We believe a lot of false narratives about the nature of God, things like "God helps those who help themselves"; "God blesses the righteous"; "God might not be out for your good, and you might be missing something." But pastor and professor James Bryan Smith points us to the truth of who God is, revealed by Jesus: A God who loves to help the helpless. A God who doesn't play favorites, whether righteous or unrighteous. A God who is, in his essence, self-sacrificing--even to death--to save a people he loves. In six short chapters, The Kingdom and the Cross zooms in on Christ's work on the cross and what it all means about who God is and how we're to live as his people. A soul training exercise is included for each chapter to help the new true narrative take root in our hearts. And a discussion guide at the end makes this complement to The Apprentice Series perfect for groups to work through together, especially during the season of Lent. Understanding Christ's work on the cross is crucial for any apprentice of Jesus. Here is a resource to help you see--and believe--more fully, that you might live more faithfully in his kingdom.

"God wants me to try harder.""God blesses me when I'm good and punishes me when I'm bad.""God is angry with me."We all have ideas that we tell ourselves about God and how he works in our lives. Some are true--but many are false. James Bryan Smith believes those thoughts determine not only who we are, but how we live. In fact, Smith declares, the most important thing about a person is what they think about God. The path to spiritual transformation begins here.Turning to the Gospels, Smith invites you to put your ideas to the test to see if they match up with what Jesus himself reveals about God. Once you've discovered the truth in Scripture, Smith leads you through a process of spiritual formation that includes specific activities aimed at making these new narratives real in your body and soul as well as your mind. At the end of each chapter you'll find an opportunity for soul training, engaging in spiritual practices that reinforce the biblical messages on your mind and heart. Because the best way to make a complete and lasting change is to go through the material in community, small group discussion questions also accompany each chapter. Those who are leading apprentice groups will also find additional help and opportunities to interact with other leaders at the Apprentice website, www.apprenticeofjesus.com.This deep, loving and transformative book will help you discover the narratives that Jesus lived by--to know the Lord he knew and the kingdom he proclaimed--and to practice spiritual exercises that will help you grow in the knowledge of our good and beautiful God.

Experience Rich Mullins's Legacy of Joy and Real Compassion Beloved contemporary Christian musician Rich Mullins lived his life with abandon for God, leaving the spotlight to teach music among a Navajo community. An accident cut his life short in 1997, but his songs and ragamuffin spirit continue to teach many. In honor of the twenty-fifth anniversary of Rich's homegoing, this edition of Rich Mullins: An Arrow Pointing to Heaven delivers an intimate look at the experiences that sparked praise hits and the values behind his Christ-like candor. James Bryan Smith captures just what Rich wished for when he said, "I hope I would leave a legacy of joy—a legacy of real compassion." See the layers of his story through reflections from friends and family, an afterword by Rich's brother David Mullins, and Smith's own bond with him. And in remembrance, be inspired to enjoy God's world as Rich did.

In this collection, the authors put forth different philosophical conceptions of "hacking education" in response to the educational, societal, and technological demands of the 21st century. Teacher Educators are encouraged to draw on the collection to rethink how "hacking education" can be understood simultaneously as a "praxis" informed by desires for malice, as well as a creative site for us to reconsider the possibilities and limitations of teaching and learning in a digital era. How do we hack beyond the limits of circumscribed experiences, regulated subjective encounters with knowledge and the limits imposed by an ever constrained 21st century schooling system in the hopes of imagining better and more meaningful futures? How do we foster ingenuity and learning as the end itself (and not learning as economic imperative) in a world where technology, in part, positions individuals as zombie-like and as an economic end in itself? Can we "hack" education in such a way that helps to mitigate the black hat hacking that increasingly lays ruin to individual lives, government agencies, and places of work? How can we, as educators, facilitate the curricular and pedagogical processes of reclaiming the term hacking so as to remember and remind ourselves that hacking's humble roots are ultimately pedagogical in its very essence? As a collection of theoretical and pedagogical pieces, the chapters in the collection are of value to both scholars and practitioners who share the same passion and commitment to changing, challenging and reimagining the script that all too often constrains and prescribes particular visions of education. Those who seek to question the nature of teaching and learning and who seek to develop a richer theoretical vocabulary will benefit from the insightful and rich collection of essays presented in this collection. In this regard, the collection offers something for all who might wish to rethink the fundamental dynamics of education or, as Morpheus asks of Neo in The Matrix, bend the rules of conventional ways of knowing and being.

