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Whoever Tells the Best Story Wins: How to Use Your Own Stories to Communicate with Power and Impact
by Annette SimmonsDiscover how the right story told at the right time has the power to persuade, promote empathy, and provoke action.A story explains who you are, what you want, and why it matters--better than any other communication tool in your arsenal. In this fully updated second edition, author and vibrant keynote speaker Annette Simmons teaches you how to narrate personal experiences as well as borrowed stories in a way that demonstrates authenticity, builds emotional connections, inspires perseverance, and stimulates the imagination.Whether you are leading a presentation, in a department meeting, or having lunch with a potential customer, you will learn how to relate a compelling story to the topic at hand and make an invaluable impact that could not be made otherwise.Fully updated and more practical than ever, Whoever Tells the Best Story Wins reveals how to use storytelling to:Capture attentionMotivate listenersGain trustStrengthen your argumentSway decisionsDemonstrate authenticity and encourage transparencyComplete with a proven storytelling process, innovative applications, examples, and a new appendix on teaching storytelling, Whoever Tells the Best Story Wins hands you the tools you need to form a well-founded and persuasive story for any situation that just might be the difference maker you were looking for.
Where'd My Giggle Go? Educator's Guide
by Max LucadoWhere'd My Giggle Go? Educator's Guide is a companion to Where'd My Giggle Go? by Max Lucado. This guide can be utilized in the classroom, in a home school setting, or by parents seeking additional resources. Ideal for grades 1st-3rd.
Franchise: Trusting God First . . . Then Yourself
by Seth ColemanFRANCHISE is a supernatural thriller that helps us understand spiritual warfare on a personal level. With God&’s awesome angels protecting him, Daniel is led through a trial that takes him on a globe trekking odyssey from Los Angeles to Florida and on nerve-wracking flights to and from Rome while being pursued by assassins. Then finally back to the USA where courage and faith help him confront the enemy face to face. FRANCHISE takes the reader along with Daniel to ultimate victory and the antagonists into fearful confusion. When Daniel graduated from college and moved to Los Angeles he thought life couldn&’t get any better. But then he landed a job at Pop&’s Office Supply, a small franchise of about one hundred owners. Will and Winnie LaTrobe quickly became like parents to him and the franchisees like extended family. Going to work every day was a joy. The owners often told him stories of how Will had helped them through the tough times, when they were financially struggling or their business had gotten off track. Over the years, the franchise grew until it had spread overseas and the numbers attending their conventions mushroomed into thousands. Will had been able to steer the company through rough water while maintaining its integrity. Even through the turbulent years of going public on the stock exchange. However, then it was time for he and Winnie to retire. Will painstakingly took his time in choosing the highest quality candidate, but a few weeks before he was to start, the nominee took another offer, leaving Will no choice but to offer the job to his second choice . . . but in reality it was the first choice of a nefarious company that was bringing with them their own secret agenda. To take the franchise down. Within a few months Will&’s top management was replaced by another team who were soon sowing their seeds of discord within the company. At first Daniel stood behind them, until his close friend and associate, Greg Salas, showed him a stock market prospectus; a formal legal document which is required by and submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission. The official paper included personal details of each of the new management team. Daniel was shocked to learn that the new president had been hired after leaving a company that had just gone into chapter eleven bankruptcy and that several of the new team members had also left companies in similar circumstances. But why? Daniel prayed asking the Lord to help him understand what was going on and from that moment it was evident that the Holy Spirit was leading him from one incident to another. He pieced together an intricate scheme of greed that would ultimately lead the company to destruction, the investors in their stock to financial loss and Pop&’s franchise owners to ruin. The Recipe: Buy a popular blue-chip company offering premium dividends than invest heavily in the next company down the chain, with a much lower stock price . . . then, begin the assault on the first one in a &‘legally illegal&’ way.
James and Galatians: Living Faithfully with Wisdom and Liberation (New Testament Everyday Bible Study Series)
by Scot McKnightBecome a daily Bible reader, attentive to the mind of God."Scot McKnight is one of my absolute favorite New Testament scholars and his Everyday Bible Study series is akin to Einstein creating a user-friendly version of the Theory of Relativity!"—Lisa Harper, award-winning author and Bible teacherIn the New Testament Everyday Bible Study Series, widely respected biblical scholar Scot McKnight reveals the newness and activeness of God's Word as it works in our everyday lives. His unique approach to Bible study combines sound theology with relevant pastoral wisdom. Each volume of this series provides:Original Meaning: Brief, precise expositions of the biblical text and offers a clear focus for the central message of each passage.Fresh Interpretation: Brings the passage alive with fresh images and what it means to follow King Jesus.Practical Application: Biblical connections and questions for reflection and application for each passage. Ideal for personal reflection or group study, James and Galatians will help you see God in the biblical context so you can hear from God in your context. The letters of James and Galatians both speak words of life to believers in the first century and in the twenty-first century:James offers us practical and relevant wisdom about the speech we use (especially considering modern means of communication), the trials we face, and the specific dangers of wealth.Galatians reminds us of the total sufficiency of Jesus in securing our salvation, and of the leadership of the Holy Spirit for living out our faith. Exploring the links between the time these words were written and our own times, Scot McKnight uncovers the enduring relevance and importance of these two letters for our lives today. He'll walk you and your group through both letters with Scripture passages (sometimes translated from the original by McKnight himself), reflection questions, pastoral insights, and ideas for putting God's words into action.
Unfolding Journey
by Catherine WeeksPoetry, like music, is another way to express emotions. The words follow a winding path carrying your feelings along with them. The rhythms speak to your heart and draw you in giving a voice to things you may not know you needed to say.Life is an unfolding journey of joys and sorrows, confidence and confusion. Unfolding Journey follows those ups and downs in my life. Feelings turned into words. Words given as a gift from our Heavenly Father- words He didn&’t intend for me alone.Let the words He gave sink into your heart. Let them become His words to you. Words to guide and to heal, to bring you to tears or laughter. Make His message part of your unfolding journey.
Why I Am Still Surprised by the Power of the Spirit: Discovering How God Speaks and Heals Today
by Jack S. DeereIn his classic Surprised by the Power of the Spirit, Jack Deere looked at the reason why many Christians (including himself at the time) struggle to believe in miraculous gifts, and he provided a groundbreaking biblical defense of the Holy Spirit's speaking and healing activities today.In Why I Am Still Surprised by the Power of the Spirit, the former Dallas Seminary professor revisits his earlier subject matter with fresh insight and even stronger conviction: the Scriptures teach that God is healing and speaking today just as he did 2,000 years ago.Having almost entirely rewritten Surprised by the Power of the Spirit, this new edition comes at a time when the theological landscape has dramatically changed, and most evangelicals do believe in all the gifts of the Spirit. But many of us are still unsure how to understand those gifts, and there is much confusion today on what it means to be filled with the Spirit.This book is for those familiar with Deere's work and for newcomers alike. In it, he:Explains the nature of spiritual gifts, defining each of them.Offers sound advice on discovering and using spiritual gifts in church.Tells documented stories of modern miracles and encounters with demonic powers.Examines the New Testament use of the phrase "filled with the Spirit" to show why and how God still fills his servants with the Holy Spirit.Introduces the newest literature defending and explaining the gifts of the Spirit.With the care of a scholar and the passion of personal experience, this new edition builds upon the legacy of Surprised by the Power of the Spirit and the profound impact it's had among Christians of many traditions.
