Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
A widely admired mainstream pastor shows how people and communities can flourish as beacons of hope and serenity in an anxious age. Truth is, a mere handful of fears work for us--fear of stepping in front of a bus, for example, or not taking care of our health. But the vast majority--fear of others, of failure, of the future--have almost no basis in reality, yet tie us in knots and steal our peace of mind. These fears, experts say, are often vestiges of primitive 'fight, flight, or freeze' instincts that, mostly, no longer apply. Making matters worse, our hyper fractious era of hate media, divisive politics, and multiplying natural disasters wreak havoc on our state of mind, leaving us troubled and unhappy.
Fortunately there's abundant good news. As trusted pastor and bestselling author Adam Hamilton shows in Unafraid, we can escape the echo chamber of anxiety and dread. With insight, intention and faith, we can learn to overcome what oppresses us, and live with courage and hope.
Drawing on fresh research, psychology, biblical principles, and his long experience shepherding a diverse faith community in Red State America, Hamilton helps readers untangle the knots of fear and truly embrace Jesus's recurring counsel: "Do not be afraid." He writes with generosity and intelligence for a wide audience in accessible language that will ring true to believer and unbeliever alike.
For anyone struggling with fear, worry, or anxiety--or who wonders how families and communities can live as peacemakers in troubled times--Unafraid offers an informed and inspiring message full of practical solutions.
Synopsis
Learn how to face and overcome the fears we feel about loneliness, illness, financial insecurity, disappointing others, failure, insignificance, and aging
"A thoughtful, literate, faith-filled guide to reclaiming our minds and our lives."--John Ortberg, senior pastor of Menlo Church and author of I'd Like You More If You Were More Like Me
You'd be hard-pressed to overstate the extent to which fear, anxiety, and worry permeate our lives today. Fear wreaks havoc on our relationships and communities. It leads us into making bad decisions. It holds us back from the very pursuits that promise fulfillment and joy.
As the senior pastor of a large, diverse church in America's heartland, Adam Hamilton has seen the cost of fear up close. When he surveyed his congregation on how fear affects them, 2,400 people responded--and what they said was eye-opening. Eighty percent admitted to living with moderate or significant levels of fear.
Unafraid is Hamilton's insightful and impassioned response. Drawing on recent research, inspiring real-life examples, and fresh biblical insight, Hamilton uses a mixture of facts and faith to help readers understand and counter fears related to such outsize perils as death and illness, as well as the everyday anxieties all of us encounter. He invites us to:
Face our fears with a bias of hope
Examine our fears in light of the facts
Attack our anxieties with action
Release our cares to God
Writing with generosity and intelligence, Hamilton shows how believer and unbeliever alike can develop sustaining spiritual practices and embrace Jesus's recurring counsel: "Do not be afraid." For anyone struggling with fear or wondering how families and communities can thrive in troubled times, Unafraid offers an informed and inspiring message full of practical solutions.