Press Release
New
book helps believers overcome “spiritual vertigo”
For Immediate Release (Oviedo, FL) – In his new book, “Overcoming Spiritual Vertigo” (CLC Publications), Dr. Dwayne Mercer points out that, according to recent research, only 13% of the millennial generation consider any type of spirituality to be important in their lives. Mercer says this is a symptom of a larger problem—what he describes as a disconnect between what people have been taught about God and the experiences they are having in their lives.
For Immediate Release (Oviedo, FL) – In his new book, “Overcoming Spiritual Vertigo” (CLC Publications), Dr. Dwayne Mercer points out that, according to recent research, only 13% of the millennial generation consider any type of spirituality to be important in their lives. Mercer says this is a symptom of a larger problem—what he describes as a disconnect between what people have been taught about God and the experiences they are having in their lives.
“Physical
vertigo is a condition where your brain cannot process what your eyes are
seeing,” says Mercer. “Spiritual vertigo is a state where your faith cannot
process what you see, hear, or experience. You know what the Bible says, but
real life seems to contradict what you believe.”
Recommended
by leaders such as Dr. Johnny Hunt, former president of the Southern Baptist
Convention as well as Michael Catt, Executive Producer of Sherwood Pictures, “Overcoming
Spiritual Vertigo” addresses central issues where
Christians struggle with faith, and often, give up their faith altogether.
Using examples from his own life, Mercer helps identify factors that lead
people to lose their faith, offering them tools to regain an understanding of
what true Christianity is all about.
“Faith
stands between the no longer and the not yet,” says Mercer. “Our greatest
struggle is how God relates to us. Developing a better understanding of how He
is working in our lives, and His purpose for that work, will help us in our
faith journey.”
Mercer
has served as Pastor of CrossLife Church in Oviedo, Florida since 1993. During
that time, the church has grown from 650 to 5000 members,
and over 4000 new believers have been baptized. He has seen people from all
walks of life gain new perspectives on God in the most difficult of
circumstances.
“If
we believe God’s world revolves around us, disappointment is inevitable,”
explains Mercer. “There are many expectations people have that are built on
assumption and perceived promises that are not biblically-based. God is not on
trial for His performance. In order to overcome spiritual vertigo, we must
change how we view faith. We need to learn how to see life from God’s
perspective.”
For
more information, visit www.crosslifechurch.com or www.drdwaynemercer.blogspot.com.Interview
Q. Talk about what inspired
you to write the new book.
A. Our greatest struggles are often the struggles we have with God.
There is a disconnect between what we believe and how God seems to be involved
in our lives. We may desire to do great things for God, but often find
ourselves not having enough faith for even the everyday challenges of life.
These thoughts came to fruition for me when I listened to a friend describe the
overwhelming problems he was experiencing. He said, “I know God is my heavenly
Father, but I believe I treat my kids a lot better than He treats His.” He was
simply voicing what many others in the church are thinking. Because of this
lingering doubt, some are dropping out of church and some are even turning away
from their faith altogether.
The title for the book originated
with my personal experience of physical vertigo. Physical vertigo is a
condition where your brain cannot process what your eyes are seeing. Spiritual
vertigo is a state where your faith cannot process what you see, hear, or
experience. You know what the Bible says, but real life seems to contradict
what you believe.
Q. What would you say are the top issues people struggle with when it
comes to their faith?
A. Our struggles with God are not as much about God as they are
about how God relates to us. In our daily lives, we experience health issues,
loss, family problems, or temporary setbacks. When we feel overwhelmed with
problems and become discouraged, the difficulty is usually grounded in one of
two things: 1) we do not understand how God relates to us or 2) we do not
understand the biblical concept of faith. My book addresses these issues with
the goal of developing a courageous, everyday faith.
Q. You list some specific circumstances that cause people to truly
change. What are those?
A. Change is difficult for most people. However, if we are going to
become more like Christ, change is essential. “For those whom He foreknew, He also
predestined to become conformed
to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren.”
(Romans 8:29)
There are several things that
contribute to people experiencing true transformation in their lives. One, when
we hurt enough from difficulties in life, we feel forced to change. Trials get
our attention in a powerful way. Two, when we are overwhelmed with problems, we
often become introspective. The pain of changing becomes less than the pain of
remaining where we are. Three, we change when we see God at work in our lives and
remember His work in us. We learn to become grateful and see the value of
change. And lastly, when we experience Christ enough, we desire to change. Early
on in my college years, I was challenged to read the Bible. Through my reading,
I drew close to God and Him to me. A change of desire and dedication took root
in my life, and I have never looked back. The change is still effective in my
life today.
Q. You talk about spiritual
warfare in the book, something many pastors speak little about anymore. Why did
you feel that was important to include?
A. When we engage in spiritual vertigo, we are engaged in spiritual
warfare. I know we often find the subject of Satan and demons uncomfortable. In
his book, The Death of Satan, secular
liberal, Andrew Delbanco, states that our society hates the word evil because it places a value judgment
on someone else. However, in recent times, we have seen the evil of terrorism, mass
killings in schools, theaters and churches. Delbanco states that we can no
longer hide from the concept of evil. “Be of sober spirit, be
on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion,
seeking someone to devour.”
