Can Christianity Cure Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder?


Book Description

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a relentless condition, the primary symptom being the occurrence of terrifying ideas, images, and urges that jump into a person's mind and return again and again, despite the individual's attempt to remove them. Christians who suffer from OCD may grapple with additional guilt, as the undesired thoughts are frequently of a spiritual nature. Yet people may be surprised to learn that some of the greatest leaders in Christian history also struggled with this malady. What did they experience? How did they cope? Were they able to overcome these tormenting, often violent, obsessions? Where did God fit into the picture? Ian Osborn shares the personal accounts of Martin Luther, John Bunyan, and Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, as well as his own story, in exploring how faith and science work together to address this complex issue.




The Cure


Book Description

Faith, its a word that describes a belief in something that you cant truly know exists. Faith is someone standing in front of a closet telling you that there is gold inside and that you will get that gold at some point if you can just trust that it is there. Whats to stop you from looking in the closet? So many people believe that there is gold in the closet, so maybe you should too. The feeling of the possibility of getting the gold is so intense, it is just enough to make it so you dont try and peek inside the closet. The funny thing about faith is that without numbers, it wouldnt exist. Yet, your faith belongs to you; you own it in the most complete sense. It is you that owns this faith and it is you that decides what to make of it. People get mad when something makes them question their faith, yet the only one that can question your faith is you. No man, woman, movie or book can influence the decision you have to keep or discard your faith. In the end, you are the one who decides the direction of your life. This book provides a peak into the closet. It gives you the choice to either believe that you do see the gold, or to believe that there is no gold. What you decide to see and believe is ultimately up to you. This book will help you understand why there is no gold, but instead a much more magical entity. The closet in reality isnt a box but is an unending future.




The Cure for Common Christianity


Book Description

Jesus stated that with faith in Him we would accomplish greater things than He. Jesus saved the lost, healed the sick, ministered to the multitudes, and raised the dead. Accordingly, the modern church should be doing much more. So what's the problem? Why do we fall short of our Savior's standard? Quite bluntly, Christianity has caught a chronic case of apathy! In The Cure for Common Christianity, using a command of theology and a unique, witty writing style, Pastor Tommy Galloway outlines the formula to alleviate this Church crisis. The problems are complex and the symptoms are multi-faceted; the cure is simple-a full-fledged return to the basics of Christianity. The world is disillusioned by the corruption and complacency plaguing our houses of worship. Christians cannot waste time. A spiritually sick world is waiting for a healthy Church to offer hope. They are waiting for - The Cure for Common Christianity. Pastor Tommy Galloway began his ministry at age sixteen. Upon completion of high school in Calhoun City, Mississippi, he attended Jackson College of Ministries and received a degree in Theology. He served as Youth Pastor in Longview, Texas, before beginning evangelistic work throughout the United States. In 1984, he married Candace Greene. They continued evangelistic work until 1988, when they were elected pastors of Powell's Grove Pentecostal Church in Jayess, Mississippi. After pastoring there for six years, they moved to Tupelo, Mississippi, in 1994, to begin evangelistic work again. In 1996, they founded Word of Life Church where they still serve as Senior Pastors. Pastor Tommy's vision is, "Lead Locally, Reach Regionally, and Grow Globally." Although pastoring the phenomenal people of Word of Life Church is his first calling, he still ministers at evangelistic crusades throughout America and other countries. Tommy and Candi have three children, Landon, Kristian, and Alexis.




A Cure for Christianity


Book Description

Facts. Truth. Logic. Science. These are the basics of the world in which we live day-to-day in society, government, medicine, agriculture, and manufacturing. But while we have a 21st-century technology, we also have 1st-century superstitions, basically those superstitions found in religion. With a particular focus on Christianity and its predecessor, Judaism, Pfeiffer reflects on the facts of the Bible and Christian religions and his own thinking over a lifetime, from a Baptist upbringing through reading on both sides of the fence, to debating and discussing religious subjects with ministers, priests, rabbis and others of all religious persuasions. Reviewing various aspects of prayer, faith, miracles, morality, heaven and hell, he pokes fun at the contradictions and contrivances found in "the Book" and the rituals solemnly repeated long after they've lost any meaning. Biblical immoralities, prophecy, and blind faith come in for a sharp skewering as he roasts them in the hot gaze of reality. From Baptist to the Black List, author Boyd Pfeiffer risks being given the evil eye for casting doubt on some cherished beliefs. In this book he tackles the subject of religion from the standpoint of common sense and logic, including various interpretations of Biblical and religious meanings and content. Unfortunately, seen from this perspective, religion is as brilliant as a burnt out bulb. After a decades-long search for a credible reason to believe the teachings of Christianity, he turns over to the public the results of his research. The precepts taught in the Bible simply do not square with the exemplary stories the Bible itself presents; and the teachings, and the stories, don't even match up from one telling to another.




