Seated with Christ: Living Freely in a Culture of Comparison (audio)

As Christians find themselves trapped in the rhetoric of platform, influence, retweets, and fame, they need a ladder out of the fray. Many of us live in a prison of self-absorption. Shackled with pride and despair, we compare ourselves to others constantly in our frantic, unending pursuit of perfection. Seated with Christ gets to the root of this behavior and charts a path to freedom. Scripture says that God’s beloved are seated with Christ in the heavens (Eph. 2:6), treasured by Him and given a place at His table. Heather Holleman unveils what this means for us. It means we walk out on the fight for acceptance. We quit measuring ourselves to others.We leap free from cycles of shame. Securely-seated people can ask themselves hard questions about their lives; they can deal with sin, grieve their losses, and move forward in hope. From a position of security and self-forgetfulness they can joyfully do the good works prepared for them uniquely. They can even celebrate the successes of others. Seated with Christ is a deeply personal, liberating look at a glorious truth: that we have a place at God’s eternal table. As Christians find themselves trapped in the rhetoric of platform, influence, retweets, and fame, they need a ladder out of the fray. Many of us live in a prison of self-absorption, comparing ourselves to others constantly in our frantic, unending pursuit of perfection. Seated with Christ gets to the root of this behavior and charts a path to freedom. In elegant, vulnerable prose, English lecturer Heather Holleman unveils what it means to be seated with Christ in the heavens (Eph. 2:6). It means we walk out on the fight for acceptance. We quit measuring ourselves to others. We leap free from cycles of shame. Securely-seated people experience the freedom of self-forgetfulness, joyfully do the good works prepared for them uniquely, and even celebrate the successes of others. If you are tired of comparing and competing, read Seated with Christ, a deeply personal and liberating look at how life should be. “Seated with Christ is a breath of fresh air! As a young wife with 3 boys, I found myself living this hamster wheel of approval, pressure, criticism, and the quest for a picture-perfect social media life. Heather Holleman reminds of what the Bible says about life and how we are to view it and live it. If you feel weighed down by the burdens of this world, read this book as a reminder of who Christ has made you to be. I highly recommend it! I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.” Reviewed by Brittany on NetGalley, Apr 21, 2016 DR. HEATHER HOLLEMAN is an associate teaching professor at Penn State, speaker, and author. She designs advanced writing curriculum for the English department and loves helping students thrive professionally. She has written eight books, including the bestseller Seated With Christ: Living Freely in a Culture of Comparison; and an award-winning book on evangelism (co-written with her husband Ashley Holleman) called Sent: Living a Life that Invites Others to Jesus. Her forthcoming book The Six Conversations: Pathways to Connecting in an Age of Isolation and Incivility (Fall 2022) helps fight the loneliness epidemic by inviting readers to enjoy better conversations. Heather also serves with Faculty Commons in the professor and graduate student ministry of Cru. She has two daughters and three cats, and she blogs daily at www.HeatherHolleman.com. Her podcast is “The Verb with Heather Holleman.” When she’s not writing or teaching, Heather is growing a plum orchard, looking for turtles in the woods, or gathering with friends for dinner and a movie. Calm, connected, and secure—the power of seated living Many of us live half alive. We compare, compete, self-analyze, and self-promote in our endless, busy pursuit of perfection. Seated with Christ heralds a new kind of living. If it’s true what Scripture says, that we are treasured by God and given a place at His table, then all we need to do is to take our seats. Heather Holleman shows us how. Joyfully sharing her journey to seated living, she invites us to walk out on the fight for acceptance, stop comparing ourselves to others, and leap free from cycles of shame. She tells of a confidence that lets us celebrate the seats of others and be perfectly content with our own. Take your seat and live—simply, freely, fully—because of Jesus, for Jesus, and in the love of Jesus. Quit trying: be free. “This book will teach you how to live a life that matters. Instead of working harder, you will be creating margin that opens extraordinary opportunity. Do not miss this book!” —Carol Kent, speaker and author of Unquenchable: Grow a Wildfire Faith that Will Endure Anything Foreword Part One: TAKE YOUR SEAT 1. Something Missing 2. A Single Verb 3. Where You Never Sat 4. Imagine the Round Table Part Two: SEATED AND SET FREE 5. From Appearance to Adoration 6. From Affluence to Access 7. From Achievement to Abiding Part Three: SEATED AND SURRENDERED 8. Four Hard but Great Questions Part Four: SEATED AND SENT 9. Available Living 10. Seated and Sent 11. Moment by Moment Notes Acknowledgments Honestly, this book is one of the most profound I have ever read! Seated with Christ is a treasure. If you’ve ever wondered if you belong, if you’ve ever struggled with comparing yourself to others, if you’ve ever longed for a more influential position, this book is for you. Heather beautifully and brilliantly helps you take your seat at the Almighty King’s table. Your life will never be the same.—Becky Harling, speaker and author, The 30 Day Praise Challenge If you long to passionately pursue a faith that spreads to your entire sphere of influence, read this book. I was captured by Heather Holleman’s obedience to “being,” rather than “doing.” I finally understand what it means to be seated with Christ. This book will teach you how to live a life that matters—and instead of working harder, you will be creating margin that opens extraordinary opportunity. Do not miss this book!- Carol Kent, speaker and author, Unquenchable: Grow a Wildfire Faith That Will Endure Anything Seated with Christ is a refreshing exploration of what it can look like to see yourself rightfully and securely seated with Him. There truly is such freedom that comes from knowing you can have a secure and specific seat, and that above all your identity resides there. This is a powerful principle for all of us as we pursue becoming all of who God has created us to be as daughters and sons and as fully adopted heirs. This is a great resource and a gift for anyone looking to explore who they are in Christ.—Jeanne Stevens, Lead Pastor, Soul City Church, Chicago. God created us to desire significance, to search for more, and commissioned us to go forth to subdue the earth. If left untempered, our flesh attempts to accomplish His command in our own strength. In Seated with Christ, Heather Holleman provides key insights to unlock the secrets of the abiding rest every believer longs for, and the place of belonging every believer needs.—Julie Gorman, author of What I Wish My Mother Had Told Me about Men and What I Wish My Mother Had Told Me about Marriage I need encouragement and motivation to live not for the big “I” but for Christ! I’m sure you do too. As I read Seated with Christ, my heart was lifted up, I sighed, and I smiled. Open this book and be ready to laugh, learn, think deeply, and have your heart encouraged! I highly recommend this book!—Linda Dillow, author, Calm My Anxious Heart and coauthor, Passion Pursuit