Cross Talk: Where Life and Scripture Meet

Counselor Michael Emlet is well aware that Christians struggle with real life problems. And he believes the Bible offers divine wisdom for life’s challenges. But Emlet discovered that effectively applying (ancient) scripture to (modern) life is challenging, sometimes resulting in simplistic prescriptions, which resemble: “Take two verses and call me in the morning.” Because he and
others needed a tool to help bridge the gap between biblical text and contemporary life, Emlet has penned CrossTalk: Where Life & Scripture Meet (November 2009, New Growth Press). Emlet’s new volume is designed to help pastors and lay Christians who disciple, mentor, and counsel within their circle of influence. Ultimately the book targets all Christians who are serious
about applying Scripture to the realities of life.

CrossTalk provides a unique perspective, combining a concern for individual human stories with a focus on God’s much larger story of redemption. “CrossTalk’s approach to reading the Bible and ‘reading’ people is designed to promote gospel-centered, context-specific use of Scripture in ministry to others,” Emlet explains. He reveals how the new book sprang out of two separate streams: his counseling experience and his teaching of a masters-level course in biblical interpretation. “The complex tapestries of people’s struggles, sufferings, sin, triumphs and joys that I encounter in the course of my counseling, and the unfolding story of God’s redemption, meet head-on in the pages of this book.”