Passion: The Bright Light of Glory - eBook

Passion was not a book that outlined the organization, planning, funding, and business model for the now extremely-powerful event that has come to be recognized and loved all over the world. However, there were parts of that in the book (and this was interesting because once you find out the amount of sacrificing that was done to get this thing off the ground, you appreciate it even more), but ultimately this is an incredibly inspiring book full of essays, stories, and testimonies that reveal the heart behind the event itself. Passion is not a book that outlines how to throw a great event, but rather reveals that an event that is God-centric will change the lives of those involved.

Passion: The Bright Light of Glory by Louie Giglio starts out as a brief history of the Passion Conferences. Since the target audience of Passion is for college aged people, I have never attended one, but the music that is introduced is part of the background of my daily life and the speakers are people who have had an impact on my spiritual growth. I also love the core verse: "Yes, Lord, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts." -Isaiah 26:8.

This book has key messages that have been presented by some of the best Christian teachers there are. Each speaks the truth found in God's Word to a generation who wants to do more than live a passive life, but to also follow Jesus passionately. But the message is not just to the youth; I have grandchildren old enough to attend Passion and I still eagerly absorb and am refreshed by the words of these speakers. This isn't a book to just sit and read through, but one that has multiple chapters that need to be savored one at a time.

I received this book free as part of the BookLook book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255

It was at some point while I was in college that I first heard of Louie Giglio, but it wasn't until Jeremy and I visited his church for an Easter Sunday service that I realized what a dynamic speaker and teacher he was. I was so excited to have the opportunity to review a free copy of his new book Passion| The Bright Light of Glory which is also the name of the yearly conferences that he holds for college students. This book is compiled of several talks by different speakers that have been given at Passion conferences. The goal of Passion, and of this book are to magnify the name of Christ, and I couldn't love that more. Each chapter was great, and I loved the stories of so many people, young and old, who have dedicated their lives to making Christ known. Even though the Passion conference is designed for young people I think that this book can be encouraging to all ages. The message of the supremacy of Christ is valuable to all generations and the sermons and talks in the book are such a great reminder of why we should live to make Christ known.

Simply put, this book is the conference of a lifetime in print form. Louie Giglio, Francis Chan, Beth Moore, John Piper, Judah Smith, and Christine Caine are some of the most beloved Christian leaders of my generation. Now, if you have ever attended a conference you know there will be sessions you hope will end quickly and others you wish would go on for hours because you are being moved in a way you imagined. While I did not enjoy every contributor's content, I certainly found others life changing.

There were two chapters in particular which had such an impact on me, I will have no problem recommending this book to anyone. John Piper's chapter titled "Boast Only in the Cross," left me speechless. In short, he makes clear the difference between a life well lived and a life wasted. If you purchased this book only for this chapter, it would be money well spent. Louie Giglio's chapter titled, "Passion, Purpose, and Designer Jeans," should be mandatory reading for every high school graduate. Giglio speaks to bringing glory to God in whatever gifting you have.

I don't know that I would have every pursued this book if I hadn't been given it review from BookLook Bloggers in exchange for my honest opinion. I am so glad to have had the opportunity to read it.

Well if you don't know - the Passion Conferences are Christian gatherings that we started back in 1997 by Louie Giglio. Of course they are open to anyone, but their main demographic has been young adults - specifically college-aged students.

And you get a lot of the "Passion" story in the first part of the book. It's a great starter for anyone not familiar with the Passion movement or even as a refresher for those who are.

But Louie Giglio is not the only contributor to this book. Through the various chapters you will get to hear from Francis Chan (love him!) John Piper (amazing doctrine)

Beth Moore (who doesn't know who Beth Moore is?) Judah Smith (great speaker) and

Christine Caine (founded the A21 campaign).

The over all theme of this book is: You can do great things for God - and the world! If you're familiar with all of these contributors (or none of them) this is a great pick-me-up. I would highly recommend this book for a college or high school graduation or birthday.

Thank you to Booksneeze/ Book Look for this review copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.