My church did a four week series on this book and I enjoyed each one of them...so naturally I decided to read the book that they were based on....which turned out to be loosely based....because I'm not sure if I liked the book as a whole although there were some good spots here and there. It also had some short pieces of wisdom...almost like bumper sticker sayings that made sense and stuck with you. Like:

You have enough time to do everything God wants you to do. (p26)

If the devil can't make us really bad, then he'll try to make us really busy. (p29)

Just because we can do something doesn't mean we should. (p32)

God will often give you more than you can handle so you can learn to depend on him rather than on yourself. (p32)

But it's not an income problem. It's a lifestyle problem. (p86)

And the less you have, the more your sacrifice means. (p98)

WHY WORK SO HARD TO BE NORMAL, WHEN GOD CREATED YOU TO STAND OUT. (P141)

NOTE: I do love the subtitle -- "Because Normal Isn't Working" and it never will because we live in a broken world where people are trying to figure out what to do and it is not about us...it is what we are in Him that matters and it doesn't make us normal...it makes us unique as we were made to be.

When we consider how people relate to God, it's normal to either reject God altogether or believe in him while living as if he doesn't exist. (p19)

Very good section on giving/tithes in Chapter 6.

Section on being an example to our children by walking daily with God moment by moment -- Our greatest priority as Christian parents is to gradually transfer our children's dependence away from us until it rests solely on God (p124-129)

If we focus on God first and view our spouse as his gift to us we stop expecting another person to do what only God can do. (p110) -- Very sound advice -- read the whole section for yourself.

"We are all a little weird and life's a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love. -- attributed to Theodor Geisel, "Dr. Seuss" ( )

This is another one of Craig Groeschel's books that just really seeks to help people in the church to find who they are in Christ and to be representative of the life God has called us to live. Like all of Groeschel's books, it requires a bit of thinking and soul-searching. ( )

Because 'wide is the road that leads to destruction...,' Groeschel posits those on the narrow road must be the weird ones and he proceeds to give advice on how we may become weirder. Only problem is it is not that weird. This book aims at being counter-cultural but it has nothing of the prophetic political oomph of, say "The Upside Down Kingdom" by Donald Kraybill. Maybe that is just being picky and an unfair evoking of an Anabaptist, but I just think this book lacks an edge.

Example: Groeschel begins his book by discussing time. He, being weird, says that rather than trying to do everything you need to prioritize the things that are really important, live lives that are fully in the moment, and establish a rhythm of working and rest (Sabbath). All good advice mind you. But is it weird? I would expect and see all of the same advice in a variety of self-help and business books. No revolutionary weirdness here.

Groeschel goes on to talk about money. After all it is so normal for people to amass big debt and be miserly. Groeschel's 'weird' advice is this: Don't spend money you don't have, live within your means and be content, and be generous. Clearly, most people don't do this at the level which he is advocating, but does that make it weird? You might as well say that professional athletes are weird because most people just watch. In fact, most people respect people who are generous and manage money well. It is not something 'weird' that people look askance upon, but something praiseworthy. Case in point, most people respect that Bill Gates started a foundation giving away gazillions of dollars (conservative estimate) even if they bemoan Windows based operating systems. People like when people do good things with their money, it isn't weird. Just rare.

Perhaps where he comes closest to weirdness (against cultural values) is in his discussion of Love and relationships and sex. Our culture is increasingly (or seemingly?) sexually permissive. Against this Groeschel holds to traditional Christian standards, no adultery, no pornography, no lust, no friends-with-benefits. All good stuff and maybe weird to some people. But again I think weird is the wrong word. People definitely respect those who remain faithful in marriage and relationships and try to raise good children. Elite may be good word if it didn't have so many elitist connotations. One wonders why he didn't call this book Holy. That is the biblical word for set apart and special and could aptly be applied to most of the material. Of course you know the reason is well as I do. People don't buy books on holiness because it isn't sexy. It is better to name a book something like 'weird' because there is a gimmick which appeals to our deviant nature.

In the last section, Groeschel addresses 'values.' By this he means contra- our culture cultivating a relationship with God where our hearts break for the things that break His heart. He also talks about allowing God to change the parts of our hearts that are setting up obstacles in relationship with Him. Again, all well and good, but why call this section values. Why not commitment? Values is such a wet dog word.

