Download or read book The Incomparable Christ written by J. Oswald Sanders and published by Moody Publishers. This book was released on 2009-06-01 with total page 366 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Author J. Oswald Sanders, a lawyer turned 20th century missionary statesman, follows Jesus from His pre-existence to His earthly life and coming Second Advent. Throughout he upholds Jesus as the powerful and perfect Savior of the world, arguing against any who would diminish His uniqueness.

Download or read book Worshipful written by James C. Howell and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 2017-02-08 with total page 129 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What does it look and feel like to be worshipful? Can we find a way to worship in such a robust, thoughtful way that when we aren't in worship, the worship might linger and invigorate us? Is it possible to live in the world--doing the dishes, listening to music, being stuck in traffic, enmeshed in a thicket of meetings at work--with a serene, abiding sense of God's presence despite all the racket, that we might do whatever we do for God, and sense God's presence? And maybe more importantly: could all we do between Sundays--grocery shopping, paying bills, listening to music, taking a walk, visiting aging parents--actually enrich and inform what we do on Sunday morning, making worship itself more vigorous, profound, just plain real, and memorable, and thus heightening the likelihood that the worship will linger through the rest of the week? This book is about living a worshipful life: understanding why we do what we do in Sunday morning worship, and then re-enacting those moods and actions all week long.

Download or read book Backstory Preaching written by Lisa Cressman and published by Liturgical Press. This book was released on 2018-05-08 with total page 217 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Instead of being a dour task on the checklist, what if the process of homily prep renewed you? Instead of feeling insecure about your message, what if your skills made you confident to preach a consistently clear message of Good News, authentic to you, relevant to your listeners, holding their attention and inviting transformation? Backstory Preaching: Integrating Life, Spirituality, and Craft shows you how. By integrating your life and spirituality with the practical skills necessary for effective preaching, you can move beyond the boredom, stress, or insecurity of preaching so it is no longer you who preach but Christ who preaches in you. By connecting with God in the midst of your sermon prep, the Gospel will be spread deeper and further. God’s joy—and yours—will be made complete.

Download or read book The Case for Jesus written by Brant Pitre and published by Image. This book was released on 2016-02-02 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “This book will prove to be a most effective weapon… against the debunking and skeptical attitudes toward the Gospels that are so prevalent, not only in academe, but also on the street, among young people who, sadly, are leaving the Churches in droves.” – Robert Barron, author of Catholicism For well over a hundred years now, many scholars have questioned the historical truth of the Gospels, claiming that they were originally anonymous. Others have even argued that Jesus of Nazareth did not think he was God and never claimed to be divine. In The Case for Jesus, Dr. Brant Pitre, the bestselling author of Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist, goes back to the sources—the biblical and historical evidence for Christ—in order to answer several key questions, including: • Were the four Gospels really anonymous? • Are the Gospels folklore? Or are they biographies? • Were the four Gospels written too late to be reliable? • What about the so-called “Lost Gospels,” such as “Q” and the Gospel of Thomas? • Did Jesus claim to be God? • Is Jesus divine in all four Gospels? Or only in John? • Did Jesus fulfill the Jewish prophecies of the Messiah? • Why was Jesus crucified? • What is the evidence for the Resurrection? As The Case for Jesus will show, recent discoveries in New Testament scholarship, as well as neglected evidence from ancient manuscripts and the early church fathers, together have the potential to pull the rug out from under a century of skepticism toward the traditional Gospels. Above all, Pitre shows how the divine claims of Jesus of Nazareth can only be understood by putting them in their ancient Jewish context.

Download or read book Transfiguration and Transformation written by Hywel R. Jones and published by Banner of Truth Trust. This book was released on 2021-11-15 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Our Bibles consistently use the noun 'Transfiguration' with regard to Jesus but 'Transformation' with regard to the Christian - and yet it is one and the same verb, transliterated 'metamorphosed, ' that is used in those places in the original text. Why is that so? Is there an important difference between them? And why does the noun 'metamorphosis' which is familiar to us never occur in the New Testament? And yet is there some connection between the Transfiguration of Jesus and the Transformation of the Christian? Hywel R. Jones presents answers to these questions in this book. In the course of doing so he shows how the divine can penetrate the human without destroying it as in the Person of Christ, and how the human can become conformed to the divine without its ceasing to be human as in the case of the Christian. That kind of metamorphosis accords and exalts the Christian gospel over against the humanism of our culture, whether secularised or spiritualised. There is a distinction between God and Man which will never be obliterated but preserved for ever - even in the glorified Christ in whom they are joined. But communion between the God-Man and his believing people will result in each Christian being fully conformed to the perfect humanity of Christ while retaining his or her own individuality. It will not result in a faceless absorption into the divine but face to face communion with the triune God for ever. 'The transfiguration of Christ shows how the divine can penetrate the human without destroying it. The transformation of the believer shows how the human can become conformed to the divine without its ceasing to be human. This is the ultimate metamorphosis that is compatible with Christian truth.' -- HYWEL R. JONES

Download or read book Living in Sin written by Jason Micheli and published by Fortress Press. This book was released on 2019-06-02 with total page 184 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Facing death, the challenges and blessings of marriage come into focus. Pastor Jason Micheli had performed dozens of weddings when he was diagnosed with incurable cancer. Suddenly, his own marriage--and his struggles to live up to its potential--came into sharp relief. Following up on his acclaimed and hilarious memoir, Cancer Is Funny, Micheli chronicles his deep love for his wife, Ali, in Living in Sin. He doesn't deserve her, he knows, but he also knows this: no one deserves the grace that comes in a loving marriage. And that grace is infused into marriage by God alone. Micheli's marriage is tested by cancer, even pushed to the brink. But with wit and biblical insight, he shows how his illness puts a laser focus on what really matters in marriage: forgiveness, laughter, and more forgiveness. Living in Sin will be an inspiration and challenge to any married couple.

Download or read book True to Our Native Land Second Edition written by Brian K. Blount and published by Augsburg Fortress Publishers. This book was released on 2023-11-28 with total page 664 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: True to Our Native Land is a pioneering commentary of the New Testament that sets biblical interpretation firmly in the context of African American experience and concern. The second edition includes updated commentaries and essays.

Download or read book Reading Jesus written by Mary Gordon and published by Anchor. This book was released on 2010-11-02 with total page 242 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Reading Jesus is a personal journey through the fundamental Biblical stories. As celebrated author Mary Gordon ponders the intense strangeness of a deity in human form, unresolved moral ambiguities within the text, and the problem posed to her as an enlightened reader by the miracle of the Resurrection. What she rediscovers—and reinterprets with her signature candor, intelligence, and straightforwardness—is a rich store of overlapping, sometimes conflicting teachings that feel both familiar and tantalizingly elusive.

Download or read book Mentoring for Ministry written by Craig Thomas Kocher and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 2017-05-19 with total page 135 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The art of mentoring, like all great arts, is a grace to be received, a gift to be given, and a skill that can be learned and practiced. This book explores the practice and grace of that art. The pastors in these pages share their hard-won experience of mentoring and being mentored, their wobbles and successes, insights and wisdom harvested from years in the vineyard.

Download or read book The Glory of Christ written by R. C. Sproul and published by R. C. Sproul Library. This book was released on 2003 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The soul is lifted up by the contemplation of the glory of God and of his only begotten Son," writes R. C. Sproul. "It is Christ in his glory who is the object of our worship and adoration. As Christians we join the communion of saints and the host of heaven in lifting up praise and honor to him." During his earthly life and ministry, Jesus experienced humiliation and suffering. "His humanity served as a veil that concealed the splendor of his deity," Sproul continues. "Yet there were moments when his glory shone through." These moments become the focus of The Glory of Christ. From the angels' revelation of Jesus' glory to the shepherds outside Bethlehem, to Jesus' life-changing revelation of his glory to Paul on the Damascus Road, Sproul guides us to a deeper understanding of Christ's glory. Paul said to King Agrippa about his conversion experience, "I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven." Sproul concludes: "This is the statement every Christian longs to make at the end of his life. This is the proper response to the manifestation of the glory of Christ." Book jacket.

Download or read book Letters and Homilies for Hellenized Christians Volume 2 written by Ben Witherington III and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 2008-01-09 with total page 433 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the first of three volumes, Witherington extends his innovative socio-rhetorical analysis of New Testament books to the later-Pauline and non-Pauline corpora, placing each text within its socioreligious millieu and illuminating the particular issues that confronted each congregation as well as the rhetorical strategies employed by each author in addressing those issues. Throughout, Witherington shows his thorough knowledge of recent literature on these texts and focuses his attention on the unique insights brought about through socio-rhetorical analysis that either reinforce or correct those gleaned from other approaches. Strikingly, based on his rhetorical analysis that either reinforce or correct those gleaned from other approaches. Strikingly, based on his rhetorical analysis of the Pastorals, he makes the case for Luke as Paul's amanuensis for these letters. He also makes a strenuous argument against New Testament pseudepigrapha-from back cover.

Download or read book Mark written by R. C. Sproul and published by Crossway Books. This book was released on 2011 with total page 430 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Mark, the fifth volume in the series, is a study of the gospel of Mark, which is generally regarded as the first account of Jesus' life and work that was written. There is broad agreement that it was written by John Mark, one of the apostle Paul's companions and missionary helpers. The book puts particular focus on Jesus as the Son of God. It is thought that the book was written to encourage the believers in Rome during the times of the Emperor Nero's persecutions. The book includes sixty-two chapters, each of which began as a St. Andrew's sermon. Dr. Sproul deals with major themes as he moves through the book passage by passage. Though the book is an "expositional commentary"-that is, it does not deal with each and every verse-it unpacks key ideas in Dr. Sproul's easily understandable style. Readers will find invaluable insights into the goals Mark had in writing his gospel, the background for Jesus' time, and the meanings of some of Mark's most difficult passages.

Download or read book Surprise the World written by Michael Frost and published by NavPress. This book was released on 2016-01-14 with total page 141 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Sharing your faith doesn’t have to be complicated. Christians are called to be a witness for Christ in daily life, to surprise people around us with the good news of the gospel. Yet putting that mission into regular practice can seem overwhelming. Author Michael Frost, a renowned expert on evangelism, offers refreshingly simple tactics to make evangelism fulfilling, exciting, and effective. Surprise the World teaches clear and practical tools for making evangelism part of your daily life. This short and easy read covers the BELLS method, along with thought-provoking questions and prompts for applying each habit. You’ll learn about each of the five habits: Bless others Eat together Listen to the Spirit Learn Christ Understand yourself as Sent by God into others’ lives Ideal for personal use or training groups on evangelism, the inspiring lessons in this book will transform your view of evangelism in daily life. “A timely wake-up call for believers. A concise and helpful encouragement to those seeking to live on-mission in their communities.” —Ed Stetzer, author and pastor “Eminently doable, entirely practical, and exceptionally effective!” —Felicity Dale, author of An Army of Ordinary People “If every believer developed a lifestyle that included these 5 habits, I’m convinced a great spiritual awakening would take place.” —Al Engler, mission director of Nav Neighbor

Download or read book Decision Making and the Will of God written by Garry Friesen and published by Multnomah. This book was released on 2009-10-07 with total page 530 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Does God Have a Perfect Will for Your Life? Does God have a perfect will for each Christian? Can you be absolutely certain of God’s specific will for your life? In this expanded twenty-fifth anniversary edition of his highly acclaimed work, Garry Friesen examines the prevalent view on God’s will today and provides a sound biblical alternative to the traditional teaching of how God guides us. This new edition includes these helpful resources: • Study guide for small groups • Responses to Frequently Asked Questions • Guide to painless Scripture memorization Friesen tackles the very practical issues of choosing a mate, picking a career, and giving in this fresh and liberating approach to decision making and the will of God. Story Behind the Book Most Christians have been taught how to find God’s will, yet many are still unsure whether they’ve found it. God does guide His people, but the question is, “How does He guide?” After “putting out a fleece” to decide which college to attend, Garry Friesen began pondering why it was so hard to find God’s will when he had so sincerely sought it. Was he the only one who did not have 100 percent clarity for every decision? Then a new possibility struck—perhaps his understanding of the nature of God’s will was biblically deficient. Maybe there was a better way to understand HOW God guides.

Download or read book Einstein s Dreams written by Alan Lightman and published by Vintage. This book was released on 2011-03-02 with total page 146 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A modern classic explores the connections between science and art, the process of creativity, and ultimately the fragility of human existence. “A magical, metaphysical realm ... Captivating, enchanting, delightful.” —The New York Times Einstein’s Dreams is a fictional collage of stories dreamed by Albert Einstein in 1905, about time, relativity and physics. As the defiant but sensitive young genius is creating his theory of relativity, a new conception of time, he imagines many possible worlds. In one, time is circular, so that people are fated to repeat triumphs and failures over and over. In another, there is a place where time stands still, visited by lovers and parents clinging to their children. In another, time is a nightingale, sometimes trapped by a bell jar. Now translated into thirty languages, Einstein’s Dreams has inspired playwrights, dancers, musicians, and painters all over the world. In poetic vignettes, it explores the connections between science and art, the process of creativity, and ultimately the fragility of human existence.

Download or read book Light on the Mountain written by and published by Popular Patristics Series. This book was released on 2013 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The episode of the Transfiguration of Jesus plays a key role in the narrative of the Synoptic Gospels. Peter and his fellow Apostles have just acknowledged Jesus to be Israel’s long-awaited Messiah, and have been shocked by Jesus’ immediate prediction of his coming passion and death. Now Peter, James and John are allowed to share an extraordinary vision, marking him out as truly God’s own Son, radiant with divine glory. Early Christian commentators and preachers recognized the crucial importance of this incident for Christian faith and discipleship, as pointing in advance to the power of the cross and resurrection of Christ. The liturgical feast of the Transfiguration, anticipating that of the Exaltation of the Cross by forty days, came to be celebrated in the Eastern and Western Churches, beginning in the seventh century; yet since at least the third century, theologians have reflected on the significance of this event for the life of faith. This volume brings together, in a new translation, a comprehensive collection of homilies on the Transfiguration of Christ from the Greek Patristic and Medieval Church, from Origen in the third century to St. Gregory Palamas in the fourteenth. Together they form a profound and moving set of meditations, from many perspectives and in many voices, on “the light of the recognition of the glory of God in the face of Christ” (II Cor 4.6), and on its importance for our lives"--

Download or read book From Age to Age written by Keith A. Mathison and published by P & R Publishing. This book was released on 2009 with total page 838 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Using the narrative method of biblical theology, From Age to Age traces the eschatological themes of Scripture from Genesis to Revelation, emphasizing how each book of the Bible develops these themes that culminate in the coming of Christ and showing how individual texts fit into the over-arching picture.