Doubting Faithfully

Doubting Faithfully

Author: Keith Long

Publisher:

Published: 2020-10-26

Total Pages: 90

ISBN-13:

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

As an ordained minister, I've recently begun having a recurring nightmare. It goes something like this: I'm in a dim and damp basement room, a light bulb swinging from the ceiling, and a pair of interrogators standing over me. There's the well-meaning one and there's the bad, unpredictable, aggressive one. I anxiously wonder how many members from my congregation they have crammed into the room behind the two-way mirror. As I begin to sweat under my clerical collar, I feel stuck to the rusty, metal folding chair. Trying to keep my wits intact, I feel a paralyzing dread washing over me. Good Cop: Do you believe in God the Father Almighty? Me: Um...Mostly? Bad Cop: It is a yes or no question! Me: Yes. I think. I don't know. Can I be a "sort of "or a "maybe?" Good Cop: No. Me: But what do you mean by "believe" and "in" and "God"? Also, I am trying to steer away from patriarchal language and using human characteristics to describe God. So, I guess I'm out with God as the Father. Unlike other religious tell-all accounts, Doubting Faithfully: Confessions of a Skeptical Pastor articulates what a spiritual nomadic quest of an active leader of the Sunday morning faithful feels like from the other side of the pews-a confession most other clergy might prefer to keep hidden.


Book Synopsis Doubting Faithfully by : Keith Long

Download or read book Doubting Faithfully written by Keith Long and published by . This book was released on 2020-10-26 with total page 90 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As an ordained minister, I've recently begun having a recurring nightmare. It goes something like this: I'm in a dim and damp basement room, a light bulb swinging from the ceiling, and a pair of interrogators standing over me. There's the well-meaning one and there's the bad, unpredictable, aggressive one. I anxiously wonder how many members from my congregation they have crammed into the room behind the two-way mirror. As I begin to sweat under my clerical collar, I feel stuck to the rusty, metal folding chair. Trying to keep my wits intact, I feel a paralyzing dread washing over me. Good Cop: Do you believe in God the Father Almighty? Me: Um...Mostly? Bad Cop: It is a yes or no question! Me: Yes. I think. I don't know. Can I be a "sort of "or a "maybe?" Good Cop: No. Me: But what do you mean by "believe" and "in" and "God"? Also, I am trying to steer away from patriarchal language and using human characteristics to describe God. So, I guess I'm out with God as the Father. Unlike other religious tell-all accounts, Doubting Faithfully: Confessions of a Skeptical Pastor articulates what a spiritual nomadic quest of an active leader of the Sunday morning faithful feels like from the other side of the pews-a confession most other clergy might prefer to keep hidden.

Doubting

Doubting

Author: Alister McGrath

Publisher: InterVarsity Press

Published: 2006-12-05

Total Pages: 313

ISBN-13: 0830833528

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

We are taught to doubt but commanded to believe. Somehow we think that admitting to doubt is tantamount to insulting God. But doubt is not a sign of spiritual weakness--rather it's an indication of spiritual growing pains, says Alister McGrath. He explores the origin and nature of doubt and the specific doubts that often plague Christians in a postmodern culture.


Book Synopsis Doubting by : Alister McGrath

Download or read book Doubting written by Alister McGrath and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 2006-12-05 with total page 313 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: We are taught to doubt but commanded to believe. Somehow we think that admitting to doubt is tantamount to insulting God. But doubt is not a sign of spiritual weakness--rather it's an indication of spiritual growing pains, says Alister McGrath. He explores the origin and nature of doubt and the specific doubts that often plague Christians in a postmodern culture.

Despite Doubt

Despite Doubt

Author: Michael Eugene Wittmer

Publisher:

Published: 2013

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781572937956

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Many Christians struggle with the concept of walking by faith, especially in a world that says faith is all about taking risks--leaping into uncharted territory and expecting everything to be okay. In Despite Doubt, Michael E. Wittmer reexamines this popular viewpoint and encourages readers to get a clear understanding of their assurance in God and salvation. Readers will examine the flip side of doubt that opens the door to questions, answers, and knowledge about securing their trust in God. Helping readers to discover how to embrace a confident faith, Despite Doubt includes questions for reflection and discussion and is a perfect resource for small group study.


