"Triumphant Return" is an upbeat, positive proclamation of the tremendous prophecies about the Second Coming and the awesome transformation of humanity that will unfold when Christ ushers in the Kingdom of God.
Key Features Include:
"- Christ's Triumphant Return- your role in the coming Kingdom of God.
- Why are the Rapture and the Second Coming under attack today?
- How should we understand the Bible's prophecies: Literal or symbolic? Past or future?
- The coming Millennial Kingdom of God- the key to understanding prophecy
- Historical evidence disproves the false theory that Revelation's prophecies were fulfilled in A.D. 70
- What did the Early Church believe about the Second Coming? The early Christians taught Christ's return will be literal, imminent, and premillennial.
- Fascinating new research about the remarkable prophecies pointing to the nearness of Christ's premillennial return
- Astonishing evidence the Muslim Koran acknowledges Israel's right to the Promised Land
- How should the promise of Christ's return transform your faith and daily walk with God?
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The Bible and its preaching are for every generation urgent and indispensable, but they are especially urgent today. Within the preaching of Elijah and Elisha lie the possibilities and inspiration for the church to recover its voice in a way that is unfettered and unencumbered by old habits. It is the chance, and the responsibility, of this new voice to replicate in the present life of the church alternatives underway in the biblical text itself, to show that life "could be otherwise, " and to make it so. Considering these narratives canonically, Walter Brueggemann shows how the memories of Elijah and Elisha took on a quality and authority of lasting testimony. They exhibit a world profoundly open to the gifts, energies, and visions given by God. Brueggemann shows how such prophetic narratives summon listening Israel to a radical either/or decision, endlessly insisting that there are choices to be made that hold options for the world as otherwise.

Paul must often have felt like a mother duck guiding her ducklings to safety. He had seen the enthusiasm of the Colossian Christians but knew they had no idea of the dangers they would face. Longing for them to continue growing in faith, Paul--now stuck in prison--wrote to his young flock, affirming them, warning them of hazards and pointing them to King Jesus, the supreme one who was with them and at work in them. These eight studies on Colossians and Philemon will similarly guide us toward maturity in King Jesus, who is still at work in his people today. This guide by Tom Wright can be used on its own or alongside his New Testament for Everyone commentary on Colossians and Philemon. It is designed to help you understand Scripture in fresh ways under the guidance of one of the world's leading New Testament scholars. Thoughtful questions, prayer suggestions, and useful background and cultural information all guide you or a group more deeply into God's Word. Discover how you can participate more fully in God's kingdom.

With a scholar's mind and a pastor's heart, Tom Wright walks you through Matthew in this guide designed especially with everyday readers in mind. Perfect for group use or daily personal reflection, this study uses the popular inductive method combined with Wright's thoughtful insights to bring contemporary application of Scripture to life. This guide by Tom Wright can be used on its own or alongside his New Testament for Everyone commentary on Matthew. It is designed to help you understand Scripture in fresh ways under the guidance of one of the world's leading New Testament scholars. Thoughtful questions, prayer suggestions, and useful background and cultural information all guide you or a group more deeply into God's Word. Discover how you can participate more fully in God's kingdom.

Have you noticed how sometimes you have a story in the back of your mind that keeps coming up, even when you're talking about something else? In Ephesians, throughout its worship, prayers and instructions for living, Paul can't contain his joy and amazement at the larger story of God's plan to save us in Jesus the Messiah. These eleven studies from Tom Wright will help us see the significance of our role in God's grand narrative, and encourage us to live more fully as people who are lavishly loved by God. This guide by Tom Wright can be used on its own or alongside his New Testament for Everyone commentary on Ephesians. It is designed to help you understand Scripture in fresh ways under the guidance of one of the world's leading New Testament scholars. Thoughtful questions, prayer suggestions, and useful background and cultural information all guide you or a group more deeply into God's Word. Discover how you can participate more fully in God's kingdom.

First impressions stick with us. Paul's first impression of the Thessalonian Christians was an especially powerful one: The gospel message he preached grasped their hearts and minds, and transformed their lives. That memory moves Paul to write to the young church that's bubbling with a sense of the power of the living God. These studies seek to open our lives to that God who leaves a lasting impression also on us. This guide by Tom Wright can be used on its own or alongside his New Testament for Everyone commentary on 1 & 2 Thessalonians. It is designed to help you understand Scripture in fresh ways under the guidance of one of the world's leading New Testament scholars. Thoughtful questions, prayer suggestions, and useful background and cultural information all guide you or a group more deeply into God's Word. Discover how you can participate more fully in God's kingdom.

