Nelson took advantage of every opportunity to learn and become more. In Insights from a Prophet's Life, Sheri Dew takes us through the life of President Nelson from childhood to the current day. This unique collection of life experiences is told in short episodes from the purpose of helping readers gain their own personal insights. For if we have much to learn from what a prophet says, surely we have much to learn from how a prophet lives.

    And He will speak to you, too.That is the powerful testimony of Sister Wendy W. Nelson, wife of President Russell M. Nelson, as she shares her personal witness of truths that will increase our capacity to receive and act on revelation from the heavens. In this volume, she offers a number of ideas for things we can do—and stop doing—in order to understand the Spirit’s direction more clearly.“All I have witnessed, all I have experienced tells me that our Father wants to communicate with each one of His children and will do so commensurate with our desire and earnest seeking,” writes Sister Nelson. This remarkable book will help readers learn how to open that door.

    Nelson recently voiced a concern that “too many of our brothers and sisters do not fully understand the concept of priesthood power and authority. I fear that too many of our brothers and sisters do not grasp the privileges that could be theirs.”Some are surprised to learn that priesthood authority, privileges, and power apply to women as well as men. On the other hand, many women feel undervalued, voiceless, and marginalized regarding the priesthood. Our limited understanding and frustration often stems from the priesthood being taught too narrowly.The Priesthood Power of Women relies on the standard works and teachings of the living prophets to help all members, especially women, more fully understand God's power and take full advantage of the powers, blessings, and privileges available to them in this mortal journey by clarifying truth regarding the priesthood, for both men and women. further expanding our knowledge of the priesthood, and strengthening and empowering us as we seek to better fulfill our priesthood responsibilities and make full use of priesthood privileges.

    The Divine Gift of Forgiveness is organized in such a way that readers can choose the section or chapter that applies most to them and study it without having to have read from cover to cover. Leaders can similarly recommend specific chapters to those with whom they work. Filled with powerful doctrine along with stories and experiences, this book will help all readers become more devoted disciples of the Savior.

    In Silent Souls Weeping, bestselling author and nationally-recognized journalist Jane Clayson Johnson hopes to change the LDS dialogue and cultural stigmas surrounding mental illness. She vulnerably shares her own experience with depression along with the experiences of many other Latter-day Saints, offering support to those suffering and understanding to those loving someone with depression.

    

    Each one of them tells a story—a story about who He is, what He does, and how He shows up in our individual lives.The name Redeemer comes from a Hebrew word that means someone who will rescue or save by any means. Some days that is as a sacrificing Lamb, and other days it is as a loyal Advocate.Who Jesus was in the past—the Good Shepherd, the Mighty Jehovah, the Unfailing Deliverer—is who He still is today. As we learn about how He came into the lives of those in the scriptures, we begin to anticipate and see how He comes into our own stories.

    Includes full-page gospel art and tips for improving personal and family study of the scriptures.

    Includes full-page gospel art and tips for improving personal and family study of the scriptures.

    

    But for some, an over-emphasis on “doing” can cause us to go through the motions and miss the deep, rich spiritual power that can come from being still. Sometimes, we try to dig ourselves out of feeling spiritually drained by doing more. When that doesn’t work, we can feel stuck—and arrive at one of two conclusions: the Church “formula”’ isn’t working so it must have been wrong to begin with, or maybe something is wrong with us?There is a third alternative—that our spirituality could reignite by approaching it from a more “mindful” place. When it feels like we’re on a runaway train, mindfulness returns us to a peaceful place where we can observe our thoughts and feelings without jumping on board with them. Using Latter-day Saint vernacular and examples, The Power of Stillness explores the ways in which mindfulness can deepen testimonies of the gospel. Practicing mindful principles can reinvigorate the joy inherent in our faith and helps us feel calmer, more present and engaged in our lives, and more spiritually connected to our Savior.

    

    Formerly incarcerated, he is now a black preacher in the whitest denomination in the United States: the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Shifting demographics and shrinking congregations make all the headlines, but Duncan sees something else at work--drawing a direct line between the church's lack of diversity and the church's lack of vitality. The problems the ELCA faces are theological, not sociological. But so are the answers.Part manifesto, part confession, and all love letter, Dear Church offers a bold new vision for the future of Duncan's denomination and the broader mainline Christian community of faith. Dear Church rejects the narrative of church decline and calls everyone--leaders and laity alike--to the front lines of the church's renewal through racial equality and justice.It is time for the church to rise up, dust itself off, and take on forces of this world that act against God: whiteness, misogyny, nationalism, homophobia, and economic injustice. Duncan gives a blueprint for the way forward and urges us to follow in the revolutionary path of Jesus.

    

    Combined with this problem is the discipleship deficit, the difficult truth that most evangelicals are not reaching the unchurched at the rates they think they are. In fact, many of the metrics that we often "count" in the church to highlight success really don't tell us the full story of a church's spiritual state. Things like attendance, decisions, dollars, and experiences can tell us something about a church, but not everything.To cultivate a spiritually healthy church we need a shift in our metrics—a "grace-shift" that prioritizes the work of God in the lives of people over numbers and dollars. Are people growing in their esteem for Jesus? Is there a dogged devotion to the Bible as the ultimate authority for life? Is there a growing interest in theology and doctrine? A discernible spirit of repentance? And perhaps most importantly, is there evident love for God and for our neighbors in the congregation?Leading a church culture to shift from numerical success to the metrics of grace can be costly, but leaders who have conviction, courage, and commitment can lead while avoiding some of the landmines that often destroy churches. Wilson includes diagnostic questions that will help leaders measure—and lead team transparency in measuring as a group—the relative spiritual health of their church, as well as a practical prescriptive plan for implementing this metric-measuring strategy without becoming legalistic.Most attractional church models can lean heavily on making changes to the weekend worship gatherings. And while some of these changes can be good, thriving grace-focused churches are driven by a commitment to the gospel, allowing the gospel to inform and shape the worship service and the various ministries of the church.

    After all, the scriptures tell us, "Now the great and grand secret of the whole matter . . . consists in obtaining the powers of the Holy Priesthood" (D&C 128:11). Especially in recent years, prophets and apostles have assured that women as well as men can serve in the Church, the temple, and the family with priesthood authority and priesthood power. How can women more fully exercise that holy authority in their daily service and work?Best-selling author and acclaimed psychologist Wendy Ulrich explains how, following the Savior's examples, women can act within priesthood authority and covenants to fulfill their individual missions, help save the human family, and empower rising generations. By qualifying for the gifts of the Holy Ghost and the temple endowment, women can nourish, teach, serve, pray, lead, heal, parent, prophesy, minister, and testify with priesthood power.This book will help you grow in power in the priesthood as you better understand the priesthood authority women have been given, learn to clarify and live your deepest values, and hone the skill of discerning and acting on the promptings of the Holy Ghost—ultimately growing toward your highest spiritual potential.The very promises made by oath and covenant to those who bear the Aaronic and Melchizedek Priesthoods were extended by Joseph Smith to the Relief Society sisters. He organized them "after the pattern of the priesthood" and promised: "If you live up to your privileges, the angels cannot be restrained from being your associates. . . .[You] can come in the presence of God." These promises and privileges belong to all who wish to claim them.

