Download or read book Short Stories by Jesus written by Amy-Jill Levine and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2014-09-09 with total page 275 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The renowned biblical scholar, author of The Misunderstood Jew, and general editor for The Jewish Annotated New Testament interweaves history and spiritual analysis to explore Jesus’ most popular teaching parables, exposing their misinterpretations and making them lively and relevant for modern readers. Jesus was a skilled storyteller and perceptive teacher who used parables from everyday life to effectively convey his message and meaning. Life in first-century Palestine was very different from our world today, and many traditional interpretations of Jesus’ stories ignore this disparity and have often allowed anti-Semitism and misogyny to color their perspectives. In this wise, entertaining, and educational book, Amy-Jill Levine offers a fresh, timely reinterpretation of Jesus’ narratives. In Short Stories by Jesus, she analyzes these “problems with parables,” taking readers back in time to understand how their original Jewish audience understood them. Levine reveals the parables’ connections to first-century economic and agricultural life, social customs and morality, Jewish scriptures and Roman culture. With this revitalized understanding, she interprets these moving stories for the contemporary reader, showing how the parables are not just about Jesus, but are also about us—and when read rightly, still challenge and provoke us two thousand years later.

Download or read book Short Stories for the Christian Life written by Ralph D. Curtin and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 2024-11-05 with total page 130 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Family living, Christian ministry, and future events are topics the world is interested in. This accumulation of short stories will explore these issues by applying biblical principles that are at their foundation and by encircling them in fictional dramatical events.

Download or read book Letters and Life written by Bret Lott and published by Crossway. This book was released on 2013-06-30 with total page 194 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Writing lays bare the soul. All serious writers know that each word reveals something significant about themselves, granting outsiders a glimpse at their most cherished beliefs and foundational convictions. In this series of intimate reflections on life and writing, critically acclaimed and best-selling novelist Bret Lott explores the author's craft through five letters covering a range of fascinating topics, from exploring the value of literary fiction to discussing the humility of Flannery O'Connor. In the final and longest letter, Lott contemplates the death of his father and his struggle to convey his complicated thoughts and inexplicable emotions in words. Intensely personal and yet universally relatable, this powerful collection of essays will encourage and enrich writers and aspiring writers everywhere.

Download or read book Hope Heals written by Katherine Wolf and published by Zondervan. This book was released on 2016-04-26 with total page 259 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When all seems lost, where can you find hope? Katherine and Jay Wolf married right after college and sought adventure far from home in Los Angeles, CA. As they pursued their dreams--she as a model and he as a lawyer--they planted their lives in the city and their church community. Their son, James, came along unexpectedly in the fall of 2007, and just six months later, everything changed in a moment for this young family. On April 21, 2008, as James slept in the other room, Katherine collapsed, suffering a massive brain stem stroke without warning. Miraculously, Jay came home in time and called for help. Katherine was immediately rushed into brain surgery, though her chance of survival was slim. As the sun rose the next morning, the surgeon proclaimed that Katherine had survived the removal of part of her brain, though her future recovery was uncertain. Yet in that moment, there was a spark of hope. Through forty days on life support in the ICU and nearly two years in full-time brain rehab, that small spark of hope was fanned into flame. Hope Heals documents Katherine and Jay's journey as they struggled to regain Katherine's quality of life and as she relearned to talk, eat, and walk. As Katherine returned home with a severely disabled body but a completely renewed purpose, she and Jay committed to celebrating this gift of a second chance by embracing life fully, even though that life looked very different than they could have ever imagined. As you uncover Katherine and Jay's remarkable story, you'll be encouraged to: Find lasting hope in the midst of struggle Embrace the unexpected Welcome God's miracles into your everyday life In the midst of continuing hardships, both in body and mind, Katherine and Jay found what we all long to find: a hope that heals the most broken place--our souls. Let Hope Heals be your guide along the way. Praise for Hope Heals: "As I read this book, tears streamed from my eyes even as joy flooded my heart. Jay and Katherine are a raw yet refreshing testimony to the unshakable trustworthiness of God amidst the unimaginable trials of life. This book reminds all of us where hope can be found in a world where none of us know what the next day holds." --David Platt, author of the New York Times bestseller Radical and president of the International Mission Board "Hope Heals is a beautiful, true story that illustrates the love and protection God has for us even in the darkest times of our lives. Katherine and Jay's dedication to each other and the Lord through their most devastating season is inspiring. This book will help your heart believe that He sees, He knows, He cares, and He is still working miracles today!" --Lysa TerKeurst, New York Times bestselling author and president of Proverbs 31 Ministries

