The Familiar Stranger

Read by the author. Christians today are hungry for authentic spiritual experiences, yet all too often they don't have the knowledge of or relationship with the Holy Spirit that is the key to a fully alive spirituality. In The Familiar Stranger, pastor and author Tyler Staton draws on Scripture, tradition, and spiritual practices to help you step into a genuine relationship with the Holy Spirit. For a generation searching desperately for an experiential spirituality, there's good news: the Holy Spirit's indwelling presence to empower and transform is freely available. Unfortunately, confusion and unfamiliarity surround the Person of the Holy Spirit, leading too many Christians either to sideline him or misunderstand what he means for their spiritual lives. In The Familiar Stranger, Staton reintroduces this oft-neglected Person of the Trinity, tracing the story of the Holy Spirit as it unfolds throughout the Bible, and inviting believers to close the gap between what Scripture reveals about the Holy Spirit and their lived experience. Along the way, readers will dig into key biblical images and metaphors that reveal the Holy Spirit's nature, roles, and personality; learn about common misperceptions that keep believers and churches from experiencing the fullness of the Holy Spirit's power and presence; discover how the Spirit brings discernment and access to miraculous power to partner with God in the work he's doing in the world; reckon with the indispensable role of spiritual experience for walking with God; and understand how both Word and Spirit (too often separated in some church traditions) work together to draw people into a vibrant, intimate knowledge of God. The Familiar Stranger will challenge, inform, and encourage believers from every background to become more deeply acquainted with the Person and work of the Holy Spirit--and experience his transformative, life-giving power in their lives.