    Unlike most books written to help those struggling with their testimonies, Bridges: Ministering to Those Who Question is geared at helping local leaders and family members better understand the sources of these challenges and how to minister to those affected by them. This ministering is done through building bridges of love, empathy, and trust regardless of whether or not someone retains their belief or continues to participate. Author David B. Ostler, a former mission president, utilizes surveys with local leaders and disaffected members, research from social science and religious studies, and teachings from Church leaders to show how Latter-day Saints can work to better support those who have questions and create church environments where all can feel welcome.

    He shows you how to let go of the anxiety-producing areas of life in order to find the lasting peace that comes from trusting God. During the season of Lent, Catholics and other Christians frequently give up something they enjoy as a measure of penance or self-discipline—and often fall back into old habits at the first “Alleluia!” In Give Up Worry for Lent!, Zimak offers fellow worriers practical, scripture-centered advice on how to relinquish the need to control the uncontrollable—not just for Lent but for good—and how to find peace in Christ. From Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday, Zimak guides you to ponder a scripture passage and to apply it to your own life by following four simple steps: read reflect respond pray As you continue to meditate on scripture and practice the simple action steps at the end of each reflection, you will find it easier to replace old worries with new messages of hope and to change your life forever.

    It is an invitation to pursue the best of both worlds in worship, the Eucharistic and the charismatic, with the grace of God at the center.Wilson envisions church services in which healing testimonies and prayers of confession coexist, the congregation sings When I Survey the Wondrous Cross followed by Happy Day, and creeds move the soul while singing moves the body. He imagines a worship service that could come out of the book of Acts: Young men see visions, old men dream dreams, sons and daughters prophesy, and they all come together to the same Table and go on their way rejoicing.In short, Spirit and Sacrament is an appeal to bring out of the church's storehouse all of its treasures, so that God's people can worship our unrivaled Savior with sacraments and spiritual gifts, raised hands and lowered faces.

    He encourages us to remember that pastors are people and to pray for them as they serve us.Paradoxically, caring for our pastor will be a blessing to us as well as to them, and create a culture of true fellowship in our church family.

    He is, for example, a revelator, teacher, testifier, comforter, agent of the new birth, sanctifier, and sealer, to mention only a few of His roles. Unlike more inspirational explorations of the Holy Ghost, Robert L. Millet's The Holy Spirit focuses on the person of the Holy Ghost and examines His varied assignments in a way that is both spiritually strengthening and intellectually enlarging. Nothing has been written for decades about the Holy Spirit with so much breadth and depth.In The Holy Spirit, you'll find: Sound doctrine about the Holy Ghost that is in harmony with scripture and latter-day prophets. Personal experiences and inspiring stories from our history to help us both understand and draw upon the Holy Spirit in our lives. A helpful reference of prophetic teachings about the Spirit and His role in our lives.

    5:17). But we still sin; still get angry, arrogant, and greedy. Sin destroys everything in its path, yet it’s also kind of fun and quite compelling. It often has us holding on to parts of the old life instead of embracing the new life we’ve been promised.   In Done with That, Pastor Bob Merritt exposes the inner battle we all fight with sin. He exposes the cycle of failure and loss and shows readers that no matter how many setbacks they’ve experienced, there is a way to enjoy a new and better life in Christ.

    Falling between remembrance of Christ's death on Good Friday and of his resurrection on Easter Sunday, this affirmation has been a cause for Christian worship and reflection on Holy Saturday through the centuries. At the same time, the descent has been the subject of suspicion and scrutiny, perhaps especially from evangelicals, some of whom do not find support for it within Scripture and have even called for it to be excised from the creeds. Against this conflicted landscape, Matthew Emerson offers an exploration of the biblical, historical, theological, and practical implications of the descent. Led by the mystery and wonder of Holy Saturday, he encourages those who profess faith in Christ to consider the whole work of our Savior.

    Accessible and clear, concise and profound, no matter where you are in your journey, What’s Next? is the guide you need to find your way and discover the joy that comes walking the road of richer faith.

    To fill the void left by religion, we look to all sorts of everyday activities--from eating and parenting to dating and voting--for the identity, purpose, and meaning once provided on Sunday morning.In our striving, we are chasing a sense of enoughness. But it remains ever out of reach, and the effort and anxiety are burning us out. Seculosity takes a thoughtful yet entertaining tour of American performancism and its cousins, highlighting both their ingenuity and mercilessness, all while challenging the conventional narrative of religious decline. Zahl unmasks the competing pieties around which so much of our lives revolve, and he does so in a way that's at points playful, personal, and incisive. Ultimately he brings us to a fresh appreciation for the grace of God in all its countercultural wonder.

    D. Greear (Gospel, Stop Asking Jesus into Your Heart) believes the postmortems are premature. Jesus promised to build his church. He said that the gates of hell would not prevail against it. The church is not going away.   Along with this promise, Jesus gave clear instructions for how the church would prevail. He promised to build it on the rock of the gospel.   The most pressing need for Christianity today is not a new strategy. It is not an updated message. It is a return to keeping the gospel above all.

    In recent years, Christian ministries have increasingly prioritized urban areas. Big cities and suburbs are considered more strategic, more influential, and more desirable places to live and work. After all, they're the centers for culture, arts, and education. More and more people are leaving small places and moving to big ones. As a ministry strategy, focusing on big places makes sense. But the gospel of Jesus is often unstrategic. In this book, pastor Stephen Witmer lays out an integrated theological vision for small-place ministry. Filled with helpful information about small places and with stories and practical advice from his own ministry, Witmer's book offers a compelling, comprehensive vision for small-place ministry today. Jesus loves small places, and when we care deeply about them and invest in them over time, our ministry becomes a unique picture of the gospel--one that the world badly needs to see.

    A church's philosophy of ministry is locked into its budget, and so the budget will either stifle or accelerate any attempts to move a congregation toward a biblical model of church health. As such, the church budget is a far more potent pastoral tool than many church leaders realize. Budgeting for a Healthy Church examines each section of the budget in light of Biblical principles to show how a church budget can lock in healthy approaches to ministry. Whereas most books on church budgeting are "how" books, explaining how the budgeting process should work, this is a "what" book, helping church leaders determine the pastoral implications of what they choose to fund in their budgets.

    Where the world stresses the importance of success, Bird invites readers to embrace nine specific failures in the areas of our personal lives, our relationships, and the church. Why? Because what human wisdom deems indispensable is so often an impediment to our spiritual growth, and what it deems insignificant is so often essential to it.With compelling examples from the Bible and today, Bird paints an enticing picture of the counterintuitive, countercultural life that God wants for us. He helps readers delight in all of the ways that Jesus turned the world upside-down, allowing us to experience true freedom, not from our weaknesses but in the midst of them.

