It’s enough to frustrate the serious Bible student. What if you found out most of it is simply mistaken? What if you found out that the ancient Jewish writers were using Old Testament imagery of the past, not a crystal ball gaze into our modern future? What if you found out that everything that modern prophecy pundits are looking for--the Antichrist, The Beast, the Tribulation, the Rapture--was not what they told you it was, but something different? The Truth About Bible Prophecy Respected biblical author Brian Godawa draws from Evangelical theological scholarship and deconstructs the popular “Left Behind” interpretation to uncover a far more fascinating and far more Biblical view of End Times Bible prophecy. One that rescues the original ancient Jewish context of prophecies from being hostage to modern prophecy speculators. Don’t worry, what Godawa unveils is controversial, but it’s not new. It’s not his own personal theory. He’s not a cult leader with a bizarre vision from God. What he reveals has a long tradition of godly Bible scholarship behind it. It’s just not what you’ve been taught. And it’s rooted in interpreting the Bible through the Bible, NOT through newspaper exegesis. What Jesus Himself Said About the End of the Age Here are a few of the things you’ll be astounded to read about in this book: You’ll hear Godawa’s own personal journey in changing his understanding of the End Times. You’ll find out how hyperliteralism corrupts Bible Prophecy interpretation. Godawa focuses on Jesus’ own predictions about the End of the Age in Matthew 24. You’ll discover the dirty little secret behind the so-called Rapture. The truth about the Last Days. It’s not what they told you. Just what is the Great Tribulation and when did it happen? What the heck are those cosmic catastrophes in the heavens? The shocking truth about Antichrist and the Abomination of Desolation You’ll be amazed when you see how the coming of Christ on the clouds has been completely misunderstood by well-meaning but misinformed prophecy pundits. This is not newspaper exegesis, but intense Bible study. Guaranteed to inspire your love for God’s Word and His promises to His people.

    For new believers and seasoned Christians alike, this book will strengthen their faith by answering that all consuming question, "Why?"

    Carson’s philosophies of serving one’s country, becoming role models for people with disadvantaged backgrounds, using the talents God has given you, embracing what success really is, and believing, youths and adults alike, that with hard work and perseverance, “you can do it.” And on May 4, 2015, Dr. Ben Carson declared himself a candidate for the Presidency of the United States of America.

    Why did we have to shut our doors after only three years? I was at my breaking point. Then I got the news that our nine-year-old daughter had leukemia. I would have quit ministry forever, but I had no other employable skills. False accusations were made against me and my family, wrecking our reputation permanently and forcing us to leave not only the church, but move out of the area. I've served my church for the past 27 years and I've grown that church from 150 to 24 people. What do we do when we've failed? Some ministries are shipwrecked by moral failures like affairs or embezzlement. But for most of us, the sense of failure is more ordinary: disillusionment, inadequacy, declining budgets, poor decisions, opposition, depression, burnout. Many pastors are deeply broken and wounded, and we come to doubt that God has any use for us. J.R. Briggs, founder of the Epic Fail Pastors Conference, knows what failure feels like. He has listened to pastors who were busted in a prostitution sting or found themselves homeless when ejected from ministry. With candid vulnerability, Briggs explores the landscape of failure, how it devastates us and how it transforms us. Without offering pat answers or quick fixes, he challenges our cultural expectations of success and gives us permission to grieve our losses. Somehow, in the midst of our pain, we are better positioned to receive the grace of healing and restoration.

    Should preachers ask for a public response in evangelistic meetings?

    Take a deep whiff of what Bill, his wife Beni, and their friends Danny Silk, Kevin Dedmon, Banning Liebscher, Chris Overstreet, Judy Franklin, Eric Johnson and Paul Manwaring have brewed specially for you. The cappuccino-sized stories are guaranteed to lift your spirit and sooth your mind. Flavorful chapter titles include:Taking Captive Every Scary Thought Lifeguards Must Be Swimmers Too Stupid to be Loved Post-Katrina Miracles Faith Is Spelled R-I-S-K Are You a Chevette or a Lamborghini? As you sip through each chapter, relax in God’s presence, learn to listen to His voice, and follow His directions. God will take you into exciting new territory, and your explorations will not end with the final page of this enjoyable book.

