Why did Jesus weep at the tomb of Lazarus when he knew his friend was about to be raised to life? Why was it all right for Zacchaeus to give away part of his wealth while the rich young man had to give it all? What about that extraordinary passage in Genesis about angels marrying the daughters of men? Although not offering easy answers, Adrian Plass opens up over 40 blind spots, asking searching questions and responding from his own vulnerable honesty.
Christians talk a lot about church unity. Unfortunately, however, God’s people are often better known for their divisions and disagreements than for a common commitment to the gospel. At the root of this disunity are the blind spots that prevent us from seeing other points of view and reevaluating our own perspectives. In this provocative book, Collin Hansen challenges Christians from various “camps” to view their differences as opportunities to more effectively engage a needy world with the love of Christ. Highlighting the diversity of thought, experience, and personality that God has given to his people, this book lays the foundation for a new generation of Christians eager to cultivate a courageous, compassionate, and commissioned church.
Each of us has blind spots that can hamper our making and maintaining meaningful relationships. Although over time we may come to recognize them, they are typically hidden, unseen by us, which is why we call them "blind spots." They are aspects of our behavior that do damage to our relationships with others. Some of us are continually reminded of them by others, but we either refuse to see them or simply don't know what to do to eliminate them from our lives. If left alone, they develop and in time can do terrible damage to ourselves and those we love. In this book, author Mark Baxter reveals seventeen of the most common blind spots that foul relationships, and offers examples of how they do and how we can identify them, and process them out of our lives so we can be more Christlike. This book could quite well save a meaningful relationship that you have. Please don't wait until it's too late. God's plan is to conform you to the image of His Son, Jesus. Allow this to be your guidebook, and Mark to be your guide. Rid yourself today of debilitating blind spots today. Get your copy today.
Several of the ways and cultures that the Bible privileges or denounces slip by unnoticed. When those—the privileged and the denounced—are not examined, they fade into and hide in the blind spots of the Bible. This collection of essays engages some of the subjects who face dispersion (physical displacement that sparks ideological bias) and othering (ideologies that manifest in social distancing and political displacement). These include, among others, the builders of Babel, Samaritans, Melchizedek, Jezebel, Judith, Gomer, Ruth, slaves, and mothers. In addition to considering the drive to privilege or denounce, the contributors also attend to subjects ignored because the Bible’s blind spots are not examined. These include planet Earth, indigenous Australians, Palestinians, Dalits, minjungs, battered women, sexual-abuse victims, religious minorities, mothering men, gays, and foreigners. This collection encourages interchanges and exchanges between dispersion and othering, and between the Bible and context. It flows in the currents of postcolonial and gendered studies, and closes with a script that stages a biblical character at the intersection of the Bible’s blind spots and modern readers’ passions and commitments.
The Ultimate Guide to Christian Singleness covers a wide range of common questions Christians singles often have. Why am I still single? Is God calling me to a life of singleness? How can I use this season for God's glory? Is God punishing me with singleness because of my past sins? How can I find a godly spouse? This book is divided into four sections which cover the common phases of Christian singleness. It has 30 short chapters, each with three reflection questions meant for small group Bible studies or individual use.
