The Last Week: What the Gospels Really Teach About Jesus's Final Days in Jerusalem


Marcus J. Borg - 2006
    Borg & John Dominic Crossan reveal a radical & little-known Jesus. As both authors reacted to & responded to questions about Mel Gibson's blockbuster The Passion of the Christ, they discovered that many Christians are unclear on the details of events during the week leading up to Jesus' crucifixion. Using Mark's gospel as a guide, they present a day-by-day account of Jesus' final week of life. They begin their story on Palm Sunday with two triumphal entries into Jerusalem. The 1st entry, that of Roman governor Pontius Pilate leading Roman soldiers into the city, symbolized military strength. The 2nd heralded a new kind of moral hero who was praised by the people as he rode in on a humble donkey. The Jesus introduced herein is this new moral hero, a more dangerous Jesus than the one enshrined in the church's traditional teachings. The Last Week depicts Jesus giving up his life to protest power without justice & to condemn the rich who lack concern for the poor. In this vein, at the end of the week Jesus marches up Calvary, offering himself as a model for others to do the same when confronted by similar issues. Informed, challenged & inspired, we not only meet the historical Jesus, but meet a new Jesus who engages & invites us to follow him.

The Essential Writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson


Ralph Waldo Emerson - 1983
    Matthew Arnold called Emerson’s essays “the most important work done in prose.”   INCLUDES A MODERN LIBRARY READING GROUP GUIDE

Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus: How the Jewishness of Jesus Can Transform Your Faith


Ann Spangler - 2009
    Ann Spangler and Lois Tverberg paint powerful scenes from Jesus’ ministry, immersing you in the prayers, feasts, history, culture, and customs that shaped Jesus and those who followed him.You will hear the parables as they must have sounded to first-century Jews, powerful and surprising. You will join the conversations that were already going on among the rabbis of his day. You will watch with new understanding as the events of his life unfold. And you will emerge with new excitement about the roots of your own Christian faith. Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus will change the way you read Scripture and deepen your understanding of the life of Jesus. It will also help you to adapt the rich prayers and customs you learn about to your own life, in ways that both respect and enrich your Christian faith. By looking at the Jewishness of Jesus, Ann Spangler and Lois Tverberg take you on a captivating journey into the heart of Judaism, one that is both balanced and insightful, helping you to better understand and appreciate your own faith.

Hero Tales: A Family Treasury of True Stories from the Lives of Christian Heroes


Dave Jackson - 1996
    A black and white pencil illustration precedes each biography. 3 short stories about the individual then illustrate their virtues. Some virtues are repeated across several individuals. A Bible verse about the virtue and a discussion section of both comprehension and application questions completes each profile.Individuals and virtues covered are:Gladys Aylward: Confidence, Resourcefulness, CourageWilliam & Catherine Booth: Creativity, Boldness, DisciplineAmy Carmichael: Sacrifice, Compassion, ServanthoodAdoniram & Ann Judson: Truthfulness, Perseverance, DedicationDavid Livingstone: Thankfulness, Humility, DedicationMartin Luther: Vision, Courage, JoyDwight L. Moody: Repentance, Boldness, StrengthSamuel Morris: Peacemaker, Boldness, EncouragementGeorge Muller: Faith, Graciousness, TrustMenno Simons: Integrity, Loyalty, Sacrificial LoveMary Slessor: Courage, Mercy, PeacemakerHudson Taylor: Faith, Trust, ObedienceHarriet Tubman: Compassion, Joy, PerseveranceWilliam Tyndale: Vision, Patience, FaithJohn Wesley: Discipline, Boldness, Generosity The book ends with a list of the character qualities and which stories contribute to an understanding of each.This is book #1 in a series of 4 books.

Prayers for Children


Eloise Wilkin - 1952
    This treasured classic is filled with carefully selected, beautiful prayers, flanked by watercolor illustrations that soar off the page, or inspire quiet contemplation. Illustrated by the renowned Eloise Wilkin, it features her realistic artwork of cherubic young children and babies.

