The 11 Day Path
Overcoming Stumbling Blocks to Belief
by Joe Vigliano
Do You Truly Want to
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~A Story~That was Jerry?s big fear. He was a solid Christian by most measures. Not raised in the church, he came to Jesus as an adult. He attended church every week, participated in Bible studies when they were offered, gave generously, participated in special church events. Like many, he was your average, everyday Christian.
~His Secret~One thing Jerry didn?t do was go out of his way to talk to others about Jesus, especially people who didn?t yet know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Truth be told, Jerry was even uncomfortable talking with other Christians about some of his beliefs. After all, he was no expert. He hadn?t been to a seminary or taken any special courses. He excused his avoidance by telling himself he would let the example of his life lead others to Christ, not his words.
~Called Out~But then it actually happened. Jerry?s life did lead someone at work to ask him about Jesus. The man told Jerry how much he admired Jerry and the way he acted at work. He admitted he was even a little envious when he heard details about Jerry?s personal life. And he thought maybe there was something to being a Christian after all. But he had some questions and asked if Jerry would mind answering them.
~Uh-Oh~Jerry quickly said that he wasn?t really an expert on the Bible and such, he was just a believer. He told the man that pastors are the ones trained to answer questions. He offered to take the man to his church and introduce him to the pastor. But his co-worker said he wasn?t quite ready for church yet. And his questions were really more about what Jerry thought than what the Bible said.
~The Questions~Jerry flinched. Then he flinched again when the man said he had two problems with Christianity. First, he wondered how God, Who was supposed to be all about love, could torture some people in the fires of hell for all eternity. Punishment is punishment, but that didn?t seem very loving to the man. Second, the people being tortured in hell for eternity were not just sinners like Hitler, they were people who didn?t accept Jesus as their Savior. Not only did it seem arrogant to the man to claim Jesus was the only way to get to heaven. It also seemed downright unfair to people who had never even heard of Him. People like babies, for instance. He crossed his arms as if he were done.
~Piling On~But before Jerry could speak, the man blurted out one more thing: Why does this God of love even allow evil and suffering in the world, especially when it comes to innocent children? If He?s all-powerful and really loved us, He could?and would?stop it. And if He?s not all-powerful, how can He be called God? Then the man fell silent, waiting for Jerry to answer.
~What Would You Have Said?~There was a time not too long ago when Jerry would have hemmed and hawed his way around those questions. He might have remembered some of the old clichés he?d heard on TV. Or in church. ?Beyond our understanding.? ?God?s unfathomable will.? ?Some things are not meant to be known.? That sort of thing. And chances are his co-worker would have nodded, thanked him, and then come up with excuse after excuse not to go to church with Jerry. End of conversations.
~A New Path~But that?s changed. Now Jerry has answers to those questions. And answers to other important questions that people like his co-worker ask him. What?s more, he has solid principles he can apply to answer any question that comes up. But he doesn?t do it. Instead, he offers them a copy of The 11 Day Path?Overcoming Stumbling Blocks to Belief. He tells people they don?t need to read the entire book, only the chapter that deals with their question. Then he offers to chat with them about what they read.
~Happier Ending~What he usually finds is the person winds up reading the entire book?it?s not one of those thick, scholarly books you?d see in a college course. And sometimes before they even get a chance to chat, the person agrees to stop in with Jerry and see what his church is like. Even people who have never set foot in a church in their life. This way, Jerry is fulfilling the great commission, helping to lead people to Christ. Jerry?s also read the book himself. So if someone who doesn?t want to read the book really presses him for an answer, Jerry obliges. After listening to him, most people are only too happy to get a copy of their own to read. |
Turning
Stumbling Blocks into
Stepping Stones
Unanswered questions can do more than just frustrate people. They can very well lead to a missed opportunity to gain eternal life. Struggling with unanswered questions about God, Jesus, Christianity, and the Bible can feel a lot like wandering in the wilderness. As the Old Testament tells, the Israelites wandered in the wilderness for 40 years before they entered the Promised Land. It was a journey that could have taken only 11 days.
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"This book was compelling. I found myself eagerly anticipating what the next chapter held. It gave me so much to think about, things I had never thought of in that way before. It's a book to ponder and read again and again."--Lisa "There are plenty of wonderful books about Christian apologetics. What separates The 11 Day Path is its "stickiness" months down the road. The logic and the love contained in these pages will remain with you for a long time. And the authenticity expressed by this nonjudgmental, longtime skeptic is hard to argue with."--Cynthia "I always feel sad when a book I have really enjoyed comes to an end, and must say, I was sad to come to the end of your book last night. I found it very informative, and think it would be a great basis for a Bible Study Class."--Janet All testimonials on file. |
Nine Key Questions
Reasearch has shown that these
nine questions are
the most perplexing, the most frequently asked, the
toughest to answer in a convincing
way:
The Answers?and More
The 11 Day Path can help shorten a spiritual journey bogged down in the wilderness. By giving the peace of mind and assurance that truthful answers can provide. No clichés or pat answers. Instead, it offers Biblically-grounded, straight-forward answers in language anyone can understand. High school students have found the book to be helpful, for themselves and their friends.
There are ?Points to Consider? at the end of each chapter to think about or discuss with others.
And in addition to providing answers to help guide people past these stumbling blocks, The 11 Day Path also provides practical guidelines and principles to apply to any other stumbling block to belief.
Make It Easy to Follow Jesus
Giving the book as a gift makes it easy for you to do your part to fulfill the great commission. And reading The 11 Day Path makes it easier for that person to accept the truth of the Gospel and Jesus as Lord. Darkness is pushed back and the Kingdom grows.
Please don?t allow a single person you know to miss their opportunity for eternal life because they didn?t get what they needed when they needed it?from YOU. You can be a vehicle for their salvation.
Order a copy for yourself as well, so you can answer those tough questions when someone taps you on the shoulder and says, ?I?d like to know more, but I have a few questions.
Available now!
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Path is well-suited for discussion groups,
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About the Author
Joe Vigliano is the co-founder of Surrendered Lives
Ministries, an
international ministry dedicated to helping people form,
develop, improve, and share the most important relationship
in their life:
with God.
The author of Focus on Prayer, he resides in Pennsylvania with his wife and three children, doing the work in the Kingdom that the Lord has called him to.
P.S. If for some
reason you don?t find The 11 Day
Path helpful, for yourself or for others,
please return it to us for a full refund. Just visit the
Surrendered Lives web site for full
contact information Click here: www.SurrenderedLives.com
And be sure to visit Focus on Prayer for a wealth of
information about talking to?and hearing from?God.
Joe Vigliano is the co-founder of
Surrendered Lives Ministries, an international ministry
dedicated to helping people form, develop, and improve their
most important relationship: with God.
Please visit Surrendered
Lives for
more information about the ministry.
And be sure to visit Focus on
Prayer for
information about talking to and hearing from
God.
Copyright © 2007, 2008 Joe Vigliano
All Rights Reserved