Outline : You have a calling. In this classic book of vocation, Gordon Smith invites you to discover your calling by listening to God and becoming a coworker with him. Courage and Calling has helped thousands of readers explore questions such as these: - What is my calling? - Will my vocation change as I enter a new stage of life? - With competing demands, how can I craft a balanced way of …
Outline : Follow Elton the Old English Sheepdog as he rests in green pastures, walks through a dark valley, and enjoys the love of the Shepherd. Along the way, children will connect with the beloved words of Psalm 23 and know that they too are cared for and protected by their good God.
Outline : How Modernity Creates Atheists - and what the Church must do about it. Millions of people in the West identify as atheists. Christians often respond to this reality with proofs of God's existence, as though rational arguments for atheism were the root cause of unbelief. In Bulwarks of Unbelief, Joseph Minich argues that a felt absence of God, as experienced by the modern individual, o…
Outline : Reading psalms in context The Psalter is a carefully edited work, skillfully arranged to communicate a theological message. The Promised Davidic King is a case study of how a single psalm shapes―and is shaped by―its context in the Psalter. Wyatt Aaron Graham argues that Psalm 108 plays a guiding role in Book V (Pss 107–150). Following Israel's return from exile in Psalm 107, Ps…
Outline : The Giver of Life provides a thorough and trustworthy guide to understanding the person and work of the Holy Spirit : God's Spirit unites believers to Christ, conforms them to his image, and equips them for witness and ministry. Author J. V. Fesko writes from a confessionally Reformed perspective in dialogue with the great creeds of the church.
Outline : Should Christians be embarrassed by the book of Revelation? The Revelation of John has long confused and disturbed readers. In The Apocalypse of John among Its Critics, leading experts in Revelation confront the book's difficulties. Each chapter wrestlers honestly with a question raised by the book's critics: Was John a misogynist? Does Revelation delight in violence? Can the book eve…
Outline : The fresh riches of biblical poetry for communities of faith A New Song brings together a diverse roster of Jewish and Christian scholars to explore biblical Hebrew poetic texts within the context - and for the benefit - of communities of faith. Edited by Stephen D. Campbell, Richard G. Rohlfing Jr., and Richard S. Briggs, A New Song includes nine essays on the hidden intricacies of …
Outline : The Lord Jesus Christ provides a fresh and robust guide to understanding Jesus and his work of salvation : Jesus is the divine Son of God, who has taken on human nature in the incarnation to lead his people in a new exodus. Author Brandon D. Crowe writes from a confessionally Reformed perspective in dialogue with the great creeds of the church.
Outline : Probing the mystery of Satan's messenger Paul's enigmatic "thorn in the flesh" in 2 Corinthians has baffled interpreters for centuries. Many offer suggestions as to the identity of Satan's messenger; others despair that the puzzle is unsolvable. In Paul's Thorn in the Flesh: New Clues for an Old Problem, Kenneth Berding reopens the case. He follows a trail of clues that includes anci…
Outline: William McEwen practiced the personal discipline of habitually distilling his sermons into clear and earnest meditations. In this book, Gordon J. Keddie organizes McEwen's essays in a systematic way, resulting in a devotional tour of Christian doctrine. In ninety-eight brief entries, McEwen writes about God's perfections, sinful mankind, the glories of Christ, salvation for sinners, re…
Outline : Isaiah's Servant Songs reveal a true and better Adam. In Charged with the Glory of God, Caroline Batchelder provides a synchronic, theological, and canonical reading of Isaiah's four Servant Songs, offering fresh insights for understanding God's true image and its idolatrous counterfeits. Isaiah reveals a coherent message when it is read as a compositional unity in its Old Testament …
Outline : Every four years, the International Calvin Congress gathers together a wide spectrum of presenters from leading scholars to early-career researchers to learn from each other through several days of plenary lectures, panel sessions, and discussions. The fruits of the 13th quadrennial International Calvin Congress are now available. Several contributions focus directly on the conference…
Outline : This landmark commentary, originally published in 1987, has been lauded as the best study available of Paul's theologically rich first letter to the Corinthians. Writing primarily for pastors, teachers, and students, Gordon Fee offers a readable exposition of 1 Corinthians that clearly describes the meaning of Paul's ideas and their larger theological relevance. Fee's revised edition …
Outline: Say bye-bye to bad behavior. 101 Solutions to your most frustrating discipline problems in children's ministry! This A-to-Z, quick-flip guide delivers classroom-tested, expert advice for: 1. Anger, Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder, Attention Span; 2. Bad Language, Biting, Bored Kids, Bribes, Broken Hearts, Bullying; 3. Cell Phones, Challenging Kids, Cleanup, Clingy Child, C…
Outline : Drawing on the best of biblical scholarship as well as the Christian tradition, J. Gordon McConville offers a substantive and useful commentary on Isaiah and explores the contemporary significance of this prophetic book.
