A Review – The End of Me by Kyle Idleman
I’m an admitted book nerd. I can spend hours in a bookstore and need a bigger Kindle budget than I do for Target. So I was giddy with excitement when my Amazon package arrived last Thursday. I had pre-ordered The End of Me by Kyle Idleman, actual paper pages . . . ooh I was so excited.
But I got even more excited as I read the words of Jesus made real and relevant.
While not necessarily written to be a series or even sequential, I really felt like this book starts where his last book left off. Not a Fan asks us to get serious about being a follower of Christ, a true disciple, ready to get onto the playing field rather than cheering idly from the stands.
Ok, so now we’re on the field, now what?
Were you encouraged and inspired by Not a Fan? If so, The End of Me by Kyle Idleman will bring Jesus’ teachings to life in a real way we can live today.
The End of Me by Kyle Idleman walks us through some of the most challenging teachings of Jesus, explaining how to take some serious steps in discipleship. 
As an academic, I sometimes enjoy meaty, deeply intellectual discourse about the scripture and its meaning, but too much focus on the knowledge and not enough on the heart, often doth a Pharisee make. My rule-loving flesh has to carefully balance knowledge with growth in wisdom, discernment, and grace.
Which is why I love Kyle Idleman’s books. He is always dead-on scripturally, but does so in the best way, easy to read, conversational*, but challenging my heart to step outside the safe and easy and get radical for Jesus.
I was teary-eyed two pages into the introduction. While we don’t want to be broken and devastated, sometimes those are the only circumstances that makes us run to Jesus.
And Idleman is quick to point out that we all are already broken; it is in the admitting it, that we can fall to pieces and let God put us back together as He sees fit.
Then Kyle proceeds to walk us through some of the craziest paradoxical statements Jesus ever made, and show us how beautiful they really are when we see what Jesus meant by being blessed when we are poor, meek, mourning, and humbled.
As a woman who started life being left to die by doctors who didn’t know what to do, my physical body has been a problem in many different ways my whole life, but I’ve personally seen God use my brokenness to draw me to Him, to shift my focus onto Him, to use all my imperfections to make me more beautiful.
Hearing the same kinds of stories and examples in the book wrought deep sobs of acknowledgment from me. Yes, God did that in me, too! Just a couple of years ago, I remembered sitting in the hospital being told I would have to be immobilized in a brace for 6-8 weeks, no driving, no sitting upright, no laying flat, limited walking, and I was devastated. But before leaving the hospital, I prayed with the chaplain over my situation. I went home confident that God could Romans 8:28 all over that brace.
Romans 8:28 ESV “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”
and He did. I learned to sit down, albeit uncomfortably, and love my family from my heart, not through anything I could do, just who I could be. When I came to the end of me, I found all the ways Jesus had yet to use me.
The End of Me by Kyle Idleman was a fantastic ‘Me Too!’ encouragement, a convicting challenge to grow deeper in my discipleship journey, get comfortable with being uncomfortable, and will be something that I can read over and over, wringing a new truth or conviction each time.
*with hilarious footnotes that give us a little taste of his personality. I was a tad disappointed when he said prepare to die and didn't reference The Princess Bride, just sayin' what a missed opportunity, Kyle.
22 Comments
Anita Ojeda
Sounds like a great book! Thank you for sharing :).
Jennifer
It really is!
Mardene Carr
Unfortunately sometimes without the trials and testings we run amok …but God in his mercy does what He has to do to keep us in line
Jennifer
We go amok all too often without His guidance.
Jelli
Sounds like a great read to me. I love reading but the hobby’s gone by the wayside with my 3 kiddos keeping me busy seemingly all.day.long. I need to get back into it.
Jennifer
Yes, my brain is tired by the end of the day when I used to read. Although I found the time to read this one in less than a week!
Jonathan Key
Wow I’d not heard of this book before! Sounds like a really interesting read I might check it out. Discipleship and growing closer to Jesus really interest me.
Jennifer
His style is very light-hearted but he takes us deep with our commitment to Christ.
Caroline @ In Due Time
I have never heard of this! Thanks for sharing!
Jennifer
It was just released October 1!
Marissa
Kyle Idleman has a few great books out. His style is easy to grasp, and opens the readers eyes to new thoughts concerning subjects we thought we already had a hold on. Thanks for reviewing this one!
Marissa
Jennifer
I have Aha on my list to read and taught Not a Fan in small group study.
Marissa
Hi Jennifer – you stopped at Reading List today and ask my opinion on your review – I enjoyed this post when I read it, and I realize it is a book review, but it reads more like a sharing of your understanding from what you read. Which is awesome! I would recommend formatting changed – maybe make sure there is no words next to images, as that is harder to read, also find a way to break up the string of paragraphs, dividers or change in fonts helps. 😉
Jennifer
Thanks for the tips!
Nicole Keener
I think I will definitely need to put this book on my wishlist. It sounds like a book I definitely need to read as so many things are going on in my life right now.
Jennifer
You can get the audio for free if you sign up for a trial of audible!
Melanie
I haven’t read anything by Kyle Idleman, but this sounds like something I would enjoy reading. Thanks for the review.
Jennifer
I’ve read two of his books now. They are easy to read, but hard hitting.
Valerie
It sounds like you have been through some trying times yourself. I’m so sorry for the pain you have been through. I love reading testimonies of God’s faithfulness when people are enduring hardship. Thank you for sharing.
Jennifer
Too many trying times, but in light of God’s purposes, just enough to bring me to the end of me.
Katie
I love book reviews, Jennifer and am an admitted book nerd right along with you! I’m adding it to my list.
andi
He’s serious about his faith in God……