Customer Reviews

In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day: How to Survive and Thrive When Opportunity Roars

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What do you do when opportunity roars? According to Mark Batterson, we must rediscover our chasing gene, lock eyes with our lion, and sprint directly towards it.

In the first chapter of In a Pit With a Lion on a Snowy Day, Batterson weaves a thrilling tale that will keep you on the edge of your seat and the adrenaline pumping. Then, you discover it's actually a re-telling of a Biblical story. It's the story of Benaiah and his rise from lion chaser to David's chief military advisor. It's a story we may have read a hundred times before and breezed over without fully experiencing its drama and passion. (We do that with a lot of the Biblical texts, don't we? When did we make the Bible boring?) But in the opening pages of this entertaining and at times unsettling book, Batterson breathes new life into this ancient tale in a creative, thought-provoking, and challenging way.

We've all seen lion tamers. But lion chasers? That's just plain crazy. And yet that is what God is calling us to be. People who realize that Jesus did not die on the cross just to ensure that we could live safe lives. In a Pit With a Lion on a Snowy Day dares us to go back to Biblical faith, which is risky, uncertain, and dangerous. But it always leads to God.

Batterson uses Benaiah's encounter with the lion as a backdrop to explore seven lion chasing skills:

* Overcoming adversity
* Unlearning fears
* Embracing uncertainty
* Calculating risks
* Seizing opportunities
* Defying odds
* Looking foolish

This book challenged the way I think about faith, and I hope it will find expression in the way I live out my faith. As Yoda challenged Luke Skywalker, I must unlearn what I have learned. I need to realize that my action regrets will pale in comparison to my inaction regrets.

Sprinkled with references to pop culture and ancient culture, In a Pit With a Lion on a Snowy Day digs out Biblical principles and helps us understand their relevance in our everyday-walking-around lives in the 21st century. But ultimately it's not Mark Batterson's story. And it's not even Benaiah's story. It is God's story and it is one that he wants to write in and through each of our lives.

This book made me want to jump out of my chair and start running after God with more intensity and focus than ever before. It's a fast and funny read, and it will leave you with lots of good stuff to chew on.

Get it and begin your lion chasing training today.

I thought this book would be a quick read. However, each chapter is so packed with revelation and wisdom it takes time, well spent, to take it all in. There are a few themes that have really stayed with me as I have read this book:

God will turn my bad break into a big break!
Do the best with what you have where you are!
When it comes to God, there are no degrees of difficulty!
If we learn from our mistakes, there is no failure (my favorite)!
Faith is embracing the uncertainties of life!
No problem = no miracle!!

The more challenges we face, the more God can use us!

CHASE THE LION!!!!!

Warning. This book will challenge you! (It definitely pushed me!)

Some books start strong and lose steam. This book starts strong and gets better with each turn of the page. I read it in two sittings and hated when it ended.

Mark's writing is fun and engaging. His content is rich. His illustrations are unforgettable. His application of Scripture is life changing.

I felt like a wise mentor was encouraging me to see more than I've seen, do more than I'm doing, and believe God for more than I could imagine.

As a pastor, I'm ordering a bunch of boxes of this book to get into the hands of the members of my church and staff. This is a must-read.

Chase the lion!

That is the recurring theme that stalks and roars at readers as they consume the meat of Mark Batteron's new book "In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day."

Alright, enough with the lion jokes.

Based on an obscure passage in the Old Testament book of 2 Samuel (23:29,30) Mark Batterson challenges his readers to face the lions in their lives head on with courage and faith. He centers his book on the story of an Israelite warrior who encounters a lion in a pit on a snowy day. The twist is that rather than running away from the lion as most people would be prone to do, this courageous solider jumps into the pit and kills it.

It is a bold move, a fearless and counter-intuitive act. And it is an act that perfectly illustrates the kind of life Batterson believes should be the norm for people who follow Jesus Christ. People whom Mark labels: lion chasers.