I Declare War Bible Study Guide: Four Keys to Winning the Battle with Yourself
by Levi LuskoLearn how to win the war in your mind by filling your heart with the truth of the Holy Spirit and defending yourself against harmful thought patterns. Whether you recognize it or not, you're at war with yourself. Anxiety--Selfishness--Self-sabotaging tendencies--Narcissism--The black dog of depression...But whatever your battle may be, all is not lost. You can win...if you choose to engage.In this five-session video Bible study (DVD sold separately), Levi Lusko explains how you can fight this battle by declaring war on your thoughts, your words, and your actions. Levi candidly shares about his struggles with moodiness, bullying, suicidal thoughts, and night terrors to show how you--with the help of the Holy Spirit--can achieve victory by learning to think right so you can live right. So that you can claim the victory God has for you.The I Declare War Study Guide includes:Video teaching notesDiscussion questionsBible explorationWeekly personal studyReflection materialsSessions include:It's Time to Declare WarDeclaring War on Your ThoughtsDeclaring War on Your WordsDeclaring War on Your ActionsYour Secret Weapon in the BattleIt's time to stop being your own worst enemy. It's time to declare war and become the person, the spouse, the parent, the leader God intended you to be.Designed for use with I Declare War Video Study (9780310094913), sold separately.
Out of the Cave Bible Study Guide plus Streaming Video: How Elijah Embraced God’s Hope When Darkness Was All He Could See
by Chris HodgesHow to embrace God's hope. . .even in the darkness of depression. Even when we're walking closely with God, we can still stumble and get lost in the wilderness of tangled emotions, loneliness, and depression. In this five-session video Bible study (streaming included), bestselling author and pastor Chris Hodges explores the story of the prophet Elijah to reveal how everyone is susceptible to feelings of depression. But Elijah's story also reveals that we don't have to stay there! We serve a God who meets us in the darkness.Drawing on his trademark blend of Bible-based wisdom, practical application, and personal vulnerability, Pastor Hodges will help you examine the causes of depression, the factors that contribute to it, and offer you a biblical approach to wellness—mind, body, and soul.This study guide has everything you need for a full Bible study experience, including:The study guide itself—with discussion and personal reflection questions, video notes, and Scripture readings.An individual access code to stream all five video sessions online (DVD also available separately). Session Titles and Run Times:Even Prophets Get Depressed (17:30)How Did I Get in the Cave? (18:30)Rebuilding Our Emotional House (16:30)Dream Again (16:00)We Need Each Other (17:30)Streaming video access code included. Access code subject to expiration after 12/31/2027. Code may be redeemed only by the recipient of this package. Code may not be transferred or sold separately from this package. Internet connection required. Void where prohibited, taxed, or restricted by law. Additional offer details inside.
Celebrate Recovery Leader's Guide, Updated Edition: A Recovery Program Based on Eight Principles from the Beatitudes (Celebrate Recovery)
by John BakerThere is a way the church can help the wounded move beyond their hurts, habits, and hang-ups to experience the forgiveness of Christ. Celebrate Recovery helps the church fulfill its role as Christ's healing agent. You don't have to lead alone. To lead people forward in spiritual, physical, and emotional restoration is to walk in the footsteps of Christ. And that's why the Celebrate Recovery Leader's Guide is so important.With everything you need to encourage lasting life-change, the leader's guide is the best way to facilitate Celebrate Recovery in your church and help people look forward to a whole new future. The Celebrate Recovery Leader's Guide includes: Fresh testimoniesA 90-day start-up strategyA clear, easy-to-follow formatStep-by-step instructions for each meetingGuide for conducting leader trainingTeaching notes for the 25 lessons of The Journey Begins (Participant Guides 1-4)Overview of the 25 lessons of The Journey Continues (Participant Guides 5-8)Along with a willing heart, this leader's guide is invaluable for leading men and women forward in complete restoration and transformation through Christ.
