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One at a Time: The Unexpected Way God Wants to Use You to Change the World
How does God want to use you to have an impact?
Most of us don't want to spend our lives being time-wasters, space-takers, binge-watchers, or game-players. We want to be difference-makers. But how do we do it?
By revealing the way Jesus valued people, best-selling author Kyle Idleman shows us the Jesus way of changing the world - by loving people one at a time.
Influencing just one person at a time may seem insignificant at first look. But as we better understand the surprising habits of Jesus, we unlock the power of small things done with great love and discover how God wants to use us to change the world one person at a time.
Most of us don't want to spend our lives being time-wasters, space-takers, binge-watchers, or game-players. We want to be difference-makers. But how do we do it?
By revealing the way Jesus valued people, best-selling author Kyle Idleman shows us the Jesus way of changing the world - by loving people one at a time.
Influencing just one person at a time may seem insignificant at first look. But as we better understand the surprising habits of Jesus, we unlock the power of small things done with great love and discover how God wants to use us to change the world one person at a time.
Audible Audio
Published March 8, 2022
164 people are currently reading
1,771 people want to read
About the author
Kyle Idleman
69Ìýbooks591ÌýfollowersKyle Idleman is the teaching pastor at Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky, the fifth largest church in America. The bestselling author of the award-winning book Not a Fan and AHA is a frequent speaker at conferences and events around the world. Kyle and his wife, DesiRae, have four children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews
February 6, 2023
This book is LIFE CHANGING! Do yourself a favor and READ IT!!
July 15, 2022
I would place this right next to “Just Do Something� by Kevin DeYoung in terms of its practical impact on my spiritual walk. I will reference this for years, maybe decades, to come.
I am so often overwhelmed by the masses, throw my hands up in the air and think, “There’s no use in trying to help people or witness to people! The need is simply too great!� Meanwhile, Jesus chose to minister to people “one at a time.�
I was immensely blessed by this. You gotta read it!
I am so often overwhelmed by the masses, throw my hands up in the air and think, “There’s no use in trying to help people or witness to people! The need is simply too great!� Meanwhile, Jesus chose to minister to people “one at a time.�
I was immensely blessed by this. You gotta read it!
August 15, 2022
“One at a time is the Jesus way of changing the world.�
“We love people one at a time, but doing something for one person has a way of overflowing to others.�
“God is going to put someone in your life this week, and he wants to use you to change that person’s life, one conversation at a time.�
As always, I love me a good Kyle Idleman book. I always find that I read something I need to hear when I pick up one of his books. They are always a perfect blend of scripture, humor, life stories, and real world application.
This book, “One At A Time,� perfectly shows how often Jesus would pivot from crowds of people to lock in on one at a time. The woman who was bleeding, the man in the graveyard, the man with leprosy, the woman caught in adultery, and the woman at the well - he met their physical and spiritual needs one at a time when they needed it most.
This book is a call to action for the Christian to make the conscious effort to look around us in this busy world and take that step of courage toward conversation and compassion, to plant seeds that one day can lead to conversion. One person, one soul at a time. Very convicting.
“We love people one at a time, but doing something for one person has a way of overflowing to others.�
“God is going to put someone in your life this week, and he wants to use you to change that person’s life, one conversation at a time.�
As always, I love me a good Kyle Idleman book. I always find that I read something I need to hear when I pick up one of his books. They are always a perfect blend of scripture, humor, life stories, and real world application.
This book, “One At A Time,� perfectly shows how often Jesus would pivot from crowds of people to lock in on one at a time. The woman who was bleeding, the man in the graveyard, the man with leprosy, the woman caught in adultery, and the woman at the well - he met their physical and spiritual needs one at a time when they needed it most.
This book is a call to action for the Christian to make the conscious effort to look around us in this busy world and take that step of courage toward conversation and compassion, to plant seeds that one day can lead to conversion. One person, one soul at a time. Very convicting.
June 29, 2022
Kyle’s books are always so approachable to read. He writes in a style and tone that feels conversational and pastoral. He guides his reader to a deeper understanding of the Christian life. One at a Time offers guidance and so many practical ways to make a real difference in people’s lives. Must read for any Christian.
February 9, 2024
5 stars. 6 stars. 10 stars. I absolutely loved this book. I took notes on quite literally every page. Every. Single. Page. Something was underlined or circled or I wrote a thought or reminder next to it. If you want to love people better, read this book. If you want to connect with people, read this book. If you want to love like Jesus, read this book. And if you don’t want any of that, read this book anyway.
