During my week at Bethel I sat in the library and read a lot of
scholarly books and articles. To break up the monotony, one afternoon I
went over the Barnes and Noble and picked up Vince Antonucci’s new book “I became a Christian and all I got was this lousy T-Shirt.”
I’m not very good at reviews, but I think I can sum up this book in two words: 1) Hilarious, 2) Challenging.
I’ve been following Vince’s blog for a few months now and have listened to a few of his messages via podcast. I knew he was funny, but this book literally made me laugh out loud in the middle of Barnes & Noble.
At the same time, this was one of the most personally challenging books I’ve ever read. Vince helped me refocus on the things that really matter. Here are some of the highlights I pulled from his website:
- If I feel most alive when I’m watching a movie or playing a video game or reading a book or watching sports, if those are consistently the best parts of my day, what does that say about my life? Shouldn’t it be more exciting to live my life than to watch someone else live theirs?
- In the Bible Jesus led his followers into dangerous places. Do I often find myself in dangerous places? And if not, what does that mean?
- Despite being completely righteous, Jesus attracted the worst of sinners. Are sinful people drawn to me, or are they put off by my so-called righteousness?
- When Jesus came into contact with people, their lives were radically transformed. Are people’s lives changed by knowing me?
- Do I have sinful habits I can’t seem to shake? Why?
- What do I dream about? What does my mind automatically turn to? What should it?
- Would the people who know me best say my life is characterized by love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control?
- Do I read the Bible and pray because I can’t wait to spend time with God, or because it’s what I’m supposed to do as a Christian?
- And why do I skip my Bible and prayer time on weekends or when I’m out-of-town? Is that time really just a habit, a part of my routine, or is it the sacred conversation it’s supposed to be?
- Am I living in a safe Christian bubble? If so, why does the world scare me?
- What do I use to escape from my problems? Why do I need to escape from my problems at all? Shouldn’t Jesus help me handle them?
- Do I serve because I get to, or because I have to?
- Do I get upset about things in a way that is disproportionate to their importance?
- The word Christian literally means “little Christ” – so am I a Christian or do I just call myself one?
- Why isn’t Jesus enough for me?
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