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Crash the Chatterbox Participant's Guide: Hearing God's Voice Above All Others
Focus on the promises of God to overcome the voices of insecurity, fear, condemnation, and discouragement….
This guide will help you and your small group replace negative internal chatter with the promises of God. Join Pastor Steven Furtick as he walks you and your group through the issues of insecurity, fear, condemnation, and discouragement, and learn as he offers strategies for combating them.
Designed for both individuals and groups for use with the companion DVD, which consists of six video sessions.
Based on the life-changing book, Crash the Chatterbox, this participant’s guide includes a number of special features in each session:
· Video response prompts
· Group discussion questions
· Session closing prayers
· After-session activities
This guide also includes the following bonus sections to help group members carry the message of each session into their daily lives:
· My Time with God
· My Action Steps
A leader’s help guide makes it easy for any group member to conduct the group study of Crash the Chatterbox.
The questions and reflections in this guide will help you see for yourself why listening to God’s voice above all others is the most important habit you can ever develop.
This guide will help you and your small group replace negative internal chatter with the promises of God. Join Pastor Steven Furtick as he walks you and your group through the issues of insecurity, fear, condemnation, and discouragement, and learn as he offers strategies for combating them.
Designed for both individuals and groups for use with the companion DVD, which consists of six video sessions.
Based on the life-changing book, Crash the Chatterbox, this participant’s guide includes a number of special features in each session:
· Video response prompts
· Group discussion questions
· Session closing prayers
· After-session activities
This guide also includes the following bonus sections to help group members carry the message of each session into their daily lives:
· My Time with God
· My Action Steps
A leader’s help guide makes it easy for any group member to conduct the group study of Crash the Chatterbox.
The questions and reflections in this guide will help you see for yourself why listening to God’s voice above all others is the most important habit you can ever develop.
130 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2014
892 people are currently reading
3808 people want to read
About the author
Steven Furtick
32 books744 followersSteven Furtick is the founder and lead pastor of Elevation Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, named by Outreach magazine as one of the top 10 fastest growing churches in the nation. In four years, Elevation has grown to more than 6,000 people in regular attendance in three locations. Steven holds a degree in communication from North Greenville University, and a Master of Divinity degree from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He and his wife, Holly, have two young sons—Elijah and Graham—and make their home in the Charlotte area.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 274 reviews
March 29, 2014
I've been going to Elevation for six weeks now and the only problem I have is the lack of access to the pastor. I can't speak for everyone, and I don't know what the protocol or policy is. All I'm saying is I've never been to a church this big and I'm not used to not having direct access to the man behind the podium. It's weird, but the church does a great job of making the campuses and extension sites feel connected. This book solved a bit of that problem for me. I'll get to the content in a bit, but let's talk about Pastor Steve.
His critics say he's a con-man, a narcissist, a false prophet. Show me a man who isn't a narcissist in some way, and I have yet to see anything fraudulent about what he's preaching. In spite of his personal wealth, the size of his congregation, and his influence in Charlotte he's very normal. Some days he wears a button up with slacks. The next week he'll wear a Charlotte Hornets t-shirt and matching Jordan's (he really did wear that). The way he preaches, his demeanor. He's not like other preachers that act like royalty in the church. He has a very down-to-earth quality that's almost unusual. And it comes across in this book. He's not afraid to admit to his own sin or admit his own struggles. A few stories he shared shocked me because he is a pastor and you don't expect your pastor to stumble or have problems. You expect your pastor to give you advice and comfort, you don't expect him to understand or empathize.
The author isn't someone who's mastered the subject of his book, but he's still learning as he goes, still learning to differentiate between the voice of the Enemy and the voice of God, and that's comforting not just because he is my pastor but he's a human being like me still fighting battle after battle. His approach is direct, unabashed and a little hilarious. He is himself. That much I can say. But this is a modern subject perfect for a generation raised on Facebook, twitter, and instagram. When the chatterbox says you're not, God says "I am." Pastor Steve reminds us what God's word says about Himself and us and the promises he has laid before us and how to hear his voice above all the others. Basically, this is the perfect book for those whose greatest enemy is themselves.
I'm not big on non-fiction, or Christian self-help but this book reads like he's sitting in front of you having a conversation, but at the same time it's well-written. It's deep, yet simple enough to keep my attention and feed me with new knowledge. The central theme is hope. How to keep it, how to build it and how to use it as a weapon.
I came away remembering what I've gone through and the strength and faithfulness it took to get through it. For someone like me who thinks (or thought) their sin is too big, this book teaches you how to dig into the scripture and realize how big your God is. I gave this book five stars for two reasons: 1.) The content is solid and rich, and the book is well-written 2.) I feel like I know my pastor just a little bit better.
His critics say he's a con-man, a narcissist, a false prophet. Show me a man who isn't a narcissist in some way, and I have yet to see anything fraudulent about what he's preaching. In spite of his personal wealth, the size of his congregation, and his influence in Charlotte he's very normal. Some days he wears a button up with slacks. The next week he'll wear a Charlotte Hornets t-shirt and matching Jordan's (he really did wear that). The way he preaches, his demeanor. He's not like other preachers that act like royalty in the church. He has a very down-to-earth quality that's almost unusual. And it comes across in this book. He's not afraid to admit to his own sin or admit his own struggles. A few stories he shared shocked me because he is a pastor and you don't expect your pastor to stumble or have problems. You expect your pastor to give you advice and comfort, you don't expect him to understand or empathize.
