The Imperfect Disciple: Grace for People Who Can't Get Their Act Together
Too many discipleship books are written for clean, perfect
people who know all the right Sunday school answers. The
Imperfect Disciple is for the rest of us--people who screw up,
people who are weary, people who are wondering if it's safe to say
what they're really thinking.
For the believer who is tired of quasi-spiritual lifehacks being
passed off as true, down-and-dirty discipleship, here is a
discipleship book that isn't afraid to be honest about the mess we
call real life. With incisive wit, warm humor, and moving stories,
Jared Wilson shows readers how the gospel works in them and in
their lives when
- they can't get their act together
- they think God is giving them the silent treatment
- they think church would be better without all the people
- they're not happy with the person in the mirror
- and much more
Wilson frees readers from the self-doubt and even the misplaced
self-confidence they may feel as they walk with Jesus down the
often difficult road of life. The result is a faith that weathers
storms, lifts burdens, and goes forth to make more imperfect
disciples.
From the Back Cover
Too many discipleship books are written for perfect people who
know all the right Sunday school answers.
This book is for the rest of us--people who screw up,
people who are weary, people who are wondering if it's safe to say
what they're really thinking. With incisive wit, warm humor, and
moving stories, Jared Wilson shows us how the gospel actually works
through us and in us, even when we can't get our act
together. The result is a faith that weathers storms, lifts
burdens, and deepens our friendship with God.
"Few things steal vitality and life in Christ like forgetting that
we are human. Jared does a great job, with his humorous yet serious
style, reminding us of God's perfection in the midst of our
inconsistencies, fears, and falls. The grace of God found in this
book will encourage and remind the saint that there is only One who
is perfect--and that perfection is enough for all who believe on
the name of Jesus."--Matt Chandler, lead teaching pastor of
The Village Church
"Jared ties everything he has to say about being and loving
disciples to the realities of what Jesus has already done. And
that, dear friends, is what sets this wonderful book apart from all
the others."--Elyse M. Fitzpatrick, counselor and speaker;
author of Because He Loves Me
"Wilson takes our idea of discipleship--you know, the list of
things we need to do to be a perfectly obedient Christian--and
turns it on its head. Discipleship is not about our to-do lists;
it's about the glorious gospel. Wilson helps us refocus so that our
obedience is no longer about us."--Trillia Newbell, author
of Enjoy, Fear and Faith, and
United
Jared C. Wilson is the director of content strategy for
Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and managing editor of For
the Church. He is the author of numerous books, including
Unparalleled, The Story of Everything, The
Prodigal Church, and Gospel Wakefulness. His blog,
The Gospel-Driven Church, is hosted by the Gospel Coalition,
and he speaks at numerous churches and conferences throughout the
year.
Top Highlights
“But here’s the problem: there’s not enough glory in the commands themselves to help us obey them. There is a lot, but not enough. There’s insufficient glory in the law of God to empower us to obey it.” (source)
“But if we center on the gospel, the essential duties of maintaining a relationship with God begin to seem less like duty and more like delight. They seem less like rules and more like rhythms.” (source)
“the direct route to God-honoring behavior is born not of good behavior but of good beholding.” (source)
“As Dallas Willard says, ‘Grace is not opposed to effort, but is opposed to earning.’2” (source)
“Jesus wasn’t blowing smoke. His major contribution to the world was not a set of aphorisms. He was born in a turdy barn, grew up in a dirty world, got baptized in a muddy river. He put his hands on the oozing wounds of lepers, he let whores brush his hair and soldiers pull it out. He went to dinner with dirtbags, both religious and irreligious. His closest friends were a collection of crude fishermen and cultural traitors. He felt the spittle of the Pharisees on his face and the metal hooks of the jailer’s whip in the flesh of his back. He got sweaty and dirty and bloody—and he took all of the sin and mess of the world onto himself, onto the cross to which he was nailed naked.” (source)
Product Details
- Title : The Imperfect Disciple: Grace for People Who Can't Get Their Act Together
- Author: Wilson, Jared C.
- Publisher: Baker
- Publication Date: 2017
- ISBN: 9781493409273
Jared C. Wilson is the director of content strategy for Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and managing editor of For the Church, Midwestern's site for gospel-centered resources. He is the author of several books, including Unparalleled, The Story of Everything, The Wonder-Working God, The Prodigal Church, and Gospel Wakefulness. His writing has appeared in Tabletalk, Rev! magazine, Exponential's Leadership Learnings, Pulpit Helps magazine, and numerous other publications. His blog, The Gospel-Driven Church, is hosted by the Gospel Coalition, and he speaks at numerous churches and conferences throughout the year. Wilson lives in Kansas City.