No one ever plans to fail in their faith. We all think we'll be the kind of Christian who follows the straight and narrow, ending our days with the relief of knowing we were ultimately a good and faithful servant. So why do so many leave that road? What enables some to survive as Christians when so many others have faltered?

With A Christian Survival Guide, Ed Cyzewski steps up to be your trail guide and provide some possible answers. He addresses some of the biggest, toughest questions in Christianity, including:

- Disturbing Bible stories - Hell and what it means - Does the Bible have to be "true"? - The question of evil- Money and the church- Evangelizing when no one wants to listen Candid and wry, Cyzewski deals with the tension of hard questions without resorting to empty answers, cliches, relativism, or the smug certainty that can so often drive seekers and strugglers further away. This popular blogger also has a knack of making long-ago biblical figures absolutely recognizable in today's issues. This survival guide is not meant to be a "one size fits all" handbook. It is a first step to confronting the big issues and challenges of a life of faith--even the ones that Christians fear most. Cyzewski writes for those who both care and question deeply, and offers survival tips to help readers move from living on the edge to a place of health and life.

You intend to do it, but before you know it, another week has passed and you haven’t picked up God’s Word. This book provides simple tools for you to open the Bible in the morning and dig into God's Word—even if you only have five minutes!

• Minutes 1–2: Read a few verses pulled from a lengthier passage. If time allows, read the full passage listed for you in each Bible study.
• Minute 3: Understand. Ponder thoughtful, challenging questions designed to help you apply the verses from the Bible to your own life. Consider these throughout your day as well.
• Minute 4: Apply. Read a brief devotional based on the scripture you read. Think about what you are learning and how you can apply the scriptural truths to your own life.
• Minute 5: Pray. A prayer starter will help you to begin a time of conversation with God.

The 5-Minute Bible Study for Men: Mornings in God's Word will help you establish the discipline of consistent study of scripture. You will find that even five minutes focused on scripture and prayer has the power to make a huge difference in your day. Soon you will be making time for more!

Most Christians can recite John 3:16: "God so loved the world..." but many doubt that God truly loves them. We all think of caveats for God's love, struggle to pray, or fail to experience God's acceptance. Doubting God's love deprives us of what God freely gives: adoption into God's family. I wrote this book for myself. I run away from God's love. It's something I'm ashamed of and something that I needed to understand. I needed to crack my defenses and blinders. I hope that my fellow runaways will start asking what keeps them from God so they can stop running and find the perfect rest of God.

About the Contributor(s): Dr. Larry R. Helyer is Professor Emeritus of Biblical Studies at Taylor University in Upland, Indiana. He is the author of Revelation for Dummies (2008), The Witness of Jesus, Paul and John (2008) and The Life and Witness of Peter (2012). Ed Cyzewski (MDiv, Biblical Theological Seminary) is the author of Coffeehouse Theology: Reflecting on God in Everyday Life (2008), Hazardous: Committing to the Cost of Following Jesus (2012), and Unfollowers: The Oversights, Distractions, and Misconceptions that Keep Us from Following Jesus (forthcoming). He writes for a variety of magazines, including Christianity Today and Leadership Journal, and blogs regularly on Christian belief and practice at www.inamirrordimly.com.