November 27, 2022
Great book with solid, inspiring examples of how Christ works through each of us One at a Time and how we can emulate Him.
February 9, 2023
Powerfully inspiring as Kyle emphasizes the value of one on one relationship in ministry... A phrase that stuck with me is Lord do something in me so you can do something through me (not an exact quote)
February 7, 2022
I LOVED this book!! Such good material in learning how to love people one at a time like Jesus did. To slow down and be expectant in how we relate to and influence the people around us. I also LOVED Idleman’s writing style, very fun & humorous but also straightforward and easy to understand!
December 11, 2024
God wants to use you in unpredictable ways, let Him work through you! Thanks Kyle Idleman for an amazing read!
August 14, 2022
Difficult to not read quickly. Such good perspective that I'll need to revisit again and again.
April 17, 2022
Essential for a good life in Christ
It seems my whole generation is concerned with influence. In fact, everyone wants to be an “influencer.� You don’t need a a million followers, an Instagram account, or trendy YouTube page. You need compassion. Compassion that moves you to love one person God places you in proximity with today. That’s all. If you want influence, you want to change the world, love people like Jesus; one at a time.
It seems my whole generation is concerned with influence. In fact, everyone wants to be an “influencer.� You don’t need a a million followers, an Instagram account, or trendy YouTube page. You need compassion. Compassion that moves you to love one person God places you in proximity with today. That’s all. If you want influence, you want to change the world, love people like Jesus; one at a time.
April 29, 2023
So good, easy quick read that is a life changer
September 11, 2022
The humor, the honesty, and the encouragement all stand out in this book. Kyle Idleman really has a way of challenging me to change, but not doing it through manipulation, fear, or guilt trips. I appreciate his writing so much.
January 27, 2022
Idleman provides practical ways we can make a big impact on others by starting small and focusing on the person in front of us. He does this by focusing on how Jesus did just this, even as he often faced large crushing crowds with people hoping for a miracle.
Jesus focused in on people like a synagogue leader with a dying daughter, lepers, the blind, the Samaritan woman at the well, the adulteress, and the woman who washed his feet with her hair and expensive perfume. Often, they were outcasts and looked down upon by others.
Idleman also provides an insightful analysis of the Sower parable and ties it into how we share our faith, as well as what type of soil we represent. Idleman also describes how Jesus made it a priority to spend time with tax collectors and nonbelievers.
The author goes on to discuss “Rabbit Hole Christianity�, or the tendency for some Christians to spend most of their time with other Christians. Idleman challenges readers to get close to people who are far from God, and he illustrates how we are lights of the world and how God will work through us.
All in all, a very practical guidebook for having an impact on others, that I highly recommend. It will definitely challenge you and I will re-read in the years to come.
Jesus focused in on people like a synagogue leader with a dying daughter, lepers, the blind, the Samaritan woman at the well, the adulteress, and the woman who washed his feet with her hair and expensive perfume. Often, they were outcasts and looked down upon by others.
Idleman also provides an insightful analysis of the Sower parable and ties it into how we share our faith, as well as what type of soil we represent. Idleman also describes how Jesus made it a priority to spend time with tax collectors and nonbelievers.
The author goes on to discuss “Rabbit Hole Christianity�, or the tendency for some Christians to spend most of their time with other Christians. Idleman challenges readers to get close to people who are far from God, and he illustrates how we are lights of the world and how God will work through us.
All in all, a very practical guidebook for having an impact on others, that I highly recommend. It will definitely challenge you and I will re-read in the years to come.
December 9, 2023
I read this alongside our small group discussing the companion video series and our church doing a sermon series on some of the one-at-a-time interactions Jesus had, which I think helped me appreciate it more than I would have just reading it. A lot of what's talked about here seems incredibly obvious to me, but I know not everyone is coming from the same background. Also, just because something is clearly evident in Scripture doesn't mean that it isn't scary to actually go out and implement it in your daily life. The author also did a good job making clear connections to Scripture for each point, focusing on Jesus through the stories we have recorded about his very personal interactions with all sorts of people. 3.5 stars, rounded up because I really appreciated having the biblical support clearly spelled out.
March 27, 2024
A friend loaned me this book, highly recommending it. And even before I finished it, I knew it would be a 5-star for me. It is well-written and engaging, with an intriguing premise � the unexpected yet straightforward way God wants to use you to make a difference…loving one person at a time.
