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In A Pit With A Lion On A Snowy Day: How To Survive And Thrive When Opportunity Roars
Your greatest regret at the end of your life will be the lions you didn't chase. You will look back longingly on risks not taken, opportunities not seized, and dreams not pursued. Stop running away from what scares you most and start chasing the God-ordained opportunities that cross your path. In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day is inspired by one of the most obscure yet c...more
Paperback, 192 pages
Published
October 16th 2006
by Multnomah
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Homo Hominis Lupus
http://manisawolftomen.blogspot.com/
In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day begins with the story of Benaiah, one of David's Mighty Men and eventually head of the Israeli army. The book hinges on a passage from Samuel in which is describe in brief a day when Benaiah spying a lion chases it into a pit and kills it. From this little story and an iota of other details from Benaiah's life Batterson constructs a system of risk-taking, fearlessness, boldness or whatever...more
http://manisawolftomen.blogspot.com/
In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day begins with the story of Benaiah, one of David's Mighty Men and eventually head of the Israeli army. The book hinges on a passage from Samuel in which is describe in brief a day when Benaiah spying a lion chases it into a pit and kills it. From this little story and an iota of other details from Benaiah's life Batterson constructs a system of risk-taking, fearlessness, boldness or whatever...more
Do you remember a guy in King David's army named Benaiah? He was a valiant warrior who proved himself many times in the time of his service to the king. Before being appointed the head bodyguard for David, a small passage in 2 Samuel 23:20-21 tells of something crazy this guy did:
“Benaiah chased a lion down into a pit. Then, despite the snow and slippery ground, he caught the lion and killed it.”
Benaiah could have walked away from the lion that day, and no one would have tho...more
“Benaiah chased a lion down into a pit. Then, despite the snow and slippery ground, he caught the lion and killed it.”
Benaiah could have walked away from the lion that day, and no one would have tho...more
OK, this book is just too much fun. It’s easy to read, encouraging, challenging, and did I say fun?
Here are a few quotes to give you the flavor.
1. The more we grow, the bigger God should get. And the bigger God gets, the smaller our lions will become.
2. God planned for every contingency you might ever encounter, before the beginning of time.
3. First John 4:18 describes the end goal of our relationship with God: “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear...more
Here are a few quotes to give you the flavor.
1. The more we grow, the bigger God should get. And the bigger God gets, the smaller our lions will become.
2. God planned for every contingency you might ever encounter, before the beginning of time.
3. First John 4:18 describes the end goal of our relationship with God: “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear...more
Dave gave me this great book called In the Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day by Mark Batterson. The book takes it’s title from a passage in 2 Samuel where a man named Benaiah encounters a lion; instead of running, as most of us would, Benaiah chases the lion, falls into a pit with it, and then proceeds to kill it. Eventually, Benaiah rises to be head of King David’s bodyguard contingent. Batterson’s central point is that part of living a life of faith is about chasing after the opportunities that G...more
The point here is a fairly simple one: the things you fear may very well be opportunities that God has put in your path, and you should probably act on those opportunities. The exploration of the point is pretty tedious, though. Batterson seems enchanted with the brief mention of Benaiah (in what is essentially a footnote to the story of David in 1 and 2 Samuel), and he devotes numerous pages to imaginative speculation of what the man's encounter with a lion must have been like (there is also sp...more
I honestly didn't really even want to read In A Pit With A Lion On A Snowy Day by Mark Batterson, but I think God wanted me to read it. I should say I did want to read it, but only because I like to stay up on popular Christian trends and this book kept popping up on my radar. Recently I found out my coworker had ordered it and she offered to let me read it when she was done. I jumped on the opportunity to read the book without actually having to buy it.
My goal was to try to rea...more
My goal was to try to rea...more
My pastor actually suggested I read In a Pit With a Lion on a Snowy Day. Based around the fearlessness that Benaiah showed while chasing that lion into that particular pit on that particular snowy day, Benaiah faced his fears and conquered the challenge of a lifetime. Benaiah is now my Hero. He trusted in God that he would come to no harm while chasing and fighting that lion and he just did it. Personally, I might have run. No, I definitely would have run. But that’s the point of this book. You ...more
"Christ followers ought to be the most passionate people on the planet."
