BOOK REVIEW: I Became a Christian and All I Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt

First, let me say... this is a really good book! Really. Truly. Vince Antonucci really nails it. I want to pass it on to everyone I know... get it, devour it, you won't regret it... because you'll be changed. Doesn't matter who you are: Lead Pastor, staff pastor, ministry worker, small group leader... person sitting in the pews... doesn't matter. Get the book.

Now, you won't be changed by the book itself, because only Jesus, His Spirit, and His Word has that kind of power... but that's just it: the point of the book is to live life with Jesus, and live the Jesus life. Vince's premise is that too many of us believers (and I can attest to this personally from different times in my own life) live the Christian life disappointed and bored... and it's because we're not living the type of life that Jesus calls us to: one that consistently abides in Him, loves those whom He loves (the lost, sick, poor, broken, homeless, etc.), and follows wherever He leads.

One of the things I loved about the book is VInce's humor! I've read some really funny stuff before, but not many books have made me laugh out loud in public places! In a very engaging and hilarious way, Vince draws you in with incredible stories, and then drops a theological (but very practical) bomb on you... and you're sitting their saying to yourself, "Wow... I never looked at it that way before." You're deeply moved, or convicted, or whatever... and then, the next thing you know, everyone in the room is looking at you like you're crazy because you're laughing out loud again.

There's so much I can say, but I really want you all to read the book for yourselves. So, let me leave you with a quote from the book... one of the many highlighted parts of my now-well-worn book. Enjoy!:

"What if tomorrow you're eating a bowl of cereal when you notice a picture of a missing child on your milk carton. Your eyes explode. You know this kid! You know his parents! And you know where to find the kid! You realize that you can take action that will almost certainly return this child to his mother and father. But then you think, Nah. I don't feel like doing that. But I do like that kid's parents. I think I'll start giving them 10 percent of my income. Oh, and I'll go over to their house every Sunday morning and do some chores for them. And I might even sing some songs to them while I'm there.

"Obviously, that's just insane. Every person would love to be given money, have someone serve them, and maybe even be serenaded. But if a parent has a kid who is missing, nothing else matters in comparison to getting that lost child home. And so if we could help make that happen, there's no way we wouldn't do it

"But how often do we give and serve and sing to God but ignore the fact that our heavenly Father has lost children whom we could help return to him/. When we ignore that, what we're really ignoring is our Father's heart. We're ignoring the mission Jesus gave us. And we will be disappointed... and bored."

If you're tired of plastic religion... if you're disappointed and kinda bored with your "life" with Jesus and feel like you've been handed a "lousy t-shirt"... if you want to really experience life... this book is for you!