Outline : Make every moment with God count! Written for girls on the go, this 5-Minute, 180-day Faithgirlz devotional helps a busy girls slow down and take time to grow closer to God. Short, sweet devotions applicable to everyday life are paired with relevant Scripture and focus on the ups and downs of tween-hood-friendships, peer pressure, bullying, boys, and self-confidence-all while showing …
Outline: The Ezra-Nehemiah narratives report how the hand of YHWH directed several Persian kings, thousands of Hebrew exiles, and a few Hebrew leaders, including Ezra and Nehemiah, to commit their lives to the difficult task of restoration; restoring people to Judah, worship in Jerusalem, the temple, the wall around Jerusalem, and the people's spiritual commitment to the essential theological p…
Outline : Reading the New Testament doesn't need to be a difficult journey through strange and bewildering territory. How to Read the New Testament Book by Book walks you through the Scriptures like an experienced tour guide, helping you understand each of its twenty-seven books. For each book of the New Testament, the authors start with a quick snapshot, then expand the view to help you better…
Outline : Editor Brandon Smith and a stellar cast of theologians demonstrate that trinitarian theology derives directly from Scripture and should produce both right doctrine and right living. The Trinity in the Canon is an appeal for the church to incorporate the Trinity into our preaching, our liturgies and worship, and our interactions with those outside the church. Pastors, scholars, profess…
Outline : William McEwen is one of the forgotten writers of the Scottish church of the eighteenth century and one of the great popular exponents for a sound biblical typology. In this book, McEwen investigates numerous people, places, and things in the Old Testament and shows how they prefigure the Lord Jesus Christ. Each chapter exhibits a lively meditation, providing concise, conversational, …
Outline : How should we read the book of Revelation? Interpreting Scripture faithfully is a challenge with regard to any text and for any reader of the Bible. But perhaps no text confronts and confuses readers as much as the book of Revelation. With its vivid imagery and rich prophetic language, John's Apocalypse provokes and stirs our imaginations. Some have viewed it primarily as a first-cent…
Outline : In this contemporary classic, renowned scholar Gordon Fee explores the Spirit's significant role in Pauline life and thought. This edition includes reflection questions and a foreword by Dean Pinter.
Outline : John Goldingay offers a substantive and useful commentary on Hosea through Micah that is both critically engaged and sensitive to the theological contributions of the next. This volume, the first in the Baker Commentary on the Old Testament (BCOT): Prophetic Books series, complements the popular BCOT: Wisdom and Psalms series. Each series volume addresses important issues and problems…
Outline : When we read Scripture, we enter the divine classroom for sanctifying instruction. In Taught by God, Brandon D. Smith contends that Scripture is not simply a collection of historical facts or moral rules; it is an encounter with the living God. Engaging with figures such as Origen, Justin, Hugh of St. Victor, Aquinas, and Luther, Smith illustrates how a premodern way of reading Script…
Outline : Reading the Old Testament doesn't need to be a difficult journey through strange and bewildering territory. How to Read the Old Testament Book by Book walks you through the Scriptures like an experienced tour guide, helping you understand each of its thirty-nine books. For each book of the Old Testament, the authors start with a quick snapshot, then expand the view to help you better …
Outline : John Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion is a defining book of the Reformation and a pillar of Protestant theology. First published in Latin in 1536 and in Calvin's native French in 1541, the Institutes argues for the majesty of God and for justification by faith alone. The book decisively shaped Calvinism as a major religious and intellectual force in Europe and throughout …
Outline: We are working harder, playing longer, buying more and yet we are enjoying life less. Why is there so much dissatisfaction with our lives? Restoring Your Spiritual Passion gives us the reasons and the answers to our dilemma. Our inner unhappiness and disillusionment reveal themselves in a variety of ways: physical tiredness and burn-out, inner disquiet and depression. In fact, often we…
Outline : Reading the Old Testament doesn't need to be a difficult journey through strange and bewildering territory. How to Read the Old Testament Book by Book walks you through the Scriptures like an experienced tour guide, helping you understand each of its thirty-nine books. For each book of the Old Testament, the authors start with a quick snapshot, then expand the view to help you better …
Outline: Every four years, the International Calvin Congress gathers together a wide spectrum of presents from leading scholars to early-career researchers to learn from each other through several days of plenary lectures, panel sessions, and discussions. The fruits of the 13th quadrennial international Calvin Congress are now available. Several contributors focus directly on the conference the…
Outline: Presbyterianism has a rich, robust, resilient history. Since Presbyterianism began in Scotland in the early 1560s, its adherents have spread to Europe, North America, Asia, Africa, Latin America, Australia, and New Zealand. In some locales and ears, Presbyterians have flourished; in others, they have struggles. Today an estimated 35 million Presbyterians live in dozens of countries. Th…
Outline: At the heart of the earliest Christian self-understanding, explicit or implicit in much Christian use of the Old Testament, and crucial for Christian theology and interpretation, the concept of "messiah" in the Old Testament has, however, been eclipsed by the pursuit of other goals in Old Testament studies. Few recent sustained treatments have appeared from any school of thought. The L…
Outline: This anthology invites Christians to find resources for faithful, creative thinking in the riches of the church's theological heritage and its worship traditions. Contributors include Robert Barron, Timothy George, Stanley Hauerwas, Alasdair MacIntyre, Mark Noll, and N.T. Wright, among others.
