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Defy the Odds: How God Can Use Your Past to Shape Your Future
“A wonderful picture of how God can use any person regardless of their past.”—Roma Downey, Emmy®-nominated actress and producer Pastor Benny Tate never faced a time that wasn’t filled with obstacles. Each season of life came with setbacks that often seemed the abusive father figure who tormented Benny and his mother, the lack of guidance in his early adulthood, and the illness and infertility he and his wife battled in their marriage. Yet in every crisis, God was there to redeem pain for glory, transforming Benny’s life into a moving testament to His power. Through his struggles, Benny’s faith grew as he saw how God provided him with the strength, wisdom, and resources he needed to overcome each staggering challenge placed before him. In parts a memoir that will tug on your heartstrings, a guide to get you through tough times, and a reminder to never see yourself as the victim of your own life, Defy the Odds will inspire your soul as it proves that you follow a God who can—and will—see you through the impossible.
193 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 8, 2022
21 people are currently reading
2674 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
February 27, 2024
“The odds may not have been in my favor, but I’m so glad the favor of God outweighs any odds that could ever be stacked against me.”
You’re going to want to get out your highlighter for all the amazing quotes in this book!
I’m truly inspired by these stories of how God defies the odds over and over again.
You’re going to want to get out your highlighter for all the amazing quotes in this book!
I’m truly inspired by these stories of how God defies the odds over and over again.
April 10, 2025
From a 'deck stacked against him', Benny Tate, pastor of Rock Springs Church in Milner, GA, miraculously rose - even to chaplain for the US Legislature...
humble, "...if you see a turtle on a fence post, it didn't get there on its own..."
Mr. Tate wrote his book, "Defy the Odds", to encourage others in Christ. Coming from "hill people", he 'defied the odds' of getting out, overcoming by faith, and becoming successful while helping others improve their lives and increase their faith. Suggesting 'Faith over Fear', he preaches to maintain hope in all circumstances. Mr. Tate points out that we may 'believe in God' but struggle to trust our future to Him. Quoting Corrie ten Boom, "Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God."
He details how a neighbor babysitter and a stepfather had positive influences over his life for instilling religious faith and confidence. Describing himself and others - we all walk around with a sign hanging around our necks, "'Make me feel good about myself'... Sharing positivity is worth so much to the recipient while costing nothing to the giver... share hope...brag on others daily... time can be spent only once [so] who can I help today?"
This hope, he witnesses, comes from focusing on Jesus. Most want "...just enough of Jesus to get out of hell, but we need enough of Jesus to get the hell out of us..." - it's an ongoing process to know God.
The book is filled with enjoyable, folksy antidotes, such as, "Giving flowers to others always leaves a fragrance in your own hand." Most of the tag lines below, I could envision them set to a Christian rap! :)
Advice
On encouragement:
You do not have to be defined by what happened to you.You alone decide how you respond to all situations. Be a Victor not a Victim.The company you keep influences your life for the positive or negative.Turn your hurt from memory to ministry.Purpose your pain - God never wastes a hurt.Do what you can with what you have where you are.Don't take your circumstances as a permanent truth.We get what we expect.Weakness is a magnet for the Holy Spirit.
How to accomplish all the above things? Know God by studying His word daily - "pray miracle prayers".
Benny witnessed many miracles in his life and in the lives of others, thus his great turnaround!
In terms of his leadership hard knocks, learned while building large, successful churches against all odds.
On leadership:
Where God guides, God provides.If it's God's will, it's God's bill.To be right with God, often means to be in trouble with men.If you wanna call the shots, you have to be willing to take the shots.God's calling on your life may not make sense to others.A good leader should not get blinded by the details but to cast a vision.Focus on the end goal - "Don't tell me about the labor pains; show me the baby!"If you don't see it before you see it, you'll never see it.See the forest, and let God worry about the trees.Identify the voice you are listening to.
On marriage:Marriage is made in heaven, but so are thunder and lightning. Often, marriages start as ideal but turn into an ordeal, and before long both people are looking for a new deal.Anything easy to obtain in life is probably not worth having.God never promised you a smooth flight, but He does promise you a safe landing.
On work:
Be willing to Wait, Work, Worship.Nothing will work in your life until you do.If you wanna rise to the top, you gotta get off your bottom.If you want your pockets to jingle, you gotta shake a leg.Yesterday's home runs don't win today's game.If you change something and no one gets upset, you really didn't change anything.
On setbacks:
His first book, "One More Night with the Frogs", was a million "cellar," because his wife often says, there are a million copies down in the cellar.When God gets to blessin', the devil gets to messin'.Only wet babies like change.Growth takes change, change means opposition and loss, loss is pain.With new levels come new devils.Change isn't always immediate, but criticism is.The more we complain, the less we obtain.
