Love the Lord with All Your Mind discussion

I'm Werner Lind, one of the librarians at Bluefield Univ., a Christian college in the mountains of Southwest Virginia, and the founding moderator of this group. My undergraduate degree is in History, and I have an M.A. in Religion (concentration in Biblical Studies) from Eastern Mennonite Seminary. Although I was raised as a Missouri Synod Lutheran, my wife and I belong to a congregation of the Church of God Reformation Movement (sometimes called the Anderson, Indiana Church of God) here in Bluefield, and I currently serve as the adult Sunday School teacher there.

Hi, I'm Nathan Chattaway, a Christian husband and father living on a small acreage in the Adelaide Hills / Barossa Valley region of South Australia. My paid work is as an IT leader in an agency of the State Government. I was converted to Christianity at just 8 years old, within the Assemblies of God Pentecostal denomination back in the late 1970s. I spent the next 30 years within various Pentecostal congregations before becoming persuaded that I was a Reformed Baptist. I have no formal tertiary quals in Theology, but have been a fairly enthusiastic amateur theologian for around 20 years now. For the past 10 years, our family has worshipped at Sovereign Grace Baptist Church in Salisbury, in the northern suburbs of Adelaide.

Nathan, welcome to the group; it's great to have you here! You're only the fourth person to join us, and the first one besides me who's actually posted a comment; so you've revived my flagging belief that this group might actually meet a felt need (or at least a want) for some folks in the Christian community on Goodreads other than myself. :-) Perhaps your post will inspire some of our other members to introduce themselves, too.

Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/ashleyg...

Greetings! My name is Ashley Gantz and I’m the CEO of Aries Development Group, LLC, an organization that provides invaluable educational resources, textbooks, and anthologies to higher education classrooms. I’m the founder of My Skills Coach, a venture that focuses on offering life skills curriculum and educational materials to non-profit agencies.
I am very excited about my two recently published books. The first of these publications is "Advent Reflections: A Guided Writing Journal." This journal is designed to guide readers through the reflective and contemplative Advent season, helping them deepen their understanding of the birth of Jesus and the spiritual journey that lies ahead.
Additionally, "Christ(mas): The Importance of Keeping Christ in Christmas" is an informative book that emphasizes the importance of keeping Jesus Christ at the forefront of our hearts and minds during the Christmas season. This book offers practical tips and insights to help us maintain the true meaning of Christmas amidst the holiday rush.
Other Published Books of Interest:
The Faithful Pen: A Christian Writing Experience
Philosophy, Faith, and Reflection: A Journal of Religious Inquiry
Biblical Reflections: A Free Write Journal for Biblical Studies
Exploring the Virtues of a Christian Life: A Free Write Journal
Walking the Path of the Beatitudes: A Personal Reflection
Exploring Christian History: A Reflection Journal
Ethics in Action: A Free Write Journal for Christian Moral Studies
I am a dedicated member of St. Peter's Catholic Church and hold a doctorate of philosophy in Humanities from Faulkner University with a concentration in literature. Before launching my educational curriculum business I was a professor of English at my wonderful undergraduate Alma mater.
I enjoy volunteering with The Domestic Violence Project, the Pregnancy Crisis Center, and the Catholic Charities. Email agantz@myskillscoach.com.

Welcome to the group, Ashley! We're glad you've joined us, and hope that you'll become an active member.

Hello all. I am Eric Foy, professionally an engineer and small business owner, primarily a redeemed son of the Living God! My wife of 37 years and I have raised 6 fine children (by God's grace), plus a quasi-adopted third daughter, all of whom live productive lives.

Born again at something like age 7, I have never doubted the reality of both my need for personal redemption, nor its reality in my life, despite all of my own self-destructive propensities. Thus I have become a bit of an arm-chair theologian who loves to share his opinion and to engage with others in meaty discussions thereupon. And now I'm an author... who knew, right?

I look forward to sharing and receiving ideas about the infinite greatness of the God of eternity who takes an interest in ourselves, His creation.

Eric wrote: "...I have become a bit of an arm-chair theologian who loves to share his opinion and to engage with others in meaty discussions thereupon.... I look forward to sharing and receiving ideas about the infinite greatness of the God of eternity who takes an interest in ourselves, His creation."

Eric, it sounds like this group is a natural fit for you; welcome! (And welcome to Goodreads, since I see you've just joined very recently.) We're glad you found us, and glad you've already begun commenting. Check out our discussion board, and share your thoughts wherever you feel led to!

