The book consists primarily of interviews between Strobel (a former legal editor at the Chicago Tribune) and biblical scholars such as Bruce Metzger. Each interview is based on a simple question, concerning historical evidence (for example, "Can the Biographies of Jesus Be Trusted?"), scientific evidence, ("Does Archaeology Confirm or Contradict Jesus' Biographies?"), and "psychiatric evidence" ("Was Jesus Crazy When He Claimed to Be the Son of God?"). Together, these interviews compose a case brief defending Jesus' divinity, and urging readers to reach a verdict of their own.
The Story of Jesus small group video Bible study is a seven-week exploration into the life and ministry of Jesus that is adapted from the original The Story Adult Curriculum. Pulled straight from the pages of the Bible, this study provides individuals and groups of all sizes the opportunity to learn, discuss, and apply Jesus’ life, work, and teaching to their everyday lives. Pastor and author Randy Frazee presents seven ten-minute teachings on how the story of Jesus intersects with the story of our modern day lives. To understand the Bible, says author and pastor Randy Frazee, you need bifocal lenses, because two perspectives are involved. The Lower Story, our story, is actually many stories of men and women interacting with God in the daily course of life. The Upper Story is God's story, the tale of his great, overarching purpose that fits all the individual stories together like panels in one unified mural. The Story of Jesus Participant’s Guide includes DVD teaching notes, discussion questions, between session personal experiences, and also includes seven chapters of the full text of The Story hardcover book as it relates to Jesus, from his birth to the beginning of the church. Sessions include: The Birth of the King Jesus' Ministry Begins No Ordinary Man Jesus, the Son of God The Hour of Darkness The Resurrection New Beginnings Designed for use with The Story of Jesus Video Study (sold separately).
You have a story to tell. Maybe you didn't realize that. When you decided to follow Jesus, your story really started to develop. God has a story to tell. Since before you were born, God has been pursuing you. He sent his son for you—and your friends. Your friends have stories. Maybe their stories don't include Jesus—yet. That's where you and 3Story come in. Evangelism is an essential element of every youth group. But when traditional evangelism methods prove awkward, ineffective, or uncomfortable for students to embrace, it’s almost impossible to equip your students to understand and share their faith. But 3Story® is different. 3Story is a way of life that guides followers of Christ to BE good news while telling stories of THE Good News. Based squarely on relationships, 3Story focuses God’s story, my story (the student), and their story (their friends). This curriculum course based on Youth for Christ’s 3Story training presents an interactive learning experience that equips students to live and practice the 3Story lifestyle—a biblically based, culturally relevant form of discipleship-evangelism that emphasizes being real in personal interactions.
Jesus has called you. Called you to be different. Called you to love. Called you to restore. Equip your small group to answer the call of God on their life with this incredible 12-session DVD. The Gospel of John: Finding Identity and Purpose DVD Bible Study covers 12 passages from the book of John that will deepen your understanding of identity, calling, and God's purpose for you. Packed with leader tips, discussion questions, practical applications, and prayer points, this DVD study can be led by anyone! Sessions are taught by 6 professors with specialized areas of knowledge. This includes the Participant Guide only. DVD (ISBN 9781628627879) sold separately. Complete kit also available (ISBN 9781628628296). Designed to accompany the DVD study, The Gospel of John Participant Guide provides an outline of the video teaching with room for notes and includes photos, maps, additional information, and a five-day personal Bible study guide after each lesson. About the 12 Session Gospel of John DVD Bible Study for Small Groups Have you ever wondered what you were meant to do? What your purpose is? How can you answer God's call on your life? Deepen your understanding of what it means to be called by God with the events, miracles, and practical applications in the Gospel of John. Sessions Include: Called