Jesus > Religion: Why He Is So Much Better Than Trying Harder, Doing More, and Being Good Enough
Abandon dead, dry, religious rule-keeping and embrace the promise of being truly known and deeply loved.
Jefferson Bethke burst into the cultural conversation with a passionate, provocative poem titled "Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus." The 4-minute video became an overnight sensation, with 7 million YouTube views in its first 48 hours (and 23+ million in a year).
Bethke's message clearly struck a chord with believers and nonbelievers alike, triggering an avalanche of responses running the gamut from encouraged to enraged.
In his New York Times bestseller Jesus > Religion, Bethke unpacks similar contrasts that he drew in the poem--highlighting the difference between teeth gritting and grace, law and love, performance and peace, despair, and hope.
With refreshing candor, he delves into the motivation behind his message, beginning with the unvarnished tale of his own plunge from the pinnacle of a works-based, fake-smile existence that sapped his strength and led him down a path of destructive behavior. Along the way, Bethke gives you the tools you need to:
- Humbly and prayerfully open your mind
- Understand Jesus for all that he is
- View the church from a brand-new perspective
Bethke is quick to acknowledge that he's not a pastor or theologian, but simply an ordinary, twenty-something who cried out for a life greater than the one for which he had settled. On this journey, Bethke discovered the real Jesus, who beckoned him with love beyond the props of false religion.
Praise for Jesus > Religion:
"Jeff's book will make you stop and listen to a voice in your heart that may have been drowned out by the noise of religion. Listen to that voice, then follow it--right to the feet of Jesus." --Bob Goff, author of New York Times bestsellers Love Does and Everybody, Always
"The book you hold in your hands is Donald Miller's Blue Like Jazz meets C. S. Lewis's Mere Christianity meets Augustine's Confessions. This book is going to awaken an entire generation to Jesus and His grace." --Derwin L. Gray, lead pastor of Transformation Church, author of Limitless Life: Breaking Free from the Labels That Hold You Back
Top Highlights
“When Jesus comes back the second time, he isn’t coming to sprinkle love dust on everyone. He’s coming to make war on sin and rebellion.” (source)
“My prayer is that I’m always seen as a poor, feeble dude who has found life, rather than as an arrogant, prideful guy who has all the answers.” (source)
“Too often, instead of acting like mirrors pointing back to Jesus, we try to act like billboards, advertising ourselves.” (source)
“As I’ve heard said, ‘Of 100 unsaved men, one might read the Bible, but the other 99 will read the Christian.’1” (source)
“when people are doing something because it’s an obligation, with no real enjoyment of their Creator” (source)
Product Details
- Title : Jesus > Religion: Why He Is So Much Better Than Trying Harder, Doing More, and Being Good Enough
- Author: Bethke, Jefferson
- Publisher: Thomas Nelson
- Publication Date: 2013
- ISBN: 9781400205400
Jefferson Bethke is the New York Times bestselling author of Jesus > Religion and It's Not What You Think. He and his wife, Alyssa, host The Real Life Podcast and run FamilyTeams.com, an online initiative equipping families to live as a multi-generational team on mission. They live in Maui with their daughters, Kinsley and Lucy, and son, Kannon. To say hi or to learn more, go to jeffandalyssa.com.