The first step to a rich life
 |
Description
Book Introduction
How can we enjoy the abundant life Jesus promised?
A Guide to Faith Life Written from the Perspective of the Gospel of the Kingdom of God
A guide to spiritual growth for new believers who have accepted Jesus and taken their first steps in their life of faith, Christians who have been in the faith for a long time but are new to the faith, and those preparing for baptism.
It clearly explains the starting point of an "abundant life"—"rebirth," God's desire to establish a personal relationship with us, why the Word and prayer are blessings, not obligations, how to properly enjoy these blessings, and how to experience an abundant life more vividly by sharing and proclaiming our faith with others.
A book to read in the next step of 『Invitation to an Abundant Life』 and before 『Foundations of an Abundant Life』.
A Guide to Faith Life Written from the Perspective of the Gospel of the Kingdom of God
A guide to spiritual growth for new believers who have accepted Jesus and taken their first steps in their life of faith, Christians who have been in the faith for a long time but are new to the faith, and those preparing for baptism.
It clearly explains the starting point of an "abundant life"—"rebirth," God's desire to establish a personal relationship with us, why the Word and prayer are blessings, not obligations, how to properly enjoy these blessings, and how to experience an abundant life more vividly by sharing and proclaiming our faith with others.
A book to read in the next step of 『Invitation to an Abundant Life』 and before 『Foundations of an Abundant Life』.
- You can preview some of the book's contents.
Preview
index
prolog
1.
First Steps as a Christian
2.
The Mystery and Blessing of Rebirth
3.
How do we begin a personal relationship with God?
4.
What kind of person is a personal God?
5.
How can we enjoy the words God speaks to us?
6.
How to Enjoy Prayer to God (1)
7.
How to Enjoy Prayer to God (2)
8.
How can we fully enjoy a life of prayer and the Word?
9.
My first testimony and the life of a witness
10.
Baptism, the deep covenant of love
Epilogue
supplement
1.
How to Use "The First Step to an Abundant Life" | 2.
Important Bible Verses | 3.
Praying the Lord's Prayer | 4.
Example of 3C | 5.
Intercessory Prayer with the Lord's Prayer | 6.
Writing a True and Meaningful Baptismal Testimony | 7.
More books to read
1.
First Steps as a Christian
2.
The Mystery and Blessing of Rebirth
3.
How do we begin a personal relationship with God?
4.
What kind of person is a personal God?
5.
How can we enjoy the words God speaks to us?
6.
How to Enjoy Prayer to God (1)
7.
How to Enjoy Prayer to God (2)
8.
How can we fully enjoy a life of prayer and the Word?
9.
My first testimony and the life of a witness
10.
Baptism, the deep covenant of love
Epilogue
supplement
1.
How to Use "The First Step to an Abundant Life" | 2.
Important Bible Verses | 3.
Praying the Lord's Prayer | 4.
Example of 3C | 5.
Intercessory Prayer with the Lord's Prayer | 6.
Writing a True and Meaningful Baptismal Testimony | 7.
More books to read
Into the book
I was very curious about the reasons why there are many people who were born spiritually but did not grow well and barely maintain the status of Christians, or who feel guilty about not being able to live a good life of faith because they feel burdened by it.
I discovered that the very important reason for this was that I took the wrong first step in my life of faith, that is, I buttoned up the first button of my spiritual pilgrimage incorrectly.
It seems that many people begin their spiritual journey without fully understanding what a great blessing it is to be a Christian and without fully learning how to enjoy this wonderful gift from God.
--- p.14-15
Becoming a Christian does not mean accepting a multitude of new obligations and adding the obligation of religious life to an already difficult life.
Living as a Christian means realizing how miserable and hopeless the life we have lived so far has been, and now living a life in which Jesus is the Lord.
…Jesus wants to free us from the weary and tiring life we have lived as masters of our own lives.
He is not trying to free us and impose new religious obligations on us.
He wants to take away our heavy burdens and give us a lighter yoke.
--- p.16
If you want to enter into a deeper relationship with God, you need to go beyond simply thinking about Him frequently and setting aside special times to meet with Him.
The need for exclusive conversation time with God is just as essential for children to sit down at the dinner table and face their mother.
This is a special time for humans, as mere creatures, to call God, the Creator of all things, Father.
This is a privilege given only to God's children.
In this special time of blessing, we must begin with easy-to-meditate Bible verses and steadily strive to understand the more difficult words, little by little. We must learn to worship God in a more mature way and pray according to the Father's will.
--- p.60-61
So, we can boldly say that Christian prayer is a 'blessing to be enjoyed.'
It is already sitting before God the Father who loves me.
It is a time to be held in God's arms as if in one's mother's arms, to look at God as if one were enjoying peace by making eye contact with one's mother, and to enjoy the peace that He gives us, which is different from the world.
So this kind of prayer is different from the kind of prayer that seeks to obtain something and accomplish one's own will.
Of course, sometimes we foolishly throw tantrums in front of our Father and resist His will, but ultimately, through prayer, we come to understand His heart and follow His will.
--- p.118
This prayer is not a prayer for the needs of an individual, but a prayer offered as a community, asking for daily bread for 'our' and not 'my'.
We can offer this prayer with the church community, the most fundamental of all the communities to which we belong, and, if our faith grows further, with the society to which we belong and even the global community, in mind.
If that happens, I will not only assert my own needs before God, but also think about the well-being of those who live with me. As I offer this prayer, I will become increasingly interested in living a frugal life, a life of sharing, and a life of responsibility for the society and ecological environment in which we live, and I will pray for these things.
The prayer for daily bread may seem simple, but it is a remarkable confession and petition of the people of the kingdom of God who, while living in this world, do not live by the world's principles but by God's principles.
I discovered that the very important reason for this was that I took the wrong first step in my life of faith, that is, I buttoned up the first button of my spiritual pilgrimage incorrectly.
It seems that many people begin their spiritual journey without fully understanding what a great blessing it is to be a Christian and without fully learning how to enjoy this wonderful gift from God.
--- p.14-15
Becoming a Christian does not mean accepting a multitude of new obligations and adding the obligation of religious life to an already difficult life.
Living as a Christian means realizing how miserable and hopeless the life we have lived so far has been, and now living a life in which Jesus is the Lord.
…Jesus wants to free us from the weary and tiring life we have lived as masters of our own lives.
He is not trying to free us and impose new religious obligations on us.
He wants to take away our heavy burdens and give us a lighter yoke.
--- p.16
If you want to enter into a deeper relationship with God, you need to go beyond simply thinking about Him frequently and setting aside special times to meet with Him.
The need for exclusive conversation time with God is just as essential for children to sit down at the dinner table and face their mother.
This is a special time for humans, as mere creatures, to call God, the Creator of all things, Father.
This is a privilege given only to God's children.
In this special time of blessing, we must begin with easy-to-meditate Bible verses and steadily strive to understand the more difficult words, little by little. We must learn to worship God in a more mature way and pray according to the Father's will.
--- p.60-61
So, we can boldly say that Christian prayer is a 'blessing to be enjoyed.'
It is already sitting before God the Father who loves me.
It is a time to be held in God's arms as if in one's mother's arms, to look at God as if one were enjoying peace by making eye contact with one's mother, and to enjoy the peace that He gives us, which is different from the world.
So this kind of prayer is different from the kind of prayer that seeks to obtain something and accomplish one's own will.
Of course, sometimes we foolishly throw tantrums in front of our Father and resist His will, but ultimately, through prayer, we come to understand His heart and follow His will.
--- p.118
This prayer is not a prayer for the needs of an individual, but a prayer offered as a community, asking for daily bread for 'our' and not 'my'.
We can offer this prayer with the church community, the most fundamental of all the communities to which we belong, and, if our faith grows further, with the society to which we belong and even the global community, in mind.
If that happens, I will not only assert my own needs before God, but also think about the well-being of those who live with me. As I offer this prayer, I will become increasingly interested in living a frugal life, a life of sharing, and a life of responsibility for the society and ecological environment in which we live, and I will pray for these things.
The prayer for daily bread may seem simple, but it is a remarkable confession and petition of the people of the kingdom of God who, while living in this world, do not live by the world's principles but by God's principles.
--- p.141-142
Publisher's Review
How can we enjoy the “abundant life” that Jesus promised?
A guide to spiritual growth for new believers who have accepted Jesus and taken their first steps in their life of faith, Christians who have been in the faith for a long time but are new to the faith, and those preparing for baptism.
It clearly explains the starting point of an "abundant life"—"rebirth," God's desire to establish a personal relationship with us, why the Word and prayer are blessings, not obligations, how to properly enjoy these blessings, and how to experience an abundant life more vividly by sharing and proclaiming our faith with others.
It is also a parenting textbook that guides faith training based on the ‘Gospel of the Kingdom of God.’
How should we begin the life of the people of the Kingdom of God?
The importance of the first step cannot be overemphasized.
Because the method and direction of your first step has a long-lasting impact on your subsequent steps.
The same goes for religious life.
How you begin your spiritual journey has a profound impact on the rest of your journey.
When we learn how to take the first step correctly, we will enjoy the amazing blessings God has hidden in this journey.
An abundant life, that is, growing in all areas of life throughout your life, so that you can live the wonderful, attractive, and meaningful life that God planned for you and that you so desire.
Conversely, if you take the wrong first step, your religious life will experience severe stagnation or turmoil, and you may even end up giving up on your spiritual journey.
The author, too, suffered from a sense of burden and guilt for a while because he only viewed reading the Bible, praying, and evangelizing as duties after his conversion in high school.
It was only after trial and error that I realized that all these elements of the life of faith are things that we 'enjoy' as Christians.
Something to 'enjoy' rather than something to 'do'
The most important thing in the Christian's journey of faith is to get to know God the Father who called us and to build a personal relationship with Him.
Could anything be more astonishing? "That finite humans, still sinful, can have a living relationship with the infinite and immaculate God is a mystery of mysteries... perhaps the greatest mystery human beings can experience" (p. 31).
As we all know, reading the Bible and praying are the most basic ways to know God.
The Holy Spirit guides this process, and through participation in the community, faith becomes stronger.
As we witness the changes that have taken place in our lives and proclaim the Gospel, our faith becomes clearer.
This book fundamentally emphasizes that each and every Christian activity, such as reading the Bible, praying, worshipping, and evangelizing, is something that can be enjoyed as a Christian, and explains in detail how to enjoy it.
Concrete and practical advice for living a rich life
So how can we enjoy an abundant life? The book first discusses "rebirth," the starting point for this "abundant life" (Chapter 2), and then the nature of God, who seeks to establish a personal relationship with us (Chapters 3-4).
Next, we discuss why the Word and prayer, which are tools for establishing a personal relationship with God, are not a Christian duty but a blessing that God's children can enjoy, and the specific methods for doing so (chapters 5-7). Then, we discuss how we can enjoy this blessing communally (chapter 8).
Then, it explains how we can enjoy this 'abundant life' more clearly by sharing our faith, which has brought us this amazing blessing (Chapter 9) and proclaiming it (Chapter 10).
In particular, the author's suggestions for 10-10-10 (taking 10 minutes three times a day to focus on God, pray, and meditate on His word), how to pray using the Lord's Prayer, the 3Cs (talking about how God challenged you in this way in your situation (Context) and how you have experienced or are striving for change in response to that challenge (Change)) and how to write a sincere and meaningful baptismal testimony are helpful and practical advice that readers can put into practice themselves.
A bridge between "Invitation to an Abundant Life" and "The Foundation of an Abundant Life"
The author has already presented the gospel in a persuasive way, grounded in the Korean ethos and based on rational and universal intellect, in "Invitation to an Abundant Life," written for those who seriously question the meaning of life.
We also published a 12-week discipleship training course titled “Foundations of an Abundant Life,” which teaches and develops the foundation for a balanced life based on the gospel of the Kingdom of God.
These books are distributed mainly through Nadulmok Church and Hanabok (God's Kingdom Gospel DNA Network) and are used as evangelism and nurturing materials.
"The First Step to an Abundant Life" serves as a bridge between these two books, introducing basic faith training methods for enjoying an abundant life.
It can be read from beginning to end in one sitting, but it is written to be read, meditated on, and applied to life alongside those who have walked this path before you.
This book, consisting of 10 chapters, is designed to encourage reading and practicing one or two chapters a week, and discussing them with others using the "Talk to Share" questions at the end of each chapter. It is great for one-on-one discussions or in small groups or district meetings.
A guide to spiritual growth for new believers who have accepted Jesus and taken their first steps in their life of faith, Christians who have been in the faith for a long time but are new to the faith, and those preparing for baptism.
