Digs into the Bible to find out what Jesus did and said Encourages you to decide what place Jesus has in your life today More than 110 titles available! Features the popular inductive study approach Includes helpful notes for group leaders Convenient workbook format for groups or individuals Approach questions help get you thinking or start group discussion Application questions help you to act on what you have learned Field-tested by individuals and groups prior to publication

This book deals with profound experiences - emotional, intellectual, highly charged, usually sudden, unannounced, often odd, some weird, others glorious. Do these experiences mean anything? Are we puzzling over questions we can't answer no matter how long we try? Is that puzzling itself meaningful? If so, is that meaning significant? Are these experiences actually signals that there is something more than to human life - our human life, my life - perhaps something transcendent? The book ends with a discussion of the need for an apologetic that includes a wide range of biblical revelation - not just religious experience, but historical and scientific evidence and rational arguments involving both a positive case and a negative refutation of objections.

A Christianity Today Book Award Winner What does it mean to love God with your mind? Can the intellectual life be a legitimate Christian calling? In this deeply personal book, James Sire brings wit and wisdom to bear on these questions. He draws from his own experience and the life of John Henry Newman to explore how to think well for the glory of God and the sake of his kingdom. Habits of the Mind challenges you to avoid one of the greatest pitfalls of intellectual life: the temptation to separate being from knowing. Sire shows how to cultivate intellectual virtues and disciplines-habits of the mind-that will strengthen you in pursuit of your calling. Thinking well is integral to acting righteously. Sire offers assurance that intellectual life can be a true calling for Christians: because Jesus was the smartest man who ever lived, you can and should accept the challenge to think with more accuracy, wisdom, humility, and passion. This classic work is now available as part of the IVP Signature Collection, which features special editions of iconic books in celebration of the seventy-fifth anniversary of InterVarsity Press.

Over 400,000 Sold For over fifty years The God Who Is There has been a landmark work that has changed the way the church sees the world. Francis Schaeffer's first book presents a wide-ranging analysis of the intellectual and cultural climate of the second half of the twentieth century, from philosophy to art to liberal theology. Arguing that Christians must constantly engage the questions being asked by their own-and the next-generation, he envisions an apologetics and spirituality both grounded in absolute truth and engaging the whole of reality. "If we are unexcited Christians, we should go back and see what is wrong," Schaeffer writes. "We are surrounded by a generation that can find 'no one home' in the universe. . . . In contrast to this, as a Christian I know who I am; and I know the personal God who is there." In every age, this God continues to provide the anchor of truth and the power of love to meet the world's deepest problems. Named by Christianity Today as one of the "Top 50 Books That Have Shaped Evangelicals" (October 2006), this redesigned classic is now available as part of the IVP Signature Collection.

For more than forty years, The Universe Next Door has set the standard for a clear, readable introduction to worldviews. Using his widely influential model of eight basic worldview questions, James Sire examines prominent worldviews that have shaped the Western world: theism deism naturalism Marxism nihilism existentialism Eastern monism New Age philosophy postmodernism Islam Intertwined with this analysis, he presents an overview of intellectual history giving insight into the current state of Western thought and culture. Critiquing each worldview within its own frame of reference and in comparison to others, Sire encourages readers to wrestle with life's biggest questions and examine the core beliefs and commitments on which they are building their lives The sixth edition, updated by Sire's longtime editor Jim Hoover, features new explanatory sidebars, helpful charts comparing worldviews and illustrating their historical flow, and a chapter on challenges to a Christian worldview in the twenty-first century. New discussion questions will help readers reflect more deeply on the ideas in each chapter. The Universe Next Door has been translated into over a dozen languages and has been used as a text at over one hundred colleges and universities in courses ranging from apologetics and world religions to history and English literature. In a world of ever-increasing diversity, The Universe Next Door offers a unique resource for understanding the variety of worldviews that claim the allegiance of mind and heart.

Always be prepared to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and reverence. (1 Peter 3:15-16) We've all felt the tension. An opportunity to speak for Christ comes up, and either we jump in with both barrels blasting or we cower in the corner and say nothing. Is there a better way? Can we learn to speak boldly, yet humbly, about our faith in Christ? Veteran apologist Jim Sire offers salient counsel derived from over fifty years of experience in a vast array of settings. Through a variety of snapshots, both successful and unsuccessful, he helps us understand the nature, value and limits of apologetics, and suggests how to tailor our comments to respect our audience whether large or small, formal or informal. He then outlines five key arguments for the Christian faith and offers responses to five common objections. Finally, for those especially drawn to apologetics, he offers counsel on how to discern a call to apologetic ministry.

What reason do you have for believing Christianity is true? The best reason is Jesus himself. James W. Sire invites you to meet Jesus by digging deep into the Bible. You'll discover what Jesus did and said. And you'll be encouraged to decide what place Jesus has in your life today. Whether you are reading the Gospels for the first time or for the fiftieth, you'll find these investigative Bible studies challenging and transforming. This revised LifeGuide Bible Study features additional questions for starting group discussions and for meeting God in personal reflection, together with expanded leader's notes and a "Now or Later" section in each study.

What is a worldview? What lies behind your thoughts about almost everything? For more than thirty years, James W. Sire has grappled with this issue. In his widely used textbook The Universe Next Door, first published in 1976, Sire offered a succinct definition of a worldview and catalogued in summary fashion seven basic worldview alternatives. Students, critics, new literature and continued reflection have led him to reexamine and refine his definition of a worldview. This second edition companion volume to The Universe Next Door is the fruit of that effort, offering readers his most mature thought on the concept of a worldview, addressing such questions as What is the history of the concept itself? What is the first question you should ask in formulating a worldview? How are worldviews formed existentially as well as intellectually? Is a worldview primarily an intellectual system, a way of life or a story? What are the public and private dimensions of a worldview? What role can worldview thinking play in assessing your own worldview and those of others, especially in light of the pluralism in today's world? Naming the Elephant is an excellent resource for exploring more deeply how and why worldview thinking can aid you in navigating your pluralistic universe.

Christianity begins with God and ends with God. It is a story for all to know and understand. In this personal and easy-to-read book, James Sire offers a basic introduction to the foundational truths held by Christians at all times and in all places. The chapters are organized around a simple scheme: creation, fall, redemption, new life in Christ, and glorification. In this expanded edition, Sire added a chapter on the person of Jesus. With study questions for personal or group use, this is the ideal first book for seekers and believers who want to understand the central teachings of the Bible.

How often have you encountered some bizarre doctrine only to be stunned to hear a Bible verse quoted to support it? With new religious cults springing up almost daily and old ones growing rapidly, this is more and more common. How are they seemingly able to twist Scripture to mean something orthodox Christians have never believed it to mean in two thousand years? James Sire, author ofThe Universe Next Door and How to Read Slowly, has isolated twenty separate kinds of reading errors which are characteristically made by cultists as they interpret the Bible. He covers the full range from simple misquotation to complex argumentation which links one slightly eccentric interpretation to another, mixes in a few orthodox readings and ends with a conclusion totally foreign to the biblical world view. Sire also handles twisted translation, overspecification, virtue by association, ignoring the context and other flawed interpretations. A book to help us all become better readers of the Scriptures.

Christians who are serious about their faith want to love God with all that they are -- heart and mind and strength. Books abound on the devotional life, on commitment, on evangelism and practical Christian living, but few take up what it means to love God with our minds. How do we learn to honor God in the ways we think? James Sire blazes a trail for Christians concerned about the discipleship of our minds. After looking at the attitudes toward God and ourselves necessary for the journey, he introduces us to the basics of the Christian world view. Separate chapters discuss the foundations of knowledge and the relationship between knowing and doing. With an eye to the practical, Sire offers specific suggestions on getting to know what is good and getting to know the world. He also provides valuable insights on how Christians might approach various academic disciplines as disciples of Christ. Here is a book for all who desire to love God with their minds.

Description: Early evening, a young boy alone on his pony on the rim of the Nebraska Sandhills. Three darkening thunderclouds rising higher and higher on the horizon. An electric atmosphere, a quickening, light cooling breeze. A slight shiver and the boy wonders, ""Am I being pursued by the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost?"" These sudden, unbidden, unexpected, strange experiences. We all have them. What are they? Mere plucking on the emotional strings of our material selves? Or do they have a deeper meaning? Do they signal the Presence of something other, maybe some Other, maybe some one Other, some thing or some one, above, below, beyond our normal waking consciousness? James W. Sire has studied a massive number of these accounts. He pairs them with his own experiences and turns to scientists, philosophers, and theologians for explanation. These experiences, he concludes, are signals of transcendence or what N. T. Wright calls echoes of a voice--""the voice of Jesus, calling us to follow him into God's new world."" This book is an account of the author's journey to this conclusion.

At key moments in his life on earth, Jesus Christ, the very Son of God, turned to the Psalms for words to express his deepest thoughts and emotions. It is not hard to imagine Jesus, his mind and heart saturated with the words and thoughts of the Psalms as they were prayed aloud in the Temple, going off early in the morning to pray. How much must he have mouthed the words of the Psalms and given them a fulfillment? They became his answering speech to his heavenly Father. In these pages you will discover how the psalms that relate closely to the mission of Jesus can also become our answering speech. We will begin our journey into the mind of Christ by immersing ourselves in several psalms which Jesus himself refers to and fulfills. And then in the second half of the book, we will immerse ourselves in psalms that Jesus would have meditated on during his time on earth, focusing on the heart and mind of Jesus as he prayed the psalms. Structural analysis of each psalm will help us grow our ability to read the Psalms. The guided personal prayer liturgy with each chapter will help us go deeper in the experience of praying the Psalms. Through these psalms we will discover more of the human life of our Lord and Savior. And in the process we will discover more of who we are as we come before our holy God. Also included: a group discussion and prayer experience to accompany each chapter.