The author isn't someone who's mastered the subject of his book, but he's still learning as he goes, still learning to differentiate between the voice of the Enemy and the voice of God, and that's comforting not just because he is my pastor but he's a human being like me still fighting battle after battle. His approach is direct, unabashed and a little hilarious. He is himself. That much I can say. But this is a modern subject perfect for a generation raised on Facebook, twitter, and instagram. When the chatterbox says you're not, God says "I am." Pastor Steve reminds us what God's word says about Himself and us and the promises he has laid before us and how to hear his voice above all the others. Basically, this is the perfect book for those whose greatest enemy is themselves.
I'm not big on non-fiction, or Christian self-help but this book reads like he's sitting in front of you having a conversation, but at the same time it's well-written. It's deep, yet simple enough to keep my attention and feed me with new knowledge. The central theme is hope. How to keep it, how to build it and how to use it as a weapon.
I came away remembering what I've gone through and the strength and faithfulness it took to get through it. For someone like me who thinks (or thought) their sin is too big, this book teaches you how to dig into the scripture and realize how big your God is. I gave this book five stars for two reasons: 1.) The content is solid and rich, and the book is well-written 2.) I feel like I know my pastor just a little bit better.
May 25, 2022
This book is life changing. If you don’t have Pastor Steven Furtick in your life, I highly recommend you start. I needed this so much right now and this book is a book about God and faith that’s relatable, real and not put on in any way. I will be going through and annotating it to death. So good!
February 24, 2014
Read this one for what it is....
When I review, I try to understand what the book was intended for and judge it based on that. Steven Furtick is a solid motivator and I look to his messages for encouragement often.
So when I picked this one up, I expected to get the same genre of content from him, and he delivered.
Pastor Steven was as transparent as one could be with his insecurities and shortcomings. I appreciate his honesty and directness in this one.... Essentially, he touches on how the enemy, the flesh and the world team up to form the "chatterbox" that camps in our minds. We all have it and we need to learn to defeat it. Pastor Steven more than aids us in that respect. Through scriptures and personal stories, he shares that we need to hear God's voice ahead of any other voice to crash the chatterbox.
We will never silence the chatter, but the key is to ransack the chatter with the truth of Christ. Inserting Christ into the half-truth of the devil and our flesh speaks louder than the chatter ever could.
Overall, I very much appreciate this one. The reason it is 3 stars for me is that some of the content is recycled from his messages. And at times, it felt a bit stretched out and repetitive. But perhaps that was by design.
I'd like to thank Pastor Steven for his awesome ministry, what an excellent servant to the body of Christ
When I review, I try to understand what the book was intended for and judge it based on that. Steven Furtick is a solid motivator and I look to his messages for encouragement often.
So when I picked this one up, I expected to get the same genre of content from him, and he delivered.
Pastor Steven was as transparent as one could be with his insecurities and shortcomings. I appreciate his honesty and directness in this one.... Essentially, he touches on how the enemy, the flesh and the world team up to form the "chatterbox" that camps in our minds. We all have it and we need to learn to defeat it. Pastor Steven more than aids us in that respect. Through scriptures and personal stories, he shares that we need to hear God's voice ahead of any other voice to crash the chatterbox.
We will never silence the chatter, but the key is to ransack the chatter with the truth of Christ. Inserting Christ into the half-truth of the devil and our flesh speaks louder than the chatter ever could.
Overall, I very much appreciate this one. The reason it is 3 stars for me is that some of the content is recycled from his messages. And at times, it felt a bit stretched out and repetitive. But perhaps that was by design.
I'd like to thank Pastor Steven for his awesome ministry, what an excellent servant to the body of Christ
March 7, 2014
I think Furtick has provided us with a good strategy to drown out the lies of the Enemy that shout out from our mind. The truth from the Word of God is the only answer and Furtick gives us several areas where we need to concentrate in biblical truth. He is very honest in this book, telling lots of stories on himself. I think every Christian would benefit from reading this book. Se my full review at http://bit.ly/1hSSpMr.
January 1, 2018
Reviewing soon...
March 12, 2020
A couple of my friends are major overthinkers. We laugh occasionally at where their minds go over some of the simplest statements that I never give another thought. Compared to them, I don't struggle with a chatterbox.
But that doesn't mean my enemy doesn't sometimes attack me in this area, occasionally reminding me of my shortcomings, poor wordings, and missed opportunities. Those times when I really messed up, or the times when things didn't go well.
Thankfully, Crash the Chatterbox is well designed for both my overthinking friends and me.
Throughout the pages, Pastor Furtick opens his life to share some of the words from his own chatterbox, those times when the enemy only shared partial truths and disheartening facts. He also writes about those moments when he fell short of God's plan and the chatterbox spoke harsh truth. Debilitating, life-stealing truth. Then the author turns things around with tremendous grace and not only shares the whole truth of God but offers strategies for turning the tables on our enemy. For ending the confrontation with God-ordained victory.
This book offers a lot of truth and grace. Pastor Furtick doesn't shy away from tough battles, and he doesn't hide the reality of who he is or has been. Instead, he writes what God's taught him that can benefit us. If you struggle with disheartening thoughts, this is a book that may help.
But that doesn't mean my enemy doesn't sometimes attack me in this area, occasionally reminding me of my shortcomings, poor wordings, and missed opportunities. Those times when I really messed up, or the times when things didn't go well.
