The Holy Spirit is not just about speaking in tongues, spiritual gifts or “fruits”—but also about our deepest breath and our highest human aspirations. Popular teacher Jack Levison brings a scholar’s knowledge of this complicated biblical topic to a wide audience that crosses all denominational boundaries. His new book aims to do nothing less than clarify 2,000 years of confusion on the topic of who the Holy Spirit is, and why it matters. Provocative and life-changing, Fresh Air combines moving personal anecdotes, rich biblical studies, and practical strategies for experiencing the daily presence of the Holy Spirit. In brief chapters, the book finds the presence of the Holy Spirit where we least expect it—in human breathing, in social transformation, in community, in hostile situations, and in serious learning. Fresh Air will unsettle and invigorate readers poised for a fresh experience of an ancient, confusing topic.

    Here she reveals how her ability to see and communicate with Spirit has helped her to pass on Spirit messages to thousands of people from around the world, sharing her understanding of what it’s really like in the Spirit world.Gaynor has answered questions about Spirit and the Afterlife in her usual honest and down to earth way.What happens when we die?Is there really such thing as life after death?Where is Heaven?Are our Spirit loved ones happy?Do we meet our pets in Heaven?Do angels exist?Is Heaven a real place?This book will give you the answers to these questions and many more, along with a guided view of life after death and a clearer understanding of the place some call Heaven.

    See each tribe's symbol, meaning, history, and other fascinating facts at a glance. Includes incredible visual aids, such as a full-color map, family tree, Tabernacle diagram, and more.Almost every person in the Bible belonged to one of the 12 Tribes of Israel based on their ancestry From Moses who was a Levite to the Apostle Paul who was Benjaminite. Each tribe had its own history, land, and heritage. Now you can easily grasp the "backstory" of each tribe and see key information at a glance! For example, find out the significance of Jesus being called the "Lion of Judah." For each of the 12 Tribes of Israel, you will get--A quick overview of its meaning, size, family history, location, and more.A picture of the tribe's symbol (such as the lion from the Tribe of Judah)Simple summary of Jacob's blessing, Moses' blessing, and other key events related to each tribe. (Find out the major battles, controversies, and scandals that impacted each tribe. Plus, see which important Bible people came from each tribe of Israel.)This pamphlet is packed with visual aids that will help you see key information at a glance. These visuals will enrich your understanding of the 12 Tribes of Israel and add depth to any Old Testament study:Family Tree of Jacob (Israel)Tabernacle diagram showing where each of the 12 tribes encamped around the TabernacleTime Line showing key events, starting with Abraham's journey from HaranEasy-to-read, full-color map showing how the "promised land" was divided amongst each of the 12 tribes according to their inheritance. The map is color-coded so you can easily spot each tribe's location!

    It's about thinking outside the “institutional walls” of Christianity and asking the hard questions. It boldly says in public what many people are thinking in private. And its hilarious stories and life-changing insights will inspire those who are dissatisfied with fear-driven religion but believe—deep down—there’s a better message out there for the world to hear.

    And so it is profoundly important to understand how to approach and experience these occasions with grace, endurance, and joy.In On Birth, Timothy Keller--theologian and bestselling author--helps us understand both physical and spiritual birth, as well as how baptism connects the two. With wisdom, joy, and compassion, Keller draws on forty-five years as a pastor and a parent to consider what it means to receive a new birth as well as to be reborn.The perfect gift for someone who is about to become a parent or is searching for the true meaning of Christianity, On Birth is a short, powerful book that illuminates God's vision of life.

    From dinnertime chaos to bath-time giggles to never-ending loads of laundry, Laura stumbles into the surprising truth of what the seven sacraments really mean: that God is present always, even in the messes of motherhood.A spiritual memoir of parenting’s early years and a sacramental theology rooted in family life, Everyday Sacrament offers an honest, humorous, and hopeful look at ordinary moments as full of grace.

    She had a tenured position at a large university in a field for which she cared deeply. She owned two homes with her partner, in which they provided hospitality to students and activists that were looking to make a difference in the world. There, her partner rehabilitated abandoned and abused dogs. In the community, Rosaria was involved in volunteer work. At the university, she was a respected advisor of students and her department’s curriculum. And then, in her late 30s, Rosaria encountered something that turned her world upside down—the idea that Christianity, a religion that she had regarded as problematic and sometimes downright damaging, might be right about who God was, an idea that flew in the face of the people and causes that she most loved. What follows is a story of what she describes as a “train wreck” at the hand of the supernatural. These are her secret thoughts about those events, written as only a reflective English professor could."Conversion put me in a complicated and comprehensive chaos. I sometimes wonder, when I hear other Christians pray for the salvation of the “lost,” if they realize that this comprehensive chaos is the desired end of such prayers. Often, people asked me to describe the “lessons” that I learned from this experience. I can’t. It was too traumatic. Sometimes in crisis, we don’t really learn lessons. Sometimes the result is simpler and more profound: sometimes our character is simply transformed." —Rosaria Butterfield

    As a pastor and as a person with beloved family members living a gay lifestyle, Caleb had to face this issue with courage and grace. Messy Grace shows us that Jesus’s command to “love your neighbor as yourself” doesn’t have an exception clause for a gay “neighbor”—or for that matter, any other “neighbor” we might find it hard to relate to. Jesus was able to love these people and yet still hold on to his beliefs. So can you. Even when it’s messy.

    This is her story: of coming to Christ, of building a career, of admitting who she is, and of how her faith remained strong through it all.At the top of her career in the Christian music industry, Jennifer Knapp quit. A few years later, she publicly revealed she is gay. A media frenzy ensued, and many of her former fans were angry with what they saw as turning her back on God. But through it all, she held on to the truth that had guided her from the beginning.In this memoir, she finally tells her story: of her troubled childhood, the love of music that pulled her through, her dramatic conversion to Christianity, her rise to stardom, her abrupt departure from Christian Contemporary Music, her years of trying to come to terms with her sexual orientation, and her return to music and Nashville in 2010, when she came out publicly for the first time. She also talks about the importance of her faith, and despite the many who claim she can no longer call herself a believer, she maintains that she is both gay and a Christian.Now an advocate for LGBT issues in the church, Jennifer has witnessed heartbreaking struggles as churches wrestle with issues of homosexuality and faith. This engrossing, inspiring memoir will help people understand her story and to believe in their own stories, whatever they may be.

    

    The third edition of the General Instruction of the Roman Missal underscores the nature and importance of the Sacred Liturgy in the life of the Church.

    "Why I Am a Lutheran explores the foundational teachings of the Christian church. In each chapter, Daniel Preus calls upon more than 20 years of pastoral experience to reveal Jesus as the center of the Christian faith. As he addresses central doctrines such as sin and grace, Law and Gospel, the person and work of Jesus Christ, worship, the Sacraments, and the office of the ministry, Preus keeps the focus on Jesus Christ--who is "always and only at the center of all Christian teaching."

    "'Christopher, you must choose! You must choose the family or choose homosexuality.' He looked at me and said, 'It's not something I can choose. I am gay. If you can't accept me, then I have no other choice but to leave.'" Christopher Yuan, the son of Chinese immigrants, discovered at an early age that he was different. He was attracted to other boys. As he grew into adulthood, his mother, Angela, hoped to control the situation. Instead, she found that her son and her life were spiraling out of control, and her own personal demons were determined to defeat her. Years of heartbreak, confusion, and prayer followed before the Yuans found a place of complete surrender, which is God's desire for all families. Their amazing story, told from the perspectives of both mother and son, offers hope for anyone affected by homosexuality. God calls all who are lost to come home to him, and he wants everyone to pursue holy sexuality. Out of a Far Country speaks to prodigals, parents of prodigals, and those wanting to minister to the gay community. "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him." - Luke 15:20

    Written by Doug Pagitt?a leading voice in the Emergent conversation--this beautifully written book weaves together theological reflections, Christian history, and his own story of faith transformation. Pagitt invites readers to follow him as he tells the story of his un-churched childhood, his life-altering conversion at age 16, his intense involvement in the church, and his growing sense of unease with the version of Christianity he was living. On page after page, Pagitt lays out his journey toward an authentic, passionate expression of a faith that feels alive, sustainable, and meaningful.

    But do you understand them?The Ten Commandments have become so familiar to us that we don't think about what they actually mean. They've been used by Christians throughout history as the basis for worship, confessions, prayer, even civil law.Are these ancient words still relevant for us today? Their outward simplicity hides their inward complexity. Jesus himself sums up the entire law in a pair of commandments: Love God with all your heart, mind, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself.Peter Leithart re-introduces the Ten Commandments. He shows us how they address every arena of human life, giving us a portrait of life under the lordship of Jesus, who is the heart and soul of the commandments.