Choosing the Opposite: How the Sermon on the Mount Helps Us Rethink Our Assumptions, Recalibrate Our Instincts, and Rediscover the Way of Jesus

by Tammy Melchien

Is it possible to live a life of integrity and peace in these divisive times?

Are you fed up with the polarization, division, and tension everywhere you turn—in your country, your community, your church, and even in your own relationships? Many of us wrestle with navigating disagreements, difficult personalities, and tense family dynamics with love and humility. We wonder if we have what it takes to be a peacemaker. Choosing the Opposite invites you to explore a radically different approach to life and faith as modeled in Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. Examine how your choices may be fueling the chaos and learn how embracing Jesus’ countercultural teachings can lead to the restoration of relationships, peace of mind, and a powerful Christian witness in a fractured world.

Tammy Melchien, a pastor with almost thirty years of ministry experience, helps you understand how the Kingdom of God impacts your everyday life as to cultivate radical humility, respect, and grace for all people, especially those who may challenge your valuesDiscover how to listen to Jesus’ teachings on forgiveness, generosity, and love, and apply them in practical, meaningful waysExplore Jesus’ wisdom for handling relational conflict and navigating divisive conversations with compassion and understandingSee how the Sermon on the Mount guides believers in today’s culture, giving a blueprint for meaningful changeConfront today’s culture wars and controversies head-on as you embrace true discipleship. Make the hard but rewarding choice to live as Jesus did—bringing hope, love, and reconciliation wherever you go.

224 pages, Paperback

Published October 7, 2025

About the author

Tammy Melchien is a writer and Teaching Pastor who is passionate about Scripture and helping people take next steps with Jesus. She has served on the staff at Community Christian Church in the Chicago area for over 20 years, most recently as the leader of the Teaching Team. Jesus captured Tammy's heart at a young age, and she is on a never-ending quest to know him more deeply and to follow him more faithfully.

Reviews

[Laurie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Choosing the Opposite points us to Jesus’ intent for our hearts and ultimately how we live as salt and light in a broken world. Tammy’s writing is thoughtful, insightful, and challenging; a chance for readers to bring the influence of the Kingdom a little closer.

[Meagan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Pastor Tammy Melchien’s approach in Choosing the Opposite: How the Sermon on the Mount Helps Us Rethink our Assumptions, Recalibrate Our Instincts, and Rediscover the Way of Jesus.

I know her to be a gifted and wise person who researches well and writes with warmth and clarity. So, in this, her (surprisingly!) first book, she called me to put myself there on the hillside where Jesus preached this extraordinary message. She made me see and hear Jesus’ message as if I was there, crowded in with the masses, hearing his voice over the murmuring, and making me think about his radical, upside-down message.

This is a journey through the Sermon on the Mount that upends my years-long understanding of it. It is so fresh. New. Deeply engaging, and nearly un-put-down-able. It challenges every assumption you may ever have had about Jesus, his teaching, and his true instructions on how we should live.

Tammy has done all the important biblical and theological research, and this book is beautifully footnoted and resourced. Still, the tone is warm, gracious and friendly—like you’re sitting down with a friend over coffee. I can’t recommend it enough! It’s for anyone who is curious about Jesus, longing to know him more, or who wants to dig in to the heart of the Sermon on the Mount with depth, openness, and willingness to let the Spirit teach you and change you from within.

[Lee Ruh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tammy Melchien’s Choosing the Opposite is a refreshing and accessible exploration of one of the most profound teachings of Jesus—the Sermon on the Mount. As someone who doesn’t typically gravitate toward Christian literature, I found this book completely compelling. It’s an easy read, yet deeply insightful, striking a beautiful balance between historical context and modern relevance.

Melchien skillfully unpacks Jesus’ words, showing how they continue to speak directly into our lives today. Her writing brings clarity to ancient truths while offering practical ways to pursue spiritual peace in a world often marked by division and conflict. The book doesn’t just explain scripture—it invites reflection, transformation, and a deeper understanding of what it means to live counter to the culture in pursuit of Christ.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

When living as a follower of Jesus, our lives should look so very different from the world around us. This book does a fantastic job of reminding us how to live the upside down way of Jesus. Thanks to the author, Tammy Melchien, for writing with truth and honesty, and reminding believers what their lives should be about!

[Nicole Hendricks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you, Tammy, for writing this book. It is clear, convicting, compassionate — and a relevant word for our time. Oh that we would hear from God and do what He says through the power of the Holy Spirit!

Would enjoy reading through it again with fellow believers and working through the discussion questions.

[Julie Bauer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written. A practical and inspiring walk through the sermon on the mount.