Book picks similar to
Echoes of Eden: Reflections on Christianity, Literature, and the Arts by Jerram Barrs
theology
christian
art
non-fiction
Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God
Jonathan Edwards - 1741
Many have said it is the most famous sermon ever preached. The sermon was first delivered in Enfield, MA on July 8, 1741. The sermon had an amazing impact on the audience.
The Peacemaker: A Biblical Guide to Resolving Personal Conflict
Ken Sande - 1990
Serious, divisive conflict is everywhere-within families, in the church, and out in the world. And it can seem impossible to overcome its negative force in our lives. In The Peacemaker, Ken Sande presents a comprehensive and practical theology for conflict resolution designed to bring about not only a cease-fire but also unity and harmony. Sande takes readers beyond resolving conflicts to true, life-changing reconciliation with family members, coworkers, and fellow believers.Biblically based, The Peacemaker is full of godly wisdom and useful suggestions that are easily applied to any relationship needing reconciliation. Sande's years of experience as an attorney and as president of Peacemaker Ministries will strengthen readers' confidence as they stand in the gap as peacemakers.
The God Who Smokes: Scandalous Meditations on Faith
Timothy J. Stoner - 2008
Filled with humorous insights and challenging ideas, The God Who Smokes imagines a twenty-first-century church where hope hangs with holiness, passion sits next to purity, and compassion can relate to character.
To Live Is Christ
Beth Moore - 1997
Proclaiming his faith as a benchmark in New Testament Scripture, Beth writes, "I have accepted many of Paul’s words as a personal challenge. ‘I want to know Christ’ has become my plea. ‘To live is Christ and to die is gain’ has become my hope. And to borrow his words once more, ‘Not that I have already obtained all this . . . but I press on.’"
Paul’s undying passion for Christ continues to inspire and challenge those with a deep spiritual hunger for the things of God. Readers will be greatly refreshed by the obvious mercy of God that causes those who have failed him to repent and serve him wholeheartedly and effectively.
The Good and Beautiful God: Falling in Love with the God Jesus Knows
James Bryan Smith - 2009
Some are true--but many are false. James Bryan Smith believes those thoughts determine not only who we are, but how we live. In fact, Smith declares, the most important thing about a person is what they think about God. The path to spiritual transformation begins here. Turning to the Gospels, Smith invites you to put your ideas to the test to see if they match up with what Jesus himself reveals about God. Once you've discovered the truth in Scripture, Smith leads you through a process of spiritual formation that includes specific activities aimed at making these new narratives real in your body and soul as well as your mind. At the end of each chapter you'll find an opportunity for soul training, engaging in spiritual practices that reinforce the biblical messages on your mind and heart. Because the best way to make a complete and lasting change is to go through the material in community, small group discussion questions also accompany each chapter. Those who are leading apprentice groups will also find additional help and opportunities to interact with other leaders at the Apprentice website, www.apprenticeofjesus.com. This deep, loving and transformative book will help you discover the narratives that Jesus lived by--to know the Lord he knew and the kingdom he proclaimed--and to practice spiritual exercises that will help you grow in the knowledge of our good and beautiful God.
Living the Cross Centered Life: Keeping the Gospel the Main Thing
C.J. Mahaney - 2002
J. Mahaney strip away the nonessentials and bring you back to the simplest, most fundamental reason for your faith: Jesus Christ. Chapters include "Breaking the Rules of Legalism," "The Cross Centered Day," and "Assurance and Joy." His Gift, Your Hope Do you desire more passion for Jesus Christ? Return to the very essence of your faith--the cross of Christ. Here, the deepest truths of Calvary will stir your passion for Him into an unquenchable fire.
