The Thing Is

by Tony Payne

"The thing is." That's what we say when we are at last getting to the point. The bushes have been beaten around, the chase has been cut to, and we are finally getting to the thing we've been avoiding but that now needs to be spoken. What is that thing for you? What is the thing that makes sense of your life but that you don't often talk about? What is the point of it all, the purpose, the real reason you get out of bed in the morning? From the author of The Trellis and the Vine comes an opportunity to pause and take stock of our lives, and to discover the life-changing purpose that God has for each one of us. Not some vague-Christian-cliché purpose; but a purpose that is clear and real enough to drive the decisions we make and the way we live our lives from this point on.

Genres: Christian, Christian Living, Theology, Discipleship, Christian Non Fiction, Evangelism

122 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Tony Payne began work as Matthias Media’s first editor in 1988. Since then, Tony has been a busy guy: with his wife, Alison, he has grown a family of five children; he has completed a degree in theology at Moore Theological College; and he has written or co-written numerous ministry resources, and edited many others. Tony’s main responsibilities are to oversee everything we publish (including The Briefing), and to get as much writing done as possible.

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Nathan Rutman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every Christian should read this book. It’s a concise and compelling description of God’s plan for every person on planet earth that is well-reasoned and thoroughly biblical.

[Wayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book as part of my preparation to teach The Small Group and the Vine course at our church. I thought it was a good introduction to the categories found in the Trellis and the Vine/Vine Project. I think this can be a helpful tool to get people in the church thinking more about what it means to be a disciple who makes disciples.

[Noel Burke · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first part is an explanation of the Gospel. It does a great job in doing so. The next part, and most helpful to me was a view of church wide discipleship. That provided a great view on where the church should be focusing on the great commission.

[Lynn Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Worth the read

Very thought provoking and definitely worth the time to read. The thing is will challenge you if you take the time to let it.

[Sarah Awa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gets straight to the point, says a lot in a small book. It really does boil everything down to the essentials, to what's important. Definitely good to read and challenges you.

[Olga Rezanova · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this in one day. Necessary and to the point.

[Dutchess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Read

This was a good yet simple thought provoking book. It made me stop and consider not only what I do but why. Recommened especially for new believers and those who have forgotten what the thing is.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

This subject would better be dealt with in an essay than a 'novella'.
The author digresses wildly from his central point, verging out into personal anecdotes, and overkill of Bible references.