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Renegade Gospel: The Rebel Jesus
Central to the Christian faith is a man who denies all our pre-conceived notions about what God should look like. Joining his movement will mean coming to terms with the real Jesus, the rebel Jesus.
Jesus didn't come to start a religion. The rebel Jesus came with a renegade gospel to start a revolution. You and I are invited to be a part. In Renegade Gospel, pastor and author Mike Slaughter presents Jesus and his challenging message to inspire us during Lent, Easter, and through the year. Read the red letters and discover Jesus all over again.
Renegade Gospel is a multi-component, all-church sermon series and group study with six sessions.
Topics Discovering the Rebel Jesus Revolutionary Lifestyle The Most Important Question You Will Ever Have to Answer Seeing Jesus Today
The Way of the Cross
Resurrection
Jesus didn't come to start a religion. The rebel Jesus came with a renegade gospel to start a revolution. You and I are invited to be a part. In Renegade Gospel, pastor and author Mike Slaughter presents Jesus and his challenging message to inspire us during Lent, Easter, and through the year. Read the red letters and discover Jesus all over again.
Renegade Gospel is a multi-component, all-church sermon series and group study with six sessions.
Topics Discovering the Rebel Jesus Revolutionary Lifestyle The Most Important Question You Will Ever Have to Answer Seeing Jesus Today
The Way of the Cross
Resurrection
146 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 16, 2014
38 people are currently reading
59 people want to read
About the author
Mike Slaughter
75 books19 followersMike Slaughter is the lead pastor at Ginghamsburg Church in Tipp City, Ohio. Under his leadership, Ginghamsburg became known as an early innovator of small group ministry and a leader in global mission efforts. A frequently sought-after speaker, he is the author of many books, including Dare to Dream, Hijacked, Change the World, Christmas Is Not Your Birthday, and Upside Living in a Downside Economy.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
December 22, 2014
This is the Jesus I know and want to follow
April 2, 2018
great resource for a small group!
January 28, 2015
renegade gospel about...
"The Rebel Jesus" and (hopefully) Jesus' followers who rebelliously act against established authority of all kinds. For those of us who have been following Son of God, the Human One ["Son of Man" in some versions of scripture], Servant of All, Savior of the World for some time, Pastor Mike Slaughter's brief book moves along with the energy of the New Testament book of Acts as it reminds us what we can achieve trusting the risen Christ with our lives. I love the report of the archbishop who observed (complained?--page 41), "Everywhere Jesus went there was a riot. Everywhere I go they make me cups of tea!" Such a routine, common, sad example of ways humans literally domesticate Jesus' crazy wildness! Slaughter references famous Christians like Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Mother Teresa that every one of us almost despairs of following, yet Pastor Mike reminds us we follow Jesus, and includes many examples of regular people in seemingly ordinary Christian communities accomplishing amazing tasks because they trusted their lives on the risen Christ.
On page 103 the author observes people in the church are supposed to be servants rather than "volunteers" of their time and talents at their own convenience. A few years ago a church friend and colleague exclaimed to me, "we're not volunteers--we are called!" Indeed. Called by Jesus - to follow Jesus - on Jesus' terms.
The back cover features endorsements by well-known church people such as Shane Claiborne, Will Willimon, and Brian McLaren. But not a single endorsement from a woman :(
Renegade Gospel: The Radical Road to the Cross has helping me dare again to claim my own call and vision to follow Jesus, to search once more for a community that fully welcomes my presence and participation. Although in this format Mike Slaughter's newest book seems like best reading for a long-time Jesus follower, there's also a DVD, Leader Guide, Youth Study Book and Children's Leader Guide, all of which likely would lead to helpful conversations and life-transforming actions.
