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  • … Because of Jesus

    … Because of Jesus

    Why does one man’s life still matter 2000 years later?

    Because of Jesus cuts through confusion to explore the pivotal moments that changed everything forever. With pastoral simplicity and theological depth, this engaging book provides a comprehensive examination of Christ’s work, placing these foundational events into biblical context leading to practical application.

    This study guides the reader through the four major pillars of Christ’s ministry, revealing why the salvation and hope of humanity rests entirely on the person of Jesus:

    • The Incarnation: The book begins by examining the meaning of Jesus’ miraculous birth and the wondrous implications of the Incarnation, confronting the reality of humanity’s sin and why God needed to take on the human condition. Readers reflect on the massive, multiverse-breaking paradox that the infinite God became infant man, establishing the necessary foundation for salvation. The Incarnation (a truth celebrated during Advent) illuminates the fact that our value is founded in God and grounded in grace.
    • The Crucifixion: The study dives into the profound hope found in Christ’s crucifixion, revealing the utter wickedness of rebellious man in murdering the Messiah. It details the gory horror of the cross, emphasizing the glory of Christ’s necessary obedience, which resulted in the satisfaction of God’s judgment, the defeat of Satan’s rebellion, and the certainty of sin’s ruination. On the cross (the central focus of Lent), Jesus bore the eternal wrath of God that sinners deserved, acting as our willing substitute.
    • The Resurrection: Readers explore the eternal implications of his resurrection, which established a new creational paradigm by conquering death itself. The resurrection serves as God’s vindication that Jesus’ sacrifice was accepted, resulting in redemption, justification, reconciliation, and eternal life (a glorious reality celebrated on Easter).
    • The Ascension and Return: The book concludes by gazing in wonder at Christ’s ascension and the future certainty of his triumphant return. Having conquered and risen, Christ is crowned King of Kings and seated at the right hand of the Father, from where he now rules and reigns in might and majesty. Because Christ is the reigning Lord and the returning Lord, believers are encouraged to be obedient to his calling in the meantime, going out to make disciples.

    By synthesizing these pivotal theological moments, Because of Jesus invites you to discover the real story of Jesus of Nazareth and why everything changed because of this one person. When you encounter the risen and reigning Jesus for yourself, you’ll never be the same again.

    This book will speak to the curious seeker, the unconvinced skeptic, and the growing Christian alike. It is an ideal resource for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of Christ’s finished work, encouraging readers to grow in Christ and go with Christ until the end of the age.

  • “Take and Eat”

    “Take and Eat”

    There are many doorways that can be used to enter and engage with the storyline of the Bible. In this book, TK Dunn traces the theme of “take and eat” across the pages of Scripture to demonstrate that many of the critical events in redemptive history are marked by uses of food.

    From God’s bountiful provision in Eden through the celebratory feast of the New Jerusalem, Dunn explores how God uses meals as a symbolic method of teaching his people about grace, mercy, justice, holiness, and redemption. This Biblical Theological feast is designed to provide a unique and captivating analysis of God’s activity in his created realm by interacting with his people in a manner that they could both experience and understand.

    The contract of the Fallen Adam with the Final Adam sits at the heart of the gospel and it is therefore not surprising that the “take and eat” motif is present in the lives of both Adam and Jesus. Seeing Jesus’ obedience as an inversion of Adam’s failure, Dunn demonstrates how Christ is not only the fulfillment of the Old Testament’s hopes and promises, but also the one who restores and renews all things by the unwinding of the Fall.

    By considering how God uses these moments to progressively reveal more about his work of salvation through Christ, Dunn provides a theological buffet that will entice the unbeliever to “taste and see that the Lord is good” and also satisfy the believer who is eagerly anticipating the day when Christ will sit and feast with his beloved church at the end of time.

  • A Day for Joy

    A Day for Joy

    Many people think of the Sabbath as a requirement, even a burden, and one that is difficult to accomplish. Can the Sabbath day instead be a gift, a blessing, even joyful?

    In this book Keith Clouten looks at the biblical background and the theological underpinnings of the Sabbath in order to understand why such a day was instituted, what we can learn from it, and how we can benefit from this gift of God.

