Pastor’s Picks – Recommended Resources

What is Jesus worth to you?

It’s easy for American Christians to forget how Jesus said his followers would actually live, what their new lifestyle would actually look like. They would, he said, leave behind security, money, convenience, even family for him. They would abandon everything for the gospel. They would take up their crosses daily…

But who do you know who lives like that? Do you?

In Radical, David Platt challenges you to consider with an open heart how we have manipulated the gospel to fit our cultural preferences. He shows what Jesus actually said about being his disciple–then invites you to believe and obey what you have heard. And he tells the dramatic story of what is happening as a “successful” suburban church decides to get serious about the gospel according to Jesus.

Finally, he urges you to join in The Radical Experiment — a one-year journey in authentic discipleship that will transform how you live in a world that desperately needs the Good News Jesus came to bring.

While I personally don’t agree with the new direction David Platt is heading with CRT, I do fine much value in this book. David Platt challenges the status quo and the way the Church does business. Arguing that American church culture runs counter to the gospel, he compels readers to forsake the American Dream “in radical abandonment to the person and purpose of Jesus Christ.”

This book contends that taking back our faith involves actively and seriously committing ourselves to spread the gospel to all nations, owning responsibility for helping others grow in Christ, and literally caring for the poor. You’ll be encouraged to reclaim your faith by obeying the words of Jesus, trusting God and focusing on Heaven.

How to get this resource:

See if the book is available from your local library – It’s free (Minnesota Viking Library System)
Radical (ChristianBook) at: https://www.christianbook.com/radical-taking-faith-from-american-dream/david-platt/9781601422217/pd/422211

Radical (Amazon) at: https://www.amazon.com/Radical-Taking-Faith-American-Dream/dp/1601422210/
Radical (Walmart) at: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Radical-Taking-Back-Your-Faith-from-the-American-Dream-Paperback-9781601422217/12571140

Radical (Radical website): https://radical.net/book/radical-2/

The churches in Fergus Falls, MN will be working together to answer tough questions and share them with our community and our world.

Learn more and visit: https://ccfergusfalls.com/tq/

We hope you’ll draw closer to God through these resources!

We usually post a recommend book but this month we are posting a video. This special message is from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, called “Change – Needing More”.

We all want change for the better. But what if you can’t get the change you need most? Follow three lives on the verge of disaster that desperately needed something more.

Watch it for free at: https://billygraham.org/video/change-needing-more/

Author Lisa Schultz-Fred reveals how her life was forever changed in the book “Mourning Journey” on one August afternoon in 2005. While out on a family bicycle ride, her beloved husband of twenty-one years, Pat, was killed when he accidentally collided with a truck.

Her book recounts that tragic day and the tremendous challenges she and her family faced going forward. But she found hope in the Lord, which is available for anyone, no matter the circumstances they find themselves in. If you are hurting or feel hopeless in any situation in life, this book will give you the help and tools to keep living life.

Her inspiring story will encourage readers that they too can heal after a traumatic loss. Lisa shares her weaknesses that we all have felt, and how she fought through the enemies lies. It provides all the scripture that we need to know that Jesus Christ is walking with us through the valley, and He is with us all the way. This book is Lisa’s story of her journey from utter despair to finding love again. It is a hopeful and encouraging story, one that can encourage anyone suffering from grief, loss, depression, and despair.

How to get this resource:

• See if the book is available from your local library – It’s free (Minnesota Viking Library System)
• Mourning Journey (Amazon) at: https://www.amazon.com/Mourning-Journey-Choosing-Happily-After/dp/0997098708/