Thankfully, Crash the Chatterbox is well designed for both my overthinking friends and me.
Throughout the pages, Pastor Furtick opens his life to share some of the words from his own chatterbox, those times when the enemy only shared partial truths and disheartening facts. He also writes about those moments when he fell short of God's plan and the chatterbox spoke harsh truth. Debilitating, life-stealing truth. Then the author turns things around with tremendous grace and not only shares the whole truth of God but offers strategies for turning the tables on our enemy. For ending the confrontation with God-ordained victory.
This book offers a lot of truth and grace. Pastor Furtick doesn't shy away from tough battles, and he doesn't hide the reality of who he is or has been. Instead, he writes what God's taught him that can benefit us. If you struggle with disheartening thoughts, this is a book that may help.
June 9, 2014
READ. THIS. BOOK. Really. So, so good. In SO MANY ways! In it Steven gives real, practical ways to get that mean voice in your head to SHUT UP. Practical things I've already used. Definitely a re-read!
"You’re doing better than you think you are.
It’s less about you than you think it is.
You matter more than you think you do.
More than you could ever know.
It’s working. It’s not in vain.
Don’t stop."
"You’re doing better than you think you are.
It’s less about you than you think it is.
You matter more than you think you do.
More than you could ever know.
It’s working. It’s not in vain.
Don’t stop."
January 8, 2020
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the very honest account of the Author. Practical advice backed by scripture. Motivational without the cringeworthy feeling common with self help books!
Crash the chatter box 👍🏿
Crash the chatter box 👍🏿
October 11, 2020
Great audiobook that reminds us to fight the negative thinking by using God’s messages and scripture to “crash the chatterbox.” Excellent book and one that I highly recommend it to anyone with self-doubt or is trying to overcome any of life’s difficulties.
June 13, 2025
I've been reading this book on and off for the last few years. There were times were I came to the chapters and it was speaking into exactly on how I was doing and how to bring it to God, others were just okay and often repeated the same information. I think I would have liked less time spent on reading the authors personal stories so there could be more delving into the Bible.
January 28, 2019
It’s hard to talk about this book and not give away any spoilers. But, I’m going to try. Last year, I read “Greater” and immersed myself in a way I typically don’t. I took a pen, took a highlighter, and everywhere I felt God’s voice or a reminder for me was a mark. “Crash the Chatterbox” was no different except that it solidified what I was fighting for with my soon-to-be non-profit organization. Here is the book that talked about mental health and faith. Something that seems to be so taboo in Christian families, at least back in the day, and covered up. Something that people like to deny because “if I’m really of faith, I shouldn’t have these problems. I shouldn’t be suffering. I must be a bad Christian or person of faith.” That’s your chatterbox talking to you and it’s lying. This book is 5 stars because I don’t get up every morning to read but with this one, I did. I read a chapter every day. That’s my mom’s habit, not mine. This book defied everything I thought about myself and helped me operate in an elevated way. Fighting my own chatterbox with gratitude and confirmation at every comeback it tried to make. This is a must-read if you are someone who gets lost in their own head, who has trouble operating through life when their thoughts constantly say “no”, and is ready to breakthrough the noise.
June 10, 2017
A good reminder.
In a nutshell, this book describes what I began to consider as I graduated high school and continued to learn while battling depression.
I listened to this book on Audible (read by the author) and I think it's interesting that he chose to sing the lines of a few popular songs he referenced but didn't sing the line he referred to from "Great Is Thy Faithfulness."
In a nutshell, this book describes what I began to consider as I graduated high school and continued to learn while battling depression.
I listened to this book on Audible (read by the author) and I think it's interesting that he chose to sing the lines of a few popular songs he referenced but didn't sing the line he referred to from "Great Is Thy Faithfulness."
July 14, 2015
The Furticks are basically the Kardashians of Christianity. Please don't buy this, you'll just be contributing to the carbon footprint of a house that has seven bathrooms for five people. Now that's an offense against God's creation. Hopefully we don't all go extinct due to idiots like this.
July 28, 2022
Overall, I think I liked this book. There were points that felt a littler formulaic- a+b+c = now you clearly hear God’s voice above all else. But for the most part I think he did a good job of pointing to and teaching on scriptures that are rooted in our identity in Christ and what that actually means for us.
This book was by no means earth shattering for me nor did it leave me feeling like I am fully equipped to live out “crashing the chatterbox” but I do feel like it gave me some small steps to start taking to better hear God’s voice above all else and it gave me a lot of good scripture and truths to process through as I think about what prevents me from actually hearing, recognizing, and responding to God’s voice in my own life.
This book was by no means earth shattering for me nor did it leave me feeling like I am fully equipped to live out “crashing the chatterbox” but I do feel like it gave me some small steps to start taking to better hear God’s voice above all else and it gave me a lot of good scripture and truths to process through as I think about what prevents me from actually hearing, recognizing, and responding to God’s voice in my own life.
May 16, 2021
Relatable. Ptr. Steven speaks the language that is relatable with my generation. I'm thankful I came across of this book. I will pound harder to silence my negativities. How many times? Until it is completely not controlling my decisions and my perspective in life. I love recommending this book to friends and acquaintances that are going through some difficult times. It does not give you the instant solution but the affirmation and the validity of what you are going through. The chatterbox words are not what other people think about towards you. Go. Stand up and start again. Yes you can through the strength of Jesus. Fighting! ❤️
August 21, 2020
Steven Furtick does an excellent job of making accessible some very useful tools in the daily battle of spiritual warfare. The four solutions he suggests are easy to remember and apply in the struggle against discouragement and insecurity:
God says I am.
