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Author: John Shelby Spong
Publisher: Harper Collins
Published: 2009-10-13
Total Pages: 338
ISBN-13: 0061737305
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →The Pope Describes the Ancient Traditional Jesus; Bishop Spong Brings Us a Jesus Modern People Can Be Inspired By
Author: Jefferson Bethke
Publisher: HarperChristian + ORM
Published: 2013-10-14
Total Pages: 241
ISBN-13: 1400205409
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →Abandon dead, dry, religious rule-keeping and embrace the promise of being truly known and deeply loved. Jefferson Bethke burst into the cultural conversation with a passionate, provocative poem titled "Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus." The 4-minute video became an overnight sensation, with 7 million YouTube views in its first 48 hours (and 23+ million in a year). Bethke's message clearly struck a chord with believers and nonbelievers alike, triggering an avalanche of responses running the gamut from encouraged to enraged. In his New York Times bestseller Jesus > Religion, Bethke unpacks similar contrasts that he drew in the poem--highlighting the difference between teeth gritting and grace, law and love, performance and peace, despair, and hope. With refreshing candor, he delves into the motivation behind his message, beginning with the unvarnished tale of his own plunge from the pinnacle of a works-based, fake-smile existence that sapped his strength and led him down a path of destructive behavior. Along the way, Bethke gives you the tools you need to: Humbly and prayerfully open your mind Understand Jesus for all that he is View the church from a brand-new perspective Bethke is quick to acknowledge that he's not a pastor or theologian, but simply an ordinary, twenty-something who cried out for a life greater than the one for which he had settled. On this journey, Bethke discovered the real Jesus, who beckoned him with love beyond the props of false religion. Praise for Jesus > Religion: "Jeff's book will make you stop and listen to a voice in your heart that may have been drowned out by the noise of religion. Listen to that voice, then follow it--right to the feet of Jesus." --Bob Goff, author of New York Times bestsellers Love Does and Everybody, Always "The book you hold in your hands is Donald Miller's Blue Like Jazz meets C. S. Lewis's Mere Christianity meets Augustine's Confessions. This book is going to awaken an entire generation to Jesus and His grace." --Derwin L. Gray, lead pastor of Transformation Church, author of Limitless Life: Breaking Free from the Labels That Hold You Back
Author: John Shelby Spong
Publisher: Harper Collins
Published: 2013-11-26
Total Pages: 473
ISBN-13: 1443407887
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →For over 200 years, scholars have been debating, analyzing and exploring one of the most important books ever written—The Bible—and overturning much of what we know about this sacred library of books. However, a large group of people who actually use this book, mainly lay Christians, aren’t aware of this larger, deeper conversation. It is for these people that Spong writes Re-Claiming the Bible for a Non-Religious World, a primer on the history and significance of the Bible. In this informal and accessible survey, Spong moves book by book through the Scriptures, introducing their themes and messages by examining the sweep of history in which these books were originally written. What has history taught us? How should we read these stories today? What does it mean for how we live our lives? And why do people tenaciously hold on to so many myths associated with The Bible? There is a vast audience of religiously hungry people eager to explore a meaningful journey into the Bible, and Spong is leading the way with this book.
Author: Tom Krattenmaker
Publisher: Convergent Books
Published: 2016
Total Pages: 258
ISBN-13: 1101906421
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →Offers an argument for secular non-believers maintaining that following Jesus Christ as a teacher, example, and primary guide for living can serve to give meaning and direction to those who don't believe in the supernatural elements of Christianity.
Author: Dave Roberts
Publisher: Relevant Media Group
Published: 2004
Total Pages: 212
ISBN-13: 9780972927635
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →What does a relationship with Christ look like? Why is it so hard to find in Christian culture? "Following Jesus takes a provocative look at what following Jesus means today. It will help readers clarify how they can be gracious, compassionate, wise, joyous, creative, biblical, and balanced. And it will bring them back again and again, from perspectives they may never have considered, to the life of Christ. "Following Jesus a non-religious discipleship manual for the spiritually challenged.
