The Big Story: How the Bible Makes Sense out of Life


Justin Buzzard - 2013
    We want our lives to fit within a larger plot—a plot full of history, forward movement, and future.So, the better question to ask is, "What sort of story are you in?"Most people believe false stories that leave them disillusioned, enslaved, and hopeless. Secular stories of chasing success and religious stories of doing good works leave us feeling exhausted and empty. Only Christianity offers a story that's big enough to make sense of both the beauty and brokenness in our lives and in our world.

In Christ Alone: Living the Gospel-Centered Life


Sinclair B. Ferguson - 2007
    Sinclair B. Ferguson explores aspects of the person and work of Jesus in his latest book, In Christ Alone: Living the Gospel-Centered Life. This collection of articles, published earlier in Tabletalk magazine and Eternity magazine, is designed to help believers gain a better understanding of their Savior and the Christian faith, and to live out that faith in their day-to-day lives.In fifty short chapters arranged in six sections, Dr. Ferguson shows that Christ, who is fully God, took on humanity that He might be the Great High Priest of His people as well as the once-for-all sacrifice; that He now ministers to His people through His Spirit, crowning them with great and precious blessings; and that believers are called to duty, from cultivating contentment to mortifying sin. In Christ Alone is packed full of nuggets of Scriptural truth that will spark and fan the flames of the believer’s love for the Savior who is so beautiful in His person and so faithful in His work on behalf of His beloved sheep.

The Storms Can't Hurt the Sky: The Buddhist Path through Divorce


Gabriel Cohen - 2008
    In Storms Can't Hurt the Sky, Gabriel Cohen bravely delves into his personal experience-along with insights from Buddhist masters, parables, humor, social science studies, and interviews with other divorces-to provide a practical and very helpful guide to surviving the pain of any break-up. Focusing on the emotions most common in the dissolution of a relationship-anger, resentment, loss, and grief -- Storms Can't Hurt the Sky shows how thinking about these feelings in surprisingly different ways can lead to a radically better experience. This compulsively readable book offers sound advice and much-needed empathy for anyone dealing with a break-up.

Reasoning from the Scriptures with the Mormons


Ron Rhodes - 1995
    How can you effectively communicate to the Mormons that their gospel does not match up with the Bible? One of the best ways is to ask penetrating questions.Cult experts Ron Rhodes and Marian Bodine will help you understand the main points of Mormonism and discover where it falls short of God’s truth. They then equip you to ask strategic questions that challenge…the Mormon claim to be the only true churchthe reliability of Mormon prophetsthe authenticity of the Book of MormonJesus’ supposed visit to ancient Americathe Mormon view of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spiritand much moreYou’ll find Reasoning from the Scriptures with the Mormons a valuable guide to responding to Mormons with confidence!

How Then Should We Work? Rediscovering the Biblical Doctrine of Work


Hugh Whelchel - 2012
    If you had asked me to describe the work I was doing that was important to God, I would have told you about my work in the lay leadership of my church, the adult Sunday school class that I taught, and the work I did with Christian non-profit groups. I secretly envied pastors, missionaries, and others who got to work 'full time' for God. I saw little to no connection between what I did as a businessman and God's Kingdom ..."Have you ever felt like what you do the majority of the week at work may not have any value to God? Many Christians struggle to find any meaning in their work. Many are taught it's just a place to share your faith or earn a paycheck to donate to missions. Businessman Hugh Whelchel was just that guy but knew there had to be more. His thorough biblical investigation reveals the eternal significance of work within the grand biblical story of God's mission throughout history.Discover:- The rich biblical meaning of work--from Genesis to Revelation- The difference between work, vocation, and calling as a Christian- The history of the Christian view on work- The call to "reweave shalom" through your job

Divorce and Remarriage in the Bible: The Social and Literary Context


David Instone-Brewer - 2002
    The "plain" meaning of the texts allows for divorce only in cases of adultery or desertion, and it does not permit remarriage until the death of one's former spouse. But are these proscriptions the final word for Christians today? Are we correctly reading the scriptures that address these issues?By looking closely at the biblical texts on divorce and remarriage in light of the first-century Jewish and Greco-Roman world, this book shows that the original audience of the New Testament heard these teachings differently. Through a careful exploration of the background literature of the Old Testament, the ancient Near East, and especially ancient Judaism, David Instone-Brewer constructs a biblical view of divorce and remarriage that is wider in scope than present-day readings.Among the important findings of the book are that both Jesus and Paul condemned divorce without valid grounds and discouraged divorce even for valid grounds; that both Jesus and Paul affirmed the Old Testament grounds for divorce; that the Old Testament allowed divorce for adultery and for neglect or abuse; and that both Jesus and Paul condemned remarriage after an invalid divorce but not after a valid divorce. Instone-Brewer shows that these principles are not only different from the traditional church interpretation of the New Testament but also directly relevant to modern relationships.Enhanced with pastoral advice on how to apply the biblical teaching in today's context, this volume will be a valuable resource for anyone seeking serious answers about married life.

New Catholic Answer Bible


Paul Thigpen - 2005
    The New Catholic Answer Bible now has double the number of answers to questions about Catholic beliefs, practices, and their foundation in Scripture.The New Catholic Answer Bible is still the right choice for those who want to: Learn more about the Catholic Faith Increase their knowledge of Scripture and deepen their appreciation for it Better respond when others ask them about the Catholic Church and its teachings The New Catholic Answer Bible is a wonderful gift for a family member or friend who is in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) or has recently joined the Church.

Justified by Faith Alone


R.C. Sproul - 2010
    C. Sproul follows Luther's lead in his concise and compelling work, now repackaged and republished. Justified by Faith Alone surveys the main tenets of the doctrine of justification in Roman Catholicism and evangelicalism. Sproul is careful to accurately represent Catholic beliefs and observes that while both traditions agree that faith is necessary for justification, the difference lies in whether faith alone is sufficient. He explores problems with the Catholic doctrine and champions the sole sufficiency of Christ for our salvation.Effective and engaging, Sproul does not shy away from difficult theological terms and ideas, but capably guides readers through this famous doctrinal dispute. To those who decry the doctrines of imputation and justification by faith alone as "legal fiction," Sproul warns that nothing less than the central message of the gospel is at stake.

A Modern Marriage: A Memoir


Christy Kidd - 2014
    Christy and Mark Kidd certainly had no idea what they were getting into when at one fateful New Year’s Eve party they decided to venture behind a mysterious velvet curtain and discovered a whole new world of sexuality they never thought possible. The swinging lifestyle still remains largely taboo in our country. The Kidds were just as skeptical when they returned home. Could they ever take their relationship to that level? Would it ruin the strong marriage they had built for five years? How would their very different jealousies come into play? There was only one way to find out, so they decided to embark on the adventure of a lifetime, ultimately ending up in a more trustful and fulfilling relationship than either could have expected. This stirring memoir takes an up-close and often lurid look at a private life that most of us would never entertain. Nonetheless, it’s a life Christy and Mark took seriously—including the same fears and doubts we all imagine would come into play—and emerged with a greater understanding of themselves as well as their unique bond. Deeply honest, A Modern Marriage pulls back the curtain on polyamory and sheds new light on the endless variety of forms and faces, pairings and possibilities found in modern love.

Prophecy 20/20: Bringing the Future into Focus Through the Lens of Scripture


Chuck Missler - 2006
    Chuck Missler's Prophecy 20/20 is a comprehensive, easily digested book that will give you a basic understanding of how past events fulfilled biblical prophecy. It provides a strategic grasp of prophecy that equips you to clearly see the "prophetic moment" of current events. Chuck Missler, founder of Koinonia House, analyzes trends on the geopolitical and technological horizons as well as their implications for the coming years.