God's Promises During Times of Trouble: Encouragement and Inspiration for Life's Most Difficult Challenges
by Jack CountrymanFind the comfort you need when your life feels like it is falling apart.Where do you turn to when you need hope, encouragement, and comfort during your most difficult times? God's Word is the best place to start.When you are faced with grief, pain, or loss it's often hard to find comfort and support. God's Promises® During Times of Trouble provides 50 topics of select biblical promises of comfort and hope during the difficulties that leave us needing healing and reassurance. Whether you're struggling with illness, loss, divorce, confusion, doubt, or any difficult situation that leaves you with a feeling of despair, the promises found in God's Word bring abundant encouragement, inspiration, and hope.A volume in the popular God's Promises® line of resources, this keepsake expanded edition features:Fifty topics covering a wide variety of issues affecting today's Christian such as loneliness, isolation, stress, anger, doubt, financial difficulties, marital problems, and many more.Hundreds of Bible verses (NKJV translation) specially collected to speak directly to you.Inspirational quotes from respected Christian authors.Key verses perfect for memorization and reflection.Reflection questions and journaling lines for applying biblical principles to your everyday challenges. Scripture is one of the most powerful tools for finding inspiration to uplift and nourish your heart and soul through life's most challenging times. And God's Promises® During Times of Trouble will help you lean on God's Word and find the hope you crave.
Unshakable Hope Bible Study Guide: Building Our Lives on the Promises of God
by Max LucadoThis 12-session video Bible study will help you, your group, and your church stand on the definitive declarations of our mighty and loving God who governs the world according to his great and precious promises.This world has a tremble to it. There are things that seem unsteady in this life. But when we belong to God, it allows us to filter our problems through the promises of God. When we choose to be people of the promise, we choose to build our lives on the promises of God, not the circumstances of life.The stories of the men and women in Scripture were different, but the theme was the same: they were People of the Promise. Because of God&’s promises, Noah built an ark on dry land, Joshua claimed the Promised Land, David became king, Peter preached the first sermon, and John caught a glimpse of the future. Like them, we can also build our lives on God&’s promises, and trust him to keep them.This study guide includes tools for personal study and reflection, video notes, and questions for group discussion.Sessions include:You Are Stamped with God&’s ImageGod Will Win the VictoryYou Are an Heir of GodYour Prayers Have PowerGod Gives Grace to the HumbleGod Gets YouJesus Is Praying for YouDeath Has Been DefeatedJoy Is Coming SoonYou Will Have PowerThere Is No Condemnation in ChristJustice Will PrevailDesigned for use with the Unshakable Hope Video Study (9780310092117), sold separately.
For Shame: Rediscovering the Virtues of a Maligned Emotion
by Gregg Ten ElshofCan a better understanding of shame lead us to see its positive contribution to human life?For many people, shame really is a destructive and health-disrupting force. Too often it cripples and silences victims of other people's shameful behavior, and research has demonstrated clearly the damaging effects of shame on our emotional wellbeing. To combat this, a mini-industry of resources and popular therapies has emerged to help people free themselves from shame.And yet, shame can contribute to a healthy emotional and moral experience. Some behavior is shameful, and sometimes we ought to be ashamed by wrongs we've committed. Eastern and Western cultures alike have long seen a social benefit to shame, and it can rightly cultivate virtues both public and personal.So what are we to make of shame?Philosopher and author Gregg Ten Elshof examines this potent emotion carefully, defining it with more clarity, distinguishing it from embarrassment and guilt, and carefully tracing the positive role shame has played historically in contributing to a well-ordered society.While casting off unhealthy shame is always a positive, For Shame demonstrates the surprising, sometimes unacknowledged ways in which healthy shame is as needed as ever. On the other side of good shame, lie virtues such as decency, self-respect, and dignity—virtues we desire but may not realize shame can grant.
