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Baker Publishing Group - Stephen Arterburn

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109 pages

English

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This inviting book addresses the questions and concerns of newer believers and will inspire those looking for a refresher on what it means to be Christian. Wherever the readers are in their faith journey, they'll find their questions addressed with biblical, theologically sound answers written in an engaging and conversational style.The easy-to-use format allows readers to identify and find their most pressing faith concerns. At the same time, when read in its entirety, Being Christian provides a solid topical introduction to Christianity. Relevant Bible passages are used throughout the book to enhance the reader's understanding of how Scripture informs its answers. Among the subjects discussed and deeply explored are God, the Bible, the church, sin, what it means to be saved by grace, how to discern God's voice, how to deal with guilt, and much more.Designed for use by individuals, it's also a great resource for small groups and new believers' classes

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Philosophie et théologie

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Publié par	Baker Publishing Group
Date de parution	01 mai 2009
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781441204981
Langue	English

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0403€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

Extrait

A thoroughly comprehensive and refreshingly engaging primer on foundational Christian tenets. Readers from across the spectrum of Christian experience (newbies, veterans, and seekers alike) will find this biblical question-and-answer format compellingly practical. Although it is written from an evangelical perspective, other Christians will learn from it, too, and appreciate the authors clear approach. . . . Arterburn and Shore further enhance their excellent guide with wit, humor, and gentle pokes at the church s foibles. Whether individuals are just wondering about God or serious in their religious pursuit, this book is a valuable resource.
- Publishers Weekly
Being Christian: Exploring Where You, God, and Life Connect , Arterburns s latest offering, written with coauthor John Shore ( I m OK-You re Not ), pushes the author into new territory. The work is written as a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) book on faith, a veritable primer of theology for the layperson. . . . Arterburn and Shore write in a conversational, humorous voice, but deliver solid content. Being Christian will benefit new believers as well as veterans of the faith.
- Christian Retailing