Hello all! My name is Riley. I’m 20 years old from the state of Kentucky. I love Jesus and i love theology! I currently go to seminary pursuing my masters in Biblical and Theological studies. Through this i’ve gotten to read some fantastic books and meet some amazing people! Looking forward to sharing some of these books/topics/ideas with you all! I found out about this app a while ago and just learned today there were groups! Excited to be a part of a group like this one!

A little bit more about myself (short version of my testimony).

I grew up in a Christian home but rejected Christ my entire life. As a young teen i got into drugs and porn. my addictions controlled my entire life. during that time i had still been going to church and God met me where I was, showed me my sin for what it was, and saved me. A few months after that night God called me into ministry and I have been pursuing it wholeheartedly since then. Before I was a Christian i became pretty popular on social media (snapchat specifically), to the point where i was reaching hundreds of thousands monthly. After Jesus truly came into my life things changed, i shifted my content towards that and lost 90% of my viewership. To this day i still do social media but at a lesser level than before. However God is giving me opportunities now on new platforms and im holding hope that one day I will be able to have the same reach as before; but now instead of a focus on me and my life, the focus will be Christ alone. i believe social media is crucial to reaching my generation. I have many friends who were saved because they saw someone preaching on tiktok or on instagram.

That last part was kind of a rant / i don’t know what but oh well lol. Looking forward to meeting yall!

Riley, welcome to the group; we're so glad you've discovered us. We're a pretty new group; so far we don't have much membership, or very broad participation (just two people actually do most of the commenting, so we're both eager to get more folks involved! :-) ). Looking forward to getting to know you better as well! Check out our discussion board and bookshelves, and join in the conversation wherever you want to. (And if there isn't a thread for something you want to discuss, feel free to start one!)

Hello, everyone. My real name is Steve but my online presence is focused on my ministry, which is why I use it at every opportunity.

I'm originally from Massachusetts where I was raised Catholic, even attending Catholic School from 8th-12th grade. At 18 I joined the Army and spent 7 years on Active Duty, traveling everywhere and living like there was no God.

The following 10 years were not much different as I was a Contractor training people on the same things I did in the Army.....once again living like there was no God but now more seasoned. However I did begin, in 2001, the first steps in what ultimately led to my salvation. While this was happening simultaneously to being a Contractor, there was a fair mix of sin and conviction but salvation would not be a topic I would even begin to discuss until 2005.

Unfortunately I feel like I was mostly misled by many well-meaning as well as deliberately deceptive teachers. So it wasn't until 2015 when I actually got saved. From 2005-2015 I believed I was saved, but was only nominally Christian as much as I was as a Catholic. I wasn’t transformed, only added Jesus to my sinful lifestyle.

Once again, I had some well-meaning teachers but very few who discipled believers, which is probably why I'm so fixed on the act in my ministerial work today. It wasn't until 2017 that I feel like I even began to grow out of my spiritual infancy and onto more spiritually mature things. Perhaps it was at this time that I received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.

I became particularly inspired initially by Creation Theology and pursued that for a couple of years. Then I realized that I needed to know a whole lot more than just creation -that's when I began my theological studies (2019). I have been studying ever since. On a sidenote, this is not to say that I have regrets. In fact I think every Christian should be taught Creation as the foundation of their learning and likewise their faith. It has served me immoderately well.

My explanation for this drive to study and to learn would be that I feel as though I've been blessed with a Gift of Knowledge. However, as I've learned, that does not mean that I just roll out of bed one day and know a lot about everything (or anything). It has been an ongoing pursuit that I'm happy to continue and develop until I go to the Presence of the Lord.

This Gift (at least in my case) manifests in an unquenchable passion for learning. This has been ongoing now for several years and it has gotten to a point that I feel like I need to reach out with greater frequency and diversity to others who share that same drive. Church, unfortunately, has been turning up quite dry. Theology is obviously not for everyone.

I'm hoping to meet here brethren who will enjoy engaging in discussion, fellowship (as far as one can over the internet), study and research, & sharing of information, interpretation, perspectives, and opinions.

May God bless each person reading this and I pray that you will grow in your faith; deepening the intimate relationship that you have with the Lord Jesus Christ throughout the rest of your life here on Earth.

Final Draft wrote: " I pray that you will grow in your faith; deepening the intimate relationship that you have with the Lord Jesus Christ throughout the rest of your life here on Earth."

