Chosen for Christ: Stepping into the Life You've Been Missing

by Heather Holleman

Do you long to know your unique purpose? Do you feel you have a calling but wonder how to fulfill it? As we pursue a sense of purpose and scramble to be the ones chosen for internships, graduate schools, marriages, careers, or some special honor, we often tie our identity to people, places, and clear plans that leave us frustrated and unfulfilled. We feel like we’re missing the life we’re supposed to live and we somehow veered off course. We ask questions like, “Is this God’s plan for me? How do I know? What is His plan, anyway?” What if Scripture not only answered these questions but also taught us an entirely new way of living? Instead of waiting for the perfect person, place, or plan, what if we lived, above all else, as chosen for Christ ? Chosen for Christ invites you to step into the life you’ve been missing. You were chosen for a Person, not a plan. Now it’s time to live out your calling In a world fixated on personal purpose and impact, Chosen for Christ presents a new way to think about calling. Each chapter includes discussion questions that will help women embrace their identity as chosen ones and step into a new way of living each new day. Chosen for Christ completes Heather Holleman’s vivid verbs trilogy, which also includes Seated with Christ and Guarded by Christ . It works wonderfully as a stand-alone book or as a powerful companion to her previous works. It also provides an expansion of ideas that appear briefly in Holleman’s devotional Included in Christ.

Genres: Christian, Christian Living, Faith, Nonfiction, Spirituality, Christian Non Fiction, Religion

192 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2018

About the author

HEATHER HOLLEMAN, PhD, is a popular speaker, writer, and college instructor. She serves with Faculty Commons with Cru alongside her husband, Ashley, who is the Executive Director of Graduate Student Ministry. She is also a faculty member of Penn State's English Department and teaches both Rhetoric and Composition and Advanced Writing in the Humanities. She is the author of Seated With Christ: Living Freely in a Culture of Comparison, her first in a series of books on life-changing verbs in Scripture. Heather lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and their two teen daughters. She blogs daily at www.HeatherHolleman.com.

Reviews

[Maci Feather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chosen for Christ is a great, encouraging book to re-establish your perspective on what God thinks about you. Heather Holleman is a wonderful writer who provides many personal stories to help understand different scriptures as well. The chapters are fairly short, so I used it as a devotional tool every morning. At the end of every chapter there are verses and questions to further your study. Great read!
*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!*

[Brooke Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heather Holleman is such a beautiful writer. In this book she reminds us that we are chosen by God. In the mundane and in the busy God has predetermined every aspect of our life. We live with purpose and hope in eternity to come. While waiting for eternity, God has created purpose for us while on this earth and we should rejoice in that!!

[Rebecca Feere · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heather Holleman has a way with words that clicks with me. Her use of vivid verbs and her ability to bring theological concepts to life in the everyday moments of life is incredible! All of her books (which I have read so far) have changed my perspective and left me wanting to live differently in light of the truths of God's Word that she has shared. The themes of her books stick with me. This book is a perfect balance of encouraging and challenging for any believer in Christ who feels stuck or purposeless.

[Miranda Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

What I love about Heather Holleman’s writing is the way she takes you deeper into Scripture. She develops passages that may be familiar and helps you to see things you may not have noticed before. It is so evident that she fully believes every word she is writing as she seeks to live it out in her own life. I loved how God used the truths I was reading to meet the circumstances I faced the very same day I read them.

[Rebecca Lansford · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Jesus is here - choosing us, loving us, leaving us step by step. We don't need to fear rejection, live in confusion, or wonder if we've missed out on the life meant for us." So beautifully written and wonderfully encouraging. I would highly recommend this book to any Christian who wants to understand what it means that we are God's chosen people and how that affects our daily lives.

[Dawn Dishman · Rating 5 out of 5]

The question posed in this book is:
How would you live differently if you truly understood that you are chosen by an extraordinary God to live an extraordinary life?

We are chosen for a Person whose love never stops.

[Elisabeth Warner · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a great sequel to Seated with Christ. I liked the overall structure of the book, and while she has all these fancy degrees and accolades, she is so relatable in her writing. I don't feel like she is talking down at me.