to Honor: Water into Wine John 2:1-11Called to Belong: Temple Cleansing John 2:13-22Called to Believe: Nicodemus John 3:1-16Called to Restoration: Samaritan Woman John 4:4-26Called to Healing Work: Healing the Paralytic John 5:1-18Called to Be a Temple: If You Are Thirsty John 7:37-44Called to Be a Light: I Am the Light of the World John 8:12Called to Testify: Blind Man John 9:1-18, 35-41Called to Shepherd: Good Shepherd John 10:1-16Called to Be a Living Witness: Lazarus John 11:1-27, 34-44Called to Serve in Love: Last Supper John 13:1-17Called to Bear Fruit: I Am the True Vine John 15:1-17Enjoy 12 New Testament Teaching Sessions from Expert Professors and Bible Scholars Six Bible professors with specialized areas of knowledge each emphasize three areas that will deepen your experience of Jesus and the Bible: Historical and cultural backgroundAn engaging, close look at the biblical text and its meaningAccurate, encouraging, and challenging applications to life todayHear truth from those who spend their life investigating the meaning of the Bible and are excited to bring the fruits of their knowledge and life experience to you. 12 Teaching Sessions Perfect for Bible Study on the Book of John The first part of each lesson delves into the meaning of the biblical text, using first-century historical background to bring out the text's deeper meaning, which involves investigating the historical, religious, and social background of first-century Jewish culture and their Greek and Roman neighbors. In the second part of each lesson, after making deeper connections to the biblical texts, instructors will help you and those you lead to apply the relevant lessons to your life in practical and rich ways. Life application in the church today is often shallow and many times unrelated to the real meaning of the biblical passage. In this series, the practical application derives directly from the biblical text. This DVD Study Is Perfect For: Individual studySmall groupsYoung adult Bible studyChurch congregationsHomeschoolChurch librariesAnd much moreAbout the Editor Matt Williams, PhD, is the associate professor of New Testament at Talbot School of Theology, Biola University, La Mirada, California. A former missionary to Spain, Matt preaches and teaches at churches throughout the United States and Spain. He is general editor of Colección Teológica Contemporánea, a series of theological books in Spanish, and is the author of two books on the Gospels. Meet Your Teachers: Dr. Joanne Jung, Biola University, Talbot School of TheologyDr. Leon Harris, Biola University, Talbot School of TheologyDr. Sean McDowell, Biola University, Talbot School of TheologyDr. Mark Strauss, Bethel SeminaryDr. Jeremy Treat, Pastor, Reality LA, Los AngelesDr. Matt Williams, Biola University, Talbot School of Theology
“This book will prove to be a most effective weapon… against the debunking and skeptical attitudes toward the Gospels that are so prevalent, not only in academe, but also on the street, among young people who, sadly, are leaving the Churches in droves.” – Robert Barron, author of Catholicism For well over a hundred years now, many scholars have questioned the historical truth of the Gospels, claiming that they were originally anonymous. Others have even argued that Jesus of Nazareth did not think he was God and never claimed to be divine. In The Case for Jesus, Dr. Brant Pitre, the bestselling author of Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist, goes back to the sources—the biblical and historical evidence for Christ—in order to answer several key questions, including: • Were the four Gospels really anonymous? • Are the Gospels folklore? Or are they biographies? • Were the four Gospels written too late to be reliable? • What about the so-called “Lost Gospels,” such as “Q” and the Gospel of Thomas? • Did Jesus claim to be God? • Is Jesus divine in all four Gospels? Or only in John? • Did Jesus fulfill the Jewish prophecies of the Messiah? • Why was Jesus crucified? • What is the evidence for the Resurrection? As The Case for Jesus will show, recent discoveries in New Testament scholarship, as well as neglected evidence from ancient manuscripts and the early church fathers, together have the potential to pull the rug out from under a century of skepticism toward the traditional Gospels. Above all, Pitre shows how the divine claims of Jesus of Nazareth can only be understood by putting them in their ancient Jewish context.
