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The Other Side of Certainty: How to Follow Jesus When Easy Answers No Longer Work, By Kristin Mockler Young alt

The Other Side of Certainty

How to Follow Jesus When Easy Answers No Longer Work

by Kristin Mockler Young
Foreword by Erin Moon

The Other Side of Certainty
Ebook
  • Length: 200 pages
  • Published: October 06, 2026
  • Imprint: IVP
  • ISBN: 9781514014752
Other Formats:

From Black-and-White Belief to a Faith Full of Color

God is so much bigger than the box we often try to put him in.

Spiritual platitudes, easy answers, and rigid expressions of belief often cannot bear the weight oflife's real questions. For those whose faith has been shaped by black-and-white certainty or narrow church cultures, what can it look like to untangle your faith and experience Jesus more fully?

In The Other Side of Certainty, KristinMockler Young invites you to shift from a faith of pressure, judgmentalism, and conformity to one of curiosity, exploration, and freedom. Kristin's gentle guidance will help you navigate through the confusion to find where God's grace and love are present, helping you see that God really is bigger than all your doubts, choices, past selves, or difficult circumstances.

The Other Side of Certainty will help you

  • Move beyond rigid, black-and-white beliefs toward a faith with room for wonder;
  • Embrace curiosity and questions as vital parts of your spiritual growth; and
  • Encounter a deeper understanding of who God is and the joy and freedom he wants you to live in.

Ratherthan clinging to certainty, you can choose wonder. Rather than fearing questions or tensions, you can embrace the mystery of a God who is far beyond your understanding. As you shift your focus from legalism to love, you can make room for not knowingand discover you're getting to know God—and yourself—better in the process.

As much as you want to hold on to Jesus, he is holding on to you all the more. Discover a vibrant, honest faith on the other side of certainty.

REVIEWS

“Kristin Mockler Young boldly addresses doubt—one of the most important aspects of our faith. Drawing from her personal story, Scripture, and her unique perspective growing up in evangelical culture, she examines faith through the lens of uncertainty in The Other Side of Certainty. Her advocacy for mystery over certitude draws me closer to Jesus. An inspiring and timely read for anyone uncomfortable with how the church often positions itself on absolutes rather than as an explorer of mystery and the unknown.”Dave Gibbons, author of The Shape of My Eyes and senior advisor and lead pastor of Newsong
“My favorite thing about Kristin Mockler Young is who she is and the way her personality comes through her teaching. I didn’t think it could possibly be true in written form, but it is: She is funny, compassionate, vulnerable, and honest. The Other Side of Certainty is a meaningful guide for those asking questions about faith that is comforting and joyful.”Marty Solomon, creator of the BEMA Podcast and author of Asking Better Questions of the Bible
“This book will challenge you, and if you let it, it will transform you. It will liberate you, and if you let it, it will comfort you. In a world full of Christian voices, Kristin Mocker Young’s words quiet the religious noise and silence self-righteous babble. She does it with joy, wit, and Jesus. If you don’t know much about Jesus, you’ll want to know, love, and follow him after reading this book. And if you’re reading a paper copy, make sure you have a highlighter handy—you’re going to need it!”Naeem Fazal, pastor of Mosaic and author of Tomorrow Needs You and Ex-Muslim
"Kristin Mockler Young writes with a unique and refreshing voice that seamlessly bridges church and culture, holding together conviction and curiosity in a way that feels both faithful and freeing. With warmth, wit, and wisdom, she invites readers beyond rigid certainty into a deeper, more resilient trust in Jesus without dismissing the tensions many genuinely feel. Through thoughtful prompts and guided engagement, she encourages us not just to consider faith but to experience its blessings through a more passionate and personal relationship with Christ."Mark DeYmaz, founding pastor and directional leader of Mosaic Church of Central Arkansas and author of Make Me an Instrument of Your Peace
"Like a long chat with a pop-culture obsessed girlfriend who also happens to be a brilliant pastor, The Other Side of Certainty is generous, wise, disarming, and in the end, just what you needed. In the midst of uncertainty and doubt, Kristin Mockler Young comes alongside us, not with ironclad answers but with compassionate curiosity. This is a gift to the church."Sarah Bessey, author of A Rhythm of Prayer and Field Notes for the Wilderness
"Even when we want to see the world in black and white, life has a way of interrupting us with private disappointments, personal losses, public confusion, and chaos. Can our faith withstand the disorientation we feel, and can it measure up to the realities we face? If you've ever been there, if you're still there, The Other Side of Certainty by Kristin Mockler Young is a valuable companion for your journey. Kristin is the kind of leader who pastors people through the grays of life and faith with love, joy, humility, and curiosity. In The Other Side of Certainty, instead of a prescribed set of answers, Kristin is honest about the vulnerability and discomfort of a faith forced out of the black and white into the foggy gray. Because she's been there, Kristin offers thoughtful questions and reflections and shares challenging insights. Most of all, Kristin offers an ongoing invitation to discover the breadth and depth of God's transforming love in all its mystery and wonder—a love secure enough for every question we carry."Jo Saxton, speaker, author, and founder of the Ezer Collective
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CONTENTS

Foreword by Erin Moon
1. Living in the Tension
2. Asking the Questions We're Afraid Of
3. Whose Definition of Truth?
4. Waking Up in a Box
5. What's Your Faith Flavor?
6. And Then: Forgiveness
7. Not Everyone Will Come with You
8. Heavy Friendship Pockets
9. Religious Therapy (Getting Past the Emotional Constipation)
10. Into the Unknown
11. Tiny Churches Everywhere
12. Finding Waldo, Finding Joy
13. So . . . What are the Answers?
14. On the Other Side
Acknowledgments
Notes

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ABOUT Kristin Mockler Young

Kristin Mockler Young

Kristin Mockler Young is a teaching pastor at Mosaic Church and host of the Becoming Church podcast. Through her teaching, podcast, and Turning the Gem Substack, Kristin encourages curiosity over certainty and helps people discover God in unexpected places. Kristin and her husband, Peter, live in Charlotte, North Carolina, with their daughters, Marlee and Margot.

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