"The Rebel Jesus" and (hopefully) Jesus' followers who rebelliously act against established authority of all kinds. For those of us who have been following Son of God, the Human One ["Son of Man" in some versions of scripture], Servant of All, Savior of the World for some time, Pastor Mike Slaughter's brief book moves along with the energy of the New Testament book of Acts as it reminds us what we can achieve trusting the risen Christ with our lives. I love the report of the archbishop who observed (complained?--page 41), "Everywhere Jesus went there was a riot. Everywhere I go they make me cups of tea!" Such a routine, common, sad example of ways humans literally domesticate Jesus' crazy wildness! Slaughter references famous Christians like Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Mother Teresa that every one of us almost despairs of following, yet Pastor Mike reminds us we follow Jesus, and includes many examples of regular people in seemingly ordinary Christian communities accomplishing amazing tasks because they trusted their lives on the risen Christ.
On page 103 the author observes people in the church are supposed to be servants rather than "volunteers" of their time and talents at their own convenience. A few years ago a church friend and colleague exclaimed to me, "we're not volunteers--we are called!" Indeed. Called by Jesus - to follow Jesus - on Jesus' terms.
The back cover features endorsements by well-known church people such as Shane Claiborne, Will Willimon, and Brian McLaren. But not a single endorsement from a woman :(
Renegade Gospel: The Radical Road to the Cross has helping me dare again to claim my own call and vision to follow Jesus, to search once more for a community that fully welcomes my presence and participation. Although in this format Mike Slaughter's newest book seems like best reading for a long-time Jesus follower, there's also a DVD, Leader Guide, Youth Study Book and Children's Leader Guide, all of which likely would lead to helpful conversations and life-transforming actions.
February 22, 2016
This book from Slaughter is great at challenging the status quo of cultural Christianity. It's an attempt to push nominal Christian's beyond their simple and unchallenging faith and into an authentic and life-changing relationship with the "rebel" Jesus. He does a great job of pointing out how contemporary Christians and churches are failing to live obediently and counter-culturally. Basically, he challenges the reader to a deeper, more radical and life-altering walk with God.
While his intentions are good, his writing is not great. Probably my biggest complaint is that he seems like a very proud person (while I'm sure not intentionally). He references his tenure and success at Ginghamsburg in just about every chapter and also seems to enjoy using his life as an example of how the rest of us should live in obedience to Christ. Many of his personal stories can be interpreted as self-glorifying and arrogant, especially since he notes them repeatedly.
His thoughts also don't seem to be laid out very well and there seems to be a lot of overlap in many of the chapters. I think he makes a lot of great points, but they could have been structured in a more appropriate manner.
Overall, not a horrible read, but I think the book could have been a lot better.
*I should also note that we are doing this as a book study in my church and there were a few members who did not appreciate the unpatriotic comments in the second chapter. I see Slaughter's point that our first allegiance should be to the Kingdom of God, but I don't think it has to be at the expense of our allegiance to our nation.
While his intentions are good, his writing is not great. Probably my biggest complaint is that he seems like a very proud person (while I'm sure not intentionally). He references his tenure and success at Ginghamsburg in just about every chapter and also seems to enjoy using his life as an example of how the rest of us should live in obedience to Christ. Many of his personal stories can be interpreted as self-glorifying and arrogant, especially since he notes them repeatedly.
His thoughts also don't seem to be laid out very well and there seems to be a lot of overlap in many of the chapters. I think he makes a lot of great points, but they could have been structured in a more appropriate manner.
Overall, not a horrible read, but I think the book could have been a lot better.
*I should also note that we are doing this as a book study in my church and there were a few members who did not appreciate the unpatriotic comments in the second chapter. I see Slaughter's point that our first allegiance should be to the Kingdom of God, but I don't think it has to be at the expense of our allegiance to our nation.
December 26, 2017
Mike Slaughter appears to be a combination of early Christian apologist, present-day activist, and old time gospel preacher. This work is one long sermon, portions with which I agree and portions I would challenge. The book is an interesting, although not too informative, read.
June 26, 2017
This book was intended to be read during the Lenten season. I'm a little behind.