    The solution is right in front of us—the Christian church, an outpost of the heavenly city among the cities of men. The Theopolitan Vision explains what the church is, and how the Spirit empowers the church's world-transforming mission through Word and worship, Scripture and liturgy. It shows how the church can be a city of light in a dark age.

    National conferences, hip planting organizations, and all-in-one resource kits celebrate the thrill of pioneering a church and inspire visions of glorious victories. Yet few who respond to the call are warned what they'll actually encounter: the relentless opposition they'll endure; the eventual scattering of their entire core group; the failure of their tried-and-true, field-tested system.Here's the dirty little secret of church planting: the roadside is strewn with casualties. Many have closed their churches. Some left ministry permanently. Others abandoned the faith altogether.Church planting is at once the greatest and most grueling ministry work on earth. This book is for those toiling in the trenches, those about to bail out, and those considering jumping in. It's for the church planters laboring and struggling, seeing little movement, and wondering what they're doing wrong or why God is failing them. It's also for mother churches, planting organizations, and denominations, as a challenge to rethink and re-calibrate the way they approach and measure planting endeavors.The Honest Guide to Church Planting is a fresh and candid conversation about the challenges and joys of planting new churches. Tom Bennardo speaks the truth so that those involved in church planting can embrace a more accurate and realistic picture of what planting a church is really like; one that not only enables them to survive, but to thrive in this difficult work.

    You didn't do a doctoral dissertation on pastoral counseling. You're simply God's person caring for God's people in the local church. And the marriages in your church need help.Many pastors feel ill-equipped to handle the challenges that arise when a couple is going through marital difficulties. They feel lost and inadequate. What do you say? What counsel do you offer? Should I say anything or just listen? Do I schedule a follow-up appointment? Do I ask questions? What questions?If you are or have been in this situation before, this book offers you a practical guide to get started with the first sessions and then offers specific guidance on nine of the most common topics that come up in marriage counseling. Author and pastor Jonathan Holmes offers a solid, biblical theology and methodology to help you navigate through the world of marriage counseling with the fundamental conviction that God's word is powerful enough to address the deepest of marital issues, and robust enough to handle whatever might come your way. In each chapter, you'll meet a new couple dealing with a different issue, much like the people in your church, office, and neighborhood. Through the book you'll also hear advice from several respected voices in the biblical counseling community.Whether you're a novice or already knowledgeable, Counsel for Couples provides theologically sound and biblically practical tools to help you as you help couples in need.

    The women God called to bring his chosen people into the world were ordinary women who struggled with emptiness, oppression, infertility, and loss—yet who found strength and hope in God. In her first book, Sarah Christmyer—codeveloper of The Great Adventure Catholic Bible study program—pairs the stories of key Old Testament women with stories of women she has known to show us how we can hear God, say yes to his call, and share him with the world just as they did.Breaking open the scriptures to reveal the historical, cultural, and biblical context in which Old Testament women lived, Sarah Christmyer breathes new life into their stories and makes their lives surprisingly relatable. In the process, she shares stories from her own faith journey and the lives of family and friends to show how the same principles that turned ordinary women into heroines of the faith are true for our lives today.Each chapter of Becoming Women of the Word highlights the spiritual legacy of one or more women in the Old Testament. Their world was vastly different from ours, yet they faced the same questions we do: when we can’t feel God’s presence, where do we find help? When our world is collapsing, where is God? Why should we trust him? How can we trust him? Christmyer simply and clearly draws from the lives of these women important principles that help us to trust—even as we struggle with doubt. For example:Through Eve, we learn to hold on to God’s promise even when we fail.Sarah reminds us to wait on God’s timing to make us fruitful.Miriam, the sister of Moses, shows how to lead by example.Ruth and Esther challenge us to see womanhood as a gift.Hannah and Judith inspire us to trust God even in matters of life and death.These unforgettable portraits create a colorful mosaic of faith, encouraging us to mine God’s Word for spiritual treasure and to pass on the gift.

    If one stands close, one can identify individual squares of glass or tile that compose the greater picture. And if one steps back, there is the larger picture to be admired. Yet in the great mosaics of age-old Christian churches, the goal is not for viewers to construct the image, as in a puzzle, but to appreciate it.So too with this mosaic of atonement doctrine. While no one model is set above or against the others, the book notes particular ways in which the "pieces"--the feet, heart, head, and hands--mutually support one another to form a more holistic vision of Christ's work. "This is my body," Jesus said to his followers, and by reintegrating these oft-dismembered aspects of atonement, we will note fresh ways in which it was given for us.

    In The Pastor in a Secular Age, Root explores how this secular age has impacted the identity and practice of the pastor, obscuring his or her core vocation: to call and assist others into the experience of ministry.Using examples of pastors throughout history--from Augustine and Jonathan Edwards to Martin Luther King Jr. and Nadia Bolz-Weber--Root shows how pastors have both perpetuated and responded to our secular age. Root turns to Old Testament texts and to the theology of Robert Jenson to explain how pastors can regain the important role of attending to people's experiences of divine action, offering a new vision for pastoral ministry today.

    Ash and Starlight features prayers for centering, confession and release, guidance and transition, waiting and struggle, comfort and strength, trust, and seasonal times of year. This compilation of prayers will will help you find connection and wholeness in your own daily pilgrimage. You will be empowered to live authentically and soulfully, embracing the brokenness and beauty of your life right now, just as it is.

    At first they tried to “fix” him, to no avail. But even in the earliest days of their journey, the McDonalds clung to two absolutes: they would love God, and they would love their son. This book follows the McDonald family’s journey over the next twenty years, from a place of grief to a place of gratitude and acceptance that led the McDonalds’ to start one of the first Christian ministries for parents of LGBTQ children. Based on their experience from counseling and coaching hundreds of struggling Christian parents, they offer tools for understanding your own emotional patterns and spiritual challenges. They also help you experience a deeper relationship with God while handling difficult or unexpected situations that are out of your control. You will discover tested principles, patterns, and spiritual lessons that can change the way we all see our families, and help Christians at large think though Christ-like ways to respond to the LGBTQ community. Written in an unvarnished, honest, reassuring, and relatable voice, this is a practical guide for parents and a roadmap to learning to love God, the people He created, and the church, even when they seem to be at odds.

    

    And yet, through it all, Paul stood firm in Christ and remained faithful--to the very end.The power of Paul's example has captivated veteran pastor John MacArthur for years, and here he outlines nine unwavering convictions that contributed to this remarkable perseverance. In an age when pastoral failure and burnout are increasingly common, this book is a call to endurance in ministry, encouraging pastors to stand strong in their role and not lose heart, regardless of what God sends their way.

    We've become disconnected from each other and from our very selves.In Love Big, leadership coach Rozella Hayd�e White introduces readers to the power of revolutionary relationships. Modeled after the image of God as a lover, these relationships can heal the brokenness of our lives by crossing over the dividing lines of race, gender, religion, orientation, ability, identity, and class to provide relief and inspiration.Revolutionary relationships will usher us into a reality marked by love, connection, and a belief in abundance.Revolutionary relationships lead us to love big--to love despite hardships and fear; to love in the face of despair; to love ourselves and others deeply and passionately; to love in ways that change us all.

