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It's Not Over: Leaving Behind Disappointment and Learning to Dream Again

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Do you feel like you’ve settled for a life less than you once desired? The good news: it’s not over!  It’s Not Over is a book for anyone who has ever felt discouraged, detoured, or disappointed by the path of their life and who longs to dream big again.

“Whether you are overcoming a disappointment or simply dreaming big, this book will build your faith and inspire you to do more than you thought possible.” - Craig Groeschel, pastor of Life.Church and New York Times bestselling author

Pursuing a dream is essential to living a life with purpose. Yet we often bury our burning desires and dreams deep in our hearts because it seems as if there’s no way we can accomplish them. 

In It’s Not Over, pastor Joshua Gagnon, founder of the Next Level Church network, reminds us that we were born to dream—and to dream big. In fact, our dreams have the power to shape our lives.

Join Joshua in discovering the answers to these questions and many more:

•        How do you determine what your God-sized dreams are?

•        How does dreaming help you discover your purpose?

•        How do you overcome disappointment and find hope again?

•        How do you pray bold prayers when you don’t feel like praying at all?

If you find yourself minimizing your dreams or feeling like you’re settling in your life, the good news is you have time! As long as you have breath in your lungs, God has a dream for you to chase. Start identifying your God-sized dreams today and take action towards achieving them. It’s what you were created for. And you can start today.

224 pages, Paperback

First published February 25, 2020

45 people are currently reading
81 people want to read

About the author

Joshua Gagnon

1 book6 followers

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5 stars
32 (48%)
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20 (30%)
3 stars
8 (12%)
2 stars
4 (6%)
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2 (3%)
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
Profile Image for Becky.
752 reviews44 followers
March 26, 2020
Short, sweet, and full of practical advice, It's Not Over is perfect for everyone who has ever given up on a dream ... no matter how big or small. I really appreciated that Gagnon pointed out that a God-sized dream is one that God has placed on your heart; it doesn't have to be big and impressive from a worldly standpoint. It's that focus that makes this book applicable to anyone.

The book is easy to read, and, while I didn't agree with everything Gagnon said (and honestly, I can't think of a single non-fiction book where I agreed with every single point), I did glean a lot of good advice.

Also, the final chapter, about finishing strong, seems very applicable in today's uncertain world. I know he didn't write this book in the context of COVID-19, but the advice, especially about focusing on what you can control, certainly translates well to this situation.

I would recommend this book to anyone who has a dream they're pursuing ... or to anyone who has been disappointed and wants to learn to dream again.

Disclosure of material connection: I received this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review, and the opinions expressed are my own.
Profile Image for Sarah.
958 reviews32 followers
March 26, 2020
It's Not Over is the perfect book for anyone who has a God size dream in their heart. Whether the dream is something new or you've given up on your dream, this book is for you. The size of your dream doesn't matter, but as long as it comes from the heart of God, it will come into fruition.

With practical advice, this book will have the reader nodding their head and highlighting paragraphs. This book is simple, yet thought provoking for the reader. I found myself thinking about my God size dream and asking myself questions, as I read through this book. It gave me practical advice on how I can pursue my God-given dream, especially in a difficult time in our world, where we are focused on COVID-19. This book brought me life and encouragement. I highly recommend picking up a copy today.
250 reviews4 followers
February 6, 2022
I expected something totally different based on the title. The book is religious american christian “selfhelp” book. It reviews some basic ideas like don’t have expectations, communicate with your partner, don’t give up on your big goals (but sometimes you have to listen to people, who have earned your trust, when they criticize the goal), etc. According the book, you should dream big and in case your dreams fail - maybe they weren’t meant for you or they were just a setback to the path towards your goal… Didn’t learn anything new and was way too religious for my taste. The “use cases” from the bible and the author’s life sounded too polished.
Profile Image for Amy’s Booket List.
353 reviews15 followers
April 20, 2020
I would love to say I have been leaning on my faith, but I’ve been finding more comfort in escapism, particularly fictional worlds. These days, the less time I spend in my own head the better lol.

I did get a chance to read this It's Not Over by @pastorjoshgagnon and he uses some pretty entertaining stories and unique metaphors. I’ve never considered people as vampires or zombies before but the thought was striking. Made me think a lot about the people in my life which is exactly the idea in a self help book.

I found a lot of his ideas and observations applicable even during lockdown. A lot of books aren't particularly useful right now, because it almost feels like our lives are on hold, but Gagnon's words will make you want to. use the time we are given to reconnect with who we used to be and how we used to see God.

Hopefully, I can remember to use these lessons as I move forward, and begin dreaming again. As a lot of people did, I read Purpose Driven Life years ago, and I can't help but feel this is a wonderful followup. Like taking those lessons a step forward and identifying real life ways of living with a purpose.
Profile Image for Casey | Essentially Novel.
359 reviews4 followers
March 29, 2023
“𝘞𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘭𝘦𝘥𝘨𝘦 – 𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 – 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦.”

I forget where I heard of this one but whomever shared about it said enough for me to look for a copy. At that point in my life I was experiencing a lot of disappointment, and even in the first month of 2023 there have been some big ones.

The kind of disappointment Gagnon talks about is defined as being defeated in expectation or hope; the serious kind that deeply hurts. It looks different for each of us and he recognizes that, but he strongly encourages us not to lose hope, to not give up. He offers both practical and spiritual advice that any age can benefit from. Sometimes all we need is to hear (or read) what we might already know from another voice and Gagnon’s is a hopeful, kind, and supportive one.

