The Pastor's Ponderings


Book Description

A collection of ponderings full of wit and wisdom to inspire you, make you smile, and even laugh out loud. Sit down, relax, and take a moment to stroll down a sun-dappled roadway, climb the steps to an old country church, wade in a clear mountain stream, listen to the rushing water as it pours over river rocks, smell the fresh air after a rain, and soak in the beauty and grandeur of God's masterpiece found in the ever-changing panorama of the Great Smoky Mountains. You will enjoy a bit of history as well as introductions to some interesting folks who call this mountain paradise home. You won't want to miss the story of burning the palm fronds for Ash Wednesday they sure smelled sweet, a bit like marijuana and the "noises in the night" among many others, too funny for words. Each one, a feel-good story, intertwined with God's own Word.




Spiritual Friendship


Book Description

Christianity Today Book Award Winner Friendship is a relationship like no other. Unlike the relationships we are born into, we choose our friends. It is also tenuous--we can end a friendship at any time. But should friendship be so free and unconstrained? Although our culture tends to pay more attention to romantic love, marriage, family, and other forms of community, friendship is a genuine love in its own right. This eloquent book reminds us that Scripture and tradition have a high view of friendship. Single Christians, particularly those who are gay and celibate, may find it is a form of love to which they are especially called. Writing with deep empathy and with fidelity to historic Christian teaching, Wesley Hill retrieves a rich understanding of friendship as a spiritual vocation and explains how the church can foster friendship as a basic component of Christian discipleship. He helps us reimagine friendship as a robust form of love that is worthy of honor and attention in communities of faith. This book sets forth a positive calling for celibate gay Christians and suggests practical ways for all Christians to cultivate stronger friendships.




An Introduction to Christian Mysticism


Book Description

This brief, accessibly written volume introduces key figures, texts, and themes of the mystical tradition and shows how and why the mystics can speak to the church today. Jason Baxter, an expert educator and storyteller, explains that the mystical tradition offers a more robust understanding of God than our current shallow conceptions. Featuring engagement with primary sources and suitable for use in a variety of courses, this book argues that the mystics have much to say to contemporary Christians searching for authentic modes of spirituality.




Brothers, We are Not Professionals


Book Description

John Piper pleads with fellow pastors to abandon the professionalization of the pastorate and pursue the prophetic call of the Bible for radical ministry.




Live Second


Book Description

365 Ways to Put Jesus First Athletes and actors, models and musicians, pastors and politicians ... many have stepped forward, looked in the camera, and proclaimed, “I am second.” But most in the I Am Second movement are not celebrities. They are ordinary people—and they’ve come to the simple realization that when God comes first in their lives, everything makes sense. But living second is not easy. It takes grit and humility, submission to God’s will, a willingness to listen and serve, an openness to God’s healing and call. Live Second is a daily guide to help you. With 365 readings, prayers, actions steps, and an invitation to join other Christ-followers online, what you hold in your hands is a tool built with truth, scripture, and a sure path to put Jesus first every day. The Christian life is not meant to be easy, just worth it. Live Second is exactly what you need as you become the new, inspired, God-honoring creation he made you to be.




One God, One Plan, One Life


Book Description

One God, One Plan, One Life by bestselling author Max Lucado is a 365-day devotional for students that focuses on teen issues, such as bullying, self-esteem, and purity, delivered in short daily devotions. One God, One Plan, One Life is an ECPA 2015 Christian Book Award finalist. Over 100,000 copies sold! With a focus on Christian faith, this devotional for teens helps them cut through life's distractions and rely on the one thing that is truly important--a relationship with God. Each devotion includes the following: An inspiring Bible verse A simple but thought-provoking devotion An application to help students put their trust in God and His plans Including a devotion for every day of the year, this guide for teens: Is for ages 13 to 18 Has a presentation page to make gift-giving easy Is a great gift for graduations, baptisms, birthdays, and coming-of-age celebrations




The First Christmas


Book Description

“Who could argue with the message the authors draw from the Bible’s Christmas stories? Light in the darkest time of the year, hope in a period of creeping despair—these are powerful and universal themes that can give everyone a stake in Christmas.” —USA Today In The First Christmas Marcus J. Borg and John Dominic Crossan—top Jesus scholars and authors of The Last Week—help us see the real Christmas story buried in the familiar Bible accounts. Basing their interpretations on the two nativity narratives in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, Borg and Crossan focus on the literal story—the inner truth rather than the historical facts—to offer a clear and uplifting message of hope and peace. With The First Christmas readers get a fresh, deep, and new understanding of the nativity story, enabling us to better appreciate the powerful message of the Gospels.




Sightings


Book Description

Sightings is a collection of thoughts and ponderings from best-selling author Lynn Austin as she has learned to look for "God sightings" in the simple moments of life. Each story in this ten-week devotional includes a daily scripture reading and closing prayer.




Devotions on the Greek New Testament


Book Description

Fifty-two short devotions based on passages from the Greek New Testament--written by some of the top Greek scholars of today. The main point each devotion offers comes from a careful reading and study of the passage in the Greek New Testament, not from the English Bible. The authors use a variety of exegetical approaches in their devotions: grammatical, lexical, rhetorical, sociohistorical, linguistic, etc. Some insights focus on particular words and their role in the passage, while others highlight background studies or provide a theological reading of the passage. Each devotion draws students into translating a short passage and pursuing an understanding of why this or that insight matters for their lives and ministries. Devotions on the Greek New Testament encourages professors, students, and pastors alike to continue to use their Greek Bibles beyond their seminary years. Celebrated contributors include: Scot McKnight Daniel B. Wallace Craig L. Blomberg Mark Strauss William D. Mounce Devotions on the Greek New Testament can be used as a weekly personal devotional or as a supplemental resource throughout a semester or sequence of courses.




Chasing Shadows


Book Description

For fans of bestselling WWII fiction comes a powerful novel from Lynn Austin about three women whose lives are instantly changed when the Nazis invade the neutral Netherlands, forcing each into a complicated dance of choice and consequence. Lena is a wife and mother who farms alongside her husband in the tranquil countryside. Her faith has always been her compass, but can she remain steadfast when the questions grow increasingly complex and the answers could mean the difference between life and death? Lenas daughter Ans has recently moved to the bustling city of Leiden, filled with romantic notions of a new job and a young Dutch police officer. But when she is drawn into Resistance work, her idealism collides with the dangerous reality that comes with fighting the enemy. Miriam is a young Jewish violinist who immigrated for the safety she thought Holland would offer. She finds love in her new country, but as her family settles in Leiden, the events that follow will test them in ways she could never have imagined. The Nazi invasion propels these women onto paths that cross in unexpected, sometimes-heartbreaking ways. Yet the story that unfolds illuminates the surprising endurance of the human spirit and the power of faith and love to carry us through.