Because of the cultural distance between the biblical world and our contemporary setting, we often bring modern Western biases to the text. For example:When Western readers hear Paul exhorting women to "dress modestly," we automatically think in terms of sexual modesty. But most women in that culture would never wear racy clothing. The context suggests that Paul is likely more concerned about economic modesty--that Christian women not flaunt their wealth through expensive clothes, braided hair and gold jewelry.Some readers might assume that Moses married "below himself" because his wife was a dark-skinned Cushite. Actually, Hebrews were the slave race, not the Cushites, who were highly respected. Aaron and Miriam probably thought Moses was being presumptuous by marrying "above himselfWestern individualism leads us to assume that Mary and Joseph traveled alone to Bethlehem. What went without saying was that they were likely accompanied by a large entourage of extended family.Biblical scholars Brandon O'Brien and Randy Richards shed light on the ways that Western readers often misunderstand the cultural dynamics of the Bible. They identify nine key areas where modern Westerners have significantly different assumptions about what might be going on in a text. Drawing on their own crosscultural experience in global mission, O'Brien and Richards show how better self-awareness and understanding of cultural differences in language, time and social mores allow us to see the Bible in fresh and unexpected ways. Getting beyond our own cultural assumptions is increasingly important for being Christians in our interconnected and globalized world. Learn to read Scripture as a member of the global body of Christ.

    The apostle Paul found that spiritual closeness in his own fellowship with the Father. "A Call to Spiritual Reformation" investigates the Epistles, claiming that Christians today can still achieve the confidence Paul enjoyed by following his life-shaping principles and searching for a deeper devotional experience. (67)

    They seem harmless, and even sound right. So what’s a Mama Bear to do when her kids seem to be absorbing the culture’s lies uncritically?Mama Bear ApologeticsTM is the book you’ve been looking for. This mom-to-mom guide will equip you to teach your kids how to form their own biblical beliefs about what is true and what is false. Through transparent life stories and clear, practical applications—including prayer strategies—this band of Mama Bears offers you tools to train yourself, so you can turn around and train your kids. Are you ready to answer the rallying cry, “Mess with our kids and we will demolish your arguments”?  Join the Mama Bears and raise your voice to protect your kids—by teaching them how to think through and address the issues head-on, yet with gentleness and respect.

    That's what a million people have already found in this clear and reasonable response to the tough challenges to Christianity. This edition, revised by Marie Little in consultation with experts in science and archaeology, provides twenty-first-century information and offers solid ground for those who are willing to search for the truth.

    It includes a year s worth of meditations, drawn from classic and contemporary sources, all written by women. Designed especially to meet the needs of Catholics and those accustomed to liturgically-based forms of worship, it includes a six-year reading plan tied to the lectionary, making it easy to locate readings for daily and Sunday liturgies. Additionally, each weekend devotional is based on the life of a particular woman of the Bible, helping you see the relevance of her story today. Each book of the Bible is preceded by a brief introduction highlighting its historical context and its most important themes. Additional articles focus on topics like the sacraments, holy days, the liturgy, and spiritual direction, explaining the link between tradition and Scripture to help you gain a greater understanding of your faith. Meditations are drawn from a rich variety of authors, including: Joan Wester Anderson Sister Wendy Beckett Esther de Waal Catherine of Siena Dorothy Day Fran Ferder Briege McKenna Julian of Norwich Joyce of Rupp Mother Teresa Teresa of Lisieux Macrina Wiederkehr Scripture offers wisdom for important everyday issues like relationships, marriage, child-rearing, simplicity, prayer, and finding real peace. If you dip into it regularly, it will become a well of continual refreshment, nourishing your faith and strengthening your sense of God s loving presence in your life. Features Include: - 260 Daily Meditations. - 52 Weekend Devotions, Focusing on Women of the Bible. - 50 Tradition Articles Linking Scripture with Important Elements of Catholic Life and Faith. - Complete NRSV, Catholic Edition. - 6-Year Reading Guide Keyed to the Catholic Lectionary. - Indexes. - Imprimatur."

