God's Story, Our Story: Exploring Christian Faith and Life

by Michele Hershberger

Overview

God's Story, Our Story is an introduction to Christian faith from an Anabaptist perspective. It can be used in a group of people considering baptism, or by someone who just wants to mull over faith questions on their own before--or even after--they say yes to God's Story. 184 Pages.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780836196931
Publisher:	Herald Press (VA)
Publication date:	06/01/2013
Pages:	184
Product dimensions:	8.00(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.39(d)

Table of Contents

Author's Acknowledgments 5

Introduction-Pull Up a Chair 7

Chapter 1 Beginnings 15

God sets the stage-a good creation

People in God's image

God-far off and yet close up

Humanity's problem: sin

God's judgment and God's grace

Chapter 2 God Creates Again 29

God chooses people

God's providence

Salvation

Leaving slavery

New way of being

Good rules for living

Holy war-let God defend you

Worship

Shalom

Chapter 3 Competing Gods 49

Faith as a long journey

The temptation to be like the others

How we read the Bible

God as the only true ruler

Judgment is also grace-new starts

Keeping pure in a dirty world

Chapter 4 Enter Jesus 65

God comes in human form

Jesus: a different kind of messiah

Jubilee living from the heart

Good news for all, even enemies

Words, actions, and salvation

A call to follow

Chapter 5 Mission Accomplished 83

Jesus: a threat to the powers that be

Love, service, sacrifice

Why Jesus died

And what it has to do with us

Why Jesus rose again

And why it matters

Chapter 6 God's Spirit Moving 99

The church is born

One God, three persons

God's new people: all are invited

Conversion

God's intervention in our lives

Chapter 7 God's Story, My Story, Our Story 113

God meets us where we are

Salvation-another look

Saying yes to the Story (steps to becoming a Christian)

Baptism

Joining God's people, the church

The Lords Supper-communion

Chapter 8 Living into the Story 133

"Watering" the Christian life

Spiritual disciplines

Inner life

Outer life

Sharing good news

Exercising spiritual gifts

Chapter 9 The Rest of the Story 149

The church through the centuries

The Anabaptists (Mennonites today)

The difference between Anabaptists and other Christians

The future end of the Story

The Story continues in our lives

Confession of Faith in a Mennonite Perspective (summary) 173

Resources for Further Study 178

Timeline 182

The Author 183