In his letter to the church in Galatia, the Apostle Paul addresses the inefficacy of religious tradition for salvation and reaffirms the completeness of Jesus Christ's redemptive work for our deliverance and righteousness. Fooling Ourselves with Fig Leaves is an attempt to take the message of the Galatian epistle and apply it to today's spiritual context. In it, the author takes us through a journey of discovery and insight as he exposes the deceptive nature of religion, and highlights efficacy of justification by grace through faith. As a professor and pastor, Miciano writes with a desire to be faithful to the integrity of the ancient text while being mindful of the needs of believers and seekers today. This makes for an engaging read in exploring the age-old pursuit of knowing God and enjoying him forever.
IGNORANCE OF GOD’S TRUTH IS NO EXCUSE! We are to glorify God and love Him with all our heart, soul and mind; and love our neighbors as ourselves. As believers, we are to be conduits for the flow of God’s love to other human beings. However, the Christian Community is greatly hindered corporately and individually because of self-love, individualism, spiritual and biblical ignorance. Many Christians look at the truths of God’s Word in an attitude of utter defeat and unbelief. God said this work would be done through us empowered by the Holy Spirit. We can trust Him to complete His work in us because He has promised it (see Philippians 1:6). God repeatedly assures us of His promised provisions for us, and of His consistent undying love for us. Why not fully—yield yourself to Him today!
In an earnest and searing wake-up call, the author of the bestseller Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy warns of the haunting similarities between today’s American church and the German church of the 1930s. Echoing Bonhoeffer’s prophetic call, Eric Metaxas exhorts his fellow Christians to repent of their silence in the face of evil before it is too late.
Thanks Writing a book is always a moment of creation, that time when your ideas, life experience, the way you look at current events around you, turn into written pages. Some people make it possible to happen. For this book, I am grateful to some persons. My biggest thanks go to: Vivian Kohen, she was so great and tireless to translate my novel from Turkish to English. Hazel Zairi, as an experienced and qualified Editor of the English version translated from Turkish. Yael Anat Levi, her personal beautiful work for the cover design. Maria Anna Grazia Mollica as final Editor, for contributing to some good suggestions and improvements.
Who better to face the greatest evil of the 20th century than a humble man of faith? As Adolf Hitler and the Nazis seduced a nation, bullied a continent, and attempted to exterminate the Jews of Europe, a small number of dissidents and saboteurs worked to dismantle the Third Reich from the inside. One of these was Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a pastor and author. In this New York Times bestselling biography, Eric Metaxas takes both strands of Bonhoeffer's life--the theologian and the spy--and draws them together to tell a searing story of incredible moral courage in the face of monstrous evil. In Bonhoeffer, Metaxas presents the fullest account of Bonhoeffer's life, including his: heart-wrenching decision to leave the safe haven of America to return to Hitler's Germany involvement in the famous Valkyrie plot and in "Operation 7," the effort to smuggle Jews into neutral Switzerland lifelong dedication to sharing the tenets of his faith This edition, revised and with a new introduction from the author, shares the deeply moving story through previously unavailable documents, including personal letters, detailed journal entries, and firsthand personal accounts to reveal never-before-seen dimensions of Bonhoeffer's life and work. Praise for Bonhoeffer: "Metaxas has created a biography of uncommon power--intelligent, moving, well researched, vividly written, and rich in implication for our own lives. Or to put it another way: Buy this book. Read it. Then buy another copy and give it to a person you love. It's that good." --Archbishop Charles Chaput, author, First Things "Metaxas tells Bonhoeffer's story with passion and theological sophistication." —Wall Street Journal "Metaxas presents Bonhoeffer as a clear-headed, deeply convicted Christian who submitted to no one and nothing except God and his Word." --Christianity Today "Metaxas has written a book that adds a new dimension to World War II, a new understanding of how evil can seize the soul of a nation and a man of faith can confront it." --Thomas Fleming, author, The New Dealers’ War
Adrian Plass and Jeff Lucas are renowned for their ability to express the silly side of Christian culture, and to cut through our pretensions and foibles with incisive wit. In this long-awaited sequel to Seriously Funny the pair again join comedic forces to challenge and entertain us with candid, moving, hilarious excerpts from their personal correspondence.
The Gospel comes to us in an inexhaustible variety of ways: in reading Scripture and praying together, in thinking hard and arguing in faithful community, in the Holy Spirit and in flesh and bone. These sermons engage heart and mind, all of the senses (including our senses of humor and tragedy), and the real lives of real congregations, to proclaim a thoughtful, embodied vision of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
How being real with others will help us fight sin and grow authentic friendships Every woman longs for authentic friendships with others-but in a world of carefully-curated social media, most of us are merely keeping up appearances. Both online and offline, we're all prone to only presenting the best side of ourselves. This book shows us that the secret to growing the relationships we crave is in developing a biblical habit of repentance. By being honest about our sin before God and receiving his forgiveness, we're freed be honest about our sin with others. When we drop the act and allow ourselves to be vulnerable by sharing our struggles, not only are we strengthened in our fight against sin, but we experience authentic fellowship and real friendship. Catherine Parks empowers women to fight side by side against their sin, and shows how by getting real about our struggles, we can create genuine community in an "I'm fine" culture. This book is great for reading with your book group, women's group, accountability partner, or one-to-one mentor-discussion questions are included for every chapter.
