Wrecked and Redeemed
Wrecked & Redeemed
By: Benji Kelley
So, a few
weeks ago I received a free book from Wesleyan Investment Foundation. Much of
the time when I receive books like this I'm grateful, but they tend to sit on
my book shelf for months or years waiting to be read. It’s nothing
personal or anything, but my priorities are usually elsewhere.
However,
when I received Wrecked & Redeemed
something about it stood out. I don’t usually judge a book by its cover, but something
about this particular cover jumped out at me. It wasn’t the graphics, or the
picture of Benji Kelley on the front, it was the title that did it. It sparked
my curiosity so later that day I decided to crack it open. What I found was an
amazing story of a man who was at his end. Locked in a jail, strung out on
drugs, and wandering aimlessly through life, Benji Kelley was found by God. Exploring
the book of John in prison with the help of a chaplain, Kelley gained a unique
sense of God’s grace and truth.
Kelley’s understanding
of God’s grace and truth was uniquely shaped by his circumstances. Sitting in a
jail he understood the truth of the law. When he went before the judge, he knew
what he deserved and what the judge might call him to do, however, through the
judge he experienced God’s grace. Instead of spending five years in prison, he
was spending three years on probation.
With his
life radically changed by the grace and truth of Jesus Christ, Kelley planted a
newhope church. Now, over 7,000 people
hear the Gospel message on a weekly basis at the various campuses throughout
the Carolinas and Kenya. Kelley’s story reminds me of Macc Cuill, who through
the preaching of St. Patrick, went from being a murderer to a saint. Kelley’s
life, like that of so many people over the past 2,000 years, is marked by grace
and truth.
As you
walk through Wrecked & Redeemed
Kelley takes you through the Gospel of John. By highlighting aspects of Jesus’
life, Kelley gives us a glimpse of the heartbeat of newhope church. Starting in John 1, Kelley outlines the tension of grace
and truth. He skillfully communicates the idea that churches need to hold the
tension of grace and truth together. Many churches are so “graceful” they
accept those things which are contrary to God’s design while other churches are
so “truthful” that sinners seeking grace are shunned and left out. As the
Church, we need to run with the idea that we are a hospital for sick sinners to
find healing and life in Christ.
One
chapter that I found especially timely is Kelley’s call for unity through
diversity. Kelley points to Jesus’
prayer in John 17. After Jesus prays for himself, his disciples, he ends with
those who will believe and the first thing he prays is that “all of them may be
one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you” (John 17:21). Kelley urges churches
to examine how they may unintentionally be creating racial division instead of
unity. The point is that Sunday should not be the most segregated day of the
week, which it still is especially in the south, but it should be a picture of
Heaven and the complete unity we will all share one day.
The final
chapter is a charge for urgency. There are people out there that desperately
need Jesus! Their life literally depends on it. As believers and churches, we should
feel a sense of urgency to go and live out the Gospel so that others can find
the joy and hope that we have.
This
book, while it is for all believers, it will hit a chord with pastors and those
in church leadership positions. If you find yourself in any sort of leadership
position within the church, I would encourage you to pick it up.
To find
out more about the book and Pastor Kelley check out wreckedandredeemed.com.
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