This book seeks to understand how to internationalize curriculum without imperializing or imposing the old, colonial, and so-called first-world conceptualizations of education, teaching, and learning. The collection draws on the groundbreaking work of Dwayne Huebner in order to invite scholars into conversation with histories of curriculum studies and to posit them within it, opening up new spaces to work in and through curricular issues. This book will appeal to scholars, teachers, and students looking to reconceptualize international curriculum development and theory.

This module on technology in language learning provides novice and experienced second and foreign language (L2) teachers alike with an introduction to the field of computer-assisted language learning (CALL). The module first provides a historical overview of the field and then explores the most widely researched areas within CALL. The module examines findings of research into computer-mediated communication for L2 learning as well as L2 skill-area instruction in technology-enhanced settings. The unit then turns to a discussion of teacher and learner standards for using CALL, followed by a discussion of how one may find and evaluate CALL resources that are appropriate for specific instructional contexts. The module ends with an introduction to four of the newest and most exciting areas in CALL: gaming, fan fiction, digital storytelling, and mobile-assisted language learning.

Every educator knows that the most effective way to learn is by 'doing' - and nowhere is that truth more clearly seen than in management development. This wide-ranging book explains what is involved in planning and running project-based management development programmes and demonstrates the benefits for both the individuals and the organizations concerned. Drawing on the unrivalled experience of PA-Sundridge Park Management Centre in this field, the authors: c show how to set up the necessary frameworks c describe programmes for different levels of management, including 'top teams' c examine the role of the sponsor c point out the potential pitfalls and indicate how to avoid them c look at the influence of national culture. With summaries and checklists, and case studies focusing on ICI, Allied Domecq, Volvo, Gestetner, Lloyds Bank Insurance Services, The Inland Revenue, London Underground and others, the emphasis throughout is very much on the practical. For anyone concerned with improving managerial performance, this is a book that will repay careful study.

The Christian faith is about much more than belief and practices - it's also about the kind of people that we become. Yet some of the biggest barriers to our transformation come from our own toxic narratives about ourselves, narratives that shape the way we see ourselves and the way we interact with the world. We are made with a deep longing in our souls to be wanted, loved, alive and connected to God. Healing our souls requires more than knowing what God thinks about us. Our healing comes not through reason alone, but through revelation. 'The best practice I have seen in Christian spiritual formation' was Dallas Willard's endorsement of the Good and Beautiful series a decade ago. Now this fourth book in the series, The Good and Beautiful You, addresses the self-narratives that hinder spiritual growth and the desires of the soul that only God can satisfy. James Bryan Smith reminds us how Scripture reveals the beauty and goodness of our own souls and how we long for healing that only God can provide. Complete with spiritual practices that help us live into that reality, The Good and Beautiful You will serve as a welcome companion on your journey to discover who you truly are in Christ.

THE GOOD AND BEAUTIFUL LIFE is the second book in the Apprentice Series, which along with three other titles forms 'a curriculum for Christlikeness'. THE GOOD AND BEAUTIFUL LIFE introduces the reader to the kingdom of God and focuses on our inward character, dealing specifically with some of the most problematic vices: anger, lust, lying, worry, judging others and so on. Following the Sermon on the Mount, this book looks at the narratives behind these character flaws and replaces them with Jesus' narratives about life in the kingdom of God. Each chapter includes a 'soul-training' exercise to help embed Jesus' narratives into our minds, bodies and souls, along with questions that can be used for individual reflection or group discussion.