Download or read book Crazy Faith written by Michael Todd and published by WaterBrook. This book was released on 2023-09-19 with total page 241 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the author of Relationship Goals . . . Will you be remembered as a person who claimed to follow God but liked to play it safe? Or as a person who lived your life out on the limb and trusted God enough to live in crazy faith? Noah looked crazy when he started building the ark . . . until it started raining. It was crazy for Moses to lead a nation of people into the desert away from Egypt . . . until the Red Sea parted. It was crazy to believe that a fourteen-year-old virgin would give birth to the Son of God . . . until Mary held Jesus in her arms. There are many things that seem normal or average today that at one point in time seemed absolutely crazy. Smartphones, Wi-Fi, and even the electric light bulb were all groundbreaking, history-making inventions that started out as crazy ideas. Our see-it-to-believe-it generation tends to have a hard time exercising true faith—one that steps out, takes action, and sees mountain-moving results. Many of us would rather play it safe and stand on the sidelines, but it’s crazy faith that helps us see God move and reveals His promises. In Crazy Faith, Pastor Michael Todd shows us how to step out in faith and dive into the purposeful life of trusting God for the impossible. Even if you have to start with baby faith or maybe faith, you can become empowered to let go of your lazy faith, trust God through your hazy faith, and learn to live a lifestyle of crazy faith. With powerful stories of modern-day faith warriors who take their cues from biblical heroes, Michael Todd equips you to • believe for the impossible • choose hope over fear • be alert to the voice of God • cope with loss and doubt • develop a deeper level of trust in God • speak faith-filled declarations • inspire crazy faith in others God’s not looking for somebody to give Him all the reasons why His plans can’t happen. He’s looking for somebody to believe they will happen. In fact, He has so much He wants to do through you. The question is, Are you crazy enough to believe it?

Download or read book Long Story Short written by Marty Machowski and published by New Growth Press. This book was released on 2010-11-03 with total page 483 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Christian parents know the importance of passing the gospel story on to their children, yet we live in a busy world filled with distractions. This easy-to-use family devotional, in just ten minutes a day, five days a week, empowers parents to pass on the most valuable treasure the world has ever known. Each day focuses on highlighting the ...

Download or read book Love Does written by Bob Goff and published by Thomas Nelson Inc. This book was released on 2012 with total page 242 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Now a New York Times Bestseller As a college student he spent 16 days in the Pacific Ocean with five guys and a crate of canned meat. As a father he took his kids on a world tour to eat ice cream with heads of state. He made friends in Uganda, and they liked him so much he became the Ugandan consul. He pursued his wife for three years before she agreed to date him. His grades weren't good enough to get into law school, so he sat on a bench outside the Dean's office for seven days until they finally let him enroll. Bob Goff has become something of a legend, and his friends consider him the world's best-kept secret. Those same friends have long insisted he write a book. What follows are paradigm shifts, musings, and stories from one of the world's most delightfully engaging and winsome people. What fuels his impact? Love. But it's not the kind of love that stops at thoughts and feelings. Bob's love takes action. Bob believes Love Does. When Love Does, life gets interesting. Each day turns into a hilarious, whimsical, meaningful chance that makes faith simple and real. Each chapter is a story that forms a book, a life. And this is one life you don't want to miss. Light and fun, unique and profound, the lessons drawn from Bob's life and attitude just might inspire you to be secretly incredible, too. Endorsements: "If this book does not make your heart beat faster, book the next flight to Mayo Clinic " --Bill Hybels, Senior Pastor, Willow Creek Community Church, Chairman, Willow Creek Association "Bob Goff is a one-man tsunami of grace, a hurricane of love. He doesn't just talk about change, he really is change, as Love Does chronicles in such a vivid way. Yet, Love Does doesn't leave you feeling like you want to celebrate its author, it awakens a sense deep within that you, too, have an outrageous role to play in God's unfolding story or rescue and repair." --Louie Giglio, Passion Conferences/Passion City Church "An interesting and compelling story (with Young Life roots) that ends with a practical challenge and punch: 'love does' and God can use you to do it " --Denny Rydberg, President, Young Life "Every once in a while someone like Bob Goff shows up to remind us that some things matter a lot more than others. Love Does has a kind of 'north star' effect that will push you to refocus your life and energy on what is most significant. It doesn't just invite you to respond with your God-given potential, it invites you to become a part of what God can do beyond your potential." --Reggie Joiner, Founder and CEO of Orange "We liked the book a lot. Mostly, the balloons on the cover. The rest was pretty good too. Lots of stories about how God helps us." --Aedan, Asher and Skye Peterson ages 13, 12 and 9 "This may look like a book. It's not. It is an invitation to enter into the greatest adventure you have ever known--your life as it was meant to be lived. Hang on " --Michael Hyatt, Author, Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World, MichaelHyatt.com "Bob's ability to love people brings contagious hope and inspiration wherever he goes. The power of love showcased in this book will surely touch the hearts and souls of many people. Read Love Does and find a friend in one the world's best hidden secrets, a person who shows how love can create connection and make a difference--even across oceans." --George Tsereteli, Deputy Chairman of the Parliament of Georgia (former Russian Republic)

Download or read book The Most Reluctant Convert written by David C. Downing and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 2021-05-07 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In his teens, a young man wrote, “I believe in no religion. There is absolutely no proof for any of them.” After serving in the trenches of WW1, the same young man said, “I never sank so low as to pray.” To a religious friend, he wrote impatiently, “You can’t start with God. I don’t accept God!” This young man was C. S. Lewis, the “foul-mouthed atheist” who would become one of the most eloquent Christian writers of the twentieth century. David C. Downing offers a unique look at Lewis’s personal journey to faith and the profound influence it had on his life as a writer and eventual follower of Christ. This is the first book to focus on the period from Lewis’s childhood to his early thirties, a tumultuous journey of spiritual and intellectual exploration. It was not despite this journey but precisely because of it that Lewis understood the search for life’s meaning so well.

Download or read book The Gospel Precisely Surprisingly Good News About Jesus Christ the King written by Matthew W. Bates and published by Renew.Org. This book was released on 2021-07-29 with total page 126 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A GUIDEBOOK ON DEFINING, SHARING, AND OBEYING THE GOSPEL King Jesus is supplying lifeblood. But our insufficient grasp of the gospel is a dangerous blockage. If a heart ailment is treated haphazardly, death follows. People are hurting. Churches are confused. The gospel vaguely won't suffice. We need clarity, simplicity, and truth--the gospel precisely. But followers of Jesus should beware of harmful imitations. The real gospel in its healing fullness--the one taught by Jesus and his apostles--is the one found in the Bible. Award-winning author Matthew Bates shows that the gospel is about King Jesus. It is about the cross and resurrection--yet surprisingly much more. Find yourself empowered for discipleship and prepared to share the gospel effectively. Includes resources for personal reflection and group discussion. This book takes the best of Bates's previous work and makes it even more accessible. Bravo! -- Scot X. McKnight, Professor of New Testament, Northern Seminary Christians talk about preaching, presenting, and living the gospel, but we urgently need more precision. Matthew Bates has done the church a service by giving us accessible guidance. -- Jonathan Storment, author of How to Start a Riot The Gospel Precisely delivers biblical depth at the grassroots level with a healthy helping of practical pastoral coaching. -- Mark E. Moore, author of Core 52 MATTHEW W. BATES (PhD, Notre Dame University) is an award-winning author and Associate Professor of Theology at Quincy University in Quincy, Illinois. His popular books include Gospel Allegiance (Brazos, 2019), Salvation by Allegiance Alone (Baker Academic, 2017), and The Birth of the Trinity (Oxford University Press, 2015). He co-founded and co-hosts the OnScript podcast.

Download or read book In Grandma s Attic written by Arleta Richardson and published by David C Cook. This book was released on 2011 with total page 113 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A collection of stories of life in the late nineteenth century, many reflecting the Christian faith of the author's family, including tales of pride in a new dress, a special apron for grandpa, and a little girl lost while asleep in her own bed.

Download or read book Stories of Your Life and Others written by Ted Chiang and published by Knopf. This book was released on 2010-10-26 with total page 298 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the author of Exhalation, an award-winning short story collection that blends "absorbing storytelling with meditations on the universe, being, time and space ... raises questions about the nature of reality and what it is to be human" (The New York Times). Stories of Your Life and Others delivers dual delights of the very, very strange and the heartbreakingly familiar, often presenting characters who must confront sudden change—the inevitable rise of automatons or the appearance of aliens—with some sense of normalcy. With sharp intelligence and humor, Chiang examines what it means to be alive in a world marked by uncertainty, but also by beauty and wonder. An award-winning collection from one of today's most lauded writers, Stories of Your Life and Others is a contemporary classic. Includes “Story of Your Life”—the basis for the major motion picture Arrival

Download or read book My Heart Christ s Home written by Robert Boyd Munger and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 2010-07-26 with total page 48 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: More than ten million readers have enjoyed Robert Boyd Munger's spiritually challenging meditation on Christian discipleship. Now revised and expanded, My Heart--Christ's Home leads you to examine for yourself all the aspects of your life--considering what Christ most desires for you.