The majority of the book is built on the seven skills that Batterson believes will help people "climb out of the slipperiest pits and chase the biggest lions." These skills are: overcoming adversity, unlearning fears, embracing uncertainty, calculating risks, seizing opportunities, defying odds, and looking foolish.

Each of the chapters in the book highlights one of the seven skills and describes how it applies to a life of lion chasing. The chapters are easy to read and the main points in each one are clear and well illustrated. Using an effective blend of intellect, humor, candor and Scripture he artfully makes his case for the necessity and development of each skill. Coupled with a writing style that is both easily understandable and doable, Batterson provides his readers with needed insights on how to develop the 7 habits of highly effective lion chasing.

Throughout the book Batterson skillfully blends a mixture of scientific discovery, psychological research, Biblical narrative, and personal experience into a coherent whole. He has also been blessed with the wonderful ability to creativity make the Biblical text come alive. More than once he imaginatively describes the life experiences of Benaiah the lion killer, as well as many other Biblical stories, in such a way that it almost makes the reader feel as though he/she were near the snowy pit when Benaiah jumped in. And in the end, you walk away looking to pick a fight with some invisible feline king of the jungle.

Batterson is right when he points out that we will all face lions in our lives at one time or another. These lions might come in pits on snowy days, but rather, they could be disguised as possible career changes, risky decisions that must be made, difficult conversations that need to be had, big crazy God-sized dreams we'd like to pursue, or longstanding habits that have to be broken. Whatever lions are in your life, Mark Batterson's book will help you develop the skills you need to jump into the snowy pit and face them head on.

This is a very readable book for people everywhere who are looking at their lives and wondering if there might be something more than what they are currently experiencing. Batterson's writing is stirring, challenging, truthful, reverent, informational, and entertaining all at the same time. It will make you laugh, it will amaze you, it will inspire you, and it will bring you closer to God.


Chase the lion.

Just finished reading this book. Amazing. I am blown away at the thoughts that this book has brought into my mind and heart. Mark Batterson is so on with this writing and the way he leads you to examine your own life. Your own lions. Your own call from God.

This book is a most have for every church leader, church planter, missionary, christian, everyone that wants to get off their butts and do something for God in their life. I'm planning on making my whole staff read this book.

New note on my door and on my voicemail "Off to run in the snow after a lion..."

Mark Batterson has to be one of the most gifted writers of our time. As every great writer does, he connects the reader and the story flawlessly. This book will draw you into it and hold on to you all the way through. It's fun, energetic, thrilling and highly thought provoking. In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day pulled every emotion out of me. At times during my reading I found myself feeling nervous, anxious, crying, laughing, bewildered and simply amazed!

I truly will never look at opportunity the same again. I will face my giants and chase my lions. I will grab life by the mane!

This book is not just great reading material, it's a tool!

I went to Bible College with Mark, so I originally ordered the book, because of knowing the author. However, I fell in love with the book. I ordered one for all of our staff and all of our deacon board. It is a faith-building book that is on my personal top-10 list. I encourage you to read it, apply it and pursue large felines!

From beginning to end, In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day is packed with clear, insightful, and inspiring wisdom to encourage Christ-followers to chase their God-given dreams. My big takeaway from the book is this simple but profound truth: Our biggest opportunities are often disguised as our biggest challenges. How true this is! The big difference in those who fulfill their destiny and those who don't is how they perceive and respond to these challenges. Do we run away--or do we give chase? Using a passage in 2 Samuel 23, Mark Batterson encourages us in his new book to view our problems from God's perspective and chase after our figurative lions.

God has greatly used this book to encourage me and speak to me in my current situation. It's loaded with charge-the-hill enthusiasm and perspective-shifting nuggets of wisdom. I kept a highlighter nearby as I read it, and now my copy of the book looks like I dropped it in a can of paint! I aim to get this book in the hands of as many young adults in my church as I possibly can. If I'd read this when I was 20...I can only imagine!

