Bible trivia expert J. Stephen Lang pulls together some wild and wacky biblical tales. Think the Bible is boring? Think again. These tales will both entertain and enlighten the reader, and engender a desire to read the Bible in search of more.
Jonah and the whale? Heart that. David and Goliath? Know them. Noah and the ark? So it rained . . . Get ready for wild, wacky, and weird stories you’d be surprised to find in Scripture. But beware: It’s not your parents’ storybook!
What kind of book is the Bible? Is it a rulebook or a guidebook for moral living? Is it a history book or a book filled with fascinating (and sometimes fantastic) stories? Did humans write the Bible or did God somehow speak a perfect message that the authors transcribed? Many people have asked these questions about the nature of this beautiful, odd, comforting, disturbing book the church calls its “Holy Scripture.” Charlotte Vaughan Coyle shares her own journey to make sense of the Bible in this read-through-the-Bible-in-a-year project. She discovered that the crucial work of asking hard questions and even arguing with the Bible revealed the Scriptures to be a symphony of polyphonic voices, a work of art that paints an alternative vision of reality, a complex novel-like story unavoidably embedded in its own culture and time, and yet able to give witness to the God beyond history who has acted (and continues to act) within history. With the heart of a pastor and the passion of a preacher, Rev. Coyle invites seekers and students (both churched and un-churched) to strap on their scuba gear and join her for a deeper dive beneath the surface of this immense, colorful, mysterious world of the Bible.
Some of the best stories in the Bible are also some of the most unexpected and unusual. And they're not for the faint of heart. These Bible lessons truly are sick...and totally interesting! Surprise your teenagers with the "disgusting" truth! Each of the 13 easy-to-use lessons focuses on a relevant topic related to a scary, gross or weird Bible story and includes a challenging "Fear Factor"-like activity (like eating daring treats), a fun game and thought-provoking discussion questions that help teens uncover life application. These peculiar & profound lessons will grab everyone's attention! Allow one hour per lesson. Includes: 13 easy-to-use Bible lessons for teenagers Great for any time Try one during youth group time, start up a weekly study, or create a Scary, Gross, and Weird retreat. Provides a creative way to reach teens Each lesson delivers approximately one-hour of teaching
A light-hearted, illustrated look at Bible stories that feature such things as boils, John eating locusts, and bones coming to life, plus ideas for how to apply the lessons learned to one's own life.
“Hilarious. . . . It’s Cliff Notes for Scripture—screenplay by Plotz, story by God. . . . In the end, though, the book is made by the spirit of the writer.” — The New York Times Book Review “Like the Bible itself, Good Book contains multitudes—it is by turns thought-provoking, funny, enlightening and moving.” — A. J. Jacobs, author of The Year of Living Biblically “Plotz is a genius writer.” — Franklin Foer, author of How Soccer Explains the World A whip-smart, laugh-out-loud tour through the most important book in the world, a book most people have never read: the Bible.
Ever wished there was a book about some of the weirdest and most disturbing stories in the Bible that was also hilarious to read? You've found it. It turns out, there's a lot of strange stuff in the Bible, and this book takes a tongue-in-cheek look at all of it. Approximately 80 percent of Americans admit they haven't read the Bible. If they did, they'd be pleasantly surprised by its impressive quantity of sex and poop jokes. David danced naked. Noah was basically a moonshining hillbilly. Ezekiel baked poop bread. Herod was eaten by worms. Jesus cursed a fig tree, just to prove he could. Mark went streaking. Hosea married a prostitute. Lot was date-raped by his own daughters. This unique book: Combines humor and education to give better insight into some of the strangest parts of the Bible Organized by topic (poop, genitalia, weird violence, prostitution, gratuitous nudity, seemingly pointless miracles, and other fun stuff) Is a thoroughly researched (really!), reverent, and insightful look at the best-selling book in history Makes a perfect gift for pastors and white elephant parties From Elisha, who loosed homicidal bears on some kids because they called him bald (it's a long story), to the story of Ehud, who gets away with assassinating a tyrannical king because his servants think said king is taking a dump (also a long story), this book examines and casts new light on some of the Bible's stranger moments.
In Estranged: Finding Hope When Your Family Falls Apart, Julie Plagens shares about her life as a child of well-known parents in full-time ministry and the hardships it puts on families to maintain an image of perfection. After many years of anger and unforgiveness, Julie and her husband walked away from the family to find healing after a life-altering health diagnosis. This is the amazing story of how God knitted a Christian family back together through a series of miracles that can only be explained by divine intervention after seven years of estrangement. This book is written for families who are struggling to get along in a healthy manner all the way to those who are experiencing a full-blown family estrangement. Julie gives her story from the perspective of an estranged adult child but also gives tips for parents and adult children who are struggling to find a connection between the two generations. Julie's mother, Joanne Ventura, wrote the afterword to help parents who are struggling with the rejection of their adult children. Estranged is unique in that it not only gives personal stories from both sides of the estrangement (which is rare), but it also gives tips to help families move towards hope and healing, even if there is never reconciliation. This is a must read for anyone dealing with shame, anger, rejection, and unforgiveness. You can find hope when your family falls apart.
Presented here are two volumes of apocryphal writings reflecting the life and time of the Old and New Testaments. Stories told by contemporary fiction writers of historical Bible times in fascinating and beautiful style.
“Simply put, author Dan Cooley’s Bizarre Bible Stories and Bizarre Bible Stories 2! utilize a vernacular, contem-porary writing style intended to reach an audience of children and youth with solid Christian doctrine and practical application. The discussion questions inter-spersed throughout the text are thoughtfully designed to promote interaction between parents and their children on numerous topics of interest. Cooley’s books reflect his passion for providing spiritual food to children in a manner they can easily digest. His attention to detail is evident from cover to cover.” – Dr. Gene A. Getz, Author of over 50 books including The Measure of a Man “ Paul urged Timothy: ‘you know those from whom you learned...’ These captivating biographies and stories will equip and encourage parents, youth pastors and others who want to ensure the enduring faith of youth in the church.” – Daryl Busby, PhD, Dean of Canadian Baptist Seminary, Director of DMN Program, ACTS Seminaries, TWU “ Finally, a book that illuminates some of the coolest, odd-est, and fantastical true stories of the Bible that, when read, young people can say, ‘Wow! God really wants me to be THAT radical? THAT powerful? THAT bold?’ Dan Cooley does this in the simplest and most profound way… he inspires students to read the stories in the Bible for themselves. Study it. Glean from it. And then go into the real world and live it.” – Chad Barrett, Author of Journey to Freedom: The Pursuit of Authentic Fellowship Among Men “ Wow! As a mother of two boys, I certainly see the need to ground our children spiritually. Dan’s book is a tool to help us as parents ground our children in the Word. Dan pulls you into the Scripture and gives you a glimpse of what it was like. He encourages you to dig in God’s Word and pull out God’s personal message to you. There is no greater blessing than bringing God’s Word to life for our children!” – Susan Weagant, Author of Essentials of the Heart