Blessed to Bless


Book Description

A guide aimed at teens to bring greater understanding of the historical context behind biblical stories Many Christians are vaguely familiar with numerous Bible stories but do not know their context in the literary or historical arc of the Bible. Blessed to Bless gives meaningful organization to the multitude of Bible stories covered in over 1500 years of religious history. Primarily for teenagers, this book can be a resource for any individual or study group wanting a basic, yet comprehensive introduction to the Bible. The themes, interpretations, genres, and philosophical framework of Holy Scripture are offered to the reader, organized into four historical “arcs.” Each chapter offers scripture, accompanying commentary, and questions for reflection or discussion. Bible vocabulary concepts are highlighted throughout the book, making it a perfect tool for youth group study, a biblical literature curriculum, or a personal challenge (for instance, to read the Bible in a year). A Leader Guide is available for free download on the Church Publishing website for classroom usage.




Living in Christ's Presence


Book Description

Dallas Willard explores what it means to live well now in light of God's kingdom. This book is adapted from the talks given at the February 2013 Dallas Willard Center "Knowing Christ Today" conference. Each chapter is followed with an illuminating dialogue between Dallas Willard and John Ortberg.




Blessed To Be A Blessing


Book Description

God wants to bless you. He has made all of heaven's supply available to you. But the blessings of God are not automatic. You have a part to play. To find it, you'll need to look no further than the Holy Bible. Throughout His Word, God has indicated His desire to prosper His people. In both the Old and New Testaments, God describes His...




The Power to Bless


Book Description

Blessed people flourish by a power that transcends human talent or hard work--a mystical grace empowers them to be joyful and fruitful. But does it ever feel like others are blessed while you're stuck? With honesty and warmth, Alan Wright shares his inspiring journey from craving blessing to living the blessed life. The absence of his father's affirmation left him struggling for years with symptoms of the unblessed life: shame, pretense, and drift. But when he grasped the most powerful blessing in the Old Testament--the mysterious, ancient blessing of Ephraim and Manasseh--he learned how to receive blessing and how to bless the lives of his loved ones. And you can too. With biblical insight and practical wisdom, The Power to Bless shows you how to craft a positive, faith-filled blessing. By learning a few simple, biblical skills for imparting life-changing blessings, you'll be more spiritually blessed than you'd ever imagined, and you'll be equipped with the power to bless the people you love.




BLESS


Book Description

What If You Could Change the World without Changing Your Daily Routine? When you’ve been transformed by God’s love, you can’t help but want others to experience the same grace and freedom. But how do you share it without scaring them away or offending them? For most Christians, “evangelism” is an intimidating word that suggests handing out tracts to strangers or doing other awkward things. But what if there was a more organic, more authentic way to share your faith with your friends, neighbors, and coworkers? Dave and Jon Ferguson have found five simple, straightforward practices that will allow any believer to do just that. And by consistently living them out, you can affect not just individual lives but your entire neighborhood and community—one person at a time.




Ask Me for a Blessing (You Know You Need One)


Book Description

What is a blessing? Do you have to believe to receive one? Can you doubt while you pray? And can you extend grace to others while still desperately in need of it yourself? Once a week Episcopal priest Adrian Dannhauser stands outside her Manhattan church beside a chalkboard sign that reads "Ask me for a blessing (because God knows you need one)." Passersby stop, chat, and ask for prayer: for a sick friend, an addicted son, an upcoming job interview, the state of our nation, or the grief of our world. Bus drivers sometimes open their doors for a quick prayer before the light turns green, and someone once took her to meet their doorman so she could bless him too. Half of those who stop are in crisis. Someone always cries. A few are simply curious. Through the heartfelt, frank, and sincere stories of her unique ministry, Dannhauser offers glimpses into the tender, holy, and sometimes hilarious moments of sidewalk prayers. With a potent blend of reverence and irreverence, as well as insights from Christian scriptures, she delves into the power that ancient ideas--blessing, forgiveness, miracles, and prayer--hold in a disenchanted world. For people of Christian faith, other faiths, or no faith at all, having spiritual conversations, even awkward ones with strangers on the street, can help us face our vulnerability, where we may discover a grace sufficient for all.




Bless and Be Blessed


Book Description

"When you bless," says Peter Lord, "dramatic, miraculous changes take place." In Bless and Be Blessed, this author and pastor shares how we often neglect to bless others until after death. But it is much more useful to give a good or well-meaning word to our loved ones while they are still alive. Coworkers, children, spouses, and friends all need uplifting messages when they can hear, receive, and be transformed by them. With wisdom, personal anecdotes, and hands-on exercises, Lord teaches readers everything they need to know to deliver powerful words with life-changing impact today. He discusses the scriptural basis for blessing others, describes how readers can receive their own blessing from God, and teaches them to weave the practice of blessing into their everyday lives.




To Bless the Space Between Us


Book Description

From the author of the bestselling Anam Cara comes a beautiful collection of blessings to help readers through both the everyday and the extraordinary events of their lives. John O’Donohue, Irish teacher and poet, has been widely praised for his gift of drawing on Celtic spiritual traditions to create words of inspiration and wisdom for today. In To Bless the Space Between Us, his compelling blend of elegant, poetic language and spiritual insight offers readers comfort and encouragement on their journeys through life. O’Donohue looks at life’s thresholds—getting married, having children, starting a new job—and offers invaluable guidelines for making the transition from a known, familiar world into a new, unmapped territory. Most profoundly, however, O’Donohue explains “blessing” as a way of life, as a lens through which the whole world is transformed. O’Donohue awakens readers to timeless truths and shows the power they have to answer contemporary dilemmas and ease us through periods of change.




Double Blessing


Book Description

God doesn't bless us to raise our standard of living. God blesses us to raise our standard of giving, and that's where true joy is found. The New York Times bestselling author of Chase the Lion challenges us not to settle for half of what God offers when it comes to blessings—we are BLESSED to BLESS. His discovery started with a simple experiment. Whenever Batterson received a blessing, he would give a similar blessing away. If someone paid him a compliment or gave him a gift or went out of their way to help him, he would return the favor by doing something similar for someone else. We flip the blessing by blessing others in the way God has blessed us. That’s how the blessing becomes a double blessing. It turns giving into a game—one we can’t win because God will always outgive us! It’s an ancient truth found within the Abrahamic covenant: “I will bless you . . . and you will be a blessing.” In other words, we are blessed to bless. The first blessing is receiving, but it doesn’t end there. The second blessing is giving it away! That’s the double blessing. And that’s where double joy is found. In a day and age where the idea of blessing has been reduced to a hashtag (#blessed), Batterson challenges readers to pursue true, God-glorifying blessing and experience an exponential impact by participating in the double blessing. Don’t settle for half of what God offers. Discover how you can both get it and give it . . . in Double Blessing.




Given


Book Description

How do we express the good that God wants for those we love? How do we experience blessing through pain and suffering? Why would we bless even enemies? How do we keep spoken blessings in sync with God’s will? And how do we integrate blessing, a concept woven throughout the entire Bible, into the fabric of our everyday lives? In Given, you will journey outside of your comfort zone, into a world of blessing as a relational calling—as a way God relates to you and a way you’re called to relate to others. You will travel across countries, cultures, and centuries of church history to expand your paradigm of a word ripe with significance. Along the way, you’ll be inspired to begin the essential Christian practice of being given by God as a blessing. Journey with author Tina Boesch to discover your calling to a meaningful way of living and relating to God and others, inspired by Christ, who gave himself on the cross so that we could fully experience God’s blessing.