The overarching theme, lesson, and account is to - "Defy the Odds" by praying miracle prayers; ask for things you cannot accomplish by yourself!Focus on God, and He will make the right connections to establish His will. By putting faith over fear, pastor Tate has gone from reaching multiple counties to multiple countries. Pray bigger!
To live the suggested ultimate life goal - to become like Jesus - Give, Obey, Love.:
On giving:
It should cost you something.
On obeying:
Study the Bible, don't just read it to get understanding and not just knowledge.It's not so important that you get through the Bible, but that the Bible gets through you.You have to know God - the One who has all the answers. With all the other things competing for our time, it takes discipline to pursue Christ every day.
On loving:
Be "aggressively others-minded". You cannot love God without loving ALL people.We live in a world where love is withheld on the basis of race, gender, socioeconomic status, political and religious affiliations, past mistakes, lifestyle choices... We want to pick and choose whom to love.
Although perhaps purposely repetitive, this book is a great reference and reminder of the power most of us are leaving on the table by not summoning the Holy Spirit's power - aka praying for miracles. Positive and uplifting, I have included his sayings, but not the details of his struggles - even more meaningful after reading the book.
In summary:
Life is not a zero sum game; what God has done for others, He will do you YOU - dare to defy the odds, no matter your past!
humble, "...if you see a turtle on a fence post, it didn't get there on its own..."
Mr. Tate wrote his book, "Defy the Odds", to encourage others in Christ. Coming from "hill people", he 'defied the odds' of getting out, overcoming by faith, and becoming successful while helping others improve their lives and increase their faith. Suggesting 'Faith over Fear', he preaches to maintain hope in all circumstances. Mr. Tate points out that we may 'believe in God' but struggle to trust our future to Him. Quoting Corrie ten Boom, "Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God."
He details how a neighbor babysitter and a stepfather had positive influences over his life for instilling religious faith and confidence. Describing himself and others - we all walk around with a sign hanging around our necks, "'Make me feel good about myself'... Sharing positivity is worth so much to the recipient while costing nothing to the giver... share hope...brag on others daily... time can be spent only once [so] who can I help today?"
This hope, he witnesses, comes from focusing on Jesus. Most want "...just enough of Jesus to get out of hell, but we need enough of Jesus to get the hell out of us..." - it's an ongoing process to know God.
The book is filled with enjoyable, folksy antidotes, such as, "Giving flowers to others always leaves a fragrance in your own hand." Most of the tag lines below, I could envision them set to a Christian rap! :)
Advice
On encouragement:
You do not have to be defined by what happened to you.You alone decide how you respond to all situations. Be a Victor not a Victim.The company you keep influences your life for the positive or negative.Turn your hurt from memory to ministry.Purpose your pain - God never wastes a hurt.Do what you can with what you have where you are.Don't take your circumstances as a permanent truth.We get what we expect.Weakness is a magnet for the Holy Spirit.
How to accomplish all the above things? Know God by studying His word daily - "pray miracle prayers".
Benny witnessed many miracles in his life and in the lives of others, thus his great turnaround!
In terms of his leadership hard knocks, learned while building large, successful churches against all odds.
On leadership:
Where God guides, God provides.If it's God's will, it's God's bill.To be right with God, often means to be in trouble with men.If you wanna call the shots, you have to be willing to take the shots.God's calling on your life may not make sense to others.A good leader should not get blinded by the details but to cast a vision.Focus on the end goal - "Don't tell me about the labor pains; show me the baby!"If you don't see it before you see it, you'll never see it.See the forest, and let God worry about the trees.Identify the voice you are listening to.
On marriage:Marriage is made in heaven, but so are thunder and lightning. Often, marriages start as ideal but turn into an ordeal, and before long both people are looking for a new deal.Anything easy to obtain in life is probably not worth having.God never promised you a smooth flight, but He does promise you a safe landing.
On work:
Be willing to Wait, Work, Worship.Nothing will work in your life until you do.If you wanna rise to the top, you gotta get off your bottom.If you want your pockets to jingle, you gotta shake a leg.Yesterday's home runs don't win today's game.If you change something and no one gets upset, you really didn't change anything.
On setbacks:
His first book, "One More Night with the Frogs", was a million "cellar," because his wife often says, there are a million copies down in the cellar.When God gets to blessin', the devil gets to messin'.Only wet babies like change.Growth takes change, change means opposition and loss, loss is pain.With new levels come new devils.Change isn't always immediate, but criticism is.The more we complain, the less we obtain.
The overarching theme, lesson, and account is to - "Defy the Odds" by praying miracle prayers; ask for things you cannot accomplish by yourself!Focus on God, and He will make the right connections to establish His will. By putting faith over fear, pastor Tate has gone from reaching multiple counties to multiple countries. Pray bigger!
To live the suggested ultimate life goal - to become like Jesus - Give, Obey, Love.:
On giving:
It should cost you something.
