But this story of light piercing through the darkness didn’t begin with the birth of a baby boy under a shining star in the city of Bethlehem. From creation to the incarnation to the coming eternal city, Scripture speaks of Jesus’s life-giving presence and light in a dark world.During this Advent season, we celebrate that the hopes and fears of all the years were answered in Jesus, the everlasting light. This five-week Advent experience features daily Scripture reading that traces this theme throughout the Bible, preparing our hearts to encounter Christmas Day in a fresh way. It is also filled with thoughtful extras designed to help you engage this season as people of light, from daily reflection prompts to recipes, crafts, classic Christmas hymns, and more. Join us for Advent 2021 as we celebrate and contemplate The Everlasting Light.

    Some people are thrill-seekers; others are homebodies. Some people are loners; others love big families or communities. Some people express things creatively; others consume what is created. Some sing; others listen to music. Whatever we find happiness in, we are united by our desire for work that matters and relationships that fulfil.As Christians, we often fall into the trap of basing our hopes on earthly things, even when we know they only make us happy for a short time. But how are we to experience happiness in this life? How do we avoid expecting too much of earthly things and being disappointed, or expecting too little and becoming cynics?In this book, recovering cynic Barnabas Piper helps us to throw off both the unrealistic expectations that end in disappointment and the guilty sense that Christians are not meant to have fun. He shows how having a clear view of the reality of the fall and the promise of redemption frees us to live a life that's grounded, hopeful and genuinely happy.

    For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” (Matthew 18:19–20).  Are there things in your personal life, your loved ones’ lives, or your church life that desperately need to change for the better? Have you been yearning for real spiritual breakthrough in the challenging situations you face? Have you ever considered that God is just waiting for His people to cry out to Him in prayer together? The prayer of agreement is one of the most powerful gifts that God has provided for victory in our Christian lives. He has promised us that He will respond to this time of focused prayer as we seek His face together. Join Jim and Cathy Maxim and Daniel Henderson for twenty-one days of agreeing prayer, and see how different things can be as believers go to God together to experience a time of intimacy and intercession that will forever change the way we pray, think, and act regarding the gift of prayer. More than just a book printed on paper, this 21-day movement is interactive. At the end of each devotional reading, you can visit www.acts413.net and join Jim, Cathy, and Daniel for a powerful time of agreeing prayer. Enter God’s presence with them daily, praying for the power of the Holy Spirit to sweep through your circumstances with the breakthrough that you need in your life, and in the lives of those you love.

    This study will not only fuel our worship of Jesus, but help the reader foster steadfast love anchored in biblical truth now and all year long. Readers will more fully understand the anticipation and waiting that the Old Testament world endured, the light and life Jesus came to bring us, and the eternal promise that Jesus is yet ushering us into.This beautiful resource will also include advent activities to help kids, students, and adults celebrate the Christmas season together. This Christmas season, set your focus on the anticipation and joy that only Christ can bring in this study of Advent.Features:Leader helps for group discussion4 weeks of personal study to be completed between the 5 group sessionsBeautiful 4-color interior to enhance the reader's experienceSpecific Advent activities for kids, students, and adults Benefits:Allow a deeper understanding of Advent to fuel your worship of Christ.Understand deeper theological truths of Christmas.Learn more about Jesus and how His coming brings us hope, light, wisdom, and gospel unity.

    Pastor Eric Mason is passionate about helping Christians unleash the transformative power of God in their lives as they learn to be faithful disciples of Jesus. Being conformed to the image of Christ is a lifelong journey for every Christian.   Mason understands that spiritual transformation doesn't occur overnight. Unleashed outlines the process of spiritual growth from the first moments of faith to the last. Readers discover their potential in Christ in an age that is so often marked by suffering, grief, and defeat.   Join countless others who are learning what it means to unleash God's power in their lives.