I don't know why but it never occurred to me to think of Jesus as a rebel. However, after reading this book I see that's exactly what he was during his time here on earth. The author suggest we read the New Testament w/Jesus words written in red. This brought back memories of my grandparents Bibles. I've always thought of Jesus as a friend, as a way to meet God. These are not wrong...but this author challenges us beyond this thinking to have a clearer vision of what Jesus' life on earth was like. Here are a few of the lines in the book I highlighted. (taken directly from the book). " Claiming the rebel Jesus requires a radical reprioritization of all we deem valuable." "Jesus as Son of God carries the genetic code, the DNA, of God the Father. Jesus is a chip off the old block, so to speak, serving as a visible picture of a God who otherwise would be invisible. Jesus is the exact representation of God's being and the living expression of the Father's heart." (I love this!). "You will find Jesus only if you are looking for Him". " Intentional participation in Jesus' life and mission precedes growing faith!" This absolutely doesn't replace reading the Bible...but is does help you go at it from a different perspective.
I don't know why but it never occurred to me to think of Jesus as a rebel. However, after reading this book I see that's exactly what he was during his time here on earth. The author suggest we read the New Testament w/Jesus words written in red. This brought back memories of my grandparents Bibles. I've always thought of Jesus as a friend, as a way to meet God. These are not wrong...but this author challenges us beyond this thinking to have a clearer vision of what Jesus' life on earth was like. Here are a few of the lines in the book I highlighted. (taken directly from the book). " Claiming the rebel Jesus requires a radical reprioritization of all we deem valuable." "Jesus as Son of God carries the genetic code, the DNA, of God the Father. Jesus is a chip off the old block, so to speak, serving as a visible picture of a God who otherwise would be invisible. Jesus is the exact representation of God's being and the living expression of the Father's heart." (I love this!). "You will find Jesus only if you are looking for Him". " Intentional participation in Jesus' life and mission precedes growing faith!" This absolutely doesn't replace reading the Bible...but is does help you go at it from a different perspective.
August 26, 2017
Slaughter challenges us to be more like Jesus, as Christians we are not to sit back but to take steps to bring about the Kingdom of God here on earth as is written in the "Lord's Prayer". These steps are simple what are we doing to bring others to Christ, to teach the world about love and not hate, helping those in need, etc. We need to look to the two commandments that Jesus gave us and share with the rest of the world in giving hope to all. This is the "Renegade Gospel". I do disagree with some of what he says regarding not having an American Flag in the Church. I do not believe that is putting country before God. I also disagree where he does not say the Pledge of Allegiance because it says you are putting country before God. Overall, the book challenged me to think about how to be more like Jesus.
January 20, 2018
The concept behind the book was excellent. Representing the Jesus of the Gospels as he was, defender of the unrepresented, the poor, the sick and those who were outcasts of society. The Jesus who was warned but nevertheless he persisted. That being said the book did not seem to pursue that course so much as it seemed to make a case for literal Gospel interpretation at times. I have experienced Mike Slaughter's work previously with "Christmas is not your Birthday" and enjoyed that. Hoping that further discussion around this work will give me an expanded view but the reading was not quite what I expected.
May 23, 2021
Rev. Slaughter calls for us to put aside our preconceived notions of Christ and really dig deep to become servant Christians like Christ’s example. If you think about Jesus’ ministry, you realize that he truly was a renegade. He believed women were equal to men, he accepted gentiles as well as jews, he didn’t care for material possessions, but trusted God’s provisions, he served the poor, touched the untouchable, and healed the sick.
Slaughter challenges us to get to know the real Jesus Christ and follow him. There are many wake up calls for complacent Christians in this small book. It’s great for a study and very thought provoking.
Slaughter challenges us to get to know the real Jesus Christ and follow him. There are many wake up calls for complacent Christians in this small book. It’s great for a study and very thought provoking.
