Gods at War: Defeating the Idols that Battle for Your Heart
Written by Kyle Idleman
Narrated by K.C. Bragg
4/5
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About this audiobook
Join pastor and bestselling author Kyle Idleman as he illustrates a clear path away from the heartache of our twenty-first-century idolatry and back to the heart of God--enabling us to be completely committed followers of Jesus.
What do Netflix, our desire for the corner office, and that perfect picture we just posted on Instagram have to do with each other? None of these things are wrong in and of themselves. But when we begin to allow entertainment, success, or social media to control us, we miss out on the joy of God's rule in our hearts.
In Gods at War, Idleman helps every believer recognize that there are false gods at war within each of us, and they battle for the place of glory and control in our lives.
According to Idleman, idolatry isn't an issue; it is the issue. And he reveals which false gods we are allowing on the throne of our lives by asking insightful questions, including:
- What do you sacrifice for?
- What makes you mad?
- What do you worry about?
- Whose applause do you long for?
We're all wired for worship, but we often end up valuing and honoring the idols of money, sex, food, romance, success, and many others that keep us from the intimate relationship with God that we desire.
In this updated and expanded edition of Gods at War, Idleman adds a new introduction as well as new content about the battle many of us face with technology, whether we are tempted to send just one more text, stay online when our bodies need rest, or put email before in-person relationships, teaching us how to seek God with our whole heart instead.
Praise for Gods at War:
"Today's false gods are more tempting than ever as they promise comfort, wealth, and happiness. Kyle Idleman equips us to kill the deceitful pests that harass our hearts. Get ready for battle."
--Mark Batterson, pastor, National Community Church, and bestselling author of The Circle Maker
"Don't just read this book--read it now! Kyle's words will dig deep to expose the false gods that drive us away from the real One. In these pages, liberation awaits."
--Lee Strobel, bestselling author of The Case for Christ and The Case for Faith
Kyle Idleman
Kyle Idleman is the senior pastor at Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky, one of the largest churches in America. On a normal weekend, he speaks to more than twenty-five thousand people spread across eleven campuses. More than anything else, Kyle enjoys unearthing the teachings of Jesus and making them relevant in people’s lives. He is a frequent speaker for national conventions and influential churches across the country. Kyle and his wife, DesiRae, have been married for over twenty-five years. They have four children, two sons-in-law, and recently welcomed their first grandchild. They live on a farm in Kentucky.
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Reviews for Gods at War
51 ratings5 reviews
- Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5The title does not correlate with the story told... The story told is not bad but the deception was inconvenient...
- Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5This is:
My Bright Friend by Simon Boulerice
Not as stated - Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5This is a decent book about identifying the different types of idols in your life. I think Idleman does a good job with defining the major types of false gods and impacts they have. He picks some good stories to illustrate his main points with (I think this is one of his main gifts - illustrations). I don't think he always hit on his biblical examples though. There were a couple of times I saw him stretching the example or pulling something that wasn't there. This was a good book but I don't think it had as big of impact on me as "Not A Fan" was. Still wroth a read. Final Grade - B-
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5This was the Big Idea at my church. We've all read it and studied it on Sundays and in small group. The book is sort of repetitive. I agree with my husband who said we could have just watched the video series without reading the book. I learned a lot and appreciated the insights.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5"What if I told you that every sin you are struggling with, every discouragement you are dealing with, even the lack of purpose you're living with are because of idolatry?" (12)With this statement, Kyle Idleman launches into a pointed, challenging, and needed assault on the idols in our lives. Idleman says that an idol is "anything that becomes the purpose or driving force of your life probably points back to idolatry of some kind" (26). He groups nine idols into three "temples": the temple of pleasure - addressing the god of food, the god of sex, and the god of entertainment; the temple of power - addressing the god of success, the god of money, and the god of achievement; and the temple of love - addressing the god of romance, the god of family, the god of me. The thoroughness with which Idleman dismantles the gods of culture leaves no stone unturned. Any reader of this book is likely to be skewered at multiple points.My only qualm with this book is the obviously Arminian thought that shines through at points. Interestingly enough, I was leading a group of highschoolers through this book; they were the ones who identified (correctly) Idleman's theological presuppositions. Their theological instincts made me proud!This book was a good read. I highly recommend it. It will challenge and lead many people to address sin in their lives. I know it did that for me.