Trivial Pursuits: Why Your Real Life Is More Than Media, Money, and the Pursuit of Happiness

Your life is not a reality show. It's actual reality. But too many of us spend our lives on trivial pursuits--media, money, perpetual youth, and a culture of constant entertainment. We try to avoid the realities of pain, depression, loneliness, and mortality by filling our lives with diversions. Even worse, our churches that might use the reality of pain and suffering to point us to the cross instead dress the gospel up in the world's clothing so that it will seem more "relevant."

With pinpoint accuracy, LA club DJ turned pastor Ian DiOrio diagnoses the problem and gives us the cure. Exposing our most common empty attempts to find meaning apart from God, DiOrio points us back to God and exhorts us to find meaning in our identities as followers of Christ, as shapers of culture, and as people who participate in communities of worship.

From the Back Cover

"Ian has written a prophetical call to probe a deeper faith. It is an invitation to the search for substance."--John Ortberg, senior pastor of Menlo Park Presbyterian Church; author of Who Is This Man?


Your life is not a reality show. It's actual reality. But too many of us spend our lives discontented with reality and focused on trivial pursuits--media, money, perpetual youth, and a culture of constant entertainment. We try to avoid the realities of pain, depression, loneliness, and mortality by filling our lives with diversions. Even worse, our churches that might use the reality of pain and suffering to point us to the cross instead dress the gospel up in the world's clothing so that it will seem more "relevant."

With pinpoint accuracy, LA club DJ-turned-pastor Ian DiOrio diagnoses the problem and gives us the cure. Exposing our most common empty attempts to find meaning apart from God, DiOrio points us back to God and calls us to find meaning in our identities as followers of Christ, as shapers of culture, and as people who participate in communities of worship.

"This book promises to liberate many from the entanglements of our culture. It is a wonderful offer to join Jesus in finding our lives by giving them away and to laugh when folks try to convince us that happiness has a price tag."--Shane Claiborne, activist and author

"My friend Ian DiOrio hits the nail on the head. Significance in life isn't found through success, salary, status, or sex. It's the result of serving God by serving others."--Rick Warren, senior pastor of Saddleback Church; author of The Purpose Driven Life

"Ian DiOrio winsomely invites us to become curators of beauty, grace, hope, and love."--Dave Gibbons, founder and lead pastor of NEWSONG; founder of xealots.org

"DiOrio dismantles many of the false hopes in our culture and points to Jesus, the ultimate source of hope for us all. Learn from this book, live its message, and you'll be filled with renewed purpose."--Jud Wilhite, author of Pursued; senior pastor of Central Christian Church

Ian DiOrio (MDiv, Fuller Theological Seminary; DMin, Azusa Pacific University) became a Christian in his twenties after spending his younger life in the underground music scene in Los Angeles as a DJ. Ian has served as a teaching pastor at Eastside Christian Church, and currently writes and speaks from Southern California. He was recently featured by Christian Standard Magazine as one of the top 40 leaders under 40. He is thrilled to be the husband of Julia and the father of Semeia, Asha, and Zion. Learn more at www.iandiorio.org.