God says He will.
God says He has.
God says I can.
God says I am.
God says He will.
God says He has.
God says I can.
May 17, 2020
I was introduced to this book at our women’s bible study. I missed a couple sessions so picked up the book to re-learn . Right now in my life the chatter has given me a lot of anxiety, this book has helped me remember that ultimately God is in control and has already affirm who I am.
March 16, 2020
Steven Furtick was honest in this book as he shared his own shortcomings and issues with "the chatterbox". I think the book had a great message and a concept that can be really convicting as we move forward in our own journey with Christ. I think Furtick does a fantastic job of relating to younger generations as opposed to say reading a CS Lewis book for obvious reasons. That being said, some of it seemed repetitive and full of fluff. I still enjoyed it and would recommend.
June 8, 2016
About the Book
Pastor Steven Furtick is the Pastor of Elevation Church that welcomes thousands each week to one of their nine campuses. He’s already written a few best sellers and been given the title of “celebrity Pastor” by many adoring church goers and fans. In this book, Crash the Chatterbox, Pastor Furtick attempts to explain how God speaks and how to drown out all the other noise and focus on hearing from God alone. The book is spread out into four categories and then fleshed out in several chapters nestled underneath these sections.
Section 1: God Says I Am
In this section Furtick walks through insecurity and challenges his reader to embrace the acceptance God has given them and find their worth from that. The remaining portions of this section read as a power pep-talk of the awesomeness of you and me. Furtick goes so far as to parallel a story of an email read with the wrong tone and contrasting how we read scripture.
I wonder how much our lives would change if we started reading God’s Word like He was smiling when he wrote it? (pg. 38)”
Look, I can understand this position when coming from the perspective of being born again. After all, our position in Christ after salvation is one of a mediator. God no longer sees our sin, but see’s Christ’s work for us upon the cross and is happy to call us son or daughter. I don’t see this as accurate when reading scripture. For instance, when you have some extra time read through the book of Amos imagining God smiling and let me know how that works out for you.
Section 2: God Says He Will
Fear is the main topic of this section again touching on insecurity because of these fears in your life. Furtick talks about how we should replace our fear with the love for God. He then explains a good type of fear, the fear of God. Drawing out this idea, he wades through what that means and give numerous biblical examples before jumping back into self reflections. The rest of the section he discusses how we shouldn’t starve ourselves with fear and questions. We need to take a step of courage with God in order to accomplish the greater things He has for us in this life.
Section 3: God Says He Has
Majority of this section Furtick takes us through several personal stories and scripture stretching the concept of condemnation and our own shame. I enjoyed this section the most because it was personal for me. However, I never felt in all of my years of feeling unworthy of Christ and salvation that I needed counseling help. Instead, I needed to be reminded of the truth of scripture found in Roman 8:1.
Section 4: God Says I Can
Furtick encourages that we’re going to continue to struggle in this life with insecurity, fear, discontentment and well…life. He again goes back to his montage of God’s affirmation of us and our ability to overcome these harsh tendencies in our life to be great and accomplish incredible things for God. It is a great overview of his book’s tone throughout which is, God is for me.
My Thoughts
Let me be honest, if you haven’t seen it by now…I’m not a fan. The book asserts that we have voices in our head and need to discern which one is from God in order to unlock the best me I can be for God. Ignoring the gently laced “Word of Faith” overtone of this idea, the discussion of revelation from God ends with His Word. Now don’t hear what I’m NOT saying. I believe God can use various means to speak to you, but where Furtick falls short is laying those thoughts over Scripture to see if it lines up. In other words, I don’t see 2 Timothy 3:16-17 relaying the idea of specific revelation from God past anything but the Bible and His Word. We need no more revelation than that and to add to it your own subjective interpretations is a scary proposition.
I will give Furtick credit when he encourages the readers in saying,
We can never hope to crash the chatterbox until the signal (God’s Word) becomes louder in our lives than the incessant noise around us that clamors for our attention and depletes our courage. (pg. 102)”
After reading this book I’m not sure if I would recommend it ahead of several other solid books and resources on drowning out the noise around us and hearing God’s voice. While the purpose of what Furtick is trying to say is admirable, his application and scripture interpretation tends to be lacking in some instances. I have an idea though, that his diehard followers would quickly reject that notion.
Pastor Steven Furtick is the Pastor of Elevation Church that welcomes thousands each week to one of their nine campuses. He’s already written a few best sellers and been given the title of “celebrity Pastor” by many adoring church goers and fans. In this book, Crash the Chatterbox, Pastor Furtick attempts to explain how God speaks and how to drown out all the other noise and focus on hearing from God alone. The book is spread out into four categories and then fleshed out in several chapters nestled underneath these sections.
Section 1: God Says I Am
In this section Furtick walks through insecurity and challenges his reader to embrace the acceptance God has given them and find their worth from that. The remaining portions of this section read as a power pep-talk of the awesomeness of you and me. Furtick goes so far as to parallel a story of an email read with the wrong tone and contrasting how we read scripture.
I wonder how much our lives would change if we started reading God’s Word like He was smiling when he wrote it? (pg. 38)”
Look, I can understand this position when coming from the perspective of being born again. After all, our position in Christ after salvation is one of a mediator. God no longer sees our sin, but see’s Christ’s work for us upon the cross and is happy to call us son or daughter. I don’t see this as accurate when reading scripture. For instance, when you have some extra time read through the book of Amos imagining God smiling and let me know how that works out for you.