    Hand-lettered, gold-ink illustrations by renowned artist Dana Tanamachi are interspersed throughout the blank pages, inviting readers to add their own artwork or reflections to each page. These thin, portable notebooks have unique covers stamped with gold-foil and are great for art journaling, personal Bible reading and prayer, small-group Bible study, or taking notes through a sermon series.Single-column format Thick, opaque, cream-colored paper Lightly dotted grid on blank pages opposite each page of Bible text Gold-ink illustrations by artist Dana Tanamachi Wide margins Lay-flat binding Unique covers stamped with gold-foil Packaging: Backer O-wrap

    To understand and do the Christian liturgy, we need to take account of the whole Bible.In Theopolitan Liturgy, Peter J. Leithart examines the liturgical features of creation. The world is a temple. History is a dialogue with God. Life and society is sacrificial. Time follows a liturgical pattern.Because creation is inherently liturgical, the liturgy isn't a retreat from the world. It's a transformation of the world. Church buildings use space as God designed it to be used, as space for worship. In the liturgy, we are trained to respond rightly to God's word, and learn the habit of living sacrifice. The church's calendar Christianizes time, imprinting the gospel on our days and years.Leithart demonstrates that the liturgy isn't a retreat from engagement with the world. It is the church's primary engagement with the world. The liturgy is the initial Christianization of creation.The introduction to the Theopolis Fundamentals Series was Leithart's book, Theopolitan Vision. Leithart's Theopolitan Liturgy is the first book in the series.The early volumes of the Theopolis Fundamentals Series summarize the convictions of the Theopolis Institute in Birmingham, Alabama and James B. Jordan's Biblical Horizons about topics including biblical interpretation, liturgical theology and practice, and the church's cultural and political mission. The Fundamentals will be followed by a collection of Theopolis Explorations volumes that will examine Scripture, liturgy, and culture in more depth and detail.

    The parables of Christ contain a wealth of guidance, but the deeper meaning of His words can sometimes be difficult to decipher. Now, best-selling authors Hank Smith and Kathryn Jenkins—known and loved for their ability to approach gospel topics in a clear, light, and understandable way—take a careful look at the finer points of the Savior’s stories. They uncover the profound spiritual lessons hidden within and illustrate practical and accessible application for our day. In Living the Parables: Applying Christ’s Teachings to Our Lives, readers are presented with commentary from generations of Church leaders and religious scholars, as well as modern-day interpretations of the underlying significance of each account. This volume will inspire followers of Christ to draw on the power of His Atonement by embracing a deeper understanding of His parables.

    

    It examines the prayers of eight biblical characters and teaches you how to pray like the prayer warriors who went before you. You’ll study:Jesus: A Model PrayerPaul: A Prayer of IntercessionJob: A Prayer of DespairHannah: A Prayer of LongingDavid: A Prayer of LamentAsa: A Prayer of Seeking GodJehoshaphat: A Prayer of DependenceNehemiah: A Prayer of BoldnessFollow in the footsteps of these spiritual giants and discover anew what our loving God does with a little faith and a whole lot of prayer. You’ll love studying these scriptural prayers, like the prayer of Asa:Then Asa called to the Lord his God and said, "Lord, there is no one besides You to help in the battle between the powerful and those who have no strength; so help us, O Lord our God, for we trust in You, and in Your name have come against this multitude. O Lord, You are our God; let not man prevail against You." (2 Chron. 14:11)

    You’ll go on a journey to embrace who you are and become all you’re created to be.The most important thing about you is what you believe about who God is and what He says about you. And God says you are deeply loved, wonderfully made, and part of His master plan. What He says about us is true today and forever! Yet, in the midst of our busy lives we struggle with lies that foster feelings of inferiority, insecurity, self-doubt, and shame. In this beautiful gift book, bestselling author Holley Gerth shares fifty-two life-changing reminders of who you really are…of who God says you are...You are loved. You are chosen. You are free.This beautiful creatively designed book is a safe space where you can go anytime you’re longing for strength, confidence, or encouragement. Set it on your nightstand. Keep it in your purse. Give it to the people you love.Special Product features:A beautiful gift book to remind someone special that God says we're deeply loved144 pages of hope and life-changing encouragement for your heart in a compact portable size: 5 5/8" x 6 19/32"Soft touch hardcover featuring debossed design and spot UVRibbon Bookmarker52 short devotional readings to inspire women in beautiful, artistic bible journaling style with watercolor floral art.

    This handbook seeks to help the church take a significant step forward in its care for those who have been abused. Working in tandem with the Church Cares resources and videos, this handbook brings together leading evangelical trauma counselors, victim advocates, social workers, attorneys, batterer interventionists, and survivors to equip pastors and ministry leaders for the appropriate initial responses to a variety of abuse scenarios in churches, schools, or ministries. Though the most comprehensive training is experienced by using this handbook and the videos together, readers who may be unable to access the videos can use this handbook as a stand-alone resource.

    in partnership with Ampelon Publishing."--Title page verso.

    Yet the truth is, while the Son of God was loving and tender, his words could be equally sharp and biting. The same man who said, “Love your enemies” (Matthew 5:44) also said, “You snakes, how will you escape being condemned to hell?” (Matthew 23:33).  With compelling storytelling and enlightening examinations of Scripture, Tim Harlow journeys through the gospels and looks at what, and who, ignited Jesus’ anger. He guides us through instances of Jesus’ anger in response to the barriers people put up:in the temple, where money changers literally denied access to the Father, especially for the non-Jews and the poor;during his teaching, when little children were denied access;on the Sabbath, when religious leaders put rules above relationship and suffering above healing; and many more.What if, Harlow asks, by coming to understand God’s holy anger, we come to know a savior we never knew before? How can we respond like Jesus when good intentions, prejudices and judgments, traditions and rules, and selfish and joyless people conspire to keep others from God’s presence?

    They were basic. And they were—and are—essential. In Creating a Christ-Centered Home, you will discover how to fill your family's hearts with the principles Jesus taught in the most sacred of classrooms: the home.There is a humility that comes when we invite the Lord into our most private spaces. Within the hush we hear the gentle whisper of His voice, we experience the touch of His hand, and we feel the prompting to rise. Invite Him in, and experience the added measure of peace, strength, courage, and hope that comes when Jesus Christ becomes the central focus of your home.

    We wanted to believe we were headed somewhere better—that progress was happening. But now as our technology ensnares and isolates us, our politics threaten to tear us apart, and our cultural decline continues to accelerate, people are understandably distressed.But throughout history these periods of decline traditionally precede powerful spiritual renewal—and even revival. What if all the bad news in this world is actually good news for the church?Discover why there’s reason to be wildly hopeful and how to prepare yourself and your church to be a part of renewal now and in the future.