    King's Cross is Timothy Keller's revelatory look at the life of Christ as told in the Gospel of Mark. There have been many biographies of Jesus, but few will be as anticipated as one by Keller, the man Newsweek calls "a C.S. Lewis for the twenty-first century." In it, Keller shows how the story of Jesus is at once cosmic, historical, and personal, calling each of us to look anew at our relationship with God. Like Keller's other books it has tremendous crossover appeal, but it is also ideal for the faithful, those who are looking for a closer connection to Jesus and Christianity.

    One of the most important theologians of the twentieth century illuminates the relationship between ourselves and the teachings of Jesus in this classic text on ethics, humanism, and civic duty.What can the call to discipleship, the adherence to the word of Jesus, mean today to the businessman, the soldier, the laborer, or the aristocrat? What did Jesus mean to say to us? What is his will for us today? Drawing on the Sermon on the Mount, Dietrich Bonhoeffer answers these timeless questions by providing a seminal reading of the dichotomy between "cheap grace" and "costly grace." "Cheap grace," Bonhoeffer wrote, "is the grace we bestow on ourselves...grace without discipleship....Costly grace is the gospel which must be sought again and again, the girl which must be asked for, the door at which a man must know....It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life."The Cost of Discipleship is a compelling statement of the demands of sacrifice and ethical consistency from a man whose life and thought were exemplary articulations of a new type of leadership inspired by the Gospel, and imbued with the spirit of Christian humanism and a creative sense of civic duty.

    We worry that our students will be "behind," that they won't score well on the SAT, get into a good college, or read enough of the Great Books. Our souls are restless, anxiously wondering if something else out there might be just a little bit better—if maybe there is another way or another curriculum that might prove to be superior to what we are doing now. God doesn't call us to this work and then turn away to tend to other, more important matters. He promises to stay with us. He assures us that if we rely on Him alone, then He will provide all that we need. What that means on a practical level is that we have to stop fretting over every little detail. We need to stop comparing. We've got to drop the self-inflated view that we are the be-all-end-all of whether the education we are offering our students is going to be as successful as we hope it is. After all, our job is not to be successful—success itself is entirely beside the point. It's faithfulness that He wants. Teaching from Rest offers inspiration, insight, and practical help for the homeschooling mom. Take a deep breath homeschooling mama; He's got this.

    As you turn the pages, you'll sense Paul's motives, his aims and priorities; what mattered to him; and what he was willing to die for.

    Honest productive work is the backbone of strong families and blessed nations. Bob Schultz's previous book, Boyhood and Beyond, addressed essential issues related to godly character as boys transition into manhood. In Created for Work he applies his engaging homespun wisdom, with stories from real life, to teach young men (and boys) what it means to be good workers. Created for Work inspires young men and offers the tools and encouragement they need to embrace God's ways and always give an honest day's work. Questions at the end of each chapter make Created for Work an excellent read-aloud book for a father and son or for group discussion.

    With the help of this revised edition, pastors, students and laypersons need no prior knowledge of biblical exegesis to create their own Bible commentaries.

    It features major prayer challenges, geographical, cultural and political statistics together with maps addresses and indexes. It also gives insight into practical Christian faith across each background and denomination.

    Men will gain encouragement for what they can be in Christ as fathers, husbands, and mentors to other men. Since 1974, The Measure of a Man has taught hundreds of thousands of men around the world how to live according to God’s direction faithfully, lovingly and spiritually. True masculinity is not measured by the strength of a man, but by these 20 biblical guidelines. With life applications and words of inspiration, here is Gene’s greatest work, fully rewritten and updated to reach the new generation of modern men.

    Each of the twenty-four sessions in the book corresponds with an online video at www.multiplymovement.com, where New York Times bestselling author David Platt joins Francis in guiding you through each part of Multiply. One plus one plus one. Every copy of Multiply is designed to do what Jesus did: make disciples who make disciples who make disciples…. Until the world knows the truth of Jesus Christ.

    How are we to formulate a clear, biblical understanding of the gospel? Tradition, reason, and experience all leave us ultimately disappointed. If we want answers, we must turn to the Word of God.Greg Gilbert does so in What Is the Gospel?. Beginning with Paul's systematic presentation of the gospel in Romans and moving through the sermons in Acts, Gilbert argues that the central structure of the gospel consists of four main subjects: God, man, Christ, and a response. The book carefully examines each and then explores the effects the gospel can have in individuals, churches, and the world. Both Christian and non-Christian readers will gain a clearer understanding of the gospel in this valuable resource.