Beware of God


Book Description

Violent rabbis, lovelorn wives, a busy Grim Reaper, shame-filled simians, and one seriously angry deity populate this humorous and disquieting collection. Shalom Auslander's stories in Beware of God have the mysterious punch of a dream. They are wide ranging and inventive: A young Jewish man's inexplicable transformation into a very large, blond, tattooed goy ends with a Talmudic argument over whether or not his father can beat his unclean son with a copy of the Talmud. A pious man having a near-death experience discovers that God is actually a chicken, and he's forced to reconsider his life -- and his diet. At God's insistence, Leo Schwartzman searches Home Depot for supplies for an ark. And a young boy mistakes Holocaust Remembrance Day as emergency preparedness training for the future. Auslander draws upon his upbringing in an Orthodox Jewish community in New York State to craft stories that are filled with shame, sex, God, and death, but also manage to be wickedly funny and poignant.




Is Belief in God Good, Bad Or Irrelevant?


Book Description

Greg Graffin is frontman, singer and songwriter for the punk band Bad Religion. He also happens to have a Ph.D. in zoology and wrote his dissertation on evolution, atheism and naturalism. Preston Jones is a history professor at a Christian college and a fan of Bad Religion's music. One day, on a whim, Preston sent Greg an appreciative e - mail. That was the start of an extraordinary correspondence. For several months, Preston and Greg sent e - mails back and forth on big topics like God, religion, knowledge, evil, evolution, biology, destiny and the nature of reality. Preston believes in God; Greg sees insufficient evidence for God's existence. Over the course of their friendly debate, they tackle such cosmic questions as: Is religion rational or irrational? Does morality require belief in God? Do people only believe in God because they are genetically predisposed toward religion? How do you make sense of suffering in the world? Is this universe all there is? And what does it all matter? In this engaging book, Preston and Greg's actual e - mail correspondence is reproduced, along with bonus materials that provide additional background and context. Each makes his case for why he thinks his worldview is more compelling and explanatory. While they find some places to agree, neither one convinces the other. They can't both be right. So which worldview is more plausible? You decide.




Preaching Christ from Ecclesiastes


Book Description

As Sidney Greidanus points out here, Ecclesiastes is especially relevant for our culture the Teacher confronts enticements like materialism, secularism, hedonism, human autonomy, and self-sufficiency. But how can preachers convey these important teachings to their congregations in a helpful way? / Sidney Greidanus here does preachers a great service by providing the foundations for one or more series of expository sermons on Ecclesiastes. He breaks the book down in several ways, including: the boundaries of each preaching text, the text s theme and goal, various ways to move to Christ in the New Testament, detailed exposition of the fifteen literary units, and application for today




Hope: A Tragedy


Book Description

A New York Times Notable Book 2012 The rural town of Stockton, New York, is famous for nothing: no one was born there, no one died there, nothing of any historical import at all has ever happened there, which is why Solomon Kugel, like other urbanites fleeing their pasts and histories, decided to move his wife and young son there. To begin again. To start anew. But it isn’t quite working out that way for Kugel… His ailing mother stubbornly holds on to life, and won’t stop reminiscing about the Nazi concentration camps she never actually suffered through. To complicate matters further, some lunatic is burning down farmhouses just like the one Kugel bought, and when, one night, he discovers history—a living, breathing, thought-to-be-dead specimen of history—hiding upstairs in his attic, bad quickly becomes worse. Hope: A Tragedy is a hilarious and haunting examination of the burdens and abuse of history, propelled with unstoppable rhythm and filled with existential musings and mordant wit. It is a comic and compelling story of the hopeless longing to be free of those pasts that haunt our every present.




Beware the Slow Leaks


Book Description

“Urgent, timely, and inspiring biblical wisdom for Christian leaders who want to start strong, thrive fully, and finish well!” –W. Scott Brown, Christian Leadership Alliance “Too often technique and numeric growth are on the minds of young pastors. Learn from a veteran and seek faithfulness!” –Matt Schmucker, co-founder, 9Marks “A powerful and preventive message for every pastor who desires to hear ‘well done’ at the finish line.” –Cliff Clifton, North American Mission Board, director of Send DC As leaders, it’s our greatest desire: a life that honors God, strengthens our family, and draws those we lead to Jesus Christ. But behind our well-intentioned efforts and carefully prepared sermons, we also carry fear of failure, disappointments, hurts, and hidden sins. These can become slow leaks resulting not only in public failure, but more importantly, in devastation to those we love and lead. But here’s the good news: You don’t have to live in fear. The God who called you stands ready to empower you to confidently plug the slow leaks in your life, to vigorously flourish, and to finish well. In Beware the Slow Leaks, Pastor Steve King draws on over forty years of ministry to equip Christian leaders to build healthy, gospel-centered habits now so they don’t have to bail their ship later. With biblical wisdom, personal stories, and spiritual care, King inspires ministers to practice what they preach—providing eight pro-active strategies to help Christian leaders fully thrive and confidently finish. Now is the time to fortify your hull against the slow leaks. Join Pastor King as he points you to the God who has called you to sail the waters with Him, not just bail your boat.




The Misery of Job and the Mercy of God


Book Description

The words of Job, in an epic poem by the talented John Piper, will touch readers' hearts. For while the story of Job's misery is not unfamiliar, we don't often think of God's mercy in the midst of it. Piper's beautiful words, combined with the stunning photography of Ric Ergenbright, will remind readers of the Lord's sovereignty, and His provision for His servant--and for us all.




The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment


Book Description

'I have learned to be content in whatever state] I am'' (Phil. 4:11) Anyone who lacks true contentment may find it in this book. If not, it will be because that one would not follow the very clear and simple instructions given. The teaching is from the Bible, yet it must be described as unique. Nowhere else will you find such unusual, but Biblically authenticated thoughts: He will teach you that contentment lies in subtraction, not in addition; that the ABC's of Christianity are nothing like what you thought them to be; that there is a mystery of contentment, but that once you have learned the way from Christ's word, you will be able to attain such a depth of contentment as you never before dreamed existed. This is a key book for building up Christian maturity. Christian Contentment, what is it? ''It is a sweet, inward heart thing. It is a work of the Spirit indoors. It is a box of precious ointment, very comforting and useful for troubled hearts in times of troubled conditions.




Jesus Unleashed


Book Description

Walk through the gospel records of the “bold confrontations” of Jesus and discover how to use your newfound knowledge of the person of Jesus to defend the biblical truth of the Christian faith. Do you have any idea who Jesus really is? “What you think of Jesus Christ will thoroughly color how you think about everything else,” writes John MacArthur. This is a critical truth in the life of every believer. Your view of Jesus affects the way you view God, the world, and every one of your decisions. These days, Jesus is often portrayed as a pacifist, a philanthropist, or a docile teacher. He strikes a plastic--and sometimes pathetic--pose in the minds of many. Some prefer the meek and mild Jesus who heals the sick, calms fears, and speaks of peace and goodwill. These things do represent a portion of the Messiah. But tragically, too many have never been exposed to the rest of him. They have never seen a full 360-degree view of the Savior. His boldness in the face of confrontation and why that matters. Until now. Abridged from his classic bestseller, The Jesus You Can’t Ignore, Jesus Unleashed takes a revealing walk through the gospel records. Like an investigative journalist on a mission, author and teacher John MacArthur shows you a remarkable and compelling picture of Jesus unleashed.




Beware of Angels


Book Description




"Fundamentalism" and the Word of God


Book Description

This modern classic by the author of Knowing God provides a comprehensive statement of the doctrine of Scripture from an evangelical perspective. J. I. Packer explores the meaning of the word "fundamentalism" and offers a clear and well-reasoned argument for the authority of the Bible and its proper role in the Christian life.