Religion Bible

The First Letter to the Thessalonians was likely the first of Paul's letters, probably written by the end of AD 52, making it the first written book in the New Testament. For the most part, the letter is personal in nature, with only the final two chapters addressing issues of doctrine. Paul's main purpose in writing is to encourage and reassure the Christians there. Paul urges them to go on working quietly while waiting in hope for the return of Christ.

Many Christian families have never experienced the joys and benefits of family worship. But as Donald S. Whitney makes clear, the daily worship of God by families at home is a practice rooted in the Bible and common throughout Christian history. How can people unfamiliar with family worship lead it in their own homes? How do busy households in today's culture recover faithfulness in family worship? This practical book shows you how simple and easy it can be.

If the Bible isn’t a science book or an instruction manual, then what is it? What do people mean when they say the Bible is inspired? When Rachel Held Evans found herself asking these questions, she began a quest to better understand what the Bible is and how it is meant to be read. What she discovered changed her—and it will change you too.

Drawing on the best in recent scholarship and using her well-honed literary expertise, Evans examines some of our favorite Bible stories and possible interpretations, retelling them through memoir, original poetry, short stories, soliloquies, and even a short screenplay. Undaunted by the Bible’s most difficult passages, Evans wrestles through the process of doubting, imagining, and debating Scripture’s mysteries. The Bible, she discovers, is not a static work but is a living, breathing, captivating, and confounding book that is able to equip us to join God’s loving and redemptive work in the world.

The book of Genesis is God’s autobiography and the foundation upon which all revelation rests. The purpose of this book is to give the origin of all things, including the cosmic order of the universe and the covenant relationship between God and his people. Speaking the Word from his eternal dwelling place of light, God fashioned everything from nothing, perfectly displaying his awesome wonder. We will never be able to take the mystery out of creation, for a God who is incomprehensible in his greatness accomplished it.

How long has your Goliath stalked you? Invaded your first thought of the morning and last worry of the night? David knows a little something about facing giants. The shepherd boy seemingly had little to offer against the nine-foot, nine-inch Goliath. You could read his story and wonder what God saw in him. Throughout his life, David fell as often as he stood, stumbled as often as he conquered. But for those who know the threat of a Goliath, David gives this reminder: Focus on giants — you stumble. Focus on God — your giants tumble.

For every person who draws strength and direction from the Bible, there are many more who struggle with it. Some call it a long book with fine print and obscure meaning. Some call it a mystery, a chore to read, or an undecipherable puzzle. The good news is you can easily solve this problem. With over 300,000 sold, this revised and expanded edition of Living by the Book will remove the barriers that keep scripture from transforming your life.

This revolutionary book about our future is based on the simple idea that, according to the Bible, heaven is not our eternal home - the New Earth is. As Jesus says in the Gospel of Matthew, the next chapter of our story begins with "the renewal of all things", by which he means the Earth we love in all its beauty, our own selves, and the things that make for a rich life: music, art, food, laughter, and all that we hold dear. Everything shall be renewed "when the world is made new".

The early Christian Church was a chaos of contending beliefs. Some groups of Christians claimed that there was not one God but two or twelve or thirty. Some believed that the world had not been created by God but by a lesser, ignorant deity. Certain sects maintained that Jesus was human but not divine, while others said he was divine but not human.

The Old Testament is a fierce battleground for atheists and Christian apologists, with each side accusing the other of taking challenging and troubling passages out of context. In this handbook, Joshua Bowen not only provides the background to the Old Testament and the ancient Near East, but engages with hotly contested topics like slavery, failed prophecy, and the authorship of debated Old Testament books.

Volume two, The Reign of Grace, focuses on the sovereignty, grace, and holiness of God and on the need for holiness in believers. James Montgomery Boice discusses the full meaning of salvation, the problem with suffering, the struggles of sin, and the sustaining love God pours on his people.

What does the Bible really say about the end times? There are so many Christians teaching outrageous speculation about end times Bible prophecy these days. It's enough to frustrate the serious Bible student. What if you found out most of it is simply mistaken? What if you found out that the ancient Jewish writers were using Old Testament imagery of the past, not a crystal ball gaze into our modern future?

In The Bible Code, best-selling author of The Joshua Code, O. S. Hawkins, takes us from Genesis to Revelation as he illuminates Scripture through the light of Christ. Because all of the Bible, and all of life for that matter, is about Jesus. In Exodus, he is the Passover Lamb. In Deuteronomy, he is the Bread of Life. In Song of Solomon, he is our Bridegroom.

The Bible is filled with passages that are so baffling we tend to ignore them. Yet the passages that seem weird might be the most important. These essays will shock you, intrigue you, and completely change the way you view the Bible. Dr. Michael S. Heiser visits some of the Bible's most obscure passages, unveiling their ancient context to help you interpret them today. Download this book and you'll never be bored by the Bible again.

Abridged from Wayne Grudem's award-winning Systematic Theology, Bible Doctrine provides a more accessible starting point for understanding the essentials of the faith, giving you a firm grasp on seven key topics: the word of God, the doctrine of God, humanity, Christ, the application of redemption, the church, and the future.

What does it mean to be human? This timeless question proves critical as we seek to understand our purpose, identity, and significance. Amidst the many voices clamoring to shape our understanding of humanity, the Bible reveals important truths related to our human identity and vocation that are critical to the flourishing of all of creation. Carmen Joy Imes seeks to recover the theologically rich message of the creation narratives starting in the book of Genesis as they illuminate what it means to be human.

The Book of Proverbs teaches, instructs, inspires, and guides people to a godly lifestyle, to a knowledge of God’s heart and his character, and to life’s perspectives that pleases the Lord.

The Bible is mysterious, surprising, and often deeply misunderstood. Dr. Michael S. Heiser, an expert in the ancient near east and author of the best selling The Unseen Realm, explores the most unusual, interesting, and least understood parts of the Bible and offers insights that will inspire, inform, and surprise you every minute.

George W. Sarris is an accomplished actor, narrator, and spokesman. He served on the Board of the Screen Actors Guild in Boston, and has been a spokesman for radio and television commercials and industrial films for companies such as AT&T, BMW, Burger King, Duracell, Honda, Pizza Hut, Sprint, and UPS. Mr. Sarris holds the degrees of Bachelor of Science in Speech from Northwestern University, and Master of Divinity from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.

Life is often messy. We hear people say, “My life is a mess,” or “This situation is a mess.” What they mean is that life has become difficult, painful or confusing. But God never promised us a trouble-free life. In fact, His Word tells us to expect the opposite. In John 16:33, Jesus says, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (NIV). In Blessed in the Mess, beloved Bible teacher Joyce Meyer shows us how to be blessed in the midst of life’s most challenging circumstances.

Our world is packed with lies and loss of trust. Wars and rumors of war. Devastation and disaster. Pressure and persecution. Lawlessness and lovelessness. Some days it seems like bad news all around. And with bad news comes questions: “Why is this happening? When will it stop? What can we do?” And perhaps the most pressing of all: “Is this the end?” In this hope-filled book, bestselling author, pastor, and respected Bible teacher Dr. David Jeremiah focuses our attention not on the problems at hand, but on the hand of God.