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Out of Chaos: How God Makes New Things from the Broken Pieces of Life
Life is a hot mess. There's the bedlam of getting out the door in the morning. The constant breaking down of our homes and bodies and the cars we drive. And the institutions that promise to help are often no better. We are surrounded by the constant disorder of governments and disappointed by "organized" religion, the very entities that tell us they can provide us sanity and security. Instead, they leave us scratching our heads or licking our wounds. Chaos surrounds us, and at times, it seems to rule our souls, our families, and our world. But does chaos always end in failure or flaw? What if chaos was more than the check engine light of lost causes? What if chaos was the raw material out of which God creates? In the beginning God brought order from chaos, filling the chaos with a beautiful creation, and he's been doing it ever since. Where you and I may experience confusion and disorder, God sees an opportunity for something new--for a rebirth, a renewal, and a renovation. God did this in the beginning, he did it again at the cross, and with renewed vision for our disordered world today, we look to God to do it again. Inspired by the powerful picture of creation in Genesis 1:2, author Jessica LaGrone challenges the hope-destroying belief that God has abandoned us in our broken relationships, our pain, and our grief. In the midst of our out-of-control lives, God is there, and he specializes in making new things from the chaos threatens to drown us. When we experience chaos in our own lives and everything feels like it is falling apart, God is just getting started. When the Spirit of God hovers, chaos can give birth to hope.
224 pages, Paperback
Published May 10, 2022
11 people are currently reading
73 people want to read
About the author
A.J. Swoboda
16 books170 followersA. J. Swoboda (PhD, University of Birmingham) pastors Theophilus Church in urban Portland, Oregon. He is executive director of the Seminary Stewardship Alliance, a consortium of Christian higher education institutions dedicated to reconnecting Christians with the biblical call to care for God's creation. Swoboda also teaches biblical studies, theology, and church history at Portland Seminary and Fuller Theological Seminary, among others. He is an award-winning author or editor of nine books and speaks regularly at conferences, retreats, churches, and seminars. Visit his website and blog at www.ajswoboda.com.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
December 10, 2025
I have gotten out of the habit of reading non-fiction books, so this took me longer to finish than most other books do. In no way does that reflect on the quality of the book or its writing!
This is a book for the times we live in! The author uses both research and many stories - both personal and others more well-known - to explain how the chaos in our lives is being redeemed by God. This thought was honestly one I had not truly considered before I read this work. In most books I've read or teachers I've heard, if it is "bad," then it must be gotten rid of! LaGrone would not necessarily disagree with that, but she would point out that in God's view, what we would get rid of, He can transform and make new again. What we want eliminated, He can change and declare to be "good." However, God works in processes and over time, and we are a microwave society. Change and transformation of people and circumstances means that we must wait. We must allow for mistakes. For growth. Time. Grace. For the work of the Holy Spirit to take effect.
So much to take in from this book!!
HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND
This is a book for the times we live in! The author uses both research and many stories - both personal and others more well-known - to explain how the chaos in our lives is being redeemed by God. This thought was honestly one I had not truly considered before I read this work. In most books I've read or teachers I've heard, if it is "bad," then it must be gotten rid of! LaGrone would not necessarily disagree with that, but she would point out that in God's view, what we would get rid of, He can transform and make new again. What we want eliminated, He can change and declare to be "good." However, God works in processes and over time, and we are a microwave society. Change and transformation of people and circumstances means that we must wait. We must allow for mistakes. For growth. Time. Grace. For the work of the Holy Spirit to take effect.
So much to take in from this book!!
HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND
May 16, 2022
I never knew how hard it would be to write a book review. I know the author personally, yet I want to give an honest review. So, here is what you need to know.
LaGrone is a friend. You know, the one who is like your wiser and prettier older sister that you never had but always needed. She is that to hundreds of people. Her favorite things are to be studying something about God, everything involving worship, or cuddling up to her kids and husband. She is quiet but has a passionate soul. That warmth and gentleness are in her tone for all her books.
Match that with her ability to see patterns. Every day, she sits with people as they share their struggles with life and with trying to understand what God is doing. Then, she takes those stories and her journey to find the thread that binds it all together. As someone who has been that other person, Out of Chaos is what it is like to sit across from her when life is too much and you cannot breathe.
Out of Chaos is about more than disorder. It is about pain, suffering, and heartache. What does it mean to be a Christian and feel hurt deeper than words? What type of God would let this happen to me? Will I survive this? Out of Chaos, instead of saying this is how you can deal with it, it says, "Friend, this is what I know. Let us go to God about this together."
While the book is not a manual, it is very structured—three sections with three chapters within each. Not surprising, it lays out like a super approachable epidemiological study on Chaos. Section one is about its origins. Section two is about the nature of Chaos in our lives. The last section is about how we can join God in how he moves in Chaos.