"But lion chasers have a life wish . They live life to the fullest because they are willing to look foolish"
This book was pretty cool. However, one of my biggest complaints was that this book seemed similar to Wild at Heart by John Eldredge, meaning it was geared towards guys. My second complaint was that Batterson used a lot of scientific explanations for God (Butterfly Effect, Deep Blue,...more
"But lion chasers have a life wish . They live life to the fullest because they are willing to look foolish"
This book was pretty cool. However, one of my biggest complaints was that this book seemed similar to Wild at Heart by John Eldredge, meaning it was geared towards guys. My second complaint was that Batterson used a lot of scientific explanations for God (Butterfly Effect, Deep Blue,...more
This is the second book I’ve read by Mark Batterson. I have enjoyed his easy way of “flowing” the book together. It was a written conversation by the author and with the author. I choose to read this book because of its title—catchy and long! Much to my surprise it was in reference to a biblical “story” that is only two verses long. It read like I would suppose an ancient resume would read. Benaiah, son of Jehiada, from Kabzeel. Did many heroic deeds, examples include killing two of the Moabs’ m...more
I had this book highly recommended by everyone that I talked to throughout my training. Unfortunately I can't say I would overly recommend this book. It's based off of one passage in the old testament and although it plays very strongly to our emotions about not being afraid and taking on the lions in our lives, there is very little meat here which is kind of what I am looking for when I go to read Christian literature. So if you want something that inspires you to live a crazy life, this book c...more
This is a must read book for any christian. Words can not describe how much I enjoyed this book and how much it challenged me. It was a reminder on so many life changing thoughts that it has changed the way I view God, the way I view problems, and the way I handle fear and opportunities. This book can do nothing but help and it is not long. It is such an easy read but don't read it too fast because there is so much to take in. While I was taking notes, I just wanted to copy every sentence down i...more
Chase your dreams!
Laced with personal stories from Batterson’s work at National Community Church (Washington, DC), In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day offers inspiration for overcoming fears, taking risks, and seizing opportunities for the glory of God. Although exegetically shallow, Batterson seizes on an obscure biblical reference (2 Sam. 23:20-21) as his central metaphor for risk, opportunity, and faith. Often times, Batterson argues, our greatest fears can become our greatest opportunities to live out the adv...more
I cannot even begin to put in to words how much I enjoyed, and honestly, how much I needed to read "In A Pit..." This is truly a word in season for me right now.
For a few months I got by just reading about 5-10 pages a week...there was SO much to absorb that I didn't want to risk overlooking things, just to 'get through' the book. Finally I decided to just sit and finish reading it, with my trusty high lighter sitting next to me, so I could highlight things I wanted to real...more
For a few months I got by just reading about 5-10 pages a week...there was SO much to absorb that I didn't want to risk overlooking things, just to 'get through' the book. Finally I decided to just sit and finish reading it, with my trusty high lighter sitting next to me, so I could highlight things I wanted to real...more
This clever title is straight from the pages of 2 Samuel (23:20, 21), where we meet Benaiah, a valiant warrior who chased a lion down into a snowy pit—and emerged victorious. Mark Batterson’s core conviction is obvious throughout: “God is in the business of strategically positioning us in the right place at the right time”—He lovingly uses our past experiences to prepare us for future opportunities. We as His children often balk, though, when those God-given opportunities are disguised as man-ea...more
Never meant to read this book. We got it free at a church meeting and I was intrigued by the title although I judged it as "gimicky." Mark Batterson is the real deal though; he has taken some intriguing risks and profited greatly from these choices. Timing was good on this one, as I am really wrestling with feeling trapped in a "comfortable" life. Hoping/praying this book might be a launching pad for getting outside my comfort zone and running headlong after some of the l...more
I had a difficult time rating this book. I enjoyed the concepts discussed but did not enjoy reading the book. I really like the concept of chasing God given opportunities and Batterson does a great job exploring this idea. His points to remember at the end of the chapter are well worth the price of the book. I consider this a must read for someone who is failing to see or failing to seize opportunities in his or her life.
However, I do not like his writing style and I do not agree with...more
However, I do not like his writing style and I do not agree with...more
The thrust of the book - trusting God even and especially in the face of particularly challenging circumstances - was good but the writing was not. You can almost see the author laughing at his own awful puns as he's writing them. And you get the sense that he probably tells the same stories over and over again. That being said the book's subject is great and timely whether you're at a "safe" place in life or staring down the proverbial lion.