Steve, that's a wonderful prayer; may God grant it to us all! Thanks for sharing your spiritual journey with us, and welcome to the group. Make yourself right at home here; we look forward to getting to know you better as we discuss and learn together!

welcome Riley and Steve! Great to see our little group starting to grow. I look forward to getting to know you better.

Greetings,
I have spent my working life as a self employed stringed instrument maker. I am a father (and new grandfather!), husband, and christian who has been seeking God for over 4 decades. He has brought me a long way, but there is still a long way to go. I have learnt a lot about God through reading great theologians – perhaps the most influential for me is P.T. Forsythe. But I have also learnt much from my life-long career working in fine woodwork.

William, welcome to the group; we're glad you've joined us! Make yourself right at home here; check out the discission threads and bookshelves, and join in the conversation wherever you want to. We hope this group will be a blessing to you. (And congratulations on becoming a grandfather!)

Hi,

I am David from Faithful Intellect (https://faithfulintellect.com).

You can read our blog here:
https://faithfulintellect.com/engagin...

Mission Statement: We believe that God is the source of all truth and wisdom, and that He calls us to use our minds to glorify Him and serve His purposes. We also strive to explore the reality of creation and culture with humility and curiosity, recognizing our limitations and biases. Our readers are invited to join us in this journey of critical thinking and open-minded inquiry, as we seek to follow Jesus with our intellect by engaging culture with faith and reason.

You can learn more about us here:
faithfulintellect.com/engaging-cultur...

David, a warm welcome to you! Thanks for accepting my invitation to join this group; I think we'll be a good fit for your interests. Best wishes for God's grace and blessing in your blogging ministry!

Hi all, my name is Ethan and I am a recent college grad (major in biology and minor in biblical/theo studies) from biola univeristy. I am planning on applying to dental school soon, but when I am not studying or playing sports, I enjoy learning and reading about theology and, by extension, God.
I grew up in a pretty faithful Christian home, although my parents were not much of the theological or intellectual type in their interactions with their faith. I was raised in a Seventh-day adventist church for about 11 years, but after my family left that church, we went to a large mega-church-ish foursquare church for the remainder of my time until college. In college, I started to take my faith more seriously as it was time for me to find my own church to call home and to worship in. After beginning that journey of theological discovery (which still is very much active), I considered Roman catholicism, Lutheranism, presbyterianism, Anglicanism, and learned about pretty much all other denominations in between. I ended up going to a presbyterian church for the majority of my time in college, but not being a calvinist, I felt like there was some small dissatisfaction with the church (although there were many other things i appreciated about it). Right now, I would say my theological leanings are closest to confessional lutheranism, but I listen to a wide variety of trusted sources. Back to the present, I am still in a process of finding a church to plant my feet in, but in the meantime I am trying to grow in my relationship with the Lord, through the means of grace and personal devotion. It's a struggle at times, but I trust that God is faithful even when we are not, and that this group will be a place for genuine fellowship. I enjoy to hear all of your thoughts!

Ethan, it's great that you've joined us, welcome! I enjoyed reading your description of your spiritual journey so far (I could relate, having first started to get serious about my faith during my own college years) and trust that God will both lead you in the paths He wants for you, and help you to grow in grace. Congratulations on your recent college graduation!

Ethan wrote "I trust that God is faithful even when we are not, and that this group will be a place for genuine fellowship."

Well, unlike the Christian Goodreaders group (https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/... ) that some of us also belong to, until just now we haven't actually had a venue in this group just devoted to fellowship. But we do now, here: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/group... , and I believe it will be a blessing to the group. Thanks for giving me that idea, Ethan!

We only got started as a group last August, and so far, on the whole, we've actually been a relatively quiet bunch. As yet, I think only three of us have posted more than once, but it would be great to have more conversation! Don't hesitate to join in with your thoughts; check out our discussion board and bookshelves (feel free to add books you think are worthwhile!), link to your book reviews that are of interest to the group, and if you'd like to discuss a topic that doesn't have a thread, feel free to start one!

Building a head of steam takes time. Werner, be sure to remind us on the first anniversary of the group!

Will do, Nathan!

Hello all! I come bearing no credentials, but only with great eagerness to learn. Over the course of much of my life since my teens, I’ve had an almost unquenchable thirst to understand God, context of the Bible, its history and the stories within, which has led to many opportunities for growth and pondering. Over at our house I collect systemic theology books and have a spectrum of topics on our theology bookshelves.

Much of my life consists of homeschooling our children and taking care of our microhomestead.