IF YOU COULD HAVE ANYTHING YOU WANTED, WHAT WOULD YOU CHOOSE? We dream of what we'd do if we won the lottery or happened onto some other financial windfall. Solomon, son of King David didn't need such luck -- the world was his for the taking. So what did he want more than anything? To "discern between good and evil." God blessed Solomon with the wisest of hearts and through the Smart Guide to the Bible Series: Solomon, you'll see how you, too, can be blessed with God's wisdom through his writings in Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon. Yes, "you" can make the choice for a wise heart from God.

Life in the Spirit Precepts for Life Study Guide for the radio / tv broadcast series by Kay Arthur. Be conformed to the image of Christ, as man was designed to be, through this powerful study of the Holy Spirit - His leading, filling, wisdom, intercession, righteousness, peace, joy and comfort.

The letters of the Apostle Paul changed the world like no others before or since, and they continue to strike us afresh with their panoramic vision of human history and destiny.

Preeminent New Testament scholar and churchman N. T. Wright here offers a fresh perspective on the Apostle Paul's content and convictions. Wright ranks Paul as "one of the most powerful and seminal minds of the first or any century," endlessly engaging and perennially elusive. Yet, with recent research, Wright argues, we can now sketch with confidence a new and more nuanced picture of the Apostle and the radical way in which his encounter with Jesus redefined his life, his whole thought-world, his mission, and his expectations for a world made new in Christ. The result: a masterful, engaging, and enlightening portrait that situates Paul in his time and for our own.

Isaiah Part 2 - "Comfort For His People" - Precepts for Life Study Guide for the radio / tv broadcast series by Kay Arthur. Even as Isaiah warned about the awful consequences of sin, he also delivered God's message of consolation. Study how the Holy God will ultimately humiliate sin and exalt justice and righteousness. Explore the hope of the coming Messiah, His universal kingdom, justice and restoration

While few Christian thinkers would question the trustworthiness of God, this topic is key for understanding the divine nature and Gods revelation to the world. "The Trustworthiness of God offers a comprehensive look at the theme of God's faithfulness, exploring the relationship between the doctrines of God and of Scripture from every possible perspective.

Produced by a group of distinguished international scholars, this book is broad in scope and irenic in approach. J. Gary Millar, Gordon McConville, Craig G. Bartholomew, and P. J. Williams each explore the theme of Gods faithfulness as depicted in different portions of the Old Testament. Donald Macleod, Drake Williams, David Peterson, and David Instone-Brewer consider Gods trustworthiness in the New Testament, looking in particular at the person of Jesus and the writings of Paul. Gerald Bray, Carl R. Trueman, Timothy Ward, Stephen Williams, Paul Helm, and Sebastian Rehnman each discuss Gods trustworthiness from significant theological and philosophical perspectives. Two concluding responses by Colin Gunton and Francis Watson round out the volume by showing the profound relevance of Gods faithfulness to the life of the church and personal faith today.

Addressed to a wide readership, this volume offers fresh, at times inspiring, insights into the nature of the God portrayed in the Bible.

Leader Guide: provides process guidance for weekly group sessions. The Leader Guide understands the role of leader as facilitator of small-group sessions. Procedures for guiding sessions include: directions for using related video segments, and questions for discussion.

Psalms 10 sessions, 60-90 minutes Make a deeper connection to the world of the Psalms so that these well known scriptures can help you give voice to all aspects of our human experience---joy, faith, uncertainty and sorrow. Make a deeper connection to the world of the Psalms so that these well known scriptures can help you give voice to aspects of our human experience---joy, faith, uncertainty and sorrow.

During two weekly video segments, experience a varied presentation of individual psalm texts, including dramatic reading, music, dance, and images. Listen to insights into specific psalms presented by one of two biblical scholars through an informal, roundtable conversation format.

Ideal experience for adults who are interested in the practice of prayer and worship and would like to connect prayer practice with Scripture. The study is accessible for adults with little prior Bible experience.