April 8, 2022
I thought that this book opened really strong and I like the focus on not seeing Jesus in the same light that many of us grew up with. After the first chapter or two though it felt like it lost the connection or focus. It became far more churchy and familiar. I still found good nuggets and it sparked conversation but it was kind of boring to me. I wouldn’t say don’t read this but I wouldn’t jump at it either.
March 25, 2018
The message and heart of the book is spot on, but I found my mind wander a lot. For some reason, it just didn't hold my attention very well. However, my church's leadership team is using it to formulate sermons for Sunday. They are great. Full of power and conviction. I'm glad they are spicing it up for people like me.
January 5, 2020
This reminded me of my dad's sermon on Jesus, the Revolutionary...
December 25, 2017
Mike Slaughter appears to be a combination of early Christian apologist, present-day activist, and old time gospel preacher. This work is like one long sermon, parts with which I agree, parts I would challenge. It is an interesting, although not so informative, read.
March 6, 2015
A Challenging View of Christ's Message
The Jesus of the Bible is not the gentle shepard portrayed by many churches. In the early chapters, Slaughter hits hard on the “Sunday Christians” and the churches that support this attitude. Christ came to awaken people to the problems of complacency. Slaughter makes the point that if you want to follow Jesus it's a hard row. Jesus said to the rich young man who asked to be a follower that he had to give all he had to the poor before he could be a follower. The rich young man couldn't do it, and how many of us today would be able to?
Jesus did come to start a revolution. Today we can be part of that revolution, or we can remain complacent Christians and miss the opportunities afforded by becoming a follower of Christ. The second part of the book suggests how this can be accomplished. Slaughter, pastor of Ginghamsburg Methodist Church, reports on the ways his church is trying to make a difference by supporting the development of Christian communities in Africa.
This is an excellent book for Christians to read and think about. Slaughter makes the point that apathetic Christians and churches presenting a watered down version of Christ's message have done more to destroy Christianity than atheists and agnostics. I highly recommend this book. It will make you think and, hopefully, act.
I reviewed this book for the Amazon Vine Program.
The Jesus of the Bible is not the gentle shepard portrayed by many churches. In the early chapters, Slaughter hits hard on the “Sunday Christians” and the churches that support this attitude. Christ came to awaken people to the problems of complacency. Slaughter makes the point that if you want to follow Jesus it's a hard row. Jesus said to the rich young man who asked to be a follower that he had to give all he had to the poor before he could be a follower. The rich young man couldn't do it, and how many of us today would be able to?
Jesus did come to start a revolution. Today we can be part of that revolution, or we can remain complacent Christians and miss the opportunities afforded by becoming a follower of Christ. The second part of the book suggests how this can be accomplished. Slaughter, pastor of Ginghamsburg Methodist Church, reports on the ways his church is trying to make a difference by supporting the development of Christian communities in Africa.
This is an excellent book for Christians to read and think about. Slaughter makes the point that apathetic Christians and churches presenting a watered down version of Christ's message have done more to destroy Christianity than atheists and agnostics. I highly recommend this book. It will make you think and, hopefully, act.
I reviewed this book for the Amazon Vine Program.
April 16, 2016
I read this as a group study. Slaughter presents the Jesus of the Gospels as a rebel. He points out that churches today shy away from the rebellious nature of Christ. It is worth the read, most importantly for the passages with which the reader disagrees. My understanding of Jesus in the Gospels is that he is definitely a radical. But at every turn, he refuses every 'push' from his disciples - and his enemies - to be the political Messiah for which the nation of Jews longed. Slaughter seems to believe in a Jesus who came to shake things up. One who expects his followers to stand up and be heard. I agree that many Christians would fall into that category of 'luke warm' which God abhors, but I cannot agree with how Slaughter calls us to 'action.' It doesn't ring true to Scripture for me. On the other hand, making us think about our role in society and encouraging the church to be evidence of the change that God can make in our lives ... we can never tire of being reminded of those things.
June 13, 2016
I'm no pastor, but I think this book could make a fantastic 6-part sermon series! This book invites you to move past your comfort zone and follow the radical, rebel Jesus rather than the cultural "Sunday school" Jesus. Slaughter also challenges us to let go of the Jesus of our collective imaginations and accept his reality, humanity, and divinity as the Son of Man. This isn't watered down, easy, believe-ism. Slaughter reminds us that the gospels tell a story of hard truths, denial and death to self, suffering, persecution, and reprioritizing your life in a way that is counter to the popular culture.
April 4, 2015
This book will challenge most Christians and their view of what it means to follow Jesus. It is a call to the church to wake up and return to their first love: Jesus. We are not called to complacency but to a radical lifestyle that imitates the life of Jesus. We have a mission to make disciples who demonstrate the Kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven. I gave a 3 star rating because as another reader stated, I expected it to be a bit edgier: to really delve more into bringing the kingdom to earth.
February 11, 2015
A fairly simple read, Slaughter recounts his own faith journey in a way that is meaningful for many trying-to-be-Jesus-followers. It is structured to work with related materials for Lenten study. Although not using the study materials, some of the illustrations and concise descriptions will make their way into my Lenten worship services and sermons, including perhaps most importantly the vital worship of Easter Eve and day.
November 4, 2015
Jesus was a rebel who bucked the status quo of his time, both the rigid legalism of Jewish law and military might of The Roman Empire. Slaughter does a good job of making us remember this and challenging us to be rebels as well.
We did this book as a 2015 Lenten Bible study at my church. I missed several weeks and got behind and did not finish the book until June. I wish I could have been part of the discussion. It is thought provoking.
We did this book as a 2015 Lenten Bible study at my church. I missed several weeks and got behind and did not finish the book until June. I wish I could have been part of the discussion. It is thought provoking.
January 16, 2015
Good quick read comparing the Jesus of the gospels - the rebel Jesus - with the Jesus of our imagination which too often is the Jesus we chose to follow. An easy read and a good reminder about parts of our faith which need routine checking to make sure we are not refashioning faith to more comfortably fit our lifestyles.
March 25, 2015
Slaughter does an excellent job of highlighting the radical nature of radical discipleship. My only complaint is that it was marketed as a Lenten series and he could have done a better job of attaching it to the historical events surrounding Jesus' journey to the cross.
Overall an excellent read and excellent author!
Overall an excellent read and excellent author!
July 14, 2015
It was OK. Nothing jumped out at me as "new" or "groundbreaking" ideas. Maybe I just agree with the author's views wholeheartedly. I'm going through this study in a church small group for Lent, so maybe there will be some great discussions that come out of that.
February 25, 2016
This is a simple, straightforward read about the radical nature of the Gospel. I would recommend this book to United Methodists, particularly those looking for a Lenten study.
I am counting this in my 2016 #vtReadingChallenge as "a book with the word Gospel in the title"
I am counting this in my 2016 #vtReadingChallenge as "a book with the word Gospel in the title"
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February 22, 2015an ok book
It was nice but not what I expected. I expected more of an edgier book with the title Renegade Gospel.
It was nice but not what I expected. I expected more of an edgier book with the title Renegade Gospel.
April 7, 2015
I enjoyed this book. It was a good challenge for our Sunday School class and it was nice that if you didn't read for the week that the video was available so all felt welcome.
March 14, 2015
Great reminder of the countercultural nature of the gospel. Would make for a great Lenten sermon series.
April 3, 2015
While I don't agree with some of what Slaughter writes, it was a challenging read for Lent, which led to a good sermon series.
April 9, 2015
I have heard the author speak in person and this is consistent with what I expected. I would recommend this to someone who thinks church or Christianity has no voice in today's world.
September 12, 2015
Had some interesting sections that explained terminology and historical detail that gave me greater insight. It made for interesting discussion, especially in these challenging times.
September 25, 2015
Made you stop and rethink your preceptions of Jesus...
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews