Believe it or not, the Good Book doesn't mention Friday, and even more surprisingly, while the Bible says Jesus rose from the grave, it does not say it occurred Sunday morning. Remember, Jesus' followers found an empty tomb then.But don't feel bad if you've always assumed otherwise. Like countless millions of people, you've just been misinformed, misled or even (dare we say) lied to about what the Bible actually says.In a stunning investigation, news veteran Joe Kovacs goes on a mission to help both Christians and non-Christians alike find out what the Bible really contains, and what it doesn't."Shocked by the Bible: The Most Astonishing Facts You've Never Been Told" is an educational juggernaut that relies solely on the Holy Bible to reveal hundreds of Scriptural facts that many people of all persuasions simply don't know. The book instantly skyrocketed to the No. 1 position in three Bible-related categories on Amazon.com."I'm among the biggest fans of the Bible of all time," says Kovacs. "My goal is to educate people about the solid truth of Scripture and to stop the spread of erroneous information. I want people to crack open their Bibles and see with their own eyes what's actually printed on the pages, and what's not. It's shocking!"According to Scripture, you won't find "Three Wise Men" mentioned anywhere in the story of Jesus' birth. For that matter, none are said to have shown up at the manger in Bethlehem. The truth straight from your own Bible is that an unspecified number of wise men first met Jesus as a "young child" in a "house," not a babe in a manger, and it might have been more than a year after He was born. Go ahead, look it up for yourself.Also, according to Scripture, you won't find a single mention of Easter eggs, but you will find God warning His people not to have anything to do with a pagan fertility goddess, whose name is synonymous with "Easter.""Yes, I'm a Bible-believing Christian," says Kovacs. "But I'm not here to convert anyone. People are free to believe whatever they wish and can come to their own conclusions. I just want to show them the biblical record is often very different from what many assume. Not only will Christians love this book, but I think Jews, Muslims and even agnostics and atheists will get a kick out of it as well."

    Sooner or later, life’s difficulties bring every Christian woman to God’s doorstep with questions too personal to ignore. “Why does God let me go through such painful circumstances?” “Why does he seem indifferent to my prayers?” We’re tired of spiritual pie in the sky. We want authentic, God-as-he-really-is faith—the kind that holds us together when our world is falling apart and equips us to offer strength and hope to others. When Life and Beliefs Collide raises a long-overdue call for us to think seriously about what we believe about God. With passion, brilliance, and eloquence, Carolyn Custis James weaves stories of contemporary women with episodes from the life of Mary of Bethany to illustrate the practical benefits of knowing God deeply. Examining the misperceptions and abuses that discourage women from pursuing a deeper understanding of God, this insightful book demonstrates how practical and down to earth knowing God can be. “This outstanding book offers the best demonstration that everyone needs theology, the best expository account of Mary and Martha, and the best trajectory for women’s ministry in modern North America that I have yet read.” —James I. Packer “Thoughtful, scholarly, and motivating . . . should inspire and encourage women for years to come.” —Joni Eareckson Tada “You will not think the same way, nor hopefully be the same, after reading this thought-provoking book.” —Vonette Zachary Bright “. . . affirms women in their calling, chosen-ness, and gifting, and makes us know we are cherished and planned for.” —Jill Briscoe

    Recovering from Biblical Manhood and Womanhood is a resource to help church leaders improve the culture of their church and disciple men and women in their flock to read, understand, and apply Scripture to our lives in the church. Until both men and women grow in their understanding of their relationship to Scripture, there will continue to be tension between the sexes in the church. Church leaders need to be engaged in thoughtful critique of the biblical manhood and womanhood movement and the effects it has on their congregation.Do men and women benefit equally from God's word? Are they equally responsible in sharpening one another in the faith and passing it down to the next generation? While radical feminists claim that the Bible is a hopelessly patriarchal construction by powerful men that oppresses women, evangelical churches simply reinforce this teaching when we constantly separate men and women, customizing women's resources and studies according to a culturally based understanding of roles. Do we need men's Bibles and women's Bibles, or can the one, holy Bible guide us all? Is the Bible, God's word, so male-centered and authored that women need to create their own resources to relate to it? No! And in it, we also learn from women. Women play an active role as witnesses to the faith, passing it on to the new generations.This book explores the feminine voice in Scripture as synergistic with the dominant male voice. Through the women, we often get the story behind the story--take Ruth for example, or the birth of Christ through the perspective of Mary and Elizabeth in Luke. Aimee fortifies churches in a biblical understanding of brotherhood and sisterhood in God's household and the necessity of learning from one another in studying God's word.The troubling teaching under the rubric of "biblical manhood and womanhood" has thrived with the help of popular Biblicist interpretive methods. And Biblicist interpretive methods ironically flourish in our individualistic culture that works against the "traditional values" of family and community that the biblical manhood and womanhood movement is trying to uphold. This book helps to correct Biblicist trends in the church today, affirming that we do not read God's word alone, we read it within our interpretive covenant communities--our churches. Our relationship with God's word affects our relationship with God's people, and vice versa. The church is the school of Christ, commissioned to discipleship. The responsibility of every believer, men and women together, is being active and equal participants in and witnesses to the faith--the tradents of faith.

