The End of Our Present Suffering

“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” (Romans 8:18)

“And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.” (Revelation 22:7)

Photo: Unsplash

It’s easy to see that there is great agony in our world. Trials, difficult times, pain, and suffering are everywhere and, frankly, are altogether unavoidable. And when (not if) suffering rears its ugly head, you can wonder why God permits it, and if it will ever stop.

Mentoring Myself to Death

In many ways, you have control over what you want to have fed to you online. When you think about it, the internet is one giant digital buffet line you can pick and choose from to put on your plate and eat, depending on the mood you’re in at that particular moment. Other than advertisements here and there, nothing is digitally forced on you except what you have personally chosen.

Photo: Unsplash

And the same can be said about who we choose to spiritually influence and mentor us. If you’re trusting in yourself and choosing who you are going to on the internet as your primary source of spiritual input, you’re submitting only to the trustworthiness of yourself, and you don’t have to listen to anybody you don’t want to listen to. If the sermon on the podcast starts to make you feel uneasy, you stop it and find something else to tune in to. If the Bible study is too challenging, you can simply click away to a different one you’re capable of easily digesting.

Alisa Childers Podcast

Progressive Christianity and DoubtLess

This was an important conversation to have right now in our current cultural moment.

My hope and prayer is that this conversation with Alisa Childers helps you understand how doubt can be a healthy part of your walk with God, and also point you in some great directions as you see/hear stories of “Christian deconstruction.” I really appreciated my time talking with Alisa. She was kind, warm, and super encouraging. Click here or on the image above to see the video of our conversation.

Igniting A Nation Interview

Earlier this week, I had the opportunity to be interviewed on Igniting a Nation and talk with Messianic Rabbi Eric Walker on the topic of doubt and how people young and old can doubt well in our current cultural climate. The background where I’m recording in this video is white and bland (like me), but I assure you the topic of conversation will be helpful for you. To watch the full interview, click here, or on the image below.

Throwback: Why American Christians Should Care About Furious 7

I was interviewed yesterday for a podcast on the release of my new book, and during the interview, I mentioned an article I wrote several years ago about the ethnic diversity in the movie Furious 7.

Furious 7

After hunting for it for a while, I came to the conclusion that the article was lost in cyberspace, so I scoured my computer and found the original text document. Below is the original article from April 6, 2015 that I’m reposting here today. I love the Fast and Furious franchise for several reasons, but this article highlights an important one. Enjoy the throwback on this Thursday.

Free DoubtLess Sticker

DoubtLess Sticker

I’ve just sent out the first batch to everyone who asked for a free sticker, and now I’m ready for round 2!

Above is the image for a sticker that my publisher designed. They gave me a few hundred to give out to people, so if you’d like a free sticker for your water bottle, laptop, or favorite pair of skinny jeans, email me at shelby@shelbyabbott.com with your name and address and I’ll send you one for FREE!

No catch at all, just a free sticker. DoubtLess: Because Faith is Hard comes out in less than two weeks on August 17th!

What’s the Point?

Asking the Right Questions about Living Together and Marriage

Even though my next book will drop on August 17th, I actually have another book release coming from FamilyLife about one week later in August too.

What’s the Point? will be a small easy read for anyone asking questions about living together and marriage. It’s aimed at a college-aged audience, and will help answer the questions related to cohabitation/marriage raised by nominally Christian or non-believing students.

I had a lot of fun writing this book, and I love the way the design turned out for it. I’ll drop a few more details for it once the release date gets closer, but for now, I wanted to announce that it’ll be arriving on the heels of DoubtLess: Because Faith is Hard next month.