Connecting Christ

We live in a multifaith society: an ever-growing, diverse cultural climate, where no religion is viewed as having a monopoly on truth. It is important when that Christ-followers not only share the Word of God but also listen and learn how to interact meaningfully with those of diverse perspectives as we engage in life’s most important conversations. Connecting Christ encourages believers to be not only better communicators and witnesses but also listeners to people of other worldviews and traditions—skills that are crucial in defending against today’s negative connotations and ineffective approaches associated with Christian evangelism. With extensive commentary from leaders of various walks of faith and life — from Judaism to Islam and Buddhism to atheism —theologian and author Dr. Paul Louis Metzger offers a spiritual compass to help navigate the intimidating yet critical dialogue of conveying our faith in Christ. Filled with practical guidance and insight into controversial topics, such as hell, fascism, and homosexuality, Connecting Christ reveals that there is a way of evangelizing that is neither disengaging monologue nor silent, lifestyle ministry but is, instead, an approach for evangelism and dialogue to go hand-in-hand. We must remove ourselves as the stumbling block to salvation for others and embrace a way to proclaim the uncommon, compassionate God revealed in Jesus Christ—the Savior this world is dying to know.

"In an isolated and disconnected world, the Church is different. Diverse communities are built under the umbrella of the Gospel, where God draws people into relationship with Him and one another. God designed His people to live in community, as this book will show. Using biblical examples of community (such as the tribes of Israel and Jesus' disciples), readers will learn about Jesus' invitation to find community in Him. The book will provide practical steps to living in and connecting to a church community"--

Evangelism is broken people bringing the Good News of Christ to other broken people. But as a broken person yourself, you may feel inadequate to the task. Evangelism may feel burdensome or may become a source of frustration, fear, and guilt rather than joy. It's understandable if you feel this way, given all the misguided ideas about being a witness. Author Mark Wood can help you and other Christians discover the joy of being Christ's witnesses, offering insights into being a disciple of Jesus that will aid you in actively sharing the Good News. There's a world full of broken people-including your neighbors, co-workers, friends, and family members-counting on it. Book jacket.

Have you ever felt like a fraud or failure as you struggle to find balance in life? Do you find yourself juggling everything in mediocrity and feeling like you're succeeding at very little? In her no-nonsense style, Alli Worthington--popular podcaster and author of The Year of Living Happy--tackles the big questions about finding happiness and one's God-given purpose. Have you ever felt like a fraud or failure as you struggle to find balance in life? Do you find yourself juggling everything in mediocrity and feeling like you're succeeding at very little? In her no-nonsense way, Alli Worthington tackles the big questions about finding happiness and one's God-given purpose. Breaking Busy marries popular secular research with solid biblical principles, instilling confidence that you, too, can move from crazy busy to confident calm. With refreshing candor, uproarious true stories, and a Christian worldview, Alli delivers truths that dismantle common happiness myths. Then she empowers you to get unstuck, to let go of the good to make way for the great, to know yourself and your Creator, and ultimately to find peace and purpose in this world of crazy. You will: Learn how to stop chasing what leaves you empty and start doing what you were created to do. Identify the common lies you believe and how to strip their power from your life. Recognize how what you say no to determines what you can say yes to. With relatable anecdotes, Alli models real-life guidance on boundaries, relationships, and self-care, humbly examining her own mistakes and walking through how she learned from her missteps and found peace in a world of busyness. If you long to find real connection with both your loved ones and your Creator, Alli Worthington deftly balances intelligent humility and heartwarming humor to help you rediscover your path.

What does it mean to truly find rest? Jesus tells us that he "will give us rest." But what does that look like in a society marked by increasing rates of overcommitment and burnout? Too many of us have built unhealthy cycles of rest, striving and straining against God's intent for our lives. In Finding Soul Rest, Curtis Zackery provides a practical guide to finding the deep soul rest that Jesus promises. And it all centers around renewing and restoring our relationship with Christ. This thoughtful devotional on rest calls us to the intentional work of self-examination, helping us move toward a purposeful and sustainable life with Jesus. Through thoughtful reflections on Scripture and devotional questions, readers will rediscover their identity in rhythm with God.

This book is the first full study of the whole of Hans Frei's work. Higton draws on a wide range of unpublished material in the Frei archives to present a comprehensive, fresh, and original interpretation of Frei's theology. He places Frei's well-known work on biblical hemeneutics firmly in the context of his theological wrestling with Barth and of the dominant traditions of Western Protestant theology.

Fellowship. The word gets used a lot in church. But too often our understanding and practice of fellowship are shallow and stripped of the life-giving, life-transforming power God intended community to have. Jesus lived out and taught a deeper, more radical kind of fellowship—a way of interacting that makes others sit up and take notice. These six sessions will show you Jesus’ way of loving others “as I have loved you.”Experiencing Christ Together helps your group explore the five biblical purposes that make up a high-impact Christian life —fellowship, discipleship, ministry, evangelism, and worship. Jesus perfectly lived out God’s purposes for his life, and he taught his followers how to do the same. As you walk in the footsteps of those first disciples listening to and watching Jesus through these studies, you and your group will be transformed. One small group leader put it this way: “The Experiencing Christ Together series has motivated me more than any other Bible study that I have ever been to. This Bible study gets to the heart of the matter—my character in Christ—and that has created action on my part.”

The Son of God is the wisdom of God Augustine's love of wisdom drove him to Christ—and wisdom remained central to his thought. Modern biblical scholars and theologians have much to learn from one of Christianity's most prominent and prolific theologians. Retrieval of Augustine can revive and renew thinking on wisdom. In Christ, the Way, Benjamin T. Quinn recovers and evaluates Augustine's rich writing on wisdom. While many have acknowledged sapientia (wisdom) as central in Augustine, few have offered a full treatment of his definition of wisdom and how it ordered his thought. Quinn remedies this need, tracing the development of Augustine's thought from his earliest reflections to De Trinitate, his most systematic treatment of wisdom. For Augustine, sapientia is the incarnate Christ, who by the Spirit enlightens all God's people to see clearly, live virtuously, and participate in God—thereby restoring his people to his image. Quinn then brings Augustine into dialogue with contemporary wisdom scholarship, displaying where his biblically rooted, Christocentric, faith--first approach holds rich insights for scholars and Christians today.