Section 2: God Says He Will
Fear is the main topic of this section again touching on insecurity because of these fears in your life. Furtick talks about how we should replace our fear with the love for God. He then explains a good type of fear, the fear of God. Drawing out this idea, he wades through what that means and give numerous biblical examples before jumping back into self reflections. The rest of the section he discusses how we shouldn’t starve ourselves with fear and questions. We need to take a step of courage with God in order to accomplish the greater things He has for us in this life.
Section 3: God Says He Has
Majority of this section Furtick takes us through several personal stories and scripture stretching the concept of condemnation and our own shame. I enjoyed this section the most because it was personal for me. However, I never felt in all of my years of feeling unworthy of Christ and salvation that I needed counseling help. Instead, I needed to be reminded of the truth of scripture found in Roman 8:1.
Section 4: God Says I Can
Furtick encourages that we’re going to continue to struggle in this life with insecurity, fear, discontentment and well…life. He again goes back to his montage of God’s affirmation of us and our ability to overcome these harsh tendencies in our life to be great and accomplish incredible things for God. It is a great overview of his book’s tone throughout which is, God is for me.
My Thoughts
Let me be honest, if you haven’t seen it by now…I’m not a fan. The book asserts that we have voices in our head and need to discern which one is from God in order to unlock the best me I can be for God. Ignoring the gently laced “Word of Faith” overtone of this idea, the discussion of revelation from God ends with His Word. Now don’t hear what I’m NOT saying. I believe God can use various means to speak to you, but where Furtick falls short is laying those thoughts over Scripture to see if it lines up. In other words, I don’t see 2 Timothy 3:16-17 relaying the idea of specific revelation from God past anything but the Bible and His Word. We need no more revelation than that and to add to it your own subjective interpretations is a scary proposition.
I will give Furtick credit when he encourages the readers in saying,
We can never hope to crash the chatterbox until the signal (God’s Word) becomes louder in our lives than the incessant noise around us that clamors for our attention and depletes our courage. (pg. 102)”
After reading this book I’m not sure if I would recommend it ahead of several other solid books and resources on drowning out the noise around us and hearing God’s voice. While the purpose of what Furtick is trying to say is admirable, his application and scripture interpretation tends to be lacking in some instances. I have an idea though, that his diehard followers would quickly reject that notion.
January 2, 2023
This was a really good book. He talks about crashing the negative voices that surround us daily and how we can turn the negative into positive. I appreciate the author’s vulnerability and realness!!!
February 6, 2022
I really appreciated this book and found it to be really helpful and insightful for me. Maybe this is because I literally feel like there is a chatterbox inside of my head and hearing Furtick describe that had me nodding my head like yep yep yep. So many things he talked about and walked through in this book really struck a chord and made me go back and listen again and take mental note. I listed to this on Audible and I think I will eventually purchase the actual book to re-read and take notes. This is definitely a book that I could see marking and jotting down quick notes all over.
January 12, 2022
Really enjoyed this on audible. Furtick reads his book to you. I could relate to several chapters in this book. And I love that he quotes Donald Miller. (And I have that exact quote written down from when I read Miller's book) This week I'm really being tested by my Chatterbox.. inner dialogue and inner thoughts are funny things. I'm trying to rein in my emotional darts this week and counter with God's word; what is true and real. It's real hard when you start to frustrate yourself. Gonna stand firm, gonna crash the Chatterbox and remember I don't have to fight it on my own.
March 31, 2014
Crash the Chatterbox is about hearing God above all the self-talk “chatter” of thoughts in your head.
It is based on the fact that we tend to believe certain categories of lies via our thoughts, either our own thoughts, or from outside sources such as the world or the enemy. These four basic truths vs. lies are: God says I am…God says He will…God says He has…and God says I can. The book is divided into these four sections. This seems to be a glorification or expansion of believing the two main truths of who God is and who God says I am.
Overall I found this book to be pleasant to read with smooth transitions between topics. There were plenty of truly interesting stories that tied in with the author’s points.
This book also contained authenticity, truth, appropriate humorous breaks, and scriptures to tie things together. Also included was a section in the back for discussion questions.
There were several useful life lessons but most of all I appreciated the included actionable how-to answers to some of the “problems” associated with all the “chatter” going on in our heads. It was not all talk about what was wrong but had what to do about it, which is sometimes missing in books of this type!
Even though this author is very young compared to me, he has a lot of wisdom and he likes to draw heavily on his parenting experience in his illustrations, of which I could relate to, being a mother and now grandmother myself.
If you need help with your thought life or you think you may be believing lies about yourself or God (who isn’t?), check this book out.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing Group as part of their blogging for books program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
It is based on the fact that we tend to believe certain categories of lies via our thoughts, either our own thoughts, or from outside sources such as the world or the enemy. These four basic truths vs. lies are: God says I am…God says He will…God says He has…and God says I can. The book is divided into these four sections. This seems to be a glorification or expansion of believing the two main truths of who God is and who God says I am.
Overall I found this book to be pleasant to read with smooth transitions between topics. There were plenty of truly interesting stories that tied in with the author’s points.
This book also contained authenticity, truth, appropriate humorous breaks, and scriptures to tie things together. Also included was a section in the back for discussion questions.