    Pastors are often pulled in multiple directions and must "become all things to all people" (1 Cor. 9:22). What does the New Testament say (or not say) about the pastoral calling? And what can we learn about it from the apostle Paul?According to popular New Testament scholar Scot McKnight, pastoring must begin first and foremost with spiritual formation, which plays a vital role in the life and ministry of the pastor. As leaders, pastors both create and nurture culture in a church. The biblical vision for that culture is Christoformity, or Christlikeness. Grounding pastoral ministry in the pastoral praxis of the apostle Paul, McKnight shows that nurturing Christoformity was at the heart of the Pauline mission. The pastor's central calling, then, is to mediate Christ in everything. McKnight explores seven dimensions that illustrate this concept--friendship, siblings, generosity, storytelling, witness, subverting the world, and wisdom--as he calls pastors to be conformed to Christ and to nurture a culture of Christoformity in their churches.

    Based on more than two decades of lectures on Old Testament interpretation, Ellen F. Davis offers a selective yet comprehensive guide to the core concepts, literary patterns, storylines, and theological perspectives that are central to Israel's Scriptures. Underlying the whole study is the primary assumption that each book of the canon has literary and theological coherence, though not uniformity.In both her close readings of individual texts and in her broad demonstrations of the coherence of whole books, Davis models the best practices of contemporary exegesis, integrating the insights of contemporary scholars with those of classical theological resources in Jewish and Christian traditions. Throughout, she keeps an eye to the experiences and concerns of contemporary readers, showing through multiple examples that the critical interpretation of texts is provisional, open-ended work--a collaboration across generations and cultures. Ultimately what she offers is an invitation into the more spacious world that the Bible discloses, which challenges ordinary conceptions of how things "really" are.

     Shocking faithful Catholics worldwide, Pope Francis refused to deny the accusations that Archbishop Viganò made against him in that ten-page document. Stunned himself, Marco Tosatti, the Italian journalist who first broke the story of the cover-up, here recounts the whole sordid tale. In this alarming report, you will learn of McCarrick’s long-time abuses of seminarians and young priests, his inexplicable promotions to the highest ranks in the Church (despite widespread knowledge of his crimes), and the scandalous cover-up that has traumatized the Catholic world and continues to this day. Among the things you’ll find here: DOCUMENTED: Decades of warnings sent to the Vatican about the predator McCarrick – warnings that Church officials brushed aside DETAILED: Archbishop Viganò’s private 2013 meeting with the pope, detailing McCarrick’s sexual abuse of seminarians and young priests BAFFLING: The refusal of Pope Francis to deny Viganò’s claims, or even to comment NAMED: Other clerical miscreants the pope has appointed to high Vatican offices THE PAYOFFS: The millions of dollars the Church has spent to silence McCarrick’s victims IDENTIFIED: The one and only point the Vatican MUST explain – but thus far will not REVEALED: The real source of the rot at the top levels of the Church It is all here – the names, dates, and damning documents – details that lead many to conclude, with Archbishop Viganò, that far from finally drawing to a close, the cover-up of clerical sexual crimes continues apace and appears to reach the very highest offices of Holy Mother Church.

    

    First, He took the bread and said, This is my body. Then He took the cup, saying, This is my blood. Next, He commanded the disciples to eat and drink in remembrance of Him.What did Jesus mean? Do the bread and wine literally become His body and blood? What happens when Christians take the Lord’s Supper?In The Lord’s Supper: Answers to Common Questions, Dr. Keith A. Mathison walks through these questions and several others to help us better understand this sacrament. Far from being an empty ritual, the Lord’s Supper is a means of grace, a source of spiritual nourishment, and true communion with Christ and His church.

    At the same time, it provides a limited review of the semiannual training held July 1-6, 2019, in Anaheim, California, on the continuation of the “Crystallization-study of Numbers.” Through intimate contact with the Lord in His word, the believers can be constituted with life and truth and thereby equipped to prophesy in the meetings of the church unto the building up of the Body of Christ.

    Are you ready to open the box? Most of us are scared to death to lift the lid on the Pandora’s box of narcissism. Dealing with predatory people leaves us intimidated, scared, and hopeless. In this groundbreaking book, Dr. E. James Wilder rips the cover off the dreaded box and gives us a clear view of both the problem and the surprising solution. Dr. Wilder offers us a new paradigm that moves us away from the individualized therapy model toward the need for identity groups that help each other learn how to love our enemies. You’ll be highlighting insights in nearly every paragraph as you make your way through this fresh approach to a very old problem. WATCH THE WEBINAR: Deeper Walk hosted Dr. Jim Wilder to talk about his new book. Access the recording here: https://deeperwalkinternational.org/p... James Wilder (Ph.D., Clinical Psychology, and MA, Theology, Fuller Theological Seminary) has been training leaders and counselors for thirty years on five continents. He is the author of over ten books with a strong focus on maturity and relational skills for leaders, including his coauthored book Rare Leadership. His coauthored book, Living from the Heart Jesus Gave You has sold over 100,000 copies in eleven languages. Wilder has published numerous articles and developed four sets of video and relational leadership training called THRIVE. He has extensive clinical counseling experience and is the chief neuro-theologian of Shepherd’s House Inc., a nonprofit working at the intersection of brain science and theology. He is also the lead developer of the Life Model, which is building contagiously healthy Christian communities through equipping existing networks with the skills to thrive.

    It's the story of the story of how the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints began. Joseph Smith, the church's founder, remembered that his first audible prayer, uttered in spring of 1820 when he was about fourteen, was answered with a vision of heavenly beings. Appearing to the boy in the woods near his parents' home in western New York State, they told Smith that he was forgiven and warned him that Christianity had gone astray.Smith created a rich and controversial historical record by narrating and documenting this event repeatedly. In First Vision, Steven C. Harper shows how Latter-day Saints (beginning with Joseph Smith) and others have remembered this experience and rendered it meaningful. When and why and how did Joseph Smith's first vision, as saints know the event, become their seminal story? What challenges did it face along the way? What changes did it undergo as a result? Can it possibly hold its privileged position against the tides of doubt and disbelief, memory studies, and source criticism-all in the information age? Steven C. Harper tells the story of how Latter-day Saints forgot and then remembered accounts of Smith's experience and how Smith's 1838 account was redacted and canonized. He explores the dissonance many saints experienced after discovering multiple accounts of Smith's experience. He describes how, for many, the dissonance has been resolved by a reshaped collective memory.

    These heroes are simply ordinary people who have experienced the transformative power of a Savior who is alive and moving--and their stories will inspire readers to take faith-filled risks for the gospel.

    It began with His triumphant entry into the city of Jerusalem and ended with His glorious Resurrection from the dead. But what occurred between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday? Author Stephen R. Christiansen’s inspiring work invites readers to explore and understand the events of the final week of Jesus Christ’s mortal ministry in vivid detail, with discussion of events ranging from the Last Supper to Christ’s Atonement to His Crucifixion.Far more than a simple chronological account, this volume inspires thoughtful study, emotional connection, and personal revelation. With chapters designed to be read during each day of Holy Week, it gives readers the unique opportunity to delve into Christ’s final acts and contemplate compelling daily questions.Come to more fully understand the Savior’s final week, His ultimate sacrifice, and His role in your life as you discover the eternal implications of what occurred from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday.