    T. Wright, are the very echoes of a voice we dimly perceive but deeply long to hear. In fact, these questions take us to the heart of who God is and what He wants from us.For two thousand years, Christianity has claimed to solve these mysteries, and this renowned biblical scholar and Anglican bishop shows that it still can today. Not since C. S. Lewis's classic summary of the faith, Mere Christianity, has such a wise and thorough scholar taken the time to explain to anyone who wants to know what Christianity really is and how it is practiced. Wright makes the case for Christian faith from the ground up, assuming that the reader has no knowledge of (and perhaps even some aversion to) religion in general and Christianity in particular.Simply Christian walks the reader through the Christian faith step by step and question by question. With simple yet exciting and accessible prose, Wright challenges skeptics by offering explanations for even the toughest doubt-filled dilemmas, leaving believers with a reason for renewed faith. For anyone who wants to travel beyond the controversies that can obscure what the Christian faith really stands for, this simple book is the perfect vehicle for that journey.

    Here Ehrman reveals what scholars have unearthed:•The authors of the New Testament have diverging views about who Jesus was & how salvation works•The New Testament contains books that were forged in the names of the apostles by Christian writers who lived decades later•Jesus, Paul, Matthew & John all represented fundamentally different religions•Established Christian doctrines—such as the suffering messiah, the divinity of Jesus & the trinity—were the inventions of still later theologiansThese aren't idiosyncratic perspectives of just one scholar. They've been the standard widespread views of scholars across a full spectrum of denominations & traditions. Why is it most people have never heard such things? This is the book that pastors, educators & anyone interested in the Bible have been waiting for—a compelling account of the central challenges faced when attempting to reconstruct Jesus' life & message.

    A mother of two, a Christian, and a lifelong resident of middle America, Lenz was bewildered by the pain and loss around her--the empty churches and the broken hearts. What was happening to faith in the heartland?From drugstores in Sydney, Iowa, to skeet shooting in rural Illinois, to the mega churches of Minneapolis, Lenz set out to discover the changing forces of faith and tradition in God's country. Part journalism, part memoir, God Land is a journey into the heart of a deeply divided America. Lenz visits places of worship across the heartland and speaks to the everyday people who often struggle to keep their churches afloat and to cope in a land of instability. Through a thoughtful interrogation of the effects of faith and religion on our lives, our relationships, and our country, God Land investigates whether our divides can ever be bridged and if America can ever come together.

    

    Daniel Amen, and Dr. Mark Hyman is centered on five essentials that will launch your journey to health: faith, food, fitness, focus, and friends.With support from medical and fitness experts, Pastor Rick Warren and thousands of people from his congregation started on a journey to transform their own lives. It's called The Daniel Plan and it works for on simple reason: God designed your body to be healthy and He provided everything you need to thrive and live an abundant life.This small group study is a vital component of The Daniel Plan because it emphasizes the powerful community component of the program. As Dr. Mark Hyman says, 'community is the cure' for healthy living.The Daniel Plan small group study teaches simple ways to incorporate healthy choices into your daily lifestyle. This study guide includes biblical inspiration from Pastor Rick, instruction from our doctors and wellness experts, practical food and fitness tips, and much more.Sessions include:Faith: Nurturing Your SoulFood: Enjoying God's AbundanceFitness: Strengthening Your BodyFocus: Renewing Your MindFriends: Encouraging Each OtherLiving the LifestyleThis study guide is designed for use with The Daniel Plan: A DVD Study.

    S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, and Billy Graham as they discuss one of the most contentious questions in the history of Christianity: Is Jesus symbolically or substantially present in the Eucharist?These widely respected modern Christian witnesses represent three important Western theological traditions. Graham, an ordained Southern Baptist minister who traversed the world and the airwaves to spread the good news of salvation, represents evangelical Protestantism. Lewis, an Oxford professor, a prolific Christian apologist, and the author of The Chronicles of Narnia, was a member of the Church of England. Also an Oxford don, Tolkien was a friend of Lewis, the author of The Lord of the Rings, and a Roman Catholic.While Lewis and Tolkien likely discussed the Eucharist during their long friendship, the conversation in this book never took place—but it could have, says Kreeft, who faithfully presents the views of these three impressive men.

