Mental and physical disability, ubiquitous in texts of the Hebrew Bible, here receive a thorough treatment. Olyan seeks to reconstruct the Hebrew Bible's particular ideas of what is disabling and their potential social ramifications. Biblical representations of disability and biblical classification schemas - both explicit and implicit - are compared to those of the Hebrew Bible's larger ancient West Asian cultural context, and to those of the later Jewish biblical interpreters who produced the Dead Sea Scrolls. This study will help the reader gain a deeper and more subtle understanding of the ways in which biblical writers constructed hierarchically significant difference and privileged certain groups (e.g. persons with 'whole' bodies) over others (e.g. persons with physical 'defects'). It also explores how ancient interpreters of the Hebrew Bible such as the Qumran sectarians reproduced and reconfigured earlier biblical notions of disability and earlier classification models for their own contexts and ends.

Can the Hippocratic and Judeo-Christian traditions be synthesized with contemporary thought about practical reason, virtue and community to provide real-life answers to the dilemmas of healthcare today? Bishop Anthony Fisher discusses conscience, relationships and law in relation to the modern-day controversies surrounding stem cell research, abortion, transplants, artificial feeding and euthanasia, using case studies to offer insight and illumination. What emerges is a reason-based bioethics for the twenty-first century; a bioethics that treats faith and reason with equal seriousness, that shows the relevance of ancient wisdom to the complexities of modern healthcare scenarios and that offers new suggestions for social policy and regulation. Philosophical argument is complemented by Catholic theology and analysis of social and biomedical trends, to make this an auspicious example of a new generation of Catholic bioethical writing which has relevance for people of all faiths and none.

We have almost become immune to the reality of today's headlines: from terrorism to natural disasters to political upheavals to refugees to disease to nuclear threats to failing economies...and the list goes on. People are thinking and asking, "Is this the end?" Nobody can answer that question specifically. In fact, Jesus warned about setting dates for the end of the age. But this we can say: Never have so many world-level events developed so rapidly and with such catastrophic implications. These events bring to mind the apostle Paul's words about "birth pangs" before the end of the age. In Is This the End? Study Guide, Pastor David Jeremiah looks at ten major developments in America and the world that almost defy imagination. Just a few years ago, nobody could have imagined the things we hear about daily in the news. We need to understand these events: what they are, what the Bible says about them, and how we should respond as followers of Christ. Follow Dr. Jeremiah as he unfolds five developments in America and five developments on the international stage-all of which beg the question, "Is this the end?"

To communicate God??'s Word effectively in the twenty-first century, you need to know how to connect with and confront an audience of postmodern listeners. With this book, you???ll learn how to change your style of preaching without compromising the substance, take advantage of new opportunities provided by the cultural shift, and show an inattentive society the relevance of God??'s truth. "The world has gone through a major shift in thinking and communication into a postmodern mode, yet much preaching is still ???pre-modern??? and very out of touch. Graham Johnston has made a significant contribution in his book, showing how preaching can be thoroughly biblical, opening up the text of the Bible but also concerned with the openings in the minds of contemporary people." Leighton Ford, president, Leighton Ford Ministries "Communicating God??'s Word is more than just speaking the truth; it??'s being heard and understood as well. This book is designed to help Christian leaders better understand their listeners, so they can communicate biblical truths with effectiveness and clarity." Josh McDowell, author of Evidence That Demands a Verdict "Graham Johnston describes the water in which we exist. . . . Better still, he provides some workable leads on how to communicate the life-giving Word to men and women swimming in the currents of the twenty-first century." Haddon W. Robinson, author of Biblical Preaching "Johnston not only brings a shrewd analysis of the present changes in our culture, he also contributes from the perspective of a skilled practitioner. Such a combination is both rare and valuable." Martin Robinson, director of mission and theology, British and Foreign Bible Society "Foranyone desiring a ministry of impact in today??'s postmodern society, Graham Johnston has provided an understandable and useful focus." Howard G. Hendricks, chairman, Center for Christian Leadership, Dallas Theological Seminary

Dealing with sexual abuse is painful, especially when it involves a child you care about.

And when it happens in church families, we all bear the pain and need help in knowing how to respond. We ask, should we talk about this or keep it secret to protect those involved? When it becomes known, what people or programs are available to assist? When is therapy needed, and how can the right counselor be found? Does healing really occur, and if so, when and how can we expect it? How do we handle the theological questions the crisis raises? And what should our church be doing?

Dr. Tim Kearney has seen and felt such pain. In this warm and hopeful book he shows how the healing touch of God can come, frequently through God's people in the Christian community.

