God for the Rest of Us: Experience Unbelievable Love, Un- limited Hope, and Uncommon Grace

Antonucci (Renegade), pastor of Verve Church on the Las Vegas Strip, explores his all-inclusive brand of Christianity, relating his own history of hardship alongside stories of the overlooked and shame-filled within his congregation who have overcome the odds to find salvation. After witnessing the hateful, shaming language of fellow Christians directed toward sinners on the Vegas Strip, Antonucci decided to distribute the flyer “Who Does Jesus Love?” as a counterexample of God’s inclusiveness. “The people you think are least deserving of God’s love may well be the people who need God’s love the most,” he writes. He makes a strong argument for the timelessness of the “new” types of outcasts he encounters on the Strip, and structures the chapters according to their needs: “God for the Addicts,” “God for the Doubters,” “God for the Pimp, “God for the Forgotten.” Refreshingly, he is equally open about his own story, explaining in detail the psychological effects of growing up with a father who was a con artist and gambling addict. Antonucci provides lessons and stories of inspiration, anchored in the Bible but drawn from his own experiences, for those who see themselves as outside mainstream Christianity. (Aug.)