A Handbook for Life with Him
Nonfiction, Religion, Christian Living, Spiritual
Date Published: August 22, 2023
Publisher: Lucid Books
In the first chapter, the author draws our attention to his impetus in writing the book - the state of unbelief in God in America today. He says there is a pandemic of infectious unbelief in America and the world today! According to a 2020 survey, ninety-four percent of adult Americans say knowing the God of the Bible is not important. Instead, they have created their own idea of who they want Him to be. So where have you placed your faith and trust? Find out now if they are firmly rooted in the solid ground of the Bible and God’s true nature. Read more Who Is This God? A Handbook for Life with Him is a Christian nonfiction book that unravels the confusion to help people discover God’s nature and character. In so doing, it demonstrates how you can develop a personal relationship with Him and grow spiritually. Major themes about God and life with Him include: There is one God in three persons, the Father, the Son, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. God created you to experience His love and know Him personally. Everyone needs to be rescued and born-again to enter His Heaven. God has a purpose and plans for you (your life is not meaningless). The Holy Spirit was sent to dwell within, guide, help, and teach the followers of Jesus. Believers must mature spiritually to live an authentic Christian life. God is supernatural, and you live in the natural and supernatural realms of this world where miracles and other supernatural interventions by God still occur. Embedded in the forty-three chapter narratives are nearly three hundred questions, six hundred and sixty scripture quotations, and seventy true stories. These stories include miracles of healing, deliverance, and protection only the God of the Bible can do. You will also see that God communicates through His Spirit with those who sincerely seek Him.
Interview
Introduction to book
A brief overview of Who Is This God? A Handbook for Life with
Him will help add clarity to my responses. The back of the book provides
the following information.
There is a pandemic of infectious unbelief in America and the
world today!
According to a 2020 survey, ninety-four percent of adult Americans
say knowing the God of the Bible is not important. Instead, they have created
their own idea of who they want Him to be.
Who Is This God? A Handbook for Life with Him is a
Christian non-fiction book about the God of the Bible and experiencing Him in
the natural and supernatural worlds in which we live. It helps people unravel
the confusion and discover God’s nature and character. In so doing, it
demonstrates how a person can develop a personal relationship with Him and grow
spiritually.
Major themes about God and life with Him include:
• There is one God in three persons:
the Father, the Son, Jesus Christ, and the Holy
Spirit.
• God created you to experience His
love and know Him personally.
• Everyone needs to be rescued and
born-again to enter His Heaven.
• God has a purpose and plans for you
(your life is not meaningless).
• The Holy Spirit was sent to dwell
within, guide, help, and teach the followers of
Jesus.
• Believers must mature spiritually
to live an authentic Christian life.
• God is supernatural, and you live
in the natural and supernatural realms of this
world where miracles and other supernatural
interventions by God still occur.
The book
ultimately asks the question: “Where have you placed your faith and trust?”
Find out if they are firmly rooted in the solid ground of the Bible and God’s
true nature.
The book
is structured for learning (from the book’s Introduction)
This 392-page book is for reading, Bible study, and a teaching
resource for everyone who wants to know the God of the Bible and to learn to
have a living, personal relationship with Him. That’s why this book includes
the following:
• Scripture quotations – 660
• What Do You Think? questions – 184
• Personal Application questions – 99
• Practice It – 21
• True stories – 70
The Who Is This God? paperback
and ebook are available for sale through all online book retail outlets,
including Amazon and Barns and Noble.
https://www.amazon.com/who-is-this-god/dp/1632966085
https://www.barnsandnoble/w/who-is-this-god-paul-bryan/1143786484
1.)
Can you tell us a little about the process of
getting this book published? How did you come up with the idea and how did you
start?
Idea for book: The lack of understanding and, therefore,
belief in the God of the Bible was the driving force in writing this book.
Also, the recognition that many people who go to church do not have a living,
experiential relationship with this God. In other words, they do not regularly
experience Him, communicate with Him, and interact with Him.
Start: I have been teaching the Bible for many years and
have written hundreds of Bible study lessons. Yet, I have never written a book
of any kind. I spent many hours on the Internet and reading books on how to
write a Christian non-fiction book. The result was a book that the publisher,
Lucid Books, said had better composition and continuity within and between
chapters (43) than any first-time book they have published by a new author.