    All the sacrifices of priests and people are rendered null and void by Jesus' one-time-for-all-time sacrifice for all people, everywhere, past, present, and future tense. Jesus' death and resurrection save us from our own religiosity.

    Preachers and teachers of preaching need a holistic view of preaching that not only paints the way to good preaching, but also to good living. They need a comprehensive practical theology of preaching that combines the 'why' and the 'what' with the 'how' and 'whom' of preaching.Practicing the Preaching Life unites Christian practices, contextual virtues, and the best of homiletical pedagogy to pave the way to a beautiful preaching life. Preaching is best learned as a formative Christian practice embedded within a web of other Christian practices that form a way of life from which great sermons emerge. Therefore, preaching requires not only a way of speaking well, but also a way of living well. This embedded nature of preaching requires the enrollment of Christian practices in the formation of the preacher and the pursuit of contextual virtues for preaching that avoid cultural relativism on the one hand and cultural imperialism on the other. These requirements lead to a new vision for the preaching classroom, the rhythms of the preaching life, and the definition of what it means to be a good preacher.

    

    With sensitivity to both sides of the argument, Adams draws on the wisdom of Scripture, theology, and the Holy Spirit. Blending them with her own personal experiences, she asserts that both women and men are equally called to serve and lead in the church and in the world—and that, by restricting the roles of women, we are missing God’s design for the church and for the gospel’s impact on the earth.

    W. Tozer’s contagious passion for the Church of ChristChurch attendance is declining in the West today as more and more people declare that they can have God without His church. How did we get here, and above all, how do we move forward? In Church, the timeless spiritual leader A. W. Tozer discusses the nature and mission of the church and how ordinary Christians can and should participate in the life of the church. Tozer offers you far more than theological platitudes or “should’s” and “should not’s.” With matchless eloquence, Tozer proclaims the simple truths of the faith in a way that moves you to astonishment and compels you to worship.Come and be reminded of what it means for the churchto be faithful, and why it is so wonderful that we get to be a part of the glorious bride of Christ.

    Despite Bowen theory being based on research begun more than seventy years ago, the value of viewing human beings as profoundly emotionally-driven creatures and human families functioning as emotional units is more relevant than ever. This book, written by one of his closest collaborators, updates his still-radical theory with the latest approaches to understanding emotional development.Reduced to its most fundamental level, Bowen theory explains how people begin a relationship very close emotionally but become more distant over time. The ideas also help explain why good people do bad things, and bad people do good things, and how family life strengthens some members while weakening others. Gaining knowledge about previously unseen specifics of family interactions reveals a hidden life of families. The hidden life explains how the best of intentions can fail to produce the desired result, thus providing a blueprint for change. Part I of the book explains the core ideas in the theory. Part II describes the process of differentiation of self, which is the most important application of Bowen theory. People sometimes think of theories as "ivory tower" productions: interesting, but not necessarily practical. Differentiation of self is anything but; it has a well-tested real-world application. Part II includes four long case presentations of families in the public eye. They help illustrate how Bowen theory can help explain how families—three of which appear fairly normal and one which does not—unwittingly produce an offspring that chronically manifests some time of severely aberrant behavior. Finally, the book proposes a new "unidisease" concept—the idea that a wide range of diseases have a number of physiological processes in common. In an Epilogue, Kerr applies Bowen theory to his family to illustrate how changes in a family relationship system over time can better explain the clinical course of a chronic illness than the diagnosis itself. With close to four thousand hours of therapy conducted with about thirty-five hundred families over decades, Michael Kerr is an expert guide to the ins and outs of this most influential way of approaching clinical work with families.

    . . Angel Moroni! Join Lucy as she finds features on and around the temple--like the gate, fountains, spires, and more--that remind her of important gospel principles. This reverent seek-and-find book introduces children to the idea of symbols and prepares them to enter the temple some day.

    The 2019 edition takes what was good from the modern liturgical renewal movement and also recovers what had been lost from the tradition.”~ Archbishop Robert Duncan, Liturgy Task Force Chair

    Willard uses “Business” in a generous and inclusive way that incorporates all the things each of us do to make a living and serve our community. Willard considered business to be a fundamental structure of love in our world. He believed God created it to promote loving communities and to bring each of us together for mutual benefit and support. He understood business as one of the significant ways God desires to be with us in the shaping of our culture and the stewarding of our world. This booklet is being sold to fund the ongoing work of Dallas Willard's legacy through publishing his unpublished works and making his ideas accessible to the broadest possible audience.

    For writers yearning to grow in their craft or hoping to launch a writing career, this unique guidebook provides a clear path forward filled with the hard-won wisdom of long-time and widely-published Christian writers. From the beauty of the call to write and insights on how to be published, the authors take their readers on a journey both practical and personal. Readers will find clear direction on writing with excellence and beauty, and "Try this" challenges that will move any aspiring writer out of their armchair and into their writing chair. Far from a manual, Craft, Cost & Call reads as a heartfelt conversation between writers, guiding, encouraging, and cheering others on to success....

    Choices are presented as mutually exclusive and we are given little time to listen. You are either secular or religious. You either believe in the exclusive truth of your own religion or you believe truth is everywhere or impossible to discover. The battle over truth rages on. But what if truth were a child? With how much more care and humility would we speak and act if truth was not the result of some war of wills, but a flesh-and-bone living child, a living soul? Humanities scholar and Latter-day Saint George B. Handley charitably invites us to put away the false traditions of the fathers while seeking to lay hold of every good thing wherever it may be found in the world, thereby increasing our faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

    Edited and compiled by Jason Allen, Sola will illuminate these core truths that have been reforming the church all along. And it may just get you excited about nerdy Latin phrases too.

    While it can be dry and dull, when it flows from the story of Scripture, it can be full of life and love. This kind of doctrine, steeped in Scripture, is critical for disciple-making. And it's often overlooked by modern pastors.In Hearers and Doers, Kevin Vanhoozer makes the case that pastors, as pastor-theologians, ought to interpret Scripture theologically to articulate doctrine and help cultivate disciples. scriptural doctrine is vital to the life of the church, and local pastor-theologians should be the ones delivering it to their communities.With arresting prose and striking metaphors, Vanhoozer addresses the most pressing problems in the modern church with one answer: teach sound, scriptural doctrine to make disciples.

    At the same time, it provides a limited review of the semiannual training held December 24-29, 2018, in Anaheim, California, on the “Crystallization-study of Numbers.” Through intimate contact with the Lord in His word, the believers can be constituted with life and truth and thereby equipped to prophesy in the meetings of the church unto the building up of the Body of Christ.

