The Black And White Thinking Christian Moving Beyond The All Or Nothing Mindset To Become Like Christ

Black-and-white thinking is a common form of thinking with individuals. All or nothing. Good or bad. Right or wrong. With black-and-white thinking, there is rarely any middle ground or gray area. While many people see this as a negative pattern of thinking, there is reason to see black-and-white thinking as reflecting God, who presents himself as being black-and-white in the Old Testament. Created in His Image, many reflect God's black and white thinking in their interpretations, perspectives, and speech. Yet God is also relational, as emphasized in the New Testament. The Black-and-White Thinking Christian is a resource for black and white thinkers (BWTs) and those who are in relationship with them. This book helps the reader see black and white thinking through a biblical lens and offers practical wisdom for marriage, emotions, and daily living.

Black-and-white thinking is a common form of thinking with individuals. All or nothing. Good or bad. Right or wrong. With black-and-white thinking, there is rarely any middle ground or gray area. While many people see this as a negative pattern of thinking, there is reason to see black-and-white thinking as reflecting God, who presents himself as being black-and-white in the Old Testament. Created in His Image, many reflect God's black and white thinking in their interpretations, perspectives, and speech. Yet God is also relational, as emphasized in the New Testament. The Black-and-White Thinking Christian is a resource for black and white thinkers (BWTs) and those who are in relationship with them. This book helps the reader see black and white thinking through a biblical lens and offers practical wisdom for marriage, emotions, and daily living.

"How the evolutionary history of the human brain explains our tendency to sort the world into black-and-white categories"--

A compassionate, shame-free guide for your darkest days “A one-of-a-kind book . . . to read for yourself or give to a struggling friend or loved one without the fear that depression and suicidal thoughts will be minimized, medicalized or over-spiritualized.”—Kay Warren, cofounder of Saddleback Church What happens when loving Jesus doesn’t cure you of depression, anxiety, or suicidal thoughts? You might be crushed by shame over your mental illness, only to be told by well-meaning Christians to “choose joy” and “pray more.” So you beg God to take away the pain, but nothing eases the ache inside. As darkness lingers and color drains from your world, you’re left wondering if God has abandoned you. You just want a way out. But there’s hope. In I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die, Sarah J. Robinson offers a healthy, practical, and shame-free guide for Christians struggling with mental illness. With unflinching honesty, Sarah shares her story of battling depression and fighting to stay alive despite toxic theology that made her afraid to seek help outside the church. Pairing her own story with scriptural insights, mental health research, and simple practices, Sarah helps you reconnect with the God who is present in our deepest anguish and discover that you are worth everything it takes to get better. Beautifully written and full of hard-won wisdom, I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die offers a path toward a rich, hope-filled life in Christ, even when healing doesn’t look like what you expect.

How you—and your church community—can play a part in ending racism. Pastors John Siebeling and Wayne Francis—whose thriving congregations are the embodiment of diversity—have pooled their insights and experiences to help others have conversations about racism. Many churches and leaders have sought their counsel, hoping to emulate their success, and yours can too. This study guide has everything you need for a full Bible study experience, including: The study guide itself—with discussion and reflection questions, video notes, and a leader's guide. An individual access code to stream all five video sessions online (you don't need to buy a DVD!). God and Race provides a non-threatening means for pastors, church leaders, and churchgoers to speak to each other about this difficult and pervasive problem. In this study, Wayne and John show how neither black fists nor white knuckles are the answer to the problem, but that what is needed are open hands, open hearts, and open minds. Together, they: Examine the White-Black tension from both perspectives. Answer all the uncomfortable questions we're afraid to ask—regarding ourselves, our families, our work and relationships, and the church. Discuss seven key statements that they believe the church needs to acknowledge today—including that racism is a real problem, that it's more than just a spiritual issue, and that the Gospel is the solution. Provide practical steps anyone can take to become part of the solution. In the Gospels, we see how the crowds came to Jesus because he talked about real issues and was not afraid to engage in the important issues of his day. In the church of today, we need to be doing the same: only by recognizing, addressing, and openly dialoguing about the racial tension in America can we begin to work toward real solutions together. Streaming video access code included. Access code subject to expiration after 12/31/2027. Code may be redeemed only by the recipient of this package. Code may not be transferred or sold separately from this package. Internet connection required. Void where prohibited, taxed, or restricted by law. Additional offer details inside.

Are you rethinking your faith? Do the ideas you were handed about God, Jesus, heaven, hell, the cross, the Bible, etc. no longer seem to fit your life? Do the pat answers you were given to the deep questions that keep you up at night no longer suffice? Are you convinced that the Good News of Jesus must be more than an escape plan from hell? Are you tired of seeing the Church outcast LGBTQ people and others who they label as "different" or "ungodly" or "non-Christian"? Do you wonder, "what if everything I've been taught is ... wrong? What if there's more?" If any of that rings true for you, this book will be balm for your soul.

Short. Timely. Poignant. Pointed. Burying White Privilege is all of these and more. This is the book that everybody who cares about contemporary American Christianity will want to read. Many people wonder how white Christians could not only support Donald Trump for president but also rush to defend an accused child molester running for the US Senate. In a 2017 essay that went viral, Miguel A. De La Torre boldly proclaimed the death of Christianity at the hands of white evangelical nationalists. He continues sounding the death knell in this book. De La Torre argues that centuries of oppression and greed have effectively ruined evangelical Christianity in the United States. Believers and clerical leaders have killed it, choosing profits over prophets. The silence concerning—if not the doctrinal justification of—racism, classism, sexism, and homophobia has made white Christianity satanic. Prophetically calling Christian nationalists to repentance, De La Torre rescues the biblical Christ from the distorted Christ of white Christian imagination.