Book picks similar to
God's Joy in Your Heart by Charles Haddon Spurgeon
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Life Regained (An Amish Friendship Series)
Sarah Price - 2014
Her entire world has turned upside down and she is left pondering what, exactly, her purpose in life truly is. On her son's suggestion, she escapes to Holmes County, Ohio and finds herself living on an Amish farm. While she tries to regain a life that has been lost, she finds herself gaining a lot more than she ever previously had. An unexpected friendship with Mary Troyer proves to be pivotal in how Elizabeth views the world around her, this time with the wisdom and insight of an Amish woman, rather than the demands and expectations of a world filled with work, demands, and hardships. A full-length novel, Life Regained is the first book in a series about the power of friendship that shatters the perceived boundaries of different cultures and religions.
The Parables of Jesus
William Barclay - 1999
Each chapter analyzes an individual parable--identifies its theme, explains it in the light of the language and customs of the ancient world, and clearly interprets its meaning for us today.The William Barclay Library is a collection of books addressing the great issues of the Christian faith. As one of the world's most widely read interpreters of the Bible and its meaning, William Barclay devoted his life to helping people become more faithful disciples of Jesus Christ.
Restless: Because You Were Made for More
Jennie Allen - 2014
We hold our dreams close to our chest. But our passions have a purpose—they were engineered for God’s greater plan and he intends for us to use them for his glory and purposes.Do you feel like you’re missing something? What if this feeling wasn’t a bad thing? It could be a longing for more of God and a catalyst to living the life that was designed before the foundations of the earth were laid.In Restless, Bible teacher and fellow struggler Jennie Allen:Explores practical ways to identify the threads of your lifeHow to intentionally weave those threads togetherExplains how your gifts, passions, places, and relationships aren’t random; they’re deliberate and meaningfulSpeaks the truth about your suffering: it’s possible it has produced the very thing you want to give back to the worldUsing the story of Joseph, the dreamer, Jennie explains how his suffering, gifts, relationships—all of the threads of his life—fit into the greater story of God and how our stories can do the same. What would happen if God got bigger than your fear and insecurity, and you spent the rest of your life running without reservation after his purposes for you? You were created for more.To dive deeper into the Restless message, additional resources such as a DVD study and leader/participant guide books are available.
The Lazarus Life: Spiritual Transformation for Ordinary People
Stephen W. Smith - 2008
The chronicle of an ordinary man who found himself at the center of an astounding miracle. A divine process that fully revealed Christ's transforming power, through a resurrection that preceded His very own. But what if the story of Lazarus holds powerful parallels for us today? What if his story of hope and heartbreak, expectancy and disappointment, death and life, is our story too? What if the transformation Lazarus experienced is available to you and me? Stephen W. Smith presents a remarkable journey through the life of Lazarus. Smith offers eye-opening insights into the Christian life, as we encounter A lingering Jesus A life trapped in the tomb The smell of the grave clothes The need for others to help us And the Voice of Love that calls your name Come explore the life and legacy of Lazarus. Discover a story all your own. And hear the voice of the One who loves you. Find free study resources for The Lazarus Life at www.lazaruslife.com.
Take Courage - Bible Study Book: A Study of Haggai
Jennifer Rothschild - 2020
They were distracted, discouraged, and ready to throw in the towel. But the prophet Haggai reminded them they could find courage in the God who had never left them.Sometimes the landscapes of our lives feel wrecked, with our hope and purpose in shambles. We too get distracted and discouraged. However, God's presence and promises give us courage to press on and trust Him with our story.In this 7-session study on the Book of Haggai, learn to walk confidently in your calling, stay motivated despite opposition, and courageously invest your life in God's purposes, trusting Him for results you may never see in this lifetime.Features: Leader guide to lead discussions within small groupsPersonal study segments to complete between 7 weeks of group sessionsEnriching teaching videos, approximately 25 minutes per session, available for purchase or rentBenefits: Defeat discouragement through God's presence, people, and Word.See beyond your current circumstances to a future hope.Learn to trust God more than your feelings.
Love Secrets
John Mark Pantana - 2020
Here's how to read this book: From left to right. That’s the first step. The second is equally as important: with a guarded heart. “The Bereans were open-minded in that they received the Word with all readiness and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so” (Acts 17:11). Open-minded but heart guarded. Don’t fully accept my or anyone else’s word for it. I received many popular Western teachings that bound me. The Bereans took what they heard and searched the Scriptures to “find out whether these things were so.” This is good practice. Also, I believe the Holy Spirit will “ring a bell” within you, testifying to truth-that-sets-you-free. Third step: expect to experience the person of Jesus. I have included prompts at the end of each chapter for you to engage the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit in an experiential way. With each prompt, let the eyes of your heart open-wide for a fresh-wave of glory-enjoyment; this little practice can shake loose heaps of dormant head-knowledge. For a real knowledge, truth must be awakened in the heart. Just a few minutes of heart-connection with God could change your entire life. I’ve included blank space for you at the end of each chapter to write down anything that happens. Fourth step: listen to music! This book is intrinsically linked to my music record: Love Secrets; thirteen songs about God’s love. And now: thirteen chapters. Each chapter of this book is titled after a song from the album and explores in detail the truths I sing about. I’ve arranged the order of chapters differently from the album for a more fluid reading experience. I would recommend listening to the corresponding song during the prompts at the end. You can listen to Love Secrets on every music platform. Fifth and finally: have fun. You’ll notice this book is not prim and proper. I hope you giggle and enjoy the goofy banter. Book instructions complete.
Prepare Him Room: A Daily Advent Devotional
Susie Larson - 2021
But in the hurriedness of December, sometimes we find ourselves sacrificing a sacred pace for hustle, leaving us feeling more stressed than blessed. What if you approached this Advent more open to the things of God? What if you decided to be expectant that God would move in your midst? What if you made room for the true joy found in the coming of our King? Prepare Him Room invites you to give God sacred space in your holiday season as you ponder the miracle of Christ within you and respond to His work in your life. As you begin your Christmas preparations this year, journey through Luke's account of Jesus' birth, life, death, and ultimate resurrection. God invites you to be still and let Jesus radically transform you this holy season. Let earth receive her King!
30 Words: A Devotional for the Rest of Us
Jarrid Wilson - 2012
He wants to be in a relationship with us, but for some reason we can’t seem to find the time. The time to pray, the time to read our Bibles, the time to sit and be still with God. In today’s fast-paced culture of instant downloads and drive-through lattes, we learn that faster is better, that slowing down is not an option. But if we look at Scripture carefully, we see that this is the exact opposite of how God has called us to live.Specialists say it takes 30 days to form a habit. It’s time we made being with God a habit – an unbreakable one. In 30 Words, you’ll find the encouragement to open your heart, mind, and soul to God. Each day you’ll focus on a single word about God and our relationship with him. Full of key verses to meditate on, as well as quotes and teachings from Christian leaders, 30 Words will help you make a habit of spiritual development—one that will transform you from the inside out.
The Jewish Gospel of John: Discovering Jesus, King of All Israel
Eli Lizorkin-Eyzenberg - 2015
It is an invitation to the reader to put aside their traditional understanding of the Gospel of John and to replace it with another one more faithful to the original text perspective. The Jesus that will emerge will provoke to rethink most of what you knew about this gospel. The book is a well-rounded verse-by-verse illustrated rethinking of the fourth gospel. Here is the catch: instead of reading it, as if it was written for 21 century Gentile Christians, the book interprets it as if it was written for the first-century peoples of ancient Israel. The book proves what Krister Stendahl stated long time ago: “Our vision is often more abstracted by what we think we know than by our lack of knowledge.” Other than challenging the long-held interpretations of well-known stories, the author with the skill of an experienced tour guide, takes us to a seat within those who most probably heard this gospel read in the late first century. Such exploration of variety of important contexts allows us to recover for our generation the true riches of this marvelous Judean gospel. “A genuine apologetic is one that is true to the texts and the history, akin to the speeches of a defense attorney with integrity. Using the best of contemporary scholarship in first-century Judaic history and contributing much of his own, Dr. Eli Lizorkin-Eyzenberg has demonstrated that the Gospel of John is not an anti-Jewish, but a thoroughly Jewish book.” Daniel Boyarin, Hermann P. and Sophia Taubman Professor of Talmudic Culture, University of California, Berkeley “Dr. Lizorkin-Eyzenberg places the text of John’s Gospel in its authentic context by examining the Dead Sea Scrolls, Philo, rabbinic literature, and suggesting innovative explanations for the nomenclature, ‘the Jews.’ His fresh analysis is sure to stir meaningful debate. His creative approach will make an enduring contribution to the discipline of New Testament studies.” Brad Young, Professor of Biblical Literature in Judeao-Christian Studies, Oral Roberts University “For some time, research on the Gospels has suffered from stagnation, and there is a feeling that there is not much new that one can say. In light of this, Dr. Eli Lizorkin-Eyzenberg’s new commentary on the Gospel of John, with its original outlook on the identity of the original audience and the issues at stake, is extremely refreshing.” Ishay Rosen-Zvi, Head of the Talmud and Late Antiquity Department, Tel-Aviv University.
