Chasing Cool: Examining The Pursuits of Your Heart

Our culture is obsessed with being ’cool.’ Many people-even Christians-strive for the next big thing, the newest look, the most impressive accomplishment; and as a result their lives are overscheduled, overworked, and filled with debt-and they have very little to show for it. Families spend more and more time doing more and more things but for what? What is causing average Americans and their families to over-commit their lives to meaningless trivia and endless activity? What is the driving force underneath much of the busyness seen in our lives today? Why have we so easily bought into the importance of being ’cool?’In Chasing Cool, Brett Rickey exposes the attitudes and misconceptions that often contribute to many of our actions and desires, and helps us rediscover what our true pursuits should be and recognize the abundant life Christ has given us.Rickey offers a thoughtful, funny, and challenging look at how easily good people can fall into the damaging web of self-centeredness and image control without even realizing it. He relates the timeless lessons learned by the Israelites in the Old Testament to our lives today and shows how to avoid the futile desire to chase what is cool and begin to pursue what really matters in life. Chasing Cool offers ways to:Identify the attitude of ’cool’ and understand how focusing on it keeps us from following God’s planUse the power of God’s Word to help us avoid common deceptions and counterfeitsRecognize the damage caused by chasing cool and how to avoid itUnderstand the need for connection to God’s Word and God’s community of faith

Brett Rickey is the senior pastor at Highland Park Church of the Nazarene, where he blends his experiences from eleven years in corporate life with his nine years as the founding pastor of FamilyChurch.tv. Brett also serves as a coach and mentor to new church pastors across the country and hosts Accelerate—a yearly church planting conference. He has an MA in practical theology. He and his wife, Mindy, live in Lakeland, Florida, with their three daughters: Jessica, Kelsey, and Hope.