A Fresh Start

by John Charles Chapman

The book has four parts. Part 1 deals with God's solution to our problem. It assumes the existence of God, that Jesus Christ is God's unique Son, and that the Bible gives accurate information about God. Part 2 is written for those who are uncertain about God's existence and whether Jesus is God's Son. It also sets out to show that the New Testament histories about Jesus are reliable and that the Bible does give us accurate information about God. Part 3 deals with the serious responsibility of responding to God in his way rather than your own way. Part 4 sets out in detail what we need to do to become Christians, and how we can be sure we are Christians.

Genres: Christian, Nonfiction, Theology, Evangelism, Christian Living, Christianity, Religion

218 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1973

About the author

John Charles Chapman (1930-2012), affectionately known as "Chappo", was well-known throughout Australia, the UK and South Africa as a clear and passionate Bible teacher and evangelist. He served for many years as the head of the Department of Evangelism in the Anglican Diocese of Sydney. He is the author of the best-selling A Fresh Start and Know and Tell the Gospel.

Reviews

[Harriet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic simple introduction, or re-introduction, to Christianity. I read this alongside the Christianity Explored course, and the two together, along with bible studies and fellowship, facilitated my conversion to Christianity. As the title suggests, it really did make me look at it all with fresh eyes. Having been brought up firmly in the Catholic faith, I thought I understood it all, but reading this book showed me I had misunderstood everything and had so much more to learn. Full of anecdotes, it is easy and fun to read and I would recommend it to anyone interested in learning more about biblical christianity and particularly anyone who may be asking 'who is Jesus?'. It is a great starting point for one's spiritual journey.

[Benjamin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un livre qui présente les bases de la foi chrétienne de manière simple, biblique, et adaptée.

[Gavin Felgate · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this book, writer John Chapman explains about the way of life for Christians, and although it feels as though it is aimed at people who are just starting to think about becoming Christian, it is also a good book for committed Christians to remind themselves about the important aspects of faith and the right attitude towards life.

I quite liked the fact that Chapman points out the number of eyewitness accounts for Jesus' resurrection in the Bible, setting out this as his reasons for believing what it says. He also shows that he has a good Biblical knowledge, and shows this by quoting relevant passages throughout the book. Overall, this was a very simple book to understand, so is a recommended book to anyone who would like to know more about what it means to be Christian.

[Grace Ho · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a thought-provoking book for a non-Christian like me with question in mind 'Who is Jesus?' Written by an easy-English language and conversational tone, this book answers all questions for me as a first step to be a Christian!

[Luke Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best intro to Christianity out there.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Explains some things really well

[Todd Wilhelm · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good introduction to Christianity in an easily readable format.

[Frans Kempe · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good introduction to the Christian faith. Clear and well structured.

[Rohan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of great story telling.
The middle two sections, there are other books that do this better, but section 1 and 4 are really helpful, and he even says to skip to those.

[Christine Dillon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A refreshingly easy read explaining what a Christian is and why we should consider following Jesus. I reread this regularly and have given it to others.

[Wandering · Rating 4 out of 5]

i was torn between three or four stars because it simply was not a striking to me. however, after viewing it in its entirety, a three star would be much too low.

“a fresh start” by John Chapman is undoubtedly an excellent introduction to Christianity, dealing with the “what”, “why” and “so what now”. a light-hearted and engaging read filled with helpful stories and analogies closely complementing points made.

though while there may be some enlightening points made and generally serves as a good refresher, those who may be a little more well read may find it easier to skim through as points made, while true, are made on a surface and fundamental layer. this is why i was not as engaged as i would have liked to be, but i must admit that for the target audience of those who are just starting to find out what Christianity is all about, it is a very good read.

[Birgit · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was an interesting book but not that captivating.

[SmithG · Rating 5 out of 5]

The last section was amazing and instilled strong motive for going to church at weekend - one of my life changing books.

[Ria · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting and insightful look at the author's conversion and subsequent way of living life as a Christian.
Full of information for those hoping to become a Christian and peppered with anecdotes and stories about how to apply Christianity to modern life.
Reading this as an atheist, it changes nothing for me and at times sounded a bit saccharine but was an interesting read all the same and am sure is a good tool for those hoping to or the newly converted Christian.