After "I Believe": Experiencing Authentic Christian Living [Paperback]

Mark Roberts (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 2002

Introduces the essential aspects of authentic Christian living, helping the reader live each day in the fullness of an intimate relationship with God and Gods people.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

New Christians struggling to understand and apply their faith will find pastoral guidance in After "I Believe": Experiencing Authentic Christian Living. "Sometimes ... people get stuck right at the start of this journey," writes Mark Roberts, a Presbyterian minister and teacher at Fuller Theological Seminary. "They think that believing in Jesus is all there is to being a Christian ... I explore with them the joy, the growth, and the fulfillment that come bundled with this new way of living." Using a light touch, Roberts tackles such weighty basics as the role of the Holy Spirit, the authority of the Bible, prayer, worship, and evangelism, and strives to make them less intimidating by including anecdotes from his church, family, and popular culture. Roberts's pastoral perspective shows in his strong and repeated emphasis on the importance of community, the need for submitting to the leadership of a church, and the value of corporate worship. Each chapter ends with practical ideas for personal application. As a starting point for new believers, this is a nice introduction to the evangelical Christian life. --Cindy Crosby

From the Back Cover

"In a postmodern world of many voices, each with its own take on life, it can be difficult for a new (or not so new) Christian to know what being a Christian means. Roberts has done a masterful job of introducing key concepts for living the Christian faith. His book is biblically and theologically sophisticated, yet easy to read. Excellent for group study.î Mike Regele, author, Death of the Church; president, Percept Group, Inc.

What is the Christian life? Why is it important to share fellowship with the community of the church as well as with God? What is the role of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer? Mark D. Roberts answers these questionsóand many moreóin this excellent primer for Christian living.

With sound biblical foundations and straightforward language, After ìI Believeî addresses the challenges of contemporary life and helps you understand what it means to live each day fully in relationship to God. It discusses basic Christian activities such as prayer, worship, and

Bible study and connects these activities to fellowship with God and his people. Stories, examples, and practical applications from real life show the importance of being a part of Christian community.

Whether youíre a new believer or a longtime believer who feels your walk is at a standstill, if you want to learn more about how faith interacts with real life, After ìI Believeî is an exceptional resource to guide you on the quest.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Baker Books (February 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0801063892
• ISBN-13: 978-0801063893
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #355,106 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

The Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a pastor, author, retreat leader, speaker, and blogger. Since October 2007 he has been the Senior Director and Scholar-in-Residence for Laity Lodge, a multifacted ministry in the Hill Country of Texas. Before then, he was for sixteen years the Senior Pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church in Irvine, California (a city in Orange County about forty miles south of Los Angeles).

Mark studied at Harvard University, receiving a B.A. in Philosophy, an M.A. in the Study of Religion, and a Ph.D. in New Testament and Christian Origins. He has taught classes in New Testament for Fuller Theological Seminary and San Francisco Theological Seminary.

Mark writes an "almost-daily" blog, found at www.markdroberts.com. He also writes a devotional for The High Calling of Our Daily Work, a website associated with Laity Lodge. His "Daily Reflections" can be viewed online or sent as a daily email (www.thehighcalling.org).

Mark serves on the editorial board of Worship Leader magazine, where he publishes articles and reviews, including his regular column "Lyrical Poetry." Additionally, he has published dozens of articles in leading magazines and journals. He often speaks for churches and other Christian groups, and has been interviewed on over seventy-five radio programs nationwide.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars After you convert and beforehand, March 19, 2002

By 

Gale Stevens - See all my reviews

This review is from: After "I Believe": Experiencing Authentic Christian Living (Paperback)

This is a book that I have been yearning for many years. A book for all Christians in that all true believers yearn for more real spiritual teaching to edify. The writer uses the teaching of the Apostle Paul predominately that brings "new insight" which is definitely beneficial in two major ways, higher educating of the faith and faith strengthening. This is something all real believers seek, bringing us closer to gods spirit. Also a book for persons flagging in their faith and on the verge of making a decision to convert. I wish to recommend a great spiritual book, SB 1 or God by Karl Maddox.

37 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent primer on the fundamentals of Christian living., March 19, 2002

By 

David J. Gannon (San Antonio, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: After "I Believe": Experiencing Authentic Christian Living (Paperback)

I sometimes liken what passes for Christianity today as a process of administering the equivalent of a religious vaccine--they introduce a watered down shadow of Christianity that has the effect of rendering the recipient immune to the real thing, should he ever see it. Although I suppose this is not just a modern day phenomenon--as C. S. Lewis noted long ago, the reason so few fail at Christianity is because do few try it.

I have my own ideas as to why this is, but more on that in a moment. First, the book.

This is a great book. It provides a basic overview of what I'd call the "how's and why's" of daily Christian life.

So many seem to think so much of what is discussed here is unimportant and/or optional--prayer, worship, fellowship, religious study and so forth are, for some reason, too often seen as minor adjuncts to "the Christian Life". The book looks at each of these--and other--topics and explains why they are vital to the daily life of Christians and need to be performed/observed/pursued. The church has lasted over 2000 years in large part because these actions were developed as a means of communicating, enriching and protecting the faith and its followers. Roberts does an admirable job of explaining the roots of these activities, their history and their importance both to the church in general and to the individual specifically.

I particularly like the subtitle of this book--Experiencing Authentic Christian Living. I believe there are two factors that undermine the Christian faith in general these days. One is shallowness derived from Christianity as marketing as opposed to Christianity as religion. Success seems in all too many cases to be based solely on the number of bodies that come through the door. Entertainment and marketing thus replace faith and evangelism. The other is Christianity as politics. The radical right and left seem to have decided that the church pulpit is primarily a political pulpit.

This book works because it focuses on Christianity as a faith--not an entertainment or a political medium. It is not about getting right with your karma or right with a political agenda--it's about getting right with God, complete with an array of actions that will facilitate and strengthen that activity.

If you're worried about your temporal life, go to a mega church and join the softball team. If you are concerned about your spiritual and eternal life, read this book.

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent for "new" believers and "old" believers alike, August 29, 2009

By 

Samuel Benjamin - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: After "I Believe": Experiencing Authentic Christian Living (Paperback)

This is well written, easy to read, and full of challenging thoughts and questions. Dr. Roberts is not afraid to touch on the controversial, but is gracious and rational in his approach. He gives sound advice for people who are in all stages of their walk. I especially appreciate his emphasis on fellowship in all areas of life for the purpose of intimacy with God and others. Anyone who reads this will be sure to walk away with great insights for their personal spiritual development. A healthy 5 stars.