As it seems almost every conversation I see God’s relevance and I love Goodreads, I found this group and hope to engage in many thought provoking conversations.

Brittany, welcome to the group; we're very glad that you've joined us! We tend to be a pretty quiet group so far (only three of us do most of the commenting, and only a couple of our discussion threads really see much activity), but we're hoping that will change. Just make yourself right at home, check out our discussion board and bookshelves, and comment wherever you want to.

Glad to hear that you homeschool your children! My wife and I homeschooled our three girls (all grown and moved away now) back in the late 90s and early 2000s; and our middle daughter (who lives near us) is currently homeschooling two of her kids.

It’s always nice running into experienced homeschooling Christian families. Thanks for the welcome!

You're very welcome, Brittany!

Hello, I am Elijah!

Welcome to the group, Elijah; we're glad to have you with us! Make yourself at home here; check out our discussion threads and bookshelves (if you haven't already), and share your thoughts wherever you feel led to.

Howdy Elijah, Welcome here.

Thanks

Hi friends! My name is Ashley Ballard, and I’m so excited to be a new member here on Goodreads! I recently released my first book (on my birthday—August 6), and I’m beyond grateful to finally step into this new season as an author.

Writing a book has always been a dream of mine, but over the years, what I thought I wanted to write about shifted. At first, I figured I’d tell all the stories of the pain, drama, and heartache I’ve been through—honestly, it could’ve rivaled any soap opera.

But everything changed the day I surrendered my life to Christ.

Suddenly, it wasn’t about showcasing the mess… it was about showing how God met me in the mess and pulled me out with mercy, grace, and love I didn’t deserve. That’s the heart behind my book.

Messes, Miracles, and Mercy is a 30-day devotional filled with raw stories, real hope, and the redemptive power of Jesus. It’s for anyone who’s ever felt too far gone, too broken, or too unsure of where to turn. My prayer is that each page reminds you: God still meets us right where we are.

Thanks for having me—I'm looking forward to connecting with fellow readers and writers!

Messes, Miracles, and Mercy: How God Turns Our Broken Places into Sacred Spaces: A Month-Long Devotional

Ashley, welcome to our group; we hope that you'll become an active member. (And a belated happy birthday wish to you!)

You may want to create a thread for your book in our group's authors folder, here: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/group... . That's ordinarily the place where we allow for book promotions.

Howdy Ashley, Welcome here.

Thanks for the welcome! I look forward to participating. I’m new to Goodreads, as well, so if I do something wrong, just let me know. Hope you all have a great night!

ASHLEY wrote: "Thanks for the welcome! I look forward to participating. I’m new to Goodreads, as well, so if I do something wrong, just let me know. Hope you all have a great night!"

Welcome to Goodreads, too! Hope you find it as rewarding as I have.

Hello everyone!

I discovered this group thanks to following Werner. Let's see, some basic information.

I've been a dedicated believer since 13 (almost 47 years ago now) and have spent the last 16 years as a commercial and fiction writer. Before that, I served in the USAF as a Logistics Officer for 20 years.

I'm working primarily on the commercial side these days, but am noodling around with a drama set in the first century involving the early Church shortly after Christ's ascension.

I look forward to getting to know you all.

Howdy Kevin, Welcome here.

Kevin, welcome to the group; it's great to see you here! I know it's hard for authors to find time to be involved in Goodreads groups, since the Muse demands most of your attention (I'm the proverbial "exception that proves [that is, tests] the rule," because I'm able to be as involved on this site as I am only because I'm not actually writing anything anymore :-) ); but we hope you'll be as active here as you can. (We tend to be a pretty quiet group, and a couple of our more active members have lately had to step back from online involvements because of real-life demands on their attention.)

Give us a heads-up when the drama you mentioned is completed!

Hi, my name is Ethan Mintmire. I’m a 21 year-old husband finishing his undergraduate degree. Since converting 5 years ago, I’ve enjoyed reading theology here and there. Like many others, my fascination with reading theology began as a young Christian asking himself questions about doctrines of salvation (soteriology) and what that meant for my own assurance of salvation and fellowship with Christ. My theological-literary interests have both broadened and deepened. I love my wife, my Southern Baptist church, and my Bible.

Welcome, Ethan; glad you've joined us! (And best wishes with your studies!) We hope this group will be a blessing to you; just make yourself at home, check out our discussion threads and book shelves, and comment or add books as you feel led. For the most part, we're a fairly quiet group; but we're planning to start doing an annual group read, with the first one projected to take place in January 2026. (See this thread: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/... .