God on Mute: Engaging the Silence of Unanswered Prayer
by Pete GreigAn honest, soul-searching pursuit of biblical answers to one of Christianity's most challenging questions: What do you do when God meets your prayers with silence? Many of us have struggled with prayers that seem to go unanswered, and Pete Greig has been down that difficult road of doubt. This book is both intensely personal and deeply theological—a book born out of his wife Sammy's fight for her life after a horrifying diagnosis.The acclaimed author of Red Moon Rising wrestles with the hard side of prayer, how to respond when there seem to be no answers, and how to cope with those who seek to interpret our experience for us.For those struggling with prayer, God on Mute brings a message of hope and comfort, but also a better understanding of how we communicate with our Creator. Using the timeline of Holy Week (from Maundy Thursday through Easter Sunday) as a template, Greig explores four main questions about prayer from all angles:How am I going to get through this?Why aren't my prayers being answered?Where is God when he seems silent?When every prayer is answered...what does that mean?Silence in response to our most heart-felt prayers is the hardest thing for a person of faith to wrestle with. The world collapses. Then all goes quiet. Words can't explain what we're going through. People avoid you and don't know what to say. So you turn to Him and you pray. You need Him more than ever before. But somehow even God Himself seems on mute. And this sinks into us with a sense of futility...But even in this crushing silence, there is a way forward. Here is a story of faith, hope, and love beyond all understanding.Includes guide for group discussion.
When the Enemy Strikes: The Keys to Winning Your Spiritual Battles (Walker Large Print Ser.)
by Charles F. StanleyYour enemy is strong. The battle is real. Prepare for victory.Fear, discouragement, loneliness, anger, temptation. These struggles are common to every human. Yet not all circumstances or negative emotions originate within. They could be the result of a willful, coordinated assault of Satan.In When the Enemy Strikes, best-selling author Dr. Charles Stanley explores the often-overlooked reality of spiritual warfare--the tactics used by Satan to taunt, confuse, slander, and harm. Your adversary wants to crush your will, delay your promise, hinder your destiny, destroy your relationships, and lead you into sin. Dr. Stanley reveals how you should respond.The most important component of warfare, says Dr. Stanley, is the supremacy of God--both His sovereignty and His power. Practically, this means the battles you face are ultimately allowed by God to bring you to a place of greater reliance on Him. His strength crushes the enemy.This is a world of conflict between good and evil, of powers beyond the merely human. The battle is unavoidable, but take heart! God has given you the strength to stand.
The Love Stories of the Bible Speak Workbook: 13 Biblical Lessons on Romance, Friendship, and Faith
by Shannon BreamDiscover the wonders of God's unconditional love with this official workbook to the New York Times bestselling book, The Love Stories of the Bible Speak.The Bible takes us on a journey of discovering the many ways that God&’s unfailing love is expressed. This workbook—based on Shannon Bream's book—walks you through thirteen biblical lessons on love and its many forms, including romance, friendship, family, and faith. You'll:Explore stories of love found throughout the Bible.Get a front row seat into the many challenges these women and men faced.Be encouraged to renew your love for others and for God.Discover how God&’s love is often very different from ours, turning our assumptions about life, relationships, and each other upside down.Each lesson includes four parts:REFLECT—read key moments of each biblical relationship and see how the stories of characters in Scripture resemble your own experiences.CONNECT—consider how our Heavenly Father responds to our relational needs and design.REVEAL—identify ways we receive and offer love to others as well as receive and demonstrate love from God.PRAY—consider how the love stories throughout Scripture tie into how God is challenging and growing your relationships today.Together these Bible lessons remind us that we are designed to love and to be loved.
Poems by Divine Appointment
by Dorothy TurnerPoems by Divine Appointment are poems with purpose. They were written to inspire and to stir up your spirit. You will find some of these poems are quite long while others are very short. Nevertheless, each poem has a message that&’s clear and get straight to the point leaving nothing to the imagination. These poems are power packed, and I hope every reader will experience the presence of God through reading these poems. Yes, Poems by Divine Appointment are mine, but they came from God&’s creative mind. Now allow me to give you a little peek inside of the book with this poem. What&’s In the SeaI&’ve seen deep in the sea,Things we are about to see.There are a lot of things in the sea,But it&’s nothing that I can&’t see.Fishermen are on the seaTrying to catch what they can&’t see.The birds of the air; the fish of the seaWill make do with what they see.Don&’t be disturbed by what you see,It&’s just the beginning of what it&’s going to be.I&’ve seen deep in the sea,Trouble stirring in the sea. Memphis, TennesseeWill soon be nothing to see.Things are stirring up in the sea,Things you are about to see.When I looked across the sea,I saw things I didn&’t want to see.I&’ve been fishing in the seaTo catch what the fishermen couldn&’t see.Who made the sea?The one you cannot see.I&’ve seen deep in the sea,Things that&’s about to be.Memphis, TennesseeIs about to be nothing to see.
Spiritual Wings
by Elaine White PauleySimple yet intense. Easy to read small portions at a time. This book will draw you into the presence of God with its poems, prose, pictures, scriptures and prayers. It is a handy size to carry with you so that anytime you feel the need to draw closer to God, you can open it up and meditate on what God has to say to you. A great gift to encourage a friend.
The Financial Advisor's Success Manual: How to Structure and Grow Your Financial Services Practice
by David Leo Craig CmielDo you want to become a million-dollar financial advisor, boost client satisfaction, and dramatically expand your business? This book provides all the answers and strategies you need to do just that.Complete with proven techniques, expert insights, and practical tips to maximize your profitability, The Financial Advisor&’s Success Manual will show you how to break the cycle of moderate growth by teaching you how to:Develop a differentiation strategyDefine and implement your six core client-facing processesBalance the cost of services with the value deliveredEnhance client loyaltyPerfect your personal marketing and sales approachYou didn&’t start your financial services firm with a goal of modest gains. So don&’t settle for that! By implementing the methodologies and strategies in this manual, you can grow your business beyond your wildest expectations--all while serving your clients better.
Developing a Servant's Heart: Become Fully Like Christ by Serving Others (Charles F. Stanley Bible Study Series)
by Charles F. StanleyHow to serve with generosity and love.Service is giving, and giving is the very essence of the gospel. God gave His only begotten Son. Jesus gave His life on the cross. The Holy Spirit gives us the power to resist sin and follow God's commands. It is from this abundance of what we have been given that God calls us to freely give ourselves—to actually develop a mindset in which we look first to the needs of others above our own interests.In Developing a Servant's Heart, Dr. Charles Stanley shows how each of us have been equipped, empowered, and charged to do this as we follow the example of Jesus—the Supreme Servant.With over 1 million copies sold, the Charles F. Stanley Bible Study Series is a unique approach to Bible study, incorporating biblical truth, personal insights, emotional responses, and a call to action.Each study draws on Dr. Stanley&’s many years of teaching the guiding principles found in God&’s Word, showing how we can apply them in practical ways to every situation we face. This edition of the series has been completely revised and updated, and includes two brand-new lessons from Dr. Stanley.Each of the twelve lessons includes:Overview: A brief look at what is covered in the lessonLife's Questions: A teaching from Dr. Stanley that unpacks the topic of the lessonLiving the Principle: Application and Bible study questions based on the key pointsReflection: Key takeaways to put into practice today and tomorrow
Know How We Got Our Bible (KNOW Series)
by Charles E. Hill Ryan Matthew ReevesThe easy accessibility of the Bible in most of the world's major languages can obscure a dramatic and sometimes unexpected story.In Know How We Got Our Bible, scholars Ryan Reeves and Charles Hill trace the history of the Bible from its beginnings to the present day, highlighting key figures and demonstrating overall the reliability of Scripture. Reeves and Hill begin with the writing of the Bible's books (including authorship and dating), move into the formation of the Old and New Testaments (including early transmission and the development of the canon), and conclude with several chapters on Bible translation from the Latin Vulgate to the ongoing work of translation around the world today.This book has everything you need for a full personal or group study experience.Written simply and focused on the overarching story of how the Bible came to us today, Know How We Got Our Bible is an excellent introduction for formal students and lay learners alike. Chapters end with reflection questions and recommended reading for further study.An individual access code to stream all video sessions online. (You don&’t need to buy a DVD!)Sessions and video run times:1 - Introduction (23 min)2 - The Old Testament (21 min)3 - The Septuagint and the Apocrypha (19 min)4 - The New Testament (28 min)5 - The Earliest Christians (23 min)6 - The Vulgate (22 min)7 - The Medieval Bible (30 min)8 - The Renegade Bible of John Wycliffe (21 min)9 - The Bible and the Reformation (27 min)10 - The Protestant Bible in English (26 min)11 - The King James Bible (26 min)12 - The Modern Bible Movements (27 min)13 - The Bible Today - and Tomorrow (34 min)Streaming video access code included. Access code subject to expiration after January 14, 2030. Code may be redeemed only by the recipient of this package. Code may not be transferred or sold separately from this package. Internet connection required. Void where prohibited, taxed, or restricted by law. Additional offer details inside.
Moving Forward in God's Grace: A Recovery Program Based on Eight Principles from the Beatitudes (Celebrate Recovery)
by John Baker Johnny BakerCelebrate Recovery introduces The Journey Continues—four new participant&’s guides designed as a revolutionary, new second step study curriculum. This step study is taken after completing The Journey Begins (Participant Guides 1-4). In the six lessons in Guide 5: Moving Forward in God's Grace, you will experience Christ-centered and biblically based studies filled with brand new acrostics, deeper questions, and more helpful Bible verses. The content in Guide 5 will focus on a deeper study of the first 3 of 8 recovery principles:Realize I&’m not God. I admit that I am powerless to control my tendency to do the wrong thing and that my life is unmanageable. "Happy are those who know they are spiritually poor" (Matthew 5:3).Earnestly believe that God exists, that I matter to Him, and that He has the power to help me recover. "Happy are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted" (Matthew 5:4).Consciously choose to commit all my life and will to Christ&’s care and control. "Happy are the meek" (Matthew 5:5).By working through the lessons and exercises found in each of the four participant's guides of The Journey Continues you will find a deeper sense of true peace and serenity, continue to restore and develop stronger relationships with others and with God, and find deeper freedom from life's hurts, hang-ups, and habits.
On Holy Ground: A Daily Devotional
by Charles F. StanleyAbraham leaving Ur for an unknown land God would show him. Jesus going out into the wilderness of temptation. Paul's life-changing trip down the Damascus Road. All of these biblical journeys offer insight into our own personal spiritual journey. In On Holy Ground, Charles Stanley takes an in-depth look at twelve-such biblical journeys to show us how we, too, can meet God and follow where He leads. Relating the timeless stories to our modern situations, Dr. Stanley offers solid biblical teaching that meets practical daily needs for encouragement and inspiration. A powerful devotional in the tradition of his best-selling classic, Enter His Gates.
Five Views on the Exodus: Historicity, Chronology, and Theological Implications (Counterpoints: Bible and Theology)
by ZondervanGain a thorough understanding of the competing views on the historicity, chronology, and theological implications of the exodus. The biblical account of the Israelite exodus from Egypt is one of the most enduring narratives ever told and is a foundational event for several world religions. It resonates across cultures with its timeless themes of redemption and deliverance. It is also the only explanation the Bible gives for Israel's origin.Despite its unique legacy, many scholars regard the exodus as fictitious or a cultural memory that may not be a historical event. Even among those who believe the exodus happened, there is no consensus regarding its date.Five Views on the Exodus brings together experts in the fields of biblical studies, Egyptology, and archaeology to discuss and debate the most vexing questions about the exodus. Each offers their own view and constructive responses to other leading views:Early Date: The Exodus Took Place in the Fifteenth Century BC (Scott Stripling)Late Date: A Historical Exodus in the Thirteenth Century BC (James K. Hoffmeier)A Hyksos Levite Led Exodus in the Time of Ramesses II (Peter Feinman)Alternative Late Date: The Exodus Took Place in the Twelfth Century BC (Gary A. Rendsburg)The Exodus as Cultural Memory: A Transformation of Historical Events (Ronald Hendel)The Counterpoints series presents a comparison and critique of scholarly views on topics important to Christians that are both fair-minded and respectful of the biblical text. Each volume is a one-stop reference that allows readers to evaluate the different positions on a specific issue and form their own, educated opinion.
