In this introduction to the life and teaching of Jesus, Dr. John Dickson takes readers through the historical data to reveal in Jesus a man who will surprise both the religious and the not-so-religious. The Jesus who emerges from the ancient sources challenges the norms of his culture, society, and religion. This Jesus associates with sinners, demands compassion toward the needy, and denounces imperialism. The historical Jesus is not left-wing or right-wing. The Jesus of history transcended these simplistic modern categories. Instead, he was a man unlike any other.
The world is a very religious place. Wherever you look, people are worshipping, praying, believing, following, even dying for their faith. But are all faiths the same? Do they all call on the same God using different names? Are their beliefs and practices simply cultural expressions of the same spiritual longings? In this timely book, John Dickson presents each of the world's major religions in its best light. He carefully outlines the history, belief systems and spiritual practices of Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam so that the interested 'spectator' can explore their similarities and differences. For sceptics, believers and students of religion the book provides a fair and friendly introduction to this ultimate subject.
This lively, accessible book highlights society's most influential voices - including New Age, Secular Humanism, Relativism and Postmodernism. Readers will be rewarded with a way to process the complex messages of our 21st century world and an understanding of how these relate to a Christian worldview.
What does the historical Jesus have to do with the Jesus of contemporary imagination? This book is neither a sceptical tirade nor an evangelistic tract. It is rather a popular-level historical introduction to the life and teaching of Jesus written for the average 'spectator' rather than the academic or religious believer. Dr Dickson takes readers through the historical data to reveal a figure who will surprise both the religious and the not-so-religious. The Jesus who emerges from the ancient sources challenges the norms of society and religion, associates with 'sinners', demands compassion toward the needy and subverts imperialism. Dickson's Jesus is neither 'left-wing' nor 'right-wing'. The Jesus of history transcended these simplistic modern categories.
As many as 96% of Christians are not leading anyone to Jesus. Which means that the vast majority of the wider church is, at best, simply sowing. The kingdom of God, however, requires both sowing and reaping. If we neglect reaping, we will not have a healthy harvest. Jesus at the Door offers a unique tool--an Equipping Card to use with anyone you know, anywhere--and practical, step-by-step instructions, helping readers witness to friends, family, even strangers on the street. This tried-and-tested method is framed around nine points and a picture, and takes about two minutes from introduction to salvation.
Get in the Game! In God's Kingdom, each of us is called to be a player in His plans. We are all equipped by His Spirit to carry out a specific function to see souls saved and lives transformed by His power. Since the Day of Pentecost, believers from all walks of life have had access to the Spirit’s empowerment and the responsibility to get in the game. Rick’s friend and Bible teacher, Tony Cooke, wrote about the believer’s divine purpose to be fully awakened and activated for such a time as this in his book The End of Spectator Church, and Rick sat down with Tony to interview him about it. In this five-part series, they discuss: What it means that it is the end of "spectator Church." What God expects YOU to do in these last days in the Church. How to identify the part you are to play in God’s end-time game. How to activate the gift that God has placed in your life. Join Rick Renner and Tony Cooke as they reveal how the Holy Spirit empowers you to stop being a spectator and to become a participator in God’s plans!
Who was Jesus? Historical sources portray a person who was complex, multi-layered, and often contradictory to the tidy portrait that much of modern Christianity paints him as. Even the gospel accounts render him as both judge and healer, teacher and temple, servant and savior. A Doubter's Guide to Jesus is a persuasive and often challenging investigation into the historical figure found in the earliest sources. These sources, which include references both direct and indirect—from Roman, Jewish, and Christian accounts—offer us more than simple evidence that Jesus existed; they begin to form a picture that is both deeply credible and profoundly counterintuitive. Each chapter explores the evidence for a different aspect of the most influential figure in human history, exploring: His words and their impact. The scandal of his social life. His preference for the poor and lowly. The meaning of his death and influence of his promises. The goal is not to turn Jesus into something neater, more systematic and digestible; but to see him more clearly as someone who stretches our imaginations, confronts our beliefs, and challenges our lifestyles. After two millennia of spiritual devotion and more than two centuries of modern critical research, we still cannot fit Jesus into a box—and this is as challenging as it is deeply compelling.
Thinning hair, failing eyesight, and arthritic hands reveal an inescapable truth: we're only getting older. But that doesn't mean we should simply sit back and take it easy. In Finishing Our Course with Joy, renowned theologian and author J. I. Packer challenges us to embrace old age as an opportunity for continued learning, careful planning, and heartfelt discipleship. Packer's pastoral words and personal stories encourage us to press on toward the upward call of God with endurance and grace—that we might continue to glorify God in our aging and finish our lives with joy.
If following Jesus involves a life of sacrifice and suffering, is it wrong for a Christian to seek purpose and joy in this world? Many Christians sense a tension between their desire to enjoy life in this world—the beauty of God’s creation, the rich love of deep relationships with others—and the reality that this world is fallen and broken, in need of redemption. How can we embrace and thrive in the tension between enjoying creation and promoting redemption? By living out our God-given purpose. As “worldly saints,” created in the image of God, we are natural creatures with a supernatural purpose—to know and love God. Because we live in a world that is stained by the curse of sin, we must learn to embrace our nature as creatures created in the image of God while recognizing our desperate need for the grace that God offers to us in the gospel. Writing in a devotional style that is theologically rich, biblically accurate, and aimed at ordinary readers, Mike Wittmer helps readers understand who they are, why they are here, and the importance of the story they tell themselves. In Becoming Worldly Saints, he gives an integrated vision that shows how we can be heavenly minded in a way that leads to earthly good, empowering believers to seize the abundant life God has for them.