On obeying:
Study the Bible, don't just read it to get understanding and not just knowledge.It's not so important that you get through the Bible, but that the Bible gets through you.You have to know God - the One who has all the answers. With all the other things competing for our time, it takes discipline to pursue Christ every day.
On loving:
Be "aggressively others-minded". You cannot love God without loving ALL people.We live in a world where love is withheld on the basis of race, gender, socioeconomic status, political and religious affiliations, past mistakes, lifestyle choices... We want to pick and choose whom to love.
Although perhaps purposely repetitive, this book is a great reference and reminder of the power most of us are leaving on the table by not summoning the Holy Spirit's power - aka praying for miracles. Positive and uplifting, I have included his sayings, but not the details of his struggles - even more meaningful after reading the book.
In summary:
Life is not a zero sum game; what God has done for others, He will do you YOU - dare to defy the odds, no matter your past!
January 8, 2023
WOW! What a book! What a story! What a mighty God we serve!!! We all have a past, so when I saw the title of this book I knew I had to read it. God put this book in my life at just the right time, as He always does things. What encouragement! Life is full of obstacles, but as believers we have a God with a track record of defying the odds. There are countless stories in the Bible of God defying the odds in the lives of the hero’s of the Faith. But God is more personal than that even. If we are careful to reflect on our own lives, we will see that God has an amazing track record in our own lives! God is always eager to show up in our lives and do the impossible by defying the odds! It builds our faith for the next obstacle. Giving us encouragement to share with others to build their faith, creating an endless loop of faith building for ourselves and others.
June 28, 2023
this was like a breathe of fresh air… will say kinda odd reading the life story of my pastor knowing we’ve never spoken👩🏽🦯
July 25, 2024
This book is so incredibly encouraging! I love how God never left Pastor Benny in all of life's struggles, and He will never leave you either. As long as you've got breath in your lungs, He's got a PLAN for your life, and He will bring it to completion! All we have to do is surrender to Him, let Him lead us, and see what wonders He works in our lives. 11/10 book. Highly recommended!
May 21, 2022
One of the most inspirational books I’ve ever read! What a beautiful testimony of God’s unfailing love and provision. Pastor Benny speaks hope and wisdom and truth. This book is life-giving and will encourage you to seek God in ALL things, study His Word, and trust Him in all circumstances for it has purpose. I want everyone I know to read this book!
April 28, 2024
This was a good, inspiring testimony of overcoming what could have been a life-paralyzing childhood, but God stepped in and changed everything.
The only issue I have is that Benny says that he’s not a name-it-and-claim-it preacher but there is a lot of “pray big” and “ask for everything” and “expect big” statements that, at least, skirt very close to the edge of that philosophy/theology.
As a fellow pastor, I pray the same kinds of prayers with the same trust in God, but my church is not experiencing growth like this. I always hope and pray and know God is the only one who can cause it to happen, but it’s been eight years so far and we keep waiting.
I don’t doubt that God’s hand has been active at Rock Springs Church, and that He is the one who has caused the froth and influence. I hope and pray and keep expecting Him to do it at Grace Temple Baptist one day too, in His time for His glory!
The only issue I have is that Benny says that he’s not a name-it-and-claim-it preacher but there is a lot of “pray big” and “ask for everything” and “expect big” statements that, at least, skirt very close to the edge of that philosophy/theology.
As a fellow pastor, I pray the same kinds of prayers with the same trust in God, but my church is not experiencing growth like this. I always hope and pray and know God is the only one who can cause it to happen, but it’s been eight years so far and we keep waiting.
I don’t doubt that God’s hand has been active at Rock Springs Church, and that He is the one who has caused the froth and influence. I hope and pray and keep expecting Him to do it at Grace Temple Baptist one day too, in His time for His glory!
July 19, 2022
I loved this book! It was so inspirational and moving. As a member of Rock Springs Church, I could not wait to get my hands on this book. I loved how it took you to the early days of Pastor Benny's life up till the present day. While reading this book, I felt connected with Pastor Benny and how God can Defy The Odds in everyone's life no matter what background you come from. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone!
February 16, 2025
Benny has so many great things to say and if I was in the right time in my life this might have been a 5 stat? But the fact is that it took me months to finish because I struggled to stay engaged. For the right person though this book is the light I am sure that they need.
September 4, 2025
Want to see how God can shape you and use you. This book is the best example I’ve read. It helps knowing Pastor Benny Tate, who is the same no matter where he is. Thank you Pastor Benny for all you do and your books.
January 6, 2022
If you read one book this year, this should be it! Start the year off realizing that God needs you and that we can overcome tragedies, hurts, and failures from our past!
January 9, 2022
Wonderful and inspiring life and ministry story with excellent advice/tips/application. Great read!
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