November 22, 2025

Abstract Essay, now in its fifth season, features Brad Church—retired business analyst and a devoted follower of Jesus for over 60 years—as my guest.

26 minutes

Brad Church

Build a faith that endures - cultivate a relationship with Jesus

first came to faith in Jesus at the age of six, so I have been dealing with this issue called faith for over 60 years. Many times, faith in Jesus is presented to us as a cure-all for life’s problems. I do believe that it is, but there is frequently an expectation that new believers have that when they come to faith in Christ that everything in wrong their life will instantly, or quickly, get fixed; that all of life’s problems will be resolved. There is nothing further from the truth. We do people a disservice if we give them that impression. When we don’t see our expectation met, we lose heart and hope and turn away from a faith that will not only save us but will give us fulfillment like we have never known.

I wrote The Stranger’s Conflict out of my own struggle to understand how to live life considering my faith in Christ. I found myself disillusioned and living with a level of self-condemnation that had me paralyzed, frustrated, and sometimes angry. Like a lot of believers in Christ today I read my Bible, I prayed, and I went to church, but many times I was hiding behind a mask of religiosity with which everyone was comfortable. But deep down, I felt like I was missing a vitality in my faith that everyone else was enjoying.

By understanding how God made us and why we live in conflict with sin, I was able to embrace God’s forgiveness and grace like never before in my life. I became more transparent and was able to be vulnerable because I grew to understand everyone else is living with the same struggles that I was facing. I am no longer living life by the checklist, but live life in daily relationship with Jesus.

The Stranger’s Conflict was written to help believers in Jesus better understand how to live with the conflict in which we are all engaged. It explores the root causes of the conflict and reveals the obstacles we face as followers of Christ. Most importantly, the book presents what I discovered about God’s solution for living a life of victory in this life as we look forward to eternity with Him in glory.

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