    This message helps readers to more fully understand their faith, and the book is widely embraced by readers around the world.      With this new companion book, readers—both individuals and groups—now have everything they need to further deepen their engagement with, understanding of, and enthusiasm for Catholicism’s central and defining Sacrament, the Eucharist. With his Study Guide for The Lamb’s Supper, Scott Hahn adds summary and key points, scriptural references, excerpts from Church teachings, songs of praise, and questions for reflection and discussion for each section of the original to supplement, complement, and illuminate his bestselling work.

    This fascinating eBook shows four different Revelation timelines and diagrams, a definition of the four major end time views, supporting Scriptures, a time line of the view's popularity, and a sampling of Christian leaders supporting the view.The events leading up to the return of Jesus Christ can be a controversial subject. Four Views of the End Times eBook addresses end time eschatology, outlining the four major views regarding events leading up to the second coming of Christ. Below is the outline applied to each of the four Revelation time lines with several examples: • What is emphasized by each end time view • Which Scripture references are used to support the position • The time period for the view's main popularity; for example: o Dispensational Premillennialism - Gained acceptance in the 1800's and is still widespread o Historic Premillennialism - The earliest view following the time of the apostles o Amillennialism - Emerged in the 5th century; championed by St. Augustine o Postmillennialism - Became popular in the 1800's but decreased in the early 1900's as a result of a world war and economic depression • A graphic timeline showing the order of events held by each view • A sampling of Christian leaders sharing the viewpoint: o Dispensational Premillennialism - Dr. Charles Stanley, Rev. Tim Lahaye, Hal Lindsay o Historic Premillennialism - Justin Martyr 100-165 AD, John Warwick Montgomery - current o Amillennialism - Martin Luther, John Calvin o Postmillennialism - Jonathan Edwards, R.C. SproulThe Four Views of the End Times eBook is packed with information regarding what Jesus and Paul taught about the end times and their viewpoints and biblical references are presented in way that is easy to understand. The eBook also includes a list of important terms and definitions, such as: • Church age • Eschatology • Millennium • Rapture • The Great Tribulation • PreterismThe Four Views of the End Times is a "must-have" for anyone who is interested in the end times and the return of their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

    Learn to recognize when God is working during periods of waiting, trust God's plan when life doesn't make sense, and rest in the sufficiency of His presence in every circumstance. His provision is enough, His presence is constant, and His purpose is unstoppable. (8 sessions)Features: Leader helps to guide questions and discussions within small groupsPersonal study segments to complete between 8 weeks of group sessionsInteractive teaching videos, approximately 35 minutes per session, available for purchase or rentBenefits: Place your hope in the God who is with you.Learn to trust God's purposes when life doesn't make sense.Recognize how God is working in your waiting.Rest in the sufficiency of God's presence in every circumstance.

    Generations of women have grown up with messages about sex that make them feel dirty, used, or invisible, while men have been sold such a cheapened version of sex, they don't know what they're missing. The Great Sex Rescue hopes to turn all of that around, developing a truly biblical view of sex where mutuality, intimacy, and passion reign.The Great Sex Rescue pulls back the curtain on what is happening in Christian bedrooms and exposes the problematic teachings that wreck sex for so many couples--and the good teachings that leave others breathless. In the #metoo and #churchtoo era, not only is this book a long overdue corrective to church culture, it is poised to free thousands of couples from repressive and dissatisfying sex lives so that they can experience the kind of intimacy and wholeness God intended.

    Christianity does all this but who has ever looked to see if it is true? This is a fundamental question and no one has yet set out to prove or disprove Christianity. Until now. From inconsistencies, absurdities, errors, contradictions and adult make-believe this books shows how the bible is false and thus that Christianity cannot possibly be true. This book examines claims in the bible against fact, and it asks deep questions of how the bible mandates that we should live. If you have ever wondered how you could know that the earth is older than 6000 years, or that Noah's flood could not possibly happen, or that the biblical creation story and ten commandments have critical flaws then this book is for you. If you are a Christian and you have questions about your faith then this book is for you. It will set your mind at ease that you will not face judgement day and it will help free your mind from the shackles of indoctrination. If you debate with Christian friends then this is your kryptonite for Christians. If you are a woman or from a lifestyle minority then this book is for you too. Especially for you. Voices of reason, logic and compassion are ever more important in today's complex political landscape. Read this book and understand why humanity should call time on Christianity and why we will all be the better for it.

    Ideal for pastors, teachers, and students, The Christ-Centered Expositor will equip you for greater faithfulness to God, his Word, and his mission.