(1 Peter 5:8) Spiritual warfare is
not only seen in society, but also in our personal lives. Satan’s place of
attack is our minds. Each time we doubt God, every time we become angry with
God, the original thoughts are placed in our minds by our enemy. When we face
adversity, Satan reinterprets the incident to cause doubt. He leads us to
remember past hurts and problems and places fear in our hearts about the
future. In fear, we lose our perspective of God. To consistently overcome
spiritual vertigo and move forward with courageous faith, we must deal with the
issue of Satan and spiritual warfare.
Q. You dive a bit into apologetics as you discuss the inerrancy of
Scripture. Why is understanding biblical truths so important in today’s
society?
A. Our faith is not designed to be dualistic. When we do not
receive all of the Bible as God’s perfect Word, we have great difficulty
believing any of it when we go
through difficult times. Even the parts of the Bible we choose to believe become doubtful because we have failed to trust
God completely. Not believing His Word is “without error” is saying that God is
either not powerful enough, or He does not care enough to give us a reliable
handbook for life. The need to believe in something does not make it necessarily
true. Therefore, I used apologetics to discuss the reliability of Scripture. I
look at its source, its integrity, and how Christ’s resurrection authenticates
what we read.
Q. How can this book help Christians renew and reestablish their
understanding of their faith?
A. I believe the reader will be helped, knowing that it is permissible
to question. It is freeing to know that others are often experiencing the same
doubt and desperation you are feeling. Secondly, understanding what faith is
and how to increase our faith is crucial. Faith stands between the no longer and the not yet. The key to building faith in Scripture is realizing the
heroes of faith consistently remembered how God worked in their lives in the
past and were grateful. A thankful heart becomes the first step to future
faith. Additionally, I feel the reader will reach a better understanding of
their relationship with God. Since our greatest struggle is how He relates to
us, a better understanding of how He is working in our lives, and His purpose
for that work, will help us in our faith journey. Lastly, by seeing that our
circumstances, although true, are not the whole truth, we will ultimately be
inspired to embrace our faith and endure till the end—waiting for God to bless
us and fulfill His promises.
Q. What can Christians do to become better disciples in a society that
is becoming more hostile toward
the things of God?
A. There are four steps we can take:
1. Stand
in truth. Surrendering truth for peace or to avoid confrontation is compromising
our witness. If people do not act in truth, they are at a disadvantage in life.
We are to be the bearers of that truth.
2. Offer
grace. Jesus came to us in truth and grace (John 1:17). When we look down
on others because of their sin, we are saying that we somehow contributed to
our own salvation. We begin to erroneously think, “Jesus died for me, but it
really helps that I am a good person, born to a good family, and not involved
in great sin.” When we operate in grace, we are acknowledging our own sin and
our need for a Savior. This helps us to relate to others in that same grace. Grace,
however, is not about ignoring sin. Grace in the New Testament does not change
the way God feels about sin, only how He deals with it.
C. Expect
rejection. As Christians, we will be rejected by those who feel we are
judgmental. We will be called intolerant and be viewed as unreasonable or
foolish. We must be prepared for the rejection or persecution.
D. Endure.
We must be willing to be misunderstood. Jesus was misunderstood and He was
killed for it. But in His death, He brought forth redemption. We may be
persecuted and suffer for our faith, but we must have faith that God is going
to bring about redemption through our circumstances. All of us want to be loved,
but if being loved or accepted becomes more important than our ability to
witness, we will never be able to lead people in our culture to the truth.
About Dr. Dwayne Mercer:
A native of Georgia, Dwayne Mercer is a graduate of Toccoa Falls College, Southwestern Baptist, and Mid-America Baptist Theological seminaries. He is the contributing author to seven devotionals, including “The Pathway to Discipleship and “Walk through the Word.” Dr. Mercer has served as pastor of CrossLife Church in Oviedo, Florida since 1993. During that time, the church has grown from 650 to 5000 members, and over 4000 new believers have been baptized. He and his wife, Pam, have three adult children and six adorable grandchildren. For more information, visit www.crosslifechurch.com or www.drdwaynemercer.blogspot.com.
What others are saying about
“Overcoming Spiritual Vertigo”
“Overcoming Spiritual Vertigo”
“Are
you dizzy from the doubts that surround you? Constantly plagued by a fear that
prevents you from moving forward in faith? Dwayne helps us identify this
‘spiritual vertigo,’ understand how to operate in Bible-believing faith that
takes God at His Word, and overcome the doubts and fears that hinder our
spiritual maturity. If you want to be marked as a man or woman of faith, this
book is an excellent resource for your journey.” – Michael Catt, Senior Pastor, Sherwood Church,
Executive Producer, Sherwood Pictures, and Producer of the movie, Fireproof
“Feel
knocked off-balance? Questioning your faith? Dwayne Mercer has written a
wonderful book teeming with biblical insights just for you – all grounded in
real life experiences.”-- Patrick
Morley, Author of the 18-time bestseller, Man
in the Mirror
“Dwayne
Mercer writes with clarity and a shepherd’s heart. He wants people to find
confidence, direction, joy, purpose and rest as we walk with our Lord. I
believe this book will encourage and help many.” – Dr. David L. Akin, President, Southeastern
Baptist Theological Seminary
“Is
what you see, hear, and experience in real life causing you to wrestle with
your faith? Do past disappointments cause your trust in God to falter? In ‘Overcoming
Spiritual Vertigo,’ Dwayne Mercer addresses these difficult questions and
offers the answer to experiencing courageous, bold faith for your future.” – Dr. Johnny Hunt, Senior Pastor, First Baptist
Church Woodstock and former President, Southern Baptist Convention
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