Becoming You: Becoming the person God made you to be

You have a problem with your self.

We all do. It's a long standing problem from which no one is exempt. We have all become less than we were made to be. We have all been dehumanised by sin.

You may have tried tips, techniques, self-help strategies, and life hacks to reverse this problem. And they were probably helpful to a point. But they just didn't go deep enough. You discovered, as most of us have, that they never go deep enough. The dehumanising effects of sin are just too deep, and too wide.

What you need is Someone who is both powerful and loving who can walk with you through all the places you have been dehumanised, and restore you to your true self.

In this book Peter will show you how Jesus desires to walk with you in deeply personal ways that lead to your personal restoration. As you get closer to Jesus, a wonderful thing happens - you become the person God made you to be.

230 pages.

In Becoming You, Peter Sondergeld grounds our sanctification in our humanity. Being conformed into the likeness of Jesus does not mean we become someone else, rather, it means that we become the human being that reflects God's glorious image the way it was originally intended in the Garden. Peter connects us to the fully human and divine Christ as the only means to that end. You will be greatly helped by reading this book.

Dr. Tim S. Lane, President, Institute for Pastoral Care, Author of Unstuck: A Nine Step Journey to Change that Lasts

The second century church father Irenaeus famously wrote, "The glory of God is man fully alive, and the life of man consists in beholding God." Every one of us needs that. Through biblical insight and wise application, Pete Sondergeld helps us see Jesus more clearly by removing the debris of all that dehumanises us. Becoming You is a thoughtful and gospel-rich work that you should most definitely read.

Adam Ramsey, Lead Pastor at Liberti Church, Gold Coast, Australia; Network Director for Acts 29 Asia Pacific; author, Truth on Fire: Gazing at God until Your Heart Sings

There is something wrong with us all, and this book shows how profoundly the Bible analyses our problem. Better yet, it unpacks how Jesus is the real answer, we find who we are meant to be when we know him. Becoming You is practical, but is far more than a few 'how tos', personal but not sentimental, relevant but not superficial. It will help anyone searching for real change because it consistently points to Jesus. Brilliant!

Rev. Dr John McClean, Vice Principal, Christ College Sydney

Some writers really understand their subject, and other writers really understand people. It's a rare joy when someone really understands both - and is able to connect them. That's what Peter Sondergeld does in Becoming You. It's genuinely good Biblical Theology played in the key of personal identity. Full of rich Biblical insight and deep pastoral wisdom, this is not a self-help book - though it will help you. (Spoiler alert) The key is on the last page: "You don't find yourself by looking for yourself. You find yourself when you find Jesus." Becoming You will serve as a good guide on that journey.

Rev. Dr Andrew Katay, Senior Minister Christ Church, CEO City to City Australia, Adjunct Lecturer Bible College of South Australia

Peter Sondergeld gives us a fresh, creative and insightful vision of what it means to live for Christ. Becoming You challenges us to think again about what it means to be a follower of Jesus. At a time when our churches are reconsidering how to form disciples, this book makes a very helpful and powerful contribution.

Edward Vaughan (Rev.), Director, Generation Leadership, edward@generationleadership.com.au, www.generationleadership.com.au

Most Christian books can be consumed and placed on the shelf. Becoming You is not one of them. It offers the reader a new way of seeing life. One that is richly relational, deeply personal, and focused on walking with Jesus and his family. If you are looking for quick Christian advice don't bother buying this book. But if you want a more profound and real experience of Jesus grab it now.

Kurt Peters (Rev.), Pastor St Matts Botany Australia, Pastoral Supervisor, Founder and Chair of Biblical Counselling Australia 2011-2018

Contents:

Foreword.......................................................................................i

Introduction..................................................................................v

1. Dehumanised.............................................................................11

2. Dehumanised and stuck.............................................................27

3. The cause of dehumanisation.....................................................45

4. The shape of dehumanisation.....................................................71

5. The true human..........................................................................91

6. Becoming truly human..............................................................113

7. Interrupting rehumanisation......................................................139

8. God's family-the place you become truly human.....................163

9. Becoming you............................................................................187

A final word...................................................................................207

References.....................................................................................209

Endnotes.......................................................................................215