[Lindsey Gandhi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do you remember being in kindergarten and it's time to pick who is going to be on which kickball team? Remember that feeling in the pit of your stomach that you didn't want to be the last one chosen? Now fast forward to college and you're rushing a sorority and just crossing your fingers that one of them chooses you. Let's take a leap forward to adulthood and you pray that you're the one chosen for that job because you have bills to pay. We go through life basing alot of our identity on being chosen. And as a Christian sometimes I look at my life, the good, the bad and the ugly and often wonder what God could want with me. I try to be a good wife and a good mother, but like any human I make mistakes.

Heather Holleman lays out an inspiring and practical way of looking at these insecurities to show how God chose us all along. And there is a new life you can be living once you accept these truths. She uses experiences from her every day life to show how she came to look at being chosen in a new light. How you can live your life to the fullest potential. At the end of each chapter she has some really thought provoking questions to not only help you better process what you just read, but also how you can apply it to your life.

This is a very encouraging book, one I would recommend yo many of my female friends.

My thanks to Heather Holleman, Moody Publishing and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Prairie Sky Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heather Holleman is an author I greatly respect, as she always challenges me to think outside the box and dive deeper into some of the key verbs of Scripture. I’ve previously enjoyed her books “Included in Christ”, “Seated with Christ”, and “Guarded by Christ”, and was excited to begin her newest work from Moody Publishers entitled “Chosen for Christ: Stepping Into the Life You’ve Been Missing”. As Heather urges us, “It’s time to stop letting rejection write your story”.

Just like with Heather’s previous books, “Chosen for Christ” zooms in and focuses on a special verb straight from Scripture - this time the word ‘chose’. God ‘chose’ us and we are precious to Him (1 Peter 2:4). Each chapter of the book is down-to-earth, challenging and thought-provoking, as Heather shares the lessons she’s learned as she’s stepped into her role as a daughter chosen for Christ.

Part One of the book is called “Your Present Situation”, and helps us to wade into the subject while allowing us to acknowledge our deep longing of feeling chosen.

Part Two is entitled “The Seven Invitations” (of living as a person who was chosen for and by Christ). What are these invitations? Worship, Live as God’s Treasured Possession, Belong to a New Family, Complete Good Works, Display God’s Power, Become Like Jesus, and Live Differently from the World. I love this section of the book the most, as it is packed with truth to inspire us in daily, practical, and spiritual ways to step into the life God purposed for us.

Part Three dives into the question, “What if I Say Yes?” (to the invitations). The answer, we discover, is that we are given a new calling and purpose as we daily consecrate our lives to Christ.

“Chosen for Christ” is definitely one of my favorite books by Heather Holleman. It invokes deep thinking and challenges the worldly perspectives that invade our minds and hearts from all angles, perspectives that say we have to do more, try harder, strive and achieve and climb as much as we can and as quickly as possible. But, Heather explains, God says there is another way of doing things. . . “How would you live differently if you truly understood that you are already chosen, for this life, for this moment, for Jesus?” Pick up a copy of “Chosen for Christ” to begin this powerful journey of peace and discovery for yourself.

I received this book courtesy of Moody Publishers in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been taught that we each have a specific calling or purpose. So I find myself running around being frustrated and unfulfilled wondering if I am carrying out God's plan.

I loved the example Ms. Holleman gave us of the old I Love Lucy show. When it came close to the time for pregnant Lucy to go to the hospital, Ricky, Fred and Ethel all practiced their plan of action several times. But when the actual day came, they each got so nervous, nothing went as planned and they left Lucy behind. They forgot the most important person.

I related to this scenario. I get caught up in preparing, planning and worrying if I am carrying out The Plan. I forget what and who I am doing it for and leave out Jesus. So I call out Jesus, where are you?

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart? Jer. 1:5a
Ps. 139:14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made:
We serve an awesome God who knows us personally.

Heather used scripture to substantiate any of her points. This validates that they are not just her thoughts or ideas, but they are all scriptural.

She quotes one of my favorite Christian heroines, Holocaust survivor, Corrie Ten Boom “Every experience God gives us, every person He puts in our lives is the perfect preparation for the future that only He can see.”