    This is not a theological treatise or an extended argument about days. Rather, working from his own experience and scriptural knowledge, the author helps the reader learn from the command, and to experience its joy as God’s gift. It is a special experience for a reader to listen while an author talks about an object of love, and even passion. In this book, you may discover such feelings about a day.

    This book is for anyone who wants to experience God’s presence more fully and to understand our relationship to God’s creation through history and in the present.

  • A Leap of (inter)Faith

    A Leap of (inter)Faith

    How can a spiritual practice from one spiritual tradition be used wisely, respectfully, and effectively in another?

    In this 46th volume in the Topical Line Drives series two authors, one ordained in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition and one a Christian Church/Disciples of Christ minister combine their talents, their passion, and their desire to serve by looking at one practice from the Tibetan Buddhist tradition and how it might be practiced by Christians.

    They examine both the theoretical, theological, and religious aspects of responding positively to the possibilities in this sharing. At the same time, they are careful to respect one another’s faith traditions so that this sharing can be building and healing.

    Books in this series are by nature short and to the point. This is an introduction. But it is a powerful and helpful introduction, one that may lead the reader into new adventures of faith and spiritual life.

  • A New Pentecost for Progressive Christians

    A New Pentecost for Progressive Christians

    In a time of seismic spiritual shifts, A New Pentecost for Progressive Christians calls for a resurgence of faith that embraces both contemplation and action.

    This book delves into the heart of progressive Christianity, addressing anxieties and uncertainties while envisioning a faith without fences—one that champions love, healing, and justice.

    Explore a journey beyond dogma to a spirit-filled movement that honors diversity, science, and the ongoing revelation of God. Discover practical meditations and theological reflections that empower you to ‘practice Pentecost,’ reignite your passion, and become a light in the world.

    This compelling work invites you to join a spiritual awakening and reclaim your vocation as a companion in healing our nation and planet, envisioning a future filled with hope and transformative action. Dive into a narrative that inspires us to move from desperation to creative transformation, to explore new possibilities and initiate novel programs and worship experiences.

    We can join contemplation and activism, and we can move from meditation to making ‘good trouble,’ as John Lewis asserts. We can change the world, not as a monolithic, coercive institutional faith, but as a loving open-spirited movement committed to healing the soul of our nation and the planet. A faith without fences, open to the world and welcoming humankind in all its diversity.

    For just such a time as this we need a New Pentecost for Progressive Christianity. We can be bold in proclaiming the Way of Jesus the Mystic, Prophet, and Healer in a pluralistic and contentious time.

  • A Story of Jesus’ Life

    A Story of Jesus’ Life

    Besides the four canonical gospels, early Christians wrote a number of accounts of various parts of Jesus’ life. These accounts have been available to scholars for some time, but now in this accessible story, built from these accounts, any reader can get a picture of Jesus as depicted in these extracanonical writings.

    This book does not aim to provide a translated text of the gospels; there are other references for that purpose. What it does is gather the stories together and provide a readable, connected narrative referenced to these sources so that readers can became acquainted with the nature of these works and get a context for understanding discussions relating to this material. This will provide an opportunity for students of the gospels to compare the value and validity of the four canonical gospels and these additional stories. It can be a good introduction to looking at the four gospels to develop a clear picture of who Jesus is.

    The authors are both experts in the languages used and well-acquainted with the historical and narrative elements needed to paint this picture. This book is intended for the serious student of the Bible and of New Testament times but it can benefit those without an advanced background in biblical studies. It is thoroughly referenced to the documents, however, to provide students with the material needed for academic study.

  • Beauty and Process Theology

    Beauty and Process Theology

    Is it possible to think of God as beautiful?

    We tend to think of God with superlatives, such as omnipotence, omniscience, and infinity. By their very nature, these words tend to also make us see God as distant. It seems almost sacrilegious to speak of God in the terms we might use for any other person. Very few would think to call God beautiful. In this book, theologian and pastor Patricia Adams Farmer looks at God in precisely those terms, inviting us to move beyond limiting ways we have of speaking of God. She sees God as both beautiful and the ongoing author of beauty. God invites us in living a vision, and that vision is not just “good” in some abstract sense. It is attractive. It draws us in. It is active. It challenges us.

    Learn to think about and experience God in a new way as you bring process and beauty together. The journey is worth it!

