This inspiring collection of poetic prose takes a personal look inside the life and world of Jesus Christ. Author Nancy Elizabeth Gainor lets us shadow Jesus, overhear His conversations, experience His joy, and look into His compassionate and loving eyes through her verse. This unique book of poetry captures snapshots of the earthly life of our Savior from conception to the resurrection. Anyone will be able to find relevance in the scripture and learn applicable lessons that will draw you closer to God. This collection omits the classic rhythmic patterns of poetry offering seventy-one captivating stories that are full of the mighty mercy and grace of Jesus. Become an eyewitness to the greatest inspirational event in world historya fascinating journey of faith. Casting the Net A burly and bronzed fisherman releases his tightly clenched fist, and the sturdy net is cast overboard. Unsuspecting fish will soon swim into its grasp, drawn from familiar surroundings to the unknown. Jesus perused the coastline, noting the passion and exuberance of several fisherman dutifully fulfilling their trade. Conversing frequently with them concerning matters of faith, Jesus knew that if He would only ask, the anglers would follow him.
You've Read the Gospel Stories about Jesus. You've heard plenty of sermons about His life, His death, and His resurrection. And you're sure you know the story inside and out. But you've never heard it like this! In a dozen riveting vignettes, Richard Exley sketches a revealing and intimate portrait of Jesus as he was seen through the eyes of the people he touched during his final days. Drawing from the canvases of Scripture, history, and tradition, Exley carefully paints these real-life eyewitness accounts in colors so vivid you'll feel you're right there with them. You'll see Jesus changing the lives of ordinary people. More importantly, you'll see how He can change you. Book jacket.
He was the man who saw it all: Jesus Christ, the early church, Paul's missionary journeys, and the events that changed the world. Mark, son of a Roman statesman, witnesses the week that changed history, when Jesus stays in his own home. From that time, the young Roman is captivated. But his tumultuous spirit must be tamed. His encounter with the Savior is the saga of the early church.
Author Emily Shanklin never had any problem finding books that told her how to share her faith in Christ, but she could never find any that showed her how. In her innovative religious guide, Eyewitness Evangelism, Shanklin takes a how-to approach to demonstrate the right way to lead someone to Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Each chapter centers on an evangelist who encounters a different person or persons from another walk of life. This gives you the opportunity to see how the evangelist opens a conversation, moves it to the spiritual realm, and attempts to bring the individuals to the point where they're ready to receive Christ. The evangelist uses the same underlying method with every venture, which is a combination of many techniques popular today. Shanklin facilitates an understanding of the process by answering the following questions: How did the evangelist start the dialogue? How did the evangelist create a spiritual dialogue? How did the evangelist urge people to receive Jesus Christ? Was timely information revealed that affects Christ's kingdom? Eyewitness Evangelism will enable you to step out in confident trust and fulfill the Lord's great commission to "make disciples of all nations."
The Bible has sold more copies than any other book and continues to sell year after year. Continuing in its footsteps is the Eyewitness series written for the average person. Flash back to first century AD. One man appeared who shook up the world. Four men testified to what they saw and heard. The details of JesusÂ’ life were recorded by four of his closest followers. Each account is written from a different perspective and only one of the four tells the events in chronological order. Therefore, for centuries, the accounts have been told in out-of-sequence fragments. Eyewitness compiles the information from the Gospels and hundreds of other Bible verses into one chronological story laid out like a story without reference or verse. The result is a seamless combination of the four gospel books that will appeal to customers across the board, even those who would not normally purchase a Bible. Multiple bindings and an aggressive advertising and marketing campaign will insure this line carries strong sales for years to come.
Christmas has always been a favorite holiday for Christians worldwide. It is a magical time for gift-giving and family get-togethers. The people involved, in the biblical story, are fascinating and they appear to be the only ones looking for the promised Messiah. However, over the centuries since Jesus was born in Bethlehem, more and more false characters have been added to the Christmas tradition. There is no Santa Clause, Elves, Rudolph, Grinch, Snowmen, Trees, Holly, Ornaments or Mistletoe in the Bible story of the birth of Christ. Charlie Brown and Snoopy were not there. The commercializing of Christmas, with billions of dollars spent on gifts that are not needed, for people you don’t like, with money you don’t have, has overpowered the actual reason of Jesus birth. I hope here to reintroduce the reader to the real personalities that witness Jesus first coming. These are the one included by Matthew and Luke in the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ birth. People like: Gabriel-The Angel sent from God to announce the coming of Messiah Mary-The young mother of Jesus Joseph-The stepfather who raised Jesus The Innkeeper-Unknown by name and oft-maligned The Shepherds-Those who were looking for His coming Isaiah-The prophet who told Isra-el how to recognize the good king The Wise Men-Who followed the star to find the King Herod-The evil false king of Judah Simeon-Who waited for the Consolation of Israel Anna-The old prophetess who served in the Temple Their stories tell us much about the political and religious times into which Jesus was born. We can learn from them that we are to live our lives, believing God will always accomplish His will. We need to live expecting His appearance anytime, and “when you think not.” These are their stories.
If God does exist, why is there so much evil in the world? Why do bad things happen to good people? Why do we suffer so many trials and tribulations in our lives? These difficult questions that nonbelievers often use to deny God's existence are addressed in this book with the biblical and religious references and answers. Proof and evidence of God's existence surround us everywhere we go if we simply open our eyes and our minds to the truth. The miracles and incredible balance in nature, the wonder of the human body, the intricate structure of our eyes and ears, cellular complexity, molecular genetics, DNA, the wonders of the Earth and our universe all point to intelligent design. It is beyond belief and comprehension that all of these things could have simply evolved from some freak accident of "nature." The watchmaker's analogy for intelligent design is a good one and is certainly applicable to the creationism versus the evolution and randomness arguments discussed in this book.Jesus performed many miracles that were seen by a multitude of people and recorded by eyewitnesses. But there are also records of modern-day medical miracles that non-Christian doctors cannot explain. Additionally, thousands of people have chosen to share their near-death experiences with a research foundation, and virtually all of them reported that they came back with a profound understanding of God's love. In an interesting 1982 blind prayer study conducted by the San Francisco Medical Center, data suggests that the intercessory prayer to the Judeo-Christian God had a beneficial therapeutic effect in patients who were admitted to a critical care unit.Although there are many biblical and religious documents that recorded events in Jesus's life, there are well over ten independent accounts from outside the biblical record that identify over sixty life events and beliefs about Jesus's life. Finally, we must look to human nature itself for evidence of the existence of God and his son, Jesus Christ. Many Christians, including Jesus, and all but one of his disciples were persecuted, horribly tortured, and died excruciating deaths because of their belief in God. Many people throughout history have been willing to die for what they truly believed in, but no one willingly dies for what they know to be a lie.Finally, how do you approach a nonbeliever and talk with them about faith? This is difficult for most people, as they feel that they must have some specialized training in order to do so. One does not need a special gift to evangelize. The mandate to be a witness applies to every follower of Christ. This book can help you be a true witness!
Noted New Testament scholar Bauckham challenges the prevailing assumption the accounts of Jesus circulated as "anonymous community traditions," instead asserting that they were transmitted in the name of the original eyewitness.
The Reality Check series is a set of discussion guides designed to help people from a variety of spiritual backgrounds discover the powerful life and teaching of Jesus in the context of a small group. Each six-part session opens with icebreaker questions, and then focuses on one aspect of the life of Jesus. The session concludes with application questions that help group members apply what they've learned to their own lives. (August)
