I Am: The Answers to Life's Biggest Questions

by Marcus Nodder

Overview

Bold claims. Answers which many are searching for today.

This is Jesus in his own words, using metaphors and pictures which are concrete, simple and profound.

Meaning: what is the meaning of life? I am the bread of life.
Enlightenment: where can I find light? I am the light of the world.
Freedom: how can I be truly free? I am the door,
Evil: isn't religion evil? I am the good shepherd.
Destiny: is this life all there is? I am the resurrection.
Reality: what is ultimate reality? I am the way.
Value: how can I make my life count? I am the vine.
Time: how can we escape being finite? 'I am.'

Bold claims - and they are also true.

The 'I am' sayings of Jesus are highly relevant. Jesus is uniquely qualified to meet our deepest needs and answer our biggest questions. Find out for yourself.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781789741773
Publisher:	IVP
Publication date:	02/18/2021
Pages:	128
Product dimensions:	4.37(w) x 6.97(h) x (d)

About the Author

Marcus Nodder is Senior Minister at Peter's Barge, London's only floating church, which reaches out midweek to the 140,000 people who work in Canary Wharf. The church meets elsewhere on Sundays when its resident cosmopolitan Docklands population gathers for worship.

Marcus studied at Cambridge Universityand at Oak Hill College, did a spell in banking, and has spent most of his working life in full-time Christian ministry. A popular author, he lives in east London with Lina, his Swedish-born wife, and four children.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

I am The Bread (John 6:35): Meaning: what is the meaning of life? 4

For human beings, hunger is one of the most basic cravings. There is a hunger not just in our stomachs but in our souls. A feeling of being empty within, even when our bellies are full. How can we satisfy this hunger?

I am The Light (John 8:12): Enlightenment: where can I find enlightenment? 16

A common complaint by people at work is that they are kept in the dark and aren't told what's going on. It can feel the same in Life. We get on with it - we eat, work, sleep, play, retire, and die. But what's the big picture? Where have we come from? Where are we going? Who are we? What's the point?

I am The Door (John 10:9): Freedom: how can I be truly free? 27

No-one wants to live behind bars. Having our freedom taken away is one of the worst punishments. But doesn't Christianity imprison people by dictating what we must believe and how we must behave? How can true freedom be found in a life of submitting to God's authority, rather than doing whatever we want?

I am The Good Shepherd (John 10:11): Evil: isn't religion evil? 40

Some people dismiss Christianity as irrational or irrelevant, but others dismiss it as immoral They regard religion as harmful, pointing to the sexual abuse scandals in the church and the violence done in the name of religion. Does religion poison everything?

I am The Resurrection (John 11:25): Destiny: is this life all there is? 52

Sigmund Freud was on to something when he wrote, 'No one believes in his own death.' Death is what happens to other people. But we will all the one day. What then? Is it a case of when we die, we rot, or is there something beyond death? How can we be sure?

I am The Way (John 14:6): Reality: what is ultimate reality? 68

The story is told of six blind men who are touching an elephant, trying to work out what it is One feels its trunk, another a leg, another its tail, another an ear, and so on. Are we all blind men when it comes to God, in touch with different parts of the same reality? Are the world's religions just different paths up the same mountain?

I am The Vine (John 15:5): Value: how can I make my life count? 82

You only live once. This isn't a dry run. This is it. So, we all want to make the most of life. But how? How do we make our lives count for something? What is a successful life?

I am (John 8:58): Time: how can we escape being finite? 94

Time flies - and we are surrounded by constant reminders of it, in the shape of calendars, watches, and clocks. In all of us is a longing to escape the limitations of being finite But how can we break out and experience the infinite - the eternal?

Epilogue 105

Notes 115

Acknowledgments 120

Editorial Reviews

What is Jesus all about, and what does faith in him offer? For those seriously engaging with the Christian faith, and keen to understand more about the message of the Bible, here is a book filled with vital notes of urgency and engaging real-life illustrations. This would be the perfect book to give to someone who has completed an evangelistic course and wants to know more, and it is particularly well suited to students.

Andrew Hill

Many people have all kinds of questions about the meaning and purpose of life, the daily struggle with suffering in their own existence, and when they look at the news, the continuing existence in our world of evil and injustice. My friend Marcus Nodder tries in this honest, concise and readable book to answer those questions by looking at the claims of Jesus Christ, about who he is and what he did 2000 years ago. Even if you are sceptical as to the relevance of Jesus to your life today, I invite you to have a go at reading the book and see what you think. Decide for yourself.

From the Publisher

Apologist Francis Schaeffer once said, 'If I have only an hour with someone, I will spend the first 55 minutes asking questions and finding out what is troubling their heart and mind, and then in the last 5 minutes I will share something of the truth.' Those are very challenging words, especially to those who are preachers, broadcasters or authors.

How can you have such dialogue when you are writing a book? This is the genius I found in I Am by Marcus Nodder. I felt like I was in conversation with Marcus. He seemed to preempt my thinking and answer the next question or objection I had, and when I needed to pause and process, he was patiently waiting for me to return. As an evangelist, I am constantly on the look-out for good books to read and give away to a not-yet-Christians. This is quite possibly the best I have ever come across.

Mitch

A great read - punchy, clear, and engaging - and easily accessible for anyone checking out the bold claims of the most influential man in all of history.

Simon Guillebaud

This little book could literally change your life. The Bible is not just one of the greatest books ever written, head and shoulders above every other piece of literature, with John’s Gospel right at its heart, but the ‘I AM’ statements are right at the heart of John’s Gospel. So...how good and important is this book?

Andy Hawthorne

Every human has questions at some point about the meaning and purpose of their life. This short book answers those questions. Marcus Nodder is a very engaging story teller. He uses a wide variety of illustrations and testimonies that connect well to where his readers are at. I strongly recommend you read this book if you are not a Christian, and by doing so, you will read some of the claims and promises that Jesus made about himself. Only Jesus can give you satisfying answers to the meaning and purpose of life.

Jane Tooher

By taking us to the words of Jesus, this outstanding and short book spells out the content and benefits of the Christian good news. It does so with compelling clarity. I will be buying several copies to give to friends - and encouraging those in our church to do the same.

William Taylor