    Obviously. Matt Woodcock's frank, funny real-life diaries reveal what it was like for him to train as a vicar while struggling against all odds to become a father. In them he lays bare his joys and struggles as he attempts to reconcile his calling as a vicar with his life as a party-loving journalist, footie-freak and incorrigible extrovert. Becoming Reverend is a compelling and original account of how faith can work in the midst of a messy life, combining family, fertility, faith and friendship with the story of a divine - but unlikely - calling.

    While the world insists that satisfying our desires is the path to fulfillment, this daily devotional teaches us the value of seeking contentment instead, providing practical approaches to cultivating thankfulness in specific life circumstances that make discontent easy. In the 31-Day Devotionals for Life series, biblical counselors and Bible teachers guide you through Scripture passages that speak to specific situations or struggles, helping you to apply God’s Word to your life in practical ways day after day.

    You will learn the prophetic purposes of the feasts, how the feasts are fulfilled in Messiah, future implications of the feasts and practical truths for life

    And this joy and peace is not just for Christmas, it lasts all year round and into eternity.-----------------------------------Contents 1. Something Better 2. God Gets Involved 3. God Gives Joy 4. God is Worth It 5. The Beginning, Not the End

    God is assembling the cast of characters and making preparations for the final scene--a scene so powerfully dramatic that nothing could possibly compare. In Earth’s Final Moments, New York Times best-selling author Pastor John Hagee unveils how biblical prophecy and current world events are intersecting to give us an unparalleled glimpse into our planet’s final days. Aligning prophecy with End Time signs, he describes Israel’s emerging opponent and reveals the shock and awe of God’s coming judgment against those who oppose His people. As the Jewish people return to their homeland and the situation in the Middle East continues to deteriorate, you can’t afford to miss what comes next.

    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.

    But how do you share it without scaring them away or offending them? For most Christians, “evangelism” is an intimidating word that suggests handing out tracts to strangers or doing other awkward things.             But what if there was a more organic, more authentic way to share your faith with your friends, neighbors, and coworkers?             Dave and Jon Ferguson have found five simple, straightforward practices that will allow any believer to do just that. And by consistently living them out, you can affect not just individual lives but your entire neighborhood and community—one person at a time.

    We always seem to thirst for more. We think if we could only work harder or be better, we could be enough. But the truth is, we will never be enough. And thankfully, we don't have to be.In this 8-session study, Jennie Allen walks through key passages in the Book of John to demonstrate how only Jesus is enough. We don't have to prove anything because Jesus has already proven everything. Discover how our thirsty hearts can only be quenched by the living water.Features: Leader helps to guide questions and discussions within small groupsSeven weeks of personal study segments to complete between eight weeks of group sessionsFive days of study within each week of personal studyBenefits: Learn to take hold of what has already been given to you in ChristStop trying to prove yourself because Jesus has already proven everythingLook to Jesus for your satisfactionOverflow with Christ's abundance, and bring life to othersRemind yourself of who you are in Christ with ScriptureGrow in biblical literacy with this exploration of the Gospel of John

    This is good news for all of us. It frees us up to talk about the most important part of our lives in a way that’s natural, meaningful, and helpful instead of clumsy, awkward, and irrelevant.Anyone who has spent countless uncomfortable hours walking from house to house with a clipboard or flash cards that talk about four spiritual laws understands.Jesus’ conversations were remarkably simple. Contemporary Christian lingo has set up a dichotomy between what we call “discipleship” and “evangelism,” but the Bible doesn’t do that. Jesus had conversations all the time with those who thought they were close to God, as well as with those who deemed themselves lost and without hope. He invited all of them to come and learn from Him.42 Seconds is a simple book that uses the ordinary moments of our lives the way Jesus used the same moments in his own. The premise is straightforward: If we can learn from Jesus how to have great conversations, it will change our lives and the lives of those around us. Its four-part structure, including five short chapters per section, is for churches and small groups to engage with the practical ideas together. 42 Seconds includes discussion questions to help groups and individuals implement Jesus’ natural rhythm of interaction in their own lives.