    Relying upon Joseph’s teachings, Dr. John David Lamb—award-winning professor of chemistry at BYU—draws fascinating parallels between the latest scientific discoveries and revelations received by the Prophet Joseph, including • The idea that God is not supernatural in the traditional sense, but rather is both the author of and participant in nature, which matches the modern scientific understanding that nature is underpinned by immutable laws that apply in all places at all times. • The nature of light and electromagnetism and its relationship to the spirit. • The teaching that “there is no kingdom in which there is no space,” which relates to the principle of atoms and the idea that the universe is mostly made up of nothing. Uniting science and faith, this book paints a mesmerizing picture of the universe around us. Strengthen your testimony that Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God and that his revelations foreshadowed truths revealed through science only after his lifetime.

    The “living wound” is seen in the significant disparities in average household wealth, unemployment and poverty rates, infant mortality rates, access to healthcare and life expectancy, education, housing, and treatment within, and by, the criminal justice system.Coming to the Table (CTTT) was born in 2006 when two dozen descendants from both sides of the system of enslavement gathered together at Eastern Mennonite University (EMU), in collaboration with the Center for Justice & Peacebuilding (CJP). Stories were shared and friendships began. The participants began to envision a more connected and truthful world that would address the unresolved and persistent effects of the historic institution of slavery. This Little Book shares Coming to the Table’s vision for the United States—a vision of a just and truthful society that acknowledges and seeks to heal from the racial wounds of the past. Readers will learn practical skills for better listening; discover tips for building authentic, accountable relationships; and will find specific and varied ideas for taking action. The table of contents includes:Chapter 1: IntroductionChapter 2: Trauma Awareness and ResilienceChapter 3: Restorative JusticeChapter 4: Uncovering HistoryChapter 5: Making ConnectionsChapter 6: Circles, Touchstones, and ValuesChapter 7: Working Toward HealingChapter 8: Taking ActionChapter 9: Liberation and TransformationAnd subject include Unresolved Trauma, Brown v. Board of Education, Lynching, Connecting with Your Own Story, Wht Healing Looks Like, Engage Your Community, and much more.

    But the apostle Paul traces out the path of dying and rising with Jesus--what Paul Miller calls the "J-Curve"--as the normal Christian life. The J-Curve maps the ups and downs of daily life onto the story of Jesus. It grounds our journeys not in some abstract idea but in union with Christ and his work of love. Understanding our lives in light of the J-Curve roots our hope, centers our love, and tethers our faith to Christ.

    A movement is what God can do when you let go of control and multiply disciples and churches. Drawing on the life and ministry of Jesus, and with reflections on past and present movements, Steve Addison provides a roadmap for leaders who want to multiply disciples and churches to the ends of the earth. Whether pioneering on the edge, riding a wave of expansion, or stuck in suffocating decline, The Rise and Fall of Movements addresses each phase in the movement lifecycle, helping leaders identify their stage and align themselves with God's purposes.

    

    It’s just a building, they say. I can worship anywhere. I don’t have to gather with other Christians. In this booklet, Dr. R.C. Sproul explains that the church is not merely a building—it is the people who meet there. Scripture even commands us to gather, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some (Heb. 10:25). It’s dangerous to attempt the Christian life alone. We need one another to live and worship well. The Crucial Questions booklet series by Dr. R.C. Sproul offers succinct answers to important questions often asked by Christians and thoughtful inquirers.

    In a liminal season it simply is not helpful to pretend we understand what needs to happen next. But leaders can still lead.How to Lead When You Don't Know Where You're Going is a practical book of hope for tired and weary leaders who risk defining this era of ministry in terms of failure or loss. It helps leaders stand firm in a disoriented state, learning from their mistakes and leading despite the confusion. Packed with rich stories and real-world examples, Beaumont guides the reader through practices that connect the soul of the leader with the soul of the institution. --Phill Martin, Chief Executive Officer, The Church Network

    All the text of the Book of Mormon as well as large, lined margins will give you a larger canvas to express your thoughts, document insights you've received, or create your own visual art, illuminations, or calligraphy, enhancing your daily study and creating a record that will endure.

    They're not against God--they just have no use for church. Church is boring and hypocritical. Plus, who wants to sit through a sermon every week? But while organized religion doesn't appeal to them, these heathens long for a connection to something bigger than themselves: meaning, community, mission.Pastor Jerry Herships leads a church-ish community full of good-hearted heathens. They may hate church, but they love sitting around a bar talking about what really matters and doing some good for their city's poorest residents. Herships takes that experience and absolves other former churchgoers of their guilt. No, you don't have to go to church to love and serve God. Yes, God still loves you and wants to help you love the world.

    It can feel like you're all alone. But the trials you face are not new. Faithful preachers throughout scriptures and church history have encountered hostility, apathy, and adversity, and continue to do so today. Brian Croft and James Carroll here share their personal stories and seek to encourage you to faithfully persevere in this Spirit-empowered, God-honoring, Christ-exalting work.

    From the practice of preparation to learning to choose subjects wisely, this book offers you a preaching education from one of the most trusted and effective voices in ministry. It also includes important lessons on:  Bible study methods & expository preaching The development and use of illustrations The cadence of delivery Learn the essentials of preaching a powerful message from the gifted, veteran pastor, Tony Evans. The Kingdom Pastor’s Library is a series of books that brings you a concise, complete pastoral philosophy and training from Tony Evans. Faithful. Powerful. Practical. Become a Kingdom Pastor today.

    It's not enough to plant individual churches in isolation from each other. The spiritual need and opportunity of our cities is too big for any one church to meet alone. Pastors Neil Powell and John James contend that to truly transform a city, the gospel compels us to create localized, collaborative church planting movements. They share lessons learned and principles discovered from their experiences leading a successful citywide movement. The more willing we are to collaborate across denominations and networks, the more effectively we will reach our communities--whatever their size--for Jesus. Come discover what God can do in our cities when we work together.

    God's purpose is to fill the earth with His glory, bringing about a Christianized world, where each nation follows King Jesus. God will accomplish this through the faithful witness of His Church as He blesses the preaching of the gospel and the teaching of His Word. By the blessing of His Spirit, a true unity of confession will be established among all the nations to the end that every nation and language will praise Him (Rev. 7:9). In Christendom and the Nations James B. Jordan describes the foundational principles of Christian nations, drawing out the teachings of Scripture in regard to foreign policy, borders, immigration, and other foundational issues - all of which play a central role in bringing us closer to the day when "the earth is filled with the knowledge and glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea."

    He wants His Church back. Many Christians have begun to recognize that God desires His church to function as an organism rather than an organization. After over 11 years of experience founding and facilitating a house church, author Keith Giles shares the insights he developed in the trenches. Filled with practical, real-world examples of how to plant and nurture an organic gathering, readers will find a wealth of information to help them bring Jesus back to the forefront of every meeting.First published as This Is My Body: Ekklesia As God Intended, 2010 by Subversive Press, Orange, California. Additional material includes: “Anatomy of an Organic Church,” “Pitfalls of Organic Church,” and “What’s Wrong With House Church,” published online at www.subversive1.blogspot.com by Keith Giles. This edition is expanded, updated, and edited to reflect the transforming views of the author on this important subject.