Book Synopsis Despite Doubt by : Michael Eugene Wittmer

Download or read book Despite Doubt written by Michael Eugene Wittmer and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Many Christians struggle with the concept of walking by faith, especially in a world that says faith is all about taking risks--leaping into uncharted territory and expecting everything to be okay. In Despite Doubt, Michael E. Wittmer reexamines this popular viewpoint and encourages readers to get a clear understanding of their assurance in God and salvation. Readers will examine the flip side of doubt that opens the door to questions, answers, and knowledge about securing their trust in God. Helping readers to discover how to embrace a confident faith, Despite Doubt includes questions for reflection and discussion and is a perfect resource for small group study.

Doubting Toward Faith

Doubting Toward Faith

Author: Bobby Conway

Publisher: Harvest House Publishers

Published: 2015-09-01

Total Pages: 226

ISBN-13: 0736963553

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Contrary to popular belief, doubt is not the opposite of faith. Rather, doubts call for an important decision—will you give in to unbelief, or will you continue the journey toward faith? Doubt can lead to confusion, hopelessness, and despair. But as this eye-opening book demonstrates, doubts can also deepen your dependence on God, develop your sense of empathy for others, and motivate you to find satisfying answers to life's biggest questions. Here you'll find practical ways to use your doubts to build your faith, such as... letting your doubts drive you to Jesus finding a safe community where you can doubt out loud and find support using a journal to clarify your doubts and the answers you find No one can eliminate all doubt this side of heaven. So for now, discover how to use your doubts to keep you headed in the right direction—toward faith.


Book Synopsis Doubting Toward Faith by : Bobby Conway

Download or read book Doubting Toward Faith written by Bobby Conway and published by Harvest House Publishers. This book was released on 2015-09-01 with total page 226 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Contrary to popular belief, doubt is not the opposite of faith. Rather, doubts call for an important decision—will you give in to unbelief, or will you continue the journey toward faith? Doubt can lead to confusion, hopelessness, and despair. But as this eye-opening book demonstrates, doubts can also deepen your dependence on God, develop your sense of empathy for others, and motivate you to find satisfying answers to life's biggest questions. Here you'll find practical ways to use your doubts to build your faith, such as... letting your doubts drive you to Jesus finding a safe community where you can doubt out loud and find support using a journal to clarify your doubts and the answers you find No one can eliminate all doubt this side of heaven. So for now, discover how to use your doubts to keep you headed in the right direction—toward faith.

After Doubt

After Doubt

Author: A. J. Swoboda

Publisher: Brazos Press

Published: 2021-03-02

Total Pages: 224

ISBN-13: 1493429590

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Is there a way to walk faithfully through doubt and come out the other side with a deeper love for Jesus, the church, and its tradition? Can we question our faith without losing it? Award-winning author, pastor, and professor A. J. Swoboda has witnessed many young people wrestle with their core Christian beliefs. Too often, what begins as a set of critical and important questions turns to resentment and faith abandonment. Unfortunately, the church has largely ignored its task of serving people along their journey of questioning. The local church must walk alongside those who are deconstructing their faith and show them how to reconstruct it. Drawing on his own experience of deconstruction, Swoboda offers tools to help emerging adults navigate their faith in a hostile landscape. Doubt is a part of our natural spiritual journey, says Swoboda, and deconstruction is a legitimate space to encounter the living God. After Doubt offers a hopeful, practical vision of spiritual formation for those in the process of faith deconstruction and those who serve them. Foreword by pastor and author John Mark Comer.


