Upended

Discover how Jesus spoke and served through His speech, how He listened and led, how He connected, and how He conveyed His message to the world. Christians follow a Man who upends our most basic assumptions and expectations at every turn. Yet for many of us who claim to follow Him, our lives are not peculiar at all. If anything, we are a rather predictable people. We follow an upside-down God yet live right-side-up lives. Yes, we often hear calls to more radical living. Sometimes we yearn for it. But often "radical" ends up being just an idea. But apprenticeship to Jesus is often far more costly. That's why this book isn't about big choices that make us radical. It's mostly about small choices that begin to mirror the life of One who was radical indeed. These small choices set His followers apart. At first, persons meeting the true apprentice may note only that they felt especially well listened to or were helped to see an old truth with remarkable clarity. Over time, however, they will likely conclude that he or she is unlike anyone they've ever encountered. Peculiar. Even radical. Most of all, the observer will likely conclude he or she has never felt so loved by the communication of another. This is the road we invite you along with us. Most steps along the way are little ones. But as we take them, life and love and leadership are inevitably upended-not always how we'd imagined, or even how we'd hoped, but always for the better. Much better.

Jedd Medefind servas as president of the Christian Alliance for Orphans. Prior to this role he led the White House Office of faith-Based and Community Initiatives under President George W. Bush. Jedd and his wife, Rachel, love the great outdoors and have five children. Erik Lokkesmoe is the principal at Different Drummer, a LA- and NYC-based audience mobilization agency for global entertainment brands and content. He served for ten years as political speechwriter and press secretary on Capitol Hill. Erik and his wife, Monica, live in Manhattan and have three children.