Kyle Idleman is a best-selling author and senior pastor who uses many examples from his own life. I found the book to be encouraging, thoughtful, and challenging. It’s easy to read because of the humor and conversational tone. It’s motivating and powerful. The biblical examples plus Idleman’s personal stories guide readers to a deeper understanding of how to share your faith. This is a book written for all followers of Jesus.
I recommend this, and if you like Max Lucado’s books, you’ll value this one.
Kyle Idleman is a best-selling author and senior pastor who uses many examples from his own life. I found the book to be encouraging, thoughtful, and challenging. It’s easy to read because of the humor and conversational tone. It’s motivating and powerful. The biblical examples plus Idleman’s personal stories guide readers to a deeper understanding of how to share your faith. This is a book written for all followers of Jesus.
I recommend this, and if you like Max Lucado’s books, you’ll value this one.
April 16, 2022
Once Again
Kyle Idleman has done it again. "One At A Time" is a joyful challenge.
"We don’t know and aren’t responsible for the results, but realizing the extraordinary things God can do with our ordinary acts of love, we need to always choose to love. We plant the seed and water the seed, but God makes it grow."
Our job is to sow seed. One at a time. Our job is to love people. One at a time. Nothing more and nothing less. This book is a great encouragement to do just that. In 1 John 4:11, we read: "Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.�
Kyle Idleman explains in a simple manner the simple (I did not say "easy") way to live out this love one at a time!
â€â¶Ä�
Kyle Idleman has done it again. "One At A Time" is a joyful challenge.
"We don’t know and aren’t responsible for the results, but realizing the extraordinary things God can do with our ordinary acts of love, we need to always choose to love. We plant the seed and water the seed, but God makes it grow."
Our job is to sow seed. One at a time. Our job is to love people. One at a time. Nothing more and nothing less. This book is a great encouragement to do just that. In 1 John 4:11, we read: "Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.�
Kyle Idleman explains in a simple manner the simple (I did not say "easy") way to live out this love one at a time!
â€â¶Ä�
April 5, 2025
Now, while I really enjoyed this book I fully believe it’s for the much older/wiser more sanctified believer. I say that bc this is nothing we could ever do in our own strength. This books also doesn’t seem one for someone who is drowning in depression or coming out of traumas.
“We’re told in 1 John 4:19, “We love because He first loved us.� That’s so important. It means we don’t manufacture love. The way to grow in love isn’t to summon up loving feelings. The way to grow in love is to be loved. We receive God‘s love, we’re filled with it, and it starts to outflow out of us. We don’t conjure up love; we are conduits of it. We get better at loving by better understanding and experiencing God‘s love.�
“We’re told in 1 John 4:19, “We love because He first loved us.� That’s so important. It means we don’t manufacture love. The way to grow in love isn’t to summon up loving feelings. The way to grow in love is to be loved. We receive God‘s love, we’re filled with it, and it starts to outflow out of us. We don’t conjure up love; we are conduits of it. We get better at loving by better understanding and experiencing God‘s love.�
May 31, 2022
Thank you Kyle for writing this book! It is fantastic. This book will inspire you, convict you, and push you to be a more intentional disciple of Jesus and to love people the way he did—one at a time. Kyle has story after story to share of the life change that results of loving people the Jesus way (one at a time) that will bring you to tears and leave you in awe of the goodness of God.
If you take seriously and take to heart what Kyle is putting forth in this book, you won’t walk away unchanged. God wants to use you to influence the world, but it may not be how you expected. Kyle is your guide to diving into this unexpected way of Jesus. What are you waiting for? Buy this book.
If you take seriously and take to heart what Kyle is putting forth in this book, you won’t walk away unchanged. God wants to use you to influence the world, but it may not be how you expected. Kyle is your guide to diving into this unexpected way of Jesus. What are you waiting for? Buy this book.
April 4, 2022
This is a wonderful book from the same author of “Not a Fan�, Kyle Idleman. The premise of the book is that the reason that God put us on this world is to affect a change in it.
It’s so easy to throw up your hands and say, are you crazy? I can’t make an impact. For 240 pages, Kyle Idleman tells us that indeed, we can make a change, make an impact. But you only need to do it one step at a time.
I won’t steal his thunder, but in this easy but impact read, you will learn how you can indeed make an impact in the world. One step at a time.
It’s so easy to throw up your hands and say, are you crazy? I can’t make an impact. For 240 pages, Kyle Idleman tells us that indeed, we can make a change, make an impact. But you only need to do it one step at a time.
I won’t steal his thunder, but in this easy but impact read, you will learn how you can indeed make an impact in the world. One step at a time.