    

    Talking with kids about Jesus no longer comes naturally to many Christian parents. In Raising Disciples, pastor Natalie Frisk helps us reconnect faith and parenting, equipping parents to model what following Jesus looks like in daily life. Filled with authenticity, flexibility, humor, and prayer, Frisk outlines how parents can make openings for their children to experience God in their daily lives. As curriculum pastor at The Meeting House, one of the largest churches in Canada, Frisk calls parents who follow Christ to ask the big questions about the spiritual formation of children and teens. In practical and thoughtful ways, she equips parents to disciple their kids in various stages of childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood. Raising Disciples will awaken parents to the possibly of Jesus-centered parenting and encourage us to engage in the lost art of discipling our own kids. Foreword by Marv Penner, director of the National Center for Excellence in Youth Ministry.

    revisionist hearsay - Answering faith crisis with real history. A story of magic, murder and betrayal.Seer Stone v. Urim and Thummim places the Book of Mormon translation on trial, presenting the latest research in one of the most comprehensive treatments of the translation process to date providing encouragement for Latter-day Saints who fear they have been "betrayed" by the translation history taught by the Church for over 190 years.Did Joseph Smith study and master the Nephite language? Did the Prophet tutor some of the early Brethren in ancient Nephite characters? Did Joseph Smith translate the Book of Mormon using a dark seer stone in a hat? Why are progressive historians creating a new history using sources from a man who vowed to wash his hands in the blood of Joseph Smith, while boasting that he had deceived the Prophet and his God? Has The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints covered up its history for nearly 200 years? Was Joseph Smith a treasure digger? During his life, did the Prophet artfully suppress his alleged treasure digging past? Did Joseph Smith cover up his use of a seer stone during the translation, feigning use of the Urim and Thummim? What new information has The Joseph Smith Papers Project uncovered that challenges our understanding of the translation process? Is David Whitmer a credible witness of the Book of Mormon translation? Did you know that David Whitmer consulted a witch and occultic seer stones, denounced Joseph Smith as a false prophet and aided the mob in the persecution of the Missouri Saints? Was Joseph Smith involved in sorcery, astrology and ritual magic? "Seer Stone v. Urim and Thummim makes a great case for simply going 'back to the basics'! That is, accepting the translation of the Book of Mormon as Joseph said it was done, as opposed to how others claim it was done. It is well researched and very enlightening and a must read for those who are willing to accept the words of Joseph and other prophets at face value." --Kay M Godfrey, Author, Joseph Smith Epoch Historian"As you read this book, it will validate your knowledge that the Book of Mormon is a real history of a real people. The Stoddards have once again born witness that Joseph Smith was and is truly our Prophet, Seer, and Revelator. You will love this book." --Rian Nelson, Author and speaker, FIRM Foundation"The Stoddards present a thorough and careful analysis of the numerous errors and sometimes outright falsehoods that have crept into many of the translation narratives, even some by respected scholars, who relied on changing accounts from both fallible acquaintances and also outright enemies." --Leslie Pearson Rees, Author, "Ye Have Been Hid: Finding the Lost Tribes of Israel"Published by the Joseph Smith Foundation

    Art, government, society emulated, as much as possible, the search for perfection dictated by the call to virtue. Ultimately, the twentieth century's many disasters and Christendom's failure to stop revolution and world war have discredited Christianity itself in the eyes of many. Nevertheless, I am convinced that only Christianity can revitalize a culture that has lost most of its connection with beauty and that glorifies banality, variety, and diversity as ends in themselves. However, this would not be a retread of historical Christendom, but a new vision, predicated on the new realities of an increasingly Neo-pagan and Transhumanist West. According to Ivan Ilyin, "The Gospel teaches not flight from the world, but the Christianization of the world. Thus, the sciences, the arts, politics, and the social order can all be those spiritual hands with which the Christian takes the world. And the calling of a Christian is not to chop off those hands, but to imbue their work and toil with the living spirit of Christ. Christianity has a great calling, which many do not ever realize. This purpose can be defined as the creation of a Christian culture." This book is Ivan Ilyin's spiritual and practical handbook at creating Christian culture in an increasingly post-Christian world. Translated by Nicholas Kotar

    Benjamin Gladd argues that living out God's image means serving as prophets, priests, and kings, and he explains how God's people function in these roles throughout Scripture--from Adam and Eve to the nation of Israel, from Jesus to the church. The consistent call of the people of God is to serve as God's image-bearers in the world. This first volume in Essential Studies in Biblical Theology lays a foundation for subsequent volumes, introducing key biblical-theological themes such as temple, king, priest, prophet, creation, and redemption.

    Could the ancient history of China be rooted in the Bible? Did you know that the first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang Di, went mad searching for the elixir of eternal life?Did you know his tomb is connected to the Tower of Babel in the Bible?Did you know the language of ancient Chinese reflects the stories of the Bible?Did you know that there were real dragons in China, but not what you think?You’ll learn about all these and more hidden facts about ancient China and its connection to the Bible in this booklet that provides the research to the biblical background of the novel Qin: Dragon Emperor of China.But don’t worry, you don’t have to read the Qin novel to get the tremendous spiritual value out of this booklet.Written by respected Christian author Brian Godawa, known for his popular book, When Giants Were Upon the Earth, about Nephilim giants, Watchers, angels, demons, pagan gods and other supernatural oddities in the Bible and the unseen realm.Buy this book and get an education in the spiritual world of the Bible that surrounds the story of the first emperor of China and informs the supernatural premise of the Biblical Fiction series Chronicles of the Watchers, Chronicles of the Apocalypse and Chronicles of the Nephilim.

    You need this powerful teaching, laced with personal testimony and challenging lessons. The walls of racism and ethnic division can fall; but only if we are willing to face them and pull them down, and only if we have an answer to the prophetic question: "is there any word from the Lord" on this timely topic. Dr. Ulmer delivers that word with fearless clarity and touching humanity. Read it and you will not only be faced with a revelation of the possibility, but more importantly, with the decision: what role can you play, while echoing the profound proclamation: Walls Can Fall!

    These young women chose to defy the authority of the Roman Empire and choose death rather than compromise their faith. Far from stamping out the Church, the Empire’s actions sowed the seeds of her growth. This work is not just a historical and artistic survey of these martyrs, but an offering given in gratitude to the example they set for all who must live in difficult times. Though evil may abound, these saints show that the power of grace and fidelity will always have the final word. All proceeds will be donated to the St. Vincent de Paul Society to help the poor and homeless.

    An insider’s story and lessons on leaving the evangelical Left.

    In Your Local Church and Why It Matters, John MacArthur shows you why and how God's people are to function under the authority of the church for the work of His kingdom. This detailed study will invigorate your love for your local congregation and answer vital questions you probably have about what a church is--and what it's not.

    As you surrender to Him, remain faithful to proclaim His Word, and maintain earnest prayer on your church’s behalf, you can play a pivotal role in advancing the Kingdom. Maybe you have just been called to a town like that, maybe you are still wondering where you will serve, or maybe, just maybe you want to step out of your comfort zone and into the long-forgotten communities of rural America. If that’s you, this book is for you.