Wednesday, November 26, 2008

CHRIS BRAUNS: "UNPACKING FORGIVENESS: Biblical Answers for Complex Questions and Deep Wounds" (PART TWO)

MP3 Available Here

CHRIS BRAUNS, senior pastor at the Congregational Christian Church of Stillman Valley, IL, will continue to address the theme of his new controversial book, "UNPACKING FORGIVENESS: Biblical Answers for Complex Questions and Deep Wounds".

He earned his MBA from Northern Iowa University, MDiv from Grand Rapids Theological Seminary, and DMin from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. He has studied and spoken extensively on the topic of forgiveness.

In "Unpacking Forgiveness" Pastor Chris Brauns examines God's Word to form a sound theology of forgiveness, helping readers move beyond the wounds and baggage of bitterness, disagreements, and broken relationships. This book is engaging and accessible. It is a helpful resource for pastors, Christian counselors, and anyone who has been burned and struggles to extend forgiveness.

“True or false: most Christian pastors and counselors agree on what forgiveness is and how it should take place.” This question is part of Pastor Chris’s Forgiveness Quiz that draws readers into his book and gets them thinking about the subject of forgiveness. The truth is, pastors and counselors disagree profoundly on this subject. "Unpacking Forgiveness" combines sound theological thinking and honesty about the complicated questions many face to provide readers with a solid understanding of biblical forgiveness.

Only God’s Word can unpack forgiveness. The wounds are too deep for us to find healing on our own, and the questions are too complex to be unraveled by anything but the wisdom of God. This book goes beyond a feel-good doctrine of automatic forgiveness, balancing the beauty of God’s grace and the necessity of forgiveness with the teaching that forgiveness must take place in a way that is consistent with justice.

Here are two powerful commendations for Pastor Chris's new book:

"Forgiveness of one another is one of the most important subjects in the Bible, and yet one so often misunderstood. Now Christopher Brauns has done a magnificent job in helping us understand the true nature of biblical forgiveness. Every Christian will profit from reading and applying this book.” ---Jerry Bridges. Author of many books including The Pursuit of Holiness and The Discipline of Grace

“There is no more common or urgent pastoral need in the church today than to cultivate the Gospel practice of forgiveness. Christians need to know what the Bible teaches and live it out, radically. Unpacking Forgiveness: Biblical Answers for Complex Questions and Deep Wounds is an engaging, convicting but emphatically encouraging treatment of this hugely important (and sometimes mindbogglingly challenging) part of life. Dr. Brauns writes from the standpoint of a faithful, wise, experienced and caring pastor who has seen the heartbreak of an unforgiving spirit at work in the lives of people, but also the power of grace in the hearts of Christians who have learned to forgive and be forgiven.” ---J. Ligon Duncan III, First Presbyterian Church, Jackson, MS

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