Here is help with
-- recognizing the symptoms
-- how to handle disclosure
-- understanding the systems that respond to abuse
-- the "Why did God let this happen?" question
-- how a church can become abuse-aware
-- caring for caregivers as well as for the child

Learn to think deeply about the relationship between church and state in a way that goes beyond mere policy debates and current campaigns. Few topics can grab headlines and stir passions quite like politics, especially when the church is involved. Considering the attention that many Christian parachurch groups, churches, and individual believers give to politics--and of the varying and sometimes divergent political ideals and aims among them--Five Views on the Church and Politics provides a helpful breakdown of the possible Christian approaches to political involvement. General Editor Amy Black brings together five top-notch political theologians in the book, each representing one of the five key political traditions within Christianity: Anabaptist (Separationist: the most limited possible Christian involvement in politics) - represented by Thomas Heilke Lutheran (Paradoxical: strong separation of church and state) - represented by Robert Benne Black Church (Prophetic: the church's mission is to be a voice for communal reform) - represented by Bruce Fields Reformed (Transformationist: emphasizes God's sovereignty over all things, including churches and governments) - represented by James K. A. Smith Catholic (Synthetic: encouragement of political participation as a means to further the common good of all people) - represented by J. Brian Benestad Each author addresses his tradition's theological distinctives, the role of government, the place of individual Christian participation in government and politics, and how churches should (or should not) address political questions. Responses by each contributor to opposing views will highlight key areas of difference and disagreement. Thorough and even-handed, Five Views on the Church and Politics will enable readers to consider the strengths and weaknesses of the most significant Christian views on political engagement and to draw their own, informed conclusions.

2018 Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Award Finalists - Multicultural "I am a man torn in two. And the gospel I inherited is divided." Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove grew up in the Bible Belt in the American South as a faithful church-going Christian. But he gradually came to realize that the gospel his Christianity proclaimed was not good news for everybody. The same Christianity that sang, "Amazing grace, how sweet the sound" also perpetuated racial injustice and white supremacy in the name of Jesus. His Christianity, he discovered, was the religion of the slaveholder. Just as Reconstruction after the Civil War worked to repair a desperately broken society, our compromised Christianity requires a spiritual reconstruction that undoes the injustices of the past. Wilson-Hartgrove traces his journey from the religion of the slaveholder to the Christianity of Christ. Reconstructing the gospel requires facing the pain of the past and present, from racial blindness to systemic abuses of power. Grappling seriously with troubling history and theology, Wilson-Hartgrove recovers the subversiveness of the gospel that sustained the church through centuries of slavery and oppression, from the civil rights era to the Black Lives Matter movement and beyond. When the gospel is reconstructed, freedom rings for both individuals and society as a whole. Discover how Jesus continues to save us from ourselves and each other, to repair the breach and heal our land.

In 1991, when he was 13 years old, Lenny Duncan stepped out of his house in West Philadelphia, walked to the Greyhound station, and bought a ticket--the start of his great American adventure.Today Duncan, who inspired and challenged audiences with his breakout first book, Dear Church, brings us a deeply personal story about growing up Black and queer in the U.S. In his characteristically powerful voice he recounts hitchhiking across the country, spending time in solitary confinement, battling for sobriety, and discovering a deep faith, examining pressing issues like poverty, mass incarceration, white supremacy, and LGBTQ inclusion through an intimate portrayal of his life's struggles and joys. United States of Grace is a love story about America, revealing the joy and resilience of those places in this country many call "the margins" but that Lenny Duncan has called home. This book makes the bold claim that God is present with us in the most difficult of circumstances, bringing life out of death.

A compellingly honest look at what the Bible really says about environmental stewardship

Did God instruct the human race to be His caretakers over nature? If so, is environmental exploitation disobedience to God? Is it true, as many critics claim, that Christianity is the root cause of today's environmental problems--or are all religions and cultures responsible? How should the church respond?

"Should Christians Be Environmentalists?" systematically tackles these tough questions and more by exploring what the Bible says about the environment and our stewardship of creation. Looking at three dimensions of environmentalism as a movement, a Bible-based theology of nature, and the role the church has in environmental ethics, Dan Story examines each through a theological, apologetic, and practical lens.

Writing with easy-to-understand, nontechnical language, the author provides a powerful rebuttal to critics who claim Christianity is anti-environmental. He urges Christians--especially high school and college students--to embrace the tremendous evangelistic opportunities that exist in the environment debate.

In a time when Christians are becoming increasingly aware of the seriousness of today's environmental and ecological problems and want the church to become more informed and engaged in confronting these issues, this book is the perfect introduction to this timely topic.

Faith in the Voting Booth by National Association of Evangelicals leaders Leith Anderson and Galen Carey will help you clarify your own positions in light of your faith before you enter the voting booth. Anderson and Carey show that biblical wisdom is surprisingly relevant to today's complex political issues. Each voting decision should be thoughtfully and prayerfully approached. This book does not tell you how to vote. Instead it will help you resist clever campaign slogans and television ads designed to make you angry or afraid. Faith in the Voting Booth provides general principles to guide you in 2016 and for years to come. As informed faith leaders, Anderson and Carey not only identify the issues but also help you reflect biblically on how to vote. It is a book that will keep people of faith up to date and ready to vote with confidence and wisdom.

Act Justly is the final book in the trilogy begun by Walk Humbly and Love Mercy, together forming an introduction to Christian faith and life. Taking their inspiration from a question posed in the Old Testament, 'What does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God', each book in the series offers a practical ethic for living that is rooted in timeless wisdom. Focusing on two of the most outstanding justice issues of our day - racial and climate injustice - as well as individual stories of injustice, Act Justly offers practical ways of thinking about justice and cultivating habits of justice to foster the life of God, so that injustice can be challenged and the world can be changed.

