Choosing the Extraordinary Life , livre ebook

Cover
Title Page
Copyright Page
© 2018 by Dr. Robert Jeffress
Published by Baker Books
a division of Baker Publishing Group
PO Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287
www.bakerbooks.com
Ebook edition created 2018
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
ISBN 978-1-4934-1231-0
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the New American Standard Bible®, copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)
Scripture quotations labeled KJV are from the King James Version of the Bible.
Scripture quotations labeled Message are from THE MESSAGE. Copyright © by Eugene H. Peterson 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
Scripture quotations labeled NIV are from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com
Scripture quotations labeled NLT are from the Holy Bible , New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations labeled Phillips are from The New Testament in Modern English, revised edition—J. B. Phillips, translator. © J. B. Phillips 1958, 1960, 1972. Used by permission of Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc.
All italics in direct Scripture quotations are the author’s emphasis.
Published in association with Yates & Yates, www.yates2.com.
Endorsements
“My friend Robert Jeffress has done an excellent job of highlighting and illustrating the seven timeless principles from Elijah’s life for spiritual significance and success that anyone can utilize today. I highly recommend this insightful and practical book for everyone who truly desires an extraordinary life. This may well be Jeffress’s best book yet!”
Greg Laurie , senior pastor, Harvest Christian Fellowship, Riverside, California
“Using riveting illustrations from Elijah and modern-day believers, Robert Jeffress will inspire you to aim for the extraordinary life God has planned for you too.”
James Robison , founder and president, LIFE Outreach International, Fort Worth, Texas
“I believe God has uniquely gifted Dr. Robert Jeffress to be a voice to our nation at this time. In his newest book, Choosing the Extraordinary Life , he leads us on a path to discover the truth to fulfilling God’s plans and purposes for our lives. With engaging and biblically sound insight, he reveals seven secrets for living the extraordinary life God designed for us.”
Robert Morris , founding senior pastor, Gateway Church; bestselling author, The Blessed Life , The God I Never Knew , and Frequency
“Biblical, relevant, and very straightforward. Dr. Jeffress has written a remarkable and on-time book about the seven secrets to ‘finding, keeping, and living’ an extraordinary life. His unique approach and practical insights will guide you on a new and fresh journey, leading you away from any distractions that would keep you from intimacy and favor with your loving, heavenly Father.”
Marcus D. Lamb , founder and president, Daystar Television Network
“Dr. Jeffress brings Scripture alive with the truth God’s Spirit put into it. If you like rich, useful Bible teaching, you’ll appreciate this book. Jeffress wisely unpacks seven secrets from Elijah’s life and ministry for leading the life we were meant to live. No formulas or pat answers here. Depend on this book to guide you on the narrow road that leads to life.”
Dr. Larry Crabb , psychologist; Bible teacher; author, When God’ s Ways Make No Sense
“We love this book! It’s a must-read for every Christian. Thank you, Dr. Jeffress, for inspiring and challenging us to rise above the status quo of this world. Choosing the Extraordinary Life is one of those books that’s honest, motivating, and life-changing. If you want to live a life that’s truly worth living, the seven secrets inside this book will show you how. Your life will never be the same again.”
Kristen Clark and Bethany Baird , cofounders, GirlDefined Ministries; coauthors, Girl Defined and Love Defined
Dedication
To Blair, Barrett, and Blake Sadler—my triplet grandchildren born during the writing of this book. Amy and I pray that each of you would experience a truly extraordinary life as you serve the Lord Jesus Christ with all of your heart.
Contents
Cover 1
Title Page 3
Copyright Page 4
Endorsements 5
Dedication 7
Acknowledgments 11
An Ordinary Person in Extraordinary Times 13
Secret #1: Discover Your Unique Purpose 31
Secret #2: Determine to Influence Your Culture 57
Secret #3: Wait On God’s Timing 85
Secret #4: Burn the Ships 113
Secret #5: Unleash the Power of Prayer 139
Secret #6: Learn How to Handle Bad Days 165
Secret #7: Live Life with the End in View 193
A Final Thought 221
Notes 223
About the Author 229
Back Ads 233
Back Cover 240
Acknowledgments
As my schedule becomes more hectic with every passing year, I’m grateful for the wonderful team that surrounds me and assists me in the production of a book like the one you are holding in your hand. Especially do I want to thank . . .
