This page is intentionally left blank 00331100228833992222__uunneexxppeeccttaaddvveenntt__sscc..iinndddd 11 22//1177//0099 99::0088::5522 AAMM Resources by Lee Strobel The Case for the Real Jesus Finding the Real Jesus The Case for Christ The Case for Christ — Student Edition (with Jane Vogel) The Case for Christ for Kids (with Rob Suggs) The Case for Christmas The Case for a Creator The Case for a Creator — Student Edition (with Jane Vogel) The Case for a Creator for Kids (with Rob Suggs) The Case for Easter The Case for Faith The Case for Faith — Student Edition (with Jane Vogel) The Case for Faith for Kids (with Rob Suggs) Faith Under Fire (curriculum series) God’s Outrageous Claims Inside the Mind of Unchurched Harry and Mary Off My Case for Kids (with Robert Elmer) Surviving a Spiritual Mismatch in Marriage (with Leslie Strobel) Resources by Mark Mittelberg Becoming a Contagious Chris tian (with Bill Hybels) Becoming a Contagious Chris tian Training Course, updated DVD edition (with Lee Strobel and Bill Hybels) Becoming a Contagious Church, updated edition The Journey: A Bible for the Spiritually Curious (with Judson Poling, et al., eds.) Choosing Your Faith . . . In a World of Spiritual Options Choosing Your Faith New Testament 00331100228833992222__uunneexxppeeccttaaddvveenntt__sscc..iinndddd 22 22//1177//0099 99::0088::5533 AAMM 00331100228833992222__uunneexxppeeccttaaddvveenntt__sscc..iinndddd 33 22//1177//0099 99::0088::5533 AAMM The Unexpected Adventure Copyright © 2009 by Lee Strobel and Mark Mittelberg All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non- transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of Zondervan e-books. Adobe Acrobat eBook Reader February 2009 ISBN: 978-0-310-56493-5 This title is also available as a Zondervan ebook. Visit www.zondervan.com/ebooks. This title is also available in a Zondervan audio edition. Visit www.zondervan.fm. Requests for information should be addressed to: Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Strobel, Lee, 1952 – The unexpected adventure : taking everyday risks to talk with people about Jesus / Lee Strobel and Mark Mittelberg. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references (p. 287). ISBN 978-0-310-28392-8 (softcover) 1. Evangelistic work. I. Mittelberg, Mark. II. Title. BV3790.S887 2009 248’.5 — dc22 2008051817 All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked TNIV are taken from the Holy Bible, Today’s New International Version™. TNIV®. Copyright © 2002, 2004 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked The Message are taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. Scripture quotations marked NASB are taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copy- right © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copy- right © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, IL 60189 USA. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked GNT are from the Good News Translation — Second Edition. © 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by permission. Scripture quotations marked KJV are from the King James Version of the Bible. Any Internet addresses (websites, blogs, etc.) and telephone numbers printed in this book are offered as a resource. They are not intended in any way to be or imply an endorsement by Zondervan, nor does Zondervan vouch for the content of these sites and numbers for the life of this book. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means — electronic, mechanical, photo- copy, recording, or any other — except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher. 09 10 11 12 13 14 • 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 00331100228833992222__uunneexxppeeccttaaddvveenntt__sscc..iinndddd 44 22//1177//0099 99::0088::5544 AAMM For Marie Little, our close friend and widow of evangelist Paul E. Little. She has spent a lifetime taking risks large and small to share the grace of God with p eople around the globe. 00331100228833992222__uunneexxppeeccttaaddvveenntt__sscc..iinndddd 55 22//1177//0099 99::0088::5544 AAMM Table of Contents Introduction When Eternity Holds Its Breath 9 Day 1 Adventure Enrolling in the Adventure 19 Day 2 Adventure When You Just Don’t Know 25 Day 3 Adventure Being Your Own Eccentric Self 31 Day 4 Adventure Those Imperfect Opportunities 37 Day 5 Adventure Embarrassed for God 43 Day 6 Adventure Breaking the Pact 49 Day 7 Adventure Spur-of-the-Moment Friendship 55 Day 8 Adventure Putting Love into Action 61 Day 9 Adventure Inviting Adventure 67 Day 10 Adventure Emerging from the Cocoon 73 Day 11 Adventure Stumbling into Action 79 Day 12 Adventure Faith Like a Child 85 Day 13 Adventure Divine Interruptions 91 Day 14 Adventure The Influence of a Story 97 Day 15 Adventure Mountaintop Experience 103 Day 16 Adventure Linking Together 109 Day 17 Adventure The Cowboy Who Almost Shot Me 115 Day 18 Adventure An Unfair Advantage 121 Day 19 Adventure Prayers of Desperation 127 Day 20 Adventure Representing Jesus 133 Day 21 Adventure Unlikely Candidate 141 Day 22 Adventure Praying Persistently 147 Day 23 Adventure Roadside Redemption 153 00331100228833992222__uunneexxppeeccttaaddvveenntt__sscc..iinndddd 66 22//1177//0099 99::0088::5544 AAMM Day 24 Adventure Seeing Through Smokescreens 159 Day 25 Adventure Potential in Partnering 167 Day 26 Adventure In the Nick of Time 173 Day 27 Adventure Making Room for Questions 179 Day 28 Adventure The Big Oops 185 Day 29 Adventure The Impact of Evidence 191 Day 30 Adventure Ordinary Life, Extraordinary Impact 197 Day 31 Adventure Worship with Class 203 Day 32 Adventure Ready to Make a Difference 209 Day 33 Adventure Spiritual Backup 215 Day 34 Adventure Passion for People 221 Day 35 Adventure The Unseen Side of the Journey 227 Day 36 Adventure Outrageous Grace 233 Day 37 Adventure Power of the Gospel 239 Day 38 Adventure Those Odd Coincidences 245 Day 39 Adventure A Time for Urgency 251 Day 40 Adventure Hang Time 257 Day 41 Adventure Ripple Effects 265 Day 42 Adventure Addicted to Life Change 271 Conclusion Risks and Rewards 279 Meet the Authors 285 Sources 287 Recommended Resources 289 00331100228833992222__uunneexxppeeccttaaddvveenntt__sscc..iinndddd 77 22//1177//0099 99::0088::5544 AAMM This page is intentionally left blank
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