Rainer drew an exceptional response when he posted a 500-word declaration about church membership to his daily blog. "I Am a Church Member" started a conversation about the attitudes and responsibilities of church members -- rather than the functional and theological issues -- that previous new member primers all but ignored.Thoughtfully expanded to book form, I Am a Church Member begins to remedy the outbreak of inactive or barely committed church members, addressing without apology what is expected of those who join a body of believers. When a person's attitude is consistently biblical and healthy, matters of giving, serving, and so forth will fall into place more naturally.Six intentional chapters with study questions guide this rising discussion:1. I Will Be a Unifying Church Member2. I Will Not Let the Church Be About My Preferences and Desires3. I Will Pray for My Church Leaders4. I Will Lead My Family to Be Healthy Church Members5. I Will Be a Functioning Member6. I Will Treasure Church Membership as a Gift

    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.

    Sharing inspiring stories from his own experiences as a prayer circle maker, Batterson will help readers uncover their heart's deepest desires and God-given dreams and unleash them through the kind of audacious prayer that God delights to answer.

    Living in light of our death reorients us to our limitations as creatures and helps us see God’s good gifts right in front of us—enabling us to live wisely, freely, and generously. Drawing on wisdom from the book of Ecclesiastes, David Gibson teaches us to embrace this countercultural mind-set and live life backward: to take the one thing in the future that is certain—our death—and work backward when it comes to our priorities, goals, desires, and decisions. If we do this, we'll learn that only with a proper perspective on death can we find meaning and satisfaction in life—and see just how great God is.

    What biblical event does this bring to mind? Is it Abraham and Isaac in Genesis 22, or Christ's passion in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John? The kinship between these two stories is deeper than mere coincidence. Christ is present in the story of Abraham and Isaac. In fact, he is present on every page of the Old Testament.Christians seem to have forgotten that the Old Testament has everything to do with Jesus Christ. In Jesus on Every Page, David Murray guides the reader down his own Road to Emmaus, describing how the Scriptures were opened to him, revealing Jesus from Genesis 1 to Revelation 22. Dr. Murray's ten simple ways to seek and find Christ in the Old Testament unveil the face of Christ in the creation, the law, the psalms, the prophets, and the proverbs.Recognizing Jesus in the full breadth of Scripture is important for every Christian. Whether you are preaching Jesus through Old Testament readings or just beginning to discover the reality of Christ in the Old Testament, Jesus on Every Page provides an accessible guide to the increasingly popular subject of Jesus in the Old Testament books. Have your own Road to Emmaus experience and know the Old Testament for what it truly is: full of Jesus.Endorsements:With deceptive ease Dr. David Murray brings his readers on to the Road to Emmaus for a few hours of conversation about Jesus and the Old Testament. With an enviable grace and simplicity he teaches us how to read the Old Testament as Christians. --Sinclair B. Ferguson, Redeemer Theological Seminary, Dallas, Texas.This is not a small book, it is a game-changer. I read it with a notepad in one hand and at times tears on every page. This profound work shows that Jesus is on every page of God's love story. This is a book I will read over and over. I highly recommend it! --Sheila Walsh, Singer, Author, Speaker with Women of Faith ConferencesIf you have always struggled to understand the Old Testament, this is the book for you. Dr. Murray has provided us with a refreshingly simple guide to seeing the glory of Jesus our Messiah throughout the Old Testament. --Burk Parsons, Editor, Tabletalk, Pastor, St Andrews, Orlando, Florida.There's no one I'd rather have serve as my guide for a journey down the Emmaus road than David Murray. Jesus on Every Page provides solid, understandable categories and tools for retraining ourselves on how to read and understand the Old Testament. --Nancy Guthrie, Author of the Seeing Jesus in the Old Testament Bible study seriesWith contagious delight, David Murray not only opens up the Old Testament beautifully, he draws you to marvel at the One it is all about. This is a moving, rich book that can hardly fail to help readers enjoy Jesus more in his word. --Michael Reeves, Head of Theology, Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship, Author of Delighting in the TrinityIf you are like me and have longed for a readable book on seeing and savoring Jesus in the Old Testament this book is the resource for you. It is biblical, practical, and preachable. I will recommend it to everyone! --Anthony Carter, Pastor of East Point Church, Georgia, Author of Blood Work and On Being Black and Reformed: A New Perspective on the African American Christian ExperienceThere have been strident voices urging us to see "Christ in the Old Testament" in recent years - among them, Greidanus, Goldsworthy, Clowney, and Chapell. Now comes David Murray's Jesus on Every Page - a bang-on target, concise summary of this urgently needed, hermeneutical adjustment. --Derek W. H. Thomas, Professor of Systematic Theology, RTS Atlanta, Minister of Preaching and Teaching, First Presbyterian Church, Columbia, SC.There could scarcely be a more worthy pursuit than seeking to learn of Jesus in the pages of Scripture....It would be difficult indeed to find a more accessible, concise, practically helpful, warm-hearted guide than David Murray's Jesus On Every Page. --Fred G. Zaspel, Reformed Baptist Church, Franconia, PA, Calvary Baptist Seminary, Lansdale, PACertainly one of the most helpful and most needed new books that I have seen for a long while...This book is more than a devotional read. It leads us to understand more accurately why Jesus could say of the scriptures, 'they testify of me'. What could be more important? --Iain H Murray, Pastor, Author, and Editorial Director of the Banner of Truth Publishers.His aim throughout is to remind New Testament Christians that they are whole Bible believers, and to give them a key to reading the Old Testament biblically. The key to his own book is simple enough: it is that the gospel interprets the Old Testament. --Dr. Iain D. Campbell, Author, Adjunct Professor at Westminster Seminary, and Pastor of Point Free Church of Scotland.

