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When the Game Is Over, It All Goes Back in the Box | 
 enlarge | Author: John Ortberg
Publisher: Zondervan
Category: Book
List Price: $21.99
Buy New: $14.95
You Save: $7.04 (32%)
New (43) Used (17) Collectible (1) from $10.01
Rating:  31 reviews
Sales Rank: 8626
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 256
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.9
Dimensions (in): 8.6 x 5.7 x 0.7
ISBN: 0310253500
Dewey Decimal Number: 248.4
EAN: 9780310253501
ASIN: 0310253500
Publication Date: August 27, 2007
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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Product Description
A promotion. A new house. The rewards of winning at life’s game can be thrilling. But eventually everything goes back into the box, and what ultimately matters is whether we’ve played according to God’s rules. John Ortberg uses popular games and his trademark gift of storytelling to help us live our lives for the things that really count.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 26 more reviews...
What an inspirational book! January 8, 2009
John Ortberg uses the game metaphor, humor, and touching stories to inspire readers to find what really matters in life...not the trappings, but nurturing relationships and finding joy and purpose each day. His honesty about his own missteps prevents the book from being preachy. The stories? You'll laugh and you'll cry. I spent quite awhile reading excerpts to my husband--whose eyes welled up more than once! I was going to pass along my copy to a friend, but I know I'll go back and read this book again and again for inspiration and the periodic pep talks I will need from time to time; so, I'm purchasing a few more to give out to my family and friends. Though the book is directed to Christians, non-Christians will appreciate the wisdom, the writing style, and the message.
Entertaining, Provokative and To The Point! November 10, 2008
The 4:8 Principle: The Secret to a Joy-Filled Life
John Ortberg has done it again!It All Goes Back In The Box is an exceptionally entertaining and thought-provoking message that makes the reader RE-think life and whether or not he is focusing on the things that that really matter and have the potential to leave a lasting legacy.
Using the classic game, Monopoly, as a metaphor for life, Ortberg reminds us of the humorously blunt truth, that in fact, it will all be returned to the box. His writing style and wit add real value to the wisdom of his message and provide readers with the right perspective on living...and dying.
Highly recommended as well as the small group DVD and study materials!
 I was disappointed, an ok book November 4, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
The title of the book and the first chapter were wonderful. The rest of the book got a little preachy. I was looking for a metaphoric view of the folly of materialistic greed destroying the true wealth of relationships with people and this book didn't do it for me. I think the author started off right by illustrating what his grandmother taught him by example but then got off that track and tried to spell out what it meant to him instead of leading the reader to arrive at the conclusion himself.
 Quite inspirational and at times very funny, but I'm bothered by one major issue.... September 17, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
First off, I never heard of John Ortberg until I got a spam e-mail from Amazon.com stating this book won the Christian Book of the Year (sorry - I don't recall who gave the award). So based on the highly touted reviews I decided to buy it and read it. From the opening pages, it's clear the Mr. Ortberg is a very gifted storyteller with a terrific sense of humor. The basic synopsis is that in our relatively extremely short lifetime (from an eternal perspective), we need to focus on what's truly important such as our relationship with God, prioritizing people over the trappings of materialism and "worldly" success and maximizing your talents and resources for the Kingdom of God.
All of these truths are for the most part biblical, focusing on many of the moral teachings of Christ. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, but about halfway through, he made a statement that bothered me.
On page 136 he wrote, "The Christian gospel comes down to a promise from Jesus that [in the afterlife, there will be] a new world where God will set everything right. One day you will enter it, and so will I."
The problems with this statement include:
1. That isn't what the Gospel is.
2. If he's referring to "where everything is made right" as Heaven, then is he espousing universal salvation for everyone or is assuming everyone reading this book is a Christian?
From that point on, it hit me that he's giving a lot of great tips on what Christian living should be like, but if he really wants to emphasize what matters most, he has to make it crystal clear that we need to be reconciled with our Heavenly Father through the atoning work of Christ on the cross. This can only be attained by placing our faith and trust in Christ as our Lord, and all good works that he emphasizes will do nothing to get us in Heaven.
In fairness to Ortberg, he does tell the readers in several paragraphs near the very end of the book (p. 237) to believe in Christ to receive eternal life. But in my opinion, to tell someone to just "believe" doesn't adequately cover the whole scope of what's demanded. As James wrote, "even the demons believe and shutter". The belief that saves us is putting our faith in Christ and making Him first in our lives and trusting him as our saving mediator before our holy and righteous Heavenly Father and repenting from our sinful lives.
So with all of that being said, I think the book is still a great resource for the Christian who wishes to grow stronger in his sanctification, and as mentioned earlier, it's a very entertaining book. It's also a wealth of great stories for the preachers, especially regarding the topic of stewardship. One major problem in the evangelical movement today is what Dietrich Bonhoeffer defined as "cheap grace" - embracing the blessings of being saved through Christ, without making any sacrifices for the sake of the Kingdom of God. Again under the rubric of discipleship/sanctification, it's an excellent book, but it could be devastatingly misleading for someone who isn't a Christian regarding what really matters the most: being saved through Christ.
Back in the box! September 2, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
I listened to the book on CD and enjoyed it very much. Not too long and very easy to understand. Many real life examples helped with the understanding of this book. I sometimes was repetitive, but did not go overboard. The big picture of "It all goes back in the box" is plain and simple, but it is a must read/listen. It will put your life and the issues you have back in perspective. I think we all need that once in a while.
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