Download or read book Surviving Religion 101 written by Michael J. Kruger and published by Crossway. This book was released on 2021-03-22 with total page 251 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "I can't imagine a college student—skeptic, doubter, Christian, struggler—who wouldn't benefit from this book." —Kevin DeYoung For many young adults, the college years are an exciting period of selfdiscovery full of new relationships, new independence, and new experiences. Yet college can also be a time of personal testing and intense questioning— especially for Christian students confronted with various challenges to Christianity and the Bible for the first time. Drawing on years of experience as a biblical scholar, Michael Kruger addresses common objections to the Christian faith—the exclusivity of Christianity, Christian intolerance, homosexuality, hell, the problem of evil, science, miracles, and the reliability of the Bible. If you're a student dealing with doubt or wrestling with objections to Christianity from fellow students and professors alike, this book will equip you to engage secular challenges with intellectual honesty, compassion, and confidence—and ultimately graduate college with your faith intact.

Download or read book Banished written by Lauren Drain and published by Grand Central Publishing. This book was released on 2013-03-05 with total page 211 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Banished is an eye-opening, deeply personal account of life inside the cult known as the Westboro Baptist Church, as well as a fascinating story of adaptation and perseverance. You've likely heard of the Westboro Baptist Church. Perhaps you've seen their pickets on the news, the members holding signs with messages that are too offensive to copy here, protesting at events such as the funerals of soldiers, the 9-year old victim of the recent Tucson shooting, and Elizabeth Edwards, all in front of their grieving families. The WBC is fervently anti-gay, anti-Semitic, and anti- practically everything and everyone. And they aren't going anywhere: in March, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of the WBC's right to picket funerals. Since no organized religion will claim affiliation with the WBC, it's perhaps more accurate to think of them as a cult. Lauren Drain was thrust into that cult at the age of 15, and then spat back out again seven years later. Lauren spent her early years enjoying a normal life with her family in Florida. But when her formerly liberal and secular father set out to produce a documentary about the WBC, his detached interest gradually evolved into fascination, and he moved the entire family to Kansas to join the church and live on their compound. Over the next seven years, Lauren fully assimilated their extreme beliefs, and became a member of the church and an active and vocal picketer. But as she matured and began to challenge some of the church's tenets, she was unceremoniously cast out from the church and permanently cut off from her family and from everyone else she knew and loved. Banished is the story of Lauren's fight to find herself amidst dramatic changes in a world of extremists and a life in exile.

Download or read book It s Personal written by Brian Bloye and published by Zondervan. This book was released on 2012-04-23 with total page 254 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A challenging and encouraging manual for day-to-day life in ministry written specifically for couples who want to do more than survive the process of church planting and leadership—who want to actually thrive and grow in faith together as a family. Though we may feel like we can't show it, every aspect of planting a church is personal. Church planters and those in ministry leadership roles give so much to starting and growing healthy, thriving churches that when some people inevitably criticize the church, or leave altogether, it's hard not to take it personally. Brian and Amy Bloye know firsthand the emotional and relational toll that planting churches can take. In It's Personal—part of the Exponential series, inspiring and equipping next-generation church planters—the Bloye's get personal about finding the right balance of family and ministry. Planting a church is more than a ministry—it's a calling that touches every aspect of your life in very personal ways. With intimacy and wisdom, Brian and Amy discuss topics like: How to protect your marriage while planting a church. How to respond to growth and change. How to lead well while still maintaining space and time for family. How to know when it’s becoming too personal. With a forward by Andy Stanley, It's Personal will challenge and encourage you to avoid some of the pitfalls of planting a church and be equipped to build both strong and prevailing ministries, and healthy marriages and families. Each chapter includes interviews with church-planting couples who share their personal joys and struggles, giving you authentic insight into the issues families face when planting a church.

Download or read book Surviving the Church written by Amy Walker and published by Amy Walker. This book was released on 2012-04 with total page 212 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: To a person of faith, the Church is the body of Christ created to extend God's love and grace here on earth. What can seekers and believers do when life inside the Church habitually drives them to seek sanctuary in the arms of the world instead? Countless people have experienced burnout and been subject to guilt trips and methods of manipulation in the name of ministry while their relationship with God suffers the consequences. What can you do when you become disenchanted with God's people? How can the Church win back the countless souls who have walked away in a desperate act of self-preservation? Is there a way to restore hope to your faith? Believers, seekers, pastors, leaders, the burned-out and the passionate are all invited to join the discussion. If you have not suffered the soul-crushing blows to your faith that can happen within the Church then chances are you know someone who has. It is a life-altering experience with eternal consequences. Together we can learn to recognize the pitfalls that subtly creep into our congregations enabling us to intervene BEFORE it%u2019s too late. Those who have already left the Church will see that all is not lost when their hope is in Jesus Christ. As the disenchanted endeavor to rebuild their faith, God will reveal a path to restoration and reconciliation. Inside this book you will find, among other things, topics like: -Personal, real-life stories about faith changing experiences -Insight about the descent into the cycle of burnout -Exposure of common pitfalls within the Church such as guilt trips and manipulation tactics -Biblical and practical steps the Church can take to help stem the tide of believers leaving the church over neglect, abuse, and offense -Realistic suggestions for the disenchanted believer for moving forward in healing and restoration -How the Church can recapture the hearts of the disenchanted

