Dangers To The Faith

A storm has been brewing in society and its treatment, views, and activities toward the Catholic Faith. Some are subtle, others are more brazen -- New Age thought, questionable spirituality, "creedless" Christianity, relativism, scientific skepticism, the triumph of technology, and even the self-styled spirituality of Oprah Winfrey. All these masquerade as "truth," making it tough for the average Catholic to know how to resist, let alone respond. No one is more qualified to pull back the curtain on the challenges the Catholic Church faces today than Al Kresta, popular Catholic author, speaker, and radio show host. A revert to Catholicism, Kresta is well known for his rigorous examination of topics in art, religion, academia, and business. Dangers to the Faith: Recognizing Catholicism's 21st Century Opponents is the perfect springboard for discussing the new world in which the Catholic Church exists today. Learn how to better carry out the missionary mandate of the Church. The question isn't whether you will be a witness to Christ, but whether you will be an effective witness.

Spiritual lethargy is one of the greatest dangers to confront a believer in his or her day-to-day walk with God. A. W. Tozer said, “There are only three directions from which danger comes to the Christian life. They are the world through which we journey, the god of this world and our own mortified flesh.” In this never-before-published book, the renowned teacher issues a clarion call for all Christians to awaken to the times in which we live and stand boldly against spiritual and moral slumber. Tozer’s focus is on those few believers who will heed the call to arouse themselves rise up in the face of the great temptation to malaise that is before us, believing that God always begins with one or two who hear and heed His voice, and refuse to become weary in their pursuit of Him.

Challenging the central place that "practices" have recently held in Christian theology, Lauren Winner explores the damages these practices have inflicted over the centuries Sometimes, beloved and treasured Christian practices go horrifyingly wrong, extending violence rather than promoting its healing. In this bracing book, Lauren Winner provocatively challenges the assumption that the church possesses a set of immaculate practices that will definitionally train Christians in virtue and that can't be answerable to their histories. Is there, for instance, an account of prayer that has anything useful to say about a slave-owning woman's praying for her slaves' obedience? Is there a robustly theological account of the Eucharist that connects the Eucharist's goods to the sacrament's central role in medieval Christian murder of Jews? Arguing that practices are deformed in ways that are characteristic of and intrinsic to the practices themselves, Winner proposes that the register in which Christians might best think about the Eucharist, prayer, and baptism is that of "damaged gift." Christians go on with these practices because, though blighted by sin, they remain gifts from God.

Christians the world over are under pressure, facing difficulties and dangers of all kinds. Nehemiah was raised up to lead God’s people at a critical moment, and the story of his practical realism and courageous faith is vital for Christians today. Providing an overview of the Nehemiah story, this book explains the critical importance of choosing God’s priorities and truly hearing and responding to God’s word. It tackles essential themes for Christian living, including how we can know God’s protection under pressure, how we can build Christian community, and how we must live by God’s standards. Faith in the Face of Danger is structured with sections and subsections that provide a clear set of preaching units that will serve preachers in building a sermon series but this is also an ideal book for individual or group use with questions, discussion points, ideas for action and further study suggestions.

This book journeys to the heart of religious extremism and analyzes the nature of religious militancy. Kressel, who has spent decades researching genocide, terrorism, and anti-Semitism, brings to bear the insights of psychology and social science on this significant and critical problem.

Zealous faith can have a dangerous, dark side. While recent calls for radical Christians have challenged many to be more passionate about their faith, the down side can be a budding arrogance and self-righteousness that “accidentally” sneaks into our outlook. In Accidental Pharisees, bestselling author Larry Osborne diagnoses nine of the most common traps that can ensnare Christians on the road to a deeper life of faith. Rejecting attempts to turn the call to follow Christ into a new form of legalism, he shows readers how to avoid the temptations of pride, exclusivity, legalism, and hypocrisy, Larry reminds us that attempts to fan the flames of full-on discipleship and call people to Christlikeness should be rooted in love and humility. Christians stirred by calls to radical discipleship, but unsure how to respond, will be challenged and encouraged to develop a truly Christlike zeal for God.

For more than thirty years, Don Mosley has traveled the globe, working for the cause of justice on behalf of two organizations he helped to found: Habitat for Humanity and Jubilee Partners, a community of believers who have welcomed 3,000 refugees from danger zones around the world. In this book, he uses stories from his remarkable walk of faith to issue an action call for Christians to live out the teachings of Jesus, no matter where they take us or what they require us to do.

A clear and frank exploration of the future of Christianity and whether it needs to be saved. We live in confusing times. Our society has shifted on its moral axis, and many are asking whether Christianity needs to be reinvented--or even reimagined--in order to save it. With Newsweek declaring "The Decline and Fall of Christian America" on its cover and The Daily Beast questioning "Does Christianity Have a Future?" bloggers and Christian commentators are discussing whether we need a "new of kind of Christianity." In Saving Christianity? Dr. Michael Youssef explores this train of thought and its pitfalls. He describes how similar discussions in Christianity's recent past explored the very same question. Saving Christianity? will help you discern what is going on within the church while it reviews the essentials of the Christian faith as described in the Bible. We dare not abandon this "mere faith," as Dr. Youssef describes it, because it is the light for all humanity--and especially for those of us living in today's chaotic times. After reading Saving Christianity? you'll have a renewed confidence in the future of the church and the central place it will occupy for generations to come.

Traces the decline of Christianity in America since the 1950s, posing controversial arguments about the role of heresy in the nation's downfall while calling for a revival of traditional Christian practices.