Speaking Of Jesus The Art Of Non Evangelism

Download or read book Speaking of Jesus written by Carl Medearis and published by David C Cook. This book was released on 2011-07-01 with total page 194 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Some of us fear moments when we need to defend our theology. Some of us seek them out. But we are seldom ready the way Jesus seemed to be ready. So how do we draw others to God in the midst of these ordinary conversations the way Jesus did? In Speaking of Jesus, Carl Medearis draws on his experience of international reconciliation between Muslims and Christians to remind us of the heart of the matter: Jesus. Here he gives us tools, stories, and the foundation we need to move beyond “us” and “them” and simply talk about the One who changes it all. As Carl writes, “While others are explaining and defending various isms and ologies we’re simply pointing people to our friend. The one who uncovers and disarms. Who leads people right to himself. The beginning and the end of the story. A good story indeed.”

Download or read book Speaking of Jesus written by J. Mack Stiles and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 2010-02-25 with total page 204 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The gospel really is the best news anyone will ever receive. So why do Christians shy away from talking about Jesus outside of church? And, when they do speak of Jesus, why do they often get a disinterested or scornful reponse? Mack Stiles offers a wealth of answers, ideas and stories in this heads-up, hands-on evangelism handbook. His creative strategies for reaching an ethnically, culturally, economically, educationally, geographically and ideologically diverse world with the best news ever are drawn directly from his own work as an evangelist in today's student world. In Speaking of Jesus he shows readers how to keep their eyes open for "divine appointments," how to approach others with a servant spirit, how to cross relational barriers, how to simply tell one's own story of faith, and how to answer questions with honesty and confidence. Speaking of Jesus may well be an Out of the Saltshaker for the 1990s and beyond. With contagious enthusiasm, Stiles stresses that evangelism isn't about exhibiting superhuman courage or perfecting specialized techniques or exercising extraordinary gifts. Instead, he shows that people of faith can use everyday situations and everyday language to pass on the simple--and simply wonderful--news about Jesus.

Download or read book Adventures in Saying Yes written by Carl Medearis and published by Baker Books. This book was released on 2015-03-31 with total page 183 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Adventures Await When You Overcome Fear This is the story of a normal family of five living a very unusual life. The Medearis family has faced Middle Eastern prisons, death threats, being kicked out of a country two times, and war. It hasn't always been easy, but in the midst of it all, the invitation of Jesus to follow and not be afraid has won the day. But this is more than just their story. It's also a guide to help you step out in bold faith. Whether the call of Jesus for you means international intrigue, giving up all you have for the poor, or simply being the suburban neighbor you were always meant to be, it's time to begin your own adventure! To live a life where fear takes a backseat and God takes the wheel. In the end, of course, there are no promises of an easy life or a path free of troubles. But enormous blessings await those who walk in faith. It's time to go where Jesus is calling and do what God is doing. Don't put off the adventure he's been saving just for you. "Reading Adventures in Saying Yes is so much fun you don't realize at first how profound it is. . . . In an era when people, races, religions, and countries are being torn apart by fear, this call to move past fear and follow Jesus into caring connections is essential reading."--Lynne Hybels, Advocate for Global Engagement, Willow Creek Community Church "You'll cry. You'll laugh. You'll shake your head in disbelief. But most of all, you'll never be the same after this book. It will inspire and ignite you to go beyond planning and start saying yes to Jesus' nonstop invitations to join him in what he's already up to in the world."--Leonard Sweet, bestselling author, professor (Drew University, George Fox University, Tabor College), and chief contributor to sermons.com "We are all looking for ways to be inspired and challenged in our life with Jesus. Carl's stories don't just entertain you. They call you to live courageously in the face of your fears."--Jay Pathak, Senior Pastor, Mile High Vineyard Church, and coauthor of The Art of Neighboring "Carl Medearis gives us a rare look into the utterly vulnerable, harrowing, uplifting, and often witty adventures of one who has dared to say yes in the face of fear for the sake of the good news. What's most amazing about this book is that it all actually happened. . . . Brilliant. Simply brilliant."--Ted Dekker, New York Times bestselling author "The gospel of Jesus is not about security and segregation. . . . Adventures in Saying Yes is a compelling call to embody the risky faith and radical hospitality of Jesus!"--Brian Zahnd, Pastor of Word, Life Church (St. Joseph, MO), and author of A Farewell to Mars "This book will press you toward a closer walk, a deeper love, and an undaunted life of following Jesus. Carl disarms the reader with his warm and engaging style, yet delivers deep biblical truth about what it means to be a fearless disciple. As a Lebanese immigrant to the States, I can promise you that Carl clearly understands the culture and made me yearn for home. I was deeply moved by what God will do through us when we simply say yes."--Lina AbuJamra, MD, pediatric ER doctor and author of Stripped "Even if you don't like biographical books by missionaries, you are going to love this one. It's so much more than the story of a family learning how to live gracefully among Muslims. This is a text on overcoming fear, learning how to trust strangers, and allowing God to guide all you do."--Tony Campolo, PhD, Eastern University "Written with real-life integrity and humor, this story explodes with invitations--to risk, to trust, to imagine, to open, to more . . ."--Wm. Paul Young, author of The Shack

