Nothing To Prove - Jennie Allen

Nothing to Prove by Jennie Allen speaks to those who are struggling to measure up to a set of standards of their own making. Explaining that many go through this struggle, she invites the reader to find freedom in the knowledge that we will never be enough---but JESUS is more than enough! Our goal is to get to know Jesus and open ourselves to being used by Him and not focusing on our own sense of self-worth. 

We tend to chase after things that are superficially important to us, but leave us unsatisfied. Frustration and fear over not measuring up to your definition of self-worth simply leads to constant yearning to prove we are worthy and in control, but that simply cannot be found on our own if we constantly compare ourselves to others.

Jennie brings you to a point of understanding that Jesus provides what we need. You are loved. You can relax. You can rest in Him and not have to do everything on your own. You have Nothing to Prove! 

Jennie has a refreshing style that lets the reader know that she knows the struggle from personal experience and has the capacity to help others reach a level of knowing that know that we battle a real enemy who wants to destroy us and interfere in our relationship with God. I love the excerpt below:

IF I WERE YOUR ENEMY…
If I were your enemy, this is what I would do:
Make you believe you need permission to lead.
Make you believe you are helpless.
Make you believe you are insignificant.
Make you believe that God wants your decorum and behavior.
Make you believe you have something to prove.

She explains how we can get so overwhelmed by other things we can lose focus on what is most important---our relationship with God and the knowledge that He loves us. We don't have to prove anything to Him, but just be willing to follow His lead. When we follow, He can make the changes we are unable to do on our own. Stop trying so hard. You have nothing to prove before stepping into His plans for you. 


Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book at no cost to myself from Waterbrook-Multnomah blogging program. All opinions are my own. 

Restless DVD Study Kit - Jennie Allen

In Restless, an 8-session, video-based small group Bible study, Bible study teacher and author Jennie Allen helps you discover a practical plan to identify the threads of your life and how to weave them together for God's glory and purposes.Restless explores this important question: “Do I matter?” And Jennie asks, "We live with lots of things, lots of people…but do we live for something?”
Using the story of Joseph, Jennie explains how his suffering, gifts, story, and relationships fit into the greater story of God-and how your story can do the same. She also introduces Threads – a tool to help you see your own personal story and to uncover and understand the raw materials God has given you to use for his glory and purpose.
Filled with practical tools and biblical teaching, Restless will equip you to:

Make sense of the seemingly random relationships and activities of life

Redeem life's hurts and scars

Place your story in context with God's greater story

Sessions include:

• Introduction
• God’s Story
• Gifts
• Scars
• Place
• People
• Passion
• Holy Spirit

Kit includes DVD, study guide, leader's guide, and discussion card set.
(The info above is from the Thomas Nelson product page.)

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My Review: 'Restless' is a word I have used to describe myself for a couple of years now, so I jumped at the opportunity to review a curriculum based on that word. When I saw that it was going to be based on a study of Joseph and how his story is woven from tangled threads into a beautiful picture of God's ultimate plan for his life, it all made sense. As Jennie put it, "Untangling the threads of our lives and assembling them together in one place reveals a beautiful plan designed by the Creator himself: God's Agenda + my threads + the need + the Holy Spirit = my purpose."

This 8 part dvd curriculum, meant for small groups, is interactive for members to respond to each session. The topics bring a focus the unique threads in your life: the Gifts, Scars, Places, People, Passions that combine to make you the person you are and can be used to fulfill God's purpose in your life. A part that struck a nerve with me was when Jennie used the example, "Why would I teach a Bible Study when Beth Moore is in the world?" I know how quickly I back away from projects because there are so many who do it so much better. It is easy to be restless when you keep retreating to a place filled with fear and self-doubt. This isn't a study that goes deep into Scripture, but I feel that it is one that can be as beneficial to the mature believer as it can to those new or seeking faith. This is a study that can meet people where they are today.

I highly recommend this curriculum. Even if you have never led a study group before, there are clear instructions and suggestions on the best way to use your time. I also liked the discussion cards to be used; sometimes you need spark to ignite a conversation and these work great. Of course, when you are being transparent with others, there will need to be trust among the group. So, while it could be abridged to fit the needs of a larger group, but it is still suggested you break into more intimate groups for discussion. I liked it just as a personal study and plan to go back through it again without having to make the notes I needed as a reviewer. The kit comes with the dvd, the leader's guide, a participant's study guide and a discussion card set.


Disclaimer: I was provided with these materials at no cost to myself by Shelton Interactive. There was no requirement that I give a good review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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Anything by Jennie Allen

In ANYTHING: The Prayer That Unlocked My God and My Soul, Jennie Allen writes about abandoning our pursuit of the comfortable things in life that make us happy, and choosing to be fully committed to living the life God wants us to live. Somewhere along the way we have chosen to believe that the white picket fence American dream of the 50s is a portrait of a good Christian life: we do what society deems proper, along with a token acknowledgment that God has blessed us.


Jennie Allen writes, “I believe that like every generation before us, we have an opportunity to see God move in our midst . . . to surrender in such a way that we would turn the head and heart of God. He waits for surrendered lives, and he finds them, he floods them. I want to be a part of that.”

 This is a well-written book that explores the fears, uncertainties, and joy of fully surrendering to God. Examples of her own life and the lives of others are liberally sprinkled in the pages to give this a personalized feel as though the reader is sharing thoughts, prayers, hopes, doubts, and dreams with a good friend. It not only gave me thoughts into my own life and my relationship with God, but inspired me to be more willing to step out in faith and fully trust God to lead me where He wants me to be and know that He is always there to catch me should I stumble along the way.   I received a copy of this book from Shelton Interactive. I was not required to give a good review and all opinions are my own.