Mark's gospel has an urgency to it that's hard to ignore. It's as if he is breathless, trying to get the information out as quickly as he can. A few decades have passed since Jesus' ministry, and with persecution intensifying, some believers were tempted to compromise or simply give up on being a follower of the Messiah. So, Mark needed to take the early Christians back to the basics and get them ready to move! In this six-session study (video streaming code included), pastor Jeff Manion takes you and your group through the gospel of Mark to answer such urgent questions about the Christian faith as: Who is this Jesus? What does he expect of me? Is suffering a normal part of the Christian life? What will encourage and strengthen my trust in Jesus? These questions are not born of a lack of faith but serve to strengthen and stabilize our relationship with the Savior. So, lace up your running shoes. Open your heart and mind. And come with your questions! Get ready to move as Mark's Gospel reveals what it means to follow Jesus. This study guide has everything you need for a full Bible study experience, including: The study guide itself-a 40 Day reading plan through Mark with discussion and personal reflection questions, video notes, and a leader's guide. An individual access code to stream all six video sessions online (you don't need to buy a DVD!). 40 Days Through the Book series: Each of the studies in this series, taught by a different pastor or Bible teacher on a specific book of the Bible, is designed to help you more actively engage with God's Word by understanding its background and culture and applying it in a fresh way to your life. Throughout each study, you'll be encouraged to read through the corresponding book in the New Testament at least once during the course of 40 days. Watch on any device! Streaming video access code included. Access code subject to expiration after 12/31/2027. Code may be redeemed only by the recipient of this package. Code may not be transferred or sold separately from this package. Internet connection required. Void where prohibited, taxed, or restricted by law. Additional offer details inside.

"The finest statement of the Christian message I have read!" -Dr. Barry Bailey, retired pastor of one of America's largest United Methodist churches (First UMC, Ft. Worth)

"An exceptional challenge by a devoted Christian scholar!" -Dr. Robert Richardson, retired executive, Mercer University, Macon, Georgia

There are truths and falsehoods, treasures and trash, in what we call the Holy Bible and "Christianity." Separating those elements is not always easy. Through the centuries, our churches have added a multitude of beliefs and practices to the life and religion of Jesus of Nazareth. Some of those beliefs and practices are appropriate expressions of Jesus' mind and spirit. Others are far from, even caricatures of, what Jesus would want. For eighty years I have learned and taught about "Christianity," at personal, community, church, college, university, state, national, and international levels. I have learned that there are many "Christianities," some loving, some hateful, some intelligent, some stupid, some healing, some hurtful. If we are going to live our Christianity-in our small and big worlds-may God help us get it "right! "

Messages from the media and pressures from peers all seem to conspire against raising children with strong Christian values. As kids grow older the potential for things to go wrong just seems to multiply. How can parents nurture their families with confidence, without the fear that they are making some big mistake? Tim Stafford sets you free from worrying about the Joneses or anyone else. He shows you how to build core Christian values into your children in a way that fits who God made your family to be, unique and different from every other family. In this practical and freeing book, you'll find: Why your family doesn't have to be like other families How to build core values into your children that will last a lifetime How you can find the patterns that fit who you and your family are Ways to build family life that kids enjoy and that parents find satisfying Why there's more than one, good, right way to be a family How to build grace and freedom into your family life while still providing structure and security Release from the fear that you are parenting the wrong way Stafford identifies thirteen core biblical values and describes a wide variety of ways to build these into families. He explores the many options that are available for parents to help their children develop in truthfulness, contentment, hard work, joy, rest, forgiveness and putting God first. Some books suggest there is only one right way to parent, no matter who you are. InNever Mind the Joneses Stafford frees you to explore the ways God has provided that fit your family best.

Author and pastor Andy Stanley explains what made the earliest Christian movement so compelling and resilient...and what we need to change today to make it so again. Once upon a time there was a version of the Christian faith that was practically irresistible. After all, what could be more so than the gospel that Jesus ushered in? Why, then, isn't it the same with Christianity today? In this six-session video Bible study (DVD/video streaming not included), Pastor Andy answers questions like: What did first-century Christians know that we don't-about God's Word, about their lives, about love? What did they do that we're not doing? What makes Christianity so resistible in today's culture? What needs to change in order to repeat the growth our faith had at its beginning? Andy is deeply concerned with the present-day church and its future, and he believes that many of the solutions to our issues can be found by investigating our roots. It's time to hit pause and consider the faith modeled by our first-century brothers and sisters who had no official Bible, no status, and little chance of survival. It's time to embrace the version of faith that initiated-against all human odds-a chain of events resulting in the most significant and extensive cultural transformation the world has ever seen. This is a version of Christianity we must remember and re-embrace if we want to be salt and light in an increasingly savorless and dark world. Designed for use with the Irresistible Video Study (9780310100515) and the Irresistible core book (9780310536970), sold separately.

So begins the true story of a five month long "conversation" by e-mail between the young Kathy and the author, Doctor Wilson Asawu, after he returns home from the suburban community where she attended his church seminar. The sequence of e-mail between them shows how - one cautious, but trusting step after another -- she finally fulfills her desire to enter a personal relationship with God. When she has and after she makes her testimony to her sister and her mother, they do the same. Kathy's story exposes and addresses the "false start" syndrome: growing up in a comfortable Christian home, believing all the right things, but finally lacking the assurance in one's heart that one is a child of God. For any such children, Kathy's Good News could be their good news, too.

Making your Tithing Count for your Growth in Christ Your Tithing to Grow in Christ is more than a book. It is your devotional guide designed to practically assist you in spiritually relating to God personally in your tithing. As you use this devotional guide, you will soon find yourself experiencing seven things. These seven things are as follows: Getting you closer to God Thinking about God Praying to God Reading about God Honoring God Giving to God Hearing from God Next to the Bible, the Tithing to Grow in Christ is what you and every local church member must have. It is the devotional guide book that you need in order to tithe by the principle of knowing and relating to God personally. That was the principle of tithing God established with Abraham when he was made to tithe to Melchizedek in Genesis chapter 14. Your spiritual growth in Christ in the areas of trusting, loving, and being holy to God is guaranteed with your use of the Tithing to Grow in Christ. It situates you into building a strong personal relationship with God and to nurture the integrity of the personal presence of God in your life. The integrity of the personal presence of God is what you need to be certain about the personal influence of God in your life. Having the certainty concerning the personal influence of God in your life puts you above, calms your anxieties, reduces your stress, and gives you the peace and boldness to face any challenging situation, as it was the case with David in going out to fight with Goliath. A Groundbreaking Devotional Guide for A Strong Personal Relationship with God