Lisa Notes: “I Am Second”

I love Jesus.
I love real-life stories.

So I love this book that pulls them together, I Am Second: Real Stories. Changing Lives.

I’ve been watching the “I Am Second” videos awhile online. So when I saw the stories were being collected to print in a book, I grabbed it (well, I was gifted it for review by Thomas Nelson; thanks).

It tells first-hand of twenty changed lives and the details of how Jesus turned things around as they turned to Him, putting Him first instead of self (thus the title).

Some people I recognize (Josh Hamilton, Michael W. Smith, Bethany Hamilton, Sam Bradford, Brian “Head” Welch); some I don’t. But they all are interesting and important and relevant.

Particularly relevant to where I am. I’m co-teaching a teen girls’ class at my church and our theme is “Once upon a time.” As we look at stories of Jesus and women in the New Testament, we want each girl to see Jesus in her own story, and her story in Jesus. And to know that her story matters to Him, to her, and to us. I Am Second fleshes this out with modern-day examples.

These stories will also inspire you to seek Jesus in your story, too. He can take a mess of a life and transform it into a God-glorifying testimony. And He can take a seemingly ordinary life (is there such a thing?) and make it extraordinary, solely because He is in it.

Quick-Response-Code-sample At the end of each story chapter, you’ll find Quick Response codes. If you have a code scanner app on your smart phone, these QR codes will take you directly to the online video to watch/hear the story you just read (it’ll be the same exact story, fyi), plus 2 or 3 extra stories that are similar.

Whether or not you read the book though, go watch a video. Be encouraged.

Jesus is first. I am second.

* * *

Have you watched an I Am Second video? Which one?

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barbarah 65p · 682 weeks ago

I just saw one with Scott Hamilton on Facebook recently.He's one of my favorite skaters and I hadn't known he professed to be a believer. Somehow then it clicked that this was a project involving a lot of people, and I only recently became aware it had been made into a book. Sounds like a good one!
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1 reply · active 682 weeks ago

Lisa notes 103p · 682 weeks ago

I watched the one with Scott Hamilton just this morning and made a note to link it later today to our teen class FB page so the girls can watch it, too. We talked Sunday about how God can turn bad things into good things, and Scott was speaking of that message exactly. (Even though the teens probably won't know who Scott is! ha)

My husband heard Scott speak of his faith a couple years back at a church seminar we go to every summer. He was really encouraged by his faith and genuineness.
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floyd · 682 weeks ago

I've heard of these, but haven't seen any... Today that changes. Thanks. Teaching all of us to look for Jesus Christ in our own life story is beyond wisdom. Great call.
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I think you'll like them, Floyd. They're very real and down-to-earth testimonies. Even the set is kept intentionally simple. It's not about us; it's about Him.
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monicasharman 18p · 682 weeks ago

Oh, thanks! I've wondered what this was like, so it's nice to see your thoughts about it here.
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1 reply · active 681 weeks ago

Lisa notes 103p · 681 weeks ago

The only disappointing thing about the "I Am Second" book was that I already knew most of the stories. ha. I did their "I Am Second" challenge a few weeks back, and so I watched a video every day for 20 (I think) days. All good though!
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