When the Game is Over It All Goes Back In The Box
John Ortberg
A promotion. A new house. The rewards of winning at life’s game can be thrilling. But eventually everything goes back into the box, and what ultimately matters is whether we’ve played according to God’s rules. John Ortberg uses popular games and his trademark gift of storytelling to help us live our lives for the things that really count.

Remember the thrill of winning at checkers or Parcheesi? You become the Master of the Board—the victor over everyone else. But what happens after that, asks bestselling author John Ortberg. You know the answer: It all goes back in the box. You don’t get to keep one token, one chip, one game card. In the end, the spoils of the game add up to nothing.

Using popular games as a metaphor for our temporal lives, When the Game Is Over, It All Goes Back in the Box neatly sorts out what’s fleeting and what’s permanent in God’s kingdom. Being Master of the Board is not the point; being rich toward God is. Winning the game of life on Earth is a temporary victory; loving God and other people with all our hearts is an eternal one. Using humor, terrific stories, and a focus on winning “the right trophies,” Ortberg paints a vivid picture of the priorities that all Christians will want to embrace.

John Ortberg
John Ortberg is a pastor at Menlo Park Presbyterian Church in Menlo Park, California. He is the bestselling author of God Is Closer Than You Think; The Life You’ve Always Wanted; Everybody's Normal Till You Get to Know Them; If You Want to Walk on Water, You've Got to Get Out of the Boat; Love Beyond Reason; and (with Kevin Harney) the multimedia curriculum Old Testament Challenge. He and his wife, Nancy, have three children.

Pages: 256

Weight: 0.9 lb or 407 gms

Reviews

"...a thoughtfully written instruction manual for Christian 'game players' of all ages. Using games as a metaphor, Ortberg presents carefully considered tactics for succeeding in life from God's vantage point. Each chapter weaves the rules of gaming with the Christian journey: understanding the object of the game (being spiritually 'rich' toward God); the setup (keeping score, taking turns, preventing regret); how to play (with rules, gratitude, and a mission; hazards (competition, greed, losing); and winning (choosing the right trophies). Christians will especially appreciate Ortberg's wise counsel on being the kind of player other people want to sit next to, as he exhorts readers to learn to lose with grace, win with grace and forgive with grace. Perspective is key; after all, 'when the game is over, it all goes back in the box.' Ortberg demonstrates some finesse in bringing together the extended game imagery with various real-life stories that are by turns comical and poignant. With excellent tools for personal and group study alike, this book's strategy offers a win-win solution." — PW Religion BookLine

ISBN: 9780310253501
Catalogue code: N/A
Publisher: ZONDERVAN PUBLISHING - published 01/09/2007
Format: Hardback  

£12.99