We are told, "Look out for yourself first" and "Nice guys finish last." But following that path leaves us feeling isolated and anxious, and can even take us to a place of ruin. This is not a magnificent journey. There is a road to life in the unshakeable kingdom of God, but it's not an easy journey. "We cannot enter into the kingdom unless we take our cross and die to ourselves," writes author James Bryan Smith. "We often assume that this will be painful. And of course it is. But what is the alternative? I can, for example, choose to navigate my life, choose to live as I want, and aim at fulfilling all of my desires. This will result in that despair Kierkegaard wrote of, the sickness unto death. . . . The wisest choice, then, is to surrender." In The Magnificent Journey, the author shows us the better road, the road less travelled, but the road full of riches. Along the way he introduces us to new spiritual practices that will provide the sustenance we need for the deepest, most joy-filled journey of our lives--the journey into the heart of God.

The Business of Mining complete set of three Focus books provides readers with a holistic all-embracing appraisal of the analytical tools available for assessing the economic viability of prospective mines. Each volume has a discrete focus. This third volume commences with "Our Earth, its Minerals and Ore Bodies", followed by a review of mineral exploration and sampling of mineral deposits. It continues with detailed sections covering the reporting of mineral resources and reserves in Australia, and concludes with the basic principles and application of the various methods of estimating the in-situ mineral resources and ore reserves. The books were written primarily for undergraduate applied geologists, mining engineers and extractive metallurgists and those pursuing course-based postgraduate programs in mineral economics. However, the complete series will also be an extremely useful reference text for practicing mining professionals as well as for consultant geologists, mining engineers or primary metallurgists.

Curiosity is essential to growth. A little curiosity moves us deeper into the lives of the people around us. A little curiosity leads to opportunities we never knew existed. A little curiosity helps us understand our own strange emotions. A little curiosity, if focused on Jesus, will make us more like him. Pastor and spiritual director Casey Tygrett loves to ask questions. "There's a difficult line to walk between what we need to know and what falls into the realm of mystery," he writes. "Walking that line often wears on our nerves and causes incredible tension, and so we settle for easy answers. We stop asking questions. We give up. We begin to lose the one thing that fiercely energizes the transformation of our souls-something beautiful, poetic, joyful, and happily disruptive: curiosity.? When we make curiosity a spiritual practice, we open up to new ways of knowing God and knowing ourselves as well. Come and discover the power of asking questions.

THE GOOD AND BEAUTIFUL GOD is the first book in the Apprentice Series, which along with three other titles forms 'a curriculum for Christlikeness'. THE GOOD AND BEAUTIFUL GOD focuses on the character of God and how we can move into a life of intimacy with him. What we believe about God is of huge importance to our lives: the path to spiritual transformation begins here. Each chapter uncovers the narratives by which Jesus lived, and includes a 'soul-training' exercise to help embed this narrative into our minds, bodies and souls. Each chapter also includes questions that can be used for individual reflection or group discussion.

A New, Expanded Edition of Renovare's Classic Companion to the Devotional Life

Updated to incorporate all six traditions, or "streams," that comprise a healthy and holistic life of faith, these fifty-two selections have been organized to introduce the reader to the great devotional writers over the course of one year. Edited by James Bryan Smith, each reading is accompanied by an introduction and meditation by Richard J. Foster. In addition, each entry includes a related biblical passage, discussion questions, and individual and group exercises.

With devotional readings in

1. The Prayer-Filled Life

2. The Virtuous Life

3. The Spirit-Empowered Life

4. The Compassionate Life

5. The Word-Centered Life

6. The Sacramental Life

Foster and Smith sift through works from the great spiritual writers of the past as well as readings from contemporary spiritual leaders to create a guide that is indispensable for those looking for a deeper and more balanced spiritual life.

"Let me unequivocally state that Bryan Smith creates the most fantastic, sick, demented and twisted characters in horror fiction today." -Famous Monsters of Filmland "I look forward to spending a weekend with a new Bryan Smith book the way I used to look forward to spending a weekend with a new Richard Laymon novel. In my view, there isn't higher praise than that."--Brian Keene, author of The Rising. "Holy. Shit." -Horror Drive-In The road to hell is paved with angels and demons. Brain worms and dead prostitutes. Serial killers and frustrated writers. Zombies and Rock 'n Roll. And once you start down this path, there is no going back. Collecting thirteen tales of shock and terror from Bryan Smith, Highways to Hell is a non-stop road-trip of cruelty, pain, and death. Grab a seat, Smith has such sights to show you.