Biblical interpretation is typically viewed as concerned with understanding the human author’s intended meaning. However, for Christians, the Bible is first and foremost God’s Word and must be understood in that light. Helping Christians approach the Bible with God in mind, this book sets forth a more nuanced approach to biblical interpretation that pays attention to both the human and divine origins of these sacred texts. Whether it’s reviewing the three basic steps of interpretation or emphasizing the importance of paying attention to the Christ-centered character of both the Old and New Testaments, this book is a much-needed resource for the church as it wrestles to defend the authority of Scripture in our increasingly relativistic world.
From the #1 fastest growing ministry on television according to Neilsen ratings, the Gospel Truth, Andrew Wommack reveals four secrets to living a fulfilling, exciting, consistent Christian life.
Fifteen years after its original publication comes a thoroughly revised edition of the Evangelical Dictionary of Theology. Every article from the original edition has been revisited. With some articles being removed, others revised, and many new articles added, the result is a completely new dictionary covering systematic, historical, and philosophical theology as well as theological ethics.
"God is with us." We say this in our sermons, prayers, and songs, but what does it really mean? For many Christians, the whole notion of God's presence remains vague and hard to define. Exploring both the Old and New Testaments, professor J. Ryan Lister seeks to recover the centrality of the presence of God in the whole storyline of Scripture—a theme that is too often neglected and therefore misunderstood. In a world that longs for—yet struggles to find—intimacy with the Almighty, this book will help you discover the truth about God's presence with his people and what his drawing near means for the Christian life.
For too long the Christian community has been told five, ten, fifteen minutes with God is enough, but God wants to stir within us ways to worship him anew. This book will help you accelerate your relationship with Christ, where living in the presence of God is a lifestyle. You will gain a fresh understanding of how to seize every opportunity to be immersed in Gods presence and where the focus is to worship the Creator, not the created. Through dreams and visions, see firsthand how God taught Teresa new ways of spending time with her Lord. Follow her journey as she learns how worshipping anew opens the windows of Heaven into the tangible presence of God, where miracles began. The treasures within the pages of this book will help you appreciate and embrace what it means to worship God and stop the cycle of a stagnant walk with him. As you read, experience what can happen in the physical and spiritual world when we surrender our entire being and are submerged into the beautiful, supernatural presence of God.
Do you long for something more in your relationship with God? The good news is that “something more” does not mean “doing more.” God is not waiting for you to get your spiritual life “right.” He wants to be with you right where you are. The real question is not “What does God want from you?” but “What does God want for you?” Sharon Jaynes understands what it’s like to have a “glory ache”—a longing to experience God’s presence on a daily basis. She also knows how easily working for God can get in the way of intimacy with God. And she’s discovered that we tend to make our faith journey much too hard. In A Sudden Glory, Sharon uses Scripture and story to help you erase the line between your “spiritual life” and your “daily life” as you enter the sanctuary of God’s presence even in the middle of your busy, messy day. Here you will find your eyes opened to moments of sudden glory in which the Creator assures you of His love as you live and move and have your being in Him. Here you will discover true freedom—the freedom of experiencing God in a deeper and more intimate way than ever before. Includes Bible study and discussion guide.
Discovering true joy in your life can be as simple as spending 31 days journaling through the Pure Joy Bible reading plan. This Bible reading plan and journal provides 31 Scripture references for a month-long adventure of cultivating a happy heart. The daily focus word and simple memory statement will remind you of the rich depth God's Word provides. Specifically designed to help you remember to spend time with God each day and enjoy his love letter to you., the simplicity of this Bible reading plan and journal makes it one you'll long to share with others. Give God's Word the opportunity to soak into your soul and help you remember all the reasons you should be glad!
Scripture reveals a God who meets us where we are, not where we pretend to be. No More Faking Fine is your invitation to get honest with God through the life-giving language of lament. If you've ever been given empty clichés during challenging times, you know how painful it is to be misunderstood by well-meaning people. When life hurts, we often feel pressure--from others and ourselves--to keep it together, suck it up, or pray it away. But Scripture reveals a God who lovingly invites us to give honest voice to our emotions when life hits hard. For most of her life, Esther Fleece Allen believed she could bypass the painful emotions of her broken past by shutting them down altogether. She was known as an achiever and an overcomer on the fast track to success. But in silencing her pain, she robbed herself of the opportunity to be healed. Maybe you've done the same. Esther's journey into healing began when she discovered that God has given us a real-world way to deal with raw emotions and an alternative to the coping mechanisms that end up causing more pain. It's called lament--the gut-level, honest prayer that God never ignores, never silences, and never wastes. No More Faking Fine is your permission to lament, taking you on a journey down the unexpected pathway to true intimacy with God. Drawing from careful biblical study and hard-won insight, Esther reveals how to use God's own language to come closer to him as he leads us through our pain to the light on the other side, teaching you that: We are robbing ourselves of a divine mystery and a divine intimacy when we pretend to have it all together God does not expect us to be perfect; instead, he meets us where we are There is hope beyond your heartache, disappointment, and grief Like Esther, you'll soon find that when one person stops faking fine, it gives everyone else permission to do the same.
We know that one of the primary ways that God speaks to us is through His Word. But sometimes we approach Scripture with so many questions to be answered and problems to be solved that we have difficulty hearing God in all the confusion. In Listening to God, Jan Johnson introduces us to lectio divina or sacred reading -- a way of reading that makes space for God to speak through the text. Instead of asking questions of the text, lectio divina helps us listen to the questions God is asking us through the text. Listening to God arranges passages of Scripture by topics, so that you can zero in on a topic that is personally relevant and spend a day or week on a single passage learning to listen to God through His Word. Some topics included are -- finding intimacy with God -- making progress in the spiritual life -- having the heart of Christ -- building relationships. Ideal for personal or group use, Listening to God helps the Bible text come vividly alive and teaches how to experience God's voice through a passage you may have heard over and over, or are finally understanding for the first time.