Daniel's 70 Week's: Profiles in Prophecy
Chuck Missler - 2000
Do you know the Most Amazing Passage in the entire Bible?In this study of Daniel's 70 Weeks, you will discover this amazing prophecy in the Old Testament predicted the very day that Jesus presented Himself as the Meschiach Nagid, the Messiah the King, to Jerusalem.The Seventy Week Prophecy of Daniel 9 includes the most incredible validation of Jesus Christ as the Messiah, which He held them accountable to have known.In a confidential briefing to His disciples, Jesus also highlights this passage as the key to understanding all other prophecies concerning His return.It is essential to understanding the Book of Revelation and other related passage
The Art of Hearing
Dag Heward-Mills - 2007
This Bible study answers the question everyone is asking "What would Jesus do" It is God's revelation on how Christians should think in a world whose values and priorities are contrary and often hostile to God and His people. This study will teach you how to escape much of the unbiblical thinking that dominates our world.Lesson titles include"The Surrendered Mind""The Servant Mind""The Settled Mind""The Sanctified Mind"
Lean on Me: Finding Intentional, Committed and Consistent Community
Anne Marie Miller - 2014
When these crises hit, who do you call? Who do you lean on? Anne Marie Miller found herself in one of these valleys on the floor of a hotel bathroom while on a business trip. Months of stress accumulated and took its toll. In a moment of desperation, she picked up the phone and called a friend for guidance. That simple phone call was the first step in a transforming journey of evaluating what community truly meant and looked like in her life.We live in a world and a generation where the word “community” is often discussed. But how genuine and authentic are your relationships really? Anne Marie noticed an important tension all of us must recognize in order to have life-giving friendships: “We desperately want to belong yet at the same time, we yearn for independence.”In Lean On Me, Anne Marie Miller takes us along as she sets out to dig below the superficial and explore what choices are necessary to find intentional, vulnerable, and consistent community. Jesus was passionate about truth-speaking relationships. And with Anne Marie’s narrative and practical insights interwoven together, you will feel more equipped in your quest for these types of relationships as you seek people to lean on and as you pour love into those around you.
The Darkness and the Dawn: Empowered by the Tragedy and Triumph of the Cross
Charles R. Swindoll - 2001
The sun fled. From noon until three, the darkness of death hovered over the hill where the Son of God was dying. As Christians, we know the story well?the nails in His hands, the thorns on His head, the gambling soldiers, the taunting thieves.Charles Swindoll invites us to "return with me to those epochal days when our Lord walked into the awful darkness?which He did not deserve?only to arise into the sunlit dawn of triumph, providing us a victory from which we shall never know defeat." Go with him and you will find that, as only he can, Dr. Swindoll uncovers new meaning in the Cross and the Resurrection for those who face death and darkness today. His fresh perspectives on these core events of faith can help you see beyond the darkness to the new light of dawn.
A Woman Who Trusts God: Finding the Peace You Long for
Debbie Alsdorf - 2011
Dreams are on hold, prayers seem unanswered, and life can feel hard. And just when we think we have it all together, life happens again! During these times it can be difficult to see God in our situations and trust him with the future.With empathy and wit, Debbie Alsdorf uses the book of Philippians to encourage women to lean on God, to live one day at a time, to rejoice and not to worry, and to give thanks to God in all circumstances of life. The confidence and peace readers will gain from the perspective presented in this loving book will help them live fully in the moment, in every season of life.
The Power of the Blood Covenant: Uncover the Secret Strength in God's Eternal Oath
Malcolm Smith - 2006
And if that was the only thing salvation in Christ brought you, it would be the greatest gift of all. But there is much more to this agreement with Almighty God. This agreement is a sacred covenant between you and the Father God that entails more than most believers have ever imagined. It's time to discover the depth and power of God's eternal oath with you.This secret strength hidden within the heart of the Christian life reveals the profound depth of God's unconditional love and is bound by the blood covenant. Those who realize and embrace this strength live in a realm of faith and victory that others only dream of.Throughout these pages, you will journey through the Scriptures to unearth this reality that contains the basis of all God's wondrous miracles and mighty works--a place of marvelous blessings and promises.Discover the power of the blood covenant that not only seals your eternal destiny, but can open up a new world of faith and adventure like you've never known!