This substantial, reliable introduction examines the character and purpose of Luke and Acts and provides a thorough yet economical treatment of Luke's social, historical, and literary context. Karl Allen Kuhn presents Luke's narrative as a "kingdom story" that both announces the arrival of God's reign in Jesus and describes the ministry of the early church, revealing the character of the kingdom as dramatically at odds with the kingdom of Rome. Kuhn explores the background, literary features, plotting, and themes of Luke and Acts but also offers significant, fresh insights into the persuasive force of Luke's impressively crafted and rhetorically charged narrative.

What would happen if believers truly grasped how the resurrection of Jesus changes not just their own standing with God, but that it changes everything? In the spirit of John Piper's "Fifty Reasons Why Christ Came to Die," Steven D. Mathewson unpacks the New Testament Scriptures that speak of the reasons Jesus was raised from the dead.
In fifty brief chapters, he offers readers faith-filled meditations on the primary passages on the resurrection, taking these ancient truths and applying them to contemporary life. With compelling insight, he shows why Jesus not only had to die, but why his resurrection was necessary and how our lives change when we understand and embrace this essential truth of the Christian faith.

A common objection to belief in the God of the Bible is that a good, kind, and loving deity would never command the wholesale slaughter of nations. Even Christians have a hard time stomaching such a thought, and many avoid reading those difficult Old Testament passages that make us squeamish. Instead, we quickly jump to the enemy-loving, forgiving Jesus of the New Testament. And yet, the question doesn't go away. Did God really command genocide? Is the command to "utterly destroy" morally unjustifiable? Is it literal? Are the issues more complex and nuanced than we realize?
In the tradition of his popular "Is God a Moral Monster?," Paul Copan teams up with Matthew Flannagan to tackle some of the most confusing and uncomfortable passages of Scripture. Together they help the Christian and nonbeliever alike understand the biblical, theological, philosophical, and ethical implications of Old Testament warfare passages. Pastors, youth pastors, campus ministers, apologetics readers, and laypeople will find that this book both enlightens and equips them for serious discussion of troubling spiritual questions.

What if the goal of raising a Christian girl was about more than keeping her virginity intact? What if it was about raising a strong, independent young woman who knows who she is, uses her voice, and confidently steps into the life God has for her? From the authors of The Great Sex Rescue comes this evidence-based book grounded on surveys of over 28,000 women to offer moms a fresh, freeing, and biblically grounded message of sexuality and self-worth for their daughters that is less about the don'ts and more about the dos. This isn't your average parenting book: no pat answers or overly broad principles here. No cliche prescriptives or toxic teachings that your daughter will have to unpack and recover from as an adult, like so many of us have. Instead, you'll find data-driven insights about how to raise a woman who is resilient, knows her strength, and has the discernment skills needed to make good choices. By reframing (and sometimes replacing) common evangelical messages to teen girls, this book will equip you to raise a girl who can navigate the difficult waters of growing up while still clinging tight to the God who created her on purpose, for a purpose.

This book (hardcover) is part of the TREDITION CLASSICS. It contains classical literature works from over two thousand years. Most of these titles have been out of print and off the bookstore shelves for decades. The book series is intended to preserve the cultural legacy and to promote the timeless works of classical literature. Readers of a TREDITION CLASSICS book support the mission to save many of the amazing works of world literature from oblivion. With this series, tredition intends to make thousands of international literature classics available in printed format again - worldwide.

"When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth." - John 16:13 "He who saw this has testified so that you also may believe. His testimony is true, and he knows he is telling the truth." - John 19:35 With time and experience comes wisdom. John, the longest-surviving of the apostles, recorded in his Gospel a portrait of Jesus that displays the depth of years of reflection on who Jesus is and what he means to the world. Writing in light of the philosophies of his day, John describes Jesus as the incarnate Word, the divine Logos, the embodiment of all truth and wisdom. In this last volume of the Biblical Imagination Series, Michael Card completes his work on the four Gospels. He shows how John stands alongside the other Gospel writers to fill out the picture of Jesus' divine identity, with stories and sayings of Jesus not recorded by the others. This Jesus reorients our understanding of ourselves and the world around us, offering us nothing less than the way, the truth and the life. Like John before him, Card has written these words so that we may better believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing we have life in his name.

