Outflow: Outward-Focused Living in a Self-Focused World

by Steve Sjogren

Book Overview

Here is your field guide to not reaching, but letting God's love fill you with joy that flows from you to your family, friends, neighbors, . . . world. Written for everyday people, this book inspires... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0764434047
• ISBN13: 9780764434044
• Release Date: January 2007
• Publisher: Group Publishing (CO)
• Length: 236 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Life-Changing Study

If you have ever been turned off by hearing or presenting evangelistic "pitches" and memorized scripts but you still have a heart to share God's love with those around you - this book will change your life! We used the books and message kit to go through this study as a church and (like other churches I know that have done the same) it has changed our whole attitude and level of excitement about outreach and has led us to some incredible loving acts of service in our community. I look forward to how God will use this study as we put it into practice more and more in our lives! - Pastor Gerry

A five-week adventure

This is a book that will change your life and the life of many people around you. Jump-in into this five-week journey, full of adventure and excitement, and you'll discover the true power of loving one another.

Finally the original message shines through

As the author, I must confess what is clearly the central message of Outflow - that we live a life of availablity to God's Spirit continually - to love, serve, show God's kindness - is not a program but a lifestyle... was my original hope with my first book, Conspiracy of Kindness. If you read Conspiracy you will see threads of this message present in that book. However, some / many perhaps, glanced through the ideas of Conspiracy and concluded, "This is cake! A no brainer! Let's get at it!" Unfortunately, though kindness is not a complex message, it is certainly not a simplistic one. Most who saw this message as the latest, greatest way to grow their church have likely long since given up on this as someting that didn't bear results. If you are in love with results first and foremost you have a ways to go as a leader. The goal is to alter the culture of what is happening in both your church and your city ultimately. That is what Jesus did. You begin to change the culture, and all else will be a natural overflow. In short, some either didn't read the book or they skipped over the essential parts of Conspiracy where I promised them, "If you try to grow numerically using this as a 'method' you certainly will fail..." Ironically, by living this message out - both that of Conspiracy and now of Outflow, momentum will absolutely take place. But our God is a God who weighs the motivations of the heart. He isn't into human empire building. He is into extending his kingdom in a huge way. When he finds hearts that are open to co-laboring with him - noticing what he is doing - he excitedly joins with them in drawing in many. But our hearts need to be simply right. This is not a complex matter. We simply tell God we are available. We turn to the "on" position our "noticer" - which we all had going at full tilt early on but in most cases turned off along the way for one reason or another - and once again we begin to hear from him about those around us who are in need of simple interventions of his power flowing through us. Think of them as "invitations" to move forward. This book will empower, encourage, make practical what you have likely seen as difficult / impossible to relate to. Your life will vibrate with the life of God flowing through you in ways you never dreamed possible. Stories will flow. Those stories will draw many into the parade Jesus is leading - into the kingdom of God.

So insanely simple, it's brilliant!

Outflow replaces mountains of books on Evangelism and Outreach I've had on my shelf with its simple message. Do something nice for someone, if they ask why you did it, tell them "I wanted to share God's love with you." Forget about Community evangelism based on writing testimonies, memorizing prayers and seeking out total strangers to save with your carefully chosen words! Simply do something unexpected for a stranger! Pay the bill for the person behind you in line at MacDonalds...hand out cold bottles of water at the local park on a hot day... When they ask why? (and they will!) tell them! I shared this book with the rest of my church staff and the insanely simple Outflow method is turning even the most reluctant into enthusiastic evangelists. Brilliant!

This resource is life-changing!

This resource is life-changing! Read it, reflect on it, and you will be challenged to change your perspective of how your life affects those around you. Buy it and share it with your friends, family, and co-workers, and watch the ripple effect of lives impacting one another. Use it as a study with a group of people you know! How refreshing it is to take the focus off ourselves and focus on those around us and around the world! I read this book and have passed it onto several people around me. This Fall, we'll be using this in my church to change our focus from inside the relationships within our four walls to the community and beyond!