This book is aimed at college students who are preparing to graduate and enter the "real world." The chapters challenge students to consider certain "behaviors" or "habits" of discipleship before they leave the familiar life of college for the unknowns of the working world. It is critical, the author asserts, to begin to establish these discipleship practices before entering the work force. His central question: How does one ensure that their transition to the real world doesn't result in a collapse of faith? The book builds on many of the themes in If Jesus Were a Sophomore, and like that book contains study and devotional material at the end of each chapter. The final years of college can be both a difficult and exciting time for students committed to a life of Christian discipleship. Questions about first jobs, career direction, repaying student loans, and the integration of faith into daily life loom large in the minds of many students. Further, the campus life that once provided a sense of community, nurture, and friendships--critical for the personal and spiritual growth of students--is about to vanish. How then does a student begin to make preparations so their transition into the '"real world? will not end in a collapse of faith or a slow series of compromises that ultimately lead to a life where discipleship is not of ultimate concern?
This book will address various principles by trying to get the reader to imagine Jesus as a human being who went through various stages in his development as a man fully devoted to God. By trying to get students to imagine how Jesus might use his final years of college, the reader is challenged to begin to make the necessary preparations forpost-college life.
Chapter titles include:
- Preparing to dream the dream (How to hold onto your dream of a God-given life in a world that may try to quash it)
- Preparing to meet your first boss (How to determine who will be the ultimate authority in your life)
- Preparing a place for community (The significance and importance of finding a vibrant faith community)
- Preparing a biblical habit of mind (How to look at and react to life's challenges through a relationship with a loving, faithful God)
- Preparing a sense of personal identity (From what will you get your sense of identity? )
- Preparing to walk at a Jesus pace (Avoiding the rat race)
- Preparing your first wardrobe (What kinds of "clothes" will we wear?)
- Preparing to participate in the conspiracy (Becoming active in issues of justice for God's people and God's creation)
- Preparing for financial security (How to keep money from becoming a driving force in your life)
- Preparing to find the will of God (What is God's will for my life?)
- Conclusion: Preparing your legacy