Book Synopsis After Doubt by : A. J. Swoboda

Download or read book After Doubt written by A. J. Swoboda and published by Brazos Press. This book was released on 2021-03-02 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Is there a way to walk faithfully through doubt and come out the other side with a deeper love for Jesus, the church, and its tradition? Can we question our faith without losing it? Award-winning author, pastor, and professor A. J. Swoboda has witnessed many young people wrestle with their core Christian beliefs. Too often, what begins as a set of critical and important questions turns to resentment and faith abandonment. Unfortunately, the church has largely ignored its task of serving people along their journey of questioning. The local church must walk alongside those who are deconstructing their faith and show them how to reconstruct it. Drawing on his own experience of deconstruction, Swoboda offers tools to help emerging adults navigate their faith in a hostile landscape. Doubt is a part of our natural spiritual journey, says Swoboda, and deconstruction is a legitimate space to encounter the living God. After Doubt offers a hopeful, practical vision of spiritual formation for those in the process of faith deconstruction and those who serve them. Foreword by pastor and author John Mark Comer.

Faith in the Shadows

Faith in the Shadows

Author: Austin Fischer

Publisher: InterVarsity Press

Published: 2018-09-11

Total Pages: 196

ISBN-13: 083087402X

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

"People don't abandon faith because they have doubts. People abandon faith because they think they're not allowed to have doubts." Too often, our honest questions about faith are met with cold confidence and easy answers. But false certitude doesn't result in strong faith—it results in disillusionment, or worse, in a dogmatic, overweening faith unable to see itself or its object clearly. Even as a pastor, Austin Fischer has experienced the shadows of doubt and disillusionment. In Faith in the Shadows, he leans into perennial questions about Christianity with raw and fearless integrity. He addresses contemporary science, the problem of evil, hell, God's silence, and other issues, offering not only fresh treatments of these questions but also a fresh paradigm for thinking about doubt itself. Doubt, Fischer contends, is no reason to leave the faith. Instead, it's an invitation to a more honest faith—a faith that's not in control, but that trusts more fully in its Lord.


Book Synopsis Faith in the Shadows by : Austin Fischer

Download or read book Faith in the Shadows written by Austin Fischer and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 2018-09-11 with total page 196 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "People don't abandon faith because they have doubts. People abandon faith because they think they're not allowed to have doubts." Too often, our honest questions about faith are met with cold confidence and easy answers. But false certitude doesn't result in strong faith—it results in disillusionment, or worse, in a dogmatic, overweening faith unable to see itself or its object clearly. Even as a pastor, Austin Fischer has experienced the shadows of doubt and disillusionment. In Faith in the Shadows, he leans into perennial questions about Christianity with raw and fearless integrity. He addresses contemporary science, the problem of evil, hell, God's silence, and other issues, offering not only fresh treatments of these questions but also a fresh paradigm for thinking about doubt itself. Doubt, Fischer contends, is no reason to leave the faith. Instead, it's an invitation to a more honest faith—a faith that's not in control, but that trusts more fully in its Lord.

Faith After Doubt

Faith After Doubt

Author: Brian D. McLaren

Publisher: St. Martin's Essentials

Published: 2021-01-05

Total Pages: 271

ISBN-13: 125026278X

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

From the author of A New Kind of Christianity comes a bold proposal: only doubt can save the world and your faith. ONE of the Best Spiritual Books of 2021—Spirituality & Practice "Will help you live fuller and breathe easier..” —Glennon Doyle Sixty-five million adults in the U.S. have dropped out of active church attendance and about 2.7 million more are leaving every year. Faith After Doubt is for the millions of people around the world who feel that their faith is falling apart. Using his own story and the stories of a diverse group of struggling believers, Brian D. McLaren, a former pastor and now an author, speaker, and activist shows how old assumptions are being challenged in nearly every area of human life, not just theology and spirituality. He proposes a four-stage model of faith development in which questions and doubt are not the enemy of faith, but rather a portal to a more mature and fruitful kind of faith. The four stages—Simplicity, Complexity, Perplexity, and Harmony—offer a path forward that can help sincere and thoughtful people leave behind unnecessary baggage and intensify their commitment to what matters most.