Brian Vos, Mark Rice, Brianna DeWitt, Lindsey Spoolstra, and the entire Baker Books team for being the best publishing partner I’ve had in the three decades of my writing ministry.
Derrick G. Jeter, our creative director at Pathway to Victory, who immediately caught the vision for this book and was instrumental in helping me craft this book’s message about the extraordinary life of Elijah.
Sealy Yates, my literary agent and friend for more than two decades, who always provides encouragement and wise counsel.
Carrilyn Baker, my executive associate for nearly twenty years, for her “above and beyond” efforts in managing the unbelievably complicated work of our office—and always doing so with a smile! And thank you, Mary Shafer, for assisting Carrilyn and me in so many ways—you are a joy to work with!
Ben Lovvorn, the executive pastor of First Baptist Church, Dallas, and Nate Curtis, Patrick Heatherington, Vickie Sterling, Ben Bugg, and the entire Pathway to Victory team, who extend the message of this book to millions of people throughout the world.
And most of all, my wonderful wife, Amy, who has been by my side since we were twelve years old in Mrs. Denny’s seventh-grade math class. You have made my life truly “extraordinary!”
An Ordinary Person in Extraordinary Times
My friend Dr. James Dobson has described the ordinary life most men live:
The straight life for a working man is . . . pulling our tired frame out of bed, five days a week, fifty weeks out of the year. It is earning a two-week vacation in August, and choosing a trip that will please the kids. The straight life is spending your money wisely when you’d rather indulge in a new whatever; it is taking your son bike riding on Saturday when you want so badly to watch the baseball game; it is cleaning out the garage on your day off after working sixty hours the prior week. The straight life is coping with head colds and engine tune-ups and crab grass and income tax forms. 1
This description, with a few variations, is just as apt for women as well. What Dr. Dobson calls the “straight life” I call the “ordinary life”—the kind of life most people experience from “the womb until the tomb.” But I have a sense that the reason you picked up this book is because you want something more than an ordinary life. In fact, I bet you picked up this book because you desire a life that is marked by true significance. Haven’t you ever wished that your brief time on earth could have a greater purpose than the daily grind? If you are like most people, your answer to that question is a resounding yes! Guess what? God wants more for you than the humdrum as well.
No matter who you are or what your circumstances might be, God desires to transform your ordinary existence into an extraordinary life.
Now, I know some of you may be thinking, I am nobody from nowhere. What can I do? No one has ever heard of me and never will.
I understand your skepticism. It is natural to wonder, What can I do? I’m just one person . But never underestimate the difference one person can make in the world. Neither fame nor fortune is a prerequisite for having a significant life. God is in the business of using the ordinary to do the extraordinary.
If you find that hard to believe, consider the life of Edward Kimball.
Ed was a Boston carpet salesman and a Sunday school teacher at Mount Vernon Congregational Church. He taught teenage boys the Bible. One eighteen-year-old boy in his class did not seem interested in spiritual matters, often falling asleep in church and having complete ignorance of the Bible. Ed was concerned about the boy’s spiritual destination, so he screwed up his courage one April morning and determined to share the good news of Jesus’s death and resurrection with this young man, who worked as a clerk in Holton’s Shoe Store in downtown Boston.
Ed was no seasoned evangelist—in fact, he was so nervous that he initially walked right past the store, reconsidering his plan. Maybe talking about Jesus while the young man was at work was not the appropriate time or place. Maybe he should wait. But something inside of Ed said now was the time.
He offered a quick prayer under his breath, turned on his heels, and went through the door. He found the clerk in the back of the store. Placing