Cure for the Common Life


Book Description

"Sweet Spot." Ever swung a baseball bat or paddled a Ping-Pong ball? If so, you know the oh-so-nice feel of the sweet spot. Life in the sweet spot rolls like the downhill side of a downwind bike ride. But you don't have to swing a bat or a club to know this. What engineers give sports equipment, God gave you. A zone, a region, a life precinct in which you were made to dwell. He tailored the curves of your life to fit an empty space in his jigsaw puzzle. And life makes sweet sense when you find your spot. But if you're like 70 percent of working adults, you haven't found it. You don't find meaning in your work, or you don't believe your talents are used. What can you do? You're suffering from the common life, and you desperately need a cure. Best-selling author Max Lucado has found it. In Cure for the Common Life, he offers practical tools for exploring and identifying your own uniqueness, motivation to put your strengths to work, and the perfect prescription for finding and living in your sweet spot for the rest of your life.




The Entitlement Cure


Book Description

Do you have anyone in your life who can't seem to stick with a project, meet a deadline, or even clean up after themselves? All of us feel we deserve special treatment sometimes. Some people live with this entitled attitude, such as: Professionals who wander from job to job looking for a boss who will see them as amazing as they consider themselves to be--whether they're productive or not Young adults who refuse to grow up and so go nowhere Spouses or dates who believe, "I'm special, and I deserve more than you're giving me" Leaders who expect special treatment because of their position, not because of their character If you have a difficult relationship with an entitled person, or if you have discovered entitlement in yourself, understand this: It doesn't have to stay this way. There is a cure. It's called the Hard Way and it works. In The Entitlement Cure, Dr. John Townsend explains that the Hard Way is a habit that focuses on doing whatever is needed even if it is difficult, uncomfortable, takes longer, and requires more energy. Dr. Townsend offers daily steps, such as risk-taking, to help you or those you love choose the Hard Way. Ultimately, entitlement fails us. We don't develop the character abilities and relationships necessary to reach success and become the people God intended us to be. By contrast, Hard Way people have better relationships, reach their goals, have a clear job direction, enjoy rich spiritual growth, and are equipped to face and solve challenges. As Dr. Townsend writes, "Stand against entitlement in every form in which it manifests itself. Resolve your own tendencies toward the disease. Be a loving and firm force for helping those in its trap to find life and hope. And you will make the world a better place." Discover why the Hard Way is the best way in this practical guide to true success.




Augustine and the Cure of Souls


Book Description

Augustine and the Cure of Souls situates Augustine within the ancient philosophical tradition of using words to order emotions. Paul Kolbet uncovers a profound continuity in Augustine’s thought, from his earliest pre-baptismal writings to his final acts as bishop, revealing a man deeply indebted to the Roman past and yet distinctly Christian. Rather than supplanting his classical learning, Augustine’s Christianity reinvigorated precisely those elements of Roman wisdom that he believed were slipping into decadence. In particular, Kolbet addresses the manner in which Augustine not only used classical rhetorical theory to express his theological vision, but also infused it with theological content. This book offers a fresh reading of Augustine’s writings—particularly his numerous, though often neglected, sermons—and provides an accessible point of entry into the great North African bishop’s life and thought.




Cure for the Common Universe


Book Description

Prepare to be cured by this quirky and hilarious debut novel about a sixteen-year-old loner who is sent to rehab for video game addiction—“perfect for teen gamers and readers who are fans of Jesse Andrews and John Green” (School Library Journal). Sixteen-year-old Jaxon is being committed to video game rehab…ten minutes after meeting a girl. A living, breathing girl named Serena, who not only laughed at his jokes but actually kinda sorta seemed excited when she agreed to go out with him. Jaxon’s first date. Ever. In rehab, Jaxon can’t blast his way through galaxies to reach her. He can’t slash through armies to kiss her sweet lips. Instead, he has four days to earn one million points by learning real-life skills. And he’ll do whatever it takes—lie, cheat, steal, even learn how to cross-stitch—in order to make it to his date. If all else fails, Jaxon will have to bare his soul to the other teens in treatment, confront his mother’s absence, and maybe admit that it’s more than video games that stand in the way of a real connection. From a bright new voice in young adult literature comes the story of a young man with a serious case of arrested development—and carpal tunnel syndrome—who is about to discover what real life is all about.




The Case Against Miracles


Book Description

For as long as the idea of "miracles" has been in the public sphere, the conversation about them has been shaped exclusively by religious apologists and Christian leaders. The definitions for what a miracles are have been forged by the same men who fought hard to promote their own beliefs as fitting under that umbrella. It's time for a change. Enter John W. Loftus, an atheist author who has earned three master's degrees from Lincoln Christian Seminary and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Loftus, a former student of noted Christian apologist William Lane Craig, got some of the biggest names in the field to contribute to this book, which represents a critical analysis of the very idea of miracles. Incorporating his own thoughts along with those of noted academics, philosophers, and theologians, Loftus is able to properly define "miracle" and then show why there's no reason to believe such a thing even exists. Addressing every single issue that touches on miracles in a thorough and academic manner, this compilation represents the most extensive look at the phenomenon ever displayed through the lens of an ardent nonbeliever. If you've ever wondered exactly what a miracle is, or doubted whether they exist, then this book is for you.




Praying for a Cure


Book Description

The right to turn one's chosen source is now well established in both law and ethics, but where children are unable to choose for themselves the situation is fraught with moral difficulties. This book highlights some of these difficulties and gives an insight into the doctrines and beliefs of Christian Scientists. There are no easy answers, although the insights offered by this book help to inform the debate.