STEPHEN ARTERBURN
AND JOHN SHORE
B EING C HRISTIAN

EXPLORING WHERE YOU, GOD, AND LIFE CONNECT
Being Christian Copyright 2008 Stephen Arterburn and John Shore
Cover design by Lookout Design, Inc. / Paul Higdon
Unless otherwise identified, Scripture quotations are from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations identified NASB are taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE, Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by International Bible Society. Used by permission. ( www.Lockman.org )
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means-electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise-without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
Published by Bethany House Publishers 11400 Hampshire Avenue South Bloomington, Minnesota 55438
Bethany House Publishers is a division of Baker Publishing Group, Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Printed in the United States of America
ISBN 978-0-7642-0642-5
The Library of Congress has cataloged the hardcover edition as follows:
Arterburn, Stephen, 1953-
Being Christian : exploring where you, God, and life connect / Stephen Arterburn and John Shore.
p. cm.
Summary: A comprehensive introduction and guide to Christianity includes core truths, information, and insights for those new to the Christian faith or curious about it, presented in a combination of narrative chapters and question/answer chapters - Provided by publisher.
ISBN 978-0-7642-0426-5 (hardcover : alk. paper) 1. Christianity. I. Shore, John, 1958- II. Title.
BR121.3.A78 2008
230-dc22
2008028253
To Sharon Barnes, who has shown me, my daughter Madeline,
and all of us who work at New Life what being Christian looks like.
During good times and bad, no matter what, just being Christian to those
fortunate enough to know her.
-Steve Arterburn
To my wife, Catherine, who every day shows me what it means to live
with God s love.
-John Shore
He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, Hush, be still. And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm.
And He said to them, Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?
They became very much afraid and said to one another, Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?
-Mark 4:39-41 ( NASB )
Contents
Introduction
SECTION I: GOD Inside
Chapter One: God and You
What s the single most important thing I would have to believe in order to officially qualify as a Christian?
What exactly is the Holy Spirit?
How does it make sense that God is at once Father, Son, and Holy Spirit?
What does saved by grace mean?
To what do the words born again actually refer?
How do I know that God loves me personally?
Does God have a plan for me?
How do I deepen my relationship with God?
What s the best thing to constantly tell myself in order to always remember my true and proper relationship to God?
What is prayer?
How do I pray?
Do I have to be pure before I can come before God?
Should I say grace before every meal?
What s it mean when my prayers go unanswered?
How do I discern the presence of God around me at any time?
Why does God allow evil to exist?
Why does God allow natural evil-earthquakes and disease and so on-to exist?
How do I keep believing in God after what seems to be a senseless tragedy?
If God is real, why doesn t he once and for all just prove it?
Chapter Two: God, You, and Others
What should my attitude be toward Christians whose ideas or understanding of Christianity is different from mine?
What is the Great Commandment-and what makes it so great?
How do I do the Great Commandment?
How can I possibly live up to the standard prescribed in the Great Commandment?
What is the Great Commission-and what makes it so great?
Do I need to evangelize the nonbelievers in my life?
What should my attitude be toward the nonbelievers in my life?
Once I m saved, how definite must the break be between my old life and my new life?
What if my spouse or a family member isn t Christian?
How do I respond to others attacking my newfound faith in Christ?
Does being a Christian mean I have to forgive everyone who s ever done anything bad to me?
Do I have to pray for my enemies?
How can I increase my compassion for other people?
Is part of being a Christian having to act toward others with more kindness than I actually feel toward them?
How can I learn to act toward others with more kindness than I actually feel?
Is there such a thing as being too kind?
What do I do if I m in a bad relationship?
How do I best understand, or deal with, fallen Christian leaders?
How do I best understand, or deal with, fallen fellow churchgoers?
Chapter Three: Everyone: Sin, the Human Constant
What is sin?
What is original sin ?
Why is it important that Christians confess their sins?
Why is repentance so important to me?
What is the atonement of Christ?
Why is Christ s resurrection so important to me?
Why is pride considered such a primary and dangerous sin?
Is it possible for me to stop behaving in sinful ways?
Is there any sin that s beyond forgiving?
Will being a Christian help me get rid of my bad habits?
What can I do about the guilt I harbor for something I did wrong?
How can I tell if something I m doing, or thinking about doing, is the right thing to do?
What s wrong with dressing sexy?
SECTION II: GOD Outside
Chapter Four: The Bible
What exactly is the Bible?
To what do citations such as Matthew 1:20-21 refer, exactly?
What is the Old Testament?
As a Christian, do I need to care about the Old Testament?
Who are some of the main/most important people in the Old Testament?
Why is asking the next natural question- Who are some of the most important people in the New Testament ?-like asking why it s so much fun to drive an airplane?
How much time passed between the Testaments?
What is the Pentateuch?
What is the Septuagint?
What is the Vulgate?
What is the Apocrypha?
Is Jesus Christ a first and last name, like Bob Jones or Chester Finklehockendocken ?
What are the Gospels?
What s a parable?
Why are there so many different kinds of Bibles?
How do I know which Bible is the right one for me?
What s a Bible concordance?
What s a topical Bible?
What s a devotional?
Is reading the Bible important to my spiritual growth?
What s the best way to read the Bible?
Should I join a Bible study group?
Chapter Five: The Church
Why is it important for me to go to church?
Why is the church considered the body of Christ?
How do I find the right church for me?
How big an impact does its pastor s personality usually have on a church?
What s the organizational structure of most churches?
Why are there so many Christian denominations?
How many people belong to each of the main Protestant denominations?
What is a non-denominational church?
What s a mega-church?
What s an evangelical Christian?
What s a fundamentalist Christian?
What is speaking in tongues ?
What is the laying on of hands ?
What is baptism?
What s a church small group ?
Should I join a small group at my church?
What s a liturgical church?
What is a church year ?
What s a lectionary?
What are the sacraments?
What is tithing ?
Introduction
Are you curious about Christianity? Have you recently become aware of the feeling that God s hand is upon you, that he is ever so gently guiding you toward accepting the truth that some two thousand years ago he really did manifest himself on earth as the man known to history as Jesus Christ? Has something inside been urging you to ignore all that our ever-manic media has been yelling at you about Christianity this week, and to instead find out for yourself what eternal truths Jesus might be waiting to offer you?
If that s where you are, we hope you re excited about what you sense God is saying to you these days.
Or maybe that s not exactly where you are. Maybe you re a little further down the road. Maybe you ve already taken a firm hold of the Lord s hand; maybe you ve already given yourself to the one whom you know gave himself for you. Maybe, because of your new relationship with him, you re in that thrilling, blessed phase of every believer s life where all you want to do is get to know the Lord better and better every day.
Or, conversely, perhaps you re at the end of a period in your life that began when you started to feel you knew him a little too well-when you got bored or