Gary Tyra

This introduction explores Christian spirituality as a pursuit of the global church today. It encourages students to adopt a lifestyle spirituality, which involves relational intimacy with the triune God.Gary Tyra is well known for his work in the field of Christian spirituality and has years of experience in the classroom and in the church. In this book, Tyra encourages us to adopt a Pauline lifestyle spirituality, whereby we keep in step with the Holy Spirit so that we might experience an ongoing mentoring relationship with the Son in order to faithfully and fruitfully engage in the mission of the Father. Keeping in step with the spirit unfolds in a "lifestyle spirituality," a collection of convictions, commitments, and customs that constitute the disciple's lifelong journey with the triune God.This book is part of a new series that reflects the changing face of global Christianity. Series volumes are written by leading Pentecostal/Charismatic scholars who highlight themes of interest to Pentecostal/Charismatic students; however, the books are respectful, appreciative, and inclusive of a variety of church families and traditions. Series editors are Jerry Ireland, Paul W. Lewis, and Frank D. Macchia.

There's a dark side to Christian discipleship church members ignore to their peril. The New Testament has much to say about why and how Christ's followers must deal with the devil. Learning to take the evil one seriously without obsessing over him is crucial to the spiritual endurance training we all need if we are to someday hear Jesus say to us: ""Well done, good and faithful servant "" Specifically, pastor/theologian Gary Tyra argues in this work that key to overcoming Satan is a balanced, Spirit-empowered engagement in what he refers to as the four cardinal components of Christian discipleship. Understanding the various ways the devil attempts to derail our experiences of worship, nurture, community, and mission can serve to motivate us with respect to them With the help of the Holy Spirit, church members can cultivate a ""lifestyle spirituality"" that enables them to don the ""full armor of God"" and engage in several critical ""close-quarters combat tactics"" the New Testament encourages. In the end, The Dark Side of Discipleship is a no-nonsense yet inspirational New Testament theology of spiritual warfare that can serve Christ's church as a powerful aid to the spiritual, moral, and ministry formation of contemporary Christians.

Some reputable sociological research indicates that a surprising number of evangelical churchgoers are living out a version of the Christian life that's more informed by the values of the surrounding culture than by the discipleship teachings of Jesus and his apostles. Viewing the cause of this disturbing trend in the church to be a ""discipleship deficit"" that's exacerbated by a ""pneumatological deficit,"" Gary Tyra has written a book that addresses both. In this work, Tyra encourages evangelical Christians of all stripes to become more fully aware of the tremendous difference it makes when the Holy Spirit is experienced in ways that are real and existentially impactful, rather than merely theoretical, conceptual, and/or ritualistic. Intended to be read by church leaders as well as by students in Christian colleges and seminaries, the message here is that the cure for the ministry malady currently confronting us is the recovery of a robust, fully Trinitarian doctrine of the Spirit. A pneumatological realism, says Tyra, combined with an understanding of just how important a spiritual, moral, and missional faithfulness is to a genuine Christian discipleship, can revitalize the lives of individual Christians and churches, making it possible for them to reach their post-Christian peers for Christ Back Cover: ""In this well-written volume Gary weaves together the themes of discipleship, missional thinking, and the Holy Spirit, to come up with a book that will serve to strengthen the church and enhance our witness to Jesus and his kingdom."" --Alan Hirsch, Author of The Forgotten Ways, 5Q, and Untamed ""Once again, Gary Tyra has delivered the goods His long experience as a pastor and the years he has spent teaching university students have led to this significant work. He calls us to anticipate a life-transforming encounter with the triune God through the Holy Spirit."" --Cecil M. Robeck, Jr. Senior Professor of Church History and Ecumenics ""A superb pastoral theology--theologically and biblical informed, but accessible and geared toward ministry leaders. Tyra contends that the tangible experience of the Holy Spirit can renew the church from the vacuous moralistic deism and cultural Christianity so widespread in contemporary North America."" --Steve Studebaker, Associate Professor of Systematic and Historical Theology ""Gary Tyra has given us a timely treatise to effectively address a great need in the Church today--a theological reflection that will undoubtedly stimulate the disciplined mind of academia while being practical from a wealth of pastoral experiences . . . It would be a great addition to the library of the serious student of God's Word."" --Dan deLeon, Senior Pastor at Templo Calvario Church Inside Cover: ""Pastor-Theologian Gary Tyra encourages a real dependence on the Holy Spirit to produce fully formed disciples--for mission, morality, and spirituality. He pushes back against pastoral practice that inadvertently fails to seek the presence and empowerment of the Holy Spirit in the care of souls."" --Bill Dogterom, Professor of Pastoral Ministries and Spiritual Formation ""Gary Tyra has written a perceptive, instructive and much-needed clarion call to leaders of the theological academy and of the church . . . Getting Real does path-clearing, prolegomenon kind of work for pastors and theologians alike as they seek to root and nurture a faithful, moral-spiritual formation and maturation of Jesus' whole-life learners."" --Joseph E. Gorra, Co-author of A Reasonable Response: Answers to Tough Questions on God, Christianity and the Bible ""I think the church in North America today is entering into 'the age of the Holy Spirit.' It is a time when we must learn to engage in, listen to and experience the life and ministry of the Spirit in new and concrete ways. This book provides important theological and practical guidance to the church in this new age. It is very much attuned to what God is doing in the churc

