2023 Credo Magazine Book Awards Winner, Theological RetrievalHoly Scripture requires holy reading. Encounter an ancient but fresh way of reading the Bible.Learn from Augustine, Anselm of Canterbury, Bernard of Clairvaux, and others.Experience a structured and attentive way to focus on Christ, listen to the Spirit, and rest in God's love.Christians read Scripture to encounter Christ and be conformed to his image. Jesus is the point of reading the Bible. But Scripture is no mere human text; it is God's living word. So how should we read it?For Christians throughout the centuries, the answer has been lectio divina--"divine reading." Lectio divina is a sacramental reading. It aims to take us more deeply into the life of God. Through practicing the four movements of lectio divina--attentive reading, extended meditation, prayerful reflection, and silent resting--we focus on Christ, listen to the Spirit, and rest in God's love. We no longer simply read the words of Scripture; instead, we read the face of God in the eternal Word.
Credo Magazine Book of the Year 2023 - Illumination Book Awards 2024 Gold Medal Winner for TheologyUnderstand and celebrate what we believeFor centuries, the Nicene Creed has been central to the church's confession. The Nicene Creed: An Introduction by Phillip Cary explores the Creed's riches with simplicity and clarity. Cary explains the history of the Creed and walks through its meaning line by line. Far from being abstract or irrelevant, the words of the Creed carefully express what God has done in Christ and through the Spirit. The Nicene Creed gives us the gospel. It gives biblical Christians the words for what we already believe. And when we profess the Creed, we join the global church throughout history in declaring the name and work of the one God--Father, Son, and Spirit. Gain a fresh appreciation for the ancient confession with Phillip Cary's help!
A step-by-step guide to preparing effective expository sermons Preparing Sermons from the Page to the Pulpit helps pastors move from study to sermon in seven clear steps. Pastors love studying God's word. But it can be difficult to take the things they've learned from exegesis and apply them to the soul of a congregation. Veteran pastor and seminary professor Wayne Baxter helps pastors move from study to sermon. He guides preachers on how to take their exegetical analysis of a Scripture passage and turn it into an effective expository sermon. Preachers and seminarians will be helped by Baxter's expertise as they grow in crafting compelling sermons.
Jesus is Lord over everything. So his lordship should shape every aspect of life. But what impact does faith really have on our day-to-day existence? And how should we, as Christians, interact with the culture? In Every Square Inch, Bruce Ashford skillfully navigates such questions. Drawing on sources like Abraham Kuyper, C. S. Lewis, and Francis Schaeffer, he shows how our faith is relevant to all dimensions of culture. The gospel informs everything we do. We cannot maintain the artificial distinction between "sacred" and "secular." We must proclaim Jesus with our lips and promote him with our lives, no matter what cultural contexts we may find ourselves in.
"Music is central to the life of the church. In Church Music: For the Care of Souls, Phillip Magness helps the church to recover the primary instrument in worship: congregational voices. With voices raised, we sing praises to our God and King for his Son Jesus Christ. Singing calls for a special kind of leadership--not only on the part of musicians, but also among pastors and lay leaders. Together, leaders can help congregations find their voice and reclaim the power of music for the care of souls"--Page 4 of cover.
"This is the story of Christ's nearness to my own suffering--my mental breakdown, my journey to the psych ward, my long, slow, painful recovery--and how Christ will use even our agony and despair to turn us into servants and guests of the mercy offered in his gospel"--page [4] of cover.
"Thomas Forsyth Torrance (1913-2007) was one of the most important theologians of the twentieth century, yet his work remains relatively neglected by evangelicals. Thomas F. Torrance and Evangelical Theology: A Critical Analysis brings Torrance into closer conversation with evangelical theology on a range of key theological topics. A diverse collection of contributors engage Torrance's pioneering and provocative thought, deriving insights from theological loci such as Scripture, Christology, and atonement, as well as from broader topics like domestic violence and science. These stimulating essays reveal how Torrance can help evangelical theologians articulate richer and deeper theology"--
As the old adage goes, you have to ask the right questions before you can get the right answers. And that's exactly what the Not Your Average Bible Study series helps you do. Rather than spoon-feeding you with individual facts, this study of select Psalms coaches you on how to think through the text as a whole. Tested and proven in Bible Study Magazine, it's perfect for group and individual studies alike. To whom do you turn in good times and bad? In the Psalms, we find ancient people worshiping God in all types of situations, through many different emotions--praise, anger, thankfulness, frustration, and sadness. Their cries and praises abandon façades. The Psalms reflect genuine worship, and they encourage us to turn to God in every situation. Each section of the guide begins with a concise introduction, providing context for the biblical passage. Next, you'll consider questions designed to prompt your own in--depth study. You'll also find specific prayer suggestions, along with ideas for further research. Experience the joy of discovering biblical insights for yourself--then apply these lessons to your everyday life. This is not your average Bible study!
