Eldred Mims has died in prison after serving time for a crime he did not commit. When Ora Lee Beckworth decides to set the record straight, her confession leaves Blanche Lowery's daughters, Patrice and Grace, to grapple with the aftermath of a lifetime of lies. Now the sisters must reframe everything they thought they knew about their mother, their brother, and the man they knew as Eddie.
Best-selling author and pastor John MacArthur illuminates this profound concept with verse upon verse of Scripture. He also shows that misunderstandings about grace have led to some of the church's greatest problems, perhaps because grace is her most precious gift.
"In the summer of 1976, recently widowed and childless, Ora Lee Beckworth hires a homeless old black man to mow her lawn. The neighborhood children call him the Pee-can Man; their mothers call them inside whenever he appears. When the police chief's son is found stabbed to death near his camp, the man Ora knows as Eddie is arrested and charged with murder. Twenty-five years later, Ora sets out to tell the truth about the Pecan Man"--Page 4 of cover.
Christians trying to model their lives after Jesus may find that He gets buried under lists, rules, and formulas. Now bestselling author Randy Alcorn offers a simple two-point checklist for Christlikeness based on John 1:14. The test consists of balancing grace and truth, equally and unapologetically. Grace without truth deceives people, and ceases to be grace. Truth without grace crushes people, and ceases to be truth. Alcorn shows the reader how to show the world Jesus -- offering grace instead of the world's apathy and tolerance, offering truth instead of the world's relativism and deception. Grace or Truth…or Both? Truth without grace breeds self-righteousness and crushing legalism. Grace without truth breeds deception and moral compromise. Is it possible to embrace both in balance? Jesus did. Randy Alcorn offers a simple yet profound two-point checklist of Christlikeness. “In the end,” says Alcorn, “we don’t need grace or truth. We need grace and truth. And for people to see Jesus in us, they must see both.”
Geared towards toddlers through fourth graders, this resource presents a solid plan for Scripture memory through exposure to great hymns and catechetical instruction.
Madelyn is smart for her age, so she’s taking classes at community college, earning credits for high school and college simultaneously. Her biology professor is funny, hot, and oh so interested. She knows that if she told him she’s only sixteen, their relationship would be over. So Madelyn makes a simple decision: She won’t tell him.
There’s a lot of talk today about “culture wars,” but these external conflicts are only a symptom of a deeper problem: there is trouble with the truth. Beneath our differences about the values that should define our culture is a real disagreement about what is true. Those who hold to the traditional beliefs of the Christian faith find themselves at odds with a culture that no longer believes there are universal spiritual or moral truths that apply to everyone. And they grieve that the confusion about what is true is just as strong in the church. The Trouble with the Truth explores the truth—why it’s in trouble, what the culture tells us about it, and why the church is so confused about it. In an engaging and compelling style, Rob Renfroe reminds us that the Christian life requires commitment to both truth and grace. Like a tightrope walker with a balance bar, we must learn to balance compassion for people and passion for truth, combining them in equal measure just as Jesus did. Readers will examine the essentials about truth and grace, understand the differences between a cultural worldview and a scriptural worldview, and discover how to be instruments of real influence and transformation in our time by following Jesus’s example. The Leader Guide contains six session plan outlines, complete with discussion points and questions, activities, prayers, and more—plus leader helps for facilitating a group.
Unleash the power of God’s grace as you journey through the Old Testament. Prepare to be challenged and transformed as you explore the stories and testimonies of the Bible, where grace refuses to be tamed. Grace is a dangerous topic. We want to domesticate it, calm it down, and stuff it into a blue blazer and a pair of khakis. But biblical grace—or charis—doesn’t like to settle down. Grace is a dangerous topic because the Bible is a dangerous book. Scandalous Grace offers: Biblically rich viewpoints that challenge conventional interpretations; An exploration of grace in the Old Testament instead of a focus on judgment; Theological perspective that showcases a benevolent God who consistently extends redemption to those seen as irredeemable. Whether you're a seasoned theologian or seeking Christian spiritual growth, Scandalous Grace promises an intellectual and spiritual journey that will expand your understanding of a God whose grace knows no boundaries.