Bestselling Author Reveals How God Empowers Women for Leadership and Purpose
Christian women are often led to believe they are God's afterthoughts--as if they were created inferior to men or destined by God to play a secondary role in life. Not so, says bestselling author J. Lee Grady, father of four daughters and a leading international voice confronting the abuse of women. He counters that the Bible's message is neither sexist nor patronizing.
Through sharing the lives of 23 mold-breaking biblical women, Grady shows how God enables his daughters to do amazing, even impossible things. He also reveals the empowering, yet often-overlooked, gifts God longs to give each of his daughters--gifts like wisdom, fruitfulness, leadership, family, and boldness. When women learn to receive each of these, and more, as a divine inheritance, they will live the fearless and beautiful lives of purpose God desires for them.

Roll it up! Store and organize pencils, pens, and more in this stylish case.

Features:

• 30 elastic slots, plus 3 pockets for accessories.
• Holds pens, pencils, markers, brushes, crochet hooks, smaller knitting needles, eraser, and sharpener.
• Perfect for on-the go drawing, painting, or crafting.
• Classic canvas construction with leatherette trim.
• Easy, secure snap closure.
• Wrap measures 19 inches wide by 7-3/4 inches high unrolled (48.3 cm wide by 19.7 cm high), and approximately 4 inches wide by 7-3/4 inches high rolled up (10.2 cm wide by 19.7 cm high).

Note: PENCILS, PENS, ETC., NOT INCLUDED.

Bone is ubiquitous and versatile, and uniquely repairs itself without scarring. However, we rarely see bone in its living state-and even then, mostly in two-tone images that only hint at its marvels. After it serves and protects vertebrate lives, bone reveals itself in surprising ways, sometimes hundreds of millions of years later. In Bones, orthopaedic surgeon Roy Meals explores and extols this amazing material that both supports and records vertebrate life. He demystifies the biological makeup of bones; how they grow, break and heal; and how medical innovations-from the first X-rays to advanced surgical techniques-enhance our lives. With enthusiasm and humour, Meals also reveals the enduring presence of bone outside the body-as fossils, ossuaries, tools, musical instruments-and celebrates allusions to bone in history, religion and idiom. Approachable and entertaining, Bones richly illuminates our bodies' essential framework.

If you have been hurt, neglected, rejected, or abandoned by your father, it may feel like every aspect of life is affected by that broken trust. Even your relationship with God can feel tenuous, but there is hope. In this vulnerable book, author and speaker Kia Stephens shares her own story of father wounds, along with eye-opening examples from wounded women in Scripture who were transformed by the love of God. With great compassion, she helps you identify your father wounds and offers practical tools to help you overcome insecurity, low self-esteem, perfectionism, and trouble connecting with God as your loving heavenly father. Take heart. Your father wounds do not have the last word in your life; God does. With help from Kia and love from God, you can be made whole again.

This book explores how religions have changed in a globalized world and how Christianity is unique among them. Harold Netland, an expert in philosophical aspects of religion and pluralism, offers a fresh analysis of religion in today's globalizing world. He challenges misunderstandings of the concept of religion itself and shows how particular religious traditions, such as Buddhism, undergo significant change with modernization and globalization. Netland then responds to issues concerning the plausibility of Christian commitments to Jesus Christ and the unique truth of the Christian gospel in light of religious diversity. The book concludes with basic principles for living as Christ's disciples in religiously diverse contexts.

The BBQ Companion features 50 recipes designed for cooking in the great outdoors. Whether you’ve got plans for a camping trip, a picnic or a backyard dinner, these recipe cards will have you cooking all summer. In the mood for a classic? Try Argentinian beef with chimichurri, grilled buttermilk chicken, or sticky bourbon-bbq short ribs. Or, if you’re looking for something different, there’s Korean bulgogi tofu, haloumi burgers with peperonata, or rum-spiked barbecued banana boats. Each card comes with a different recipe, with enough choices to keep you cooking all summer. So, just shuffle the deck and get grilling! • Covers all the bases, from seafood to steak • Recipes for side dishes and desserts • Includes vegetarian and vegan options

Carry this bag in style! The Andy Warhol Foundation Banana Tote Bag from Galison features Warhol's iconic yellow banana image and signature on one side and stylish thin black sailor stripes on the other side. This awesome bag also includes 3 different limited edition pins: Banana, Andy Self Portrait, Camouflage with the quote, "Art is what you can get away with". There is also a secondary hang tag attached which is a facsimile of an Andy Warhol art store receipt. The tote is constructed using heavy gauge cotton canvas and sturdy red strap (with the perfect length to carry over the shoulder or alongside your legs). - Size: 17 x 15''

Discover the calming power of the flow state. We all know flow, even if we don't yet know what to call it: that blissful state of absorption, when you're so engaged with what you're doing that you don't notice the time passing. Psychologists now know that this still, almost meditative, state, brings us a host of mental health benefits: balance, tranquility, and less stress. Jigsaw puzzling is an easy way to find this state, which is one of the reasons that they have boomed so dramatically in recent years. With the first of her Flow puzzles, Elin Svensson uses gently harmonious colour gradients to create a calming mandala that will captivate the puzzler, and take them on a gentle journey to a place of calm. The box also includes a short introduction to the flow state, and its benefits, written by an authority in the field.

The Apostolic Fathers is a critically important collections of texts for studying the first century of Christian history. Here a leading expert on the Apostolic Fathers offers an accessible, up-to-date introduction and companion to these diverse and fascinating writings. This work is easy to use and affordable yet offers a thorough overview for students and others approaching these writings for the first time. It explains the context and significance of each document and points to further reading. This new edition of a well-received text has been updated throughout and includes a new chapter on the fragments of Papias.

2015 Book of the Year Award, Academy of Parish Clergy Amid conflicting ideas about what the church should be and do in a post-Christian climate, the missing voice is that of Paul. The New Testament's most prolific church planter, Paul faced diverse challenges as he worked to form congregations. Leading biblical scholar James Thompson examines Paul's ministry of planting and nurturing churches in the pre-Christian world to offer guidance for the contemporary church. The church today, as then, must define itself and its mission among people who have been shaped by other experiences of community. Thompson shows that Paul offers an unprecedented vision of the community that is being conformed to the image of Christ. He also addresses contemporary (mis)understandings of words like missional, megachurch, and formation.

There are two kinds of shame. Legitimate shame is a tool in the hands of a forgiving God; we feel it when we recognize our sin and turn to Him. False shame, on the other hand, is a tool in the hands of the enemy; Satan uses it to convince believers that they are not worthy of God's love and acceptance, and to turn them away from fellowship with Him. In From Shame to Beauty, readers will discover how to arm themselves against false shame and live confidently in the knowledge of God's love. This interactive study, ideal for individuals or small groups, guides readers through a process of healing from false shame that has plagued their lives and relationships. From Shame to Beauty features eight topical studies. Topics include "Characteristics of Shame," "Cause of Shame," "Contagion of Shame," "Cure for Shame," and more. Each week's study examines how false shame threatens the lives of believers, digs into Scripture to find out what God's Word has to say about it, offers readers the opportunity to reflect on their own struggle with shame, and suggests practical action steps to help readers apply what they have learned.

Looking for an ideal toast, quip, or remark for that special occasion--or the perfect pithy comment to enliven an everyday conversation? Ask Shakespeare!

A wedding vow--"To you I give myself, for I am yours" ("As You Like It")

A birthday greeting--to me, fair fried, you can never be old. (Sonnet 104)

Party time!--"Let's mock the midnight bell." ("Antony and Cleopatra")

The plays and poetry of the Immortal Bard make up a vast repository of wit and wisdom, insight and passion. If there's an occasion that needs commemorating, chances are there are some lines from Shakespeare that will do the job right. Whether you want to "speak the speech" with verve and flair or craft an elegant toast, lecture, or missive, world-renowned Shakespearean director and teacher Barry Edelstein will help you find the perfect "Bardism" for any occasion.

Have you ever known true joy? Do you have this joy in your life right now? If you are longing for fulfillment, for true joy, please read on--this tract may assist you in your quest. 1. God Created Us For His Glory "Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth... whom I created for my glory" (Isaiah 43:6-7). God made us to magnify his greatness--the way telescopes magnify stars. He created us to put his goodness and truth and beauty and wisdom and justice on display. The greatest display of God's glory comes from deep delight in all that he is. This means that God gets the praise and we get the pleasure. God created us so that he is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him. 2. Every Human Should Live For God's Glory "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31). If God made us for his glory, clearly we should live for his glory. Our duty comes from his design. So our first obligation is to show God's value by being satisfied with all that he is for us. This is the essence of loving God (Matthew 22:37) and trusting him (1 John 5:3-4) and being thankful to him (Psalm 100:2-4). It is the root of all true obedience, especially loving others (Colossians 1:4-5). 3. All of Us Have Failed To Glorify God As We Should "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). What does it mean to "fall short of the glory of God?" It means that none of us has trusted and treasured God the way we should. We have not been satisfied with his greatness and walked in his ways. We have sought our satisfaction in other things and have treated them as more valuable than God, which is the essence of idolatry (Romans 1:21-23). Since sin came into the world, we have all been deeply resistant to having God as our all-satisfying treasure (Ephesians 2:3). This is an appalling offense to the greatness of God (Jeremiah 2:12-13). 4. All Of Us Are Subject To God's Just Condemnation "For the wages of sin is death..." (Romans 6:23). We have all belittled the glory of God. How? By preferring other things above him. By our ingratitude, distrust, and disobedience. So God is just in shutting us out from the enjoyment of his glory forever. "They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might" (2 Thessalonians 1:9). The word "hell" is used in the New Testament twelve times--eleven times by Jesus himself. It is not a myth created by dismal and angry preachers. It is a solemn warning from the Son of God who died to deliver sinners from its curse. We ignore it at great risk. If the Bible stopped here in its analysis of the human condition, we would be doomed to a hopeless future. However, this is not where it stops... 5. God Sent His Only Son Jesus To Provide Eternal Life And Joy "The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners..." (1 Timothy 1:15). The good news is that Christ died for sinners like us. And he rose physically from the dead to validate the saving power of his death and to open the gates of eternal life and joy (1 Corinthians 15:20). This means God can acquit guilty sinners and still be just (Romans 3:25-26). "For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God" (1 Peter 3:18). Coming home to God is where all deep and lasting satisfaction is found. 6. The Benefits Purchased By The Death Of Christ Belong To Those Who Repent And Trust Him "Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out" (Acts 3:19). "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved" (Acts 16:31). "Repent" means to turn from all the deceitful promises of sin. "Faith" means being satisfied with all that God promised to be for us in Jesus. "Whoever believes in me," Jesus says, "shall never thirst" (John 6:35). We do not earn our salvation. We cannot merit it (Romans 4:4-5). It is by grace through faith that we are saved (Ephesians 2:8-9). It is a free gift (Romans 3:24). We will have it if we cherish it enough to receive it and treasure it above all things (Matthew 13:44). When we do that, God's aim in creation is accomplished: He is glorified in us and we are satisfied in him--forever. Does This Make Sense To You? Do you desire the kind of gladness that comes from being satisfied with all that God is for you in Jesus? If so, then God is at work in your life. What Should You Do? Turn from the deceitful promises of sin. Call upon Jesus to save you from the guilt and punishment and bondage. "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved" (Romans 10:13). Start banking your hope on all that God is for you in Jesus. You can break the power of sin's promises by putting your faith in the superior satisfaction of God's promises. Begin reading the Bible to find his precious and very great promises, which can set you free (2 Peter 1:3-4). Find a Bible-believing church, and begin to worship and grow together with other people who treasure Christ above all things (Philippians 3:7).