Process to publishing: I started thinking about the book in
early October 2020 and sent it to the publisher at the end of December 2022.
That is twenty-seven months. I wrote over twenty chapters in fifteen months and
thought it was completed, so I asked the ten beta reviewers to review it. I
soon realized it needed a lot more work, so I spent the next twelve months
revising and editing the entire book. It now has forty-three topical chapters
with several hundred topics and sub-topics.
My wife and a small core team of three others reviewed
chapters as I progressed through their writing. After one year, ten “beta
reviewers” reviewed the entire book. The feedback from these individuals was
invaluable in ultimately creating a book that was easy to read and accurate in
its biblical integrity.
2.)
What surprised you most about getting your book
published?
Lucid Books, our publisher, provided a genuine partnership
attitude and work-ethic throughout the eight months of publishing. I wasn’t
treated “like a number” as some say, but rather as an individual author they
valued and were pleased to publish.
3.)
Tell us a little about what you do when you
aren’t writing
I currently spend many hours a week promoting the book. I
research potential influencers, looking for those I think may have an interest
in using the book in their ministry or church. I mail these a free paperback or
email a free ebook. I follow up with many to see if they have questions about
the book and how they might use it. I have been on two Christian radio programs
to promote the book and have another talk show I am preparing information for
an appearance.
I lead and teach a weekly Christian men’s group, so I have
weekly Bible study lessons for which I prepare.
My wife and I enjoy spending time together. For example, we
work in the yard and do errands together. We enjoy going to arts and crafts
fairs and antique markets and visiting mall towns with their own unique
character.
4.)
As a published author, what would you say was
the most pivotal point of your writing life?
It was two-fold—first, the acceptance by two book
publishers. Second, the publisher I chose, Lucid Books, told me the book was
one of the best written for a new author they have published.
5.)
Where do you get your best ideas and why do you
think that is?
Once I knew my overall purpose for the book, I used my
knowledge of the Bible, research, and, most importantly, the Holy Spirit to inspire
the eventual forty-three topical chapters and many sub-topics within the
chapters. I spent time each day asking God to show me what He wanted in this
book about Him. He consistently guided me so that people now tell me how much
this book has meant to them and how it has changed their lives.
6.)
What is the toughest criticism given to you as
an author?
My ten beta readers told me that my writing style initially
was too stilted. It was not easy to read and did not attract people’s
attention. I corrected it to be more
conversational while paying attention to how readers might respond emotionally
to style and content.
7.)
What has been your best accomplishment as a
writer?
The book has been on the market for two months. I sent many
complimentary copies to influencers and friends. People are telling me that the
Holy Spirit is changing their lives as they read and study the book. There is
no greater accomplishment as a writer than for readers to make these statements.
God is doing exactly what He said He would do for the book's readers (first
chapter): “Our book will change people’s lives.”
8.)
How many unpublished and half-finished books do
you have?
I have been writing a monthly teaching newsletter for over a
year about each chapter in the book. I describe each chapter's key points and
provide a story to illustrate its real-life applicability. I also briefly
describe another book related to the chapter’s main topic for readers to
consider. I have tentative plans to write two more books. The potential titles
are: Who Am I? Discovering Who God Created Me to Be and The Creator
God-From Genesis to Revelation.
About the Author
Paul Bryan’s passion has been to know and serve the God of the Bible since he committed his life to Jesus Christ in 1976. He has served in leadership and teaching roles with various churches during this time. Although he was involved in many ministries, he feels his most important contributions to the Christian faith have been teaching adults to know the Bible and the God of the Bible as He truly exists. He spent his professional career in technology, mainly in management, working for multiple large organizations, including General Motors, Electronic Data Systems, and AT&T. He worked for cru (a Christian non-profit organization) in their technology department for five years, building and managing a technology project management office. He taught business courses at Southern Oregon University and the University of Central Florida for several years. He has a bachelor’s degree in psychology and an MBA. Paul and his wife, Linda, live in southern Indiana.
Contact Links
Purchase Links
Posts
No comments: