Through these works--each written prior to the end of the sixteenth century--contemporary readers are able to engage the ideas that have shaped Christian theology and the church through the centuries.

    They are a selection from a group known as the Apostolic Fathers, so-called because several of the authors were most likely disciples of the Apostles themselves. Like much of the New Testament, their writings take the form of letters, and for the most part deal with practical problems of the life of the early Church, as it struggled in the face of persecution to establish itself in the Roman world. They give us a picture of Christianity still drawing on the theology and traditions of its parent religion, Judaism.

    “We’re all improvisers,” says MaryAnn McKibben Dana, whether we realize it or not. In this book McKibben Dana blends personal stories, pop culture, and Scripture into a smart, funny, down-to-earth guide to the art of living. Offering concrete spiritual wisdom through seven improv principles, she helps readers become more awake, creative, resilient, and ready to play—even (especially) when life doesn’t go according to plan.

    No student of theology can avoid the problems tackled in this period. They range from the most fundamental issues, concerning how Christ is known and the standard by which responses to him can be evaluated, to the subsequent reflections regarding his relationship to God and to us. Through original and penetrating analyses of selected figures and controversies, Behr presents not only the history of theological reflection, but a sustained analysis of the essential elements of the resulting theology.This first volume treats the initial three centuries of the Christian era. Part I examines the establishment of normative Christianity on the basis of the tradition and canon of the Gospel, and briefly sketches the portrait of the Scriptural Christ inscribed in the New Testament. Part II analyzes selected figures from the second period, Ignatius of Antioch, Justin Martyr and Irenaeus of Lyons, considering how they understood Christ to be the Word of God. Part III turns to the third century, treating Hippolytus and the debates in Rome, Origen and his legacy in Alexandria and the Council of Antioch, in a continued examination of Christ as the Word of God. it is these debates that form the background for the controversies and Councils of the following centuries, to be examined in subsequent volumes.

    14 January), 1833), born Prokhor Moshnin (Прохор Мошнин), is one of the most renowned Russian monks and mystics in the Orthodox Church. He is generally considered the greatest of the 19th century startsy (elders) and, arguably, the first. He is remembered for extending the monastic teachings of contemplation, theoria and self-denial to the layperson, and taught that the purpose of the Christian life was to acquire the Holy Spirit.

    As you walk through the second half of Luke’s Gospel, you'll meet the people Jesus encountered on the way to the cross—and prepare your heart to appreciate his death and resurrection afresh. Each day you'll be invited to: • Read a passage of Luke's Gospel and a short meditation by Sinclair Ferguson • Reflect on a thought-provoking question • Respond in prayer and praise as you journal Pithy yet profound, these devotions will hold up a mirror to your own heart and, more importantly, give you a window into the heart of the Lord Jesus—the one who came to seek and to save the lost at Easter.

    The translation was made by Robert Young, compiler of Young's Analytical Concordance to the Bible and Concise Critical Comments on the New Testament.The Old Testament* Genesis* Exodus* Leviticus* Numbers* Deuteronomy* Joshua* Judges* Ruth* 1 Samuel* 2 Samuel* 1 Kings* 2 Kings* 1 Chronicles* 2 Chronicles* Ezra* Nehemiah* Esther* Job* Psalms* Proverbs* Ecclesiastes* Song of Solomon* Isaiah* Jeremiah* Lamentations* Ezekiel* Daniel* Hosea* Joel* Amos* Obadiah* Jonah* Micah* Nahum* Habakkuk* Zephaniah* Haggai* Zechariah* MalachiThe New Testament* Matthew* Mark* Luke* John* Acts* Romans* 1 Corinthians* 2 Corinthians* Galatians* Ephesians* Philippians* Colossians* 1 Thessalonians* 2 Thessalonians* 1 Timothy* 2 Timothy* Titus* Philemon* Hebrews* James* 1 Peter* 2 Peter* 1 John* 2 John* 3 John* Jude* RevelationWant more quality e-books with excellent formatting for your NOOK? Just type "FLT" in Search Field, choose "NOOK Books" category and press "Search". Enjoy!

    Remember the fad a few years ago when people wore bracelets reminding them, “What Would Jesus Do?” Christians state that Jesus is the example of how to live, yet this has been limited in many cases to how we view our moral character. When Christians tell me that they want to live like Jesus, I like to ask if they have multiplied food, healed the sick, walked on water, raised the dead, paid their taxes with fish money, calmed storms, and so forth. I typically receive bewildered looks, but that’s what it is like to live like Jesus!Perhaps we are ignoring a large portion of what living like Jesus really includes. While I agree that we are to live like Jesus, “Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did” (1 John 2:6 NLT). I am also aware that the application of Jesus’ model has been minimized to something that can be accomplished by living a moral life. Many Christians believe that they can live like Jesus without ever operating in the supernatural. After reading in the Bible about all of the miracles He performed, does that sound right to you? (Excerpt from book)

    Our culture teaches that bigger is better--and that includes church ministry and preaching, too. But what if rather than swinging for the fences, preachers focused on improving their sermons through small habits, practices, and exercises? What if smaller is better?In a world where "small" isn't always celebrated, Jonathan T. Pennington provides Small Preaching, a short book of simple tips that can have revolutionary effects over time. Pennington offers preachers 25 words of wisdom that will help shape their preaching for the better.

    Can we know God? What is the relation of creation to the Creator? How did man fall, and how is he saved? Lossky demonstrates the close relationship between the Orthodox doctrine of the Trinity and the Orthodox understanding of man.

    What should a disciple of Jesus look and act like today? What is the relationship between discipleship and salvation, between discipleship and sanctification, between discipleship and ministry? How were disciples of Jesus different from other disciples in the ancient world? How did the early church carry out Jesus' agenda in "making disciples of all the nations"? In Following the Master, Michael J. Wilkins addresses these and many other questions that perplex the church today- not by offering another discipleship program or manual but by presenting a comprehensive biblical theology of discipleship. Following the Master compares other forms of master-disciple relationships in existence in the ancient Judaism and Greco-Roman world, traces Jesus' steps as he called and developed disciples, and Mediterranean world as it followed Jesus' command to make disciples. Following the Master lays the groundwork necessary for developing biblical discipleship ministries in the church, on the mission field, and in parachurch ministries. It is essential reading for all pastors, students, and Christian workers.

    But no matter how hard he tried, he was never able to experience the God he longed to know. His was a great dream that could not find fulfillment, a deep question that could not answer itself, an eternal thirst dwelling in a land of shallow wells. Ultimately, Gallatin's thirst was quenched by the deep waters of the historic Orthodox Christian Faith. In Thirsting for God, Gallatin expresses many of the struggles a Protestant will undergo in coming face to face with Orthodoxy, and gives readers a taste of the encounter with the living God that lies in store for them there.

    

    These twelve central affirmative principles of Christian faith are built on the three great loves that the Bible reveals: love of God, love of neighbor, and love of self. They reflect commitments to environmental stewardship, social justice, and artistic expression as well as openness to other faiths. Transcending theological and culture wars, inclusive and generous in spirit and practice, these principles ask believers and seekers alike to affirm their Christian faith in a fresh way.