What Is God’s Grace—and What Does It Mean for You? Grace. It’s a word we’ve heard since the very first step in our faith journey—but do we really believe in God’s grace? Grace raises eyebrows. It begs questions. Grace turns everything upside down. The Grace Message invites you to discover the best flavor of Christianity and celebrate the good news of the Gospel to the fullest. Here, you’ll learn: • how to abandon rule-based living and stop trying to measure up • why your new identity in Jesus matters more than you can imagine • how you can now enjoy God’s New Covenant way of grace Bestselling author and radio host Andrew Farley’s no-nonsense straight talk will awaken you to a revolutionary perspective every healthy Christian should have. Life is too short to miss out on God’s best—and what you don’t know can hinder you from experiencing Jesus in every area of your life. So if you’ve been weighed down by ruthless religion, or you’ve been searching for that high-octane version of the Gospel that you know must be out there somewhere, here it is. This thought-provoking book will challenge you to dismiss the lies you’ve believed and to make up your own mind about how big God’s grace really is. “Andrew Farley shows why the good news is actually great news. This extraordinary, battle-tested message of hope and freedom has a proven track record of transforming lives. The Grace Message is bursting with truth. The love of God practically drips from its pages. Read it and see for yourself!” —Bart Millard, singer/songwriter for MercyMe
Having more of Jesus in your life leads you into a world of unparalleled privilege. In Pursuing More of Jesus (previously titled My Heart's Cry), gifted Bible teacher and acclaimed conference speaker Anne Graham Lotz shows you how saturating your life with more of Jesus is the key to: restoring love to your marriage finding the antidote to fear discovering hope in your grief loving others with whom you are totally incompatible acquiring the courageous competency to speak out in a doubting world making your service to God more fruitful Doors open, angels attend, mountains move, doubts disappear, and fears fade if we simply pursue Him.
Bestselling and award-winning author Lee Strobel interviews experts about the evidence for the afterlife and offers credible answers to the most provocative questions about what happens when we die, near-death experiences, heaven, and hell. We all want to know what awaits us on the other side of death, but is there any reliable evidence that there is life after death? Investigative author Lee Strobel offers a lively and compelling study into one of the most provocative topics of our day. Through fascinating conversations with respected scholars and experts--a neuroscientist from Cambridge University, a researcher who analyzed a thousand accounts of near-death experiences, and an atheist-turned-Christian-philosopher--Strobel offers compelling reasons for why death is not the end of our existence but a transition to an exciting world to come. Looking at biblical accounts, Strobel unfolds what awaits us after we take our last breath and answers questions like: Is there an afterlife? What is heaven like? How will we spend our time there? And what does it mean to see God face to face? With a balanced approach, Strobel examines the alternative of Hell and the logic of damnation, and gives a careful look at reincarnation, universalism, the exclusivity claims of Christ, and other issues related to the topic of life after death. With vulnerability, Strobel shares the experience of how he nearly died years ago and how the reality of death can shape our lives and faith. Follow Strobel on this journey of discovery of the entirely credible, believable, and exhilarating life to come.
Too many of us live segmented lives, with God residing in one of our many compartments, all of which focus on our own fulfillment. We often struggle because we want God to fulfill our agenda, not follow His. The Kingdom Agenda helps us re-prioritize our lives according to kingdom values, and apply biblical principles to our everyday living.
What if Christianity is simple? When Jesus gave his first public address, he said, I have come to fulfill the law and the prophets and to set the captives free. When a contract is fulfilled, it is completed and is no longer in effect. Religion is a form of bondage that enslaves its adherents to a set of rules that constitute sin. It portrays the image of a God who acts as a judge. In one hand he has a legal pad and pen and in the other a club. When sufficient sins have been committed, the club is used on the sinner. Jesus died on the cross to fulfill the need for justice and came to earth to show that God is not the ogre with a club but a loving father with outstretched arms wanting to hug his children He sent to us the Holy Spirit so we might have the heart and mind of Christ and be empowered to live a life free from the bondage of sin and religion. This book shows the reader how to do that and points out the stumbling blocks that may interfere. It enables the reader to see the simplicity of Christianity and understand why it should surpass religion in our lives.
I'm not famous. I'm not a theologian. I'm not a Bible scholar. I'm not a pastor. I'm just a regular guy who tries his best to make sense out of the world he's living in, including my spiritual world. To most people, I'm just a nobody. But I'm a nobody who questions what people tell me until I can come to peace with it. I don't take anything at face value. That's the way God wired me. The first time I read the Bible, cover to cover, I had questions, a lot of them, forty typewritten pages worth. For instance, why does God get so angry? Does God ever change his mind? Is there only one way to get to heaven? Is it possible to please God? Did even Judas get saved? What about reincarnation? Will heaven disappear? Do you talk to dead people? Can you trust the Bible? Is Jesus really the son of God? And I had questions about things you hear many Christians say, like "God is in control," but is he? I had hundreds of these questions, and I wanted answers. That's what this book is about. It has been seventeen years in the making. I wanted answers, so I searched for them. I met with my pastor. I read books he recommended. I researched various theological views from trusted online resources. There were times I speculated my own answers because I couldn't find anything else to hang my hat on. Sometimes there simply were no answers. But I found out that it's not about getting the answers that's most important anyway. It's the search for the answers. Join me in that search. You might just find answers to some of your own questions.