    Sometimes, you have to shot block a friend’s prayer because she’s asking God to bless an obviously bad dating relationship. Sometimes, you think, “I wish I had a t-shirt that said ‘I direct deposit my tithe’ so people wouldn’t judge me.” Sometimes, the stuff that comes with faith is funny. This is that stuff. Jonathan Acuff’s Stuff Christians Like is your field guide to all things Christian. In it you’ll learn the culinary magic of the crock-pot. Think you’ve got a Metro worship leader—Use Acuff’s checklist. Want to avoid a prayer handholding faux pas? Acuff has you covered. Like a satirical grenade, Acuff brings us the humor and honesty that galvanized more than a million online readers from more than 200 countries in a new portable version. Welcome to the funny side of faith.

    How would you finish that sentence?The subject is there, and so is the verb, but what comes next? Your answer could shed light on the path to becoming who you were made to be. In these pages, Judah Smith fills out that sentence again and again, each time further revealing the character of Jesus. He writes as if to a friend, revealing the Jesus that somber paintings and hymns fail to capture. With passion, humor, and conviction, he shows that Jesus is life. Jesus is grace. Jesus is your friend. Jesus is a new and better way to be human.

    We are called to do the same. But evangelism can be difficult--even intimidating. With all the evangelism resources available, where should you turn to find advice on how to share the Good News with others? Robert E. Coleman says the answers aren't found in TV evangelism, easy-evangelism guidebooks, or the latest marketing techniques. Rather, he looks to the Bible, to the ultimate example found in Jesus Christ. For more than forty years this classic, biblical look at evangelism has challenged and instructed over three million readers. Now repackaged for a new generation, The Master Plan of Evangelism is as fresh and relevant as ever. Join the movement and discover how you can minister to the people God brings into your life.

    But if you're looking for an intentional, God-pleasing game plan for finding a future spouse, Joshua Harris delivers an appealing one. A compelling new foreword, an all-new "8 Great Courtship Conversations" section, and updated material throughout makes this five-year revision of the original Boy Meets Girl a must-have! Harris illustrates how biblical courtship--a healthy, joyous alternative to recreational dating--worked for him and his wife. Boy Meets Girl presents an inspiring, practical example for readers wanting to pursue the possibility of marriage with someone they may be serious about.Are you ready for "romance with purpose"? If you're fed up with self-centered relationships that end in disillusionment, it's time to rethink romance. Finding the loving, committed relationship you want shouldn't mean throwing away your hopes, your integrity, or your heart.In Boy Meets Girl, Joshua Harris --the guy who kissed dating goodbye--makes the case for courtship. As old-fashioned as it might sound, courtship is what modern day relationships desperately need. Think of it as romance chaperoned by wisdom, cared for by community, and directed by God's Word.Filled with inspiring stories from men and women who have rediscovered courtship, Boy Meets Girl is honest, romantic, and refreshingly biblical. Keep God at the center of your relationship as you discover how to:- Set a clear course for your romance - Get closer without compromise - Find support in a caring community - Deal with past sexual sin - Make the right decisions about your future New! Courtship Conversations Eight ideas for great dates that will help grow and guide your relationship.Story Behind the Book"I wrote I Kissed Dating Goodbye to challenge singles to drop the worldly approach to serial dating and reconsider the way they pursued romance in light of God's Word. Since then, I've received letters asking questions like, So, what comes between friendship and marriage? and, How can you know when you are ready for marriage? Boy Meets Girl answers those questions. Now as a happily married man I can look back on my courtship with Shannon and see from personal experience that God is faithful. If you trust Him enough to wait on romance in dating, He will lovingly guide you as you pursue it in courtship...right to that wonderful moment when you kneel together at the altar." -- Joshua Harris