I learned so much from Heather's book and the scriptures she chose. I would recommend this book to anyone who may need to stop spinning their wheels striving and planning, as I was doing. As Heather said “ We were chosen for a Person, not a plan.”

I received this book from Moody Publishers through Net Galleys. The opinion expressed in this review are completely my own.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Are you tired of feeling rejected, like you are never enough?  We all want to be chosen, but the world, more often than not, offers only rejection. If we have forgotten who, or whose, we are, we will take hold of this rejection and allow it to define us.  In "Chosen For Christ", Heather Holleman shows us how to put aside the rejection of the world and step into the life we've been missing.  God has chosen us for a purpose--every one of us.  He has left no one out--not even you.  Once we realize the truth of being chosen by God for Christ, we will finally live a life of purpose and passion no longer dependent upon the world for validation.

Holleman presents seven invitations that characterize those who know they are chosen.  Once you know how God intended for you to live, you will never feel rejected.  Would you live differently if you truly understood that you are already chosen right now for a person (Jesus)?  Would you stop the if...then thoughts and live the life right now that God has purposed specifically for you?

Jesus is calling you deeper. Holleman has allowed God to use her for such a time as this to show us how very much God wants us now--not when we think we are ready.  And He desires us just the way we are.

We no longer have to wait to be chosen.  It happened a long time ago.  "Chosen For Christ" is on my best books of all time list.  I hope you will add it to yours, too.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Moody Publishers, as part of their Book Review Blogger Program. I was not required to write a review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you feel like you were left out growing up? Maybe you still feel left out, awkward, or even unwanted. Heather Holleman gently guides you back to the life you've been missing, because Jesus has already chosen you and would surely choose you again.

Heather's book is an intelligent read based on solid doctrine, like many others I've enjoyed from Moody Publishers. She describes how she has struggled with feeling chosen, even as a longtime Christian. She helps you examine where you are now with your feelings, struggles and faith. Then she leads you through seven different invitations Jesus extends to you in Scripture. Finally, she encourages you to take forward steps into the life God has chosen for you.

If you're looking for encouragement from a wise, trustworthy friend who will teach you something new, this book is a great pick for you! I'm still mulling on its truths, weeks after reading.

Favorite Quotes from Chosen for Christ:

It's always the right decision to worship Jesus. It's never wrong to choose to worship where you are. Worshiping Jesus is something you will never regret, and you can never do it too much.

I became a different woman when I saw myself as God's treasured possession. I woke up with the expectation that God would attend to me as someone He greatly values and cares for.

God makes space for us to use our gifts. He knows how to open doors, use our gifting, and make our contribution matter. When we feel crowded out, Jesus is right there, appointing and enabling the fruit for our lives.

Thanks to Moody Publishers for providing me a review copy of Chosen for Christ.

[Joanne Viola · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chosen.

The mere word reminds me of those days in gym class. All the kids are lined up and sides are being drawn up. With each selection, our breath is held as we wait to hear our name called. Our desire not to be the last one because then you really weren’t “chosen” at all.

In her book, Chosen for Christ, Heather Holleman reminds us of our desire to be chosen for something or someone.

“We shape our identity on how chosen we feel at any given time, both by people and for opportunities …

I knew that if God taught me more about my chosen identity, it could offer the remedy for past, present, and even future rejection. It would also provide certainty that God chose me for this exact life I’m living – to bear the fruit He appointed for me.”
(from page 13)

The feeling of rejection will poison our souls because we have not been chosen for a perfect life plan, but for a Person – Jesus.

We have been chosen by Him, for Him, so that we live lives that are radically different, exalting Him in all we do, and bear fruit. To miss this truth, we miss the life He has chosen for us to live.

The author proceeds to explain seven invitations to which Jesus calls us.

The book is beautifully written, every word encouraging and soothing at the same. time. Her words assure us that we have indeed been chosen.

As I closed the last page I realized anew, all we need to do is embrace the beautiful chosen life He has given us.

