Luke Lezon - Your Mess Matters: Trusting the God Who Creates from Dust and Redeems by Blood

Your Mess Matters. Exactly. Such a true statement, and now its a power-packed book that will challenge, inspire, and encourage you in your own personal journey. Luke Lezon writes with refreshing vulnerability and connects deeply with an honest but often overlooked reality for all of uswere all a mess! But with Jesus, that mess can be redeemed and transformed into something impactful.

Brad Lomenick, former leader of Catalyst

If youve ever been stuck, if youve ever struggled, if youve ever asked, Why me? make this book your next read! Luke Lezon invites you on his journey from mess to message to masterpiece. This incredible resource is filled with eternal truths from Scripture and a compelling story that empathizes with your pain. Find hope, healing, and even meaning in some of lifes messiest moments.

Jonathan Pokluda, lead pastor of Harris Creek Church and former lead pastor of The Porch at Watermark Church

Luke and I have been good friends for many years now. He was arguably my biggest mentor leading up to my marriage. He was and is a man I turn to iwhen I need help, but hes also just a good friend Ive shared countless laughs with. I believe this book will help you through whatever it is you cant let go of, find yourself in, or will face in the future. If youve ever struggled, this book is for you. Luke writes with passion and power that leans on the Word of God. Your Mess Matters will help move you from the shame and pain you feel into the loving arms of Jesus.

Cole LaBrant, YouTube personality

The authenticity that Luke spills onto these pages is nothing less than soul-healing. People no longer want to read books from perfect Christians teaching them how to live perfect lives. They want to know that their mess matters and that God can bring them out of the mess. Luke delivers that perfectly in this new book.

Carlos Whittaker, bestselling author

From His own words, we learn that Jesus did not come for the righteous but for sinners, not for the healthy but for the sick. If you have become convinced that you are sinful or sick, or for that matter weak, fearful, out of control, or worn out, then Jesusas well as the book you hold in your hands that points to Himcan be of great benefit to you. Luke does a fine job of introducing us to the One we call The Great Physician.

Scott Sauls, senior pastor of Christ Presbyterian Church in Nashville, Tennessee, and author of several books, including Befriend and Irresistible Faith

In Your Mess Matters, Luke speaks from firsthand experience. Ive walked through the messes of life, and Lukes words give me hopea hope we can cling to no matter what our lives look like today. Whether youre in the middle of a mess right now or have gone through one in the past, I guarantee this book will meet you right where you are.

Adam Weber, pastor and author of Talking with God

We need more books that talk about the mess. We need more books like this one, where the author isnt afraid to get down in the trenches and record the faithfulness of God in the hard-to-share moments. This book will comfort you and remind you of the truth while giving you the assurance you need to keep powering through the journey.

Hannah Brencher, author of Come Matter Here and If You Find This Letter

Leaders are learners. I love Luke Lezon's passion to learn in every moment. I am grateful that my friend invites us to look into his life as a living testament that it is often in the depths of our valleys that God wants to grant the greatest vision.

Ben Stuart, pastor of Passion City Church DC, author of Single, Dating, Engaged, Married

ZONDERVAN

Your Mess Matters

Copyright 2019 by Luke Lezon

Requests for information should be addressed to:

Zondervan, 3900 Sparks Dr. SE, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49546

ISBN 978-0-310-35571-7 (softcover)

ISBN 978-0-310-35574-8 (audio)

ISBN 978-0-310-35573-1 (ebook)

Epub Edition September 2019 9780310355731

Scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.Zondervan.com. The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.

Scripture quotations marked CSB are taken from the Christian Standard Bible. Copyright 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible and CSB are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.

Scripture quotations marked ESV are taken from the ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version). Copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked The Message are taken from THE MESSAGE. Copyright 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation. 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any otherexcept for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.

Cover design: Curt Diepenhorst

Cover illustration: Shawn Hempel/Shutterstock

Interior design: Denise Froehlich

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Please note that the endnotes in this ebook may contain hyperlinks to external websites as part of bibliographic citations. These hyperlinks have not been activated by the publisher, who cannot verify the accuracy of these links beyond the date of publication

For my beautiful bride, Linds,

who saw my mess and loved

me enough to say I do

For my brother, Alex,

who knows every bit of this mess

and still loves the most

For my dad and mom, Jon and Tonja,

who made this mess and had no choice

but to love it. Being your son is one of

the great joys and gifts of this life.

To fall in love with God is the greatest romance; to seek him the greatest adventure; to find him, the greatest human achievement.

AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO

Contents

I m scared.

She pulled out her phone, hit send, and waited. Lindsey, my wife, stared at the chipped, white door, waiting for the cavalry to arrive. The man I had always been wasnt there. She had no idea who this was; I cant say I did either. There I sat as a stranger in my own home, not on a couch or a chair like a normal person would, but as a heap on the floor of our kitchen, staring blankly at our hideously cheap, brown, 1970s-looking cabinets in front of me. I could feel her glance at me, then at the door, then back at me once more.