introduces his reader to the Hebrew word Chazown, which means dream, revelation or vision.Groeschel argues that everyone has a Chazown which is the God designed purpose for one’s life.He then helps his readers find their Chazown by reviewing their core values, spiritual gifts and past experiences.Groeschel then aids his readers to define their Chazown into a purpose statement.And finally he reviews five key areas of live the need attention in order to reach one’s Chazown; one’s relationship with God, others, finances, health and work.Finally, he empowers his readers to take all that they have learned to take the steps needed to realize their Chazown.
First thought….ShamWow.Second thought….great another book about purpose that’s what we were all looking for!Well, I was wrong.Groeschel doesn’t just tell us and challenge us to live on purpose.No, instead he provides the resources needed to develop and clarify one’s purpose.He asked his readers to keep a Chazown journal to draw out the answers to the key questions he has.I found that I could use the blank space in my book to write responses and look back at them as I went through the book.But Groeschel doesn’t just leave his readers isolated in a book with tasks to perform that are time consuming and perhaps complicated but instead supports the book with www.chazown.com which provides online tools that support the exercises used throughout the book.Groeschel is a great author who speaks truth, painful truth that makes me wish I could just close the book at time.Overall, I think this is an excellent book not just another purpose book that is meaningful as a standalone read or a small group tool.