Outline: Five hundred buildings by Frank Llyod Wright were built during the architect's extraordinary seventy-year career. But as difficult as it is to believe, one-fifth of them have been demolished, burned, or destroyed by neglect. Lost Wright tells the compelling story of these special buildings - how they came to be, what they looked like, and how they met their end. Each tale documents gen…
Outline: Nurture and strength from fifty-two Christian devotional classics for individual study and group use - from RENOVARE, a movement committed to spiritual renewal. These fifty-two selections have been organized to introduce readers through the course of one year to the great devotional writers. The readings have been edited by James Smith, and each is accompanied by an introduction and me…
Outline: This volume deals with with the crucial subject in today's theological debate, the authority of Scripture. Editor Henry in the Preface speaks of this subject as "the watershed of theological conviction." Twenty-four international scholars, under the editorship of Dr. Carl F. H. Henry, Editor of Chritianity Today, give evangelical view on such phases of the subject a ..., inspiration, t…
Overview: This Fetschrift to Douglas J. Moo is unique in several ways. Since Doug has been a key proponent to the Old Perspective on Paul, the reader will be interested in reading the essay by N.T. Wright in which he reflects on the phrase "the righteousness of God" in Romans 3. And where else can you read an essay by James D.G. Dunn on "What's Good about the Old Perspective on Paul" and by S…
Outline: How do you feel about how you feel? Our emotions are complex. Some of us seem able to ignore our feelings, while others controlled by them. But most of us would admit that we don't always know what to do with how we feel. The Bible teaches us that our emotions are an indispensable part of what makes us human - and play a crucial role in our relationships with God and others. Exploring …
Religions of the World: A Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Beliefs and Practices has been designed to survey the present religious situation around the world as the twenty-first century begins. To accomplish this task, the text is anchored in a disciplined country-by-country discussion of the emergence of the contemporary religious community in each of the more than 240 nations from the smaller is…
Outline: Faithful Men "It's normal." "Everyone does it." "Nobody gets hurt." These are some commonly held beliefs about sexual fantasy and masturbation, but are they really true? Are sexual fantasies and masturbation harmless ways to dealing with sexual frustattion? Marriage and family counselor Winston T. Smith uses his counseling experience and biblical knowledge to show how these seemingly …
Outline: Personal Change. Prickly, defensive, nasty, volatile, withdrawn, miserable ... aren't these days when you fell surrounded by difficult people? How do you cope? You can try avoiding them, gossiping about them, or giving them a piece of your mind. But wait! Don't your reactions make you hard to love too? William P. Smith explains that learning how to deal with difficult people starts wi…
Outline : Personal Change Often, in our busy world, our lives feel like one long "to-do" list. It's easy to get so busy that we don't even notice how exhausted and anxious we are. Do you find yourself saying yes to activities you don't have time for? Have you ever said, "If I don't do it, who will?" An overloaded schedule and an inability to rest are signs of approaching "burnout." Instead of …
Outline : Parenting The kids are hungry, dinner is late, evervone's tired and on edge, and then it happens-you lose control and blow up at them again. Is losing control with our children inevitable in our busy world? Or is there a better way? Learn from William P. Smith a better way to relate to your children than with irritation, anger, and harsh words. Drawing on his counseling and parenting…
Outline: Singleness You know you're in love-you always want to be together, and you think about each other all the time-but does that mean you're ready to get married? How do you decide if your relationship is strong enough for marriage? William P. Smith gives you a series of questions based on biblical principles that you can use to assess your relationship's strengths and weaknesses. Answeri…
Outline : Relationship Resources for Singles Your last relationship didn't work out, and you got hurt and maybe you also hurt someone else. Now what? Perhaps you are thinking about starting over with someone new, but you're nervous and wondering if you are really ready for another relationship. William P. Smith tackles head on the issues you need to face as you think about starting a new rela…
Outline: Parenting. How do you blend two separate families into one house-hold? Family traditions, values, interests, and parenting styles are often so far apart that simple questions like, "Who takes out the trash?" or "Where shall we go for Christmas?" can quickly become flashpoints of conflict. Winston T. Smith provides a road map to the unique challenges that each member of a stepfamily f…
JAMES A. FROUDE ENDED HIS MEMORABLE LECTURES ON ERASMUS at Oxford 1 in 1894 with the declaration that if you would understand the sixteenth century, "I believe you will best see it as it really was, if you will look at it through the eyes of Erasmus." "The eyes of Erasmus"—the pale blue, the frosty twinkle, the hooded reticences—how well we seem to know them, and how much do they proclaim t…
An exploration of the relationship between the rise and development of a mystical element in Islam, known as Sufism, and the mysticism that was already to be found within the Christian Church of the Near and Middle East.
The four-hundredth anniversary of the publication of the King James Version of the Bible falls in 2011, and Oxford University Press, which has published King James Bibles since the seventeenth century and has sold uncounted millions of copies over the centuries, has decided to mark the quatercentenary with this account of the fortunes of this translation from 1611 to the present. Th is project …