BOOK: From Perfect to Normal by Terrence E.C. Jones
In a world of selfies and social media, everyone wants to prove they are enjoying the perfect life. The perfect pose. The perfect smile. The perfect background. The perfect picture. Bloggers, influencers, motivational speakers, preachers, and advertisers all tell us we should demand more from ourselves and never be satisfied with where we are or what we have. By comparison, the suggestion of being normal may seem akin to being mediocre.
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Never confuse mediocrity with reality. There is no such thing as the perfect life. Acting as though everything is always fine and positive is an unnatural and oppressive activity. When Christians engage in such demonstrations as proof of the quality of their faith, they are living a lie.
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In From Perfect to Normal, Terrence E. C. Jones explains how a vibrant Christian experience is not one that waits to present only the good in life. It is about embracing all we are: our successes, failures, and everything in between, for God's glory. That’s the normal life.
DISCIPLESHIP STUDY: The Faith Foundations Workbook by Terrence E. C. Jones
The Faith Foundations Workbook is a resource for new converts to Christianity. It highlights and explains several teachings that are essential to building a meaningful relationship with Jesus Christ. Each lesson is formatted into four sections to make the content easily readable and readily understandable:
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1. The Main: This section contains the main body of teaching content.
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2. The View: This section gives you a concise definition of the teaching discussed.
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3. The Build: This section is made up of interactive exercises for review and reinforcement purposes.
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4. The Connect: This section allows you to think about the content presented and how it connects to your personal life.
As their knowledge of the Christian Faith grows, new converts will have an increased confidence in their commitment to Jesus Christ and a greater desire to share His love with others. Whether for teenagers or adults, The Faith Foundations Workbook is an interactive tool that equips believers for dynamic Christian living.
This workbook is not an exhaustive study on what it means to be a Christian. It is a beginner’s guide that introduces readers to those foundational elements of their new spiritual journey as a children of God.
​FREE DOWNLOAD (.PDF) AVAILABLE HERE.
STUDY SERIES: The Danger of Being Right by Terrence E. C. Jones
We are living in the digital information era where gigabytes of data are streamed to anyone with a computer or smart device and an internet connection. Unfortunately, our excessive data consumption has produced an unwanted side effect. It has spawned a generation of Know-It-Alls who love the certainty of knowing the facts and take pride in always being right.
However, believing we are right is not the same thing as being right. Failure to recognize this means we set ourselves up for perpetual conflicts in our conversations and relationships with others. We are very selective about the information we choose to learn. All too often, we want to know more of what we already believe to be true – or at the very least, what we suspect to be true. And therein lies the danger.
In The Danger of Being Right, Terrence E. C. Jones cautions us to recognize this flaw in our learning and shows us how to be peacemakers who are community builders. Whether those communities are found in our homes, workplaces, churches, neighborhoods, or our digital spaces, we must make the sacrifices necessary to move both sides towards solutions rather than continual conflicts.
​FREE DOWNLOAD (.PDF) AVAILABLE HERE.
STUDY SERIES: Learning to Forgive by Terrence E. C. Jones
Forgiveness is foundational to the Christian Faith. The reason Jesus Christ came to earth was so that we could have forgiveness from our sins and the restoration of a personal relationship with God. But, just as our sins disrupt our relationship with God, they also disrupt our relationships with one another. When we lie, cheat, steal, abuse, neglect, and otherwise hurt those in our lives because of our selfishness, we damage our relationships. And restoration, just as with God, comes through forgiveness.
However, for many of us, forgiveness can be elusive. Our problem lies in how we think about forgiveness. We believe it to be intuitive to the Christian experience, a spiritual byproduct of living by faith that can be implemented at will. We have this perception because of how we think about God’s forgiveness, which we see as instantaneous and complete. But that is an oversimplification of how the forgiveness of God works.
In Learning to Forgive, Terrence E. C. Jones explains the true pattern of how God forgives and uses it as an example of how we should forgive others. Forgiveness is not a sentiment or wish – it is a process. It is only possible when someone is willing to pay for the offense that another has committed against them. Unfortunately, our failure to see forgiveness in this more practical sense has caused us to not experience in our lives as we should.
​FREE DOWNLOAD (.PDF) AVAILABLE HERE.