Resounding Truth: Christian Wisdom in the World of Music
Jeremy S. Begbie - 2007
Resounding Truth shows Christians how to uncover the Gospel message found in the many melodies that surround us. Theologian and musician Jeremy Begbie believes our divinely-inspired imagination reveals opportunity for sincere, heartfelt praise.With practical examples, lucid explanations, and an accessible bibliography, this book will help music lovers discover how God's diversity shines through sound. Begbie helps readers see the Master of Song and experience the harmony of heavenly hope.
The Book that Made Your World: How the Bible Created the Soul of Western Civilization
Vishal Mangalwadi - 2011
From politics and science, to academia and technology, the Bible's sacred copy became the key that unlocked the Western mind.Through Mangalwadi's wide-ranging and fascinating investigation, you'll discover:What triggered the West's passion for scientific, medical, and technological advancementHow the biblical notion of human dignity informs the West's social structure and how it intersects with other worldviewsHow the Bible created a fertile ground for women to find social and economic empowermentHow the Bible has uniquely equipped the West to cultivate compassion, human rights, prosperity, and strong familiesThe role of the Bible in the transformation of educationHow the modern literary notion of a hero has been shaped by the Bible's archetypal protagonistJourney with Mangalwadi as he examines the origins of a civilization's greatness and the misguided beliefs that threaten to unravel its progress. Learn how the Bible transformed the social, political, and religious institutions that have sustained Western culture for the past millennium, and discover how secular corruption endangers the stability and longevity of Western civilization.Endorsements:“This is an extremely significant piece of work with huge global implications. Vishal brings a timely message.” (Ravi Zacharias, author, Walking from East to West and Beyond Opinion)“In polite society, the mere mention of the Bible often introduces a certain measure of anxiety. A serious discussion on the Bible can bring outright contempt. Therefore, it is most refreshing to encounter this engaging and informed assessment of the Bible’s profound impact on the modern world. Where Bloom laments the closing of the American mind, Mangalwadi brings a refreshing optimism.” (Stanley Mattson, founder and president, C. S. Lewis Foundation)“Vishal Mangalwadi recounts history in very broad strokes, always using his cross-cultural perspectives for highlighting the many benefits of biblical principles in shaping civilization.” (George Marsden, professor, University of Notre Dame; author, Fundamentalism and American Culture)
The Pursuit of Holiness
Jerry Bridges - 1978
But holiness is something that is often missed in the Christian's daily life. According to author Jerry Bridges, that's because we're not exactly sure what our part in holiness is. In The Pursuit of Holiness, he helps us see clearly just what we should rely on God to do--and what we should accept responsibility for ourselves.
Soultsunami: Sink or Swim in New Millennium Culture
Leonard Sweet - 1998
The outcome will depend on our response to today's flood of change that threatens to sweep us away.SoulTsunami outlines ten cultural changes that are already happening around us and suggests practical ways to communicate God's unchanging truth to our changing world.
Visions of Vocation: Common Grace for the Common Good
Steven Garber - 2014
From marriages to international relations, the more we know, the harder it is to love. We become cynics or stoics, protecting our hearts from the implications of what we know. But what if the vision of vocation can be recovered allowing us to step into the wounds of the world and for love's sake take up our responsibility for the way the world turns out? For decades Steve Garber has come alongside a wide range of people as they seek to make sense of the world and their lives. With him we meet leaders from the Tiananmen Square protest who want a good reason to still care about China. We also meet with many ordinary people in ordinary places who long for their lives to matter: Jonathan who learned he would rather build houses than study history, Todd and Maria who adopted creative schedules so they could parent better and practice medicine, D.J. who helped Congress move into the Internet Age, Robin who spends her life on behalf of urban justice, Hans who makes hamburgers the way they are meant to be made, Susan who built a home business of hand-printing stationary using a letterpress, Santiago who works with majority-world nations in need of capital, George who has given years to teaching students to learn things that matter most, Claudius and Deirdre whose openhearted home has always been a place for people, Dan who loves Wyoming, the place, its people and its cows Vocation is when we come to know the world in all its joy and pain and still love it. Vocation is following our calling to seek the welfare of the world we live in. And in helping the world to flourish, strangely, mysteriously, we find that we flourish too. Garber offers a book for everyone everywhere for students, for parents, for those in the arts, in the academy, in public service, in the trades and in commerce for all who want to discover the virtue of vocation."