Other books, such as Richard Rice's Suffering and the Search for Meaning, do a fantastic job exploring theological nuances and presenting the Theodicy debates in philosophical circles. However, if that academic language overwhelms you, read this book instead. The book is both intelligent and approachable.
Above that, it is practical. When you read one of LaGrone's books, listen to one of her sermons, or meet in her office, you will leave not being so impressed by her but by God. That is the way she wants it. So why read a Christian book that leaves you knowing more about the author than the God they serve?
LaGrone is a friend. You know, the one who is like your wiser and prettier older sister that you never had but always needed. She is that to hundreds of people. Her favorite things are to be studying something about God, everything involving worship, or cuddling up to her kids and husband. She is quiet but has a passionate soul. That warmth and gentleness are in her tone for all her books.
Match that with her ability to see patterns. Every day, she sits with people as they share their struggles with life and with trying to understand what God is doing. Then, she takes those stories and her journey to find the thread that binds it all together. As someone who has been that other person, Out of Chaos is what it is like to sit across from her when life is too much and you cannot breathe.
Out of Chaos is about more than disorder. It is about pain, suffering, and heartache. What does it mean to be a Christian and feel hurt deeper than words? What type of God would let this happen to me? Will I survive this? Out of Chaos, instead of saying this is how you can deal with it, it says, "Friend, this is what I know. Let us go to God about this together."
While the book is not a manual, it is very structured—three sections with three chapters within each. Not surprising, it lays out like a super approachable epidemiological study on Chaos. Section one is about its origins. Section two is about the nature of Chaos in our lives. The last section is about how we can join God in how he moves in Chaos.
Other books, such as Richard Rice's Suffering and the Search for Meaning, do a fantastic job exploring theological nuances and presenting the Theodicy debates in philosophical circles. However, if that academic language overwhelms you, read this book instead. The book is both intelligent and approachable.
Above that, it is practical. When you read one of LaGrone's books, listen to one of her sermons, or meet in her office, you will leave not being so impressed by her but by God. That is the way she wants it. So why read a Christian book that leaves you knowing more about the author than the God they serve?
May 31, 2023
This was one of those books that was absolutely the right book at the right time. I really appreciate it when 'Christian living' books strike the right balance being relatable with personal illustration from the writer while also displaying the writer's keen ability to interpret Scripture in a way that is meaningful and substantive. La Grone shares with vulnerability from her own story while also engaging with the 'deeper questions' of locating a good God (and a good creation) in the midst of the chaos of life. While not overt, the DNA of this work is firmly located in a Wesleyan world view that sees the here and now as a place of persistent, prevenient grace, capable of infiltrating the many cracks of this world. It was a work that was both challenging and encouraging and I am glad that the reminder of God's command over the chaos found me at just the right time.
June 25, 2022
This book has felt incredibly relevant as I've read it over the last couple of weeks. Reading it right after seminary graduation as I move to a new city, a new home, and two new jobs, chaos certainly feels alarmingly present in my life at the moment. This book meanwhile, savored one chapter at a time, has felt like a picture frame to take a that overwhelming chaos, pin it down, and help me find a new perspective to look at it through a powerful Christian lens. This books asks the very real, but often neglect question of, "Where is God in all of this chaos?" and then allows the answers to unfold in beautiful, personal, and tangible stories of chaos endured, overcome, or sometimes just splattering all over the place!
May 14, 2022
It’s always good to be reminded that through each turmoil a lesson can be learned. When reading the Bible the repeated message of people trying to do things on their own, messing up and having the Lord step in to make things right is a message that should sink in. We cannot do everything on our own. We do not see the whole picture. We must live our life remembering to be humble and kind, loving and helping one another as much as possible. Giving all praise and thanks to our Lord.
Remember that you are not in control, other people’s lives and issues are not there for you to fix. Fight your battles on your knees and pray to the Lord. Trust in the Lord to make all things right. 🙏🏼
Remember that you are not in control, other people’s lives and issues are not there for you to fix. Fight your battles on your knees and pray to the Lord. Trust in the Lord to make all things right. 🙏🏼
December 10, 2022
I read this book with a good friend and I am glad that I did because it was full of many deep and very powerful ideas and concepts. However, as deep and thoughtful as this book was, it was equally funny, relatable, and touching. I loved how the author used many real life stories from her own life and her experience in ministry to tie her ideas together. She clearly shows how incredibly and increasingly chaotic our world is and how God himself created it, uses it and has used it since the beginning of time to reach us and show us his power and grace. This was a very enjoyable read and I hope to read more from this author.
June 8, 2022
Great book. I opened this while waiting in the ER with my husband, talk about timely. The chapter on memory is worth the whole journey. This book would be encouraging to anyone who feels like life is just swirling around them or of control.
June 17, 2025
Very well-written and engaging book about the chaos of our lives, and how the Genesis account helps us make sense of it. The stories are wonderful and memorable. I look forward to reading more from this author.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews