Book picks similar to
The Da Vinci Code: Fact or Fiction? by Hank Hanegraaff
christian
apologetics
non-fiction
religious
After The Flood: the early Post-Flood History of Europe
Bill Cooper - 1995
These records of other nations lend chapters 10 and 11 of Genesis a degree of accuracy that sets them apart from all other historical documents of the ancient world. In a book which is the fruit of more than 25 years of research, he traces the development of the creation / evolution controversy that raged in the ancient world, and explodes many of the myths and errors of 'modernist' biblical critics. This book shows how European history can be traced right back to the flood and the descendants of Japheth, through contemporary accounts and a table of nations.
The Family of Jesus
Karen Kingsbury - 2014
Bible studies and devotionals abound, and in churches everywhere people gather to seek a deeper understanding of God’s word and its application to their lives. But too often these studies engage only the analytic approach to Bible learning.In The Family of Jesus, #1 New York Times bestselling novelist Karen Kingsbury will make you laugh, cry, and ultimately care more deeply about the Bible by helping you grasp the truths in Scripture not just with your mind, but with your heart. The characters in these short stories were among those closest to Jesus—Mary, Joseph, Jesus’ brother James, John the Baptist, Zechariah, and Elizabeth. Each has a compelling tale to tell. Kingsbury intersperses fictional, emotionally gripping details anchored in Scripture with historical and theological insights and questions that will guide soul-searching and reflection.The Family of Jesus not only provides a deeper understanding of the relatives of our Savior, but also helps listeners acquire tools that will draw them closer to Christ, to the Scriptures, and to each other.
What's So Amazing About Grace?
Philip Yancey - 1997
Gordon alone survived. And forgave. He said of the bombers, ' I have lost my daughter, but I bear no grudge . . . I shall pray, tonight and every night, that God will forgive them.' His words caught the media's ears and out of one man's grief, the world got a glimpse of grace. Grace is the church's great distinctive. It's the one thing the world cannot duplicate, and the one thing it craves above all else for only grace can bring hope and transformation to a jaded world. In What's So Amazing About Grace? award-winning author Philip Yancey explores grace at street level. If grace is God's love for the undeserving, he asks, then what does it look like in action? And if Christians are its sole dispensers, then how are we doing at lavishing grace on a world that knows far more of cruelty and unforgiveness than it does of mercy? Yancey sets grace in the midst of life's stark images, tests its mettle against horrific 'ungrace.' Can grace survive in the midst of such atrocities as the Nazi holocaust? Can it triumph over the brutality of the Ku Klux Klan? Should any grace at all be shown to the likes of Jeffrey Dahmer, who killed and cannibalized seventeen young men? Grace does not excuse sin, says Yancey, but it treasures the sinner. True grace is shocking, scandalous. It shakes our conventions with its insistence on getting close to sinners and touching them with mercy and hope. It forgives the unfaithful spouse, the racist, the child abuser. It loves today's AIDS-ridden addict as much as the tax collector of Jesus' day. In his most personal and provocative book ever, Yancey offers compelling, true portraits of grace's life-changing power. He searches for its presence in his own life and in the church. He asks, How can Christians contend graciously with moral issues that threaten all they hold dear? And he challenges us to become living answers to a world that desperately wants to know, What's So Amazing About Grace?
Dare to Drop the Pose: Ten Things Christians Think but Are Afraid to Say
Craig Groeschel - 2010
And if Jesus really loved me as I was (I knew He did), then why should I go on trying to be someone I wasn’t?” Why DO we fake it so much? Why do we spend so much time trying to please everyone else and make so little effort trying to please God? When Craig Groeschel asked himself those questions, he couldn’t come up with a good answer. So one day he decided to drop the act and start getting real. With that one choice, his life began to change in a big way. And yours can, too. Craig’s passionate, funny, warts-and-all confessions and the lessons he learned will help you find you own path to authentic living and a deeper relationship with God. Includes study guide for personal or group use.
Reading Moses, Seeing Jesus: How the Torah fulfills its goal in Yeshua
Seth D. Postell - 2015
Seth Postell (our academic dean), Eitan Bar (our media-evangelism director), and Dr. Erez Soref (our president) will deal with these questions. This book is the first to have been published by One For Israel.Review“At a time when there is much confusion about the believer's relationship to the law of Moses, Reading Moses, Seeing Jesus brings clarity, and it does so with light, not heat. What a helpful book for all followers of Yeshua, but particularly for Messianic Jews. Authors Postell, Bar, and Soref maintain a high and respectful perspective of Torah while demonstrating its continued role of pointing to the One of whom Moses wrote. If you want to understand the significance of the Torah and its relationship to those who are followers of Messiah, read this outstanding book. And while reading, keep your Bible at hand, take notes, become enlightened and be transformed.” (Michael Rydelnik, Professor of Jewish Studies and Bible, Moody Bible Institute Syndicated Radio Host and Teacher, Open Line with Dr. Michael Rydelnik Author of The Messianic Hope and Co-editor and contributor, The Moody Bible Commentary)“Most Christians believe the apostle Paul’s assertion to Timothy that ‘all Scripture is inspired by God and profitable’ for disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ. But how many Christians truly study the Old Testament in their own devotions, or feel that they really understand the differences in―and the relationship between―the Old and New Testaments? Reading Moses, Seeing Jesus is a tremendous resource for anyone interested in understanding the ‘whole counsel’ of Scripture, the fundamental purpose of the Mosaic law, the power of the Messianic prophecies, and how to engage in effective and fruitful Jewish evangelism and discipleship. I absolutely loved this book and highly recommend it to pastors and lay people alike!”(Joel C. Rosenberg, New York Times best-selling author, Bible teacher and founder of The Joshua Fund)“We are often told that by traditional Jews that they don’t need Yeshua because they have the Torah. Yet Yeshua told the Jewish leaders of his day that, if they truly believed Moses, they would believe in him. How can this be? The authors of this exciting new book, written with humility and clarity, and based on solid academic research, explain just what Yeshua meant, even demonstrating that the ultimate goal of the Torah is to point to him. Your eyes will be opened as you read.”(Michael L. Brown, President, FIRE School of Ministry, author, Answering Jewish Objections to Jesus (5 vols.))“The one most confusing issue among Messianic Jews (and today, also among many Gentiles believers) is the role of the Torah in the life of the believer. In the movement there are many who claim to be ‘Torah observant’ but fail to read the details of what was commanded by God through Moses, and often as they claim to keep the Torah, they are actually breaking the specific laws involved in keeping the Torah. In the end, while they are preaching Torah, they practice grace. Thus the publication of Reading Moses, Seeing Jesus is a welcome contribution to the discussion that will clearly clarify all the issues from a solid biblical perspective and help many believers reach a biblical balance on the role and purpose of the Torah.” (Arnold Fruchtenbaum, Founder and Director, Ariel Ministries)“The discussion of the law and believers in Messiah has been a topic of discussion ever since Jesus showed up and many Jews and Gentiles proclaimed him as the fulfillment of promise. This is a brilliant little book showing Torah was not just about law but also about the prospect of promise and the need for that Messiah. What Torah promised pointed ultimately of the need for God working from within. That message rings loud and clear in this book with an explanation to match.”(Darrell L. Bock, Executive Director for Cultural Engagement, Howard G. Hendricks Center for Christian Leadership and Cultural Engagement; Senior Research Professor of New Testament Studies, Dallas Theological Seminary)“Christians have discussed and debated for centuries the role of the law now that Christ has come. The authors of this delightful and clear book show that the Old Testament itself teaches that the law cannot save. Indeed, a right reading of the Old Testament points to the Messiah as the one who forgives sins, and thus Christians are oriented fundamentally to Jesus instead of the law. Here we have a biblical-theological reading of the Old Testament that is insightful and instructive, and readers will see the wonderful unity of the whole Bible in this work. I warmly welcome this contribution from Jewish believers in Jesus.”(Thomas R. Schreiner, James R. Buchanan Harrison Professor of New Testament, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary)“Exegetically solid, theologically sound, contemporaneously relevant, eminently readable―all these qualifiers are true and will prove to be vindicated by its intended readership. Especially commendable―and that lends it authenticity―is the fact that its authors are Israeli scholars who embrace messianic faith that names Jesus of Nazareth as Savior and Lord. This is a must!”(Eugene H. Merrill, Distinguished Professor of Old Testament Studies (Emeritus), Dallas Theological Seminary)Review“At a time when there is much confusion about the believer's relationship to the law of Moses, Reading Moses, Seeing Jesus brings clarity, and it does so with light, not heat. What a helpful book for all followers of Yeshua, but particularly for Messianic Jews. Authors Postell, Bar, and Soref maintain a high and respectful perspective of Torah while demonstrating its continued role of pointing to the One of whom Moses wrote. If you want to understand the significance of the Torah and its relationship to those who are followers of Messiah, read this outstanding book. And while reading, keep your Bible at hand, take notes, become enlightened and be transformed.”—Michael Rydelnik, Professor of Jewish Studies and Bible, Moody Bible InstituteSyndicated Radio Host and Teacher, Open Line with Dr. Michael RydelnikAuthor of The Messianic Hope and Co-editor and contributor, The Moody Bible Commentary “Most Christians believe the apostle Paul’s assertion to Timothy that ‘all Scripture is inspired by God and profitable’ for disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ. But how many Christians truly study the Old Testament in their own devotions, or feel that they really understand the differences in—and the relationship between—the Old and New Testaments? Reading Moses, Seeing Jesus is a tremendous resource for anyone interested in understanding the ‘whole counsel’ of Scripture, the fundamental purpose of the Mosaic law, the power of the Messianic prophecies, and how to engage in effective and fruitful Jewish evangelism and discipleship. I absolutely loved this book and highly recommend it to pastors and lay people alike!”—Joel C. Rosenberg, New York Times best-selling author, Bible teacher and founder of The Joshua Fund “We are often told that by traditional Jews that they don’t need Yeshua because they have the Torah. Yet Yeshua told the Jewish leaders of his day that, if they truly believed Moses, they would believe in him. How can this be? The authors of this exciting new book, written with humility and clarity, and based on solid academic research, explain just what Yeshua meant, even demonstrating that the ultimate goal of the Torah is to point to him. Your eyes will be opened as you read.”—Michael L. Brown, President, FIRE School of Ministry, author, Answering Jewish Objections to Jesus (5 vols.) “The one most confusing issue among Messianic Jews (and today, also among many Gentiles believers) is the role of the Torah in the life of the believer. In the movement there are many who claim to be ‘Torah observant’ but fail to read the details of what was commanded by God through Moses, and often as they claim to keep the Torah, they are actually breaking the specific laws involved in keeping the Torah. In the end, while they are preaching Torah, they practice grace. Thus the publication of Reading Moses, Seeing Jesus is a welcome contribution to the discussion that will clearly clarify all the issues from a solid biblical perspective and help many believers reach a biblical balance on the role and purpose of the Torah.”—Arnold Fruchtenbaum, Founder and Director, Ariel Ministries “The discussion of the law and believers in Messiah has been a topic of discussion ever since Jesus showed up and many Jews and Gentiles proclaimed him as the fulfillment of promise. This is a brilliant little book showing Torah was not just about law but also about the prospect of promise and the need for that Messiah. What Torah promised pointed ultimately of the need for God working from within. That message rings loud and clear in this book with an explanation to match.”—Darrell L. Bock, Executive Director for Cultural Engagement, Howard G. Hendricks Center for Christian Leadership and Cultural Engagement; Senior Research Professor of New Testament Studies, Dallas Theological Seminary “Christians have discussed and debated for centuries the role of the law now that Christ has come. The authors of this delightful and clear book show that the Old Testament itself teaches that the law cannot save. Indeed, a right reading of the Old Testament points to the Messiah as the one who forgives sins, and thus Christians are oriented fundamentally to Jesus instead of the law. Here we have a biblical-theological reading of the Old Testament that is insightful and instructive, and readers will see the wonderful unity of the whole Bible in this work. I warmly welcome this contribution from Jewish believers in Jesus.”—Thomas R. Schreiner, James R. Buchanan Harrison Professor of New Testament, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary “Exegetically solid, theologically sound, contemporaneously relevant, eminently readable—all these qualifiers are true and will prove to be vindicated by its intended readership. Especially commendable—and that lends it authenticity—is the fact that its authors are Israeli scholars who embrace messianic faith that names Jesus of Nazareth as Savior and Lord. This is a must!”—Eugene H. Merrill, Distinguished Professor of Old Testament Studies (Emeritus), Dallas Theological Seminary “Reading Moses, Seeing Jesus is a book that will help Jews and Gentiles alike understand what it means to be a Jewish believer in Jesus, or Yeshua. Authors Seth Postell, Eitan Bar, and Erez Soref demonstrate from Scripture that to embrace Yeshua is not to abandon the Jewish people or Israel’s great heritage. On the contrary, to embrace Yeshua in faith is to enter into the blessings of the new covenant prophesied by Jeremiah long ago. God has fulfilled his promises to his people Israel in the life, death, and resurrection of Yeshua the Messiah. Reading Moses, Seeing Jesus shows in a clear and compelling way that God has not rejected his chosen people but continues to love them and seeks to bring them into fellowship with him.”— Craig A. Evans, John Bisagno Distinguished Professor of Christian Origins, Houston Baptist University “I give thanks to the Lord for the work of ONE FOR ISRAEL and Israel College of the Bible. Their book Reading Moses, Seeing Jesus is a rich and helpful resource for understanding the Torah both literarily and theologically, demonstrating that, by divine design, Moses indeed spoke of Yeshua (John 5:46).”—L. Michael Morales, Professor of Biblical Studies, Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, Taylors, SC “As a professor and student of the Bible, I found fresh insights in this book that clarified the trajectory of the whole of Scripture. Highly recommended!”—George H. Guthrie, Professor of New Testament, Regent College, Vancouver, BC
Demons, Deliverance, Discernment: Separating Fact from Fiction about the Spirit World
Fr. Mike Driscoll - 2015
Mike Driscoll answers all these questions and more. Drawing on his experience as a priest and counselor, and on his research with exorcists, Fr. Driscoll clears up many popular misconceptions about demons and the spirit world and offers sound information and pastoral advice rooted in Catholic tradition, including:•What we know about demons from history, Scripture, and Church teaching•How to tell whether personal problems come from mental illnesses or demonic attacks•What exorcists actually do—and don’t do—when they help people suffering possession•Why homemade “deliverance ministries” are not a truly Catholic way to counter the influence of demons•Authentic prayers and practices that will make evil spirits flee—and invite God’s grace into your heartThe devil has designs on our soul and hosts of wickedness who want to win it for him. Know your enemy—read Demons, Deliverance, and Discernment and prepare yourself for the fight.
Good Faith: Being a Christian When Society Thinks You're Irrelevant and Extreme
David Kinnaman - 2016
Politics, marriage, sexuality, religious freedom--with an ever-growing list of contentious issues, believers find it harder than ever to hold on to their convictions while treating their friends, neighbors, coworkers, and even family members who disagree with respect and compassion. This isn't just a problem that affects individual Christians; if left unaddressed, the growing gap between the faithful and society's tolerance for public faith will have lasting consequences for the church in America. Now the bestselling authors of "unChristian" turn their data-driven insights toward the thorny question of how Christians talk with people they know and love about the most toxic issues of our day. They help today's disciples understand what they believe and why, and how to keep believing it without being judgmental and defensive. Readers will discover the most significant trends that offer both obstacles and opportunities to God's people, and how not only to challenge culture but to create and renew it for the common good. Perhaps most importantly, David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons invite fellow Christians to understand the heart behind opposing views and show them how to be loving, life-giving friends despite profound differences. This will be the go-to book for young adult and older believers who don't want to hide from culture but to engage and restore it.
Turning Points: Decisive Moments in the History of Christianity
Mark A. Noll - 1997
Evangelicalism\u2019s premier historian provides a general introduction to church history.
How to be a Christian Without Being Religious: Discover the Joy of Being Free in Your Faith
Fritz Ridenour - 1971
They end up carrying a burden God never intended them to bear. And what's more, their brand of Christianity ends up looking like any other religion of the world-bound by joyless rules and rituals. Fritz Ridenour's study of the book of Romans provides an antidote to the pharisaical spirit and shows that Christianity is not a religion but a relationship. It is not man reaching up, but God reaching down. Every Christian can enjoy his or her birthright when they realize who they are in Christ. The result is a life full of hope, joy, power and potential.
Jesus > Religion: Why He Is So Much Better Than Trying Harder, Doing More, and Being Good Enough
Jefferson Bethke - 2013
The message blew up on social-media, triggering an avalanche of responses running the gamut from encouraged to enraged.In Jesus > Religion, Bethke unpacks similar contrasts that he drew in the poem—highlighting the difference between teeth gritting and grace, law and love, performance and peace, despair and hope. With refreshing candor he delves into the motivation behind his message, beginning with the unvarnished tale of his own plunge from the pinnacle of a works-based, fake-smile existence that sapped his strength and led him down a path of destructive behavior.Bethke is quick to acknowledge that he’s not a pastor or theologian, but simply a regular, twenty-something who cried out for a life greater than the one for which he had settled. Along his journey, Bethke discovered the real Jesus, who beckoned him beyond the props of false religion.
Why So Many Gods?
Tim Baker - 2002
It tells the basic beliefs, short history, important aspects, and it identifies the religions in pop culture-all in a teen-magazine style of writing. The goal of this book is to educate teens to be able to identify the religions they come in contact with daily. All content has been reviewed by experts in Christian theology.
Here Goes Nothing: An Introvert's Reckless Attempt to Love Her Neighbor
Kendra Broekhuis - 2017
It’s really just a beginning.For thirty days Kendra Broekhuis prayed “to maintain the joy of being wife and mommy amid the daily grind. To see the world through God’s eyes. To live intentionally. To build relationships and share Christ’s love with our neighbors. To learn what it really means to give. To collide ‘motherhood’ with ‘mission.’”This became her motto, her credo, her personal mission statement.Some days it led to actions the Lord gently nudged her to take. Other days it led to reflections the Lord gently whispered into her heart. Every day it led to a single word, one underlying theme that ties all thirty days – all thirty chapters – and their wide variety of topics together: giving.These thirty days found Kendra and her husband and daughter in a strange time of transition. They had just moved back to the United States after teaching for three years in the beautiful country of Guatemala. They were in a new city, working a new job, living in a new apartment building, in search of a new church. And they wanted to put it all together: all of their experiences, all of the things they had just seen and learned and read and discussed. It wasn’t a clean slate but rather a chance to live intentionally.When Kendra and her husband sought advice about the transition from fellow missionary friends, the advice was, “Get to know your neighbors.”It might sound like strange advice, but it made sense. Jesus tells us to “Love God and love your neighbor.” Many times the word neighbor is meant to be vague, but it shouldn’t always be. Part of being mission-minded, no matter where you live or work, is being willing to love the people closest to you, people we often overlook. Kendra’s neighbors—as in the people who live in the other eleven apartments in her building—are whom she often found the Lord’s generosity overflowing to and from during these thirty days.
Authoring the Old Testament: Genesis–Deuteronomy
David E. Bokovoy - 2014
In the first of three volumes spanning the entire Hebrew Bible, David Bokovoy dives into the Penateuch, showing how and why textual criticism has led biblical scholars today to understand the first five books of the Bible as an amalgamation of multiple texts into a single, though often complicated narrative; and he discusses what implications those have for Latter-day Saint understandings of the Bible and modern scripture.
Live Second: 365 Ways to Make Jesus First
Doug Bender - 2012
many have stepped forward, looked in the camera, and proclaimed, "I am second." But most in the I Am Second movement are not celebrities. They are ordinary people - and they've come to the simple realization that when God comes first in their lives, everything makes sense. But living second is not easy. It takes grit and humility, submission to God's will, a willingness to listen and serve, and openness to God's healing and call. Live Second is a daily guide to making Jesus first in your life. With 365 readings, prayers, action steps, and an online community of support, what you hold in your hands is a tool built to help you make truth, Scripture, and Jesus your number one priority, each and every day of the year. Following Jesus is not meant to be easy, just worth it. Live Second is exactly what you need as you become the new, inspired, God-honoring creation he made you to be.
Apocrypha Now
Mark Russell - 2016
Now, by popular demand, they turn their attention to the best parts left out of the canonical Bible, including the Midrash, the Apocrypha, Gnostic Gospels, and more! And if you thought the BIBLE had some weird stuff in it...