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During his time on "Survivor: Panama," High Point resident Austin Carty struggled to make fire, suffered dehydration and endured the harsh conditions of the wilderness.

But being a 2006 "Survivor" contestant isn't the only challenge Carty has faced.

He has spent his life trying to figure out his ideas about Christianity and his relationship with God.

Carty, 28, details his journey toward faith in his new book, "High Points and Lows: Life, Faith and Figuring It All Out."

"It really tries to run the gamut in terms of being a faith-based book that attempts to appeal to a secular crowd, as well as a faith-based crowd," Carty said.

The compilation of essays and stories addresses topics such as reaching adulthood and spiritual maturity, the journey toward finding one's own faith, dealing with the death of a friend, his analysis of materialism in "Saved by the Bell" and his opinion that some Christians treat salvation like a pyramid scheme.

"I really try to use a bunch of the embarrassing or painful or messy moments that have happened in either my life or faith and try to use those as prisms through which to filter deeper ideas about the lessons I learned in the process," Carty said.

Growing up, Carty said he was presented with an idealized version of faith that did not reflect his experiences. He felt some approaches to faith were too formulaic, teaching people they would receive God's love only if they did something to earn it.

In his book, Carty wanted to emphasize that as he understands it, faith is about one's personal relationship with a Jesus who is loving and approachable rather than strictly judgmental.

"I think the idea of Christian morality should be a byproduct of a loving relationship with Jesus," Carty said.

Carty said he was born and raised in a Christian home. Rather than attending a traditional church, he and his family attended a home church that met in two houses and had no set pastor. About the time he left college to pursue an acting career, Carty realized he wanted to live a Christian life that was his own and not just that of his parents.

"It's hard to understand the idea of grace for anyone, especially when you're young," Carty said.

As he embarked on discovering his own faith, Carty revisited a passion for writing he had developed as a child and self-published a novel at age 21. After a few failed attempts at publishing more novels, he was accepted as a contestant on "Survivor."

Although Carty said he would be lying if he said he wasn't motivated by the $1 million prize, his faith influenced his way of thinking on the show and was affected by his experiences. When he felt miserable in the wilderness, he prayed.

"It was the first time that it really occurred to me that I really was talking to somebody," Carty said. "I'd prayed a million times in my life, but that day it dawned on me that there really was somebody out there listening to what I had to say."

Although he doesn't address "Survivor" much in the book, Carty is grateful for his time on the show.

"An unintended byproduct of 'Survivor' was that it gave me a platform to begin speaking," Carty said.

After a speech at a Triad trade show for the U.S. Postal Service, he received offers to talk to churches and other groups about his journey toward faith. Carty now travels as a professional speaker in addition to writing. He also went back to school at High Point University to pursue a degree in English literature.

Carty is working on another book and will go on tour through mid-April after some local appearances. In the meantime, he hopes people going through their own faith journeys find some inspiration in "High Points and Lows."

"I hope it communicates that if you have fears of where you fit in with Christianity and with God, that you're not alone," Carty said. "I hope that in seeing some of my own failings and the lessons I've learned that some people can also see some hope for themselves."

Contact Alexa Milan at 373-7120 or alexandra.milan@news-record.com