17th Annual Outreach Magazine Resource of the Year - Church There's an urgent need for Christian ministry in our cities-but we need a guide. Known around Oakland, California, as "OG Rev.," Reverend Harry Williams's calling is to the streets: to the hungry, homeless, addicted, incarcerated, and vulnerable. In Taking It to the Streets, he invites us into his world, bringing us face-to-face with both the injustices that plague our cities and the gospel of compassion that offers hope to the downtrodden. Rev. Williams takes on racism, the plight of children in the inner city, gentrification, urban violence, the prosperity gospel, and more, all from the perspective of someone who understands these phenomena from the inside. Whether we ourselves are from the city or not, we need a deep understanding of its social, political, and spiritual realities if we're to minister effectively. Taking It to the Streets offers firsthand accounts of urban life alongside large-scale considerations of its systemic challenges, all in the context of the life-giving good news of Jesus. This is the introduction to urban ministry we need. Filled with both sober truths and the hope of Jesus, it will inspire and equip a new generation of ministers to our cities.

2012 Christianity Today Book Award winner 2011 Leadership Journal Top Book of the Year Copastors Kent Carlson and Mike Lueken tell the story of how God took their thriving, consumer-oriented church and transformed it into a modest congregation of unformed believers committed to the growth of the spirit--even when it meant a decline in numbers. As Kent and Mike found out, a decade of major change is not easy on a church. Oak Hills Church, from the pastoral staff to the congregation, had to confront addiction to personal ambition, resist consumerism and reorient their lives around the teachings of Jesus. Their renewed focus on spiritual formation over numerical growth triggered major changes in the content of their sermons, the tenor of their worship services, and the reason for their outreach. They lost members. But the health and spiritual depth of their church today is a testimony of God's transforming work and enduring faithfulness to the people he loves. Honest and humble, this is Kent and Mike's story of a church they love, written to inspire and challenge other churches to let God rewrite their stories as well. Read it for the church you love.

Understanding our religious neighbors is more important than ever-but also more challenging. In a world of deep religious strife and increasing pluralism it can seem safer to remain inside the "bubble" of our faith community. Christian college campuses in particular provide a strong social bubble that reinforces one's faith identity in distinction from the wider society. Many Christians worry that engaging in interfaith dialogue will require watering down their faith and accepting other religions as equally true. Bethel University professors Marion Larson and Sara Shady not only make the case that we can love our religious neighbors without diluting our commitment, but also offer practical wisdom and ideas for turning our faith bubbles into bridges of religious inclusion and interfaith engagement. Drawing on the parables of Jesus, research on interreligious dialogue, and their own classroom experience, Larson and Shady provide readers with the tools they need to move beyond the bubble. Interfaith dialogue is difficult, and From Bubble to Bridge is the timely guide we have been waiting for.

"We preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God." When Paul preached about the crucified and risen Jesus Christ to the church at Corinth and elsewhere, did he follow the well-established rhetorical strategy of his day or did he pursue a different path? And what does that mean for the preaching of the church today? Through a detailed analysis of 1 Corinthians 1-4, Duane Litfin explores the rhetorical context of Paul's preaching and his own understanding of his task as a preacher. What is revealed in this investigation is a sharp distinction between Greco-Roman rhetorical strategies, which sought to persuade, and Paul's theology of preaching, which was based on the model of an obedient herald. This revised and expanded version of Litfin's previous St. Paul's Theology of Proclamation will provide insight to those engaged in Pauline and New Testament studies, rhetorical theory, and Greco-Roman studies. Moreover, by offering a better understanding of Paul's method as well as the content of his declaration concerning "the power and wisdom of God" revealed in Jesus, this book will help preachers as they undertake the ongoing task to "preach Christ crucified."

Each day, the world's urban population swells by almost 200,000. With every passing week, more than a million people new to cities face unexpected realities and challenges of urban life. Just like the sheer volume of people in the city, these challenges can be staggering. As with the height and breadth of our metropolises, the wonders of urban life can be breathtaking. Like the city itself, the questions and challenges of urban life are both sprawling and pulsing with vitality. As part of Zondervan's Ordinary Theology series, this volume offers a series of Christian reflections on some of the most basic and universal challenges of 21st century urban life. It takes one important dimension of what it means to be human-that human beings are made to be for God, for others, and for creation-and asks, "What are the implications of who God made us to be for how we ought to live in our cities?" This book is intended for Christians facing the riddle of urban creation care, discerning the shape of community life, struggling with the challenges of wealth and poverty, and wondering at the global influence of cities. It is meant for those whose lives and livelihoods are inextricably bound up in the flourishing of their neighborhood and also for those who live in the shadow of cities. Most of all, it is meant for those grappling with the relationship between the cities of tomorrow and the glorious city to come.

These sermon outlines were chosen on various topics for their strong scriptural support and solid expository structure. These sermon outlines will enhance pulpit ministry and encourage those in the pew.