The Transforming Word Series, Volume 1


Book Description

God reveals his true nature in the first five books of the Bible. While the broader story of the Bible is known to many Christians, careful readers of the Pentateuch still have many questions. The origin story of the Jewish nation is one of hardship and loss. The Transforming Word will encourage you to examine the Scriptures and discover the God who sustains everything.




The Transforming Word Series, Volume 2


Book Description

The nation of Israel tells its story of the rise of kings not once but twice (Joshua–2 Kings, 1–2 Chronicles); and during this period, they wrote Psalms and gathered together their wise sayings. Then, plunged into the darkness of exile, they had to discover again who God was and what kind of life he called them to live. In the same way, Christians read these texts today for what they share about a promised Messiah and how they explain what life with God looks like in all its complexity.




The Transforming Word Series, Volume 4


Book Description

The life and work of Jesus Christ must not be overlooked. Born under Roman occupation, Jesus lived his entire life without writing anything down. His earliest followers, the Christians that were shaped by his life and teachings, carefully recorded his words as good news. They also experienced his resurrection and believed that he had entrusted them with a mission to transform the world.




Transformed in Christ


Book Description

Is your faith countercultural?When he wrote his first epistle to the church in Corinth, Paul wanted to address two cultural issues that the Christians in the city were wrestling with: prosperity and entertainment. He urged the young believers struggling in the midst of Graeco--Roman society to live lives shaped by Christ. Believers today are not immune to these same worldly temptations the Corinthian church was facing.In Transformed in Christ: 1 Corinthians, Ron Elsdon and William Olhausen show us how Paul uses the cross to define the distinctive patterns of life and behavior which Christians are called. The transformation that comes from cross--shaped wisdom is not a singular moment in a believer's life, but a continual process of refinement. The result is a living, countercultural faith marked by discernment, wisdom, and love.




Christ Above All


Book Description

Look to Christ, the ultimate revelation of God. The letter to the Hebrews asks questions aimed at the heart of what it looks like for Christians to walk in Christ's footsteps. How should Christians relate to the Old Testament? What are we to make of the New Testament's urgent pleas to persevere in the faith? Can we really lose our salvation? How does Jesus model both humility in his humanity and the glory of God through his earthly life? These questions continue to be fiercely debated by Christians. The ancient letter to the Hebrews answers all by focusing on Christ's magnificent love and greatness. In Christ Above All, Adrio König puts readers in the shoes of the original audience of Hebrews and shows how, in a world full of competing claims to power and authority, Christ--in all his glory and humanity--really does surpass all others. In the Transformative Word series, you'll read the Bible with a global cast of church leaders and scholars. In conversational tone, contributors from around the world explain the importance of a biblical book, showing how it can transform your life.




The Universal Story


Book Description

The opening chapters of Genesis tell the story of how humans relate to the world— and to God. Genesis 1-11 is a parade of humanity's stories intertwined with the most intriguing subjects wrestled with today: the beginning of the cosmos, the nature of humanity, family, sex, deceit, death, murder, mass murder, ecology, agriculture, urbanization, and more. In The Universal Story, Dru Johnson shows how Genesis 1-11 is written in a way that informs the rest of biblical history—including the exodus, the kings of Israel, the exile, the Gospels, and early church. Genesis 1-11 presents a story of humanity that seeks to explain the background of every human endeavor. It is the universal story—the story of stories—because it is a story about how all of these things came to be the way the Hebrews understood them to be. These bizarre and ancient stories frame the story of God and His plan for earth and humanity.




Together for the World


Book Description

The disciples and early Christians faced doubt, opposition, and threats--just like many Christians do today. In Together with the World, Michael Wagenman shows how the book of Acts can help modern Christians respond to crisis and critique in our contemporary world. The book of Acts is about more than simply the beginning of church history. In Together for the World we find a group of disciples, empowered by the Holy Spirit, following God's call to spread the good news.




God Behind the Scenes


Book Description

Although the book of Esther contains no direct references to God, his fingerprints can be found all over it. In God Behind the Scenes, Wayne K. Barkhuizen helps us trace the unseen hand of God throughout the Esther narrative, while pointing out how the book is still relevant today. As we walk through the book, we’ll see how God was indeed active in preserving the people through whom the Messiah, Jesus Christ, would one day come.




Cambridge English: C2 Proficiency (CPE) 101 Key Word Transformation quizzes - Volume 1: with answers


Book Description

This e-book is Volume 1 of the 101 C2-Proficiency Key Word Transformation quizzes series written to help you improve paraphrasing skills. It contains 101 sentence transformations in total, many of which are based closely on some of the most common test items in past exam papers. For those preparing for the C2 Cambridge English Proficiency examination (previously known as the CPE), the book provides you with further practice for Part 4 of the Reading & Use of English paper. Prior to using this book, you should acquaint yourself with basic knowledge of some sophisticated grammar forms in English, which appear to be commonly tested in this part of the paper. These include inversion or inverted sentences, subjunctives, cleft sentences, emphatic structures, conditionals, comparatives and superlatives, relative clauses, nominal clauses, phrasal verbs and phrasal nouns, prepositional combinations, etc. A firm grasp of collocations and idiomatic expressions is also essential in helping you make full use of this book. Before checking out the other volumes of the series, it would be advisable for you to attempt Volume 1 and Volume 2 as they are aimed at helping you revise the key language features mentioned above as well as lay the foundation for more complex quizzes in the later volumes.




Living in God's True Story


Book Description

We all need a reminder of the true story at the heart of the gospel. In the face of false teachers and skeptics, Peter wrote his second epistle to remind his readers of God's true story. They needed to be reoriented to the truth of their identity and status in Christ. Christians continue to experience similar challenges to our spiritual foundations today. In Living in God's True Story: 2 Peter, Donald L. Morcom shows that remembering the truth is the core theme of Peter's second letter. In the midst of false alternatives, he encourages believers to live faithful lives that demonstrate love and wisdom. Though it may be short, 2 Peter is an impactful letter that explains how we can order our lives in accordance with God's true story.