Rising Above

147 Pages·2016·0.74 MB·English

by  Wayne Cordeiro

PRAISE FOR
RISING ABOVE
Wayne Cordeiro’s refreshingly personal insights in Rising Above
can literally help everyone do just that—rise above the storms
and struggles of modern life. Wayne points us to the timeless
wisdom of God’s Word and the resiliency it offers. He shows us
that God’s ways are always within the reach of His children.
ARCHIBALD HART, PH.D.
SENIOR PROFESSOR OF PSYCHOLOGY, FULLER THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY
KATHLEEN HART
CHAPLAIN TO STUDENT WIVES
In Rising Above, Pastor Wayne Cordeiro lays out an obvious choice:
You can either allow the rubble of life to pile on top of you or you
can use the pile of rubble to climb your way to a better life. After
all, it isn’t about what happens to you but what happens in you
that really counts. You will be encouraged by Pastor Wayne and
by God’s Word to rise above whatever life throws at you.
JOHN C. MAXWELL
AUTHOR, LEADERSHIP 101 AND RUNNING WITH THE GIANTS
FOUNDER, THE INJOY GROUP
Wayne writes to help us rise above the rubble of life; he speaks
as one who—like you and me—knows what it is to struggle in
the midst of it. He stands at the intersection of reality and
hope. He never points too far ahead but always points in the
upward direction.
JOHN ORTBERG
TEACHING PASTOR, MENLO PARK PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
MENLO PARK, CALIFORNIA

© 2004 Wayne Cordeiro
Published by Bethany House Publishers
11400 Hampshire Avenue South
Bloomington, Minnesota 55438
www.bethanyhouse.com
Bethany House Publishers is a division of
Baker Publishing Group, Grand Rapids, Michigan.
www.bakerpublishinggroup.com
Bethany House Publishers edition published 2014
ISBN 978-1-4412-6613-2
Previously published by Regal Books
Ebook edition originally created 2011
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All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD
BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman
Foundation.
Other versions used are:
KJV—King James Version. Authorized King James Version.
THE MESSAGE—Scripture taken from THE MESSAGE. Copyright © by Eugene H. Peterson, 1993, 1994,
1995. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.
NIV—Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by
International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.
NLT—Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright
© 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights
reserved.
Phillips—The New Testament in Modern English, Revised Edition, J. B. Phillips, Translator. © J. B.
Phillips 1958, 1960, 1972. Used by permission of Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc., 866 Third Avenue, New
York, NY 10022.
TLB—Scripture quotations marked (TLB) are taken from The Living Bible, copyright © 1971. Used by
permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, IL 60189. All rights reserved.
Any omission of credits is unintentional. The publisher requests documentation for future printings.
Edited by Amy Spence
C
ONTENTS
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Chapter 1
What Do You Do When You Hit Rock Bottom?
Chapter 2
Why Does God Let Us Struggle?
Chapter 3
How to Make Life Simple Again
Chapter 4
Developing Contentment
Chapter 5
Building the Courage to Rebuild
Chapter 6
Developing a Life of Excellence

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his
compassions never fail.
LAMENTATIONS 3:22, NIV
First of all, I want to thank the Community Care Ministries in Hawaii and its
great staff of leaders and volunteers. Mark Hovland and his team have given
untiringly of themselves to see people set free. Thank you for committing your
lives to those who are so precious to God.
To our Prison Ministry led by Roy Yamamoto, you and your team remind
me so much of Jesus as you reach out to the men, women and youth in our
correctional facilities. Thank you for showing them that true freedom lies not in
what side of the bars they are on, but what side of eternity they view life from.
To our LifeChange leaders who have invited the Spirit of God to move so
wonderfully in our church, we see the fruit of your labors every week.
And to our Intercessors in New Hope led by Pastor Larry Gillis, we have
seen not only victories but also numerous lives transformed because people are
praying. Evangelism is simply picking up the spoils of a war already won in
prayer.
And to the hundreds of Care Group leaders, thank you for being “steadfast,
immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is
not in vain in the Lord” (1 Cor. 15:58).