Good day to all. My name is Neil, I’m a writer and fellow journey-taker, and I believe deeply in the power of Christian books to transform our identity.
I wanted to share a thought that anchors my own spiritual walk, and it comes from my new book, Rewriting Your Genesis:
"If you define your worth by what you do, you’ll always be chasing. Define it by who you are in Christ, and you’ll always be at peace."
What's one book or devotional that has helped you redefine your identity in Christ recently? I'd love to add some new titles to my reading list!

Welcome to the group, Neil; we hope you'll be an active member here!

Hello, my name is Jennifer Reinoehl. I have a B.S. in Biology and a B.A. in Theater from a state college, but I believe in 6/24 hour days of creation and will be (hopefully) publishing my book biologically refuting evolution soon.

My husband, who is my co-partner in ministry, and I remain in love with each other after almost 27 years of marriage, through raising five children and spending a year early in our marriage on the overseas mission field. We are non-denominational and believe that a church preaching the Bible as the inspired, inerrant, infallible Word of God is the only prerequisite for our attendance and support, although we are currently attending a Baptist denomination.

I don't mind sharing my opinion on things, but my husband and I are a teaching team, so I may get his advice or discuss things with him before posting.

Jennifer, welcome to the group; I'm delighted that you accepted my invitation to join. Just make yourself right at home here, check out our bookshelf and discussions, and comment wherever you feel led to (and I see that you've already posted at least one comment --which is great, since we can use more participation here!) It's fine to get feedback from your husband before posting (and if he's a Goodreads member, feel free to invite him to join the group too).

I also want to take this opportunity to let all of our members (both new and not-so-new) who happen to be authors know that you can create threads for your work in our Authors folder, here: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/group... . You're also invited to add your books to our customized bookshelf for books written by group members, here: https://www.goodreads.com/group/books... . Some Goodreads groups limit their bookshelves to books that have been picked for group reads, and only allow moderators to add books. But we don't have either policy; we're trying to build up a solid bibliography, so you can add any book you've read to the "read" shelf, if it's not already there and you think it would be of interest to the group. (We do keep the "currently reading" shelf for current group reads --although so far we've never done one of those.)

I am Hegumen Abraam Sleman, a Coptic Orthodox priest and a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ, called to serve His Church and to bear witness to the truth of the living God.

I was ordained to the holy priesthood on June 18, 1989, by His Holiness Pope Shenouda III, on the Feast of Pentecost—a day that continually reminds me that all true ministry flows from the gift and power of the Holy Spirit. Since 1995, I have been serving at St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church in Jersey City, the first Coptic Orthodox parish established in North America, where the Lord has granted me the grace to shepherd His people through many years of spiritual growth, challenges, and blessings.

Through these years of pastoral service, one desire has remained at the center of my life: that people may truly know God—not as a distant concept, but as the heavenly Father who reveals Himself, who speaks, and who invites us into communion with Him.

In all my writings, I seek to present God as He has revealed Himself in the Holy Scriptures: Yahweh, the Father, who has made Himself known through His Son, Jesus Christ, and who grants us His Holy Spirit as His own divine life and presence within us.

This vision shapes the theological tone of my work. I write with a Father-centered understanding of the faith, where the Son reveals the Father, and the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Yahweh Himself—His own divine life, proceeding from Him, creating, renewing, and leading us into fellowship with Him.

My books return again and again to these central truths: the oneness of God, the revelation of the Father in Christ, the work of the Holy Spirit, the mystery of the Eucharist, and the call to live as true disciples in the Kingdom of God. I draw from the Holy Scriptures and the teachings of the early Church Fathers, seeking to remain faithful to the apostolic faith, while speaking to the spiritual hunger of our present time.

I do not write to present ideas, but to invite a living encounter—an encounter with God, who reveals Himself in Christ, who gives His Spirit, and who calls us to share in His life.

You may explore my writings and reflections at:
www.frsleman.org

— Hegumen Abraam Sleman

Welcome to our group, Hegumen; we're glad you've joined us. Make yourself at home here, and join in the conversation wherever you want to.

Welcome Hegumen!

@werner and @Kevin thank you so much . God bless

God bless you as well, Hegumen!

May He also bless you, Hegumen.

Hi my name is Benjamin, I live in the USA. I am a Christian Mystic, lover of Jesus Christ. I am glad to join this group and introduce myself.