A Quiet Mind to Suffer With

A Quiet Mind to Suffer With PDF Author: John Andrew Bryant
Publisher: Lexham Press
ISBN: 1683597052
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 168

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Book Description
"This is a stunning book, so rare and so beautiful. I cannot recommend it highly enough." —Matthew A. LaPine Suffering has been made holy by Christ's proximity to it. This is the story of Christ's nearness to my own suffering—my mental breakdown, my journey to the psych ward, my long, slow, painful recovery—and how Christ will use even our agony and despair to turn us into servants and guests of the mercy offered in his gospel. We cannot answer suffering. And yet suffering demands an answer. If Jesus is the answer to suffering, what kind of answer is Jesus? Everything that could be taken from a person was taken from him. The worst things a person could be made to see and feel were seen and felt by Christ. All of this came to a point in the nails driven into his hands and became a word that cannot be unspoken—his body broken and his blood poured out for us. Suffering has been made holy by Christ's proximity to it.

A Quiet Mind to Suffer With

A Quiet Mind to Suffer With PDF Author: John Andrew Bryant
Publisher: Lexham Press
ISBN: 1683597052
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 168

Get Book Here

Book Description
"This is a stunning book, so rare and so beautiful. I cannot recommend it highly enough." —Matthew A. LaPine Suffering has been made holy by Christ's proximity to it. This is the story of Christ's nearness to my own suffering—my mental breakdown, my journey to the psych ward, my long, slow, painful recovery—and how Christ will use even our agony and despair to turn us into servants and guests of the mercy offered in his gospel. We cannot answer suffering. And yet suffering demands an answer. If Jesus is the answer to suffering, what kind of answer is Jesus? Everything that could be taken from a person was taken from him. The worst things a person could be made to see and feel were seen and felt by Christ. All of this came to a point in the nails driven into his hands and became a word that cannot be unspoken—his body broken and his blood poured out for us. Suffering has been made holy by Christ's proximity to it.

Finding Jesus in the Storm

Finding Jesus in the Storm PDF Author: John Swinton
Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing
ISBN: 1467460249
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 246

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Book Description
People living with mental health challenges are not excluded from God’s love or even the fullness of life promised by Jesus. Unfortunately, this hope is often lost amid the well-meaning labels and medical treatments that dominate the mental health field today. In Finding Jesus in the Storm, John Swinton makes the case for reclaiming that hope by changing the way we talk about mental health and remembering that, above all, people are people, regardless of how unconventionally they experience life. Finding Jesus in the Storm is a call for the church to be an epicenter of compassion for those experiencing depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and related difficulties. That means breaking free of the assumptions that often accompany these diagnoses, allowing for the possibility that people living within unconventional states of mental health might experience God in unique ways that are real and perhaps even revelatory. In each chapter, Swinton gives voice to those experiencing the mental health challenges in question, so readers can see firsthand what God’s healing looks like in a variety of circumstances. The result is a book about people instead of symptoms, description instead of diagnosis, and lifegiving hope for everyone in the midst of the storm.

Suffering and the Heart of God

Suffering and the Heart of God PDF Author: Diane Langberg
Publisher: New Growth Press
ISBN: 1942572034
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 316

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Book Description
She's seen slave dungeons in Ghana. Genocide in Rwanda. Systemic sexual abuse in Brazil. Child abuse and domestic violence in the US. After forty years of counseling abuse survivors around the world, Dr. Diane Langberg, a world renowned trauma expert, remains certain that what trauma destroys, Christ can and does restore. This book will convince you, too, of the healing heart of God. But it's not a fast process, instead much patience is required from family, friends, and counselors as they wisely and respectfully help victims unpack their traumatic suffering through talking, tears, and time. And it's not a process that can be separated from the work of God in both a counselor and counselee. Dr. Langberg calls all of those who wish to help sufferers to model Jesus's sacrificial love and care in how they listen, love, and guide. The heart of God is revealed to sufferers as they grow to understand the cross of Christ and how their God came to this earth and experienced such severe suffering that he too is "well-acquainted with grief." The cross of Christ is the lens that transforms and redeems traumatic suffering and its aftermath, not only for the sufferer, but it also transforms those who walk with the suffering. This book will be a great help to anyone who loves, listens to, and seeks to help someone impacted by trauma and abuse. There is no quick fix, but there is the hope for healing through the love of God in Christ.

The Thing That Would Make Everything Okay Forever

The Thing That Would Make Everything Okay Forever PDF Author: Ashley Lande
Publisher: Lexham Press
ISBN: 1683597613
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 152

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Book Description
For years, psychedelics were my religion. All I ever wanted was The Thing That Would Make Everything Okay Forever, the panacea, the cure for what plagued me. From those first moments when I tasted the earthy pulp of a psilocybin mushroom, it was love. Psychedelics were my sacrament. They shot me into cathedral vaults. The promise of eternal life through chemicals glittered seductively, but hid a yawning abyss. The Thing That Would Make Everything Okay Forever tells my story of psychedelic devastation and spiritual rescue. It chronicles my trajectory from acid enthusiast to soul-weary druggie to psychedelic refugee. I finally found The Thing That Would Make Everything Okay Forever—in the last place I thought to look.

