Have you ever felt drained with Christianity? Like that love or passion you’re supposed to have just isn’t there, no matter how hard you try to refill it? Or maybe you’ve looked at your own church and wondered, “Is this what Christianity is supposed to look like?” Perhaps you’ve looked at your own life and the lives of missionaries and evangelists and asked yourself, “Why am I not like them?” Or maybe you’re feeling alone in your walk with Christ and are starting to question whether you’re on the right path at all because you’re so different from secular society’s norms.
If, like me, you’ve wrestled with any of the above recently (or are even struggling with this now!), I have just the book to set your heart on fire for God.
The name? Love Riot by Sara Barratt.
With compelling grace, passion, and humility, Love Riot exhorts you to seek something better than culture’s fads or passing ideals. This book, aimed at young adults, gives you a taste of the overwhelming joy, confidence, and peace found in following Christ. And its gorgeous cover only reflects the beautiful message within.
My Thoughts on Love Riot
If I could describe Love Riot in two words, it would be "WHOLEHEARTED” and “YEARNING". Throughout this book, Sara presents the diverse situations teens face today and urges readers to face them with Christ’s love rather than Instagram or video games. She's experienced something real - a love for Christ that burns within her. A love that is worth dying to everything else. A love
that transforms. And she longs that it would transform other teens, too, as they rediscover the faithful, ever-present Father, Creator, Friend, and Holy God whose love transformed history and can still transform your story and your world. How can teens be satisfied with what culture wants to offer them when Christ offers so much more?
While sharing the beauty of following Christ, Sara also shares her honest struggles in the faith and in culture as a Christ-following teenager:
Going against the flow is never easy. Driving against traffic is never safe. Holding different beliefs in a liberal society, when everyone else is bowing to hate, and fighting for the truth of the gospel isn't comfortable. But you can't claim to love Jesus and continue in the patterns of the world. It's impossible to fit in when the things driving your life call you to stand out and, sometimes, stand alone. - Love Riot
Every time I listened to God and stepped into an uncomfortable situation...I discovered something beautiful outside my comfort zone...I've learned my comfort zones may feel safe, but in reality, they're a prison keeping me from fully following Christ. - Love Riot
We need Sara's voice for our generation. We need teens who are devoted to giving their all for the One who gave His all. We need teens with "no reserves, no retreats, [and] no regrets." We need Teens who believe that Christ is worth it. We need teens who are not satisfied with simply hearing about Christ on a Sunday but delve into His Word with a passion and a thirst that's unrivaled by anything else.
We need teens to stand.
I will warn you, however: if you're reading this book, really reading it, it's going to make you uncomfortable. I say this because it made me uncomfortable with myself. Through this book, the Lord revealed so much of my pride and legalism, which I am still battling and digging up. It may even take you more than one read to understand the beauty of this book. It did me. But guess what? You will come out better for the struggle because it will drive you to seek the Lord. And this book is worth every minute spent in reading, no matter how many times you find yourself reading it.
Why I Recommend Love Riot
There are so many books out there dealing with self-help. How to be unique, how to survive college, how to like yourself, how to deal with relationships, how to deal with friendships - you name it, and it's there somewhere! So why add another?
Because so many secular YA nonfiction books provide only tips, tricks, and techniques, which have their place, but can only work on a surface level. In contrast, Jesus’ love changes the very core of who we are.
And once we understand His love, everything else falls into place.
Culture’s pressures are way too strong for us to withstand evil by living for ourselves. We
were made to live for a greater purpose! We were made to receive God's radical love and in turn, radically love others. That's why we long to change the world, to be different, to like ourselves, to thrive, to love.
And only Jesus' love is enough to make us who we ache to be.
We need Him now more than ever.
We need a Love Riot now more than ever.
So come, join the love riot. Let's live all-in for Christ. With radical devotion and passionate adoration of our Savior. Let's go out and show the world the God we know. Let's share the gospel and serve our neighbors and live in wonderstruck worship of our King. Let's live like Jesus is Lord. Like He's everything. Because He is, you know.
There's a new generation arising. Some call us crazy and radical. Others might refer to us as Jesus freaks. We're the heartbeat of this century. The world sometimes thinks we're missing out, but we know that's not true. We have our sights set on the goal, and we're running the race with our eyes fixed on Jesus. We won't give up. We won't turn back. We're devoted, wholly committed, and in love with the Savior of our souls.
Who are we? We're passionate followers of Jesus Christ. - Love Riot
As you can probably tell, I'll be reading this book over and over again.
I want you to experience this as well, so head on over to any of the links below to add this beautiful book to your collection. Also, check out the Bible App devotional of Love Riot to have a free taste of this book!
Sarah's Bio:
Sara Barratt is an author, speaker, avid reader, chocolate lover, and lead editor for TheRebelution.com, a growing online platform that reaches more than half a million Christian teens, parents, and youth workers each year. She’s a frequent speaker on topics including using your teen years for Christ, purity, and fighting modern-day slavery. She wrote her first book Love Riot: A Teenage Call to Live with Relentless Abandon for Christ when she was eighteen. Her work has been featured on numerous websites including The Gospel Coalition, Crosswalk, Desiring God, Girl Defined, and Lies Young Women Believe. She’s been a guest on numerous radio shows and podcasts including The Eric Metaxas Show, Moody Radio, and WMUZ.
Her passion is challenging and encouraging her peers to live sold out and set apart for Jesus. When she’s not writing or dreaming up new book ideas, she loves spending time with family and friends, taking long walks, drinking copious amounts of tea, and scribbling down random thoughts that eventually get lost in her purse. Come hang out with her on Facebook and Instagram.
Disclosure: The publisher sent me this book to review. This post contains affiliate links.
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