Hidden Christmas: The Surprising Truth Behind the Birth of Christ


Timothy J. Keller - 2016
    Every Christmas displays of Jesus resting in a manger populate lawns and churchyards, and songs about shepherds and angels fill the air. Yet despite the abundance of these Christian references in popular culture, how many of us have examined the hard edges of this biblical story? In his new book Timothy Keller takes readers on an illuminating journey into the surprising background of the Nativity. By understanding the message of hope and salvation within the Bible’s account of Jesus’s birth, readers will experience the redeeming power of God’s grace in a meaningful and deeper way.

Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare for Children


E. Nesbit - 1907
    Nesbitt reproduces 20 of the greatest of Shakespeare's plays in charming prose simple enough for children to understand and enjoy them. Delightful period drawings and a classic design make this a must for every family library.

Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth


Reza Aslan - 2013
    Two thousand years ago, an itinerant Jewish preacher and miracle worker walked across the Galilee, gathering followers to establish what he called the “Kingdom of God.” The revolutionary movement he launched was so threatening to the established order that he was captured, tortured, and executed as a state criminal. Within decades after his shameful death, his followers would call him God. Sifting through centuries of mythmaking, Reza Aslan sheds new light on one of history’s most influential and enigmatic characters by examining Jesus through the lens of the tumultuous era in which he lived: first-century Palestine, an age awash in apocalyptic fervor. Scores of Jewish prophets, preachers, and would-be messiahs wandered through the Holy Land, bearing messages from God. This was the age of zealotry—a fervent nationalism that made resistance to the Roman occupation a sacred duty incumbent on all Jews. And few figures better exemplified this principle than the charismatic Galilean who defied both the imperial authorities and their allies in the Jewish religious hierarchy. Balancing the Jesus of the Gospels against the historical sources, Aslan describes a man full of conviction and passion, yet rife with contradiction; a man of peace who exhorted his followers to arm themselves with swords; an exorcist and faith healer who urged his disciples to keep his identity a secret; and ultimately the seditious “King of the Jews” whose promise of liberation from Rome went unfulfilled in his brief lifetime. Aslan explores the reasons why the early Christian church preferred to promulgate an image of Jesus as a peaceful spiritual teacher rather than a politically conscious revolutionary. And he grapples with the riddle of how Jesus understood himself, the mystery that is at the heart of all subsequent claims about his divinity. Zealot yields a fresh perspective on one of the greatest stories ever told even as it affirms the radical and transformative nature of Jesus of Nazareth’s life and mission. The result is a thought-provoking, elegantly written biography with the pulse of a fast-paced novel: a singularly brilliant portrait of a man, a time, and the birth of a religion.

The Complete Guide to the Bible


Stephen M. Miller - 2007
    Captivating writing along with beautifully designed and illustrated pages entice readers into the book and keep them lingering throughout its 512 pages. INSIDE:Detailed explanations of all 66 Bible books—plus th ApocryphaIntriguing sidebars on unique, confusing, or bizarre aspects od scriptureBeautiful design, with nearly 300 photos, illustrations, and mapsHelpful cross-references and indexes Whether you're casually leafing through pages or systematically pursuing a study of the entire Bible, you'll find The Complete Guide to the Bible lively, informative and uplifting. This latest project from Steve Miller, author of the best-selling Who's Who and Where's Where in the Bible, provides both the big-picture view of the whole Bible and its individual books, as well as fascinating detail on particular passages and topics.

