The Jesus Freak Bookworm: The Cause Within You by Matthew Barnett

Whether we realize it or not, each of us was created for a great cause—and we will never be truly fulfilled until we find and pursue it.

Matthew Barnett, son of a well-known mega church pastor, discovered his great cause when he relinquished his dream of building a big, successful church like his father’s and began listening for God’s dream for his life. Sensing that God was calling him to serve the poor and powerless of Los Angeles, Matthew founded the Dream Center, a beacon of hope for homeless families, drug addicts, abused women and children, victims of human trafficking, teen runaways, gang members, and many others whose lives were filled with brokenness.

If you are hungry for a life full of passion instead of apathy; if you are ready to use your specific gifts and abilities to make a mark on the world; if you need to be reminded that God loves you and has a plan for your life—The Cause Within You is the book that can change everything.

Through his own story and the stories of others whose lives have been transformed, Matthew Barnett will lead you to the cause of your lifetime.

I freakin' loved this book.

I'm a fiction gal. I like to read stories. I think one of the main reasons I didn't like Mere Churchianity was because there wasn't a story throughout the whole book. I kept waiting for Spencer to actually act out what he was preaching. But The Cause Within You kept me spell bound from the beginning all the way to the end, a story that began way back when as a sixteen-year-old pastor wannabe who was told he couldn't do it.

It starts out with a mega-church pastor seeing what it's like to be homeless. Literally on the streets sleeping on a cardboard box. I totally cheered this guy on. I thought, Finally! Someone who doesn't just PREACH. Someone who says they have faith and proves it with works! (James 2:14 - Awesome scripture. I totally recommend you pulling out your Bible and reading the book of James in the New Testament).

Reading this book was like a breath of fresh air. It encouraged me soooo much to read about hundreds of people who don't just sit around debating all the time. It's okay to have questions and doubts (Happens to me all the time!), but it seems like some people just get STUCK in their questions. Seems to me that we humans have a lot of questions. And for some dumb reason we keep on asking each other. When was the last time you asked God?

Okay, sorry, I feel like I'm preaching. These are just the thoughts churning in my head. Back to the book!

Barnett wrote a lot about what God has taught him, and he ended some of the chapters with a short list called "What I've Learned." I loved that. Totally summed up the chapter and keeps you thinking.

He also wrote about the Dream Center and his church. I have a list of churches I want to visit (Like, The Brooklyn Tabernacle in New York, Joel Olsteen's church, Moody in Chicago, etc.) and his is so on my list. I would also love to visit the Dream Center.

If you're involved in ministry or you're looking for God's purpose in your life, this is the book for you. Barnett is so real in his book. I didn't feel like I was reading about a mega-church pastor, I felt like I was reading about a brother in Christ. He wasn't throwing in a bunch of "what-ifs" or "I think God wants us to do this and that." Instead he was genuine and I whole heartily agreed with everything he said.

Matthew Barnett, best-selling author of The Church That Never Sleeps and pastor of one of America’s fastest growing churches, is one of the most dynamic voices God is using in Christianity today. At the age of 34, he is fulfilling the roles of people who have been in the ministry for years. Son of Pastor Tommy Barnett, best-selling author, church growth pioneer, and pastor of what Time Magazine noted as “One of the three largest churches in America,” Matthew has learned powerful principles of ministry, which have gifted him in founding The Dream Center in Los Angeles.

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