The gospel is not a well-crafted sermon. It is a life well lived. It is you. Drawn from the book Be the Message, this thirty-day devotional will help you cultivate your life message and live it out. 

Over the course of a life-changing month, you will learn h ow the messes in your life can become a door of hope, discover new ways to love those in front of you, and find out how God is calling you to take a stand in the world. 

Using Scripture, illustrations, and practical action steps, the Be the Message Devotional can bring you to a deeper understanding of how your life can make a difference and be the gospel to the world.

How will God live out His message through you?

Each day’s reading is short and to-the-point. The daily reading includes sections called: Open Yourself to a dynamic encounter with God, Open God’s Word to hear God’s message, Open Your Mind to understand God’s message here and now, Open Your Heart to the divine whisper, Open Your Life to God’s transforming power, Open Your Arms to a world that needs to receive God’s incarnate message through you.

So many people have a desire to change the world but quickly get discouraged when they fall short {we all fall short y’all}. This devotional helps you to take the steps each day to change the world around you! Start with your corner of the world for 30 days.

WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group provided this book to me for free in exchange for this honest review as part of their Blogging for Books program.

Kerry and Chris Shook founded Woodlands Church outside of Houston, Texas, in 1993. Since then the multi-campus church has grown to an attendance of over 18,000 people and is recognized for its ministries to the poor and powerless. Woodlands Church also has one of the largest fair-trade/direct-trade stores in the country with the goal of lifting generations out of poverty by empowering their lives with hope. Thousands of people in over 200 countries tune in weekly to Pastor Kerry’s televised broadcasts.

Millennial pastor Jarrid Wilson calls his generation to drop the pretenses and poses of false Christianity and walk like true followers of Jesus. 

It’s easy to live in America as a poser Christian, to keep up appearances while remaining unchanged by the gospel. But in a world of constant conformity, God has called us to be different (Romans 12:2) and set apart (Jeremiah 1:5), walking with a genuine Jesus Swagger. None of us does that perfectly, but all of us can do it better. 

Jesus Swagger is about giving younger Christians the perspective necessary to see how they’re doing. Chapter by chapter, Jesus Swagger exposes a piece of our false self and bogus motivations so we can become real followers. If we take that journey, we will find a deeper relationship with God-one that changes the world around us. Real Jesus Swagger is contagious. It’s about being who God has called us to be, and not who the world is tempting us to be.

I’ll admit, I was totally intrigued by the title of this book. What in the world is Jesus swagger?

It’s not just calling yourself a Christian. It’s not just going to church every Sunday. It’s not just placing a Jesus fish on your car.

According to author Jarrid Wilson, “Jesus swagger is all about your life being infected with the love of Christ. Being different, noticeably different , so much so that people wonder, What is different about that person?”

I absolutely loved this book and found this to be a breath of fresh air. I don’t know exactly who this is marketed to, but I would definitely recommend it for teens and young adults. I think the topics Wilson discusses are things they especially need to hear. It’s not about one religion, or what your denomination is, it’s about Jesus and His love. That’s what we have been called to do, and that’s what he focuses on. It’s not about acting a certain way to fit in with a crowd. Instead, it’s about following the example Christ gave us, and I think Wilson does a great job of showcasing that in this book.

Here are a few quotes from the book:

Sometimes your willingness to love those who need it will be the difference maker in whether or not people come to realize the love of Jesus really does exist. 

Regardless of what the Bible says about cursing, drinking, homosexuality, sex, cheating, lying, or stealing, we are still called to love one another. It’s that simple. No questions asked, regardless of how you interpret Scripture.

This book was provided to me free of charge by Book Look in return for my honest review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Jarrid Wilson is a pastor, author, and inspirational blogger. His articles have been viewed by millions, showcased on some of today’s hottest talk shows, and featured on national news stations worldwide. He is a dynamic speaker whose outside-the-box perspectives have gained him national recognition from some of today’s most influential Christian leaders, and he currently serves as the NextGen pastor at LifePoint Church in Smyrna, Tennessee.