Free to Be Holy
Much of the gospel you may have heard centers around hope for the next life, freedom from guilt and condemnation, and forgiveness of sin. But what does the Bible teach us about freedom from sin? Or deliverance from the things that produce guilt rather than the guilt itself? Free to Be Holy illuminates the other half of the gospel and explores an element of the biblical story that is often forgotten—holiness for this life. For Christians, the word holy carries weight. It is a touchstone for daily life, a reminder to center around Jesus rather than the world. Striving for a holy life can feel like a constant chase toward something unattainable, but there is another way to approach holiness. In this book, Dr. O’Reilly uses Scripture to guide readers through what God wants for us: perfect love and becoming fully human. Along the way, he shows that holiness has more to do with embodying God’s character in order to faithfully represent him in mission to the world. Each chapter ends with intentional questions for reflection and discussion, allowing the reader to engage deeper with themselves and in fellowship.
Reconstructing Methodism
The launch of the Global Methodist Church (GMC) didn’t come in a theological vacuum. Starting in 1972, the United Methodist Church (UMC), our predecessor denomination, explicitly built its ecclesial house on the sandy foundation of theological pluralism, leading to its structural instability now expressed in schism. The so-called “big tent” denomination intended to house a broad range of (sometimes contradictory) theological perspectives proved unsustainable. This context clarifies one of many tasks that the new denomination now faces. The GMC must build its ecclesial house on a solid foundation marked by rigorous theology that will provide a strong basis for effective mission to our neighbors and the nations. We offer the essays in this book as a starting point for that task. Each chapter takes up a question characterized by some tension or debate in our earlier denominational life and offers theological shepherding regarding how the GMC might proceed.
PAUL AND THE RESURRECTED BODY
Readers often think of Paul's attitude toward resurrection of the body in individual terms: a single body raised as the climax of an individual's salvation. In Paul and the Resurrected Body: Social Identity and Ethical Practice, Matt O'Reilly makes the case that, for Paul, the social dimension of future bodily resurrection is just as important, if not more so. Through a close reading of key texts, O'Reilly argues that resurrection is integral to Paul's understanding of Christian social identity. In Paul's theological reasoning, a believer's hope for the future depends on being identified as part of the people of God who will be resurrected.
THE LETTERS TO THE THESSALONIANS
Paul’s letters to the Thessalonians are some of our earliest existing writings in the New Testament. As such, they offer a unique glimpse into some of the most pressing issues as the gospel began to spread across the ancient world. How should believers respond when their faith is a minority perspective and are suffering persecution? What does genuine holiness look like? Is life after death truly worth believing in, and what does it look like? Will Jesus actually make good on his promise to come back? This eight-week study can be used with accompanying videos to explore these questions and more for individual or group study.
BLESS THE NATIONS
This short book is a seven-day devotional for short-term mission teams. Each day includes a passage of scripture, a brief reflection on that passage, questions for individual reflection or group discussion, and space for journaling your mission experience. Daily reflections focus your team on what God wants to do in them and through them while they are engaged together on a short-term mission trip.