    Sharing her own story of God's life-changing answers to bold prayers--a miraculous journey through infertility, miscarriages, and giving birth to triplets--Julia challenges you to take God at His Word and see Him move like never before. Humorous, practical, and filled with biblical insights, this book will give you the courage to pray big things and watch expectantly for God's even bigger answers.

    And all too often, that includes being against each other. But amid growing distrust of religious institutions, Christ-centered nonprofits have a unique opportunity to link arms and collectively pursue a calling higher than any one organization's agenda.Rooting for Rivals reveals how your ministry can multiply its impact by cooperating rather than competing with others, modeling Christlike love and generosity in the process. Peter Greer and Chris Horst explore case studies illustrating the power of collaborative ministry. Writing with vulnerability, they also share their own failures and successes in moving toward a kingdom mindset. In Rooting for Rivals you'll discover the key to revitalizing your ministry and making an enduring difference in the world.

    You've trained and dreamt of doing large things in famous ways as fast as you can for God's glory. But pastoral work keeps requiring your surrender to small, mostly overlooked things over long periods of time.You stand at a crossroads. Jesus stands with you. You were never meant to know everything, fix everything, and be everywhere at once. That's his job, not yours.So what now? Let the apprenticeship begin.

    And it seems no one knows what to do. While it is good for women to expose their pain, what often happens is that they immediately blame the person at the other end of it, which sets up a never-ending cycle of accusations, denial, avoidance, and ultimately devastation for everyone involved.This moment of discovery should not signal the end but instead become an opportunity to create a different world where men and women are better together.Better Together is a beacon of hope in a challenging storm. It’s where thoughts can be rechanneled and hope rekindled as author Danielle Strickland offers steps toward a real and workable solution. Her premise is that two things are needed for change:1) imagine a better world, and2) understand oppression.Understanding how oppression works is an important part of undoing it.Danielle says, “I refuse to believe that all men are bad. I also refuse to believe that all women are victims. I don’t want to be just hopeful, I want to be strategically hopeful. I want to work toward a better world with a shared view of the future that looks like equality, freedom, and flourishing.”

    adult population. Where does the caregiver turn when dealing with their own need for encouragement and renewal?

    When the gospel is rightly declared and applied to God’s people, the church becomes “a creature of the Word.” She understands, embraces, and lives out the reality of Christ’s birth, life, death, and resurrection in more than her doctrinal statement. The gospel impacts all the church is and does.Creature of the Word lays out this concept in full, first examining the rich, scripture-based beauty of a Jesus-centered church, then clearly providing practical steps toward forming a Jesus-centered church. Authors Matt Chandler, Eric Geiger, and Josh Patterson write what will become a center- ing discussion piece for those whose goal is to be part of a church that has its theology, culture, and practice completely saturated in the gospel.

    He presents convincing arguments that when leaders emulate these qualities, they will inspire and empower the people they have been called to lead. Reflection and discussion questions and assessment questions make this ideal for group use. Conversational in tone and seasoned with real-life stories from his own successes and failures as a leader, Robinson helps Christian leaders wrestle with four questions that emerge from John’s introduction of Jesus, “and the word became flesh and dwelt among us….” • Jesus dwelt with those he led, how can I be closer to those I lead? • Jesus disciples beheld him, how can I be more transparent with those I lead? • The glory of Jesus was a reflection of his father, am I seeking my own glory? • Jesus led with grace and truth, how can I lead with grace and truth? The Incarnate Leader is indispensable reading for anyone in a position of leadership – whether in a church setting, corporation, school board, or home. The book is packaged as a short one-evening read, similar to other popular business books.

    It’s only a matter of time. Likely you already have. How will you persevere through the oppressing moments of life? But the question for pastors is even more difficult: How do you preach through adversity? How do you do heartwork when your heart is under siege and ready to fall? This is a crucial. Preaching great and glorious truth, in an atmosphere that is not great and glorious, is an immense difficulty. Drawing on the life and work of Charles Spurgeon, John Piper presents an inspiring vision of gospel ministry and offers practical counsel for how pastors keep going when the times are toughest.

    What does it look like to help others become more like Christ?In this concise guide, pastor Mark Dever outlines the who, what, where, when, why, and how of discipling--helping others follow Jesus.Following the pattern found in Scripture, this book explains how disciple-making relationships should function in the context of the local church, teaching us how to cultivate a culture of discipling as a normal part of our everyday lives.Part of the 9Marks: Building Healthy Churches series.