The Outrageous Idea of Academic Faithfulness


Book Description

Most Christian college students separate their academic life from church attendance, Bible study, and prayer. Too often discipleship of the mind is overlooked if not ignored altogether. However, authors Donald Opitz and Derek Melleby issue a clarion call to students to integrate their faith and learning in The Outrageous Idea of Academic Faithfulness. Colossians 2:3, after all, indicates that in Christ himself are 'all treasures of wisdom and knowledge.' In eight succinct chapters the authors stress the importance of academic discipleship and taking studies seriously. According to Opitz and Melleby, a Christian worldview--or biblical gestalt--brings unity to the fragmented curriculum of higher education. Each breezy chapter concludes with thought-provoking discussion questions as well as recommendations for further reading. Written for a narrative generation, this guide extracts illustrations from the Book of Daniel, The Lord of the Rings, the experiences of real students, and more. This book is an excellent gift for college-bound seniors in high school. It's an essential text for first-year college students, too. Last, The Outrageous Idea of Academic Faithfulness will benefit professors, pastors, and parents. - Publisher.




Learning for the Love of God


Book Description

Most Christian college students separate their academic life from church attendance, Bible study, and prayer. Too often discipleship of the mind is overlooked if not ignored altogether. In this lively and enlightening book, two authors who are experienced in college youth ministry show students how to be faithful in their studies, approaching education as their vocation. This revised edition of the well-received The Outrageous Idea of Academic Faithfulness includes updates throughout, two new substantive appendixes, personal stories from students, a new preface, and a fresh interior design. Chapters conclude with thought-provoking discussion questions.




Ridiculous Faith


Book Description

Why do my most profound moments of faith vanish so quickly? What would your life be like if you could harness the rush of faith that appears in the most desperate moments? What if you could live your entire life with the kind of split-second, imminent-disaster faith that crying out to God brings? What if you could live a life of Ridiculous Faith? True faith is vital to a vibrant Christian life. Without it, it is impossible to please God. But are your moments of deepest, most essential faith doomed to dissipate as quickly as they materialize, leaving you powerless and ineffectual? Absolutely not. The truth is, you are not doomed to a lifetime of flickering faith. Join Shelene Bryan on a journey to uncover the ark-building, sea-parting, lion-taming, ridiculous faith that will leave you in awe of the Creator and all He has prepared for you. Are you ready to live an absurdly, unbelievably good life—a ridiculous life of ridiculous faith?




Make College Count


Book Description

National college transition expert engages students with the most pressing questions they will face and encourages them to make the most of their college years.




Outrageous Grace


Book Description

That morning, a beautiful day on the tropical island of Papua New Guinea, Grace Fabian brimmed in excitement over the idea that she and her husband, Edmund, were close to finishing their missionary project, the translation of the Nabak New Testament. But, while in the midst of translating the love chapter, 1 Corinthians 13, someone murdered Edmund. In this memoir, Grace narrates the couples' life story of their separate journeys before they met, to their shared life as missionaries. She tells the story of how she and her four children wrestled with grief and disorientation after Edmund's murder. She speaks of the family's quest for answers and of the difficulty of meshing two different worlds the culture of the Nabak people in Papua New Guinea and of her Christian heritage from the United States. Grace shares how she faced the challenges of forgiving the murderer, having rocks thrown at their home, receiving eviction notices, and navigating a court case in a foreign country. Outrageous Grace shows how Grace and her children discovered that God orchestrated an amazing story of redemption and forgiveness.




The Outrageous Idea of the Missional Professor, International Edition


Book Description

The outrageous idea of this book is that God wants to use professors as professors to reach others, transform the academy, and meet the needs of the world. God is on a mission to redeem and restore this fallen world, and as members of one of the most influential institutions in society, Christian professors in the university play an import- ant role in that mission. Becoming a missional professor will require a clear vision of God's heart for the lost as well as humankind's purpose and calling under the banner of Christ, an understanding of the significance of the university as a cultural shaping in- stitution and mission field, and a desire for Christian wholeness in a fragmented world. This idea is outrageous because many Christian professors struggle to live missionally and need a clear vision of such a life as well as role models to lead the way. Many pro- fessors already living missional lives need encouragement to "excel still more" (1 Thess 4:10). We all need God's grace and mercy as we try to faithfully follow Christ within the university. Paul M. Gould (PhD. Purdue University) teaches philosophy and apologetics at Oklahoma Baptist University and is the founder and president of the Two Tasks Institute. D. Keith Campbell (PhD. Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary) is Global Partnerships Vice President at Global Scholars. Li Ma (PhD. Cornell University) is Senior Research Fellow at the Henry Institute for the Study of Christianity and Politics at Calvin College. Omar Montero (PhD. Candidate, University of Buenos Aires) is Associate Professor and Researcher for Undergraduates and Postgraduates in the Architectural and Design Department at the University of Buenos Aires. Granville W. Pillar (PhD. University of Newcastle) is Associate Professor of Philology at Ferenc Rákóczi II Transcarpathian Hungarian Institute, Ukraine. Osam Edim Temple (PhD. University of Ibadan) is former Professor of Philosophy at the American University of Nigeria and Special Advisor to the Honourable Minister of Niger Delta Affairs. Bee-Lan C. Wang (PhD. University of Chicago) taught at the Science University of Malaysia, Northern Illinois University, and Wheaton College (Illinois).




Silence and Beauty


Book Description

Internationally renowned artist Makoto Fujimura reflects on Shusaku Endo's novel Silence and grapples with the nature of art, pain and culture. Showing that light is yet present in darkness, he uncovers deep layers of meaning in Japanese history and finds connections to how faith is lived in contexts of trauma.




You of Little Faith


Book Description

You may be surprised and uncomfortable to learn that there is one thing that's hurting your personal spiritual growth more than anything else: your unwillingness to give more than you're giving right now. On average, Americans give away just 3% of their income to churches and charitable causes. Perhaps you pull back because of fear that you won't have enough. Or you may feel resentful that you are asked to give at all. Either way, the result is the same and the one suffering most because of it is you. In You of Little Faith, pastor Ryan Thomas isn't afraid to talk about the most taboo subject in the church--money. Drawing from a multitude of biblical passages and contemporary examples, he will convince you that giving aggressively and extravagantly, beyond what you ever thought reasonable or possible, will unlock God's blessing in your life and community and strengthen your faith in a way that nothing else can.




I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die


Book Description

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.




Christian Contours


Book Description

What does it mean to think and live Christianly in a world of competing worldviews? Christian Contours answers this question by inviting readers to consider the understanding of reality proposed by the Bible. Though it is easy to divide life into separate compartments (religious and secular, theological and practical), faith invites us to view all of life in the light of that Biblical understanding. Presenting a clear, compelling case for unity in essential Christian tenets, the authors of Christian Contours guide the reader through developing, internalizing, and articulating a biblical worldview. This robust worldview enables the Christian to be a critically-thinking participant in culture and to be a faithful disciple of Christ with both heart and mind.