Hard Sayings Reconciling The Cost Of Discipleship And The American Dream

"A blockbuster of a message to the church and to preachers . . . " -Don Wilkerson, President, Teen Challenge, Inc. Can American Christianity really reconcile itself to the hard sayings of Jesus and the teaching of Scripture, or have we invented a version suitable for mass consumption that agrees with our Western ideas of fairness, our so-called rights, and the all-important American dream? In order to make God approachable, have we left out the parts of the New Testament we don't like? Is there a cost to being a disciple of Jesus? How do we reconcile the teachings of the Jesus we find in Scripture with the American Jesus we have created? In Hard Sayings: Reconciling the Cost of Discipleship and the American Dream, pastor and international speaker Joshua West considers these questions and more, and he compares the parables, teachings, and person of Jesus Christ found in Scripture against the pop culture Jesus we have invented in the West. Looking at the entertainment-driven, celebrity culture of the American church, West challenges the reader to reconcile what the Bible calls the cost of discipleship with the American dream.

Teen Challenge, also known as Adult and Teen Challenge, was founded as an evangelistic outreach to drug addicts in Brooklyn, New York City. As a holistic Christian ministry with the life- changing message of the gospel, this faith-based rehabilitation program was created with the vision that God can redeem the whole person, starting on day one of the program. This unique approach has produced success rates of over 70% for those who complete the rehabilitation program. However, as Teen Challenge has grown worldwide, with over 1,400+ centers in 129 countries, some centers are now turning to secular methods in order to access government funding. As co-founder of Teen Challenge, Don Wilkerson raises a warning flag on this mission drift: the power of the Cross, which brings about a changed life, must be the priority in treating drug addiction; if the Cross is not central to the mission of any Teen Challenge center, then it is not worthy of using the name Teen Challenge. The ministry must never lose its vision and focus in bringing men and women to Christthrough the gospel and discipleshipand stay faithful to the original mission which the founders stood upon.

In today's Church, we see the world beginning to filter in as people bend to the pressures of this life. But in the Scriptures, Jesus calls us to do something radical--to come and die. As we die to our flesh, we will live with the eternal reward found only in Him. But what does that kind of death look like? In Come and Die, Pastor Joshua West explores the Scriptures and extrapolates verses to show just what Christ means when He tells His followers to "take up your cross and follow Me." Are you brave enough to accept His call, or will you continue to live this shallow, empty life that holds no eternal meaning or reward?

WHAT IS JESUS WORTH TO YOU? It's easy for American Christians to forget how Jesus said his followers would actually live, what their new lifestyle would actually look like. They would, he said, leave behind security, money, convenience, even family for him. They would abandon everything for the gospel. They would take up their crosses daily... BUT WHO DO YOU KNOW WHO LIVES LIKE THAT? DO YOU? In Radical, David Platt challenges you to consider with an open heart how we have manipulated the gospel to fit our cultural preferences. He shows what Jesus actually said about being his disciple--then invites you to believe and obey what you have heard. And he tells the dramatic story of what is happening as a successful" suburban church decides to get serious about the gospel according to Jesus. Finally, he urges you to join in The Radical Experiment -- a one-year journey in authentic discipleship that will transform how you live in a world that desperately needs the Good News Jesus came to bring. (From the 2010 edition)"

Everyone experiences times of sadness, trials, and pain. But what happens when grief and depression seem so overwhelming that we feel like giving up? As the founder of World Challenge, Inc., David Wilkerson worked with troubled people of every type: students, parents, alcoholics, delinquents, businessmen, pastors, teachers, and drug addicts. In this hopeful and encouraging book, Wilkerson examines the universal problem of discouragement. He shows readers how to let God heal their wounds, restore their faith, and give them genuine, lasting peace.

Perhaps Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s most radical book, this reading of the Sermon on the Mount has influenced many Christians throughout the world over the last 50 years.

New York Times bestseller What is Jesus worth to you? It's easy for American Christians to forget how Jesus said his followers would actually live, what their new lifestyle would actually look like. They would, he said, leave behind security, money, convenience, even family for him. They would abandon everything for the gospel. They would take up their crosses daily... But who do you know who lives like that? Do you? In Radical, David Platt challenges you to consider with an open heart how we have manipulated the gospel to fit our cultural preferences. He shows what Jesus actually said about being his disciple--then invites you to believe and obey what you have heard. And he tells the dramatic story of what is happening as a "successful" suburban church decides to get serious about the gospel according to Jesus. Finally, he urges you to join in The Radical Experiment -- a one-year journey in authentic discipleship that will transform how you live in a world that desperately needs the Good News Jesus came to bring.

One of the most important theologians of the twentieth century illuminates the relationship between ourselves and the teachings of Jesus.