Many think of ambition as nothing more than the drive for personal honor or fame. As a result, ambition—the God-implanted drive to improve, produce, develop, and create—is neglected and well on its way to paralysis. For some, dreams are numbed. For others, there are no dreams; life just happens. And for those who are dreaming, motives are often confused. One thing is certain: ambition needs help. Dave Harvey is calling for a rescue. He wants to snatch ambition from the heap of failed motivations and put it to work for the glory of God. To understand our ambition, we must understand that we are on a quest for glory. And where we find glory determines the success of our quest. Has your God-given ambition been starved and sedated for too long? Are you ambitious? It’s time to reach further and dream bigger for the glory of God.
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"Great read! Harvey's years of experience in church life provides a wealth of wise counsel to young men who are ambitious & passionate about doing "BIG" things for God. He says ambition has been given by God, but the goal of our ambition is of the most import."
— Billy (5 out of 5 stars)
“In Rescuing Ambition, Dave Harvey distinguishes ambition for the glory of God, which is good, from ambition for the glory of self, which is bad. But godly ambition doesn’t exist in a vacuum, so Harvey helps us see how it is intertwined with humility, contentment, faith, and above all, the gospel. Dave Harvey is both an experienced pastor and a gifted writer, so you will find this book not only profitable but also hard to put down.”
— Jerry Bridges, author, The Pursuit of Holiness“Thomas Watson said, ‘Selfish ambition is the mother of all schisms.’ But Dave Harvey shows us a better way in Rescuing Ambition. With wit and wisdom, Dave uncovers the truth in scripture to teach how God forms a gospel-driven ambition in us for use in his mission and for his glory. I hope every leader in the church today will read Rescuing Ambition.”
— Ed Stetzer, President, LifeWay Research; author, Subversive Kingdom“Dave Harvey thinks well, writes well, tells good stories, and cites people of substance and insight. I have long appreciated Dave’s integrity, wisdom and perspective. Were I not afraid of feeding his ambition for greatness, or my ambition to write a memorable endorsement, I would add that Rescuing Ambition is biblical, honest, witty, and sometimes amusing. I’m happy to recommend this fine book on an important and overlooked subject.”
— Randy Alcorn, Founder and Director, Eternal Perspective Ministries; author, If God Is Good and Heaven“Ambition is war; a battle between the sin-driven pursuit of autonomy, self-sufficiency, and self-glory and a humble desire that everything you do would reflect the one thing that is excellent in every way, the glory of God. On every page, Harvey alerts us to this war and trains us to be good soldiers.”
— Paul David Tripp, President, Paul Tripp Ministries; author, What Did You Expect? Redeeming the Realities of Marriage" This is a very fine book. Not only is it solid in its teaching, it is solid in a area that just about nobody addresses. Ambition sanctified is the need of the hour. Ambition unsanctified is a deadly peril. "
— Douglas, 1/13/2014" Great book. Addresses the transformation of our ambition. Encourages ambition that is humble, biblically informed, God-centered, risk taking, and local church oriented. "
— Jon, 5/31/2013" chatty, easy to read, sprinkling of good quotes from scriture and other authors. liked it "
— Andrew, 12/8/2012" Good coverage of a really important subject. "
— Steve, 11/21/2011" Don't know that I've ever read a book (other than the Scripture) that so immediately and poignantly met a need in my life. "
— Jeremy, 11/14/2011" Dave Harvey is a good writer. I profited greatly from his first book "When Sinners Say I Do." He has a down to earth style with a good bit of humor intertwined. However, I never got it sync with this book. Perhaps I lack Ambition. "
— Greg, 10/29/2011" Not compellingly presented. A decent thesis (though far from pioneering as advertised). However, the format seemed to slow down the thought process of the thinking. Would make a killer TED talk! "
— Ben, 4/7/2011" Great teaching in a neglected area. Bravo! "
— Christopher, 12/21/2010" Great call to stop shining your chair with the seat of your pants and do something. Last chapter/"Why I Wrote this Book" was phenomenal. "
— Lindsey, 11/27/2010" Excellent book...solid theology. A must read for leaders who are always tempted to dream to big or have the wrong dreams. "
— Mike, 8/23/2010Dave Harvey, DMin, is the pastor of preaching at Four Oaks Community Church in Tallahassee, Florida. Dave has over twenty-five years of pastoral experience and has traveled nationally and internationally teaching Christians, equipping pastors, and training church planters. He served on the Sovereign Grace Ministries Leadership Team for seventeen years and continues to serve on the board of the Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation (CCEF). Dave is the author of Am I Called?, Rescuing Ambition, When Sinners Say I Do, as well as a contributing author to Worldliness: Resisting the Seduction of a Fallen World.