You gave it your best shot. You made the best case you knew how, and your friend still wasn't persuaded to follow Christ. Why is it that solid, rational arguments for the Christian faith often fail? For over fifty years James Sire, noted author and public defender of the Christian faith, has asked himself that question. Sometimes, of course, the arguments themselves just aren't that good. How can we make them better? Sometimes the problem has to do with us and not the arguments. Our arrogance, aggressiveness or cleverness gets in the way, or we misread our audience. Sometimes the problem lies with the hearers. Their worldview or moral blindness keeps them from hearing and understanding the truth. With wisdom borne of both formal and informal experience, Sire grapples with these issues and offers practical insight into making a more persuasive case for Christ. Includes an annotated bibliography of resources for framing effective arguments.

Weariness. Wonder. Joy. Longing. Anger. These are the feelings of the Psalms: honest expressions of pain and joy penned by real people in the midst of real life circumstances. Though they were written centuries ago, the Psalms still resonate deeply with us today, giving voice to our thoughts and longings: "Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD." (Psalm 130:1) "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble." (Psalm 46:1) "As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God." (Psalm 84:2) In Learning to Pray Through the Psalms, James W. Sire teaches us to take our appreciation for this rich book of Scripture a step further. Choosing ten specific psalms, Sire offers background information that helps us read each one with deeper insight and then lays out a meditative, step-by-step approach to using the psalmists' words as a guide for our own personal conversation with God. A group study is also included in each chapter, along with a guide for praying through the psalm in community. The Lord loves when his people pray. And his Word is a powerful tool for framing honest, intimate prayers. Sire's innovative approach will enrich our minds and our souls as we read more perceptively and pray with all of our emotions.

A Christianity Today 1995 Books of the Year Finalist Believing. Most of us take it for granted. We just do it--whether it's trusting that the sun will come up tomorrow, that the lunch we are about to eat is not poisoned or that our religious beliefs are not ill-founded. But why should we believe any of these things? Why should anyone believe anything at all? With insight and humor, James W. Sire examines the reasons people give for believing what they do and suggests what are truly satisfying and compelling reasons for belief. He then turns to the question of a specific belief--namely, belief that the Christian faith is true. Sire tackles both the best reason for belief in Christianity (the identity of Jesus ) and the chief reason against it. (the problem of evil). And he responds to these issues personally and philosophically. Here is a book to challenge the skeptic and reassure the doubter in us all.

Chris Chrisman, a young Christian, goes to college only to have his world turned upside down. On campus he finds the challenges to his faith -- both intellectual and personal -- almost more than he can bear. Then he meets Bill Seipel and Bob Wong. Together, the three young men, two of them Christians and the other a self-styled atheist, forge a common bond in the quest for truth. In the process they confront some of the dominant ideologies of the secular university. Weaving the story of Chris's first year on campus with separate expository chapters on such forces as individualism, pluralism, relativism and privitization, James Sire offers a helpful apologetic for those who are searching for truth in a postmodern world. He identifies no fewer than six types of relativism, from "All religions boil down to the same thing" and "It's true for you; it's not true for me" to "God does not exist; naturalism is true." Then in down-to-earth language Sire helps readers to think through these and other complex issues.

"It is possible to be a Christian without showing the mark, but if we expect non-Christians to know that we are Christians, we must show the mark." Christians have not always presented an inviting picture to the world. Too often we have failed to show the beauty of authentic Christian love. And the world has disregarded Christianity as a result. In our era of global violence and sectarian intolerance, the church needs to hear anew the challenge of this book. Decades ago Francis Schaeffer exhorted, "Love--and the unity it attests to--is the mark Christ gave Christians to wear before the world. Only with this mark may the world know that Christians are indeed Christians and that Jesus was sent by the Father." More than ever, the church needs to respond compassionately to a needy world. More than ever, we need to show the Mark.

You gave it your best shot. You made the best case you knew how, and your friend still wasn't persuaded to follow Christ. Why is it that solid, rational arguments for the Christian faith often fail? For over fifty years James Sire, noted author and public defender of the Christian faith, has asked himself that question. Sometimes, of course, the arguments themselves just aren't that good. How can we make them better? Sometimes the problem has to do with us and not the arguments. Our arrogance, aggressiveness or cleverness gets in the way, or we misread our audience. Sometimes the problem lies with the hearers. Their worldview or moral blindness keeps them from hearing and understanding the truth. With wisdom borne of both formal and informal experience, Sire grapples with these issues and offers practical insight into making a more persuasive case for Christ. Includes an annotated bibliography of resources for framing effective arguments.