Firsthand: Ditching Secondhand Religion for a Faith of Your Own - Softcover

Shook, Ryan; Shook, Josh

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1601427220 ISBN 13: 9781601427229

Publisher: WaterBrook, 2014

Synopsis

Stop copying someone else's religion.
Start living out a faith that's all your own.
 
A “firsthand” faith is never what somebody tells you it should be, even if that person is a parent, friend, or pastor. “Firsthand” means you went after it for yourself and now it’s all yours. That kind of faith is changes everything, but most people only find it by facing tough questions. Like:
 
· If God is real, why does he feel far away?
· Can I ever get past the dos and don’ts of church?
· Why should I even try to follow God when I fail so often?
· How do I experience a relationship with Christ that’s more than surface level?
· Is it possible to have authentic faith when I have so many doubts?
· How can I connect with others who take firsthand faith seriously?
 
In these pages, Ryan and Josh Shook talk candidly about growing up in church only to realize that “how things are supposed to be” had stopped working for them. They set out to find what makes a young person’s faith stick—or not. 
 
Each chapter is designed to spark a discussion, and comes complete with personal inventories, Bible teaching, small-group discussion questions, and links to original video.
 
Now includes bonus “Looking Back from Here” Q&A with the authors

About this title

From the Author:

We grew up in church and always knew the right answers. Our parents and church really were great, but when we got to college we discovered that our faith was no longer working for us. After struggling with what a genuine faith looked like we realized that the reason our faith no longer worked for us was because it was never our own. What we called our faith was really borrowed religion from our friends, church and parents. When we looked around, we saw that many of our friends, Christian or not, really didn't have a faith that they called their own either.

Firsthand is a book all about moving from secondhand religion to a firsthand relationship with Christ. We aren't Bible scholars, we don't have all the answers, but we do genuinely want you to discover the beauty and passion of a firsthand relationship with Christ. Throughout this book you will find honest examples, practical advice, and thought provoking questions designed to help our generation own a firsthand faith. We didn't write this book to give you simple Bible school answers or criticize your questions. We embrace doubts, seek honesty, and value community in our lives as well as our faith. We hope this book challenges you in a positive way and we would love for you to join the community of young people trying to live out a firsthand faith. Please let us know what you think and join the conversation by visiting FirsthandBook.com.

From the Back Cover:

For many of us, religion is something that we have inherited. The traditions, values and rules passed on to us from our parents and the church culture we grew up with have always been there. But the older we get, many of us start to feel left like what we have inherited is not enough. We might not necessarily be angry with God or disagree with religion, but Christianity as we understand it is just not a practical or beneficial. We work hard to follow all the rules but in the end it does not seem worth it.

You might have inherited yours from parents or friends, or from the church you grew up in. There is nothing wrong with that. But if you have not experienced a relationship with the Lord that is entirely unique to you and you alone, one to that compels you to develop your unique gifts and grow in your unique weaknesses, then it will not last.

Ryan and Josh Shook know what that's like. They been involved in church their entire lives, then one day, their hand-me-down faith just didn't make sense anymore. They thought about abandoning it altogether. . Instead, they set to find a vibrant, fulfilling faith that they could call their own. Firsthand is their story. They are still figuring it out, but they want to share with you what a firsthand faith looks like in their lives. More than that, Firsthand is the story of a generation. Maybe it's the story of you.

Inside you'll find:

• Personal stories
• Risky confessions
• Honest, biblical answers
• At the end of every chapter, a "Making It Real" section for personal and group study
• Read Firsthand. You will discover that the pursuit of a personal relationship with God
• that is yours alone truly is life in all its fullness.

About this edition

• Publisher: WaterBrook
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 1601427220
• ISBN 13: 9781601427229
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 224