    See COVID-19 shipping issues.

  • Building Bridges in a World of Crumbling Connections

    Building Bridges in a World of Crumbling Connections

    What can you do when you see bridges between people breaking down all around you? What should you do?

    Dr. Ron Higdon has served many congregations and taught seminars over many years, helping people to learn to reach out to one another, learn to work together, and to resolve differences through dialog.

    In this short, non-technical book, he calls on us all to take up the task of building bridges. This involves both a commitment of the heart, and actions in the world around us that tend to create peace. Peacemaking can be a dangerous profession, but Dr. Higdon sees it as a crucial part of Christian living and Christian ministry.

    But this book goes beyond peacemaking, and presents strategies for bridge building and reconciliation in all of our relationships. It is about building community and understanding that is possible even in the midst of different perspectives and points of view on critical issues. The goal is to enable reconstruction and renewal of damaged connections that have resulted in distrust, suspicion, and isolation.

    “Are you reconciled?” is perhaps the biggest question and the major challenge in many families, communities, and, certainly, in our nation. Our time calls for those who can bring us together and enable us to live with mutual respect and commitment to the common good.

    The goal of this book is to present a prescription for building bridges of possibility. Anyone who would like to work toward that goal, will benefit from reading and studying it.

  • Choosing Life

    Choosing Life

    How do our spiritual beliefs and practices link to our ethics and our care for the natural world around us?

    John B. Cobb, Jr. and Jay McDaniel join together to provide a view of life that is refreshing, challenging, and expansive. It could even be called all-encompassing. Rather than looking just at how human life can be preserved, with the world itself and the universe beyond as a sort of backdrop, they look at life and divinity in all things and ask us to look for a way of life that affirms God’s presence everywhere.

    As a result of such an affirmation, we may need to change not just our practices, but our very goals. We may need to allow our ambitions to be tempered by the needs of others, not just other human beings, but other living creatures, and all nature.

    If you would like to develop and consider a world where humanity fits with the web of all life, if you would like to find a way of living non-destructively if you would like to find a God who suffers with you while working with you to heal and prevent suffering, this book is for you.

  • Christian Views on Origins

    Christian Views on Origins

    Christians frequently disagree on the subject of creation and evolution, but what are the main points of the various views?

    This booklet gives a brief summary of the various positions and their major tenets, along with a brief explanation of the support for each position. It also provides a list of resources to help you study further.

    This booklet is useful for those who simply want to understand what the debates are about without going into great detail, and for groups who would like a convenient way to provide information.

  • Church Ahead

    Church Ahead

    How do you feel when you see a yellow caution sign that reads “Church Ahead?” Is it a place of potential answers and guidance, or a stumbling block, holding you back?

    In Church Ahead, Bruce Epperly, pastor, professor, and adventurous pilgrim looks about what this sign could mean. He looks at the kinds of spiritual practice that a congregation can embrace in order to be renewed themselves, and restore their mission to those around them who are hurting and in need. This is not a rejection of “church” as an institution, but a challenge to make church into a beacon of hope and light.

    The mission presented in this book is not just abstract theology and spirituality. It calls for, describes, and embraces spiritual practices that have an impact on the church, the community, and the world. Each chapter includes specific activities designed to change attitudes and energize action.

    In answer to the ancient question voiced by the prophet Ezekiel – can these bones live? – Epperly gives an emphatic “Yes!” But the path to that life involves an embrace of spiritual life, change, and adventure in every aspect of ministry.

    Subtitle: Moving Forward with Congregational Spiritual Practices

  • Consider Christianity Volume 1 Study Guide

    Consider Christianity Volume 1 Study Guide

    This study guide is designed to accompany Consider Christianity, Volume 1: Evidence for the Bible. It will help you, your small group, or our church congregation prepare themselves to give an answer for the hope that is in them (1 Peter 3:15). It features: 1. Fact questions to aid in review and memory of the material in each chapter. 2. Thought questions to stir up your thinking and help you develop a deeper understanding of some of the key issues raised in each chapter and the arguments you will use to defend your faith 3. Real World Problems mostly using actual statements questioning the reliability of the Bible to help you prepare use the information learned in the book to address the types of challenges you are likely to encounter.

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