Not a Fan

I read Not a Fan: Becoming a Completely Committed Follower of Jesus by Kyle Idleman because my church started a series last Sunday based on the book.

He makes the case for being a follower of Jesus, as opposed to a "fan." He thoroughly contrasts the two postures, and challenges the reader in no uncertain terms to true, costly discipleship--which is, of course, the only kind there is.

I enjoyed the author's use of humor, and his readable writing style. I liked his creative outline he used in the three sections of the book: Part 1 ("fan or follower: an honest diagnosis"), Part 2 ("an invitation to follow: the unedited version"), and Part 3 ("following Jesus--wherever, whenever, whatever"). Though I found it inexplicable that he repeatedly referred to "Galilee" as a "town" (it is a region, not a town), I found little else to argue with him about. The book is strong on exhortation, weak on application; that is, he challenges the reader in nearly every conceivable way to "go all-in" as a follower of Jesus, but never seems to get into any detail as to how this is to be done.

Still, Not a Fan is a clear and timely challenge for our day, for all who have ears to hear.