*I was provided a copy of this book by Moody Publishers for review. All opinions are honest and my own.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chosen for Christ is a Christian Living/ Spiritual Growth book by author Heather Holleman. There are three sections to this short (178 pages) book. The first section is about the chosen person, the second is seven invitations to the Christian life and the third is what if I say yes. Since there are questions at the end of each chapter this book makes a great group or individual study.

I was pleased to be reminded that worship is more than just singing. Worship is cultivating an awareness of God’s presence and responding with joy to Him (p. 55). You don’t have to sing great in order to worship God.

I loved the story about the blue Ghirardelli on pages 75-76. You’ll want to read and enjoy the story for yourself.

I recommend this book to both male and female readers because it speaks more about Jesus and spiritual matters than to individual genders.

Disclaimer: I receive complimentary books from various sources, including, publishers, publicists, authors, and/or NetGalley. I am not required to write a positive review and have not received any compensation. The opinions shared here are my own entirely. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chosen. All of us long for the feeling of belonging that comes when we are valued and know we are wanted. In the Bible, those of us who have placed our faith in Christ are called chosen ones. Many of us like the thought of being chosen but what does it mean? In Heather Holleman's book, "Chosen for Christ", she walks us through 7 invitations God calls us to engage in as we understand the gift of being chosen for Him. I loved how she stressed that we are "Chosen for a Person, not a perfect life plan". Knowing Who we belong to gives clarity to our life as we make decisions, as we worship, as we live life here on earth this side of eternity. Heather's writing style is easy to read and full of wisdom as she draws our attention to Jesus. I highly recommend this book if you are struggling with feeling alone, wanting to know what your purpose is, as well as if you are looking to grow in what it means to belong to Jesus. You will be encouraged and challenged to pursue Him more as you grow in knowing the joy of being chosen for Him.
I was given a copy of this book as part of the launch team and asked to give my honest opinion. All thoughts are my own.

[Zacarias Rivera, Jr. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chosen for Christ is a wonderful reminder of the fact that we are chosen for Christ. I found Heather Holleman's exegesis sound and her life experiences so relevant to the topic of our being chosen. Dr. Holleman exposes her experiences in a transparent manner that we can all relate to, yet would think twice about sharing.
We all long to belong, to be accepted, chosen, to be selected, awarded. It's part of who we are, but Holleman declares unequivocally that we ARE chosen, but not to fulfill our plans. We are chosen for Christ, to live for Him.
Holleman provides scriptural support from the Old and New Testaments that we are chosen for Christ.
I was convicted of my own doubts at times about God's sovereignty in my life, and she reminded me that He is in control, and I am chosen to be where I am today.
I highly recommend this book. It will absolutely encourage and install hope in those who feel left out, unappreciated, unacknowledged by people.
I thank Moody Publishers for the complimentary copy. These are my honest thoughts on this amazing book. I can't wait to read her other works.

[Adrienne Servis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heather Hollerman does an excellent job of showing us how, why and that we are chosen for Christ and by Christ. "She points out in John 15:16, " You did not choose me, but I choose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit-fruit that will last-and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you". I like this statement, "Just like a birth certificate that shows your name and the truth of your belonging to your father, your name is written in the Lamb's book of life." Rev. 21:27. In Isaiah 45:1-4 "Do not fear for I have redeemed you, I have summoned you by name; you are mine!" Heather goes through Scripture after Scripture proving we were chosen for Christ and we have a divine purpose for Him. We are not left to our own and we will know what He wants us to do to fulfill His plan on earth and eternity. If you ever had a question of God calling you or do you have a purpose in life, this book will settle that once and for all. A must read by everyone, and for all ages.

[Tamara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title: Chosen for Christ
Author: Heather Holleman
Genre: Nonfiction, Christian
Rating: 4 out of 5

Most people spend their lives in search of something: marriage, career, prestige, a better job, more education…but these things we plan on often leave us frustrated and searching for more. What if we started living as if we were chosen for a person, Jesus Christ, instead of a plan? A calling is about more than a plan. Turn that old way of thinking on its head and embrace your true identity.

Chosen for Christ is all about embracing your identity as being chosen by Christ—and what that really means for you and your life. This book was both inspiring and uplifting and gave me a whole new way to think about things. An excellent read!