Okay so this is the only Groeschel book I have read and based on some of the reviews it sounds like I read the wrong one if I am to give him a fair shake. Actually he comes across as likeable and has some great things to say. He says somethings very well. On the critical side, beside the central image of this book being inappropriate and misapplied, I found this book too individualistic. It is really a Christianized self-help book (albeit with some great content). This isn't necessarily bad, we need to address the individual. But if you are going to write a book about the counter-cultural weirdness of Christianity at least include a section on how the church is a beacon of hope against systemic injustice. The weirdness of the gospel is not that people who believe it are moral and have good character. The weirdness of the gospel is that Christ and his Kingdom calls every other kingdom into question (even America). Add that, and maybe this book would have something weird to say. As it is, it is simply a better version of a number of other books I've read. ( )

Most people may be normal, but their lives seem to be quietly spiraling out of control. They have scheduled themselves into extreme fatigue, often leading to additional stress and even depression. They never have enough money because they have to have the normal possessions. Because they are so focused on money and their schedule is so crowded, their relationships – including their spouse and children – are unhealthy and more of a personal drain than fulfillment. The quest to be normal has people damaging and destroying their current and future relationships by engaging in inappropriate sexual behaviors. Normal has led us down a road to discounting the more important things in life and elevating the less important. Normal clearly isn’t working. What do we do about it? This is the question Craig Groeschel tries to answer in Weird (2011, Zondervan).

The theme of Weird is pretty simple: “…the way normal people live today is miles away from what God intended.” (page 20) Later in the Introduction, he adds this thought:

"Instead of living stressed, overwhelmed, and exhausted, you can live a life of meaningful relationships, intentional scheduling, and deep, fulfilling rest for your soul. Instead of choking with constant financial fear and tension, you can let God’s Word lead you along a path to financial peace, margin, and eternal investments. Instead of allowing your marriage to drift into parallel lives or divorce by default, you can experience true intimacy with your spouse. Rather than continuing on the normal sexual path toward pain, emptiness, and idolatry, you can allow God to heal you, change the way you think, and place deliberate safeguards in your life to protect you. God wants you to know him and love him – not just acknowledge him or consider him a cosmic sugar daddy." (page 20)

In examining how we can live better than normal lives, Groeschel lays out five areas where we are called to be a God kind of weird:

• 
  Time
  


• 
  Money
  


• 
  Relationships
  


• 
  Sex
  


• 
  Values
  

There is a section of the book devoted to each of the five themes. Each section is broken down into three chapters. In these chapters, Groeschel examines the problem with the normal life (as it relates to the theme), the way the scriptures call us to conduct ourselves, and some very practical suggestions for overcoming normal experiencing fulfillment.

I like Groeschel. He is a fairly engaging preacher and a solid communicator, but I think he shines most brightly as an author. He fills a void in the Christian Living and Spiritual Growth segments of the Christian publishing market. He speaks forcefully, but not with his own authority. His propositions are thoroughly grounded in God’s Word and common sense. He writes with clarity and humor, which makes him interesting to read. Like his last book, The Christian Athiest, Weird has a great hook. Called to be weird? I wanted to check this book out; and I am glad I did.

Clocking in at under 250 pages and written in a simple, readable style, Weird is a fairly quick, easy read. But be careful not to read it too quickly. Take your time and think about what you are reading. Let the words speak to you. Let the Holy Spirit use this book to convict you to be weird, the God kind of weird.

I heartily recommend this book. I would rate it 5 out of 5 stars. This is a book that is appropriate for any believer, or even an unbeliever. The themes and format of the book would lend themselves easily for small group discussion, or for a pastor or teacher to build a teaching series around.

Thoughts? ( )

I like the premise of the book and most of his preaching was fairly dynamic. (and yes I did deliberately use the word "preaching" as much of the material I'm sure has been used in his sermons). He doesn't soften the message that there is right and wrong which makes his message resound with commitment and thus makes the book more interesting. But he really doesn't understand the difference between sexual promiscuity and homosexuality. He lumps them together. Obviously, he hasn't ever known someone well that is homosexual. And when someone is a reverend that makes me wonder why... ( )