Holy Ambition: Turning God-Shaped Dreams Into Reality

by Chip Ingram

If the idea of walking with Jesus doesn't make you uncomfortable, you haven't thought seriously enough about His presence in your life.

The passed-down, packaged Jesus turns out to be quite different from the one who steps alive and kicking out of the pages of Scripture. Author, pastor, and radio teacher Chip Ingram outlines what it takes to follow this renegade Jesus toward the idea of holy ambition. Stretching outside of your comfortable existence is just the beginning. This newly updated edition will bolster dislocated hearts and turn broken spirits toward radical, faith-filled strategies that make a difference for God right now.

Genres: Christian, Christian Living, Faith

192 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2010

About the author

Chip Ingram is the teaching pastor and CEO of Living on the Edge, an international teaching and discipleship ministry. A pastor for over thirty years, Chip is the author of many books, including Culture Shock, The Real Heaven, The Real God, The Invisible War, and Love, Sex, and Lasting Relationships. Chip and his wife, Theresa, have four grown children and twelve grandchildren and live in California.

Reviews

[Rachel Soderberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book will challenge anyone who values calculation, preparation, and assurance (me). While it was hard to consistently read Ingram’s push to go and dream and soar and risk, and while I don’t agree with everything he says, there is merit in his heart behind the message. I like Nehemiah more because of this book.

“An accurate view of ourselves will always lead to confession deep down in our hearts.”

“So often in our day, instead of having a big God, we have big problems.”

“The more you trust God’s leading, the more opportunities to trust will be given.”

[Melanie Bisson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I chose this book for my undergrad intro to entrepreneurship course because we are looking at objective entrepreneurial objectives and tasks through a redemptive lens and I thought this would be a good alternative to Grit by Angela Duckworth in light of that mission. This did not disappoint. It inspired me to look more closely at my dislocated heart and radical faith and helped me to look at God’s call on my life. I am confident this will be a great backbone for my students as they consider their personal vocations and begin to form their ventures.

[Marcy Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I rated this a 4 star rather than a 5 star simply because I wish it was longer. I wanted more. I felt like a lot of what was covered could have been covered in even more depth and there were some things I wish had been talked about because it felt like they were mentioned but not expanded.

I listened to this as an audiobook. Be aware that the audiobook version is a recording of the author's sermons on this topic and not a traditional audiobook.

[Sheila McIntyre · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book with so much practical advice! There is an action plan within this book that encourages the Christian to implement. Each chapter comes with insightful questions to spur the believer to action as well. Highly recommend!

[Tiffany Nimmo-Keller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great Content, Needs Editing

The book itself and its ideas are a simple and practical primer on how to be a force of change for God's Kingdom.
However, there's a lot of parts of the books where words are misspelled or cut off. A quick edit would do much good.

[Art Robertson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very clear template for moving from intentions to results. Lots of immediately applicable tools to become more effective as a Christian.

[Becca Harbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

[Reid · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am becoming a bigger Chip Ingram fan. This book is about acting on the belief that God is directing one to move out of one's comfort zone. This is a book about leadership and personal alignment to the character and direction of God.



Lessons taken from the book of Nehemiah are well developed and thought-out. I don't think he 'spiritualizes' or overreaches to make his points and I found the book very practical. I used this book and these lessons as I moved ahead on a business mission to Peru.


The theme verse of the book is 2 Chron 16:9a: "For the eyes of the Lord look to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His."


The main six points of the first 4 chapters of Nehemiah that teach one how to have a heart that is completely the Lord's are........:

1. Developing a dislocated heart

2. Experiencing a broken spirit

3. Practicing a radical faith

4. Creating a strategic plan

5. Exercising a personal commitment

6. Growing a courageous soul


I especially liked what he had to say about faith and what it may take to 'step out in faith' once the Lord speaks to you or gives you an idea of what He wants you to do. Such a situation may cause fear but radical faith like Nehemiah's requires one to act in spite of the fear, at the risk of comfort and cost.

Ingram includes many leadership insights and thoughts about discouragement and the importance of pressing ahead when discouraged. The 2010 edition is even better formatted

[Alex Kearney · Rating 3 out of 5]

The audiobook was a collection of the live sermons Ingram preached on Holy Ambition. The content wasn't too profound but I really appreciated his down-to-earth style of preaching.