A work of faith by Terdema Ussery
The Counterintuitive Gospel
What if the teachings of Jesus that seem the most difficult, paradoxical, or even illogical are the very truths that can transform the way we live? Christianity often runs against our natural instincts. Jesus came not as the conquering king people expected, but as a servant willing to suffer and die so others might live. What if the same counterintuitive truth is still at the heart of what it means to follow Him? Humility can be strength. Surrender can lead to freedom. Forgiveness can overcome injury. The Counterintuitive Gospel is an invitation to look again at the revolutionary teachings of Jesus—and discover what it means to live as a citizen of a Kingdom that is already here, but not yet fully realized.
About the Author
Terdema Ussery II
Attorney. Executive. Theologian. A life shaped by faith.
Terdema Ussery II is an attorney, business executive, educator, and theologian whose career has spanned professional sports, law, corporate leadership, public service, and ministry. Raised in Los Angeles, Ussery went on to earn a bachelor's degree from Princeton University, a Master of Public Administration from Harvard University, a Juris Doctor from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Master of Arts in Religion from Yale Divinity School.
Ussery began his career practicing law before entering professional sports, where he served as commissioner of the Continental Basketball Association and later as president of Nike Sports Management. In 1997, he became president and CEO of the Dallas Mavericks, a position he held for nearly two decades. During his tenure, he helped guide the franchise's business operations and played a significant role in the development of the American Airlines Center.
Throughout his career, Ussery has also served numerous civic, educational, corporate, and nonprofit organizations, including as a trustee of Princeton University and chairman of the Dallas Housing Authority. His theological studies at Yale and lifelong Christian faith inform The Counterintuitive Gospel, an exploration of the paradoxical teachings of Jesus and what it means to live as a citizen of God's kingdom.
About The Book
The Counterintuitive Gospel
With Scripture as his foundation, Ussery helps readers see the Christian life through two lenses: the temporary, physical world we experience every day and the eternal, transcendent reality of God's kingdom. Bringing fresh clarity to some of the Bible's most challenging teachings, while inviting believers into a deeper understanding of what it means to live as citizens of a kingdom that is already here but not yet fully realized.
Along the way, Ussery examines the Beatitudes, radical forgiveness, Christian character, the purpose of the church, and Jesus' call to share the gospel — showing how humility can be strength, surrender can lead to freedom, forgiveness can overcome injury, and true fulfillment begins when our focus moves away from self and toward Christ.
Accessible, thought-provoking, and deeply personal, this work of faith is an invitation to look beyond the values of the world, rediscover the revolutionary teachings of Jesus, and begin living the kingdom life now.
- The Beatitudes
- Radical forgiveness
- Christian character
- The purpose of the church
- The call to share the gospel
"…A transcendent God sent his son to a temporal world to tell an eternal truth…"
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