(Galley provided by Moody Publishers in exchange for an honest review.)

More reviews at Tomorrow is Another Day

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Chosen for Christ" explores what it means to be chosen by God and chosen for His purposes. Understanding that you are chosen (even if you don't feel like that's true) helps you combat the fear of rejection and fills your desire for significance. The author explored Scripture to find out what it means to be chosen by God and what God chose us for: to worship Jesus (with a look at what worship is), live as His treasured possession, belong to a new family, complete the good works He designed for you, display God’s power, become like Jesus, and live differently from the rest of the world. And we're a chosen priesthood. Each chapter included four discussion questions that help you process and apply what you learned in that chapter. Overall, I'd recommend this insightful book.

I received a review copy of this book from the publisher through Amazon Vine.

[Michelle Kidwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chosen for Christ
Stepping into the Life You've Been Missing
by Heather Holleman
Moody Publishers

Christian
Pub Date 02 Oct 2018


I am reviewing a copy of Chosen for Christ through Moody Publishers and Netgalley:


In this book we are reminded that we are chosen.


We all have a unique purpose, something God has called us for. We are reminded that God chooses the fruit of our lives that he will lead us to his plans for our future.


Choose for Christ offers us an invitation to step in the life you have been missing. You are reminded that we are chosen for a person not a plan.


I give Chosen For Christ five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a tad difficult for me to get completely into. Non-fiction is tricky and while there are some nuggets of truth and good in this book, it wasn’t as I was expecting. There is some great encouragement in a few chapters but a few times I felt like the issue discussed was made more complicated and confusing. I enjoyed the fun stories that were added in those always add more depth. Perhaps some more Bible verses on each topic would have been good too.



Three stars.



"Thanks to Moody Publishers for offering me a free copy. All opinions are my own and I was not required to write a positive review."

[Michelle Kaderly Welsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love all of Holleman's books, and this one is another excellent book to encourage us in our faith walk. I highly recommend it. Because they are filled with such great material, I intend to read them all again because there's such wisdom packed within its pages, especially this one. Her powerful insights gave me pause to contemplate them and to earnestly seek to implement them. That life is about a Person not a Plan is a new concept for me. I find it quite refreshing and releasing. I loved this book. I can't wait to read more from Heather Holleman. I am encouraging everyone to read this book, as well as her others.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was hard to put this book down! I felt as if Heather Holleman had looked into my heart and wrote it in this book. She gives a whole new way of looking at the circumstances of life we find ourselves in. We need to believe we are chosen and that what we are dealing with can be used to bring glory to God. We are chosen for a Person, not a plan. So many things I have thought and felt are dealt with in this book and I highly recommend it for everyone - live the life God has for you because you are chosen.

[Samantha Barnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

While the emotion of wanting to feel “chosen” doesn’t resonate with me in this season of life, I quickly attached to the message of this book because I was also in the middle of studying 1 Peter 2, about being a chosen race and a royal priesthood. I have read very few women authors who do such an incredible job of constantly quoting Scripture and Biblically backing up what she was writing. The reflection questions at the end of each chapter helped me process through what I had just read, and I think I will be stuck for awhile on the idea that I have been chosen for a Person not a plan.

[Ev · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I lived for a Person, not a plan.” I appreciate Heather’s solid teaching on how we are chosen for Christ. She gives readers stories about how this transforms our outlook on life- and gives us a new call in and purpose.

“We will shine so others find their way to Jesus. We will shine, not to bring light to our own faces for fame or attention, but so we illuminate God’s Word that we “hold out” in front of us.” p 157

[geekoutonreading : Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book helped me realize that no matter what has happened or will happen in my life with other people, I have always been and will always be CHOSEN by Christ! Filled with seven invitations for us to live as one chosen, this book will change the way you live your life!

[Rachel Little · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great devotional!

[Sue Parker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inspiring and uplifting, reminding us of where are true home is and our roots lay as followers of a Wonderful Father God. Thank you for this encouraging book, designed with women in mind.

[Teri Gasser · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's always a joy to sit down with Heather and hear in practical terms how to apply the truth of Scripture to your walk with Jesus.

[Alicia Schulz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, a good book.