Outrageous

Aaron Tredway

Description

Awaken to a Faith That Has No Bounds All over the country, people are waking up from the American Dream. More than a house, a car, and 2.5 kids, what people truly yearn for is a life of possibility, potential, and adventure. We believe God is able to do more than we hope or imagine, but we're stuck living in the tension between our ordinary life and the extraordinary adventures that might be just around the corner.In this energizing book, globe-trotting former athlete Aaron Tredway offers liberation from a life without purpose, calling readers to pursue lives of unexpected opportunity amid their everyday circumstances. Entertaining, engaging, and often unconventional, Outrageous challenges us to wake up and embrace a faith that can move us, shape us, and propel us to love God and others with greater significance. Each chapter unfolds a new true-life adventure fueled by faith and the extraordinary life Jesus promised to those who believe.

Sujets

• Philosophie et théologie

Informations

• Publié par: Baker Publishing Group
• Date de parution: 18 octobre 2016
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781493405510
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

Cover
Title Page
Copyright Page
© 2016 by Aaron Tredway
Published by Baker Books
a division of Baker Publishing Group
P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287
www.bakerbooks.com
Ebook edition created 2016
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
ISBN 978-1-4934-0551-0
Some names and details have been changed to protect the privacy of the individuals involved.
Published in association with the literary agent Tawny Johnson of D. C. Jacobson & Associates LLC, an Author Management Company, www.dcjacobson.com .
Endorsements
“God has given Aaron a really unique platform to love on people, and he is having a huge impact for the kingdom of God around the world. Outrageous is a collection of hilarious, faith-filled stories he has collected on the journey. I really believe it will inspire you to embrace the abundant life God has for you, and it will challenge you to use whatever gifts and opportunities he gives you to be his hands and feet.”
Todd Mullins , senior pastor of Christ Fellowship
“ Outrageous: Awake to the Unexpected Adventures of Everyday Faith by Aaron Tredway is just that, an adventure of faith! So often our faith is anything but an adventure. Through the pages of this book, get ready to be awakened to the great adventure of living on mission with Jesus!”
Derwin L. Gray, lead pastor of Transformation Church; author of Limitless Life
“Some speakers inspire. Some writers inspire. Few can switch-hit with the same results. Aaron Tredway can and does in these amazing races—twenty-four chapters of outrageous adventures around the world. Honest—I read half of these page-turning stories to my wife and we both agreed— Outrageous is the perfect book for family, friends, colleagues, and clients. Whew! The stories are incredible, like ‘Sleep in the Middle,’ or ‘Son of the King,’ or ‘Jeśus Calling’ (my favorite). Aaron’s heart for God and every soul on the planet shines through. Outrageous touched my heart.”
John Pearson , author of Mastering the Management Buckets
“ Outrageous is a very entertaining, exciting, and encouraging read on the phenomenal things that can and will happen when we are willing to let go of fear and doubt and boldly go where God leads us. After reading Aaron’s book, I am even more convinced that a Christ-centered life is the only way we can have life more abundantly. If you have doubts that God can make the impossible possible, read Outrageous: Awake to the Unexpected Adventures of Everyday Faith , because Aaron Tredway’s life will make you reconsider!”
Jerod Cherry , three-time Super Bowl champion; cohost of The Really Big Show on ESPN Cleveland
“This book ends with a simple but profound question, ‘What do you have to lose?’ I had been a Christian since I was twelve but did not become a Christ-follower until I was forty. Everything, everything changed . . . life became fuller, not easy . . . became joyful even in hardship . . . became content but not necessarily comfortable . . . became peaceful even in the midst of uncertainty. My life began an Outrageous journey and that is the only way to experience real life. All the important relationships in my life have exploded to a deeper level of love and commitment—my wife, my children, my friends. I even began to love my enemies. Why? Because I began to see the clear message and journey that Aaron so vividly describes in Outrageous . This culture promotes the prosperity of comfort, chasing after riches, and entitlement. But Jesus says ‘whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?’ Outrageous is a must-read because you will ask yourself the question, ‘What do you have to lose?’ . . . and in the process you might find life, and life more than abundant!”
Dr. Jeff Duke , creator and author of 3 Dimensional Coaching
“Aaron Tredway, in his book Outrageous , takes us with him on a wild adventure and an exhilarating ride involving people, sports, culture , and spirituality. Aaron is one who knows how God takes ordinary people like us and allows us to experience life like we could never have imagined! You’ll love Outrageous .”