There were several useful life lessons but most of all I appreciated the included actionable how-to answers to some of the “problems” associated with all the “chatter” going on in our heads. It was not all talk about what was wrong but had what to do about it, which is sometimes missing in books of this type!
Even though this author is very young compared to me, he has a lot of wisdom and he likes to draw heavily on his parenting experience in his illustrations, of which I could relate to, being a mother and now grandmother myself.
If you need help with your thought life or you think you may be believing lies about yourself or God (who isn’t?), check this book out.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing Group as part of their blogging for books program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
April 25, 2019
‘Crash the Chatterbox’ by Steven Furtick
“Because The Voice You Listen To Will Determine The Future You Experience”
When we’re terrorized by thoughts, we can find it difficult to practice distinguishing lies from the truth. But overpowering that which holds us back through insecurity, fear, discouragement, and condemnation is possible. The whisperings we so often buy into because we hear it not only from outside, but within our own heads and hearts. What is this costing you in terms of your joy? What is it costing you in terms of your initiative? What is it costing those around you?
Steven calls this chattering away at us, (The Chatterbox). Using many of his own personal examples of inner dialogues, he provides some helpful ways to get rid of negative thoughts, but also stresses how this is a daily challenge. The box never just stops, but can be muted and our mind renewed by our awareness of the resistance.
Furtick says: “I read online that the average person has more than sixty thousand thoughts per day and over 80 percent of these thoughts are negative. Is that accurate? I don’t know. But let’s think together about the possibility that 80 percent of our thoughts are not only devoid of any power to help us but are also actively working against us. When we allow our thoughts to go unchecked, a steady drip of lies cements the wrong patterns within our minds, building a Berlin Wall of bad beliefs.
I wonder how much of its forty-eight-thousand-word quota your chatterbox has already filled today.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
~“The chatterbox wants to inundate us with logorrhea.”
~“The danger of missing out on something great is often much greater that the risk that comes with stepping out.”
~“This is one of the main reasons we struggle with insecurity: we’re comparing our behind –the-scenes with everybody else’s highlight reel.”
~“People don’t believe what you tell them. They rarely believe what you show them. They often believe what their friends tell them. They always believe what they tell themselves. —SETH GODIN”
~“God speaks in past tense about battles I am currently fighting.”
~“Take the first half of the equation the enemy is presenting to you, insert grace and truth in the middle of it, and you’ll discover a much different outcome.”
~“I tend to be one of those people who takes great pride in calling it like I see it. I say things like, “I’m not being grumpy or negative or pessimistic. I’m just keeping it real.” “I’m not complaining. I’m just calling it like I see it.” But people armed with a spirit of gratitude know that often it is what you call it. So what if, instead of calling it like we see it, we began to call it like God says it?”
~“Would’ve, could’ve, and should have. This is the language of condemnation underscored by the passivity of regret. It’s a dead language.”
~“God whispers because he’s close.”
~“Also, sometimes perhaps we stand by passively, waiting for God to fix the issues that He’s called us to fight in His strength. If we’re going to overcome the thoughts that hold us back, first we have to give up the hope that they’ll ever go away. Every second you spend wishing God would take away a struggle is a forfeited opportunity to overcome.”
~“Accepting God’s acceptance of me doesn’t mean I’m going to stop trying. It means I’m going to stop trying out. And I am intentionally redirecting my obsession.”
~“The Enemy does his best work in the darkness of our ignorance and speculation. He hammers away with what-ifs in the workshop of thoughts we are too afraid to face.”
~“Isn’t this a microcosm of how our lives feel sometimes? I don’t completely understand the rules, and I’m surrounded by others who are smarter. Fitter. Funnier. Better. But when we narrow our focus and know where to look for the approval of our Father, life takes on a glorious simplicity. The burning question is no longer “ What did they think of that?” Or even “What did I think of that?” Not it’s only “God, were you good with that? Thumbs up? If you’re good, I’m good.” His acceptance becomes my guidance and my reward.”
~“You have to own what you’ve done, but it doesn’t have to be who you are.
In Insecurity: (your mistakes disqualify you from God’s love) God says I AM.
In Fear: (the future is full of danger) God says HE WILL.
In Condemnation: (you are worthless and rejected) God says HE HAS,
In Discouragement (you can’t be the person you want to be or accomplish the things you want to accomplish). God says I CAN.
~“And it was not the crow of condemnation but the look of the Lord’s Love that brought Peter to a place of repentance.”
~“Even in the times when God calls us out on something we’re doing wrong, his purpose is to raise us up. Never to beat us down.”
~“We don’t have to fear what we face when we know who we’re trusting in.”
~“Every time God calls out a deficiency in your life, you can be assured that he is simultaneously offering an invitation.”
~“When you understand what the enemy’s after, you can make a plan for protecting it.”
~“Don’t let what you expected keep you from what God wants you to experience.”
~“The only force in the world powerful enough to overtake fear is the full-grown love of God.”
~“We allow our lives to be labeled by what we did, rather than anticipating our tomorrows according to what Christ has done.”
~“If this God has chosen you, while totally knowing even the worst parts of you, then you no longer have to live up to anything. Instead, you are now empowered to live out of an awareness of divine acceptance.”
~“But at the bottom, you see that the same Rock that holds up your life in clear skies is supporting your future when everything around you shakes and rocks and reels.”
~“The only opportunity the chatterbox ever has to download lies into our heads is if we have allowed it first to delete the memory of who we are in Christ.”