Author: Timothy Keller
Publisher: Penguin
Published: 2016-09-20
Total Pages: 338
ISBN-13: 0525954155
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →We live in an age of skepticism. Our society places such faith in empirical reason, historical progress, and heartfelt emotion that it’s easy to wonder: Why should anyone believe in Christianity? What role can faith and religion play in our modern lives? In this thoughtful and inspiring new book, pastor and New York Times bestselling author Timothy Keller invites skeptics to consider that Christianity is more relevant now than ever. As human beings, we cannot live without meaning, satisfaction, freedom, identity, justice, and hope. Christianity provides us with unsurpassed resources to meet these needs. Written for both the ardent believer and the skeptic, Making Sense of God shines a light on the profound value and importance of Christianity in our lives.
Author: Andrew Farley
Publisher: Baker Books
Published: 2011-06-01
Total Pages: 240
ISBN-13: 9781441232120
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →Andrew Farley's experience as a Christian was first characterized by self-effort as he tried to please God at any cost. His ruthless religion resulted in spiritual burnout and disillusionment with church. Only then did he discover what relaxing in Jesus means and how enjoying God's intimate presence can transform everyday life. Using a unique story-driven format, God without Religion dismantles common religious misconceptions, revealing the true meaning of being filled with the Spirit the facts about judgment, rewards, and God's discipline the simple truth behind predestination and the divisions it causes the problem with the popular challenge to "live radical" Pulling no punches, Farley shows how the truth about these controversial issues can liberate and unify believers as we discover how to rest in the unconditional love of God.
Author:
Publisher: Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations
Published:
Total Pages: 102
ISBN-13: 9781558965836
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →Drawing from the personal experiences of a seasoned pastor, a team of modern liberal scholars, and the gospel accounts of the life of Jesus of Nazareth, Teacher, Guide, Companion challenges readers to reexamine their own relationship with Jesus Christ and its significance in the 21st century. Integrating both secular and religious source materials, Wikstrom demonstrates how a close examination of historical findings and the Gospels can lead to a renewed faith in Jesus Christ. The field of Jesus studies, which is dominated by academics, will benefit from this analysis by a working minister.
Author: Alex Himaya
Publisher: B&H Publishing Group
Published: 2014-05-01
Total Pages: 256
ISBN-13: 143368280X
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →Alex Himaya writes for those who have been hurt by religious people– who have been betrayed by religion– because he too has been wounded. No longer content with pretending those things don't happen, pastor Himaya retreats with readers back to the Scriptures to see what Jesus thinks about man-made religion. Himaya, a popular speaker and Bible teacher, draws upon years of pastoral experience, providing insight into the ways religion cripples the church. While it may seem reasonable to earn one's way to God through a works-based system, a religion of rules, Himaya warns readers of the danger of putting their faith in good deeds. Jesus Hates Religion is not simply another book about Christianity, but a detour sign on the road of life. Himaya points readers away from himself, and towards Jesus saying, "Don’t trust me. Trust God, and let Him speak for Himself."
Author: Christopher Hitchens
Publisher: McClelland & Stewart
Published: 2008-11-19
Total Pages: 322
ISBN-13: 1551991764
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →Christopher Hitchens, described in the London Observer as “one of the most prolific, as well as brilliant, journalists of our time” takes on his biggest subject yet–the increasingly dangerous role of religion in the world. In the tradition of Bertrand Russell’s Why I Am Not a Christian and Sam Harris’s recent bestseller, The End Of Faith, Christopher Hitchens makes the ultimate case against religion. With a close and erudite reading of the major religious texts, he documents the ways in which religion is a man-made wish, a cause of dangerous sexual repression, and a distortion of our origins in the cosmos. With eloquent clarity, Hitchens frames the argument for a more secular life based on science and reason, in which hell is replaced by the Hubble Telescope’s awesome view of the universe, and Moses and the burning bush give way to the beauty and symmetry of the double helix.