Do we believe that God still does miracles? Considering how difficult it is for many of us adults to trust in the miraculous power of God, how much more difficult can it be for a young person in the midst of struggles about identity and purpose in life? With the help of his son Parker, bestselling author Mark Batterson now brings the exciting message of a God who longs to do miracles in our lives to a teen audience. Together they show young readers that God is intimately involved in their lives and wants them to experience the miraculous. With poignant examples from the lives of real teens, The Grave Robber, Student Edition brings to life not only the seven miracles from John's Gospel but the countless miracles we witness every day--if only we have eyes to see.
In Jesus the Bridegroom, Brant Pitre once again taps into the wells of Jewish Scripture and tradition, and unlocks the secrets of what is arguably the most well-known symbol of the Christian faith: the cross of Christ. In this thrilling exploration, Pitre shows how the suffering and death of Jesus was far more than a tragic Roman execution. Instead, the Passion of Christ was the fulfillment of ancient Jewish prophecies of a wedding, when the God of the universe would wed himself to humankind in an everlasting nuptial covenant. To be sure, most Christians are familiar with the apostle Paul's teaching that Christ is the 'Bridegroom' and the Church is the 'Bride'. But what does this really mean? And what would ever possess Paul to compare the death of Christ to the love of a husband for his wife? If you would have been at the Crucifixion, with Jesus hanging there dying, is that how you would have described it? How could a first-century Jew like Paul, who knew how brutal Roman crucifixions were, have ever compared the execution of Jesus to a wedding? And why does he refer to this as the "great mystery" (Ephesians 5:32)? As Pitre shows, the key to unlocking this mystery can be found by going back to Jewish Scripture and tradition and seeing the entire history of salvation, from Mount Sinai to Mount Calvary, as a divine love story between Creator and creature, between God and Israel, between Christ and his bride--a story that comes to its climax on the wood of a Roman cross. In the pages of Jesus the Bridegroom, dozens of familiar passages in the Bible--the Exodus, the Song of Songs, the Wedding at Cana, the Woman at the Well, the Last Supper, the Crucifixion, and even the Second Coming at the End of Time--are suddenly transformed before our eyes. Indeed, when seen in the light of Jewish Scripture and tradition, the life of Christ is nothing less than the greatest love story ever told.
The Story group Bible study provides groups of all sizes the opportunity to discuss and apply what they experience during the 31-week The Story church campaign. To understand the Bible, says Frazee, you need bifocal lenses, because two perspectives are involved. The Lower Story, our story, is actually many stories of men and women interacting with God in the daily course of life. The Upper Story is God’s story, the tale of his great, overarching purpose that puts the individual stories together like panels in one unified mural. In 31 sessions, The Story video-based group study opens your eyes to God’s master plan unfolding in the lives of the Bible’s characters and in your own life. Discover the heart of God’s Upper Story, and the joy that comes as you align your story with God’s. The Story Study Guide and DVD (sold separately) are designed for use by groups of all sizes, including small groups and Sunday school and adult education classes. Designed for use with The Story Adult Curriculum Study DVD (9780310329527) sold separately.
The renowned biblical scholar, author of The Misunderstood Jew, and general editor for The Jewish Annotated New Testament interweaves history and spiritual analysis to explore Jesus’ most popular teaching parables, exposing their misinterpretations and making them lively and relevant for modern readers. Jesus was a skilled storyteller and perceptive teacher who used parables from everyday life to effectively convey his message and meaning. Life in first-century Palestine was very different from our world today, and many traditional interpretations of Jesus’ stories ignore this disparity and have often allowed anti-Semitism and misogyny to color their perspectives. In this wise, entertaining, and educational book, Amy-Jill Levine offers a fresh, timely reinterpretation of Jesus’ narratives. In Short Stories by Jesus, she analyzes these “problems with parables,” taking readers back in time to understand how their original Jewish audience understood them. Levine reveals the parables’ connections to first-century economic and agricultural life, social customs and morality, Jewish scriptures and Roman culture. With this revitalized understanding, she interprets these moving stories for the contemporary reader, showing how the parables are not just about Jesus, but are also about us—and when read rightly, still challenge and provoke us two thousand years later.