Peace with God: The Secret of Happiness
Billy Graham - 1953
Billy Graham asks God to help this book “find its way into the hands and hearts of a lost, confused, and searching world . . . men, women, and young people everywhere [who] thirst for peace with God.”In spite of a life drenched with responsibilities and rewards, are you thirsting? Searching for some nameless thing that is more important than anything in life? You are not alone. All mankind is seeking the answer to the confusion, the moral sickness, the spiritual emptiness that oppresses the world. All humanity is crying out for guidance, for comfort . . .for peace.Dr. Graham shares God’s gentle, reassuring promise of spiritual calm—of authentic personal peace—amidst a personal life wracked with too much stress, too many burdens, too great a heartache.“I know men who would write a check for a million dollars if they could find peace,” writes Dr. Graham. “Millions are searching for it. But we Christians have found it! It is ours now and forever. We have found the secret of life! . . .When your spouse dies or your children get sick or you lose your job, you can have a peace that you don’t understand. You may have tears at a graveside, but you can have an abiding peace, a quietness.“God’s peace can be in your heart—right now . . .Whatever the circumstances, whatever the call, whatever the duty, whatever the price, whatever the sacrifice—His strength will be your strength in your hour of need. “It’s all yours, and it’s free. You don’t have to work for it . . . . Do not put it off.”
You're Not Enough (and That's Ok): Escaping the Toxic Culture of Self-Love
Allie Beth Stuckey - 2020
But instead of easing our emotional burden, the pressure to love ourselves more actually makes it worse. Even so, the idea that unconditional self-love can cure all that ails us is tempting and easy to rationalize.It's time to admit to ourselves what we already know: we are not smart enough; we are not beautiful enough; we are not tough enough; we are not good enough. And that's okay, because God is.Allie Beth Stuckey, a young mother, Christian, and conservative thought leader, was once herself sucked into the Cult of Self-Love--and knows that you probably have been too. In this book, she shows you how to identify and combat the toxic, exhausting myths our culture encourages with Scripture and traditional values like personal responsibility, self-sacrifice, and grit. For instance:Myth: There is no objective truth.Truth: We'll never feel personally fulfilled if we have no moral benchmark at which to aim.Myth: Life is all about me.Truth: When our highest priority is our own comfort and success, we end up alienating family and friends.Myth: Happiness is the goal.Truth: Since good vibes don't last forever, they're not sufficient criteria for personal purpose and meaning.Blending timeless wisdom and biblical truths, Stuckey shows how these sneaky, pervasive myths threaten women and fuel victimhood culture--from social justice warriors to radical feminism and the new wave of socialism. Stuckey dismantles these myths step-by-step and offers strategies that can help you move past them--and undo the damage they've done.
Uncommon Ground: Living Faithfully in a World of Difference
Timothy J. KellerKristen Deede Johnson - 2020
Uncommon Ground gathers an array of perspectives from people thinking deeply and working daily to live with humility, patience, and tolerance in our time.Contributors include:LecraeTish Harrison WarrenKristen Deede JohnsonClaude Richard AlexanderShirley HoogstraSara GrovesRudy CarrascoTrillia NewbellTom LinWarren KinghornProviding varied and enlightening approaches to reaching faithfully across deep and often painful differences, Uncommon Ground shows us how live with confidence, joy, and hope in a complex and fragmented age.
The Inklings: C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, Charles Williams, and Their Friends
Humphrey Carpenter - 1978
Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, and Charles Williams met regularly to discuss philosophy and read aloud from their works. Carpenter's account brings to life those warm and enchanting evenings where their imaginations ran wild.