Description: Writing with the pastor and student in mind, Walter Brueggemann provides guidance for interpreting Old Testament texts. He offers both advice for the interpreter as well as examples of working with different sorts of passages: from narratives, prophecies, and Psalms. He also demonstrates how to work thematically, drawing together threads from different traditions. His goal is to work through the rhetoric of these passages to reach toward theological interpretation. These investigations indicate Brueggemann's conviction that the process of moving from text to interpretive outcome is an artistic enterprise that can be learned and practiced. Endorsements: ""One of the best and most esteemed interpreters of Scripture shows here how he does it. A 'how-to' book with wonderful examples, it is vintage Brueggemann: incisive, penetrating, provocative, and always seeking to uncover the cutting edge of the text. He cares as much about pastoral responsibility as interpretive method. In fact, he doesn't think you can separate them-one of the many gifts of this compelling and practical book."" -Patrick D. Miller, author of The Religion of Ancient Israel ""We have become accustomed to the insightful reflections and the critical theological thinking of many contemporary biblical scholars. However, seldom has an author taken us step-by-step through the actual progression of that thought. This is precisely what Walter Brueggemann does in this book. Insisting that all believers, not merely scholars, should be able to critically read the Bible, he offers a modified, though still critical interpretive approach, that shows us how we might do it ourselves."" -Dianne Bergant, CSA author of Scripture: History and Interpretation ""This is the book that those of us who have studied with Walter Brueggemann have been waiting for. Here is the teacher we have known in class: telling us how he has come to read scripture as he does and showing us how he does it. I have been using this method of interpreting scripture with my congregation for the past decade. Together we have found that Brueggemann's three-step interpretive strategy opens us up to the biblical texts so that they speak to us in powerful new ways. What a wonderful gift this book is to the church."" -Edwin Searcy, University Hill Congregation, Vancouver, BC About the Contributor(s): Walter Brueggemann is William Marcellus McPheeters Professor of Old Testament Emeritus at Columbia Theological Seminary, Decatur, Georgia. He is the author of numerous works, including Praying the Psalms (2nd ed., Cascade Books, 2007), Theology of the Old Testament, and Prophetic Imagination.

Paper Edition was voted 2002 Publisher's Weekly Best Adult Religion Book of the Year "It was art and it was theater at the same time, but it was more. It was what he did not say that spoke most powerfully to the mob that morning. It was a cup of cold water for a thirsty adulteress and an ice-cold drenching in the face to a group of angry Pharisees. "To this day we have not the slightest idea what it was Jesus twice scribbled in the sand. By and large the commentaries have asked the wrong question through the ages. They labor over the content, over what he might have written. They ask what without ever realizing that the real question is why. It was not the content that mattered but why he did it. Unexpected. Irritating. Creative." (From chapter one) Singer, songwriter and diligent student of Scripture, Michael Card is well known for the depth of his lyrics and the artistry of his music. But far more significant than the songs he has penned is the source of his inspiration--the creativity embodied in Jesus Christ, the incarnate Word of God. In this book Card explores the biblical foundations of true Christian creativity. Whether we think of ourselves as creative or not, all of us are created in the image of our Creator God, and thus creativity is a vital expression of our discipleship. With Jesus as his model, Card shows how understanding God's creative imagination leads to a lifestyle of humility, obedience and servanthood. And he invites us to follow God's creative call through worship and community. Through Jesus, God has spoken to us in a word we can understand. Likewise, Michael Card has articulated the story of Jesus to others through his own scribblings in the sand. This book shows us how we can do the same.

Isaiah Part 2 - "Comfort For His People" - Precepts for Life Study Companion for the radio / tv broadcast series by Kay Arthur. Even as Isaiah warned about the awful consequences of sin, he also delivered God's message of consolation. Study how the Holy God will ultimately humiliate sin and exalt justice and righteousness. Explore the hope of the coming Messiah, His universal kingdom, justice and restoration

Life in the Spirit - Precepts for Life Study Companion for the radio / tv broadcast series by Kay Arthur. Be conformed to the image of Christ, as man was designed to be, through this powerful study of the Holy Spirit - His leading, filling, wisdom, intercession, righteousness, peace, joy and comfort.

You can be the match that ignites a great Bible discussion You only need a few basic skills. This guidebook by Jack Kuhatschek and Cindy Bunch (both veteran discussion leaders and experienced Bible study creators) will show you how to start a group how to decide what to study how to prepare to lead how to study the Bible how to use a study guide how to write your own questions how to lead the discussion how to evaluate the study Over 100,000 copies of this handbook (now revised and expanded from the original, Leading Bible Discussions) have been used by Bible study leaders and Sunday school teachers. Along with practical suggestions and the answers to common questions offered in each brief chapter, you'll find two appendixes: "Guidelines for Interpreting Scripture" and "A Sample Study." The resources section also leads you to more training guides, website references and study guides to use with your group. Here is the help you need to lead a great Bible discussion.