With step-by-step instructions (that include photos and scripts!), Gospel Illusions makes it easy for ANYONE to add object lessons and illusions to children''s ministries, Sunday School classes, homeschool curriculum, and more. It features over 35 illusions that are sure to make your kids go--WOW! But more importantly, they will help share the Word of God in a creative and memorable way. Have you ever tried an object lesson and found yourself wondering, Am I doing this right? Most object lesson books are hard to follow since they don''t include photos! Imagine having one that does! Gospel Illusions: Object Lessons You Can Do Includes: Step-by-step instructions for over 35 illusions Photos showing how to do each major step Scripts on what to say Discussion questions to help kids apply key lessons to their lives Whether you are new to illusions or a pro, you''ll find new object lessons to use! You don''t need to practice for hours, crossing your fingers that it will hopefully work. These illusions are quick, easy, and typically require less than 10-15 minutes of practice. Plus, each illusion has a one- to five-star rating for difficulty, so you can conveniently find the right one for your skill (and comfort) level. Unlike other object lesson books, Gospel Illusions: Object Lessons You Can Do uses everyday items that are around your house, saving you time and money. Please note: Illusions are not your average object lesson. They include a Sha-Bam! moment that the kids didn''t see coming, capturing their attention and helping them remember key truths! Softcover, fully reproducible, ages 5-12, 288 pages, 8 3/8 x 11 inches, ISBN 9781628628166. 7 Key Features of This Easy-to-Do Object Lesson Book for Sunday School Step-by-Step Instructions & Process Photos. There are lots of great object lesson books out there, but not all of them SHOW you how the lesson should look. Enjoy having process photos AND detailed instructions for every step to guide you through each illusion easily! Scripts. Comes with scripted dialogue cues on how to explain the significance and lesson behind each illusion. Discussion Questions. Includes relevant reflection questions for each illusion to help kids apply key truths to their lives. Unique Categorization. Wonder which object lessons are safest to try first? No need to wonder. Gospel Illusions'' star rating icons help you find one for your skill level. Anyone Can Do These! From volunteers to teen teaching assistants, these object lessons are simple and easy to follow, using step-by-step instructions and household materials. Age-Appropriate. Save time and money when you have ONE object lesson book for grades K-8! Simple enough for kindergarteners to understand and engaging to pre-teens, these object lessons will wow and astound just about any kid! Expert Advice. Written by experienced children''s pastor and professional illusionist Randy Burtis, Gospel Illusions is packed with fully scripted, easy-to-do object lessons and optic illusions. About the Series Instant Bible Lessons series offers a variety of Bible lessons to help kids grow closer to God in a hands-on way, using interactive activities. Age-appropriate, fully reproducible, and flexible, these books are packed with everything you need to teach the truths of God to children. The series offers lessons for children ages 2-12. The Instant Bible Lessons Series is a must for church or home use. About the Author Randy Burtis, born and raised in Calgary, Alberta, became a follower of Jesus at age fifteen. Since that time, his heart''s desire has been for children''s ministry. His goal is that each child would know they are loved, valued, and accepted; that teachers would be trained to fulfill their mandate to disciple kids; and that parents would be equipped to love their kids into God''s kingdom. To that end, he has traveled to hundreds of churches, spoken at hundreds of camps, and served as a children''s pastor for twenty-five years. He currently serves in Canada''s largest evangelical church, Centre Street Church, where he oversees kindergarten through fourth-grade children and their families. He is also a professional illusionist, having performed thousands of shows for over twenty-five years. Randy is married and has two daughters who joined his family through adoption.
In heaven we shall know everlasting rest and the full measure of our inheritance. Though no eye has seen what God has prepared for us, from Revelation 21-22 we can understand a little of what heaven will feel like. We shall know a new freedom, economy, purity, peace, and so much more. Those will be the simple experiences. The greater experiences will be in everlasting love, most especially in an everlasting marriage and an enduring intimate community. Likewise, we shall know a growing and everlasting security within our grand heritage within God’s promises and in the work of Christ. Yet the greatest experience of all is also the hardest to understand, because it is the farthest removed from our earthly experience. The greatest experience of all will be that—for the rest of our everlasting loving lives—we will share in the very life and glory of our dynamic and loving God, our loving Father and Abba. The greatest experience in heaven will be the very life and light that we share with God Himself, so very personal and loving to the uttermost.
