Introduction
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Kyle Idleman’s book “One at a Time” has been published. Idleman himself has very radical thoughts, but when I read the books he had written before, they still contained radical ideas within the gospel, so they were fully acceptable. While reading his book, it feels like a Pharisee who came to Jesus to become a disciple. He worked hard, but it seems like he missed out on a lot of crucial things. The cover of the book is here
Book content
“What does it mean ‘one person at a time’? In his book, he says…”
Among them, there is one particular concept that captures the reason why Jesus exerted such an enormous influence: “One at a Time” (16p).
In a way, Jesus didn’t engage in social media, and he didn’t even have podcasts. So how could he have such a far-reaching impact? Idleman explains that Jesus focused on one person at a time. If you read the book, you can see Idleman’s personality revealed, and he admits that he used to fear and avoid people. Prior to adopting his “one at a time” strategy, he recognized that he had been avoiding and pretending.
Essentially, this could be a valuable concept for people who struggle to connect with others. Idleman shows how his appearance changed when he broke away from this behavior and started focusing on one person at a time. He demonstrated a transformation by taking action.
This change in appearance also reflects the way people actively change. Even in prayer, the original question of “God, what do you want to do through me?” transformed into “God, what do you want me to do in response to your calling?” It’s just a few words, but it represents a significant shift, as Idleman points out.
Idleman discusses Jesus, one person at a time, based on stories we may have heard in church, such as the Canaanite wedding, the woman with a hemorrhage, the woman caught in adultery, and the Samaritan woman. He applies this theory throughout.
He also includes not only biblical stories but also accounts of a gangster who encountered the gospel through a certain grandmother, a driver named Linda, and Mother Teresa. Through these examples, he emphasizes the keyword “compassion.”
Book Review
When reading his books, I often feel a warmth in my heart. Does his style capture the essence of the situations he describes? He expresses them so vividly that I want to experience them myself. In particular, when he describes the adulterous woman, it deeply resonates with me, and I can sense the emotions of the person involved. It’s safe to say that this is the mark of an excellent preacher because he conveys the brokenness of a person’s heart.
However, there are still some regrets about this excellent book. In the middle of the book, detailed explanations are provided for the illustrations, which interrupts the flow. Usually, general books can be read continuously without having to jump back and forth, but in this book, there are certain parts where you have to refer back to previous pages. It would have been better if the book had been refined a little more, considering the reader’s experience in these sections.
Conclusion
In fact, Idleman’s book seems to provide hope for Christians who have been hiding without making any impact. It serves as a guide for Christians on how to take a step forward in their faith. If you often struggle with expressing your faith or are unsure about your manner of faith, I highly recommend reading this book.