Welcome to The Shaun Tabatt Show! Today I sit down with Scott Sauls to explore some of the ideas found in his spectacular new book Befriend: Create Belonging in an Age of Judgment, Isolation, and Fear (Tyndale House Publishers, 2016).
About the Book: Is real friendship too risky?
We live in a world where real friendship is hard to find. Suspicious of others and insecure about ourselves, we retreat into the safety of our small, self-made worlds. Now more than ever, it’s easy to avoid people with whom we disagree or whose life experiences don’t mirror our own. Safe among like-minded peers and digital “friends,” we really don’t have to engage with those who can challenge and enhance our limited perspectives. Tragically, even the church can become a place that minimizes diversity and reinforces isolation.
Jesus models a much richer vision of friendship. Scott Sauls, pastor and teacher, invites you to see the breadth of Christ’s love in this book, BeFriend. Join Scott on this journey through twenty-one meditations to inspire actively pursuing God’s love through expanding your circle of friends.
Scott has met too many people whose first impulse is to fence off their lives with relational barriers that only end up starving their own souls.
Yes, it’s true: Real friendship is costly. Love does make us vulnerable. But without risk, our lives will remain impoverished.
Join Scott in BeFriend as he summons you toward diverse friendship that can enrich your life and, in the process, reveal a better version of yourself.
About the Author: In March 2012, Scott began serving as the Senior Minister of Christ Presbyterian Church in Nashville, Tennessee, where he lives with his wife Patti and two daughters, Abby and Ellie. Previously, Scott was a lead and preaching pastor for Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City, where he worked alongside Dr. Timothy Keller. He has also planted churches in Kansas City and St. Louis, and is a frequent speaker at conferences, leadership retreats, and to university students.
Formative experiences have included being an athlete, living in a global city, and suffering through a season of anxiety and depression. Influential voices in Scott’s life include Tim Keller, CS Lewis, Leslie Newbigin, Soong Chan Rah, Jonathan Edwards, Johnny Cash, Joni Eareckson Tada, Miroslav Volf, Paul Tripp, Ann Voskamp, Martin Luther King, Jr., Marva Dawn, and NT Wright. In his free time you might find Scott relaxing with people or a book, strumming his Gibson J-45, hiking, eating Edley’s BBQ, enjoying live music, or cheering on the St. Louis Cardinals and North Carolina Tar Heels.
Scott has authored two books: Jesus Outside the Lines and Befriend.
Connect with Scott:
For additional show notes, visit ShaunTabatt.com/094.