This is a quick read but still packed with plenty to ponder on. It’s always hard to rate nonfiction books like this and I can’t say I loved it but I did like it and was touched by some of the things he said and the perspectives he offers. 3.5 stars
Profile Image for Living My Best Book Life.
986 reviews93 followers
March 29, 2020
It's Not Over is an inspiring novel about overcoming your fears and disappointments and going after your God-sized dreams. Joshua Gagnon uses scriptures and personal experiences to show us how it is never too late to follow our dreams and realize that God gave us all certain skills to make those dreams happen.

I liked that Joshua Gagnon made me feel so hopeful. There are so many of us that have put our dreams on hold for different reasons and his advice lit a fire in me to live a life that I know I can. He reminded me that without disappointment and obstacles then you probably aren't on the right path. We have to push past them and really fight for our dreams.

I give It's Not Over 4 stars. I feel like this book will empower so many to move forward with our dreams. And he reminds us that God gave us the right attributes for our dreams.
Profile Image for Karen_RunwrightReads.
480 reviews98 followers
July 28, 2020
What makes It's Not Over different from just any other self-help book is how the author, a pastor, ties the pursuit of personal ambition with fulfilling the gifts and talents that we all received from God and using what we are already good at, and the community that we already part of, to fulfill the destiny for which we were born.
Whether you are a Christian or just looking to find and achieve your purpose, whether you want to start a ministry or build a legacy, whether you want to help others or are seeking help for your own vision, this book provides tools to help identify and use the resources that are already in place to accomplish just that.
Profile Image for Carter Hemphill.
404 reviews6 followers
July 24, 2021
It was a quick read with good advice about the pursuit of God-given dreams. It was apparent when I reviewed again to mark down some quotes that there was a lot more useful wisdom than I had gleamed upon the first pass. Ideal for those seeking God’s direction and those facing disappointment or disillusionment during those pursuits.

Profile Image for Tara Brabazon.
Author 41 books511 followers
April 21, 2020
This is a book marinated in the Christian faith. It is about finding happiness through finding a faith structure.

While some books in this genre have more generic interest for non-Christian readers, God is the focus, pathway and goal of this book.
Profile Image for Kate.
306 reviews75 followers
October 30, 2020
I love how Pastor Joshua tackles tough topics in this book. It is so refreshing to see a Pastor speak so candidly about such topics. He relates everything back to the bible, with specific examples from Nehemiah, David, Joseph, and so forth.

Highly recommended!
Profile Image for Lori Church.
Author 2 books2 followers
May 19, 2020
Wow! This is very inspiring. Keep your dreams. Never give up hope. God is in control and He loves you so much more than you can imagine.
180 reviews
October 28, 2020
This is a heart warming book and there was some good advice mixed in the pages.
Profile Image for lynlyn.
191 reviews
January 4, 2025
I can do all things through christ who strengthens me
Profile Image for Megsbookclub.
1,523 reviews28 followers
April 28, 2020
I flew through this book! It’s written by Joshua Gagnon, who is the founder and pastor of the Next Level Church, one of the fastest growing churches in the States. Even though he is a pastor and talks about God-sized dreams, it doesn’t read to me like a preachy book. Sometimes with religion genre books they feel like that to me. This was a book about yes Christian living, but more about personal growth. And I love self/personal growth help books! .

I mean in the very beginning he starts out by saying how much he loves KFC! Me too! Then of course he goes on to talk about the founder of KFC and the long road he took to success but never gave up. He talks a lot about the difference between goals you can achieve but don’t need to ask God for help- like your book goal! God is with you but it’s the God-sized dreams where you need to let him guide you. Dreams and goals like you want marriage, kids, to move to a new place, or overcome an addiction are just a few of the many. And I like to think this massive virus that seems to be all encompassing in our lives right now. Life is hard and scary right now and all we can have it faith/hope and know he will continue to guide us. .

Well now I sound a little preachy! But in times like these I think it’s important no matter your religion or beliefs that we all come together to have hope! So if you are looking for a positive book with a great message, that will help you stay on track to achieve your God-sized dreams, this book is it!
Profile Image for Eunice Alasa.
68 reviews3 followers
March 17, 2020
Listened to Joshua Gagnon on a podcast talking about the book and decided to give th book a try. The book is very encouraging and easy to read
126 reviews1 follower
April 14, 2020
It’s Not Over: Leaving Behind Disappointment and Learning To Dream Again is about pursuing our dreams and living a life of purpose. In life, we are susceptible to discarding our dreams because of difficulty or unbelief in ourselves. The author, Joshua Gagnon writes about our dreams, how to determine what our God-sized dream is, discovering the purpose we were created for, how to overcome disappointment, and how to pray boldly.

Mr. Gagnon writes in a voice filled with passion and mission. The Scriptures Mr. Gagnon features aids in communicating who God has created us to be and how our dreams are born from Him. Through his personal life experiences, Mr. Gagnon reveals that God creates our God-sized dreams in our hearts. Mr. Gagnon also states that when you experience resistance it usually means that you are going in the right direction. These two points were really poignant and relevant to me and I think that when you read this book you will find many revelations of your purpose.

I recommend that you read this book. This book will have you reflect on your God-sized dream and will direct you to seek God and His purpose for your life.
Profile Image for Em (Makenna).
350 reviews4 followers
January 6, 2020
earc from netgalley.

this one was fine, it seems like it can be a good resource, just not what i was looking for at the time.
Profile Image for Terrie Gill.
1 review
October 6, 2020
An Excellent read and encouragement! I highly suggest this book...you will be Blessed!!
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews

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