Here's a thoughtful, probing exploration of why Christians get stuck in the place of complacency, dryness, and tedium -- and how to move on to new levels of spiritual passion! Buchanan shows how the majority of Christians begin their spiritual journey with excitement and enthusiasm -- only to get bogged down in a "borderland" -- an in-between space beyond the "old life" but short of the abundant, adventurous existence promised by Jesus. Citing Jonah, he examines the problem of "borderland living" -- where doubt, disappointment, guilt, and wonderlessness keep people in a quagmire of mediocrity -- then offers solutions ... effective ways to get unstuck and move into a bold, unpredictable, exhilarating walk with Christ. Inspired writing!
“These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also.” That was the startled cry, circa 50 AD, from a hastily assembled mob in Thessalonica. These men who have turned the world upside: their description of Paul and Silas. Holy vandals on the loose, anointed marauders running amok, men out ransacking Roman cities with the gospel. You’d think they were heralding the arrival of Barbarian hordes, fierce Berserkers descending on poorly fortified villages, not two hungry men with no more than a fire in their bellies and a wildness in their eyes. These were just two ordinary men. But, as Paul says to the Corinthians, he was a man who preached “with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power,” a man whose weapons were not of the world but had “divine power to demolish strongholds.” Two simple, ordinary men, walking in the power of God. A whole town in uproar because of them. It’s been a while since we’ve seen the likes of this. Your Church Is Too Safe is an ebook based on a simple idea: that God meant his church to be both good news and bad news, an aroma and a stench – a disruptive force to whoever or whatever opposes the Kingdom of God, and a healing and liberating power to those who seek it. That the church has not always lived this mandate is well-documented. That the church needs to recover this mandate is much touted. Your Church Is Too Safe is a plea, a celebration, and a manifesto. It’s an attempt to call the church to be the church. It is a tribute to the many churches that seek to be this. And it is a roadmap to become this. Above all, Your Church Is Too Safe is a biblical reflection and exhortation on why we should be this. Its main narrative is rooted in the story of how the early church, for all her failings and heresies and squabbles, managed to turn the world upside down. And its principal claim is that the modern church, for all her failings and heresies and squabbles, has every advantage they had, and maybe more, and faces no more challenges than they did, and maybe fewer.
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The late, beloved Rachel Held Evans answers many children's first question about God in this gorgeous picture book, fully realized by her friend Matthew Paul Turner, the bestselling author of When God Made You. Children who are introduced to God, through attending church or having loved ones who speak about God, often have a lot of questions, including this ever-popular one: What is God like? The late Rachel Held Evans loved the Bible and loved showing God’s love through the words and pictures found in that ancient text. Through these pictures from the Bible, children see that God is like a shepherd, God is like a star, God is like a gardener, God is like the wind, and more. God is a comforter and support. And whenever a child is unsure, What Is God Like? encourages young hearts to “think about what makes you feel safe, what makes you feel loved, and what makes you feel brave. That's what God is like.”
Do you have a real relationship with God, or do you just have a religion? Do you know God, or do you just know about God? In How Big Is Your God? Paul Coutinho, SJ, challenges us to grow stronger and deeper in our faith and in our relationship with God—a God whose love knows no bounds. To help us on our way, Coutinho introduces us to people in various world religions—from Hindu friends to Buddhist teachers to St. Ignatius of Loyola—who have shaped his spiritual life and made possible his deep, personal relationship with God.
Here's a thoughtful, probing exploration of why Christians get stuck in the place of complacency, dryness, and tedium -- and how to move on to new levels of spiritual passion! Buchanan shows how the majority of Christians begin their spiritual journey with excitement and enthusiasm -- only to get bogged down in a "borderland" -- an in-between space beyond the "old life" but short of the abundant, adventurous existence promised by Jesus. Citing Jonah, he examines the problem of "borderland living" -- where doubt, disappointment, guilt, and wonderlessness keep people in a quagmire of mediocrity -- then offers solutions ... effective ways to get unstuck and move into a bold, unpredictable, exhilarating walk with Christ. Inspired writing!
Do you worship the God of the Bible, or a fictional character? This book will bring us back to the God of the Bible. Not the God we like or the way we wish He were, but the very God of the Bible—unembellished, unvarnished—as He really is. This does not mean we will like Him. Many times we are embarrassed by the God of the Bible, especially the God of the Old Testament. We are even embarrassed by the teachings of Jesus when it comes to His being the only way to be saved, as well as God’s right to judge and reward or condemn. We attempt to manage God’s PR and fix His image in the modern world. We are tempted to modify and mold God into what we want Him to be—what we think He should be. Instead we should be finding out where God is and meet Him there, even if that takes us out of our comfort zones. This book will challenge you to give up your conception of what you would like God to be and come to know Him as He really is. Other Books by R.T. Kendall: Word and Spirit (2019) ISBN-13:978-1629996493 Total Forgiveness (2010) ISBN-13: 978-1599791760 Whatever Happened to the Gospel? (2018) ISBN-13: 978-1629994710 Popular in Heaven Famous in Hell (2018) ISBN-13: 978-1629995519 The Presence of God (2017) ISBN-13: 978-1629991573 Holy Fire (2014) ISBN-13: 978-1621366041
R. T. Kendall brings a fresh perspective to difficult questions of faith and reveals the correct and balanced picture of God's nature in order to draw readers back to the real God.
Wandering the Wilderness is a guidebook for individuals who are unsure of their path or are questioning the trails they were taught in the past. Author Ray Friesen is a former pastor and at the same time a life long “believing skeptic.” He’s an advocate for “abundant living” and the guideposts that mark it, as outlined by “Wholehearted Living” researcher Dr. Brené Brown (The Gifts of Imperfection). This informs Friesen’s thoughtful submission for a renewed approach to finding meaning in a life informed by the Bible in a time when the relevance of those Ancient Writings is often thrown into question. In Wandering the Wilderness, Friesen has us stop, listen, and learn at thirteen “trail posts” along life’s pilgrimage. In addition to Brown, he draws on the Ancient Writings (Bible) with the help of scholars like Walter Brueggemann, Eugene Peterson, and Peter Enns. All of this is shaped in the context of his personal life experiences, including his journey with cancer and chemotherapy. The result is a book for all who are looking for a path in their own wilderness. He invites the reader to understand that developing a Christian faith and spirituality can help re energize a life at times burdened with difficulty or plagued with aimlessness, even, maybe especially, in this post-modern age. Here is a thoughtful, informed guide for wanderers weary from the journey and skeptics wondering where or if faith still matters. Whether you read it alone or with fellow wanderers and/or skeptics wishing to believe, Wandering the Wilderness has the potential to transform your wandering.
Where did we get this idea that God wants us to be complacent? What if we were called to forfeit our comfortable lifestyles? Meet the called: mountain climbers, deep-sea divers, fighter pilots, and jungle missionaries who follow God into the adventure of a lifetime. Dangerous Faith tells their dramatic true stories, revealing incredible truths only risk can inspire. Each of these trailblazers rejects security to reach for a perilous place few Christ-followers dare. Their stories will thrill and amaze you. What they discover just might revolutionize your life–because He’s calling you, too, into a life of risk. Adventure. Passion. Freedom. Truth. Are you prepared for a Dangerous Faith?
