Spiritual Growth Bible

Trusting Jesus is hard. It requires following the unseen into an unknown and believing Jesus' words over and against the threats we see or the fears we feel. Through the imaginative retelling of 35 Bible stories, Not by Sight gives us glimpses of what it means to walk by faith, counsel for how to trust God's promises more than our perceptions, and the way to find rest in the faithfulness of God.

Paul is second only to Jesus as the most important person in the birth of Christianity, and yet he continues to be controversial, even among Christians. How could the letters of Paul be used both to inspire radical grace and to endorse systems of oppression - condoning slavery, subordinating women, condemning homosexual behavior? Borg and Crossan use the best of biblical and historical scholarship to explain the reasons for Paul's mixed reputation and reveal to us what scholars have known for decades: The later letters of Paul were created by the early church to dilute Paul's message.

In today's social media-saturated world, the word influence conjures up images of beautifully curated Instagram feeds or women who lead from the stage and have thousands of followers. It's measured by the number of likes and shares and how well we can get people to imitate us. Influence has almost become synonymous with fame and power, and if we're honest, many of us long to have it. But in its purest form, influence is simply the capacity to affect change on someone. It is the ability to impact others for a certain purpose.

Most people - even people of faith - do not understand how the Bible fits together. Too many Christians accept half an inheritance, content to embrace merely the New Testament, while Jewish people may often experience the same by embracing only the Old Testament. But God has an intricate plan and purpose for both the Old and the New. In Mysteries of the Messiah, Rabbi Jason Sobel reveals the many connections in Scripture hidden in plain sight. Known for his emphatic declaration “but there’s more!” he guides us in seeing the passion and purpose of the Messiah.

12 proven strategies to help you memorize the Bible faster and easier! Go beyond the simple "repeat over and over" method of memorizing Bible verses and learn the techniques backed by science and used by memory athletes all over the world.

Of the many recent books on the historical Jesus, none has explored what the latest biblical scholarship means for personal faith. Now, in Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time, Marcus Borg addresses the yearnings of those who want a fully contemporary faith that welcomes rather than oppresses our critical intelligence and openness to the best of historical scholarship. Borg shows how a rigorous examination of historical findings can lead to a new faith in Christ, one that is critical and, at the same time, sustaining.

You were made to make disciples. Jesus gave His followers a command: “Follow Me.” And a promise: “I will equip you to find others to follow Me.” We were made to make disciples. Designed for use in discipleship relationships and other focused settings, Multiply will equip you to carry out Jesus’ ministry. Each of the 24 sessions in the audio book corresponds with an online video at www.multiplymovement.com, where New York Times best-selling author David Platt joins Francis Chan in guiding you through each part of Multiply.

Everyone struggles with worry. You may be wrestling with everyday fears about your relationships or your finances. Or perhaps you're dealing with a life-and-death decision or paralyzing emotions. Regardless of the reasons for your worries, or the degree to which you feel them, God cares. He wants you to live a life of peace and hope. He wants to give you freedom. This book will explain and apply 100 key verses from God's word to help you overcome your worries and anxieties.

Though suffering often leaves us feeling isolated, God invites us into the community of the Trinity and offers us many companions in scripture. We experience loneliness alongside the exiled Israelites. We journey with David as he pleads to God for rescue. With Asaph we confess our unbelief. With Job we learn to lament. With Mary and Martha we learn to wait. In God's community, there is sweet fellowship, even in the hardest of circumstances. Journey in this book with Wendy Alsup through her story of suffering, and more importantly, with the God who walks with us in the wilderness.

There is a church not too far from us that recently added a $25 million addition to their building. Our local newspaper ran a front-page story not too long ago about a study revealing that one in five people in our city lives in poverty. This is a book about those two numbers. It's a book about faith and fear, wealth and war, poverty, power, safety, terror, Bibles, bombs, and homeland insecurity, It's about what happens when Christians support, animate, and participate in the very things Jesus came to set people free from.

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".

Every story is about Him. A single, scarlet thread runs through the entire Bible, weaving a beautiful garment of salvation from Genesis to Revelation. This thread shows how the Old and New Testament fit together to tell one complete story. This sacred thread is the blood covenant Jesus made with God for you. Uncover the grand narrative of Jesus's sacrifice, as it is powerfully and prophetically woven through the Scriptures beginning with the covenant rituals, Adam and Eve, Abraham, Moses, and the prophets.

What will heaven be like? Randy Alcorn presents a thoroughly biblical answer, based on years of careful study, presented in an engaging, listener-friendly style. His conclusions will surprise readers and stretch their thinking about this important subject. Heaven will inspire readers to long for heaven while they're living on earth.

Ten of the Bible's best-known femmes fatales parade across the pages of Bad Girls of the Bible with situations that sound oh-so-familiar. Eve had food issues. Potiphar’s wife and Delilah had man trouble. Lot’s wife and Michal couldn’t let go of the past, Sapphira couldn’t let go of money, and Jezebel couldn’t let go of anything. Yet the woman at the well had her thirst quenched at last, while Rahab and the sinful woman left their sordid histories behind.

For years, Christians have argued, debated, and fought one another while "speaking the truth in love," yet we are no closer to the grace-filled life Jesus modeled. Biblical scholar and popular podcast host of The Bible for Normal People, Jared Byas casts a new vision for the Christian life that's built not on certainty, but on the risk of love.

In a time when women carry more influence than any other generation, the power of prayer has never been more important to remind us that we do not have to bear our crosses alone. We need prayer to stand guard over our hearts and minds and over the hearts and minds of our families. Women today are shattering glass ceilings and forging new paths in the world. This audiobook is a clarion call for women to continue their progressive march of empowerment by dreaming like their daughters and praying like their grandmothers.

Every woman knows it's easy to lose sight of the heavenly power of God at work in our lives during times of hardship, exhaustion, stress, and change. But no matter the situation - whether it's our health, marriage, finances, family, or vocation - God has equipped all women with the power and influence to live freely and confidently. With warmth and a welcoming style, speaker and award-winning writer LaTan Roland Murphy illuminates 11 courageous women in the Bible and shows how each was uniquely positioned for success because of her courageous choices.

People unfamiliar with Scripture often assume that women play a small, secondary role in the Bible. But in fact, they were central figures in numerous Biblical tales. It was Queen Esther’s bravery at a vital point in history which saved her entire people. The Bible contains warriors like Jael, judges like Deborah, and prophets like Miriam. The first person to witness Jesus’ resurrection was Mary Magdalene, who promptly became the first Christian evangelist, eager to share the news which would change the world forever.

"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.

Bishop, Bible scholar, and best-selling author N. T. Wright here provides a series of case studies on how to apply the Bible to the pressing issues of today. Among the topics Wright addresses are the intersection of religion and science, why women should be allowed to be ordained, what we get wrong and how we can do better when Christians engage in politics, why the Christian belief in heaven means we should be at the forefront of the environmental movement, and many more.