The Jesus Climb: Journeying from Student to Disciple

by Gary David Stratton

We cannot heal our broken world until we are transformed into the kind of people who are capable of loving God and neighbor as Jesus did―the kind of people he called “disciples.”

“Gradually, very gradually, we saw the great mountain sides and glaciers . . . until far higher in the sky than imagination had dared suggest the white summit of Everest appeared.” ―George Mallory, 1924 Everest Climbing Leader

The Jesus Climb crafts the quest to climb the world’s tallest mountain into a parable illustrating how Jesus trained his first students to summit the world’s greatest commandment.

Like George Mallory peering too low on the horizon to see Everest’s peak towering above him, the lack of Christlikeness in modern Christianity stems from our inability to imagine the impossible heights to which Jesus calls us―becoming the kind of person who can love God and neighbor with everything within us.

The Jesus Climb draws upon the teachings and example of Jesus and insights from the lives of some of history’s greatest spiritual climbers to map out eight “expedition camps” through which Jesus guides every student seeking to become a disciple capable of joining him in his mission to heal a broken world.

208 pages, Paperback

Published April 9, 2024

Reviews

[Kevin Robbins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book on Christian discipleship: what it means to follow Jesus. Gary Stratton uses the extended metaphor of climbing Mt. Everest to describe the steps required along the way of your own personal Jesus Climb. Bolstered both by historical accounts of attempts to summit Everest and by personal examples from his own life, Stratton's "The Jesus Climb" is immensely practical and deeply personal, with the author sharing his own missteps and failures along the way. Very poignantly personal and vulnerable. At the end of each chapter is some bonus material accessible through a QR code. Don't skip that material--it contains some of the best insights. To make it even more memorable, the eight key principles that Stratton shares form the acronym DISCIPLE.

I'm not a prophet, but I believe that "The Jesus Climb" will be in the conversation for one of Christianity Today's Book of the Year Awards for 2024. I don't give many five-star reviews but this is one of them.

For an even better reading experience, consider watching the movie "Everest" about the disastrous 1996 Everest climb, or read the harrowing book "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer, who was one of the fortunate survivors of that 1996 climb. That will give you some great context for appreciating "The Jesus Climb" even more.

[Mariah · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quick read on Christian discipleship. Provides a deep dive into the path of following Jesus and the importance of being a prophet. I enjoyed all the personal stories within the writing, it kept my attention. Would recommend to any fellow Christian.

Thank you netgalley and thank you to the publisher for this ARC. It was wonderful.