Each of us is unique. And each one of us has been invited by God to participate in his kingdom work. Yet many times we hesitate to serve, uncertain of our gifts and of God's purpose for our life. In these studies we learn how to recognise our own spiritual gifts as well as those of others, and how to practically use them to glorify God in our relationships, our work and the world. Eight studies for individuals and small groups. The best-selling Lifebuilders series have helped millions of people dig deeper into the Bible, individually and in small groups. There are questions for stimulating group discussions, ideas for meeting God in personal reflection, and a now or later section in the revised format.Session 1 covers 1 Corinthians 12; Session 2 Ephesians 4:1-16; Session 3 Romans 12:1-13; and also 1 Thessalonians 5:19-22; Session 4 studies 1 Corinthians 14:1-33; Session 5: Isaiah 61:1-9 and Luke 4:14-21; Session 6 Galatians 5:16-26; Session 7 Exodus part of chapters 31,35 and 36. The last Session 8 examines Acts 2.

Combing logic, science, and God is like putting together a jigsaw puzzle; it can be very challenging. But in " Logic, Science, and God ," author Paul Stevens uses these concepts to help us understand our origin, why we are here on earth, and what we can expect when we die. " Logic, Science, and God " helps answer many of life's questions and provides detailed ways to obtain further light and knowledge. It explains: The basic laws of physics How evolution occurs Man's relationship to the universe Where man's intelligence originates How creation occurs Why creation does not happen by chance What God looks like The necessity of experiencing pain and suffering The two basic categories of laws we need to obey to be content and happy Facts concerning our destiny Through deductive reasoning and commonsense, " Logic, Science, and God " teaches you how to be grateful and content with life, and it shows how science and a belief in God are logically compatible.

This is a crucial study for those asking God 'Why?' Job's persistence in seeking an answer from God as to why he was suffering has many lessons to teach us. These 12 studies will help anyone who is wrestling with God. This revised title features questions for starting group discussions and for meeting God in personal reflection, as well as a 'now or later' section in each study.

Most books on spirituality focus on disciplines like prayer and Bible study. But this can mislead us into thinking that God can only be experienced when we are doing something "spiritual." Apart from private devotional times or church on Sundays, God may seem distant and even irrelevant to our daily lives. R. Paul Stevens has a radically different view of Christian spirituality. True spirituality, he says, is down-to-earth--we encounter God in the ordinary, common stuff of everyday life. Taking his cue from the biblical story of Jacob, Stevens explores the Genesis narrative and uncovers how ordinary moments are made extraordinary, transformed by the presence of God in the midst of the mundane. Dreamer, schemer, worker and entrepreneur, Jacob embodies a multifaceted life of earthy passion and gritty spirituality. Jacob encounters the sacred not only through visions of ladders to heaven and mysterious wrestling matches with angles. Jacob also meets God at home and at work, at meals and in sleep, in solitude and in relationships. From birth to death, through every passage of life, Jacob sees God in the routine details of his everyday experience. "Everyday life is the spiritual discipline in which God continuously and graciously meets us," Stevens writes. And in this book, Stevens helps us see that what appears commonplace on the surface actually has great spiritual significance. When we least expect it, God surprises us by re-enchanting our daily experience and making every moment an opportunity to experience his blessing.

In every age people have felt sure that the book of Revelation described events in their time. As nations arm themselves for war, we think of Armageddon. As evil rulers grow in power, we look for the antichrist. As the powers of darkness threaten to overwhelm us, we cry, 'Come, Lord Jesus!' Amid the uncertainties of our age, Revelation assures us of the ultimate triumph of God. This revised Lifebuilder Bible Study features additional questions for starting group discussions and for meeting God in personal reflection, together with expanded leader's notes and an extra 'Now or Later' section in each study.

Adam and Eve worked. Jacob and Joseph worked. So did Ruth, David, Daniel, Jonah, Martha, Priscilla and Aquila, Paul -- and most people in the Old and New Testaments. In Work Matters marketplace theology expert R. Paul Stevens revisits more than twenty biblical accounts -- from Genesis to Revelation -- exploring through them the theological meaning of every sort of work, manual or intellectual, domestic or commercial. Taken together, his short, pithy reflections on these well-known Bible passages add up to a comprehensive, Bible-based theology of work -- one that will be equally useful for seminars, classes, Bible studies, and individuals seeking to grasp more fully the theological dimensions of their daily labor.

We're updating and revising our bestselling LifeGuides to make them even more effective for small group Bible study!

New features of the revised LifeGuides include special options for group activities, additional questions for personal reflection, a "Now or Later" section with practical follow-up activities for use after the study or between sessions, expanded and improved leaders' notes and an attractive, redesigned format for easier reading.

Beginning with the new guides Miracles and Pleasing God (released in February 1999), all new LifeGuides will be presented in the new format. In addition, more existing volumes will be revised every year to ensure that all our LifeGuides continue to be effective Bible study resources for the twenty-first century.

We despise our weaknesses; the apostle Paul delighted in his. We beg God to remove obstacles from our lives; Paul thanked God for such opportunities to experience his power. Throughout 2 Corinthians Paul turns many of our values upside down. He teaches us that in all circumstances we can rely on God's promise: "My grace is sufficient for you".

Major companies that once controlled the world's oil resources, refineries and distribution systems are now having to share the market with national oil companies, independent producers and local distributors, while developing nations are extending ever more attractive terms for exploration, development and production. The result is an increase in the overall world oil supply and an intensification of competition in the industry. Such challenges force oil producers to search for new technologies in order to remain competitive in the world market. Strategic positioning plays an important role, determining whether a producer can benefit from the latest technologies and is able to dispose of its oil in the international market, or profit from the oil-price fluctuations in the commodity market. This study considers strategic positioning and the options available to countries and companies alike in terms of their upstream and downstream industries.

