B TYLER ELLIS |

INSIDE THE MIND OF A CHURCH-RAISED, BORDERLINE ATHEIST IN COLLEGE

May 22, 2013 in Interviews

INTERVIEW #40: JONATHAN (19, NEWARK, DE)

1. What is your religious background?
I was raised in the church, so I’ve been to church for a good part of my life with various [Christian] denominations.

2. Do you currently practice a religious faith?
I don’t practice any religion actively. I have nothing against religion but I dislike a lot of what religions do to people. I feel like it’s a way of closing my mind off…by saying there’s only one religion I believe in or only one God. So because of that, I don’t subscribe to any religion. I lean toward atheism, but I’m not completely against God.

IDENTITY PLAYLIST

May 8, 2013 in Resources

MUSIC:

Someone’s Work of Art (Sixteen Cities)
Fearfully And Wonderfully Made (Matt Redman)
Who Am I? (Casting Crowns)
Finding Who We Are (Kutless)
This Is Who I Am (Shane & Shane)
I Am Nothing (Jeremy Camp)
We Are Loved (David Crowder*Band)
Beautiful Things (Gungor)
Everything Glorious (David Crowder*Band)
Girl America (Mat Kearney)
Known (Audrey Assad)
Mystery of Mercy (Caedmon’s Call)
Potter’s Wheel (Bashta)
Sea of Faces (Kutless)
Fingerprints of God (Steven Curtis Chapman)
Beloved (Tenth Avenue North)
He Knows My Name (Paul Baloche)
Mirror (BarlowGirl)
Identity (Lecrae)
Wonderfully Made (Matthew West)

TOP 32 QUOTES FROM THE CATALYST LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE

May 6, 2013 in Resources

On May 1-3, I had the chance to attend Catalyst for the second time. Catalyst is a fantastic conference with fantastic speakers geared toward “next generation leaders.”

: Meeting Craig Groeschel

Aside from a backpack full of free books, I came home with a notebook full of ideas. Here are some of my favorite quotes from the speakers I was able to hear:

Craig Groeschel
1. “Don’t build your ministry on what you’re against. Build your ministry on what you’re for.”
2. “We’re not here to make a name. We’re here to make a difference.”
3. “Don’t worry when you face resistance. Worry when you don’t.”
4. “If you blame yourself for the declines, you’ll take credit for the increases.”
5. “If you’re not ready to face opposition in being used by God, you’re not ready to be used by God.”

CONFIDENT FAITH, BY MARK MITTELBERG (A BOOK REVIEW)

April 25, 2013 in Resources

“This may well be the most important book you read this year!” ~Lee Strobel

Strobel’s endorsement is no exaggeration regarding the new book, Confident Faith: Building a Firm Foundation for Your Beliefs, by Mark Mittelberg. Originally released in 2008 under the title, Choosing Your Faith (the title of which I actually like better), this edition is a major revision and definitely worth reading.

Confident Faith is an excellent resource that offers insight to people who are Christians and people who are not. I love Mittelberg’s methodology. He starts by establishing what faith really is and how each one of us actually exercises faith in something every day.

INSIDE THE MIND OF A CATHOLIC COLLEGE STUDENT

April 22, 2013 in Interviews

INTERVIEW #39, MICHAEL (19, STATEN ISLAND, NY)

1. What is your religious background?
I’m a Catholic. Both of my parents are Catholic. Grandparents too. Not all of them went to church regularly, but on my mother’s side, definitely more so. When my dad married my mother, he started going back to church. When we were little kids, they made sure we went every Sunday. It was a big deal if you didn’t.

THE DIFFERENCE AN ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE MAKES (ACCORDING TO 8 COLLEGE STUDENTS)

April 18, 2013 in Stories & Ideas

1. “An eternal perspective is a lens through which we look at life’s many situations. This bigger picture helps us determine how to respond to each situation by considering the destination of each path we have to choose from.”

2. “An eternal perspective is living in a way that puts things of eternal worth first.”

3. “An eternal perspective understands that everything on the temporal side of the grave is preparation for the eternal side of the grave.”

MY STORY OF FAITH IN 100 WORDS

April 15, 2013 in Stories & Ideas

People used to call me a “church poster boy.” Ask me, “Why will God accept you?” and I’d have said, “I’m striving to be like Jesus, my role model.”

Then a friend challenged my thinking, helping me understand, because of sin, no amount of striving could get me back on good terms with God.

That’s when Jesus made sense to me for the first time. He didn’t come to be a role model, but a perfect sacrifice to satisfy God’s requirements to make forgiveness possible.

Now my motivation for being like Jesus isn’t “to be” accepted but “because” I’m accepted.

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IN THE MARGINS OF JOHN 3:16

April 11, 2013 in Personalizing Scripture

3 LITTLE BOOKS EVERY COLLEGE STUDENT SHOULD READ

April 4, 2013 in Resources

As one who has been doing ministry among college-age people for more than ten years, I’m always on the lookout for new resources. That’s why I was thrilled to discover the Coffee House Chronicles, coauthored by Josh McDowell and Dave Sterrett.

