J-Curve

"This book will revolutionize the way you look at your suffering." Joni Eareckson Tada, Founder, Joni and Friends

Do we have the wrong map for the Christian life?

Life's inconveniences, disappointments, and trials can leave us confused, cynical, and eventually bitter. But the apostle Paul traces out the path of dying and rising with Jesus—what Paul Miller calls the “J-Curve”—as the normal Christian life.

The J-Curve maps the ups and downs of daily life onto the story of Jesus. It grounds our journeys not in some abstract idea but in union with Christ and his work of love. Understanding our lives in light of the J-Curve roots our hope, centers our love, and tethers our faith to Christ.

1. Opening Credits
2. Part 1: Discovering the J-Curve | Chapter 1: "I Will Never Do This Again"
3. Chapter 2: "I Take Your Place"
4. Chapter 3: Marketing the Self
5. Chapter 4: Liberating the Self
6. Chapter 5: In Harvard
7. Chapter 6: In Sports or in Christ?
8. Chapter 7: It's All About Who You Know
9. Chapter 8: Missing Justification by Faith
10. Chapter 9: Missing the J-Curve
11. Part 2: Dying with Jesus | Chapter 10: Dying to Self
12. Chapter 11: A Cascade of Love
13. Chapter 12: Life at the Bottom of the J-Curve
14. Chapter 13: Living in the Borderland
15. Part 3: The Descent of Love | Chapter 14: Love Losses Control
16. Chapter 15: The Art of Disappearing for Love
17. Chapter 16: Recovering a Vision of the Good
18. Chapter 17: Celebrating Christ Bearers
19. Chapter 18: The Hinge of the J-Curve
20. Chapter 19: The Four Steps of Love
21. Chapter 20: The J-Curve Calms a Quarrel
22. Part 4: Rising with Jesus | Chapter 21: Discovering the Power of Resurrection
23. Chapter 22: Repersonalizing the Resurrection
24. Chapter 23: Looking Through a Resurrection Lens
25. Chapter 24: The Secret of an Irritation-Free Life
26. Chapter 25: Resurrection Realism
27. Chapter 26: Delaying Resurrection for Love
28. Chapter 27: Becoming Human Again
29. Chapter 28: The Art of J-Curve Living
30. Chapter 29: Seeing the Big Picture
31. Part 5: Forming a J-Curve Community | Chapter 30: The Power of Weakness
32. Chapter 31: The Spirit at the Center
33. Chapter 32: Love Treads Softly
34. Chapter 33: Leadership Goes Low
35. Chapter 34: Keeping Jesus Pure
36. Chapter 35: Jesus
37. Chapter 36: The Beauty of a Jesus Community
38. Conclusion
39. Afterword: Reflections on Our Daughter, Ashley Frearson
40. Closing Credits