Download or read book Lamb written by Christopher Moore and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2009-10-13 with total page 468 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Everyone knows about the immaculate conception and the crucifixion. But what happened to Jesus between the manger and the Sermon on the Mount? In this hilarious and bold novel, the acclaimed Christopher Moore shares the greatest story never told: the life of Christ as seen by his boyhood pal, Biff. Just what was Jesus doing during the many years that have gone unrecorded in the Bible? Biff was there at his side, and now after two thousand years, he shares those good, bad, ugly, and miraculous times. Screamingly funny, audaciously fresh, Lamb rivals the best of Tom Robbins and Carl Hiaasen, and is sure to please this gifted writer’s fans and win him legions more.

Download or read book The Path to Peace written by Ann Swindell and published by Baker Books. This book was released on 2022-05-17 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The Path to Peace will be a balm to your soul, a beacon of hope, and a declaration of God's loving-kindness that never fails for his people." --GRETCHEN SAFFLES, bestselling author of The Well-Watered Woman Overwhelmed. Stressed out. Burnt out. Fried. However we name it, all of us know what it feels like to deal with circumstances and worries that drag us down and wear us out. Many of us experience persistent anxiety. Peace can be hard to find. But it is in the middle of our stress and fear that God extends his unshakable peace to us. In this beautiful book that is part devotional and part Bible study, Ann Swindell shares how the biblical stories of eight women and men helped her realize that what she needed most in her own journey wasn't a stable job or healthy kids or good friends--it was God's peace. Through forty faith-stirring readings, Ann will help you: · Experience God's peace in your daily life · Respond to challenges with faith rather than fear · Find hope in God's goodness and faithfulness toward you The good news is that even if our situations don't change, we can still experience Christ's peace in our daily lives. The Path to Peace is for everyone who longs to experience a soul at rest.

Download or read book Desiring God s Will written by David G. Benner and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 2015-09-23 with total page 141 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How do we become both willing and able to do what God asks of us? In this expanded edition of a spiritual formation classic, psychologist and spiritual director David G. Benner explores the transformation of the will in Christian spirituality, examining why our desires are disordered and how we can align our hearts with God's.

Download or read book Real Life Discipleship written by Jim Putman and published by Tyndale House. This book was released on 2014-02-27 with total page 144 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Is your church making disciples . . . who make disciples . . . who make disciples? Real-Life Discipleship explains what should happen in the life of every Christian and in every small group so that the church becomes an army of believers dedicated to seeing the world saved. With the overriding goal to train disciples who know how to make more disciples, this book offers proven tools and strategies from Real Life Ministries, one of America’s fastest-growing churches. In this book, you will learn: How to create churches that succeed and grow How to intentionally disciple believers in every stage of their spiritual development How to find and develop leaders in your church This book also contains these helpful features: A summary and profile of each stage of spiritual growth Recommended resources for disciple-makers Spiritual facts A presentation of the gospel Discover what the Bible says about true and effective discipleship with these strategies and practices in this great church resource.

Download or read book The Rest of God written by Mark Buchanan and published by Thomas Nelson. This book was released on 2007-03-11 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Many of us have endless demands and stifling daily routines. Learn why Sabbath is essential to our full humanity and faith, a rhythm of work and rest set by God that if restored to our lives will bring prolonged life, enriched relationships, increased fruitfulness, and abundant joy. We are waylaid by endless demands and stifling routines. Even our vacations have a panicky, task-like edge to them. “If I only had more time,” is the mantra of our age. But is this the real problem? Pastor Mark Buchanan believes that what we’ve really lost is the rest of God—the rest God bestows and, with it, that part of himself we can know only through stillness. In The Rest of God, you’ll: Form a deeper relationship with God by understanding Sabbath’s true purpose Learn how Sabbath allows us to live more fully into our status as free people, released from the grueling, incessant demands of life Connect Sabbath to the ultimate rest—heaven Receive practical advice for restoring Sabbath in your life With this book, Buchanan reminds us that Sabbath is about much more than going to church on Sunday. It's about the much-needed time to be still. The gift of Sabbath is essential to our full humanity and faith. God, knowing that and knowing how easily we might neglect it, made it a command. Begin your own journey of restoration and renewal!