Über die Autorinnen und Autoren

Lee Strobel, former award-winning legal editor of the Chicago Tribune, is a New York Times bestselling author whose books have sold almost twenty million copies worldwide. Lee earned a journalism degree at the University of Missouri and received a Master of Studies in Law degree from Yale Law School. He was a journalist for fourteen years at the Chicago Tribune and other newspapers, winning Illinois’ top honors for investigative reporting (which he shared with a team he led) and public service journalism from United Press International. A former atheist, he served as a teaching pastor at three of America’s largest churches. Lee and his wife, Leslie, have been married for more than fifty years and live in Texas. Their daughter, Alison, and son, Kyle, are also authors. Website: www.leestrobel.com

Mark Mittelberg is a bestselling author, international speaker, and executive director of the Lee Strobel Center for Evangelism and Applied Apologetics at Colorado Christian University (StrobelCenter.com).

Mark was the primary author of the Becoming a Contagious Christian course, translated into 20 languages and used by nearly two million people, and now the all-new Contagious Faith book and video training course.

Von der hinteren Coverseite

When we seize opportunities to talk with others about Jesus, days that start out dull and tedious can quickly blossom into exciting escapades. Written fortoday's multigenerational, multicultural world, The Unexpected Adventure helps readers take easy steps into a natural evangelistic lifestyle that will energize their own faith while making an eternal difference in the lives of people they encounter.Using a devotional-style format, bestselling authors Lee Strobel and Mark Mittelberg tell dramatic and sometimes funny stories from their own lives and then draw out practical applications backed by Scripture. Readers will be inspired with fresh compassion for their spiritually confused friends and equipped with practical strategies for influencing others for Christ. Entire churches will be rejuvenated as congregations discover that evangelism can be the adventure of a lifetime -- starting today.

Auszug. © Genehmigter Nachdruck. Alle Rechte vorbehalten.

The Unexpected Adventure

Zondervan

Contents

Introduction When Eternity Holds Its Breath..........................9Day 1 Adventure Enrolling in the Adventure..............................19Day 2 Adventure When You Just Don't Know................................25Day 3 Adventure Being Your Own Eccentric Self...........................31Day 4 Adventure Those Imperfect Opportunities...........................37Day 5 Adventure Embarrassed for God.....................................43Day 6 Adventure Breaking the Pact.......................................49Day 7 Adventure Spur-of-the-Moment Friendship...........................55Day 8 Adventure Putting Love into Action................................61Day 9 Adventure Inviting Adventure......................................67Day 10 Adventure Emerging from the Cocoon................................73Day 11 Adventure Stumbling into Action...................................79Day 12 Adventure Faith Like a Child......................................85Day 13 Adventure Divine Interruptions....................................91Day 14 Adventure The Influence of a Story................................97Day 15 Adventure Mountaintop Experience..................................103Day 16 Adventure Linking Together........................................109Day 17 Adventure The Cowboy Who Almost Shot Me...........................115Day 18 Adventure An Unfair Advantage.....................................121Day 19 Adventure Prayers of Desperation..................................127Day 20 Adventure Representing Jesus......................................133Day 21 Adventure Unlikely Candidate......................................141Day 22 Adventure Praying Persistently....................................147Day 23 Adventure Roadside Redemption.....................................153Day 24 Adventure Seeing Through Smokescreens.............................159Day 25 Adventure Potential in Partnering.................................167Day 26 Adventure In the Nick of Time.....................................173Day 27 Adventure Making Room for Questions...............................179Day 28 Adventure The Big Oops............................................185Day 29 Adventure The Impact of Evidence..................................191Day 30 Adventure Ordinary Life, Extraordinary Impact.....................197Day 31 Adventure Worship with Class......................................203Day 32 Adventure Ready to Make a Difference..............................209Day 33 Adventure Spiritual Backup........................................215Day 34 Adventure Passion for People......................................221Day 35 Adventure The Unseen Side of the Journey..........................227Day 36 Adventure Outrageous Grace........................................233Day 37 Adventure Power of the Gospel.....................................239Day 38 Adventure Those Odd Coincidences..................................245Day 39 Adventure A Time for Urgency......................................251Day 40 Adventure Hang Time...............................................257Day 41 Adventure Ripple Effects..........................................265Day 42 Adventure Addicted to Life Change.................................271Conclusion Risks and Rewards.......................................279Meet the Authors..........................................................285Sources...................................................................287Recommended Resources.....................................................289

Chapter One

ENROLLING IN THE ADVENTURE

MARK MITTELBERG

"So, Mark, are you a Christian?"

Terry's seemingly simple question was actually quite intimidating in that era of my life. We had been friends ever since we attended middle school together. I'd always appreciated his direct personality - at least until that particular moment, when he was challenging me about the inconsistencies in my life.

"Sure, I'm a Christian, Terry. What about it?" I replied somewhat defensively while trying not to raise my voice too much. I didn't want my coworkers to overhear our conversation, fearing it would ruin my reputation and spoil some of the fun I had partying with them.

I was nineteen years old and living large - or at least I thought I was. I worked in an electronics store that sold high-end stereo equipment as well as round vinyl objects called "records," which looked like oversized CDs and played music on devices called "turntables." (If you're under thirty, you'll probably need to look up these things on the Internet or in a history book, where you'll find details and maybe a few pictures to help you understand what I'm talking about.)

Suffice it to say, we sold really good sound equipment and played great music on it - loud! It was an exciting place for a young guy like me to work. I enjoyed the environment, the money, the friends, and the freedom that this season of my life brought. Thoughts of God, church, and religion were low on my list of concerns.

Then on that fateful day, Terry walked into the store, eager to make a point. For whatever reason, he felt compelled to challenge my spiritual complacency.

In Columbo-like fashion, Terry responded to my claim of faith with another question: "How can you call yourself a Christian and yet do so many things that Christians don't do?"

"Well," I said flippantly, "I guess I'm just a cool Christian." Rarely have stupider words been spoken, but it was the best I could come up with at the time.

My remark didn't go over well with Terry. Without batting an eye, he shot back, "Oh, really? Don't you know there's a word for 'cool Christians'?"

I shook my head, though he wasn't really waiting for a reply.

"They're called hypocrites!" Terry spat out.

Ouch!

Not knowing quite how to handle his verbal missile, I did what came naturally - I returned fire: "Oh, yeah? So what about your life, Terry? Are you telling me you've got it all together?"

"No," he replied, a bit more gently. "But at least I'm honest about it."

Even after Terry left, his words lingered. I felt angry. Who does he think he is, coming in here and talking to me like that? It wasn't until a day or two later, after I'd cooled down, that I finally realized why his challenge bothered me so much: I knew he was right.

As I kept replaying that conversation in my mind, I felt a gradual softening in my attitude. My initial anger was replaced with reflection - and within a few days that reflection turned into repentance.

Finally, after a combination of divinely orchestrated influences over the previous few weeks - including the prayers of my visiting grandmother Effa, the encouragement of my mom, some sobering conversations with my dad, the godly example of my siblings, the challenges of several sermons from a couple of gifted teachers, the influence of some new friends at a Bible study I had visited, and now the rebuke by Terry - I finally decided on the evening of November 8, 1976, to give up the fight and yield my life to Christ. I asked for his full and free forgiveness, and I told him I wanted to follow him from that day forward,...