~“If God is always speaking, it’s not a matter of me getting Him to speak into my life. It’s attuning my heart to His frequency so I can hear what He’s been saying all along.”
~“Let God’s truth speak to you. Let His word supersede what others have said, what you’ve been telling yourself. You might just discover that there’s so much more God is calling you to do that what you’re currently experiencing.
~“What guidance was God trying to give you today that you didn’t hear because it was buried by negative noise?
~“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5
“Because The Voice You Listen To Will Determine The Future You Experience”
When we’re terrorized by thoughts, we can find it difficult to practice distinguishing lies from the truth. But overpowering that which holds us back through insecurity, fear, discouragement, and condemnation is possible. The whisperings we so often buy into because we hear it not only from outside, but within our own heads and hearts. What is this costing you in terms of your joy? What is it costing you in terms of your initiative? What is it costing those around you?
Steven calls this chattering away at us, (The Chatterbox). Using many of his own personal examples of inner dialogues, he provides some helpful ways to get rid of negative thoughts, but also stresses how this is a daily challenge. The box never just stops, but can be muted and our mind renewed by our awareness of the resistance.
Furtick says: “I read online that the average person has more than sixty thousand thoughts per day and over 80 percent of these thoughts are negative. Is that accurate? I don’t know. But let’s think together about the possibility that 80 percent of our thoughts are not only devoid of any power to help us but are also actively working against us. When we allow our thoughts to go unchecked, a steady drip of lies cements the wrong patterns within our minds, building a Berlin Wall of bad beliefs.
I wonder how much of its forty-eight-thousand-word quota your chatterbox has already filled today.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
~“The chatterbox wants to inundate us with logorrhea.”
~“The danger of missing out on something great is often much greater that the risk that comes with stepping out.”
~“This is one of the main reasons we struggle with insecurity: we’re comparing our behind –the-scenes with everybody else’s highlight reel.”
~“People don’t believe what you tell them. They rarely believe what you show them. They often believe what their friends tell them. They always believe what they tell themselves. —SETH GODIN”
~“God speaks in past tense about battles I am currently fighting.”
~“Take the first half of the equation the enemy is presenting to you, insert grace and truth in the middle of it, and you’ll discover a much different outcome.”
~“I tend to be one of those people who takes great pride in calling it like I see it. I say things like, “I’m not being grumpy or negative or pessimistic. I’m just keeping it real.” “I’m not complaining. I’m just calling it like I see it.” But people armed with a spirit of gratitude know that often it is what you call it. So what if, instead of calling it like we see it, we began to call it like God says it?”
~“Would’ve, could’ve, and should have. This is the language of condemnation underscored by the passivity of regret. It’s a dead language.”
~“God whispers because he’s close.”
~“Also, sometimes perhaps we stand by passively, waiting for God to fix the issues that He’s called us to fight in His strength. If we’re going to overcome the thoughts that hold us back, first we have to give up the hope that they’ll ever go away. Every second you spend wishing God would take away a struggle is a forfeited opportunity to overcome.”
~“Accepting God’s acceptance of me doesn’t mean I’m going to stop trying. It means I’m going to stop trying out. And I am intentionally redirecting my obsession.”
~“The Enemy does his best work in the darkness of our ignorance and speculation. He hammers away with what-ifs in the workshop of thoughts we are too afraid to face.”
~“Isn’t this a microcosm of how our lives feel sometimes? I don’t completely understand the rules, and I’m surrounded by others who are smarter. Fitter. Funnier. Better. But when we narrow our focus and know where to look for the approval of our Father, life takes on a glorious simplicity. The burning question is no longer “ What did they think of that?” Or even “What did I think of that?” Not it’s only “God, were you good with that? Thumbs up? If you’re good, I’m good.” His acceptance becomes my guidance and my reward.”
~“You have to own what you’ve done, but it doesn’t have to be who you are.
In Insecurity: (your mistakes disqualify you from God’s love) God says I AM.
In Fear: (the future is full of danger) God says HE WILL.
In Condemnation: (you are worthless and rejected) God says HE HAS,
In Discouragement (you can’t be the person you want to be or accomplish the things you want to accomplish). God says I CAN.
~“And it was not the crow of condemnation but the look of the Lord’s Love that brought Peter to a place of repentance.”
~“Even in the times when God calls us out on something we’re doing wrong, his purpose is to raise us up. Never to beat us down.”
~“We don’t have to fear what we face when we know who we’re trusting in.”
~“Every time God calls out a deficiency in your life, you can be assured that he is simultaneously offering an invitation.”
~“When you understand what the enemy’s after, you can make a plan for protecting it.”
~“Don’t let what you expected keep you from what God wants you to experience.”
~“The only force in the world powerful enough to overtake fear is the full-grown love of God.”
~“We allow our lives to be labeled by what we did, rather than anticipating our tomorrows according to what Christ has done.”
~“If this God has chosen you, while totally knowing even the worst parts of you, then you no longer have to live up to anything. Instead, you are now empowered to live out of an awareness of divine acceptance.”
~“But at the bottom, you see that the same Rock that holds up your life in clear skies is supporting your future when everything around you shakes and rocks and reels.”
~“The only opportunity the chatterbox ever has to download lies into our heads is if we have allowed it first to delete the memory of who we are in Christ.”
~“If God is always speaking, it’s not a matter of me getting Him to speak into my life. It’s attuning my heart to His frequency so I can hear what He’s been saying all along.”