These three small books are specifically geared toward those in, or about to go into, college. What’s unique about them is that they are written in a dialogue format as a story. While each book can be read as a stand-alone, they follow a set of characters made up of college students and professors.

INSIDE THE MIND OF A FOURTH GENERATION ATHEIST TURNED AGNOSTIC

March 26, 2013 in Interviews

INTERVIEW #38, PIETER (20, MOUNT LAUREL, NJ)

1. What is your religious background?
I grew up in an atheist household. Both my parents are atheists. My dad, he grew up in one too, so he just never knew anything [otherwise]. My mom, same thing, but she actually went out of her way to study different religions and looked at a lot of different things to see if anything matched her viewpoints. Nothing. {laugh} So they’re atheists by choice.

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Testimonials

Before I read a book, I want to know that I can trust the author. I can personally attest that Tyler is a gifted Bible teacher, he has a deep love for those he is mentoring, and I’ve seen him serve those who are living in poverty. Tyler humbly lives out his faith in a real and genuine way. He is an author you can trust. This resource that he has developed is creative and yet simple. By simply asking questions, it will walk with you through the trustworthy ancient paths of God’s Word, aid… — RON EVERINGHAM, http://www.apacheyouth.com

Like many of the ancients including Socrates, Jesus loved to teach by way of asking questions of his audience. ‘What do you think?’ Jesus asked repeatedly, and you just have to believe that the tone of his voice was more like: ‘What do YOU think?’ Not your church, not your preacher, not your parents, not your friends, not the world at large, but what do YOU think? That is the beauty of the unique approach to Scripture that Tyler Ellis has captured in his thought-full book: Question… — F. LAGARD SMITH, Compiler and Narrator of The Daily Bible (the NIV in chronological order)

In this life, we spend a lot of time seeking answers, but rarely do we consider if we are pursuing the right questions. In this book, Tyler has built a framework of questions that can be your guide to deeper study and understanding. — JIM STOVALL, http://www.jimstovall.com

This book should get an award for ‘how to ask great questions.’ Jesus beats out Socrates as the master questioner of all time, but Tyler Ellis ranks high in his generation. When I read the Bible with these questions in mind, a whole new unveiling and unfolding of the Scriptures take place. — LEONARD SWEET, Professor, Best-Selling Author of Jesus Manifesto, Viral, and I am a Follower

Wisdom doesn’t begin with having the right answers, but with asking the right questions. Question Everything is a wonderful way to pursue the wisdom of God. It won’t just help you go through the Bible; it will help the Bible go through you. — RICK ATCHLEY, Minister of the Word, The Hills Church of Christ

May God use Tyler Ellis’s book Question Everything to open the beauty of the Bible to many — RAY COMFORT, http://www.livingwaters.com

"I love the Bible. And I love Tyler Ellis. Tyler not only reads the Bible. He practices it. When I look at spiritual giants to find a common denominator in their lives, it is nearly always daily Bible reading. Question Everything will make your times in God's Word more productive and more enjoyable--no question about it." — DR. MILTON JONES, http://www.christianrelieffund.org

This is one of the most effective ways I have ever seen to plant the Word of God in your heart and mind. You will find the answers to life as you ask the right questions. Tyler Ellis has provided excellent questions to help you on your journey of faith. — JIM BURNS, PhD, http://www.homeword.com

Tyler Ellis’s Question Everything fits into the ‘Why didn’t I think of that?’ category. Bible reading is like any reading in this respect: we’ll enjoy it more and get more out of it if we bring our curiosity (questions) to the text. The verse-by-verse approach that Ellis employs will pull the reader in closer to what is written, stimulate great discussion, and help all of us encounter Scripture in exciting, life-changing ways. This book will work well for private Bible reading and… — DAN DUPEE, http://www.ccojubilee.org

Intriguing … and powerful. In its simplicity and starkness, Question Everything rescues Bible study and reading from the perfunctory and returns them to the wondrous and exhilarating — PHYLLIS TICKLE, http://www.phyllistickle.com

INSIDE THE MIND OF A CHURCH-RAISED, BORDERLINE ATHEIST IN COLLEGE

IDENTITY PLAYLIST

TOP 32 QUOTES FROM THE CATALYST LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE

CONFIDENT FAITH, BY MARK MITTELBERG (A BOOK REVIEW)

INSIDE THE MIND OF A CATHOLIC COLLEGE STUDENT

THE DIFFERENCE AN ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE MAKES (ACCORDING TO 8 COLLEGE STUDENTS)

MY STORY OF FAITH IN 100 WORDS

IN THE MARGINS OF JOHN 3:16

3 LITTLE BOOKS EVERY COLLEGE STUDENT SHOULD READ

INSIDE THE MIND OF A FOURTH GENERATION ATHEIST TURNED AGNOSTIC

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