Mark Batterson on His New Book 'Gradually Then Suddenly'
New York Times best-selling author Mark Batterson is ready for his audience to step out in faith again. Batterson is known by many in his audience as someone who challenges his audience to embrace not only the call that God has given them but also the need to step out on faith and do what He has called them to do. In his new book, “Gradually Then Suddenly,” Batterson is asking his audience to take the first step of faith and then allow God to continue ordering their steps. In a sit-down interview with Crosswalk, Batterson lays out the plan that his audience needs to take in hearing the voice of God to step out on faith, Gradually Then Suddenly.
Crosswalk: When did you feel the Holy Spirit, calling you to write this book?
Mark Batterson: I think every book I write is about a four-month writing season, but I, I think without knowing it, I started writing this book 30 years ago, I would not have published or felt like I could really write it with integrity, until ten to twenty years ago. We're about to celebrate thirty years of pastoring in the DC area, and I felt like, okay, this is the moment to talk a little bit about, this idea of gradually then suddenly, honestly, it's how everything happens. It's how revival happens; it’s how miracles happen. It, how you run a marathon, write a book, start a business, there's going to be a lot of gradually before the suddenly. It really is a book about long vision, long obedience, and then the payoff is long legacy.
CW: Is this a prosperity Gospel type book?
MB: I make no apologies for this, if people are looking to get rich quick and they want one of those books that's a shortcut to this, and the other thing don't buy this book. This is not the book for you. This is about playing the long game and how to play the long game. Well.
CW: Can we talk about National Community Church?
MB: It took five years for us to grow from nineteen people to two hundred and fifty people as national community Church, and then suddenly, August 12th, 2001, we end up on the front page of the Washington Post, an article about our unique demographics. At the time, we were 80% single, twenty-somethings, and because it was on the front page of the Sunday edition, we doubled almost overnight. It was the suddenly moment. Most people give up on gradually before the suddenly happens.
CW: What has been your writing journey?
MB: I felt called to write at Twenty-Two. I didn't write a book until I was Thirty-Five. Those 13 years, it was just a deferred dream. But that's where you need a little bit of grit. There's no quit in grit. You got to keep doing the right things day in and day out. I read three thousand books before writing one, you just have to really be disciplined. You have to keep the faith, the dream that you have. It's going to take longer than you, like, it's going to be harder than you hope for. You're going to overestimate what you can do in a year or two, but you are going to underestimate what God can do. What you must do is keep circling Jericho, keep climbing the stairs to the upper room. You have to keep on keeping on and trust God's timing. God is the one who delivers on suddenly. Pray like it depends on God and then leave the outcome to him.
CW: How do you minister in a city like Washington DC, when everyone is so divided?
MB: I think if we want people to change, show kindness, well, what if that doesn't work?
Show more kindness? Well, what if it still doesn't work? Well, you don't really have another option. Jesus, made a whip, threw down in the temple, said, my house is a house of prayer. I'm not saying that there aren't moments where Jesus didn't act. I'm not saying there aren't moments to like step up, step in and, and just speak the truth in love, but I am saying at the end of the day that it's not survival of the fittest. It really is survival of the kindness. kindness these days is such a rare commodity.
CW: What do you want your grandkids to get out of the book? (Which you don’t have yet)
MB: I want them to understand that it's all about long obedience in the same direction. My definition of success is when those who know me best respect me most, and that's my wife and my kids legacy is not what you accomplish. Legacy is what others accomplish because of you. I want them to see someone who really did what they believed in and did it for a really long time, and hopefully did it most of the time for the glory of God.
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Photo Credit: ©The Washington Post / Contributor
Originally published November 19, 2025.