No single approach to reading the Bible can do justice to its complex history and content. There are as many different ways of understanding Scripture as there were people involved in its composition. Advocating a pluralistic reading that acknowledges the many voices speaking in the Bible, Susan Gillingham offers theological, historical, and literary insights into the compilation of Scripture and the development of biblical studies. Providing one of the most accessible and helpful introductions to the Bible available, this volume clearly outlines the main issues in understanding Scripture and demonstrates, using Psalm 8 as an example, the best method for reading the Bible today. "Not just another ephemeral book on postmodern theory. It is both a survey and an argument: she contends that the Bible itself is a complex book that can best be understood by the plurality of methods that are actually being used to read it. In engaging and practical terms she discusses historical, literary, and theological approaches to the Bible.... This is one of the first and best introductions to biblical interpretation that treats the postmodern situation of biblical studies seriously and constructively. It will make an excellent textbook in courses on exegesis and interpretation and for use in ecclesiastical study groups." - Religious Studies Review

"The Social World of the New Testament: Insights and Models" surveys essential contributions made by leading scholars of the social-scientific approach to New Testament studies. Including important essays by Bruce J. Malina and John J. Pilch, among others, this book acts as a comprehensive collection of the most important essays and articles in the field. Included are topics vital to the social scientific interpretation of the New Testament, organized under three headings:
INSTITUTIONS
- Kinship: All in the Family: Kinship in Agrarian Roman Palestine--K. C. Hanson
- The Patron-Client Institution: God in the Letter of James: Patron or Benefactor?--Alicia Batten
- Economics: Jesus and Agrarian Palestine: The Factor of Debt--Douglas E. Oakman
CULTURE
- Honor and Shame: Loss of Wealth, Loss of Family, Loss of Honor: The Cultural Context of the Original Makarisms in Q--Jerome H. Neyrey, SJ
- Purity: The Epistle of James in Rhetorical and Social-Scientific Perspective: Holiness-Wholeness and Patterns of Replication-- John H. Elliott
- Social Location: Was Jesus a Peasant: Implications for Reading the Jesus Tradition (Luke 10:30-35)--Douglas E. Oakman
- Social Location: The Social Location of the Markan Audience--Richard L. Rohrbaugh
- Gender: Who Should Be Called "Father"? Paul of Tarsus between the Jesus Tradition and Patria Potestas--S. Scott Bartchy
- Space: "Teaching You in Public and from House to House" (Acts 20:20): Unpacking a Cultural Stereotype--Jerome H. Neyrey, SJ
- Healing: Healing in Luke-Acts--John J. Pilch
- Evil Eye: Paul, Galatians, and the Evil Eye-- John H. Elliott
- Limited Good: "He Must Increase, I Must Decrease"(John 3:30): A Cultural and Social Interpretation--Richard L. Rohrbaugh and Jerome H. Neyrey
MODAL PERSONALITY
- Modal Personality: Ancient Mediterranean Persons in Cultural Perspective: Portrait of Paul--Jerome H. Neyrey, SJ and Bruce J. Malina

James W. Moore
Parables slip up on us. They flip our values. They turn our world upside down. They surprise us. This is the great thing about the parables of Jesus: They are always relevant and always personal. They speak eloquently to you and me, here and now. In this book, we will examine some of Jesus thought-provoking parables, parables about priorities, to see if we can find ourselves and God s truth for us in these magnificent truth-stories. They are, after all, truth-stories from the mind of Jesus that can change our lives as they proclaim God s truth for you and me.

" adapted from the introduction"

Each of the six chapters features a key passage of Scripture and is centered on a theme from one of Jesus parables, including The Priority of Love The Priority of Grace The Priority of Being Prepared The Priority of Courage The Priority of Forgiveness The Priority of Strong Foundations

JAMES W. MOORE, popular speaker and preacher, is the author of "Yes, Lord, I Have Sinned, but I Have Several Excellent Excuses; God Was Here and I Was Out to Lunch; When Grief Breaks Your Heart; There s a Hole in Your Soul That Only God Can Fill;" and many other books. He and his wife, June, live in Fairview, Texas."

This book will provide the view of Jesus found on the Gospels placed in the context of the Jewish and Greco-Roman world of the first century of the Common Era.

With fascinating insights into biblical customs and conditions--many of which exist today in the Middle East--Bowen clarifies over 100 scriptural texts and phrases that often puzzle Western readers unfamiliar with the culture of Bible times.