If you are involved in the local church or any ministry that wants to create an ethos of Christian growth and education, or disciple investing, Christ Changing Lives: Digging Deeper into the Practice of Disciple Investing, is a book that will assist you in thinking through a philosophy of how to invest in followers of Christ. Following up on the introductory material of its earlier companion book, The “Disciple Investing” Life, Christ Changing Lives will take the reader into a thoughtful treatment of systems of discipleship, the art of diagnosis, situations one might encounter in the discipling process, and how to create balanced disciples. The book will also conclude by providing some helpful ideas about how to disciple others in a local church or campus ministry setting. Both church and ministry leaders, as well as those seriously interested in the task of disciple investing, should profit from the practical ideas contained in this insightful publication.

Extensive scholarship has been devoted to Jesus’ depiction in the Gospels, and how such depiction is influenced by the Old Testament. Gregory R. Lanier presents a newcase for the importance of conceptual metaphor, arguing that the Gospel of Luke employs certain metaphors reflected in Israel’s traditions-such as “horn of salvation,” “dawn from on high,” “mother bird gathering Jerusalem’s children,” and “crushing stone”-in order to portray the identity of Jesus as both an agent of salvation and, more provocatively, the one God of Israel.

Setting his argument at the intersection of three sub-fields of New Testament scholarship-early Christology, the use of Israel’s Scriptures in the New Testament, and contemporary metaphor theory-Lanier suggests ways to overcome the “low”-“high ”binary and perceive the Gospel’s Christology as multi-faceted. Applying metaphor theory to the influence of the Old Testament metaphors on Luke’s Christology, Lanier adds methodological rigor to the tracing of such influences in cases where standard criteria for quotations and allusions/echoes are stretched thin.

This collection brings together some of the finest minds on a crucial subject: how to embrace a Confession. These essays will not answer every question about the practice of confessional subscription, and it is admittedly limited in its primary focus to the domain of Continental and American Presbyterianism. It is only a beginning, but it should, however, spur a revival of seriousness about the manner in which the church holds to her confession. There is some diversity of opinion among the authors; such diversity has not been blunted or redacted.

These brief meditations have been collected from the third volume of Francis Grimké’s Works, entitled Stray Thoughts and Meditations, a diary written over the last twenty-five years of his life. Grimké’s thoughts on preaching display his gospel-centered piety, his wisdom, and his experience of eventually fifty years of pulpit ministry. Preachers from every Christian denomination will benefit from this African American Presbyterian voice of the early twentieth century.

Spirituality and Religion in Counseling: Competency-Based Strategies for Ethical Practice provides mental health professionals and counselors in training with practical information for understanding and responding to clients’ needs using a spiritual and religious framework. This work conceptualizes spiritual and faith development in a holistic way, using case examples and practical interventions to consider common issues through a variety of approaches and frameworks. This is an essential compendium of actionable strategies and solutions for counselors looking to address clients’ complex spiritual and religious lives and foster meaningful faith development.

There is a yearning within all of us to be ‘whole’ – a recognition that we live fragmented lives: striving and failing, believing but doubting, speaking one thing then doing another. We are all righteous sinners, in a battle with ourselves. In this semi-biographical work, Scott Redd examines this fight, discussing how we should be approaching it theologically and practically, in our day–to–day lives.

Filling each chapter with doctrines and biblical texts, Redd uses his theological training to tease out the idea of becoming fully-functioning, love-filled, Christ–devoted people. There is also a focus on using a cross-section of texts and concepts from the Old as well as the New Testament, making this a well–balanced and enlightening discussion. With an engaging, humorous tone, The Wholeness Imperative presents Christ as the unifying force of our hearts and minds – not abstract or unattainable, He is right in front of us, waiting to be embraced.

Created by a team of field-trained archaeologists, this highly illustrative Bible features brand-new notes and hundreds of helpful maps and photographs.

2,000+ study notes, 400+ full-color photographs, 200+ maps and diagrams, 15 articles, 4 timelines, and more.

The ESV Archaeology Study Bible roots the biblical text in its historical and cultural context, offering readers a framework for better understanding the people, places, and events recorded in Scripture.

With editorial oversight from Dr. John Currid (PhD, University of Chicago) and Dr. David Chapman (PhD, University of Cambridge), as well as contributions from a team of field-trained archaeologists, the ESV Archaeology Study Bible assembles a range of modern scholarship―pairing the biblical text with over 2,000 study notes, 400 full-color photographs, 200 maps and diagrams, 200 sidebars, 15 articles, and 4 timelines.

These features bring life to the ancient texts, helping readers situate them in their historical context while recognizing the truth that the eternal God became flesh entered human history at a specific time and in a specific place.

  • 2,000+ study notes
  • 400+ full-color photographs
  • 200+ maps and diagrams
  • 200+ informational sidebars
  • 15 articles like “The Bible and History,” “Archaeology and Preaching,” “Major Biblical Finds,” and “Daily Life in the New Testament Era”
  • 4 timelines
  • Black-letter text
  • 6″ x 9″
  • 9-point type (Bible text)
  • 8-point type (Study notes)
  • 2,624 pages
  • Double-column, paragraph format
  • Cross references
  • Footnotes
  • Presentation page

A benevolent and wise king who puts his subjects before himself–who can find? The majority of rulers throughout history, up to the present age, live for their own comfort and glory. But there was one king who became a servant and died to save all his servants. He was a king like no other. This short book invites you to walk through the last two chapters of Luke’s Gospel and encounter the risen Son who will give you the hope and purpose you have been searching for.

