Böcker utgivna av Baker Publishing Group

Offering an important corrective to a pain-averse culture that celebrates individualism and success, veteran preacher and teacher Matthew Kim encourages pastors to preach on the painful issues their congregations face. Through vulnerability and self-disclosure, pastors can help their congregants share their suffering in community for the purpose of healing and transformation. The book includes stories, shares relevant Scripture texts imparting biblical wisdom, and offers best practices for preaching on specific topics. Each chapter ends with discussion questions and a sample sermon.

It is traditional to think we should praise Abraham for his willingness to sacrifice his son as proof of his love for God. But have we misread the point of the story? Is it possible that a careful reading of Genesis 22 could reveal that God was not pleased with Abraham's silent obedience?Widely respected biblical theologian, creative thinker, and public speaker J. Richard Middleton suggests we have misread and misapplied the story of the binding of Isaac and shows that God desires something other than silent obedience in difficult times. Middleton focuses on the ethical and theological problem of Abraham's silence and explores the rich biblical tradition of vigorous prayer, including the lament psalms, as a resource for faith. Middleton also examines the book of Job in terms of God validating Job's lament as "right speech," showing how the vocal Job provides an alternative to the silent Abraham.This book provides a fresh interpretation of Genesis 22 and reinforces the church's resurgent interest in lament as an appropriate response to God.

Representing the fruit of a lifetime of reflection and practice, this comprehensive resource helps teachers understand the way people in different cultures learn so they can adapt their teaching for maximum effectiveness. Senior missiologist and educator Craig Ott draws on extensive research and cross-cultural experience from around the world. This book introduces students to current theories and best practices for teaching and learning across cultures. Case studies, illustrations, diagrams, and sidebars help the theories of the book come to life.

Every PhD student in theological and biblical studies is expected to read German, but there are surprisingly few resources to help students learn to read and translate scholarly theological works. This streamlined grammar and reader by an experienced teacher and German-language expert presents biblical passages and theological readings of gradually increasing difficulty. Suited for self-study or classroom use, this book helps students to gain the proficiency needed for scholarly theological research.

Eve Tibbs offers a comprehensive yet accessible introduction to the beliefs and practices of the Eastern Orthodox Church for Western readers. Tibbs has devoted her career to translating the Orthodox faith to an evangelical audience and has over twenty years of experience teaching this material to students. Assuming no prior knowledge of Orthodox theology, this survey covers the basic ideas of Eastern Orthodox Christianity from its origins at Pentecost to the present day.

What if some of our greatest theologians wouldn't be considered theologians at all?Kat Armas, a second-generation Cuban American, grew up on the outskirts of Miami's famed Little Havana neighborhood. Her earliest theological formation came from her grandmother, her abuelita, who fled Cuba during the height of political unrest and raised three children alone after her husband passed away. Combining personal storytelling with biblical reflection, Armas shows us how voices on the margins--those often dismissed, isolated, and oppressed because of their gender, socioeconomic status, or lack of education--have more to teach us about following God than we realize.Abuelita Faith tells the story of unnamed and overlooked theologians in society and in the Bible--mothers, grandmothers, sisters, and daughters--whose survival, strength, resistance, and persistence teach us the true power of faith and love. The author's exploration of abuelita theology will help people of all cultural and ethnic backgrounds reflect on the abuelitas in their lives and ministries and on ways they can live out abuelita faith every day.

"Smith's sage advice will aid Christians in recognizing the simple joys of practicing their faith."--Publishers WeeklyWestern culture is in a tailspin, and Christian faith is entangled in it: we do kingdom things in empire ways. Western approaches to faith leave us feeling depressed, doubting, anxious, and burned out. We know something is wrong with the way we do faith and church in the West, but we're so steeped in it that we don't know where to begin to break old habits.Popular pastor and speaker Mandy Smith invites us to be unfettered from the deeply ingrained habits of Western culture so we can do kingdom things in kingdom ways again. She explores how we can be transformed by new postures and habits that help us see God already at work in and around us. The way forward isn't more ideas, programs, and problem-solving but in Jesus's surprising invitation to the kingdom through childlikeness. Ultimately, rediscovering childlike habits is a way for us to remember how to be human.Unfettered helps us reimagine how to follow God with our whole selves again and join with God's mission in the world. Foreword by Walter Brueggemann.

Christians are often thought of as defending only their own religious interests in the public square. They are viewed as worrying exclusively about the erosion of their freedom to assemble and to follow their convictions, while not seeming as concerned about publicly defending the rights of Muslims, