Mark Batterson sucks and mancation didn’t help

It all started when I read Mark Batterson’s book “In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day“. Why did I pick up that book? My real reason was because the title was SO long and I needed to see why somebody would use a crazy title like that.

From the minute I opened the cover I was sucked into the black hole of Batterson’s mind. An entire book on one tiny verse that frankly nobody knew was even in the bible. I don’t even know if The author of 2 Samuel knew it existed. So there it is in plain text the greatness of God in the most simplest of forms. I started to realize that I had God in a box and that my fears were keeping Him there. I finished the book and then read it again. Then I brought the book and video teachings to my worship team. Then I got the study guide and taught it to my youth group. Then we showed the videos for our churches mens group. This all spurred on some big thoughts in my head. I ended up posting on my Godbox thoughts 1 and 2. This book challenged me like no other book had. EVER. I found my head reeling from it. Quite honestly I didn’t know where to go from there. I was at a crossroads. Almost in a state of shock and limbo.

Enter Mancation. So everybody saw my posts on my recent mancation. You saw my reasons for wanting focus and to renew myself in God.

Focus didn’t happen and nither did I get a feeling of being renewed.

I got home and said to the guys I went with ” WHAT THE HECK!” I was sure something would break. I was sure that this cloud looming over me would have disappeared.

I talked to the guys more about this and they all said they had the same feeling. A feeling of almost being more pissed off and not content with the way things are.

So what do you do with that. Well I went and bought Mark’s new book “Wild Goose Chase“. The tag line was “Reclaim the adventure of pursuing God”. Sounded good to me and I was in need of another butt kicking. Maybe this book would tie up the loose ends.

Mark says that understanding your passion and reclaiming that sense of adventure can be related to being in another location. Simple term. Get away and find what your missing. Mancation. I don’t know Mark, but I’m pretty sure he knew I was going on that trip. The more and more I read I realized that this book like his last was ripping me to shreds.

I will go more into this later and how this applies to some HUGE GOD SIZED dreams. This is why I say Mark Batterson sucks.  Because he wrote 2 books that have rocked my world, changed me forever, and got me off my spiritual duff. It’s kind of like when somebody gives you an amazing gift and you tell them…I can’t accept that…they insist…My first answer to that is “dude you suck” and then “THANK YOU”

So to Mark Batterson my second reply to him is “Thank You“. Thank you for tieing the loose ends. Thank you for making my brain and heart hurt. Thanks you for teaching me to stop making excuses for my God Sized goals and to get out of my Christian cage and change to world.

Comments

7 responses to “Mark Batterson sucks and mancation didn’t help”

  1. Alastair Vance Avatar

    Always good to hear when God is messing someone up. 😉

    The book has been getting good reviews all round. I’m not a big book reader at all – but might pick myself up a copy.

  2. Billy Chia Avatar

    Yeah I’d shoot out a thankful “you suck” that way as well. WGC has been an inspiration.

  3. Kelli Avatar

    this was great

  4. erik Avatar

    nice! i LOVE this book too. my wife and i are reading it together and it’s actually helped push me over the edge to start my own business. i can’t wait to read “Wild Goose Chase” also. so did your worship team have the same response? i was thinking of introducing this to our worship team & our men’s ministry.

  5. Mark Batterson Avatar

    Couldn’t help but comment 🙂 One of my favorite movie scenes is “Let me tell you why I suck” from Tommy Boy. So I’m going to take that as a huge compliment. Glad the books are mixing it up!

    Chase on!

    Mark

  6. Russ Hutto Avatar

    I’ve not read any Batterson stuff. I probably will.

  7. Kevin Baker Avatar

    Mark Batterson and I attend Central Bible College together. He was the valedictorian of our class in 1992. We sat next to each other at graduation. He was a brilliant mind then, and it sounds like he is now. A few of us were what Professor Oss at CBC called “The Brain Trust.” I did catch him on a Rick Warren interview and am grateful that your post made me hungry to read Mark’s writing.

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