This is a personal narrative about growing. It is also about growing up, which does not necessarily follow. Some grow in wisdom; some grow in foolishness; some grow in the grace of God. Some only grow old, without much else. The tale it tells touches three centuries: the nineteenth, the twentieth, and the twenty-first. May it bless you and cheer your journey through this mortal life.
Nathan R. Byrd was inspired to write No Apology Needed: Learning to Forgive as God Does during Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement and forgiveness, in 2012. As he began to research the Jewish perspective of the holiday, he realized that neither Adam nor Eve ever apologized to God for their sin, yet they were forgiven immediately. Byrd offers a new perspective on the concept of forgiveness, with the goal of transforming lives and communities. Exploring the Jewish roots for the Christian faith, he suggests that the practice of Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, can offer Christians a rhythm for forgiveness that will have a positive impact on their whole life. By learning to forgive as God does, without needing any apology from those who have wronged us, we can unlock the keys to healing and healthy relationships. Looking at ancient biblical passages in a new light, Byrd reveals what we have been missing about the teachings of Jesus and the character of our God, as seen in the stories of Adam and Eve, Joseph and his brothers, and King Saul and David. In doing so, Byrd offers incredible insights into how we view relationships and the necessity of adopting a posture of forgiveness, regardless of the circumstances.
In this study, Jim Petty and Miles Cotham have made a thorough analysis of the biblical passages concerning the purpose of baptism, particularly as it relates to holiness and forgiveness. The authors have looked beyond the traditional church dogmas to discover and restore the beauty and significance of the baptismal event. As the doctrine of baptism is wound and entwined through other doctrines taught in the New Testament, a tapestry of salvation emerges in which each doctrine is dependent on and complimentary to the others. Following a careful examination of the meaning of holiness, the authors have demonstrated its close affinity to baptism as seen in the practice of baptism by John the Baptist and Jesus, in the preaching of the early church, and in the writings of the New Testament letters. In the appendix, the study concludes with a selected list of quotations throughout the history of the church that includes various interpretations of the purpose of baptism.
In Luke-Acts, Jesus can be seen to take on the attributes of the Davidic shepherd king, a representation successfully conveyed through specific narrative devices. The presence of the shepherds in the birth narrative can be understood as an indication of this understanding of Jesus. Sarah Harris analyses the multiple ways scholars have viewed the shepherds as characters in the narrative, and uses this as an example of how the theme of Jesus' shepherd nature is interwoven into the narrative as a whole. From the starting point of Jesus' human life, Harris moves to later events portrayed in Jesus' ministry in which he is seen to enact his message as God's faithful Davidic shepherd, in particular, the parable of the Lost Sheep and the Zacchaeus pericope (19:1-10). Harris uses this latter encounter to underline that Jesus may be hailed as a King by the crowds as he enters Jerusalem, but he is not simply a king. He is God's Davidic Shepherd King, as prophesied in Micah 5 and Ezekiel 34, who brings the gospel of peace and salvation to the earth.
One objective of this book is to set forth the heart of God's Gospel. This volume is composed of a compilation of sermons and in-depth studies designed to strengthen and encourage Christians in their daily walk with God and with one another. Since the Cross of Christ is pivotal to a proper understanding of Christianity, numerous chapters in this book explore the "ins" and "outs" of the importance of the Cross in the lives of God's people. Not only does this book focus upon the scheme of God's redemption and evangelism as a part of every believer's ministry, it also calls attention to Christian apologetics, that is, a defense of Christianity. Three chapters are devoted to this kind of study: (1) Christianity versus Skepticism, (2) Credibility and Candor of the New Testament Writers, and (3) Paul's Conversion: Apologetic for Christianity. Also, this book allocates three chapters to the subject of baptism and its meaning to God's children. And, finally, four chapters are dedicated to a detailed study of worship within the Christian community. Dallas Burdette has been a serious student, teacher and preacher of the Bible for fifty-eight years, supporting himself for many years as an agent for AFLAC. He has written numerous articles for religious journals, as well as many essays and sermons which are available on his website (www.freedominchrist.net). He has developed a keen interest in promoting unity among God's people through a more accurate reading of the Word. He has degrees from Amridge University (formerly Southern Christian University) where he also was Director of Extended Learning for five years. He holds the Doctor of Ministry degree (1999) from Erskine Theological Seminary.
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Mr. West covers the main events in superstar Kanye West's life while also following the poet on her year spent researching, writing, and pregnant. The book explores how we are drawn to celebrities—to their portrayal in the media—and how we sometimes find great private meaning in another person's public story, even across lines of gender and race. Blake's aesthetics take her work from prose poems to lineated free verse to tightly wound lyrics to improbably successful sestinas. The poems fully engage pop culture as a strange, complicated presence that is revealing of America itself. This is a daring debut collection and a groundbreaking work. An online reader's companion will be available at http://sarahblake.site.wesleyan.edu.