Download or read book 42 Seconds written by Carl Medearis and published by NavPress. This book was released on 2018-04-17 with total page 176 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The average length of Jesus’ conversations as recorded in the Gospels was 42 seconds long. This is good news for all of us. It frees us up to talk about the most important part of our lives in a way that’s natural, meaningful, and helpful instead of clumsy, awkward, and irrelevant. Anyone who has spent countless uncomfortable hours walking from house to house with a clipboard or flash cards that talk about four spiritual laws understands. Jesus’ conversations were remarkably simple. Contemporary Christian lingo has set up a dichotomy between what we call “discipleship” and “evangelism,” but the Bible doesn’t do that. Jesus had conversations all the time with those who thought they were close to God, as well as with those who deemed themselves lost and without hope. He invited all of them to come and learn from Him. 42 Seconds is a simple book that uses the ordinary moments of our lives the way Jesus used the same moments in his own. The premise is straightforward: If we can learn from Jesus how to have great conversations, it will change our lives and the lives of those around us. Its four-part structure, including five short chapters per section, is for churches and small groups to engage with the practical ideas together. 42 Seconds includes discussion questions to help groups and individuals implement Jesus’ natural rhythm of interaction in their own lives.

Download or read book They Like Jesus but Not the Church written by Dan Kimball and published by Zondervan. This book was released on 2009-05-26 with total page 274 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Many people today, especially among emerging generations, don’t resonate with the church and organized Christianity. Some are leaving the church and others were never part of the church in the first place. Sometimes it’s because of misperceptions about the church. Yet often they are still spiritually open and fascinated with Jesus. This is a ministry resource book exploring six of the most common objects and misunderstandings emerging generations have about the church and Christianity. The objections come from conversations and interviews the church has had with unchurched twenty and thirty-somethings at coffee houses. Each chapter raises the objection using a conversational approach, provides the biblical answers to that objection, gives examples of how churches are addressing this objection, and concludes with follow-through projection suggestions, discussion questions, and resource listings.

Download or read book Marks of the Messenger written by J. Mack Stiles and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 2010-04-07 with total page 129 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Short-term missions expert J. Mack Stiles believes we can't separate who we are and how we live from what we say as we interact with people about the good news of Jesus. We need to live out the reconciling forgiveness of God as opposed to loving in the world's way. And when we leave things out of the gospel, not only is the message distorted but so are we as messengers. In this book Stiles shows us an integrated approach to knowing the gospel, living the gospel and speaking the gospel makes us whole, healthy evangelists.

Download or read book Preaching Metaphor written by Justin Paul Rossow and published by . This book was released on 2020-03-17 with total page 344 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book will bring you joy. Preaching week in and week out can be a burden. This book invites you into a way of experiencing preaching that brings life back into your pulpit. Contemporary metaphor theory provides new methods for engaging the biblical text and shaping sermons that matter. With humor and insight, Justin Rossow harnesses the most relevant advances in metaphor theory to empower your preaching and equip you to impact the everyday lives of real people. You'll be delighted at the quality of the example sermons and anxious to put these tools to work in your own preaching ministry. This book is not about making your propositional point a little more interesting; this book will change how you imagine the preaching task. Refreshingly faithful, theoretically nuanced, purposefully practical, and at times laugh out loud funny, Preaching Metaphor will help you fall in love with preaching all over again. Praise for Preaching Metaphor "A pioneering and incredible piece of work. Rossow's treatment of metaphor and culture is not only enjoyable, it makes you wonder how often we fill in the blanks of biblical images with our own cultural narratives without giving it a second much less passing thought. I know of no other work that offers such a well-developed theory of metaphor for preaching." -Len Sweet best-selling author, professor, and owner of PreachTheStory.com "Remarkably clear, winsome, compelling, and practical. This book is not only a must for the preacher's library, but a gift to the preacher." -Leopoldo A. Sánchez M. author of Sculptor Spirit: Models of Sanctification from Spirit Christology and professor of Systematic Theology at Concordia Seminary-St. Louis "In an era when images saturate our existence and capture our attention, Justin Rossow provides what a visual generation needs: a way to create compelling sermons that stick-for both the preacher and the hearer. In a humble, winsome, and knowledgeable way, Preaching Metaphor presents the practice of harnessing imagery as a means of communicating Gospel truth. You'll find this to be a practical manual for powerful preaching!" -Michael W. Newman, author of Gospel DNA: Five Markers of a Flourishing Church "Every once in a while, I've read things that make me wonder how they're possible, and I really thank God for letting me read them. This book is one of those. Praise God for Justin." -Conrad Gempf author of Jesus Asked: What He Wanted to Know and lecturer in New Testament at London School of Theology, UK. From the introduction: "I just want to help make next Sunday a little easier for you and for your hearers. And maybe, if things go as planned, I might even help you delight in the preaching task a little more than you have in awhile. You see, I am on your side; I think what you do week in and week out is amazing. And I want to help. In order to help, I want to talk about metaphor. I know, I know; talking about metaphor sounds all artistic and poetic-and it can be-but, as we shall see, metaphor is also a fundamental tool for how we make sense of our lives, reach decisions, imagine possibilities, and evaluate outcomes. Because metaphor is a fundamental tool of human thought and experience, getting a better handle on metaphor opens up all kinds of possibilities for reading and preaching Scripture."