~“Let God’s truth speak to you. Let His word supersede what others have said, what you’ve been telling yourself. You might just discover that there’s so much more God is calling you to do that what you’re currently experiencing.
~“What guidance was God trying to give you today that you didn’t hear because it was buried by negative noise?
~“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5
June 15, 2018
This is a great book that talks about how to combat the lies of the enemy in our insecurities, fears, self-condemnation and discouragement with God's word. It is laced with scripture and truth.
August 6, 2016
I have heard a lot of good about this book, so when I saw it listed as available for review, I grabbed it. It sounds like a self-help book, and it could be taken that way, but it really isn't.
The premise of the book is that we have all of this negative stuff in our heads. Fears, worries, putdowns, etc. It drowns out God's voice and holds us back from being what we should be, and from doing what God wants us to do.
I found myself relating a lot to this book as I read it. For years, I have listened to the negative stuff the devil throws my way, until God was drowned out. This book really nails it in showing how destructive it is to not get a handle on it all, and as someone who deals with depression, I can see how it slowly evolved from my worries and fears.
The book doesn't offer a quick and easy fix, but it does offer a totally Biblical solution on how to focus more on God, on what He is saying and what He wants from us and for us. Even now, with progress I have made, I realized after reading the book that I really need to work more on listening to God's voice instead of worrying so much and listening to the negative stuff in my head. It is a tall order, but worth it.
The premise of the book is that we have all of this negative stuff in our heads. Fears, worries, putdowns, etc. It drowns out God's voice and holds us back from being what we should be, and from doing what God wants us to do.
I found myself relating a lot to this book as I read it. For years, I have listened to the negative stuff the devil throws my way, until God was drowned out. This book really nails it in showing how destructive it is to not get a handle on it all, and as someone who deals with depression, I can see how it slowly evolved from my worries and fears.
The book doesn't offer a quick and easy fix, but it does offer a totally Biblical solution on how to focus more on God, on what He is saying and what He wants from us and for us. Even now, with progress I have made, I realized after reading the book that I really need to work more on listening to God's voice instead of worrying so much and listening to the negative stuff in my head. It is a tall order, but worth it.
March 26, 2019
Pastor Furtnick reached out in this book that is different from his sermons, which is a good thing. Here, I was able to confirm that he was human like me. Pastors aren’t God, they can’t do the things God can do. They can only be godly humans. Which is something that I think the church forgets.
Now this book isn’t about him but about all the thoughts that make us stray away from God. I want to point out that beginning this book, I didn’t realize I had negative, ongoing thoughts but by the end of it, I’ve been able to not only notice, but fight against those thoughts.
This book has chapters where he goes deep into bible stories and scriptures about people we look up to in the Bible (such as Peter and John the Baptist) thinking “If only I had their faith...” when they too were only human and made poor decisions.
This book is amazing to help you guide yourself to combat fear, anger, anxiety, discouragement, and any negative emotion with the word of God. Even if you are able to do that, there are so many amazing stories that may leave you in a deep thought to yourself. (My favorites are the parents and the old lady. Both have hit me so deeply.) This book is good even for those who are just starting out in faith.
Now this book isn’t about him but about all the thoughts that make us stray away from God. I want to point out that beginning this book, I didn’t realize I had negative, ongoing thoughts but by the end of it, I’ve been able to not only notice, but fight against those thoughts.
This book has chapters where he goes deep into bible stories and scriptures about people we look up to in the Bible (such as Peter and John the Baptist) thinking “If only I had their faith...” when they too were only human and made poor decisions.
This book is amazing to help you guide yourself to combat fear, anger, anxiety, discouragement, and any negative emotion with the word of God. Even if you are able to do that, there are so many amazing stories that may leave you in a deep thought to yourself. (My favorites are the parents and the old lady. Both have hit me so deeply.) This book is good even for those who are just starting out in faith.
November 15, 2018
"If you haven't had a head-on collision with the Devil lately, it may be because you're running in the same direction.” If God is calling you to live for him, you are going to face enormous opposition, both external and internal voices trying to discourage you. This book offers practical solutions for how to deal with fears by re-framing your mindset. It's a model similar to cognitive behavioral therapy, with the key difference that there is less hope for resolution in this life. The more you progress in therapy for anxiety or depression, the more manageable your illness becomes. But the more you progress in your spiritual life, the louder the critics' voices are going to be. This causes us to increase our reliance on God because we're acutely aware of our weakness. The saints were not convinced of their own awesomeness. They persevered because they kept their eyes (and ears) on God alone and followed him no matter what the cost.
January 9, 2019
I could not have read this book at a better time!! Starting 2019 the book equipped to hear God’s voice and what He is calling me to do above all the other voices of life and the world! I think pastor Furtick gets his points across brilliantly by being transparent about his own struggles, defeats and victories with the chatterbox! As Furtick mentions in the book which rang soooo true to me ....it’s not that I’m learning something new...it’s all the things I need to remember about the goodness of God! For my faithful readers this is definitely a book worth investing in!
August 30, 2015
I was very disappointed in this book. MOST of the book talked about the chatterbox, not how to overcome it. More and more examples of how the chatterbox ruins your mindset and God's direction for you life. I am pretty sure of the chatterbox prattling along in my mind. But HOW do you stop it from getting you off track?
I found this book useless, though fairly humorous.
I found this book useless, though fairly humorous.
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