We want to believe it’s real, but with such an expanse of contradictory information, it’s difficult to know what to believe.    To add even more confusion, we are left to sift through the tales of individuals who have crossed over and returned. With so many competing narratives and accounts based on what many think are beyond-death experiences, wouldn’t it be nice to have a straight forward examination of what the Bible has to say about heaven?   Best-selling author and New Testament scholar Scot McKnight thought so too, which is why he wrote The Heaven Promise.   McKnight, who has penned more than 50 books, including The Jesus Creed, has had a fascination with heaven since he was a child. As a professor of New Testament at Northern Seminary, McKnight is no stranger to academic engagement and scholarly discourse. However; as an ordained deacon, McKnight is well accustomed with the concerns of the everyday thinker. The Heaven Promise represents the perfect blend of thoughtful research coupled with an easily digestible presentation.   “My hope,” McKnight shares, “is that people will be hopeful about heaven.”  The Heaven Promise offers an infusion of hope alongside a healthy anticipation of eternity.   After all, heaven isn’t just a dream; it’s a promise.   Heaven. Eternity. The Afterlife. You mention any of these concepts, and people of all ages and from all walks of life are certain to have opinions. Maybe that’s why there are so many books and movies that feature heaven-and-back experiences. But how can we know if those accounts are accurate?   How can we know for sure what heaven will be like?   Well, according to New Testament scholar and popular author Scot McKnight, all we need to do is to turn to Scripture to answer our questions.   Separating fact from fiction, McKnight helps the reader examine the witness of God’s Word in order to discover what awaits us on the other side of the grave.   Using the Bible, McKnight answers the most-frequently-asked questions regarding heaven, including:   1.      What about Near-Death Experiences? 2.      What about Rewards in Heaven? 3.      Who Will Be Allowed in Heaven? 4.      Is God Fair? 5.      Will There Be Families in Heaven? 6.      What about Children Who Die? 7.      What about Cremation? 8.      What about Purgatory? 9.      Will There be Pets in Heaven? 10.  Why Believe in Heaven?   Heaven isn’t the construction of a fairytale or some mythical narrative. It’s very real; it’s very good; and it’s very much the fulfillment of God’s promise to us.

    Each of the three chapters includes questions for reflection. The end of the book includes a reading guide, reflection, and prayer for each of the seven weeks of Lent.

    Michael S. Heiser, an expert in the ancient near east and author of the best selling The Unseen Realm, explores the most unusual, interesting, and least understood parts of the Bible and offers insights that will inspire, inform, and surprise you on every page.Dr. Heiser has helped to remind the church of the supernatural worldview of the Bible. In The Bible Unfiltered, you will see his methods and expertise applied to dozens of specific passages and topics. Gleaned from his years working as Faithlife's scholar-in-residence, this is some of the very best of Dr. Heiser's work.

    A 1989 ECPA Gold Medallion Award winner! How did the books of the Bible come to be recognized as Holy Scripture? Who decided what shape the canon should take? What criteria influenced these decisions? After nearly nineteen centuries the canon of Scripture still remains an issue of debate. Protestants, Catholics and the Orthodox all have slightly differing collections of documents in their Bibles. Martin Luther, one of the early leaders of the Reformation, questioned the inclusion of the book of James in the canon. And many Christians today, while confessing the authority of all of Scripture, tend to rely on only a few books and particular themes while ignoring the rest. Scholars have raised many other questions as well. Research into second-century Gnostic texts have led some to argue that politics played a significant role in the formation of the Christian canon. Assessing the influence of ancient communities and a variety of disputes on the final shaping of the canon call for ongoing study. In this significant historical study, F. F. Bruce brings the wisdom of a lifetime of reflection and biblical interpretation to bear in answering the questions and clearing away the confusion surrounding the Christian canon of Scripture. Adept in both Old and New Testament studies, he brings a rare comprehensive perspective to his task. Though some issues have shifted since the original publication of this book, it still remains a significant landmark and touchstone for further studies.

    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.

    As she shares her story, coauthor Rabbi Jason Sobel, a messianic Jewish rabbi, provides fascinating background details that make the story of the New Testament come alive. Kathie Lee and Rabbi Sobel will take you and your group beyond the typical "Sunday school" teaching to examine the true texts of the Bible.Something profound happens when we follow along the ancient paths in the actual places where Jesus taught, healed, lived, died, was resurrected, and ascended into heaven. As Kathie Lee and Rabbi Sobel reveal in this study, Jesus is indeed the Rock and the Rabbi whom we follow along this Road in life. And when we are introduced to the mysteries of the Word by teachers who are trained in the ancient rabbinical way, radical transformation begins to renew our hearts and minds.The Rock, the Road, and the Rabbi Study Guide includes video discussion questions, Bible exploration, and personal study and reflection materials for in-between sessions.Sessions include:Bethlehem: Where It All BeganNazareth: The Early YearsCapernaum: Ministry HeadquartersGalilee: Ministry GroundsMount of Olives: The Triumphal EntryJerusalem: Crucifixion and ResurrectionDesigned for use with The Rock, the Road, and the Rabbi Video Study 9780310095033 (sold separately).

    In Reading Romans in Context a team of Pauline scholars go beyond a general introduction that surveys historical events and theological themes and explore Paul’s letter to the Romans in light of Second Temple Jewish literature.In this non-technical collection of short essays, beginning and intermediate students are given a chance to see firsthand what makes Paul a distinctive thinker in relation to his Jewish contemporaries. Following the narrative progression of Romans, each chapter pairs a major unit of the letter with one or more thematically related Jewish text, introduces and explores the theological nuances of the comparative text, and shows how these ideas illuminate our understanding of the book of Romans.

    Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet are off to Gretna Green! In Book 4 of the Moralities of Marriage series our dear couple have survived accidents, forced marriages, and meddling relatives. After a short stay at Pemberley where the future Mrs. Darcy comes to terms with the kind of wife Fitzwilliam Darcy will need on his arm, they take off for the border to marry over the anvil. When Mr. Darcy plans an idyllic wedding trip to his family estate just outside of Dumfries, the newly married Mr. and Mrs. Darcy discover the trappings of marriage have yet to relinquish their hold. The Trappings of Marriage delivers the highs of the Darcys’ love and devotion in spite of the lows of scandal and destruction they left behind in England. Join author Elizabeth Ann West and the thousands of readers who read this book as it was posted chapter by chapter for a unique visit into the world of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.

    Although we share important attributes with God (love, mercy, compassion, etc.), there are other qualities that only God possesses, such as unlimited power, knowledge, and authority. At the root of all sin is our rebellious desire to be like God in such ways--a desire that first manifested itself in the garden of Eden. In None Like Him, Jen Wilkin leads us on a journey to discover ten ways God is different from us--and why that's a good thing. In the process, she highlights the joy of seeing our limited selves in relation to a limitless God, and how such a realization frees us from striving to be more than we were created to be.

    It seems like something we already know. But do we? Questions haunt the careful reader. Among them: Doesn't the name Passover seem a bit strange? Why not just call it Freedom Day, or Independence Day? And did the Exodus have to be so complicated? Couldn't an All-Powerful deity have teleported the Israelites out of Egypt and spared everyone the arduous process of the Ten Plagues? Then there's the uncomfortable parts of the Exodus: Why, exactly, did God have to harden Pharaoh's heart? Was that really fair? In this book, Rabbi Fohrman invites us to look at the Exodus story with fresh eyes - to join him, as it were, on a guided adventure, a close reading of the ancient Biblical text. In so doing, Rabbi Fohrman reveals a side of the Exodus story that illuminates not just our past, but our future, and tells not only of our freedom, but of our destiny. This book will uncover secrets that lay hidden in this ancient and sacred saga; it tells the tale of the Exodus you thought you knew.

    This six-session study helps you see why joy is important, move into the woman God calls you to be, and find joy even in the tough times"--

    We need to know how he sees us. Come on, girl, he says. Let my light shine in. Breathing Eden is forty raw, honest, heartbreaking and encouraging conversations between women and God. These prayers are like our own: full of pain, celebration, anxiety, and joy. Each one helps the reader hear God whisper love and hope into their lives. And after each story, Jennifer offers readers a guided invitation to listen for what God is saying to them. In these pages, readers will find hope and fresh perspectives. It's an invitation to come. Breathe Eden.

    The author of Ecclesiastes had his doubts, too, and these have enabled him to speak to skeptics as well as believers down through the centuries.Ecclesiastes is a book rich in literary artistry and multi-layered depths of spiritual meaning. Philip G. Ryken explores this wonderful Old Testament book, and reminds us again of the need to trust God with the questions, even when we do not have all the answers.

    Suitable for junior secondary students - Covers poetry, drama, recount, explanation and discussion - Draws examples from contemporary novels.