As the old adage goes, you have to ask the right questions before you can get the right answers. And that's exactly what the Not Your Average Bible Study series helps you do. Rather than spoon-feeding you with individual facts, this study of Ruth coaches you on how to think through the text as a whole. Tested and proven in Bible Study Magazine, it's perfect for group and individual studies alike. Ruth was an outcast, yet God drew her from the outskirts of society. He incorporated her not only into the community of Israel but also into his plan of salvation. In Ruth, we find a story of love, loyalty, and compassion--both from people and from God. And we see how God works through ordinary people to achieve his great purposes. Each section of the guide begins with a concise introduction, providing context for the biblical passage. Next, you'll consider questions designed to prompt your own in--depth study. You'll also find specific prayer suggestions, along with ideas for further research. Experience the joy of discovering biblical insights for yourself--then apply these lessons to your everyday life. This is not your average Bible study!
As the old adage goes, you have to ask the right questions before you can get the right answers. And that's exactly what the Not Your Average Bible Study series helps you do. Rather than spoon-feeding you with individual facts, this study of James coaches you on how to think through the text as a whole. Tested and proven in Bible Study Magazine, it's perfect for group and individual studies alike. We can easily become entangled in the cares of this world and forget the important things in life. When we lose sight of the big picture, James reminds us what truly matters--the gospel. He challenges us to be "doers of the Word, and not hearers only." The gospel should define how we think, feel, and act. Each section of the guide begins with a concise introduction, providing context for the biblical passage. Next, you'll consider questions designed to prompt your own in-depth study. You'll also find specific prayer suggestions, along with ideas for further research. Experience the joy of discovering biblical insights for yourself--then apply these lessons to your everyday life. This is not your average Bible study!
As the old adage goes, you have to ask the right questions before you can get the right answers. And that's exactly what the Not Your Average Bible Study series helps you do. Rather than spoon-feeding you with individual facts, this study of 2 Peter and Jude coaches you on how to think through the text as a whole. Tested and proven in Bible Study Magazine, it's perfect for group and individual studies alike. What does active faith look like in the midst of struggle? When false teachers threatened the spiritual health of the early church, Jude and Peter urgently called early Christians to faithful lives that demonstrated mercy, love, and wisdom. These books show us what it means to grow in faith and respond to the love that Christ has for us. Each section of the guide begins with a concise introduction, providing context for the biblical passage. Next, you'll consider questions designed to prompt your own in-depth study. You'll also find specific prayer suggestions, along with ideas for further research. Experience the joy of discovering biblical insights for yourself--then apply these lessons to your everyday life. This is not your average Bible study!
No one preaches in a cultural vacuum. The message of what God has done in Christ is good news to all, but to have the greatest impact on its hearers--or even to be understood at all--it must be culturally contextualized. Finding Our Voice speaks clearly to an issue that has largely been ignored: preaching to Asian North American (ANA) contexts. In addition to reworking hermeneutics, theology, and homiletics for these overlooked contexts, Kim and Wong include examples of culturally-specific sermons and instructive questions for contextualizing one's own sermons. Finding Our Voice is essential reading for all who preach and teach in ANA contexts. But by examining this kind of contextualization in action, all who preach in their own unique contexts will benefit from this approach.
The love of God and neighbor is the heart of the Christian faith. Forgotten saint Samuel Pearce teaches us how to live a life faithful to the greatest commandment. Pearce was a Baptist pastor known in eighteenth-century England for his moving preaching and strong, pious character. In his short life, he supported believers in his own parish as well as in the many cities where he preached and helped send missionaries. Yet his personal faith, founded on the "holy love" of God, formed his most compelling witness to the world. By getting to know Pearce's story, readers will learn from his example what it looks like to love God and neighbor - in good times as well as challenging and seemingly mundane ones. The Lived Theology series explores aspects of Christian doctrine through the eyes of the men and women who practiced it. Interweaving the contributions of notable individuals alongside their overshadowed contemporaries, we gain a much deeper understanding and appreciation of their work and the broad tapestry of Christian history. These books illuminate the vital contributions made by these figures throughout the history of the church.
When Suffering is Redemptive offers hope when life is difficult. The eight stories of this book do not seek to explain the "why" of suffering but rather the present ways that God transforms and redeems suffering, particularly how suffering leads to ministry opportunities. Though the stories are personal and sometimes difficult to tell, the authors are transparent with their struggles and honest in their questions. Yet they have not lost sight of Christ and his purpose for their lives. This book will challenge readers to develop a richer sense of God's sustaining grace in the midst of suffering and disability, hopefully resulting in the compassionate involvement of church ministries with those who are in the trenches of their own personal pain or struggles. Along with the personal stories, this book includes discussion questions and suggested resources at the end of each chapter.
A rich and satisfying commentary on Malachi that unfolds its powerful message. Since Malachi deals with topics such as money, marriage, worship, and the love of God, contemporary Christians can learn much from this ancient book. In addition to commenting on the book of Malachi, this volume shows how to develop biblical expositions from a solid exegetical analysis of the text. "I have chosen the book of Malachi," writes the author, "because it is short and can be easily expounded in a short series, and because it has a good variety of forms and constructions that provide test cases for a practicum in exegesis. But most of all, because the messages recorded here are needed just as much today as in Malachi's day."
Beyond their physical and emotional toll, the horrors of this world raise difficult theological and existential questions. Where is God in the darkest moments of the human experience? Is there any hope for recovery from the trauma generated by these horrors? There are no easy answers to these questions. In "God of All Comfort", Scott Harrower addresses these questions head on. Using the Gospel of Matthew as a backdrop, he argues for a trinitarian approach to horrors, showing how God - in all His triune nature - reveals Himself to those who have experienced trauma. He explores the many ways God relates restoratively with humanity, showing how God's light shines through the darkness of trauma
The authors examine everything Jesus said about future events as recorded in the four canonical Gospels. This includes the famous Olivet Discourse along with many other parables and sayings. The authors situate Jesus's teaching in its original literary and first-century Jewish and Greco-Roman context.
This critique provides a framework for understanding and interpreting the widespread but little-known New Apostolic Reformation movement. As the authors state in the preface: "We write this book with two major goals in mind. First, to give people an idea of the sheer size and reach of the NAR movement. And second, to systematize its key teachings and practices and evaluate them on the basis of Scripture and careful reasoning. . In our judgment, the NAR perspective crosses these boundaries [that is, certain broad parameters, revealed in Scripture and practiced in the historical orthodox church], and it does so in part because of flawed theology rooted in a flawed understanding of Scripture.
Reclaiming our common hope. Too often discussions about the End Times are fraught with wild speculation or discord. But a biblical view of eschatology places Jesus' return and victory at the center. All Christians hold this hope in common. In Jesus Wins, Dayton Hartman focuses on this common ground to reveal why the way we think about the End Times matters. Christian eschatology should be rooted in biblical orthodoxy to inspire hope and greater faithfulness in the present age. That's the point of eschatology after all! Drawing from his own ministry experience, Hartman testifies to the unifying power of Jesus' victory.
Evangelicals are warmongering nationalists--right? Many assume that evangelicals have always shared the ideology and approach of the Moral Majority. But the truth is much more complex. Historically, evangelical rank and file have not held to one position about war; instead, they are strewn across the spectrum from love of peace to glorying in war. In Swords and Plowshares, Timothy Padgett complicates our common perceptions of evangelical attitudes towards war and peace. Evangelical leaders regularly wrote about the temporal and eternal implications of war from World War II to the Vietnam War. Padgett allows us to see firsthand how these evangelicals actually spoke about war and love of country. Instead of blind ideologues we meet concerned people of conviction struggling to reconcile the demands of a world in turmoil with the rule of the Prince of peace.
Diligent study of God's Word involves engaging with it in the language it was written. Learning Greek can be a challenging experience for seminary students, but it is a critical piece of their education. Engaging with the Bible in its original language will lead to deeper understanding, new insights, and provide tools to enter into the conversation surrounding God's Word. Biblical Greek Made Simple is a one-semester textbook that teaches the basics of biblical Greek. Designed with the modern student and curriculum in mind, this grammar introduces all the essential elements of biblical Greek while also utilizing the tools and features of Logos Bible Software to help retain and enhance knowledge of Greek. Each chapter includes exercises tailored to its contents as well as additional teaching material for further advancement. Daniel Zacharias provides a solid overview of the entire biblical Greek system, while challenging students to understand how this ancient language is relevant to meaning and translation.
A fresh, modern translation of key works of the apostolic fathers. These translations by Rick Brannan are perfect for use by students, scholars, and everyday Christians interested in these treasures of the early church.
Everyone is tempted to believe lies about themselves.For many pastors, the lies they're tempted to believe have to do with their identity: that God has called them to lead a movement, that they must sacrifice their home life for their ministry life, or that their image as holy is more important than their actual pursuit of holiness. In Lies Pastors Believe, pastor and professor Dayton Hartman takes aim at these and other lies he has faced in his own ministry and seen other pastors struggle with. With a winsome and engaging style, Hartman shows current and future pastors why these lies are so tempting, the damage they can do, and how they can be resisted by believing and applying the truth of the gospel.
Wise proverbs stick with us and help us navigate life. Our financial decisions might be guided by "a penny saved is a penny earned," or we might remember not to be lazy from "the early bird catches the worm." God has given us a book filled with such memorable wisdom--the Old Testament book of Proverbs. In Living Well, you'll look at a different topic in each chapter and learn how Proverbs can guide us to live wiser, more God-honoring lives. Whether in our finances or our relationships, our approach to work or play, following the way of wisdom is often countercultural, but always best. Living Well gives us the blueprint for such a life--starting with God's own wisdom from the book of Proverbs.
In Ephesians Verse by Verse, Grant R. Osborne offers a clear exposition of this letter that takes seriously both its first-century context and what it means for us today.
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.
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