Book Synopsis Faith After Doubt by : Brian D. McLaren

Download or read book Faith After Doubt written by Brian D. McLaren and published by St. Martin's Essentials. This book was released on 2021-01-05 with total page 271 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the author of A New Kind of Christianity comes a bold proposal: only doubt can save the world and your faith. ONE of the Best Spiritual Books of 2021—Spirituality & Practice "Will help you live fuller and breathe easier..” —Glennon Doyle Sixty-five million adults in the U.S. have dropped out of active church attendance and about 2.7 million more are leaving every year. Faith After Doubt is for the millions of people around the world who feel that their faith is falling apart. Using his own story and the stories of a diverse group of struggling believers, Brian D. McLaren, a former pastor and now an author, speaker, and activist shows how old assumptions are being challenged in nearly every area of human life, not just theology and spirituality. He proposes a four-stage model of faith development in which questions and doubt are not the enemy of faith, but rather a portal to a more mature and fruitful kind of faith. The four stages—Simplicity, Complexity, Perplexity, and Harmony—offer a path forward that can help sincere and thoughtful people leave behind unnecessary baggage and intensify their commitment to what matters most.

Crisis of Doubt

Crisis of Doubt

Author: Timothy Larsen

Publisher: OUP Oxford

Published: 2006-11-17

Total Pages: 336

ISBN-13: 0191537055

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

The Victorian crisis of faith has dominated discussions of religion and the Victorians. Stories are frequently told of prominent Victorians such as George Eliot losing their faith. This crisis is presented as demonstrating the intellectual weakness of Christianity as it was assaulted by new lines of thought such as Darwinism and biblical criticism. This study serves as a corrective to that narrative. It focuses on freethinking and Secularist leaders who came to faith. As sceptics, they had imbibed all the latest ideas that seemed to undermine faith; nevertheless, they went on to experience a crisis of doubt, and then to defend in their writings and lectures the intellectual cogency of Christianity. The Victorian crisis of doubt was surprisingly large. Telling this story serves to restore its true proportion and to reveal the intellectual strength of faith in the nineteenth century.


Book Synopsis Crisis of Doubt by : Timothy Larsen

Download or read book Crisis of Doubt written by Timothy Larsen and published by OUP Oxford. This book was released on 2006-11-17 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Victorian crisis of faith has dominated discussions of religion and the Victorians. Stories are frequently told of prominent Victorians such as George Eliot losing their faith. This crisis is presented as demonstrating the intellectual weakness of Christianity as it was assaulted by new lines of thought such as Darwinism and biblical criticism. This study serves as a corrective to that narrative. It focuses on freethinking and Secularist leaders who came to faith. As sceptics, they had imbibed all the latest ideas that seemed to undermine faith; nevertheless, they went on to experience a crisis of doubt, and then to defend in their writings and lectures the intellectual cogency of Christianity. The Victorian crisis of doubt was surprisingly large. Telling this story serves to restore its true proportion and to reveal the intellectual strength of faith in the nineteenth century.

Hope in the Dark

Hope in the Dark

Author: Craig Groeschel

Publisher: Zondervan

Published: 2018-08-21

Total Pages: 177

ISBN-13: 0310342961

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Can God be good when life is not? Rediscover faith in the character, power, and presence of God. Even in the questions. Even in the hurt. "I want to believe, I want to have hope, but . . ." Pastor and bestselling author Craig Groeschel hears these words often and has asked them himself. We want to know God, feel his presence, and trust that he hears our prayers, but in the midst of great pain, we may wonder if he really cares about us. Even when we have both hope and hurt, sometimes it's the hurt that shouts the loudest. In Hope in the Dark, Groeschel explores the story of the father who brought his demon-possessed son to Jesus, saying, "I believe! Help my unbelief!" In the man's sincere plea, Jesus heard the tension in the man's battle-scarred heart. He healed not only the boy but the father too, driving out the hopelessness that had overtaken him. He can do the same for us today. As Groeschel shares his pain surrounding the health challenges of his daughter, he acknowledges the questions we may ask in our own deepest pain: "Where was God when I was being abused?" "Why was my child born with a disability?" "Why did the cancer come back?" "Why are all my friends married and I'm alone?" He invites us to wrestle with such questions as we ask God to honor our faith and heal our unbelief. Because in the middle of your profound pain, you long for authentic words of understanding and hope. You long to know that even in overwhelming reality, you can still believe that God is good. Hope in the Dark is also available in Spanish, Esperanza en la Oscuridad.