Dave Gibbons , founder of Xealots.org; author of Xealots: Defying the Gravity of Normality
Dedication
To Noah: you are outrageous.
Contents
Cover 1
Title Page 2
Copyright Page 3
Endorsements 4
Dedication 5
Introduction: Waking Up 9
1. I’m In 17
2. Son of the King 25
3. Letters Home 33
4. Stolen 43
5. Stovi Stars 51
6. Ben’s Bunnies 59
7. The Fog 67
8. Shag the Balls 75
9. Annual Meeting 83
10. You Don’t Have to Do This 91
11. In a Relationship 97
12. Backside Philosophy 105
13. American Hamburgers 113
14. Playing behind the Dump 119
15. T-NBA 127
16. Sleep in the Middle 135
17. Claire 141
18. Jesús Calling 147
19. Mafia Party 155
20. Public Shower 163
21. Cycle for Hope 169
22. Viral Opposition 175
23. The Riot 183
24. Running Statues 191
Conclusion: It All Begins with a Simple Prayer 197
Acknowledgments 201
About the Author 205
Back Ads 207
Back Cover 209
Introduction
Waking Up
I USED TO HAVE A FRIEND NAMED H ARRY . Harry was one of those guys who had all the stuff. Not like David Beckham has great hair or Taylor Swift writes cool pop songs, but Harry had what he needed. I met Harry working out in the gym; he was on a recumbent bike, I was on an elliptical. Actually, we were at the gym and I was working out. Harry was not.
The day I met Harry I had just moved from Cape Town, South Africa, to Cleveland, Ohio—in January . Don’t judge me. I spent the first twenty-two years of my life in California, but almost every year since has been a total free-for-all. I realize moving to Cleveland in January seems outrageous, but so was sleeping between a four-hundred-pound Zimbabwean couple in their mud hut, being mistaken for the son of a king, dancing naked around a bonfire at three a.m. with a pygmy village chief, or the time I spent living in a yurt, burning cow dung for warmth, somewhere in Outer Mongolia. I’ve noticed that outrageous things often happen in my life when I’m awake to their possibility and willing to act when the opportunity arises. Needless to say, an outrageous life is my ambition, and the stories I share in this book are all about the outrageous things that happen when you invite God to navigate the course of your life and open yourself to opportunities you might not have ever considered.
Harry was a little outrageous as well. The first time I saw him in the gym he was dressed from head to toe in the latest, most fashionable, high-tech workout gear you can buy. Some might think Harry had gone a bit overboard while shopping at the local sporting goods store. He had Dri-FIT everything: shirt, shorts, windbreaker, wristbands—you name it, Harry had it. I suppose I didn’t check his underpants, but we had only just met.
Harry intrigued me, and not just because of his gear. At the time of our meeting Harry was at least eighty-five years old. Trust me, that’s a conservative guess—he could have easily passed for one hundred and five. A thick yellow headband complete with the iconic swoosh was plastered to his forehead, holding back the caged yet ferocious white lion that was his static-filled afro.
Harry wasn’t the fastest moving guy in the gym, but at least he was there. Actually, Harry wore an expensive GPS watch that complemented the color scheme of his outfit, and as I’ve thought about that watch, I’m convinced it was a family tracking device. I’m guessing the family told Harry it would track his workout, but I’m sure they used it to keep track of him.
Harry cycled at about five revolutions per minute. That’s probably just faster than a baby worm can crawl. He maintained this clip for some time, but then without warning he stopped. He didn’t stop to get a drink, wipe the perspiration from his brow, or check his Twitter feed. He just stopped. Then his head slumped over. Then his body began to sink down on the bike.
Before we go on, let me pose a question. If you saw an eighty-something person with his or her eyes closed slumped over like a burlap sack of potatoes hanging over a barstool, sitting motionless in the gym—or anywhere for that matter— what would you think ?
Fearing the worst, I stepped off my elliptical and slowly walked toward Harry. It was a very slow walk. I’m not sure what I feared more, confirming Harry had in fact taken his last bike ride or having to perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. I’m being serious. I went to high school in an era when the most famous people on television hung out on Malibu Beach wearing red Speedos all day. That was the only motivation I needed to sign up for first aid training to become a lifeguard. I owned the Speedo. I was certified. The issue was that Harry did not fit my longstanding vision of whom I might need to resuscitate.
Now standing directly over Harry, I attempted to check his breathing but he was likely receiving a low-grade radio frequency from Thailand, based on the size and volume of his headphones. I put my hand on his arm. He didn’t move. I jostled his boney shoulder a bit, still no response. With very little to lose, I pulled the right headphone away from his ear and managed to wedge my head in between. I had read a few stories about Jesus calling dead people to life, so I figured it was worth a shot. After all, Lazarus had been dead for days when Jesus found him; Harry had only been dancing on the streets of gold for a matter of minutes.
I yelled, “Wake up!”
And he did!
As Harry opened his eyes