For inspiring reading about how other people overcome commonly shared obstacles, Passion City Church pastor Louie Giglio premiered a new book entitled "The Comeback." Compiling actual stories from his congregants in Atlanta, Ga., Giglio said the stories provide beneficial lessons learned. He gave the book the subtitle, "It's not too late, and you're never too far." He encourages everyone to remember that "God is bigger than whatever we're facing."
Giglio maintains the good news is that God is in the business of giving fresh starts to people. "He gives hope to the hopeless. Direction to the directionless. Help to those who need help. God's plans will always prevail, even when our plans don't."
"We all know what it feels like to have life disappoint us, and not work out as we'd hoped. We all know what it's like to long for something different, something better, something more," he said about the book.
"The Comeback celebrates new beginnings. It offers encouragement and perspective, and it's for you if you feel frustrated or confused, if you're enduring hardship or pain, if you've made mistakes or are grieving, if you're defeated or feel as though you've lost your way."
Giglio said in a Guideposts video he has learned in life that people are "either in a storm, or either just coming through a storm, or I hate to even say it, on our way into a storm." The book invites readers, he said, into the lives, stories and journeys of how others are weathering the world's storms.
His new book is modeled after a comeback sermon series he recently delivered in which he pointed out people in the Bible, such as Samson and Joseph, who overcame major challenges. "You can't have a comeback unless you're way, way down. Sadly, I think the key ingredient to all our comebacks is having to get to the 'zero point,' which is not when your friends or parents think you need to come back, but when you figure out you need to come back."
Giglio said until humans get to that zero point place, God can't extend the mercy and grace that people need to move them. "God wants to move us forward, and you can't go forward until you're at the beginning place."
In his personal life, Giglio said God met him at the "very, very, very bottom of it all." Although he admits there is no formula for every person to follow, he wants people to remember "the true things that would be remembered in the light, but forgotten in the dark; things such as God loves us and that just because circumstances have really closed in on us, it doesn't mean God's love for us has changed."
He also said it helps to remember that God is working, whether it is seen or not. He said it is having confidence and hope it that concept, and taking steps faithfully day by day, which leads people back into the light.
He said he believes people have many misnomers in life, such as that five- to 10-year plans are needed. "I think Jesus said 'tomorrow's got problems, let that be tomorrow.' Focus on today. And know that God is going to focus on today, and lead you into what God needs you to be about."
The key, he said, is to make plans, but leave them in the hands of God, and then try to steward them well. "Try to love people well, serve people well, represent Jesus well, wherever He has you right in the moment. If we're willing to say yes to all those moments, then over time, it builds a phenomenal story and an amazing life."
Giglio has written several other Christian books: "The Air I Breathe,"" I Am Not but I Know I Am,"" Wired: For a Life of Worship" and a number of popular worship songs, including "Indescribable" and "How Great Is Our God."