The authors draw on their combined experience to create an exciting model of congregational leadership that understands congregations as relational systems. Learn how relational processes can liberate members for ministry and mission in the world and release pastors for appropriate leadership.

Usually when we speak of service we refer to something done for the benefit of others. But in both languages of the Bible, Greek and Hebrew, ministry and service are the same word - ministry is service to God and neighbour. These ten studies, covering examples from Genesis to Revelation, explore service in a variety of contexts: family, creation, society, the city, neighbours, relationships, the church and the workplace. They examine examples of service that were motivated by imagination, passion, faith, hope and love.

Written by a team of leading international scholars, The Cambridge Companion to Shakespeare and War illuminates the ways Shakespeare's works provide a rich and imaginative resource for thinking about the topic of war. Contributors explore the multiplicity of conflicting perspectives his dramas offer: war depicted from chivalric, masculine, nationalistic, and imperial perspectives; war depicted as a source of great excitement and as a theater of honor; war depicted from realistic or skeptical perspectives that expose the butchery, suffering, illness, famine, degradation, and havoc it causes. The essays in this volume examine the representations and rhetoric of war throughout Shakespeare's plays, as well as the modern history of the war plays on stage, in film, and in propaganda. This book offers fresh perspectives on Shakespeare's multifaceted representations of the complexities of early modern warfare, while at the same time illuminating why his perspectives on war and its consequences continue to matter now and in the future.

What does good theology have to do with good entrepreneurship? In this pioneering work, Richard Goossen and R. Paul Stevens have written what many are already declaring to be the essential resource for Christian entrepreneurial leadership, based on exhaustive research, practical experience and decades of teaching marketplace theology. Entrepreneurial Leadership addresses both the "how-come" and the "how-to," not only grounding the entrepreneurial calling in its proper source in the triune God but also providing practical guides for how to be an effective leader. Be inspired to find your calling and to make a difference in the marketplace, church and beyond.

When Justice John Paul Stevens retired from the Supreme Court of the United States in 2010, he left a legacy of service unequaled in the history of the Court. During his thirty-four-year tenure, Justice Stevens was a prolific writer, authoring more than 1000 opinions. In THE MAKING OF A JUSTICE, John Paul Stevens recounts his extraordinary life, offering an intimate and illuminating account of his service on the nation's highest court. Appointed by President Gerald Ford and eventually retiring during President Obama's first term, Justice Stevens has been witness to, and an integral part of, landmark changes in American society. With stories of growing up in Chicago, his work as a naval traffic analyst at Pearl Harbor during World War II, and his early days in private practice, as well as a behind-the-scenes look at some of the most important Supreme Court decisions over the last four decades, THE MAKING OF A JUSTICE offers a warm and fascinating account of Justice Stevens' unique and transformative American life.This comprehensive memoir is a must read for those trying to better understand our country.

When Justice John Paul Stevens retired from the Supreme Court in 2010, he left a legacy of service unequaled in the history of the Court. During his 34-year tenure, Justice Stevens wrote more opinions than any other justice has. In THE MAKING OF A JUSTICE, John Paul Stevens recounts the first ninety-four years of his extraordinary life, offering an intimate and illuminating account of his service on the nation's highest court. Appointed by President Gerald Ford and eventually retiring during President Obama's first term, Justice Stevens has been witness to, and an integral part of, landmark changes in American society. With stories of growing up in Chicago, his work as a Naval traffic analyst at Pearl Harbor during World War II, and his early days in private practice, as well as a behind-the-scenes look at some of the most important Supreme Court decisions over the last four decades, THE MAKING OF A JUSTICE offers a warm and fascinating account of Justice Stevens' unique and transformative American life.This comprehensive memoir is a must read for those trying to better understand our country and the Constitution.

Written by a team of leading international scholars, The Cambridge Companion to Shakespeare and War illuminates the ways Shakespeare's works provide a rich and imaginative resource for thinking about the topic of war. Contributors explore the multiplicity of conflicting perspectives his dramas offer: war depicted from chivalric, masculine, nationalistic, and imperial perspectives; war depicted as a source of great excitement and as a theater of honor; war depicted from realistic or skeptical perspectives that expose the butchery, suffering, illness, famine, degradation, and havoc it causes. The essays in this volume examine the representations and rhetoric of war throughout Shakespeare's plays, as well as the modern history of the war plays on stage, in film, and in propaganda. This book offers fresh perspectives on Shakespeare's multifaceted representations of the complexities of early modern warfare, while at the same time illuminating why his perspectives on war and its consequences continue to matter now and in the future.

Life among Christians can be great. But let's face it - it can also be exasperating! The joys of fellowship too often give way to division and debate - arguments over such things as the correct form of worship and the place of the charismatic gifts. In 1 Corinthians we see Christianity not as it was meant to be but as it often is. Yet we also find practical advice for overcoming the challenges of life together. This revised Lifebuilder Bible Study features additional questions for starting group discussions and for meeting God in personal reflection, together with expanded leader's notes and an extra "Now or Later" section in each study.

Do you wonder about the "end times"-- when it will come? what it will be like? what will happen to you? As R. Paul Stevens leads you to examine for yourself what the Bible says about end times, you'll learn what you can do now to be ready for the future--whatever it holds. 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.