You know you're supposed to like him, but you just don't. Maybe it's the authoritarianism, maybe it's the arrogance, maybe it's the views he seems to hold, maybe it's the way that he drones on and on until you're falling asleep. Well ... you're not the only one. None of that is new. Not even the last bit (see Acts 20:9). But there's a secret to liking an initially unlikeable person like Paul: walk a mile in his moccasins. Or three. This small book aims to take you inside three controversies that Paul faced. Would you have advised him to do anything differently? Would you have done as well as he did? This is a quick and entertaining introduction to the letters of Paul, from which you'll also learn about yourself. "The warmth of this book thaws the awkward frostiness that currently exists around Paul... I like him more now. And I like this book a lot." Jeff Lucas, author, speaker, broadcaster "This is a gem of a book for individual or group study; I highly recommend it." Mike Pilavachi, Soul Survivor "Conrad Gempf is an exceptional communicator and a sideways thinker. He's also effortlessly cool. What he uncovers about Paul will surprise, entertain and challenge you." Martin Saunders, editor of Youthwork Magazine

Paul wasn't one of Jesus' friends - in fact he really didn't like the whole "Jesus crew" at all. They were wrong! Even worse, they were telling lies that confused people about how to live properly in God's way. But Paul's life-journey is about to be dramatically turned upside down when he actually meets Jesus himself. In a blinding-flash encounter he is given an assignment from God in a mission that will change the lives of Jewish and Gentile people across the world from the first century right through to today. Here storyteller and scribe, Maximus details Paul's dangerous, thrilling, and adventurous journeys.

It's not exactly how one would expect God to occupy himself. Lord of space and time, newly resurrected from the dead, and what is he doing? Sitting quietly by the lakeside, cooking up breakfast and waiting for the disciples to drop by. The Gospels are full of odd quirks that most people never notice because the stories are so familiar. But Conrad Gempf notices. He uses his knowledge of Jesus' life and times to light up the meditations in this book. The forty short encounters in this book focus on Jesus as a teacher, Jesus as a miracle worker, on Jesus' radical spirituality and on his death and resurrection. Seasoning its unique insights with humor, Mealtime Habits of the Messiah both satisfies the hungry soul and piques the reader's appetite for prayer. "Gempf's well-balanced approach ...will put fuel in the tanks of all our journeys toward wholeness and purpose." - Rob Lacey, from the foreword "Conrad's book is a delight. It's like its subject, Jesus: alive, fun, engaging, warm, and occasionally wonderfully dangerous." - Jeff Lucas "An Inspiring and startling portrait of Jesus which will nourish your spirit and feed your soul." - Steve Chalke

The Book of Acts in Its Graeco-Roman Setting locates the Book of Acts within various regional and cultural settings in the eastern Mediterranean. These studies draw on recent archaeological fieldwork and epigraphic discoveries to describe the key cities and provinces within the Roman Empire. The relevant societal aspects of these regions, such as the Roman legal system, Roman religion, and the problem of transport and travel, all help contextualize the Book of Acts.

A look at the questions Jesus asks us---which enrich our understanding and faith.In the Gospels, when people asked Jesus a question, he often replied with one of his own: 'Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?' 'Why do you call me good?' British author Conrad Gempf invites readers to look at these questions and discover Jesus' motivation. What could the second person of the Trinity want to know that he doesn't already? Gempf concludes that Jesus wants to know where we stand. He doesn't need to know more facts; he wants to know us.