Basically, this is an explicitly Christian variation on the principle that we need to confront the things that scare us the most so we can overcome them and come into our own. Batterson returns repeatedly to the Old Testament story of Benaiah, who jumped into a pit with a lion, won the fight, and subsequently became a member of King David's personal guard. His writing style is genial and conversational, an overtly evangelical take on Fast Company-like motivational writing -- I wasn't entirely ta...more
I really enjoyed this book. In my opinion it is the best book in it's genre (Christian Spirituality/Christian self-help). I tend to read these books because I tend to characterize myself as a Christian, but I often find myself disappointed with the material, which makes sense since ultimately the goal of these books is that Christianity is the one and only religion and in order to get into Heaven one has to believe strictly that JC is the one and only, which tends to not agree with my more lib...more
Many authors have great things to say but lack personal examples to spice the read. Not so with Batterson. He explodes with personal examples, and that is what makes the book weaker. I doubt this is his personality or intention, but he comes across boastful and arrogant. All his examples are of huge victories, massive failures, with his life at the center. It is essentially a biography about him and his church.
That said, this has some great things to say about vision and direction in...more
That said, this has some great things to say about vision and direction in...more
I have mixed feelings about the book. On the one hand, I felt that the first six chapters were VERY redundant. They probably could have been condensed into one chapter, and I struggled to read through them. The content was good, but the repetition was killing me.
On the other hand, the end of the book is Phenomenal. Chapter eight, "The Importance of Looking Foolish" was really spoke to me, and I think every american could benefit from reading it.
This book would ...more
On the other hand, the end of the book is Phenomenal. Chapter eight, "The Importance of Looking Foolish" was really spoke to me, and I think every american could benefit from reading it.
This book would ...more
This book finds me at the right time. God has used Mark's words to infuse encouragement and courage into my life. The men of King's Grant Fellowship are reading through this book together. Each breakfast, were we convene to share a meal and discuss the book, is full of great thoughts. Looking forward to the back half of the book.
This is a book that anyone who is having trouble mustering up the courage to chase their “lions” a.k.a. opportunities, I defintely recommend this book. It’s all about Benaiah, the hardly mentioned but very courageous first in command to King David, and how all of us can live lives like his.
Ryan Fisher
added it
Pretty good book. Mark Batterson has tremendous value in thinking outside the box. There is a connection between themes, concepts, and scientific revelations that juxtaposes them with life in entirely unique and insightful fashion. I was challenged on several levels.
Encouraging and motivating, this book is a reality check. It begs us to ask the question, "How big is your God?" Big enough to enable Beneniah to kill a lion in a pit on a snowy day? A resounding YES (2 Samuel 23:20-21)!
I'm facing a lot of unknowns right now, but this book has me trying to be OK with that. After all, lion chasers "don't need to know what is coming next because they know that God knows."
And my personal favorite quote from the book: ...more
I'm facing a lot of unknowns right now, but this book has me trying to be OK with that. After all, lion chasers "don't need to know what is coming next because they know that God knows."
And my personal favorite quote from the book: ...more
AMAZING book! Read this after reading Max Lucado's "Facing Your Giants" and it helped me with a MAJOR life changing decision. Now, a year later - I am SO loving life in ways I didn't think were possible. Hooray for Mark and sharing his story!
Great read. Snappy writing, filled with stories that are inspiring. Similar Wilkinson's Secret of the Vine, Mark Batterson uses obscure Bible passages to magnify God in the ordinary. Also similar to Frances Chan's Crazy Love, he inspires us to act with, for, and in the unseen and magnificant God. However, He does not beat down Christians or belittle those who "plod" through their faith walk. His message should inspire those who know they can do more, want to do more, and are only ...more
This is a very interesting & convicting book. I will read this one again, as there's a lot in it & I feel like I may have missed a few things the first time around. It's not a long book but packed!!! I would highly recommend it.
SO good! I definitely needed this for this time in life. It was definitely a reminder about the necessity of taking risks and trusting God way beyond our inclinations in order to fulfill his Purposes. My journal is full of quotes from this book and I've already started recommending it to a lot of people.
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“If you're bored, one thing is for sure: You're not following in the footsteps of Christ.”
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“God wants you to get where God wants you to go more than you want to get where God wants you to go.”
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9 people liked it
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