It clearly explains the starting point of an "abundant life"—"rebirth," God's desire to establish a personal relationship with us, why the Word and prayer are blessings, not obligations, how to properly enjoy these blessings, and how to experience an abundant life more vividly by sharing and proclaiming our faith with others.
It is also a parenting textbook that guides faith training based on the ‘Gospel of the Kingdom of God.’
How should we begin the life of the people of the Kingdom of God?
The importance of the first step cannot be overemphasized.
Because the method and direction of your first step has a long-lasting impact on your subsequent steps.
The same goes for religious life.
How you begin your spiritual journey has a profound impact on the rest of your journey.
When we learn how to take the first step correctly, we will enjoy the amazing blessings God has hidden in this journey.
An abundant life, that is, growing in all areas of life throughout your life, so that you can live the wonderful, attractive, and meaningful life that God planned for you and that you so desire.
Conversely, if you take the wrong first step, your religious life will experience severe stagnation or turmoil, and you may even end up giving up on your spiritual journey.
The author, too, suffered from a sense of burden and guilt for a while because he only viewed reading the Bible, praying, and evangelizing as duties after his conversion in high school.
It was only after trial and error that I realized that all these elements of the life of faith are things that we 'enjoy' as Christians.
Something to 'enjoy' rather than something to 'do'
The most important thing in the Christian's journey of faith is to get to know God the Father who called us and to build a personal relationship with Him.
Could anything be more astonishing? "That finite humans, still sinful, can have a living relationship with the infinite and immaculate God is a mystery of mysteries... perhaps the greatest mystery human beings can experience" (p. 31).
As we all know, reading the Bible and praying are the most basic ways to know God.
The Holy Spirit guides this process, and through participation in the community, faith becomes stronger.
As we witness the changes that have taken place in our lives and proclaim the Gospel, our faith becomes clearer.
This book fundamentally emphasizes that each and every Christian activity, such as reading the Bible, praying, worshipping, and evangelizing, is something that can be enjoyed as a Christian, and explains in detail how to enjoy it.
Concrete and practical advice for living a rich life
So how can we enjoy an abundant life? The book first discusses "rebirth," the starting point for this "abundant life" (Chapter 2), and then the nature of God, who seeks to establish a personal relationship with us (Chapters 3-4).
Next, we discuss why the Word and prayer, which are tools for establishing a personal relationship with God, are not a Christian duty but a blessing that God's children can enjoy, and the specific methods for doing so (chapters 5-7). Then, we discuss how we can enjoy this blessing communally (chapter 8).
Then, it explains how we can enjoy this 'abundant life' more clearly by sharing our faith, which has brought us this amazing blessing (Chapter 9) and proclaiming it (Chapter 10).
In particular, the author's suggestions for 10-10-10 (taking 10 minutes three times a day to focus on God, pray, and meditate on His word), how to pray using the Lord's Prayer, the 3Cs (talking about how God challenged you in this way in your situation (Context) and how you have experienced or are striving for change in response to that challenge (Change)) and how to write a sincere and meaningful baptismal testimony are helpful and practical advice that readers can put into practice themselves.
A bridge between "Invitation to an Abundant Life" and "The Foundation of an Abundant Life"
The author has already presented the gospel in a persuasive way, grounded in the Korean ethos and based on rational and universal intellect, in "Invitation to an Abundant Life," written for those who seriously question the meaning of life.
We also published a 12-week discipleship training course titled “Foundations of an Abundant Life,” which teaches and develops the foundation for a balanced life based on the gospel of the Kingdom of God.
These books are distributed mainly through Nadulmok Church and Hanabok (God's Kingdom Gospel DNA Network) and are used as evangelism and nurturing materials.
"The First Step to an Abundant Life" serves as a bridge between these two books, introducing basic faith training methods for enjoying an abundant life.
It can be read from beginning to end in one sitting, but it is written to be read, meditated on, and applied to life alongside those who have walked this path before you.
This book, consisting of 10 chapters, is designed to encourage reading and practicing one or two chapters a week, and discussing them with others using the "Talk to Share" questions at the end of each chapter. It is great for one-on-one discussions or in small groups or district meetings.
GOODS SPECIFICS
- Date of issue: March 9, 2017
- Page count, weight, size: 256 pages | 314g | 125*200*20mm
- ISBN13: 9791196026530
- ISBN10: 119602653X
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