The Gospel of Judas


Rodolphe Kasser - 2006
    When the bound papyrus pages of this lost gospel finally reached scholars who could unlock its meaning, they were astounded. Here was a gospel that had not been seen since the early days of Xianity, & which few experts had even thought existed–a gospel told from the perspective of Judas Iscariot, history’s ultimate traitor. Far from being a villain, the Judas that emerges in its pages is a hero. In this radical reinterpretation, Jesus asks Judas to betray him. In contrast to the New Testament Gospels, Judas is presented as a role model for all those who wish to be disciples of Jesus. He's the one apostle who truly understands Jesus. This volume is the 1st publication of the remarkable gospel since it was condemned as heresy by early Church leaders, most notably by Irenaeus, in 180. Hidden away in a cavern in Middle Egypt, the codex containing the gospel was discovered by farmers in the 1970s. In the intervening years the papyrus codex was bought & sold by antiquities traders, hidden away & carried across three continents, all the while suffering damage that reduced much of it to fragments. In 2001, it finally found its way into the hands of a team of experts who would painstakingly reassemble & restore it. The Gospel of Judas has been translated from its original Coptic into clear prose. It's accompanied by commentary that explains its history in the context of the early Church, offering a new way of understanding the message of Jesus.

C.S. Lewis: A Life Inspired


Christopher Gordon - 2014
    Lewis, always “Jack” to family and friends, never shied from intellectual debate, and through his written works encouraged others to wrestle with the difficult questions of faith. A master of visual illustration and allegory, Lewis wrote with the intuitive understanding that his readers wrestled with the same questions about the Christian story, about pain, suffering, and notions of Heaven and Hell, as he himself had wrestled. He also understood that others found reason and imagination to be incompatible aspects of an understanding of God and the universe.

Missionary Stories with the Millers


Mildred A. Martin - 1994
    Each story is based on actual happenings from the lives of real people.

The Case for Christ, Youth Edition: A Journalist's Personal Investigation of the Evidence of Jesus


Lee Strobel - 1998
    But miracles? Rising from the dead? Some of the stories you hear about him sound like just that--stories. A reasonable person would never believe them, let alone the claim that he s the only way to God! But a reasonable person would also make sure that he or she understood the facts before jumping to conclusions. That s why Lee Strobel--an award-winning legal journalist with a knack for asking tough questions--decided to investigate Jesus for himself. An atheist, Strobel felt certain his findings would bring Christianity s claims about Jesus tumbling down like a house of cards. He was in for the surprise of his life. Join him as he retraces his journey from skepticism to faith. You ll consult expert testimony as you sift through the truths that history, science, psychiatry, literature, and religion reveal. Like Strobel, you ll be amazed at the evidence--how much there is, how strong it is, and what it says. The facts are in. What will your verdict be in The Case for Christ?"

Men of the Bible


Dwight L. Moody - 1898
    Here D. L. Moody tells the story of nine men. Some you know, Abraham, Moses, John the Baptist...some you may not know, Naaman, The Penitent Thief, Nehemiah. All had a role to fulfill and Moody tells their stories in a historical and enlightening manor. Men of the Bible includes stories of : Abraham's Four Surrenders, The Call of Moses, Naaman the Syrian, The Prophet Nehemiah, Herod and John the Baptis,t The Man Born Blind and Joseph of Arimathea and the Penitent Thief!

Old Story New: Ten-Minute Devotions to Draw Your Family to God


Marty Machowski - 2012
    Even better, the gospel story give life. We are saved and our children are saved as we review the story of the gospel. So why do so many well-intentioned parents give up on family devotions—deciding that reading the Bible as a family must only be for “super parents.” The truth is that there are no super parents. We all struggle, and we all need help to stay on course. Old Story New makes it easy for parents to stay on the life-giving course of sharing the gospel with their family. The second volume in Marty Machowski’s family devotional series, Old Story New continues the gospel story that started in Long Story Short. Using the same effective ten-minute a day structure, it walks children through the great truths of the Christian faith in the New Testament. Through 78 New Testament stories, Old Story New does the hard work for parents and caregivers. Simple discussion questions (and answers!!) for each day’s devotion help children understand and remember Jesus’ life, death, resurrection, and the birth of the Christian church. Old Story New is a family devotional program designed to explain God’s plan of salvation through the New Testament and is suitable for children from preschool through high school.Companion devotional to The Gospel Story Bible and The Gospel Story Curriculum (NT). For more information, please visit the Gospel Story for Kids website (www.gospelstoryforkids.com).