Advance Praise for Glorious Ruin
Pastor Tullian’s new book, Glorious Ruin: How Suffering Sets You Free is set for release October 1. Pre-order your copy now.
From the Publisher:
In this world, one thing is certain: everybody hurts. Suffering may take the form of tragedy, heartbreak, or addiction. Or it could be something more mundane (but no less real) like resentment, loneliness, or disappointment. But there’s unfortunately no such thing as a painless life. In Glorious Ruin: How Suffering Sets You Free, best-selling author Tullian Tchividjian takes an honest and refreshing look at the reality of suffering, the ways we tie ourselves in knots trying to deal with it, and the comfort of the gospel for those who can’t seem to fix themselves—or others.
This is not so much a book about Why God allows suffering or even How we should approach suffering—it is a book about the tremendously liberating and gloriously counterintuitive truth of a God who suffers with you and for you. It is a book, in other words, about the kind of hope that takes the shape of a cross.
Read what pastors, theologians, and other Christian leaders have to say about Glorious Ruin:
“As a pastor and as a man who has sat under immense difficulty I couldn’t be more pleased and excited about what Tullian has done here. This is a book on suffering with the rare combination of truth and compassion; honesty and empathy. Suffering is a reality at some level for all of us and whether you are currently in a storm or need to understand what our great God and King is accomplishing in and through suffering this book will serve you well. Biblically saturated and faithful Glorious Ruin is a gift to the hurting, confused, and curious and will prepare many to marvel at the goodness and grace of God in all circumstances.”
—Matt Chandler, Lead Pastor, The Village Church and President, Acts 29 Church Planting Network
“Tullian Tchividjian’s Glorious Ruin is a gospel-driven tour de force. This book comes at you like a torrent of rain on a hot day—if you’re suffering or feeling that dull kind of pain we all feel in our lives from time to time, you must read Glorious Ruin. Tullian shows how no matter what you’re going through, God stands with you in your suffering and is everything we’ll ever need. I couldn’t recommend this book more highly!”
—Mark Batterson, Pastor of National Community Church and Author of The Circle Maker
“Like you, I’m a sufferer. For the last 3 years I have watched my 8 year-old daughter suffer with cancer. As I write this, there is a very good chance that she won’t be around when you read it. This book helped me face that hard reality. The Why and How of suffering have been of little value to my family and me over the last few years. The truth of the Who and grace, so wonderfully presented in this book, has been our life and only hope. Tullian, thank you dear brother for both your insight and honesty. Reader, enjoy Jesus and grace as you suffer and read—they’re there.”
—Britt Merrick, Founder of the Reality Family of Churches, Pastor at Reality Santa Barbara, and Author of Godspeed
“It is true that between the “already” and the “not yet” suffering is the inescapable, universal human experience. But when you suffer you don’t just suffer what you are suffering, you suffer the way you are suffering. It is here that my friend, Tullian, makes his greatest contribution. In exposing our tendency to greet our suffering with self-righteous legalism and denial, he leaves us in our moment of pain with only one place to run, hide, and rest. No, we are not counseled here to run to the hope that we will increasingly learn suffering’s lessons and suffer more nobly. Rather, we are faced with the mess that we all are and we are again and again reminded of the grace of the Savior who perfectly suffered on our behalf. It is this grace alone that frees us from the burden of suffering being the place where we are called to prove our faith to ourselves, to others, and to God, and allows us in doubt, anger, fear, and dismay to run into the arms of our tender, patient, kind and gracious Suffering Savior.”
–Paul Tripp, Counselor and author of What Did You Expect?
“Tullian’s fresh approach to suffering is theologically rich, pastorally sensitive, and prophetically challenging. He has redirected the pain of suffering from the one suffering to where it belongs—to the God who was crucified on our behalf. Suffering can only be understood through the lens of Calvary. Thank you, Tullian, for yet another Christ-centered book!”
—Preston M. Sprinkle, Associate Professor, Eternity Bible College and New York Times best-selling co-author of Erasing Hell
“Glorious Ruin is set apart by its depth of human understanding—the pastoral facts-on-the-ground of how people actually experience suffering—and by its depth of appropriation of the deepest Christian resources for helping people in their suffering. Tullian unmasks the un-helpful diagnoses that the world and the Church often offers sufferers. But then Tullian offers a way forward! It is a deep and wide way, built upon the Cross of Christ. There is another absolutely terrific thing about this book: it is filled to the brim with memorable stories and quotations. Some of them are laugh-out-loud funny, and some of them are ‘Here-Comes-Your-19th-Nervous-Breakdown’ serious. Glorious Ruin is a treasure-chest from the Red Cross, designed perfectly for persons living in the midst of pain.”
—Paul F.M. Zahl, author of Grace in Practice
“Nothing is as certain for your life and mine as suffering—and eventual death. Heartache and pain come in all sorts of packages. So the only mature thing to do is to prepare for it. In a culture that seems pathologically upbeat, living “in the moment” and in denial of any blue notes, the message of this book desperately needs to be heard far and wide. Read it while you can.”
—Michael Horton, Professor of Theology and Apologetics at Westminster Seminary California, & President of The White Horse Inn
“Having lived with quadriplegia for over 45 years, I know how critical it is to think ‘rightly’ about suffering—indeed, the jaws of pain will rip your faith to shreds if you don’t have a solid view of what Scripture has to say on the subject. It’s why I applaud men of God like Tullian; men who’ve dug deep into God’s Word to help us grasp the mysterious connection between Christ, His cross, and the crucible of our afflictions. That’s what makes Glorious Ruin a blessing!”
– Joni Eareckson Tada, Joni and Friends International Disability Center
“Glorious Ruin is a powerful, vulnerable and Gospel-centered work. I love Tullian’s heart for comforting those who are hurting, broken, or suffering in our world. And in this book he shows how God is constantly present with us. Always. No matter what your circumstances.”
—Brad Lomenick, Executive Director, Catalyst
“Glorious Ruin: How Suffering Sets You Free is a transforming reminder not to run from our suffering, but to learn from it! Tullian Tchividjian courageously opens up his life to share how God didn’t save him from pain, but met him in the middle of his suffering. At some point we all face suffering, and this book will not only teach you how to get through it, but discover how it can set you free!”
—Dave Ferguson, Lead Pastor of Community Christian Church and Author of Exponential
“The question of suffering is the apologetic question of our time. From both Christians and non Christians it’s the question I get most often. Glorious Ruinreminds us that pain and suffering are not only a part of human existence but also the Christian experience. Tullian has written a wonderfully helpful book on how to suffer well, facing it’s reality and being hopeful of its reward.”
—Dave Lomas, Lead Pastor, Reality San Francisco
“Into our culture of mandatory happiness, Tullian Tchividjian speaks a deeply sensitive, thoroughly cross-centered theology of suffering that far surpasses the typical pabulum offered by theologians of glory: ‘Your suffering isn’t so bad! What doesn’t make you bitter will make you better! You’re suffering because you don’t have enough faith!’ There were no pat answers for Job and there are none here either (thank God!). Let me encourage you to dive into this book and the suffering that’s drawing you to it simply because ‘our hope does not lie in this temporal life, it lies in the life to come.’”
—Elyse Fitzpatrick, Speaker and Author of Give Them Grace
“Nothing gets our attention more than suffering. In Glorious Ruin, Tullian helps us respond rightly to God in the midst of our struggle. He helps us move from mere desperation to get out of pain, to trust in God through the pain. I highly recommend this book for the nitty gritty of real life.”
—Darrin Patrick, Lead Pastor of The Journey, Author of For the City and Church Planter
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