Life: Atheist, Skeptic, and Cynic turned Christian - The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel

About

Strobel provides great research and resources about Jesus and Christianity within this sermon in 2018. By providing and explaining the his background as well the background of Jesus, you are led as a ‘juror’ to make an informed decision. The point? Jesus. Trust him.

Telos

Even so, Lee’s sermon also helps explain “telos.”

At 33:10, Strobel captures that when God became his telos, his life changed. Prior to that point, his telos was godless. A genuine faith is not merely the believing and receiving, but believing and receiving the “who” and the “who” became his telos.

Sidenote

The term “atheist” throughout the Roman empire history during and after Jesus meant one who denied their “theists” (gods). So, Christians were known as atheists from the Roman perspective. Our current time and culture uses the term atheist in various ways, and how Lee is using the term is from his perspective in being “a”gainst all gods, especially the one of Christianity.

Life: The Inspirational Epicenter of Francine Rivers' Life and Authorship

What an incredibly helpful Christian and Christian author!

Listening to Francine Rivers as well as reading her books provides genuine and inspirational insight into how God works to bring people to trust him and the gospel of Jesus Christ. Francine retells her life story through this helpful Q and A, including growing up in a churchy household, rejecting anything religious while in college, going through abortion, college education, struggling marriage, and ultimately coming to learn of God and the gospel through relationships in their NorCal neighborhood and church community.

One can learn much through just this interview on when God affects the heart he then also aims and aligns their life. God then is the epicenter with ripple effects of others tasting of his goodness.

Per her recounting of the move back to Northern California from Southern California, I am thankful for God using a church community, two households, and one pesky eight year old boy wanting to help move in his new neighbors! God is good!

She mentions her first book after becoming a Christian, Redeeming Love, which is based on the Bible’s Old Testament book of Hosea — about God’s love for his spiritually adulteress people metaphored through sending a prophet (Hosea) to love a prostitute.