Book Synopsis Hope in the Dark by : Craig Groeschel

Download or read book Hope in the Dark written by Craig Groeschel and published by Zondervan. This book was released on 2018-08-21 with total page 177 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Can God be good when life is not? Rediscover faith in the character, power, and presence of God. Even in the questions. Even in the hurt. "I want to believe, I want to have hope, but . . ." Pastor and bestselling author Craig Groeschel hears these words often and has asked them himself. We want to know God, feel his presence, and trust that he hears our prayers, but in the midst of great pain, we may wonder if he really cares about us. Even when we have both hope and hurt, sometimes it's the hurt that shouts the loudest. In Hope in the Dark, Groeschel explores the story of the father who brought his demon-possessed son to Jesus, saying, "I believe! Help my unbelief!" In the man's sincere plea, Jesus heard the tension in the man's battle-scarred heart. He healed not only the boy but the father too, driving out the hopelessness that had overtaken him. He can do the same for us today. As Groeschel shares his pain surrounding the health challenges of his daughter, he acknowledges the questions we may ask in our own deepest pain: "Where was God when I was being abused?" "Why was my child born with a disability?" "Why did the cancer come back?" "Why are all my friends married and I'm alone?" He invites us to wrestle with such questions as we ask God to honor our faith and heal our unbelief. Because in the middle of your profound pain, you long for authentic words of understanding and hope. You long to know that even in overwhelming reality, you can still believe that God is good. Hope in the Dark is also available in Spanish, Esperanza en la Oscuridad.

Growing With

Growing With

Author: Kara Powell

Publisher: Baker Books

Published: 2019-03-05

Total Pages: 304

ISBN-13: 1493415298

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Many parents of a teenager or young adult feel as though they're guessing about what to do next--with mixed results. We want to stay connected with our maturing child, but we're not sure how. And deep down, we fear our child doesn't want or need us. Based on brand-new research and interviews with remarkable families, Growing With equips parents to take steps toward their teenagers and young adults in a mutual journey of intentional growth that trusts God to transform them all. By highlighting three groundbreaking family strategies, authors Kara Powell and Steven Argue show parents that it's never too early or too late to - accept the child you have, not the child you wish you had - work toward solutions rather than only identifying problems - develop empathy that nudges rather than judges - fight for your child, not against them - connect your children with a faith and church big enough to handle their doubts and struggles - dive into tough discussions about dating, career, and finances - and unleash your child's passions and talents to change our world For any parent who longs for their kids to keep their roots even as they spread their wings, Growing With offers practical help and hope for the days--and years--ahead.


Book Synopsis Growing With by : Kara Powell

Download or read book Growing With written by Kara Powell and published by Baker Books. This book was released on 2019-03-05 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Many parents of a teenager or young adult feel as though they're guessing about what to do next--with mixed results. We want to stay connected with our maturing child, but we're not sure how. And deep down, we fear our child doesn't want or need us. Based on brand-new research and interviews with remarkable families, Growing With equips parents to take steps toward their teenagers and young adults in a mutual journey of intentional growth that trusts God to transform them all. By highlighting three groundbreaking family strategies, authors Kara Powell and Steven Argue show parents that it's never too early or too late to - accept the child you have, not the child you wish you had - work toward solutions rather than only identifying problems - develop empathy that nudges rather than judges - fight for your child, not against them - connect your children with a faith and church big enough to handle their doubts and struggles - dive into tough discussions about dating, career, and finances - and unleash your child's passions and talents to change our world For any parent who longs for their kids to keep their roots even as they spread their wings, Growing With offers practical help and hope for the days--and years--ahead.