Some reputable sociological research indicates that a surprising number of evangelical churchgoers are living out a version of the Christian life that's more informed by the values of the surrounding culture than by the discipleship teachings of Jesus and his apostles. Viewing the cause of this disturbing trend in the church to be a ""discipleship deficit"" that's exacerbated by a ""pneumatological deficit,"" Gary Tyra has written a book that addresses both. In this work, Tyra encourages evangelical Christians of all stripes to become more fully aware of the tremendous difference it makes when the Holy Spirit is experienced in ways that are real and existentially impactful, rather than merely theoretical, conceptual, and/or ritualistic. Intended to be read by church leaders as well as by students in Christian colleges and seminaries, the message here is that the cure for the ministry malady currently confronting us is the recovery of a robust, fully Trinitarian doctrine of the Spirit. A pneumatological realism, says Tyra, combined with an understanding of just how important a spiritual, moral, and missional faithfulness is to a genuine Christian discipleship, can revitalize the lives of individual Christians and churches, making it possible for them to reach their post-Christian peers for Christ Back Cover: ""In this well-written volume Gary weaves together the themes of discipleship, missional thinking, and the Holy Spirit, to come up with a book that will serve to strengthen the church and enhance our witness to Jesus and his kingdom."" --Alan Hirsch, Author of The Forgotten Ways, 5Q, and Untamed ""Once again, Gary Tyra has delivered the goods His long experience as a pastor and the years he has spent teaching university students have led to this significant work. He calls us to anticipate a life-transforming encounter with the triune God through the Holy Spirit."" --Cecil M. Robeck, Jr. Senior Professor of Church History and Ecumenics ""A superb pastoral theology--theologically and biblical informed, but accessible and geared toward ministry leaders. Tyra contends that the tangible experience of the Holy Spirit can renew the church from the vacuous moralistic deism and cultural Christianity so widespread in contemporary North America."" --Steve Studebaker, Associate Professor of Systematic and Historical Theology ""Gary Tyra has given us a timely treatise to effectively address a great need in the Church today--a theological reflection that will undoubtedly stimulate the disciplined mind of academia while being practical from a wealth of pastoral experiences . . . It would be a great addition to the library of the serious student of God's Word."" --Dan deLeon, Senior Pastor at Templo Calvario Church Inside Cover: ""Pastor-Theologian Gary Tyra encourages a real dependence on the Holy Spirit to produce fully formed disciples--for mission, morality, and spirituality. He pushes back against pastoral practice that inadvertently fails to seek the presence and empowerment of the Holy Spirit in the care of souls."" --Bill Dogterom, Professor of Pastoral Ministries and Spiritual Formation ""Gary Tyra has written a perceptive, instructive and much-needed clarion call to leaders of the theological academy and of the church . . . Getting Real does path-clearing, prolegomenon kind of work for pastors and theologians alike as they seek to root and nurture a faithful, moral-spiritual formation and maturation of Jesus' whole-life learners."" --Joseph E. Gorra, Co-author of A Reasonable Response: Answers to Tough Questions on God, Christianity and the Bible ""I think the church in North America today is entering into 'the age of the Holy Spirit.' It is a time when we must learn to engage in, listen to and experience the life and ministry of the Spirit in new and concrete ways. This book provides important theological and practical guidance to the church in this new age. It is very much attuned to what God is doing in the churc

