Give Me This Mountain : Faith to Go from Barely Surviving to Actually Thriving

This is a book—no—a guide to faith. Real, raw, and authentic faith. Not the kind of polished, feel-good faith that’s only good on the good days and vanishes the moment life turns up the heat. We’re talking about faith for when and where it really matters— in the face of adversity, disappointment, anxiety about the future, and the seemingly impossible odds we’re up against that the world and our culture remind us of 24/7. Faith that doesn’t sidestep the issues, but with chutzpah, grit, and a lot of grace, confronts and takes on every mountain—whatever it might be. Above all, this book is about faith in a good God and His ability to hold on to us even when our faith fails. Over 4 weeks, lean in to the life of Caleb and other inspiring men and women in the Bible and discover powerful truths about God’s ways of faith that will cause you to take ground in life and start thriving. Engage with thought-provoking reflection prompts, questions, and compelling activities that will help you own and apply these keys in your own life, and begin to go from barely surviving to actually thriving! HOW TO USE THIS BOOK Over the next 4 weeks, you'll learn from Caleb's story and those of other men and women of God in the Bible how to live by faith day by day. WEEKLY MILESTONES This book is meant to be read across 4 weeks. Each week, you'll discover a new aspect of what it means to walk by faith and go from barely surviving to actually thriving. WEEK 1: Made to Thrive Discover the life of thriving God has promised you and what it means to take it by faith. WEEK 2: Dare to Be Different Find out how to live a life of authentic faith in a culture of unbelief. WEEK 3: Take Ground by Faith Learn how to practice walking by faith and claiming God's promises in your life. WEEK 4: Own the Promise Learn how to hold out for every blessing and breakthrough, especially when they seem slow in coming. OWN THE WORD The Own the Word section at the end of each day's reading includes: 1. A strong takeaway thought or action to help you put into play what you've learned. 2. Bible references to help you dive into God's Word for yourself. INTRODUCTION You were made to thrive in life. Did you know that as a child of God, this statement is irrevocably true? On days you feel like it is and on days you don't. It's true on days when the doors to pursue your dreams get shut in your face, and you're left high and dry. It's true on days you're hit with anxiety so bad you don't know how you're going to make it through the day. It's true on days you feel like a complete failure who just can't get your life together. On days like these, when it feels like you're barely surviving, the idea of actually thriving can sound like the pipe dream of someone who doesn't know any better. But my friend, it's especially on days like these that God wants you to know He made you to thrive-not just survive-even on the roughest terrains of life. I know it can be hard to believe, especially for you, a young person living in a world that's constantly telling you how unrealistic it is for you to think you can actually beat the odds. Whether it's the people around you, the news, or that latest report that just appeared on your feed, so many voices seem to reiterate that life is an uphill battle that can't be won. While that might be true for them, it doesn't have to be true for you. In this book, we follow the story of a man called Caleb who stood at the foot of a mountain that everyone said was impossible to conquer, and with a resounding, "Give me this mountain!", conquered it. He was a man whom the Lord praised for having a different spirit from those around him who constantly echoed each other's fear, negativity, and unbelief. Just like Caleb, you have been called out and set apart from the world to be a young man or woman of audacious, authentic faith in the face of adversity. In the same spirit of chutzpah faith that Caleb and others like him in the Bible possessed, we tackle the relevant and gritty issues that blatantly confront us today, endeavoring to do but one thing-put Jesus and His grace at the center of it all. Only He has the answers that can steady our hearts, sharpen our vision, and impart faith for us to surmount every mountain in our lives. My friend, God wants you to know that while you might be faced with overwhelming challenges in an atmosphere of anxiety and cynicism, that's exactly where faith lives. Faith confronts fear. Faith confronts hopelessness. Faith confronts unbelief. Faith is there in the space between barely surviving and actually thriving, and it will take you from one end to the other. Are you ready? Let's go Base Camp 1: Made to Thrive Day One - Give Me This Mountain! Day Two - What Is Your Mountain? Day Three - Caleb Came Out of Nowhere Day Four - Leaving Bitterness Behind Day Five - The Struggle Is Really Real Day Six - Whose Report Will You Believe? Day Seven - Stop Wandering. Start Walking Base Camp 2: Dare to be Different Day One - Dare to Be Different Day Two - The Secret Life of a Giant Killer Day Three - 10x Better Than the World Day Four - Mirror Matters Day Five - Win Over the Feels Day Six - Complaining Gets You Nowhere Day Seven - Addicted to “Likes” Base Camp 3: Take Ground by Faith Day One - Take Ground by Faith Day Two - Faith Is Not a Feeling Day Three - God Slang Day Four - The Faith for Everything Day Five - Fighting = Feeding Day Six - Unstoppable Alliances: Caleb & Joshua Day Seven - Caleb’s Ultimate Secret Base Camp 4: Own the Promise Day One - Get God’s Best. Don’t Settle for Less Day Two - Where Is God in the Midst of My Struggle? Day Three - Disappointment-Proof Faith Day Four - Desiring Double Day Five - Faith That Never Fails, Even When You Do Day Six - On Mission Day Seven - The Highest Mountain