Christianity 201

Book excerpt: Christianity 201: The Pursuit of Excellence is written to those who believe the Christian message and those who don’t. The book begins with Christianity 101- a section that helps the reader to understand what Christianity is and is not. It helps to remind people of the basics of the Christian worldview and how this worldview helps us in understanding reality as it is. Serving as an introduction for someone who does not know what the Christian message is, Tarfa explains some important themes and concepts within the Christian faith. With many people today believing that their Christian faith should be kept separate from everything else they do, Christianity 201: The Pursuit of Excellence reminds them that they are supposed to have one life and that 'the world ought to recognize us by our fruits'. Focusing on who God is, as revealed in His Word, and what He has done for us, this book explains practical ways that we can grow and learn more about God. With the emergence and growth of the postmodern philosophy, many people hold to the view that truth is relative. Tarfa shows the firm foundation of the Bible and why its truths are absolute. He sheds light to the different areas where we can apply God’s word in our friendships, leadership opportunities, actions, and thoughts, and how God’s Word should shape how you view the world and these areas. Taking a looks at some practical places where we could glorify God, Christianity 201 challenges the reader to excel in all areas including education, careers and other extracurricular activities. Tarfa examines the life of Daniel, a man who excelled at all he did for the glory of God, showing that the Bible is just as true and relevant in today’s world as it was then. The book shows ways that we can grow and be more like Christ in a world where many don’t place value. Tarfa says, “It saddens me when I see people looking for worldly things to build their lives on. The Bible clearly shows us how we ought to live our lives. The more we learn about God through His word, the more we learn about ourselves and the world. And the more we learn about ourselves, the more effective and efficient we can be. It is only when we start pursuing after God that we know we are on track to achieving excellence. He expects us to live for Him while we are here on earth. If we choose to live for anything else, we will have wasted our lives.” Christianity 201: The Pursuit of Excellence shows the limits of science and why this is important with regards to Christianity. Scientific discoveries and advancements in technology has not, and cannot take the place of God in our lives. Science by its nature cannot do that. Science proposes explanations for phenomena without giving justification for why it has the ability to provide these explanations. The more we learn good science, the more we realize that there is a high level of precision and specificity which comes only from a being capable of producing these effects. In Christianity, it is the God of the universe who made things the way they are. As Kepler, Newton and many of the early scientists mentioned, science is the study of what God has made. Even though these scientists lived a long time ago, their words and propositions are still as important and are worth considering in world where people want science and theology to be in different categories without any relationship. Science is a gift from God which we should not be using against Him. In this book Tarfa points to the Word which is logic and truth that ultimately leads us back to the Source of all Truth, Jesus Christ. Christianity 201: The Pursuit of Excellence is for Skeptics, new believers and believers that want to grow.