Download or read book Surviving Ministry written by Michael E. Osborne and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 2016-05-06 with total page 168 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Being a pastor has its rewards and pleasures. But churches can be unsafe places. They are filled with broken, imperfect people. Many ministers of the gospel walk into a church naive about the potential hazards of their vocation. They are vulnerable to difficult people, unresolved conflict, incompatible visions, hidden agendas, mission drift, and sin--their own and that of others. Other pastors feel trapped in a ministry hurricane and don't know what to do. They feel like failures. They're thinking about leaving the ministry. They are looking for help and hope--not from an "expert" detached from the real world of ministry--but from someone who has suffered through church hurricanes and lived to share the story. Moreover, they need to know they are not alone. Surviving Ministry: How to Weather the Storms of Church Leadership includes the author's own story as well as true stories from other pastors who have been in the eye of the hurricane. Discouraged ministers looking for biblical, practical, gospel-centered advice for storm proofing their churches, homes, and hearts have found a friend. Surviving Ministry will equip them to stay resilient before, during, and after seasons of difficulty.

Download or read book Ungodly Fear written by Stephen Parsons and published by Lion Books. This book was released on 2000 with total page 328 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this disturbing and compelling new book, Stephen Parsons uses real-life stories to highlight the dangers that exist ijn the modern Church, and sounds the alarm for any church or individual who may be susceptible to perpetrating or falling victim to abusive practices or behavior. These harrowing stories include a vulnerable couple persuaded to part with their life savings for a church; a woman raped by her minister, who then had to face denial and rejection; a woman demonized for resisting a church’s obsession with demons; a homosexual whose integrity as an individual was attacked; and a woman damaged by inappropriate "healing." Parsons ends his bold analysis by affirming the potential for abuse-free Christianity and healthy church life.

Download or read book Surviving Toxic Leaders written by Kenneth O. Gangel and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 2007-12-01 with total page 107 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Since Jean Lipman-Blumen's The Allure of Toxic Leaders shook the corporate world in 2005, countless articles, books, and Internet blogs have appeared on the topic. Despite such interest and response, no study of toxic leadership had appeared from a Christian point of view until this volume, Kenn Gangel's Surviving Toxic Leaders. Gangel begins by showing that toxic leadership existed throughout biblical history. Making generous use not only of biblical materials but also of contemporary leadership literature, Gangel names the causes and cures of power abuse, cheating, bullying, laziness, and dictatorial behavior in today's leaders. Readers will benefit from Gangel's leadership experience and expertise. He has been a pastor, a college dean (twice), and a college president. Gangel currently edits The Seal, a review of leadership literature. Practical and personal, Surviving Toxic Leaders abounds with stories of real people and their situations. Everyone who has ever had trouble at work will benefit from Surviving Toxic Leaders.

Download or read book 23 Minutes in Hell written by Bill Wiese and published by Charisma Media. This book was released on 2017-05-02 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: New York Times Best Seller and Over 1 million copies sold! Over 750 5-Star reviews Wiese’s visit to the devil’s lair lasted just twenty-three minutes, but he returned with vivid details etched in his memory, capturing the attention of national media, including the Christian Broadcasting Network, Daystar Television Network, Trinity Broadcasting Network, the Miracle Channel, Sid Roth’s It’s Supernatural!, Sean Hannity’s America, Charisma News, and many others. Awaken to the realities of hell, the afterlife and the urgency to live for Christ in your short time here on earth.. Bill Wiese experienced something so horrifying it continues to captivate the world. He saw the searing flames of hell, felt total isolation, smelled the putrid and rotting stench, heard deafening screams of agony, and experienced terrorizing demons. Finally the strong hand of God lifted him out of the pit. This expanded anniversary edition includes more than 150 Bible verses referencing hell for further study. Also included is the new section, “Wrestling With the Big Questions” where Bill answers these and many others questions: Why do some people who have a near-death experience see a bright light? Will those who never heard about Jesus go to hell? Is hell eternal, or are those in hell simply annihilated?

Download or read book Surviving Me written by Jo Johnson and published by Unbound Publishing. This book was released on 2019-11-14 with total page 281 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Tom has decided he doesn't want to live. Adam wishes he had a choice. Tom's lost his job and now he's been labelled 'spermless'. He doesn't exactly feel like a modern man, although his double life helps. Yet when his secret identity threatens to unravel, he starts to lose the plot and comes perilously close to the edge. All the while Adam has his own duplicity, albeit for very different reasons, reasons which will blow the family's future out of the water. If they can't be honest with themselves, and everyone else, then things are going to get a whole lot more complicated.

Download or read book Surviving the Church written by Ronnie Allen and published by CreateSpace. This book was released on 2012-01-07 with total page 140 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Educational Information for the Psychological Development of Believers and Church Leaders

Download or read book Resilient Ministry written by Bob Burns and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 2012-11-30 with total page 314 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Why does one well-equipped, well-meaning person in ministry succeed while another fails? Bob Burns, Tasha Chapman and Donald Guthrie undertook a five-year intensive research project on the frontlines of pastoral ministry to answer that question. What they found was nothing less than the DNA of thriving ministry today.

Download or read book The New Copernicans written by David John Seel and published by HarperChristian + ORM. This book was released on 2018-01-16 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Our millennial children, as well as nonchurchgoing millennials, are both the church's greatest challenge and its most exciting new opportunity." —John Seel, PhD Warning: There is a fundamental frame of reference shift in American society happening right now among young adults. You may think of this group as millennials—those born between 1980 and 2000—but millennials resist this label for good reason: the national narrative on them is pejorative, patronizing, and just plain wrong. Here's what we do know: Of Americans with a church background, 76 percent are described as "religious nones" or unaffiliated—and it's the fastest growing segment of the population. Close to 40 percent of millennials fit this religious profile. Roughly 80 percent of teens in evangelical church high school youth groups will abandon their faith after two years in college. It's unlikely that the evangelical church can survive if it is uniformly rejected by millennials, and yet: Millennial pastors and youth ministers are disempowered; their perspective is often not taken seriously by senior church leadership. Most millennial research is framed in categories rejected by millennials; that is, left-brained, analytical communication is lost on right-brained, intuitive millennials. Evangelicals' bias toward rational left-brained thinking makes the church seem tone-deaf. What's next? Read on. John Seel suggests survival strategies—communication on-ramps for genuine human connection with the next generation. It can be done.

Download or read book The Church of the Dead written by Jennifer Scheper Hughes and published by NYU Press. This book was released on 2023-07-11 with total page 263 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "In 1576 a catastrophic epidemic devastated Indigenous Mexican communities and left the colonial church in ruins. With its horrific final symptom of hemorrhage from the nose, the unfamiliar disease, which the Nahua named cocoliztli, took almost two million lives. In the crisis and its immediate aftermath, Spanish missionaries and surviving pueblos de indios held radically different visions for the future of church in the Americas"--

Download or read book God Will Use This for Good written by Max Lucado and published by Thomas Nelson. This book was released on 2013-09-17 with total page 65 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Does it ever feel like life is out of control? Could you use the reminder that God is in control? When tragedy strikes, people desperately search for answers. Believers and unbelievers alike find themselves turning to God. Bestselling author and pastor Max Lucado tells us that though it may not be quick or painless, God will use this mess for good. In this booklet, Max Lucado will help you: Find courage to never give up during turbulent times Trust God to help you through all of life’s trials Remember that God will use every painful circumstance for good Scriptures for Your Turbulent Times also included.

Download or read book Surviving Suicide Loss written by Rita A. Schulte, LPC and published by Moody Publishers. This book was released on 2021-08-03 with total page 200 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Nothing could hurt worse. But even in the darkness . . . there’s hope. The pain of suicide loss is indescribable. It seems beyond survival. Yet with faith, perseverance, and the tools of brain science, there is a way through. It will take time. It will take struggle. But hope is real, for there are things you can do to make it to the other side. If you are struggling with suicide loss or you need to come alongside someone who is, Rita Schulte wants to help you move forward. As a suicide loss survivor herself, she understands the pain you’re feeling because she has been there too. Rita, an experienced therapist and expert in traumatic loss, offers a science-based therapy model that also takes into account the role of human spirituality. Chapters in this book include: Making Sense of the Desire to Die The Mind-Body Connection Unfinished Business Making Peace with Ourselves Facing the Dark Side Children—Living Behind the Shadow The Time that Remains When it comes to suicide loss, you’ll never have all the answers. But one thing is certain: there are real pathways to help you heal—body, mind, and spirit.

Download or read book Surviving the Trenches written by Joe Barnard and published by Christian Focus. This book was released on 2022-03-11 with total page 136 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Written for menMortification of sinArming readers for the fight

Download or read book Surviving the Bible written by Christian Piatt and published by Fortress Press. This book was released on 2019-09-03 with total page 404 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Resuscitate your relationship with the Bible A lot of us have tried to read the Bible. And we've failed. Christian Piatt has too. But now, using the annual lectionary as his guide, he has put together a devotional that allows us to read through major parts of the Old and New Testaments and finally understand them in plain English. Every week has several Scripture readings, explanations of confusing terms, a story, a deeper dive into interesting themes, and a closing prayer. You can use it as a weekly study or browse a thematic list for something you're curious about. It's an ideal resource to use with a friend or small group, but it's set up to be accessed by anyone who has enough curiosity, openness, and desire to grow. Start anywhere. Set it down and come back to it. There's no "wrong way" to use Surviving the Bible. Engage ancient texts in new ways that make sense, here and now, maybe for the first time. Any way you use it, it's sure to challenge and inspire.