God - Is He Out There_Damage

The Most Important Question You'll Ever Ask

Everyone has wondered about it. Late at night, staring at the sky. In the middle of grief, or in a moment of unexpected joy. The question rises up whether we invite it or not: Is there a God? And if there is — does it actually change anything?

God: Is He Out There? by Mez McConnell takes that question seriously. Written for people who are new to Christianity — or simply curious — this short, honest, and warmly personal book doesn't talk down to you or pretend the question is easy. Instead, it walks alongside you, helping you think it through from the very beginning.

This is the first and foundational volume in the First Steps series, a collection of plain-language workbooks from the 9Marks Urban series designed to help new and seeking readers engage life's biggest questions in the light of the Bible.

A Book for Honest Doubters and Curious Seekers

Whether you've grown up hearing about God and aren't sure what to believe, or you've never thought about Christianity at all, this book meets you where you are. No assumptions. No jargon. No lecturing.

Mez McConnell writes from deep pastoral experience — having worked with street kids in Brazil and led a church in one of Edinburgh's most deprived communities. He knows what it is to sit with people who have real questions, real doubts, and real lives. That practical, personal warmth runs through every page.

The book is built around questions most people are genuinely asking:

• Is belief in God reasonable, or is it like believing in fairy tales?
• If God exists, what is He actually like?
• Can we know God personally — or is He distant and unknowable?
• What does the existence of God have to do with my everyday life?
• If this is all true — now what?

What the Book Covers — Key Themes

• The existence of God — is there good reason to believe?
• The character and nature of God — what the Bible reveals about who He is
• Human identity — who we are in relation to our Creator
• Sin and separation — why there is a gap between us and God
• The gospel — how we can know and be reconciled to God through Jesus Christ
• Next steps — what following Jesus looks like in practice
• Reflection questions, memory verses, and "Stop and Think" boxes throughout

What Readers Will Learn

• Why belief in God is reasonable and historically grounded, not wishful thinking
• What the Bible teaches about God's character, love, holiness, and purposes
• Why every person's life is connected to the question of God's existence
• What the Christian gospel actually is, explained in clear, accessible language
• How to take next steps in faith, whether as a new believer or a curious seeker
• How to use this book for personal study, one-to-one discipleship, or small group discussion

Who Should Read This Book

• New believers who have just come to faith and need a foundation
• Seekers and sceptics who are genuinely open to exploring Christianity
• Christians wanting a simple resource to give to an unbelieving friend or family member
• Pastors and church workers looking for an evangelism or follow-up tool
• Youth workers and campus ministry leaders seeking accessible content for young people
• Anyone in India or worldwide who has grown up around Christianity but never understood its core claims
• Small groups and mentoring pairs working through first-principles discipleship

About the Author — Mez McConnell

Mez McConnell is the pastor of Niddrie Community Church near Edinburgh, Scotland, and the founder and Ministry Director of 20schemes — a gospel ministry dedicated to revitalising and planting churches in Scotland's twenty most deprived housing estates. Before this, he served as a missionary among street children in Brazil.

Mez writes with the directness and compassion of someone who has spent years engaging with people at the edges of society — people with hard lives and harder questions. His books are known for being biblically faithful, warmly accessible, and genuinely useful for real-world discipleship and evangelism. He is the author of the entire First Steps series as well as other resources on poverty ministry and urban church planting.

About the First Steps Series

The First Steps series is a collection of ten short workbooks written for people who are brand new to the Christian life. Using plain, everyday language — with no assumed church background — each book covers a foundational aspect of Christian belief and practice. Titles include:

1. God – Is He Out There?
2. War – Why Did Life Just Get Harder?
3. Voices – Who Am I Listening To?
4. Bible – Can We Trust It?
5. Believe – What Should I Know?
6. Character – How Do I Change?
7. Training – How Do I Grow as a Christian?
8. Church – Do I Have To Go?
9. Relationships – How Do I Make Things Right?
10. Service – How Do I Give Back?

Each volume can be worked through alone, with a friend or mentor, or in a small group — and no prior church knowledge is required.