The book of Judges describes a time in the life of the nation of Israel between the prophetic leadership of Moses and Joshua and the establishment of the monarchy. During that time, “everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 17:6).

The most shocking feature in the book of Judges, however, is not the horror of Israel’s sin, but the glory of salvation from that sin. The darkness of Israel’s sin is overcome only by the wonder of God’s salvation worked through a series of memorable judges, who ultimately point us to Jesus Christ.

Part of the Knowing the Bible series.

Your first year of ministry brings brand-new challenges—often with inadequate preparation and little time to adjust. How do you moderate meetings, manage a church budget, and counsel struggling congregants, all while preparing sermons every week?

The new pastor’s time is also inundated with something else—advice! Too much of it! Where do you begin? What you need during your make-or-break first year is practical, realistic preparation for ministry. Drawing from more than three decades of his own experience, Pastor Wingard gives essential help for navigating the principal duties of the minister.

Find the tools you need to get established in your ministry and lead with confidence.

It is the most precious book the world has ever known; yet it is undervalued. It is the most instructive book ever written; yet we can never know it well enough. This mini-guide to the Bible provides an entry point for those who know little about the ‘Book of books’; but it does so in such a way as to encourage those who know it better to explore it more fully.
Each title in this Banner Mini-Guides series will provide an outline of the Bible’s teaching on a particular subject. They will open up a key verse or portion of Scripture for study, while not neglecting other passages related to the theme under consideration, The goal is to whet your appetite and to encourage you to explore the subject in more detail: hence the suggestions for further reading which appear after the final chapter. However, the mini-guide will provide enough information to enlarge your understanding of the theme.
The mini guides are close to 100 pages in length, and retail for $8.00 Their affordable price and accessible length will enable them to be used in a wide variety of churches and with Christians with a wide variety of reading ability. It is our hope that both a fledgling believer and a seasoned saint could profit from these volumes.
All the mini guides have been arranged in a thirteen-chapter format so that they will seamlessly fit into the teaching quarters of the church year, and be useful for Sunday school lessons or Bible class studies.

Life is not easy. Its many trials often leave us wondering how we can press on in a fallen world. When we receive fresh wounds before old ones heal, we often are tempted to despair. We share this experience with the ancient people of God, and we can also share in the profound comfort God offered them. In the final chapters of Isaiah, the prophet presents a significant set of encouragements for the people of God as they journey through a world filled with trials and sorrow.

In Strength for the Weary, Dr. Derek W.H. Thomas explores the final chapters of Isaiah, laying out the remarkable promises that God makes to His people. In these pages, there is consolation in the struggles of this life and encouragement for the road ahead. The God of Comfort has promised to be with His people always.

Christianity in the twenty-first century is a global phenomenon. But in the second century, its future was not at all certain.
Initially Christianity possessed little social or cultural influence and found itself fighting for its life. While apostolic tradition was emerging as a “rule of faith,” factions contested the nature of the gospel, and pagan philosophers found its claims scandalous. And while its pathway was tenuous, Christianity was forming structures of leadership and worship, and a core of apostolic texts was emerging as authoritative. But it was the challenges, obstacles, and transitions faced by Christians in the second century that, in many ways, would determine the future of the church for the next two millennia. It was a time when Christianity stood at a crossroads.
Michael Kruger’s introductory survey examines how Christianity took root in the second century, how it battled to stay true to the vision of the apostles, and how it developed in ways that would shape both the church and Western culture over the next two thousand years. Christianity at the Crossroads provides an accessible and informative look at the complex and foundational issues faced by an infant church still trying to determine its identity. The church’s response to the issues of heresy and orthodoxy, the development of the canon, and the transmission of the Christian Scriptures not only determined its survival, but determined the kind of church it would be for generations to come.

In fifteen days, Derek Thomas takes us through the Psalms of Ascent (120 to 134) with a simple aim: to present a Biblical view of discipleship. The writer suggests that taking a Psalm a day, we are provided with just over two weeks to get into spiritual shape! The idea is to read the Psalm, pray over it and take notes on it to see what God is teaching. Each chapter finishes with some questions to ‘stir the juices’ and recharge the batteries. In a world that has a penchant for ‘spirituality’, this book is very welcome. Spirituality, like everything else, needs to be evaluated in the light of the Scriptures, what God has written. This book portrays biblical spirituality as believers in the God of the Bible express it. Regarding the keeping of a journal. Donald Whitney has written, ‘A journal is one of the best places for charting your progress in the Spiritual Disciplines and for holding yourself accountable to your goals’.

For all the skepticism that abounds in our time, people still want to know what happens after death. Do you know with any certainty where your conscious, thinking, self–aware, communicative self will be? And does it matter, as long as you are in ‘heaven’? But the importance of ‘heaven’ does not consist only in it being the alternative to ‘hell’. It is not just an abstract future state into which we will slip, it is a physical reality which can give us joy and hope even now as we look toward it.

Derek Thomas examines how the Christian can and should think about heaven:

  1. We Die … Then what?
  2. Are You Ready?
  3. Falling Asleep
  4. The Trumpet Shall Sound
  5. The New Heaven and New Earth
  6. What Will Heaven be Like?
  7. Like the Angels

Much of what we know about theology—about justification, adoption, sanctification, and glorification—comes directly from the writings of the Apostle Paul. If we removed Paul’s writings from Scripture, our understanding of these truths would be greatly impoverished. Paul’s inspired writings and the story of his life continue to be a precious gift to the church. Dr. Guy Prentiss Waters leads us on a doctrinally enriching and spiritually edifying journey from Paul’s life, conversion, and call to key themes in his theology.