Transforming Communication: Progressing from Cross-Cultural to Intercultural Communication of Christ
by Dr. Vee J. D-DavidsonEffectively communicate Christ across CulturesThe gospel message transcends cultures, but human communication does not. In Transforming Communication missionary and professor Vee J. D-Davidson provides principles for the intercultural communication of Christ.Using her twenty-five-plus years of experience teaching as a Westerner in Asia as a starting point, Davidson provides transferable principles that encourage awareness of context-specific issues and that see opportunities for intercultural communication as wholly unique opportunities, regardless of any perceived communication barriers. Readers from multiple different cultures will be able to apply the principles presented by use of relevant examples, illustrations, and enlightening insights provided from a wide range of Global South and Global North multicultural and intercultural perspectives.Transforming Communication offers practical principles to encourage and challenge Christian readers to build relationships that might well require engaging with issues that bring them out of their comfort zone but, the book also offers insights and encouraging devotional nuggets that feed into a triad of knowledge-impartation, self-examination and challenge, along with spiritual enrichment for the task.
The Lost Letters to the Twelve Prophets: Imagining the Minor Prophets' World
by Dr. John GoldingayUnderstand the Prophets Like Never Before with Amazing Insights from One of Today's Foremost Old Testament ScholarsFor many Christians reading the Old Testament, trying to understand Israel's prophets is like listening to just one side of a phone conversation--you only get half the idea of it. You hear the answer, but how do you know what question the prophet is answering?In The Lost Letters to the Twelve Prophets, John Goldingay uncovers the questions behind the prophets' answers that make their meaning and relevance intelligible to us. Written as a series of imaginary letters to the twelve Minor Prophets, The Lost Letters to the Twelve Prophets asks the kinds of questions that Hosea, Micah, Zechariah, and others were answering. The letters make clear the issues these prophets of Israel were dealing with or deliver the news they were responding to in their Old Testament writings. For example,To Hosea: Why did you marry someone you knew might be unfaithful?To Joel: It looks as if a locust epidemic is on the way: what should we do?To Amos: What should we do about the war crimes of peoples around us?To Obadiah: The Edomites have occupied our land and pushed us out: what's up with that?To Jonah: When is God going to fulfill his undertaking to destroy Nineveh?To Micah: Will God always be angry with us as a people?To Nahum: When is God going to fulfill his undertaking to destroy Nineveh?To Habakkuk: When is God going to do something about injustice in Judah?To Zephaniah: What do you mean by "the day of the Lord"?To Haggai: When is God going to fulfill his promises about rebuilding the temple?To Zechariah: Should Jeshua be High Priest when he has been in an unclean land?To Malachi: Why does serving God seem pointless?These and other questions help readers peer behind the veil of Minor Prophets' utterances and unlock their significance for today's Christians. Each chapter:begins with a brief paragraph of background about the prophetrecounts questions or reports that have been addressed to the prophet in the form of a lettersums up message of the prophet responding to that questionoffers a brief comment or explanation after each passageThe Lost Letters to the Twelve Prophets offers an imaginative, fun, and engaging way for students, pastors, and all serious Bible readers get a better grip on what is happening in these often misunderstood biblical books and get more out of their Bible reading and study.