Trip Lee - The Good Life

With Trip having such a transcultural platform and influence, Im grateful that his writings on the essence of a good life are available. He gives potent insight on finding satisfaction in God alone, redefines what most people view as good, and unveils what God defines as a truly good life. Get it. Read it.

LECRAE, Grammy-nominated rap artist and co-owner of Reach Records

Fresh and faithful. Fun and filling.

MARK DEVER, senior pastor, Capitol Hill Baptist Church, Washington, D.C., and author of Nine Marks of a Healthy Church

My entire ministry has been focused on speaking to my generation. As I struggle with my concerns for the next one, Trip Lee erases my worries with this brilliant body of work. Inside each chapter speaks a young man who cares about the streets as well as protecting the Holy Scriptures. I am proud to know truth will continue through Trip Lee.

KIRK FRANKLIN, Grammy-winning gospel artist

Trip Lee has been worth listening to for some time. Now we know he is worth reading too. This brief book is an excellent introduction to the Christian faith, communicated in a way that is authentic and accessible. Im thankful for this wonderful brother, for his humility, for his theological conviction, and for his growing influence. Most of all, Im thankful for the way he points me to the glory of God and the gospel of Jesus Christ.

KEVIN DEYOUNG, senior pastor at University Reformed Church, Lansing, Michigan, and author of Just Do Something

The Good Life is not a silly book about how to get whatever you might wish for in this life. Nor is it a book about how to become rich and famous or even a well-known Christian rap artist. Its a beautiful retelling of the simple gospel story: that all we need is found in our Savior, and all the suffering and waiting for heaven we do in this world is nothing in comparison to the good life that is given us freely in Christ. Our idols will never satisfy us; the good things in our lives were never meant to be our gods, they were meant to tell us that there is something more. The Good Life is a really good book. Buy one for yourself and buy some to give away to friends who need to hear the good news again.

ELYSE FITZPATRICK, author of Because He Loves Me: How Christ Transforms Our Daily Life

Knowledgeable and personable. Witty and insightful. Serious and joyful. Trip Lee makes a wonderful tour guide to the good life. Youd expect a rapper to be a proponent of all thats worldly and materialistic. Not this rapper. Lee explores rival worldviews and points us to that one truly good life established by the only One who is good. Read and discover whats good.

THABITI ANYABWILE, senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, and author of The Gospel for Muslims

Trip represents the gracious movement of God in the church, calling a new generation to a very old message. Trip is both a skilled communicator and capable theologian, and I gladly commend both this book, and his ministry. What would it look like for Jesus to be Lord of the hip-hop culture? Youll catch a glimpse of it in this book.

J.D. GREEAR, pastor of The Summit Church, Durham, North Carolina, and author of Gospel: Recovering the Power that Made Christianity Revolutionary

The Good Life is like an alarm clock that awakens you to a whole new way of thinking about life. Trip has done an amazing job of giving us a relevant and revolutionary approach to finding the good life.

BRYAN CARTER, senior pastor of Concord Church, Dallas, Texas

The Good Life is one the most culturally intelligent, biblically saturated presentations of what God intends for men and women that American Christianity has produced in decades. Lee is masterful at applying the scope of the gospel to the idols and disordered loves that tempt all of us to distrust the goodness of God. The Good Life will enrich those who are mature believers as well as those investigating the claims of Christ for the first time.

ANTHONY B. BRADLEY, associate professor of Theology and Ethics at The Kings College and author of Liberating Black Theology

Thankfully there are some clear, biblical, and prophetic voices coming from Christian hip-hop. Trip Lee is one of them. In this book, Trip reminds us that we serve a good God who intends good for His people. This book on the good life is a good read.

ANTHONY CARTER, lead pastor of East Point Church, East Point, Georgia, and author of Black and Reformed

THE GOOD LIFE TRIP LEE

MOODY PUBLISHERS
CHICAGO

2012 by
TRIP LEE

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright 2000, 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com.

Edited by Bailey Utecht
Cover design: Greg Lutze
Cover layout: Alex Medina
Interior design: Smartt Guys design
Author Photo: Matt Hawthorne/Matt Hawthorne Photography

Quotation or citation of song lyrics does not imply author or publisher endorsement of the entire work.

ISBN: 978-0-8024-0858-7

We hope you enjoy this book from Moody Publishers. Our goal is to provide high-quality, thought-provoking books and products that connect truth to your real needs and challenges. For more information on other books and products written and produced from a biblical perspective, go to www.moodypublishers.com or write to:

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DEDICATION

To my son, Q. Im praying youll live the good life.

EVERYBODY WANTS TO LIVE the good life. No one says, No thanks, Ill take a bad life instead. Instead, we spend our lives pursuing what we think is best. By the good life, we usually mean the best possible life we could live. The life that leads to the most fulfillment, happiness, and success. Why wouldnt we want to live this kind of life?

As a child, if you would have asked me to paint a picture of the good life, my answer probably would have been typical. It wouldve revolved around money, pleasure, success, and respect. I think thats the picture that most of us would paint, because thats what weve been taught. But I think theres something better. Thats why Ive written this book.

Some of you might be thinking, How can this guy tell me how to live the good life? We all have our own paths. Well, the good life Im talking about doesnt change from person to person. The good life Im talking about is the same for all of us. I define the good life as living by faith in a good God. I hope youll see what I mean as you read the book.

As you may have already guessed, Im a Christian. Not because some screaming preacher forced it on me, but because I believe the words that Jesus said. So my understanding of the good life isnt based on my own ideas or experiences. Its based on what God has said in His Word.