Resilient: Standing Firm in a Hostile World

by David Young, John Cooper (Foreword)

THE GUIDEBOOK WE NEED FOR TIMES WE NEVER ASKED FOR

Are you a Christian resolved to following the teachings of Jesus regardless of cultural pressure? This book is written for you and the millions of Christians in North America who have discovered that our world has become hostile to many of our Christian beliefs. Resilient is a realistic look at the increasing hostility toward Christianity in North America—and a powerful and winsome guide for how to stand firm in our Christian convictions.

It is time for thoughtful Christians to move from a state of shock to a state of confidence. To that end, Young assembles wise and courageous voices from Scripture, history, and the global church to address how to respond at this moment in history. The result moves beyond analysis to laying out serious strategies for faithfully following the path of King Jesus amid tectonic cultural shifts under our feet.

“David’s work here is very important to take seriously. He has accurately assessed where the church is today and where it will end up in most cases in the future—unless we as Christians begin to take seriously the call of God to be about our Father’s business until he returns.”

—Jim Putman, Pastor, Real Life Ministries; Author, Real-Life Discipleship and RelationShift

“In this eye-opening book, Young gives us practical help for living victoriously in our modern Babylon. It’s a great read!”

—Jerry Harris, Teaching Pastor, The Crossings; Publisher, Christian Standard

“In this fantastic book, David Young uses the Word of God to give us very practical instruction on how to respond with conviction, love, and wisdom as we fight this spiritual battle in the Jesus way.”

—Reese Neyland, Associate Director of Learning Communities, Renew.org Network

DAVID YOUNG (PhD, Vanderbilt University) is the Lead Minister for the North Boulevard Church of Christ in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. He has taught New Testament at several universities and traveled widely teaching and preaching. He is the author of several books, including Holy Filled, Empowered, and Led; A Grand Illusion; and King Jesus and the Beauty of Obedience-Based Discipleship.

304 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 3, 2023

About the author

Librarian Note: There are more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Others:
David 2^ Young: Religion, Christian
David 3^ Young: GR Author, Photography
David 4^ Young: GR Author, Fiction, Children's
David 5^ Young: New Zealand author, Environmental
David 6^ Young: Fiction, Mystery & Thriller
David 7^ Young: Fiction, Thailand based
David 8^ Young: Poetry
David 9^ Young: Plays
David 10^ Young: Outdoor Activities
David 11^ Young: Motivation
David 12^Young
David 13^Young
David 14^Young (David of Perth)
David 15^ Young (Welsh rugbyplayer)
David 16^ Young (South African police officer and businessman)
David 17^ Young (American Pastor)
David 18^ Young (British children's author)

Reviews

[Sheri Spears · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is true that America is changing and that being Christian is not the norm. We have all seen it. Young takes a deep dive into the world of progressivism. While it was informative, it was fearful and focused on doom and gloom in the future of America.

Personally, I felt like he spent too much time on the problem and not enough on the solution, which is how we as Christians should trust in God and behave. I didn’t enjoy reading about how awful the world is. That was 75% of the book. I persevered through that and finally Young discusses some solutions, scriptures, and attitudes to deal with the current situation and progressivism. I think the last 2-3 chapters should have been first instead of last. I’m afraid most readers won’t get to the solution because they will lose hope during the first part.

[Jonathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was expecting something different. I have read two other books by Young and enjoyed them. At times, I felt like he was yelling at me how it’s my fault progressivism is on the rise and that they’re outside my door ready to carry me out.

With that said, I agree with the overall thesis of the book…church, we need each other and we must be a community. To do that, we must stand firm…that’s my takeaway.

[Brandon Boyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid book on dealing with the cultural issues of the day. Strong Biblical theology. The last third of the book--the section on how to respond--was excellent. Chapter 10 was the best chapter as it gave concerte examples for us to learn from.

[Victoria Dodge · Rating 5 out of 5]

An insightful look at the damage being done to American culture by the progressive agenda and how to approach people with the love and compassion of Jesus.

[Austin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most inciteful chapters in this book:

1. Chapter 1 - Recognize the Adversary. This chapter gives a brief history of progressive thought and gives real examples of progressive ideology manifesting itself throughout history. This chapter explains the core differences in the way Christians and Progressives view Power and Truth, Human Destiny, Human Nature, and Justice and Equality. This chapter is worth reading over and over.

2. Chapter 2 - Know the Threats. This chapter helps the reader think about where we are headed. If you struggle with being "forward thinking", this is a great chapter for you. The core lesson from this chapter... know where we are headed so we can understand the proper way to prepare NOW.

3. Chapter 3 - Decide, Once and For All, Who You Are. This chapter emphasized the importance of deciding how you are going to act before a hostile situation arises. In other words, know who your Lord is and commit to follow Him before you have to make a difficult decision.

4. Chapter 10 - Be Wise as Snakes, Gentle as Doves. This chapter gives 4 imperatives for the Christian... Refuse to Assimilate (1 Corinthians 5:9-10), Be a Faithful Presence, Practice Christian Subversion (Matt. 10:16-17, Acts 23:6, Matt. 7:6), Always be Moving Away From Compromise (gives practical applications and principles taken from 1 Corinthians 10: 25-28 and 1 Corinthians 8:10-13). Especially enjoyed reading the exurb from the Epistle of Mathetes to Diognetus, Ante-Nicene Fathers: Vol. 1, (Albany: The Ages Digital Library, Version 2.0), 57-58. The excerpt details a legend of the apostle John nonconformity and courageous actions while attending a secular festival celebrating a Roman goddess.

5. Chapter 6 - Live as a Non-conformist. Must read! This chapter is a warning and a guide to living a life of non-conformity in an anti-Christian society. The section titled, Do Not Play Word Games, is particularly inciteful! Reminds me of 1984 in its discussion on redefining words to warp reality. The author details progressive redefinitions of the following words: Love (ex: to affirm anything that makes me happy), Gender (includes male, female, and all the rest), Tolerance (progressives have twisted the traditional virtue into a vice), judge (Specifically referring to the response one gets to calling out of sinful behavior).