Christianity is in a state of moral crisis. Even though people make moral decisions every day, many Christians lack both the ability to evaluate these decisions and a community of discipleship to help inspire a morally faithful life. Compared to the people around them, there is often no discernible difference in how Christians go about making moral choices. As a biblical and practical theologian with three decades of pastoral experience, who has also spent years teaching ethics to undergraduates, Gary Tyra approaches the topic with the practical goal of facilitating moral formation and encouraging an "everyday" moral faithfulness. Tyra argues that Christians can have confidence in their Christ-centered, Spirit-enabled ability to discern and do the will of God in any moral situation. Moral faithfulness follows from a life of Christian discipleship. In an age of moral apathy and theological confusion, Pursuing Moral Faithfulness is a breath of fresh air and a sign of hope for the future.

The emerging and missional church movements have raised decisive questions about what it means to embody the Christian faith in a post-Christian and postmodern world. A common reactionary response denies the significance of the context and reasserts the supremacy of classical orthodoxy. An equally common position at the other end of the spectrum involves a rejection of orthodoxy as contextually insensitive and incapable of being inclusive and missional at all. The one asserts its orthodoxy at the expense of being missional and contextual; the other emphasizes generosity at the expense of its fidelity to "the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints" (Jude 1:3). The church today needs a theology that is both orthodox and missional--doing justice to both aspects. Gary Tyra has written just such a book. InA Missional Orthodoxy he critically engages with the works of Brian McLaren and Marcus Borg for the sake of developing a comprehensive missional theology that retains what he calls the "four Christological verities" at the heart of Christian doctrine. Tyra discusses the methodological question of contextualization, offering an incarnational model of recontextualization that unites the postmodern insights of the culture with the truths of the biblical text. On the basis of this missional foundation, he examines all the major Christian doctrines in order to overcome the false antithesis between a fighting fundamentalism and a too-accommodating liberalism. The result is a humble, modest, missionally faithful orthodoxy that provides a compelling witness within a world of competing extremes.

The church has been called to participate in God's mission in the world. But without a robust, biblical sense of the Spirit's action, how can we be sure we're fulfilling that call? Gary Tyra employs a biblical theology of the Holy Spirit to deepen and inform our understanding of life as the church, the people of God. Since the church's mission to and into the world is both evangelistic and prophetic, the task calls for the working of the Spirit in our preaching, proclamation and service. Tyra brings together both charismatic and evangelical emphases resulting in a theological and practical synthesis that is richer than when either is taken separately.

We all have deep longings and desires that can only be filled by His empowering presence. While many spiritual classics contain repeated references to a particular spiritual exercise: the cultivation of an ongoing awareness of Christ's empowering presence, Gary Tyra makes the claim that this particular activity is at the heart of Christian spirituality and provides the reader with: A clear vision of what the experience of Christ's empowering presence looks likeCitations from the spiritual masters that will serve to inspire them over and over again to make it their intention to live the rest of their lives enjoying Christ's empowering presenceA thoughtful discussion of the means by which this key spiritual dynamic can be experienced on a daily, moment-by-moment, basis.

Pharisaism (legalism, dogmatism, separatism, judgmentalism, etc.) is alive and well and a destructive force in too many evangelical churches. This plague hinders effective outreach, burns out professional and lay leaders and has contributed to the mass alienation of tens of thousands of young people from evangelical churches to the point where they have no church affiliation at all or they associate with churches that may have compromised the gospel in their attempt to be culturally relevant.This book makes the point that the key to defeating Pharisaism is by proactively steering people away from Pharisaism while at the same time showing them the life-giving truth that is found in true kingdom living, beautifully communicated through the Sermon on the Mount. As Jesus trained his disciples, he kept pointing at the Pharisees and saying "Do not be like them."