This unusual title comes from a Bible verse in 2 Samuel 23:20-21 which says, "There was also Beniah son of Jehoiada, a valiant warrior from Kabzeel. He did many heoic deeds, which included killing two of Moab's mightiest warriors. Another time he chased a lion down into a pit. Then, despite the snow and slippery ground, he caught the lion and killed it. Another time, armed only with a club, he killed a great Egyptian warrior who was armed with a spear. Benaiah wrenched the spear from the Egyptian's hand and killed him with it."

So basically, Beniah was the freaking man. He was the type of guy you'd want on your side going into battle. He became the head of the bodygaurd for King David and eventually became the comander of the army of Israel under King Solomon.

The book is based around this passage and goes on to expand and describe how seemingly difficult circumstances which one might initially shy away from or avoid can turn out for great good if faced head on.

Batterson describes a number of modern day lion chasers whom he has known such as a Georgetown lawyer who stopped practicing law to make a film about human trafficking in Uganda, a tenured professor who quit his post and started a dot com company, a college graduate who moved to the Marshall Islands to teach English, and an executive at Microsoft who gave up millions of dollars in stock options to start a church. Batterson himself is a lion chaser in that he moved to Washington D.C. to plant a church in the heart of D.C. on Capitol Hill which meets at a movie theatre in Union Station.

There are all kinds of logical reason not to do certain things but sometimes we need to have some guts and just go for it. God doesn't call us to a life of mediocrity but wants great things to happen through His work in us. Many times these things don't seem to make sense in our finite understanding but God is working so that He will be glorified if we're willing to step out in faith.

A great scene from the movie "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" illustrates this concept as well. Jones is faced with a great chasm which is impossible to jump across but realizes it is a step of faith. When he takes a step out into thin air despite what his eyes see in the great depth below, he then finds firm ground and is able to walk across the chasm.

Of course there are times to be practical and follow common sense as well. One should not simply jump into something just because it sounds fun or exciting. It should be thought out and prayed about. God has a tendency to confirm direction towards lion chasing opportunities.

A quality quote from Mark Twain also illustrates this mentality. "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."

Throughout the book Batterson helps motivate the reader and give them the chutzpah to go tackle tough tasks and chase lions. I recommend it for anyone who might be hestitating about something in life or who needs a little extra encouragement in seeking out and going after goals in life.

This is a must read book for everyone. It will challenge you, it will inspire you, and it will make you think about REAL things in your life. What I love about this book is that Mark stays on course and challenges you all along the way. I usually get a book and get bored in the middle or the guy loses me in his preaching but he had me ever chapter.

I received the book in the mail and would not let myself look at it because I was leaving town in 2 days and this book was going with me. I wanted to save it for an upcoming trip with my husband, Pastor Spencer who also travels, and ministers. I read the book in 2 days and I tried to resist reading some it out loud to my husband. He asked me if it was challenging me? I got home and ordered the book and sent it to one of our friends leaving that weekend for a mission trip in Croatia with the instructions, "Stick it in your backpack and save it for the plane trip". This guy is doing multi-billion dollars deals and affecting thousands with his radio programs. I wanted my friends to be know what to do when opportunity roars.

The true test of how the book affected me comes after I have read the book and time passes. I waited a week to see if I could still remember what I had read and how it challenged me to chase the lions. I waited 2 weeks to see if it was still affecting me. I had to go back and read a chapter, 'Grab Opportunity by The Mane' concerning some situations in my travel business and being brave outside of my normal comfort zone. I waited, it was week 3, and I was sharing with others about, 'Unlearning Your Fears', Chapter 3. Finally it was week 4 and I realized I had some new lions to chase away in my ministry. It was time to 'Lock Eyes with the Lions', Chapter 9. It's been over a month and the book is still sitting on my desk as a reminder to be brave. If you want to go beyond your normal life and 'Grab Opportunity By The Mane' then you are going to have to read the book and I guarantee that it will 'UNLEADSH THE LION CHASER WITHIN.'

Thanks Mark, I'll be waiting for the next book.

Cyndy Nordyke
Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex