Spiritual Growth Bible

The Bible reveals not just butterflies and broken hearts. In Scripture, we see God’s beautiful design for the partnership of marriage. We witness friendships that cross all boundaries. We watch as families navigate the many seasons of life. Our guiding example for them all is the deepest, most abiding, foundational love ever known: God’s unconditional love for His people. In The Love Stories of the Bible Speak, Shannon Bream draws lessons from the good, the bad, and the ugly of Biblical romances, friendships, and families.

We live in a world that can best be described as a collective mess: messes in our families, careers, communities, and culture. We find ourselves fighting through the chaos just to survive. But our God is still God in the mess. Inspired by the story of the blind man in John 9, bestselling author and pastor Samuel Rodriguez shows us that sometimes Jesus makes a mess first—and out of that mess emerges a miracle. Full of biblical inspiration, scientific findings, and true stories, Pastor Sam reminds us that God's process is temporary but his promise is permanent.

Life is full of twists and turns. Relationships falter, careers fizzle, health fades. We may be faced with choices we never wanted to make or have situations pushed upon us we'd never expected. Yet, in all of it, God is at our side - even when he feels far away. Drawing on her extensive research into women of the Old Testament, novelist Jill Eileen Smith turns her pen to the lessons in trusting God that we can learn today.

What does an ancient Jewish prophet have to do with modern America? What, if anything, can we learn from a man who lived 2,400 years ago as a captive in the land we now call Iraq? As it turns out, quite a bit. David and Jason Benham are convinced the biblical example of Daniel holds the keys to contemporary Christians thriving in a world increasingly hostile to people of faith. Like Daniel, believers today find themselves in a changing culture, one opposed to the god they serve.

Paul's letter to the church at Galatia speaks largely to how important it was to Paul that the people embrace unity in Christ, no matter their differences. Galatians teaches that we're only justified by faith in Christ and encourages us to pursue a life of holiness, not in our own strength, but in the knowledge of God's empowering grace in our lives.

Lee Strobel’s insights into the benefits of living as a fully devoted follower of Christ are refreshing and powerfully relevant. Using true stories, including his own, he shows that Christianity really works, that we really can live transformed, authentic, and effective lives - and that God’s promises and power are very real and very true.

In this revised and expanded edition of The Last Word, Wright, Bishop of Durham, one of the preeminent Bible scholars of our day and author of such beloved works as After You Believe and Simply Christian, gives new life to the old, tattered doctrine of the authority of Scripture, delivering a fresh, helpful, and concise statement on the current battles for the Bible and restoring Scripture as a place to find God's voice.

We aspire to freedom but often resign ourselves to an existence trapped in uneasiness and dread. Is there any way to shed such heaviness and reignite hope for deliverance? In Traveling Light, Eugene H. Peterson urges us to listen to an expert on freedom, Paul, whose letter to the Galatians reminds us of the realities of life in Christ, freely given to all.

In our everyday lives, friends are the people whom we spend the most time with, go through struggles with at times, and who know us best. Each of Jesus' friends - Peter, John, Matthew, Judas, Mary Magdalene, and Lazarus - traveled with Jesus and were part of his daily ministry, and each has a compelling story to tell. There were some who would question or doubt him, and one would even betray him. Kingsbury brings these fascinating personalities to life in ways that will not only help bring you closer to the truths found in scripture, but also to Christ.

"God has a plan for our lives", but what does that mean in practical terms? How do we know God's will for important life decisions, like who to marry, what job to take, what church to join? How can we be free if God has a perfect plan for us? Does suffering mean we are off track? How exactly does God speak? Author Jerry Sittser explores these questions and offers a biblically based approach that is truly liberating.

Very rarely in the Bible does God command someone to "stay". He opens a door, and then he invites us to walk through it—into the unknown. And how we choose to respond will ultimately determine the lives we will lead and the people we will become. In fact, to fail to embrace the open door is to miss the work God has made for us to do. In All the Places to Go...How Will You Know?, best-selling author John Ortberg opens our eyes to the countless doors God places before us every day.

All Christians and sinners should understand that the whole plan is complete. They should understand that the whole of Christ—his character, his work, his atoning death, and his ever-living intercession—belongs to each and every person and simply needs to be accepted. There is a full ocean of it.

40 Lives in 40 Days is a brand-new devotional compilation of MacArthur's extensive studies of the Bible characters who show us that we don't have to be perfect to do God's work. From the twelve disciples to the Samaritan woman, MacArthur shares that Jesus chose average people--fishermen, tax collectors, doubters, political zealots--and gave them a remarkable mission.

Sometimes you simply need to be reminded how loved you really are - that every day, with every breath, you are loved with such precision that every hair, every molecule of you is known, counted, invited, and welcomed. This audio study guide is that reminder. Best-selling author and speaker Lysa TerKeurst will talk you through the Holy Land in order to come closer to Jesus' words, which will help you enter a place of healing and new perspective. Be a part of this biblical learning process of "living loved".

Join Tara-Leigh Cobble in this 7-session study as she breaks down the intimidating doctrine of the Trinity. You'll discover a beautiful, foundational view of our Triune God that will transform how you relate to Him. Understanding God's three-in-oneness and each of the Persons of God individually—Father, Son, and Spirit—will lead you to deeper intimacy with God and greater joy in knowing Him!

In this Audio Bible Study, Twelve Women of the Bible, Lysa TerKuerst, Elisa Morgan, Jeanne Stevens, and others look at the spiritual lessons learned from 12 biblical women and their implications in life today.

How did we get the Bible? And why does it matter? History reveals that Scripture can be used for both life-giving and destructive purposes. Discovering the Bible’s origins makes all the difference for fostering redemptive interpretation of Scripture. Bringing together both historical criticism and theology, this investigation examines ancient scribal culture through the lens of faith. What we find is a divine-human collaboration that points to the character of God and the value of human agency.

Through these stories, Shannon explains the intimate connection between faith and family—and how God’s unexpected agenda can redefine the way we think about family. Not all of these mothers and daughters in the Bible were paragons of virtue. Like us, they were human beings who faltered and struggled to do their best. While some heard God’s voice, others chose their own paths. Through the lens of their imperfections, we can see how God used their stories to bring about His divine plans. He’s still doing the same work in our lives today.

Millions of people around the world look to the Bible as a source of encouragement and faith formation, a reminder that God is love and is in control, and a guide to living one's life the way God desires. But this treasured book has also been misused and manipulated by many, placed on a pedestal of untouchability, and protected from questioning and honest engagement. In Permission Granted, Jennifer Grace Bird encourages people of faith to explore the texts on their own, freed from long-held myths and misconceptions.

Though Christians affirm that the Old Testament bears witness to Christ, how the Old Testament writers did this is a matter of extensive debate. Furthermore, Christian biblical scholars also debate the degree to which contemporary interpreters of the Bible can follow the hermeneutics of the New Testament authors in using the Old Testament to point to the person and work of Jesus Christ. Five Views on Christ in the Old Testament is the first book to bring together in conversation the major views on how the Old Testament points to Christ.