Following God Through Mark


Book Description

Ira Brent Driggers examines the character of God as portrayed in the Gospel of Mark, paying particular attention to the way God factors into the unfolding conflict between Jesus and his disciples. Arguing that Mark depicts God as acting in two logically opposite ways, both independently of Jesus (as a distinct character) and through Jesus (possessing him from his baptism), he adds a level of complexity to Mark's portrayal of Jesus and sheds new light on the most enigmatic feature of Mark's narrative: the consistent and troubling misunderstanding of the disciples.




Following Christ


Book Description

Do you want your life to count for Christ? Would you like to make a real impact for God's kingdom in this world? You can -- and you don't have to be a great leader for it to happen. Just a good follower. In Following Christ, Joseph Stowell shows why Christ's command to "Follow me" isn't merely the starting point of Christianity. It's the very heartbeat of vibrant, effective faith. And it's not just for a few gifted leaders, but for all believers. Stowell shows you what happens when an ordinary man or woman pursues not the trappings of Christianity, but Christ himself. You'll discover - What a "non-negotiated follower" looks like - Why God does his best work through followers - Why self-directed living is a recipe for emptiness - What makes Christ so worth following - What it means to pick up your cross - Why a close walk with Jesus is the key to effective living -- Following Christ paints a compelling portrait of Christianity the way God intended it, marked by simplicity, vigorous faith, purpose and direction, soul-winning impact on others . . . and above all, a joyous, growing closeness with Christ.




Knocking on Heaven's Door


Book Description

Offers a cohesive New Testament theology of petitionary prayer.




Following Jesus Through Mark


Book Description

Many people want to be praised and recognized, but few imagine that the route to greatness lies in service. As readers acquaint themselves with the life of Jesus Christ as reported by Mark, their perspective will be radically and refreshingly altered. Jesus, the greatest, became the least, serving every man and woman so He could bring them back to God. This study guides readers through selected Bible passages, presents straightforward explanations and applications, and provides open-ended discussion questions. Participants will find themselves changed as they see how the greatest Servant now lives His life in us and through us. About This Series: Stonecroft Bible Studies encourage people to know God and grow in His love through exploration of His life-transforming Word, the Bible. Each book is designed for both seekers and new believers and includes easy-to-understand explanations and applications of Bible passages and study questions.




The Way of the Cross


Book Description

Jesus has always invited and challenged his disciples to follow him in the way of redemptive suffering, the way of the cross. This, according to Joel Green, is the very heart of Mark's gospel. It is also the heart of discipleship today. In six engaging chapters, Green shows how Mark unfolds the drama of Jesus's mission to suffer for others; how this mission was not initially understood by the first disciples, and how all this can transform our own understanding of the call to follow. Each chapter deepens our sense of the integrity of Mark and challenges us to follow Jesus in our own practice of discipleship and experience with suffering today. The Way of the Cross is for individuals and groups who are serious about Bible study and about the relevance of such study to their lives. Each chapter concludes with a set of questions for reflection and discussion.




God Has a Name


Book Description

What you believe about God sets the foundation of the person you will become. In God Has a Name, pastor and New York Times bestselling author John Mark Comer invites you to rethink many of the prevalent myths and misconceptions about God and weigh them against what God actually tells us about himself. After all, what you believe about God will ultimately shape the type of person you become. We all live at the mercy of our ideas, and nowhere is this more true than our ideas about God. The problem is many of our ideas about God are wrong. Not all wrong, but wrong enough to form our souls in detrimental and disheartening ways. God Has a Name is a simple yet profound guide to understanding God in a new light--focusing on what God says about himself in the Bible. This one shift has the potential to radically alter how you relate to God, not as a doctrine, but as a relational being who responds to you in an elastic, back-and-forth way. John Mark Comer takes you line by line through Exodus 34:6-8--Yahweh's self-revelation on Mount Sinai, one of the most quoted passages in the Bible. Along the way, Comer addresses some of the most profound questions he came across as he studied these noted lines in Exodus, including: Why do we feel this gap between us and God? Could it be that a lot of what we think about God is wrong? Not all wrong, but wrong enough to mess up how we relate to him? What if our "God" is really a projection of our own identity, ideas, and desires? What if the real God is different, but far better than we could ever imagine? No matter where you are in your spiritual journey, God Has a Name invites you to step into a fresh and biblically rooted vision of who God is that has the potential to alter your life with God and shape who you become.




The Gospel According to Mark


Book Description

The earliest of the four Gospels, the book portrays Jesus as an enigmatic figure, struggling with enemies, his inner and external demons, and with his devoted but disconcerted disciples. Unlike other gospels, his parables are obscure, to be explained secretly to his followers. With an introduction by Nick Cave




The Cost of Discipleship


Book Description

Perhaps Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s most radical book, this reading of the Sermon on the Mount has influenced many Christians throughout the world over the last 50 years.




Your Own Jesus


Book Description

Too many people inherit somebody else's Jesus, depending on family or friends for their spiritual vitality and growth. Through fascinating personal stories, scriptural insights, and practical interactive studies, "Your Own Jesus" can set readers free to live their faith without compromise.