November 18, 2023
Abandoned. Blech. So cheesy. I thought it was about living one day at a time, but it was an evangelical book about “bringing people to Jesus one at a time� through your influence. Reminds me of my teenage faith that I left behind. People still there might really enjoy this. I did enjoy the retelling of some of my favorite stories about Jesus, but reading the end of chapter action steps just grated on me and felt like I was going backwards. Back to reading Kate Bowler, Nadia Bolz Weber, Kelly Corrigan etc for me.
January 29, 2022
Loved this book. Ever wonder what little ole you can do to help someone? Is it enough or will it matter? Kyle Idleman (one of my FAVORITE Christian authors) shares stories of how Jesus focused on one person at a time during his ministry. A great read if you are hesitant to do something for someone thinking it won't make a difference or even matter. If it comes from Christ through you, God will use it for good. Just the book I needed. Thank you Kyle Idleman for another great book!
March 15, 2022
I always enjoy Kyle Idleman's books, and this one is no exception! It's funny--he has a great sense of humor--relatable, and all too applicable. Convicting, in a good way.
I really appreciated how simply he got the point across; it doesn't require anything "special" or "advanced"--just obedience to walk through the doors God places in each of our paths. It's not about the numbers ... nothing past the one in front of us. Well done.
I really appreciated how simply he got the point across; it doesn't require anything "special" or "advanced"--just obedience to walk through the doors God places in each of our paths. It's not about the numbers ... nothing past the one in front of us. Well done.
June 25, 2022
“One at a time� has become an overused phrase in Christian efforts at world transformation, but Kyle Idleman manages to bring fresh appreciation for this model of discipleship in this book. In the first half, he addresses why this model is effective and an example of the way Jesus did ministry. But it is the second half, where he gets into the “how to� of putting this into practice, that is the most valuable part of the book. Not a Fan is now my second favorite book by Kyle Idleman.
September 19, 2022
Great read!
Entertaining all the way through. Inspiring and packed with ideas on how to impact the people God places before us - one at a time. Also, it’s encouraging to realize that even I can make a difference for Christ - and maybe I have already made a difference to someone without realizing it, simply by taking time to meet those simple needs that seemed so small - one at a time. Thank you Kyle Idleman, for sharing, in such a humble way.
Entertaining all the way through. Inspiring and packed with ideas on how to impact the people God places before us - one at a time. Also, it’s encouraging to realize that even I can make a difference for Christ - and maybe I have already made a difference to someone without realizing it, simply by taking time to meet those simple needs that seemed so small - one at a time. Thank you Kyle Idleman, for sharing, in such a humble way.
January 4, 2024
A convicting plea to step into the story God is calling us to, to not get to the end of our lives and realize we were made for so much more that we ignored or were too scared to step in to. To see people individually instead of collectively, to challenge our self righteous anger and to listen to the nudges the Lord gives us. Loving people means meeting a need and meeting a need almost always means an interruption.
May 4, 2024
This book had me from the introduction. I've had an overwhelming feeling lately that God has a purpose for me and I've been too stuck in my own routine to see those around me who need Jesus. This book spoke volumes to be mainly because the content isn't hard to follow. It's rather easy if not uncomfortable at times if you really look at it. This book is exactly what I needed at this time in my life.
March 1, 2022
Woohoo!
I have really been inspired by this book! Kyle has done it yet again. I just love the way he makes witnessing seen nearly effortlessly easy, although I know it's not. Facebook really has helped me with my fear of not making an impact on the world. My new focus is making an impact one of the time.
I have really been inspired by this book! Kyle has done it yet again. I just love the way he makes witnessing seen nearly effortlessly easy, although I know it's not. Facebook really has helped me with my fear of not making an impact on the world. My new focus is making an impact one of the time.
May 19, 2022
Excellent! I have been a believer for many years but have never heard an evangelistic message found in these pages. I really appreciate Kyle’s unique revelations for how Jesus goes out of His way to reach even one person. This has forever transformed the way I think about intentional sharing of the gospel.
November 3, 2022
Hurricane Ida
I pastor a church in Houma Louisiana, a year ago we were hit by hurricane Ida. It has been a difficult year and we still haven’t gotten back into our church. Throughout the year we have had many one at a time encounter. Thank you for this book it came at a good time.
I pastor a church in Houma Louisiana, a year ago we were hit by hurricane Ida. It has been a difficult year and we still haven’t gotten back into our church. Throughout the year we have had many one at a time encounter. Thank you for this book it came at a good time.
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