In this innovative synthesis of words and images, the award-winning author of Open City and photography critic for The New York Times Magazine combines two of his great passions. One of Time’s Top 10 Non-Fiction Books of the Year • One of Smithsonian’s Ten Best Photography Books of the Year When it comes to Teju Cole, the unexpected is not unfamiliar: He’s an acclaimed novelist, an influential essayist, and an internationally exhibited photographer. In Blind Spot, readers follow Cole’s inimitable artistic vision into the visual realm as he continues to refine the voice, eye, and intellectual obsessions that earned him such acclaim for Open City. Here, journey through more than 150 of Cole’s full-color original photos, each accompanied by his lyrical and evocative prose, forming a multimedia diary of years of near-constant travel: from a park in Berlin to a mountain range in Switzerland, a church exterior in Lagos to a parking lot in Brooklyn; landscapes and interiors, beautiful or quotidian, that inspire Cole’s memories, fantasies, and introspections. Ships in Capri remind him of the work of writers from Homer to Edna O’Brien; a hotel room in Wannsee brings back a disturbing dream about a friend’s death; a home in Tivoli evokes a transformative period of semi-blindness, after which “the photography changed. . . . The looking changed.” As exquisitely wrought as the work of Anne Carson or Chris Marker, Blind Spot is a testament to the art of seeing by one of the most powerful and original voices in contemporary literature. Praise for Blind Spot “Common things [are] made radiant by the quality of Cole’s looking. . . . In this new, luminous book, Cole shows himself to be really one of the best at seeing.”—The Guardian “This lyrical essay in photographs paired with texts explores the mysteries of the ordinary.”—The New York Times Books Review (Editors’ Choice) “Stunning . . . feels like the fulfillment of an intellectual project that has defined most of [Cole’s] career.”—Slate “Dazzling . . . cerebral yet intimate . . . combines personal essay, history, biography, journalism, and photography into a seamless package, capturing human dignity and grace through careful, clear-eyed reverence.”—Vice “An eclectically brilliant distillation of what photography can do, and why it remains an important art form.”—San Francisco Chronicle
Chris Young became a Christian a few months ago. Now he writes to his older, wiser Uncle Bill, "I'd like to ask you... what part suffering will play in my life." Uncle Bill responds, and thus begins a series of personal letters from the seasoned Christian worker to encourage and guide his young relative in the Christian life. As we read these letters, we too gain great help and insight into how God transforms our character and fashions us into the image of Christ. The cross, suffering, transformation and God's ultimate purpose are the issues that unfold in this unique book by Gene Edwards. Though written for the new believer, it speaks with a depth and newness that will arrest even the most mature believer. The story spans time, space and eternity to deliver its beautiful, moving and profound message. The Inward Journey is the third of a three-book series entitled "Introduction to the Deeper Christian Life."
We all know blind spots are dangerous when we're changing lanes at 70 mph on an interstate highway. But just as critical are the blind spots that block us from seeing the truth about ourselves and others. No one is immune to either kind. Blind spots are, by definition, invisible to us. No matter how often we're reminded to "check our blind spots," we can't—at least on our own. Our only hope is for God and others to come alongside us and help point them out. Once identified we can start becoming our best and most authentic self. Coauthors Tim Riddle and Fil Anderson help us learn how to recognize and avoid blind spots to become more like Jesus, remembering the Holy Spirit is the revealer and healer. By drawing on stories in Scripture and personal experience, the coauthors invite us to engage in an approachable, logical conversation about what blind spots are, why they exist, how to identify and remove them, how to keep them from returning, and how to point them out in others. In this practical resource full of biblical wisdom, Riddle and Anderson aim to lovingly guide readers toward spiritual growth to live fully and freely as God's dearly loved, completely forgiven, and forever free daughters and sons. Blind Spots helps us find concrete, biblical solutions to the problem of these shortcomings, cultivating a desire for godliness and a greater appreciation for the Spirit's work in our own lives.
Everyone thinks you’ve got it together. But inside, you’re asking, “Am I enough?” No matter how good we look to others, the nagging voice of self-doubt is hard to shake. We ask questions like: If people really knew me would they still accept me? Will I be rejected when I can’t perform? Can I pull this off? What if I end up alone? Am I missing out on what life should be because I can’t shake this fear? If you find yourself having thoughts like these, Erica Wiggenhorn wants to lead you to freedom. Drawing from the story of Moses—the greatest self-doubter in the Bible—Erica shows how self-doubt is tied closely to self-reliance. It’s only when you cast yourself on God that you find the true source of strength. Are you enough? The answer is no . . . but your God certainly is. Step out in His power instead of your own and watch your confidence blossom because you’re in the hands of I AM.
