The Upside Down, Backwards Life of Disciples: Cycle C Sermons for Proper 17 - Thanksgiving Based on the Gospel Lessons

As Jesus told his disciples so many years ago, he tells his followers today to make use of and trust in prayer, not to lose heart even in the most challenging of times. Although prayer may seem an odd place to start amidst the suffering, injustice, pandemics, and other problems within our world today, without prayer we are more likely to give in, with no clear answers in sight. Many Christians understand that prayer is an intimate manner of talking to God, but prayer also strengthens our relationship with our Creator, allowing us to put our trust and faith in him. Without prayer, we turn away from God, and begin living a life on Earth that is unlike that of heaven.

Jill Duffield uses The Upside Down, Backward Life of Disciples to address this and other uncertainties that Christians may come across when reading through Scripture, whether in church or otherwise. When living as a disciple of God, one must not compare themselves to others, but rather to be content with what they have. We must remind ourselves often that we brought nothing into this world, and we will take nothing out of it, as everything we have ultimately belongs to God.

This book is intended for use by pastors preaching on a weekly basis but can be enjoyed by anyone who desires to learn more about the Christian faith. Whether you are a newcomer to the church or you have been attending since birth, Duffield provides the answers you need about how to grow closer to God by understanding the words in his Bible.