Book Review: Primal by Mark Batterson

Summary: We have a tendency to complicate Christianity. Jesus simplified it: Love God with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength. If we are to live out the essence of Christianity, we must commit to being great at this Great Commandment.

In Primal, Mark Batterson explores the four elements of Great Commandment Christianity: compassion, wonder, curiosity, and power. Along the way, he calls you to be a part of God’s reformation, starting in your own life.

As Mark writes, “Is there a place in your past where you met God and God met you? A place where your heart broke for the things that break the heart of God? Maybe it was a sermon that became more than a sermon. Maybe it was a mission trip or retreat. Maybe it was a vow you made at an altar. In that moment, God birthed something supernatural in your spirit. You knew you’d never be the same again. My prayer is that this book would take you back to that burning bush—and reignite a primal faith.”

Primal will help you live in light of what matters most and discover what it means to love God. It will help you become great at the Great Commandment.

Author Bio:
The author of Wild Goose Chase and In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day, Mark Batterson serves as lead pastor of National Community Church in Washington , D.C. One church with nine services in five locations, NCC is focused on reaching emerging generations and meets in movie theaters at metro stops throughout the D.C. area. Mark has two Masters degrees from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Chicago . He and his wife, Lora, live on Capitol Hill with their three children. www.markbatterson.com

My Review: What does Christianity mean to you?  The message in Primal: A Quest for the Lost Soul of Christianity is simple, yet profound. Want to become part of a reformation movement? The author takes us back to the basic, yet underestimated command from the Lord. After all, it is indeed the first and greatest commandment (Matthew 22:37-38)! Have you ever taken the time to ponder what it really means to love the Lord with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength? This book will help you do just that. The book is divided into 4 parts: The Heart of Christianity, The Soul of Christianity, The Mind of Christianity, and The Strength of Christianity. You will learn about the 4 "spiritual love languages": compassion, wonder, curiosity, and energy. They all are important. Our family is missions-minded so I am glad to see that the author is, too. I also appreciate Mr. Batterson’s childlike faith that delights in God alone. The whole Christianity boils down to one primal thing: Amo Dei = Love God! This book is a call for Christians to love God above all else...yes, even more than life. "Everything minus God equals nothing. God plus nothing equals everything. At the end of the day, all that matters is God." (p.165) God is enough. Not God and job. Not God and house. Not God and ministry. Not even God and family. Just God! This book will fuel you to be on fire for Jesus. Refreshing read!

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To download the first two chapters, click here.
To purchase the book, visit here or here.

~ I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.