Unique Christianity in a cookie cutter culture: "Soul Print" by Mark Batterson

Writing book review for a free book was a new thing for me when"Soul Print" came in. I found this book to be fresh and focused. "Soul Print" is only 183 pages but packed with insight that lead to "out-sight".  I read it in about two hours but re-read it in my morning quiet time.  Batterson offers an interesting look at the importance of being the unique person that God makes you to be.

The author insists that this is not a self help book on page 2. Before the first story Batterson declares, "Self-Help is nothing more than idolatry dressed up in a rented tuxedo. So let me be blunt; you aren't good enough or gifted enough to get where God wants you to go. Not without His help." However, with God's help in discovering your unique self, there is "nothing God cannot do in you and through you if you simply yield your life to Him. All of it. All of you." I have read dozens of "self help-fixit" books and they all add a little value but ultimately fail. They usually attempt you to fix your Self rather than discover your Self. With God you know more about who you are and find what you can become. Apart from God, the path is pretty rocky. None of this is new. However, this presentation is pretty fresh even if his writing style is a bit frantic and dis-jointed.

More on Mark  www.markbatterson.com

"Soul Print" is a mash-up of the life of David, the Old testament king, and a loose autobiography of the author set up like a theater play. It works. David, Mark Batterson and I journey together on a path of discovering ourselves-and must discover God first in order to do it. The author is easy to read, doesn't take himself too seriously and is just plain funny without being flippant. The book also makes its point. Some of the lightness of the book runs the reader's thinking deep and even dark. No spiritual stone is unturned in fresh language, little churchy jargon and well applied scripture.

You can check out Chapter One for free by going to: http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/2010/11/19/sneak-peek-soulprint-by-mark-batterson/

Searching for somehting? Take this on your journey. Too often the church is seen as a bunch of old people chasing after you with a cookie cutter.  Batterson is pointing out God's  permission to be unique.   I like the book and am richer for reading it. Multnomah press gave me this book free in exchange for this review. would you do me a favor?  I thank Multnomah for risking negative comments and you for reading my blog.

Addendum:  Mark writes, "I'm convinced of this: your leadership potential is directly proportional to your prayer capacity. You can't do anything until you pray, but when you start drawing prayer circles around your dreams and God's miracles, all bets are off. With prayer, all things are possible." Mark has a new book "The Circle Maker".    John Maxwell's site has an article written by him at
http://www.catalystspace.com/content/read/the_circle_maker/