This Is Awkward: How Life's Uncomfortable Moments Open the Door to Intimacy and Connection


Sammy Rhodes - 2016
    Our awkward silence reveals the gap that exists between what we are and what we know we should be. But God loves those awkward moments, Sammy Rhodes argues, because they are precisely where we find connection with God and one another.In This Is Awkward, Rhodes talks directly, honestly, hilariously about the most painfully uncomfortable subjects in our lives. In chapters like “Parents Are a Gift (You Can’t Return Them)” and “The Porn in My Side,” he boldly goes where most of us fear to tread, revealing that we can be liberated by the embrace of a God who knows the most shameful things about us and loves us all the same. Because nothing is too awkward for God.

Sex, Jesus, and the Conversations the Church Forgot


Mo Isom - 2018
    In a world overwhelmingly obsessed with it, why is the church so silent about it? While our secular culture twists, perverts, cheapens, and idolizes sex, there are gaping holes in the church's guidance of young people. The result is generations of sexually illiterate people drowning in the repercussions of overwhelming sin struggles.Enough is enough, says Mo Isom. With raw vulnerability and a bold spirit, she shares her own sexual testimony, opening up the conversation about misguided rule-following, virginity, temptation, porn, promiscuity, false sex-pectations, sex in marriage, and more and calling readers back to God's original design for sex--a way to worship and glorify him. This book is for the young person tangled up in an addiction to pornography, for the girlfriend feeling pressured to go further, for the "good girl" who followed the rules and saved herself for marriage and then was confused and disappointed, for the married couple who use sex as a bargaining tool, for every person who casually watches sex play out in TV and movies and wonders why they're dissatisfied with the real thing, and for every confused or hurting person in-between. Sex was God's idea. It's time we invited him back into the bedroom.

The Beginner's Guide to Intercessory Prayer


Dutch Sheets - 2008
    As Dutch Sheets lays the foundation for one’s motivation to pray, he teaches that the simplicity and purity of devotion – our relationship with Christ – doesn’t need to be complex. Find the complexity of prayer reduced through “Did You Understand” questions at the end of each chapter to test your understanding. Upon completion you will have learned the 13 “P’s” of intercession, ranging from “Priority” to “Pleasure” and from “Plan” to “Pain.” Make intercessory prayer a part of your life by learning to pray effectively, by learning to pray alone and in groups and by persisting in prayer.

One-to-One Bible Reading: A Simple Guide for Every Christian


David R. Helm - 2011
    That guided people in a deeper, more meaningful way than an event, program or class could possibly do—guided on an individual basis by someone who cared for them personally.What is this way? What is this activity that is so simple and so universal that it meets the discipleship needs of very different people at very different stages of discipleship, even non-Christians?We call it reading the Bible one-to-one.But what exactly is reading the Bible one-to-one? Why should we do it? Who is it for?In One-to-One Bible Reading: a simple guide for every Christian, David Helm answers these important questions.About the AuthorDavid Helm is a pastor at Holy Trinity Church in Chicago, and Chairman of The Charles Simeon Trust, a ministry devoted to equipping expository preachers. He longs for all Christians to read God’s word for themselves and with others.

Dusty Crowns: Dusting yourself off and becoming the woman God called you to be


Heather Lindsey - 2014
    After searching to fill her “God voids” in things, she learned what it meant to be the crown of her spiritual husband, God. Instead of chasing after unhealthy relationships, money and things, she sought a relationship with Jesus and He dusted her past off and made all things new. This book is a reminder that regardless of how far you have gotten away from God, He is still right there, ready to dust you off and make you whole. In this book, you will: • Learn what it means to be the crown of Jesus Christ and the crown of your physical husband, from the inside out. • Learn to protect your heart, mind and life from distractions. • Learn to enjoy the current season of your life and develop into the woman God called you to be. • Learn to refuse to settle for anything or anyone less than God’s best for your life. • See yourself how God sees you—valued, beautiful and special in His eyes. • Take advantage of the tests and trails and develop in patience Join Heather Lindsey on a heart-to-heart journey to becoming who God called you to be from the inside out. Dusty Crowns challenges women, whether single or married to be beautiful from the inside out and to accomplish the will of God for their life.