    He takes cues from preachers and teachers down through the ages, setting key doctrines of creation, the person and work of Christ, and life in the Spirit into a simple framework of the Christian life. A rich and enjoyable read on the basic beliefs of Christianity that avoids dumbing down its profound and life changing truths.

    This volume will be an immensely useful resource for all kinds of study of the New Testament."—Richard Bauckham, University of St. Andrews"Every scholar would profit by having a copy of this thorough and judicious work on his or her desk. The authors have collected for us an immense amount of material and insight in a relatively short space, and many of us will be grateful for their efforts. This commentary is a profound witness to the unity of the Testaments in the mystery of Christ."—Francis Martin, Sacred Heart Seminary"Finally a volume that surveys the use of the Old Testament in each book of the New Testament. Written by top-tier scholars with unsurpassed expertise in New Testament exegesis, these essays model sound engagement with Scripture that quotes Scripture. This excellent collection is a must-read for all who wish to understand how the New Testament writers understood and used their Bible. This long-awaited volume deserves to become a standard text that will hopefully launch a new stage of fresh work in biblical research."--Karen H. Jobes, Wheaton College"More than a generation ago, C. H. Dodd and a few other scholars began sowing the seeds of a new and fruitful approach to reading Scripture, by studying the New Testament writers' use of Old Testament texts. The present commentary thus represents the harvest of decades of research into the relationship between the Old and New Testaments. By carefully observing various factors, ranging from the textual to the theological, each contributor shows how the New Testament writers were not only careful readers of the Old Testament but also profound theologians themselves. The scholars on this superb team assembled by Beale and Carson distill many new and remarkable insights for exegesis and theology, all of which serve to demonstrate the explanatory power of this approach for the present and the future. This landmark volume should prove to be an invaluable resource for both the church and the academy--for pastors, teachers, and students alike, whether Protestant or Catholic--and for anyone wanting to go deeper into the heart of sacred Scripture. Indeed, Beale and Carson are to be thanked and congratulated for a momentous accomplishment."--Scott Hahn, Franciscan University of Steubenville"Finally we have a work that examines the use of the Old Testament in the New Testament and covers the entirety of the New Testament in a single volume. Pastors, students, and scholars will profit from the careful attention to both the Old and New Testament contexts in which the citations occur, and they will be enriched by the theological depth represented in this important book."--Thomas R. Schreiner, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary"Few areas of New Testament study are as often discussed as the New Testament's use of the Old. There has long been a need for a careful case-by-case treatment, since the use we see in the New Testament is so varied and diverse. This commentary meets that need admirably. It is thorough yet concise, clear yet detailed. All will be led into helpful reflection on this important area of study. Well done to the editors and authors of this useful and unique commentary."--Darrell L. Bock, Dallas Theological Seminary

    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.

    In What Is Biblical Theology?, Jim Hamilton introduces us to this narrative, helping us understand the worldview of the biblical writers so that we can read the Old and New Testaments as the original authors intended. Tracing the key patterns, symbols, and themes that bind the Bible together, this book will help you understand Scripture's unified message and find your place in the great story of redemption.

    Circumstances thwart our best-laid plans. We struggle to live a heartfelt life. Worst of all, says Eldredge, the modern church mistakenly teaches its people to kill desire (calling it sin) and replace it with duty or obligation (calling it sanctification). As a result, at best Christians tend to live safe, boring lives of resignation. At worst, their desire eventually breaks out in destructive ways such as substance abuse, affairs, and pornography addictions. In The Journey of Desire , Eldredge invites readers to rediscover God-given desire and to search again for the life they once dreamed of.

    Four parallel columns present the information you need on these key views, and inform you about outstanding commentators on the book of Revelation. No other book gives such extensive coverage of how the church has understood Revelation over the centuries. The four-column format makes this an easy read for lay people, pastors, and scholars alike. This is a wonderful addition to any Bible study resource library. Features include:Convenient, one-volume formatFour parallel columns for easy comparisonComplete coverage of the major interpretations of RevelationExtensive coverage of the place of Revelation in church history