I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die

I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die PDF Author: Sarah J. Robinson
Publisher: WaterBrook
ISBN: 0593193539
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 257

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Book Description
A compassionate, shame-free guide for your darkest days “A one-of-a-kind book . . . to read for yourself or give to a struggling friend or loved one without the fear that depression and suicidal thoughts will be minimized, medicalized or over-spiritualized.”—Kay Warren, cofounder of Saddleback Church What happens when loving Jesus doesn’t cure you of depression, anxiety, or suicidal thoughts? You might be crushed by shame over your mental illness, only to be told by well-meaning Christians to “choose joy” and “pray more.” So you beg God to take away the pain, but nothing eases the ache inside. As darkness lingers and color drains from your world, you’re left wondering if God has abandoned you. You just want a way out. But there’s hope. In I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die, Sarah J. Robinson offers a healthy, practical, and shame-free guide for Christians struggling with mental illness. With unflinching honesty, Sarah shares her story of battling depression and fighting to stay alive despite toxic theology that made her afraid to seek help outside the church. Pairing her own story with scriptural insights, mental health research, and simple practices, Sarah helps you reconnect with the God who is present in our deepest anguish and discover that you are worth everything it takes to get better. Beautifully written and full of hard-won wisdom, I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die offers a path toward a rich, hope-filled life in Christ, even when healing doesn’t look like what you expect.

Troubled Minds

Troubled Minds PDF Author: Amy Simpson
Publisher: InterVarsity Press
ISBN: 0830843043
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 225

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Book Description
Reflecting on the confusion, shame and grief brought on by her mother's schizophrenia, Amy Simpson provides a bracing look at the social and physical realities of mental illness. Reminding us that people with mental illness are our neighbors and our brothers and sisters in Christ, she explores new possibilities for the church to minister to this stigmatized group.

Madness and Grace

Madness and Grace PDF Author: Matthew Stanford
Publisher: Templeton Foundation Press
ISBN: 1599475804
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 217

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Book Description
Research tells us that when most people suffer from a mental health crisis, the first person they turn to for help is not a physician, a psychiatrist, or a social worker, but a pastor, a priest, or a minister. In other words, a leader in their church. Unfortunately, many church leaders are not trained to recognize mental illness and don’t know when to refer someone to a mental health professional. The consequence—unintended yet tragic—is continued and unnecessary suffering. Madness and Grace is a comprehensive guide for church ministry to alleviate this situation. Written by Dr. Matthew Stanford, the book is carefully constructed to help build competency in detecting a wide spectrum of mental disorders, such as knowing when a person is contemplating suicide based on telltale patterns of speech. It also explodes common discriminatory myths that stigmatize people with mental illness, such as the myth that they are more prone to violence than others. Dr. Stanford has treated clients throughout his career who were afflicted with all manner of mental disorders. In Madness and Grace, he takes the full extent of his experience and makes it accessible and actionable for the lay reader. He begins by explaining what constitutes a mental illness and how these disorders are classified according to science. He next teaches how to notice the presence of a mental illness by listening carefully to phraseology, observing behavior, and asking discerning questions. He goes on to discuss methods of treatment, common religious concerns about mental health, and ways church communities can support people on the road to recovery. As a Christian, Dr. Stanford wants his fellow believers to know that acknowledging and seeking help for a mental illness is not a sign of weak faith. That’s why, in addition to sharing his medical expertise with church leaders, he commends pertinent biblical passages that underscore God’s concern for our mental wellbeing. These passages provide strength and comfort as complements to clinically-derived treatment and are essential to Dr. Stanford’s approach. “When working with those in severe psychological distress,” he writes, “compassion and grace are always the first line of pastoral care.”

The Rogue Christian

The Rogue Christian PDF Author: Mike Genung
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781732312821
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
Status quo Christianity has failed. The Rogue Christian provides an in depth look at where we are today, why the church has lost its salt, and what we should do about it.

With Willful Intent

With Willful Intent PDF Author: David L. Smith
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
ISBN: 1592444164
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 465

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Book Description
'With Willful Intent: A Theology of Sin' is a full orbed examination of sin and the human Fall. Its intention is to provide the reader/student with both the materials and methodology to formulate his or her own biblically based theology of sin. The book is arranged in four sequential sections to guide the reader through the process of theological development. The first section, "A Historical Theology of Sin," furnishes a detailed outline of Christian thought on sin from the time of the early church to the present day. These chapters will help the reader to understand why so many differing views of sin and the Fall exist. The second section, "A Biblical Theology of Sin," is the keystone of theological formulation. It apprises the student of the biblical teaching on the human Fall and its subsequent ramifications. Because believers hold the Bible to be the fully inspired, all-sufficient Word of God, what it says about sin must be determinative in one's development of a theology of sin. The third section, "A Systematic Theology of Sin," seeks to synthesize the teaching of the Bible while drawing on the insights of history, science, and the social sciences. Topics covered include the nature of sin, its universality, its transmission, its relationship to Satan and the demonic, and its conquest through Jesus Christ. Any theology is worthless if it cannot be related to daily living. The conclusion, "A Practical Theology of Sin," demonstrates how the theology which has been formulated may be applied to the individual life of the believer and to the church's ministry.

Darkness Is My Only Companion

Darkness Is My Only Companion PDF Author: Kathryn Greene-McCreight
Publisher: Brazos Press
ISBN: 1587431750
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 176

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Book Description
A brave and compassionate look at mental illness that offers theological understanding and personal insights from author's experiences.