The Radical Invitation of Jesus


Book Description

The book addresses the way we are able to understand the radical invitation of Jesus. The invitation is to those who heard Jesus in the first century, the intervening centuries, and those in the twenty-first century urging them to turn away from a life that is self-centered and to seek a life that is God-centered, accepting the reign of God in one’s life rather than wealth, pleasure, power, and fame. Jesus says that we are to seek first the kingdom of God and all of our basic needs will be met, being transformed and finding meaning and purpose in our lives. The invitation is radical in that it calls on us to give up the accepted norms and values of our culture and world and give ourselves to a life of integrity and truthfulness, love and compassion, and justice and peace. We are invited to find our true identity, to be filled with and transformed by the God of love and to become one who is filled with grace and truth, as Jesus was.




Radical


Book Description

New York Times bestseller What is Jesus worth to you? It's easy for American Christians to forget how Jesus said his followers would actually live, what their new lifestyle would actually look like. They would, he said, leave behind security, money, convenience, even family for him. They would abandon everything for the gospel. They would take up their crosses daily... But who do you know who lives like that? Do you? In Radical, David Platt challenges you to consider with an open heart how we have manipulated the gospel to fit our cultural preferences. He shows what Jesus actually said about being his disciple--then invites you to believe and obey what you have heard. And he tells the dramatic story of what is happening as a "successful" suburban church decides to get serious about the gospel according to Jesus. Finally, he urges you to join in The Radical Experiment -- a one-year journey in authentic discipleship that will transform how you live in a world that desperately needs the Good News Jesus came to bring.




What Jesus Demands from the World


Book Description

for every healthy tree bears good fruit --; Demand #28 : love your enemies--lead them to the truth --; Demand #29 : love your enemies--pray for those who abuse you --; Demand #30 : love your enemies--do good to those who hate you, give to the one who asks --; Demand #31 : love your enemies to show that you are children of God --; Demand #32 : love your neighbor as yourself,




Jesus Outside the Lines


Book Description

Whether the issue of the day on Twitter, Facebook, or cable news is our sexuality, political divides, or the perceived conflict between faith and science, today’s media pushes each one of us into a frustrating clash between two opposing sides. Polarizing, us-against-them discussions divide us and distract us from thinking clearly and communicating lovingly with others. Scott Sauls, like many of us, is weary of the bickering and is seeking a way of truth and beauty through the conflicts. Jesus Outside the Lines presents Jesus as this way. Scott shows us how the words and actions of Jesus reveal a response that does not perpetuate the destructive fray. Jesus offers us a way forward—away from harshness, caricatures, and stereotypes. In Jesus Outside the Lines, you will experience a fresh perspective of Jesus, who will not (and should not) fit into the sides.




The God Who Riots


Book Description

For thousands of years, religious messages have been used to either uphold the status quo or upend it. And while we are all very familiar with the kind of conservative Christianity that suppresses liberation and justifies oppression, progressive Christians are just as guilty of upholding unjust systems when we prioritize harmony and unity over justice. True justice requires us to choose sides. True justice requires action. When we look at Scripture, we see that the God of the Bible was never neutral. Again and again God chooses the side of the oppressed. Jesus said the Spirit of the Lord anointed him "to let the oppressed go free," and those of us who claim to follow Jesus today must commit to this radical mission of liberation. In The God Who Riots, popular YouTuber and public theologian Damon Garcia uses his frank, tell-it-like-it-is style to connect us with the Jesus who flipped tables in the temple and led an empire-destabilizing movement for liberation. The spirit of this God is embodied in today's protests, riots, and strikes. As we join this struggle for liberation, we are joining the God who riots alongside us, within us, and through us.




Suffering and the Search for Meaning


Book Description

Suffering is a deeply personal problem. Why is this happening to me? Guiding readers through the seven most significant theodicies, Richard Rice uses theory and personal stories to help each of us form a response to suffering that is both intellectually satisfying and personally authentic.




Jesus Feminist


Book Description

Written with poetic rhythm, a prophetic voice, and a deeply biblical foundation, this loving yet fearless book urges today’s church to move beyond man-made restrictions and fully welcome women’s diverse voices and experiences. A freedom song for the church. Sarah Bessey didn’t ask for Jesus to come in and mess up all her ideas about a woman’s place in the world and in the church. But patriarchy, she came to learn, was not God’s dream for humanity. Bessey engages critically with Scripture in this gentle and provocative love letter to the Church. Written with poetic rhythm, a prophetic voice, and a deeply biblical foundation, this loving yet fearless book urges today’s church to move beyond man-made restrictions and fully welcome women’s diverse voices and experiences. It’s at once a call to find freedom in the fullness, hope, glory, and work of Christ, and a very personal and moving story of how Jesus made a feminist out of her.




Surprised by the Healer


Book Description

The Healer is inviting you… God’s word declares that there is healing for your deepest pains, hope for your biggest disappointments, and victory over your addictions, past hurts, and past failures. His name is Jehovah Rapha, the God Who Heals, and He can redeem your broken story. In these pages, you will meet nine courageous women who have agreed to tell their stories, to share with you how they moved from hopelessness and brokenness to hope and healing. Whether from sexual abuse, betrayal in marriage, or other harrowing experiences, the Healer invited them on a unique journey of redemption in the midst of deep pain. He is inviting you, too. Linda Dillow and Dr. Juli Slattery, cofounders of Authentic Intimacy, have been writing and ministering to women in the church and clinical context for several decades. Their wisdom and experience overflow in this work to give you a trusted resource in journeying toward healing. Includes a study guide for each chapter in the back of the book.




The Greatest of These


Book Description

God is love. Love one another. We teach these to children and new Christians, but what exactly do we mean (and do they hear) by love? Our culture offers a multitude of understandings and experiences through which the meaning of love can be filtered. We in the church can become sloppy in our proclamation and embodiment of love as a result of those filterings, unless we remain grounded in the Biblical moorings of love revealed in the narratives of both the Old and New Testaments.The Greatest of These offers an extended exploration of love 's qualities in scripture. Each of the six chapters will begin with a single page introduction to the chapter theme. The bulk of each chapter will then consist of six individual readings (2.5 to 3 pages each) that reflect on a Biblical passage related to the chapter 's theme on love. The book will be written for use by individuals or groups, and a leader's guide will be provided for six suggested sessions. Chapter One - Love as Gift Chapter Two - Love as Invitation Chapter Three - Love as Loyalty Chapter Four - Love as Ethic Chapter Five - Love as Compassion Chapter Six - Love as Wonder The leader 's guide will provide a basic template that can be used for each session along with specific suggestions for six sessions to plug into the template in order to explore each of the book 's chapters.




Radical Forgiveness


Book Description

DIVPreviously published as Unconditional? In this book readers will be confronted with the stark reality of how deeply we need to reach within to really show Christlike forgiveness and mercy to those to whom we may feel least inclined to offer forgiveness or mercy. /div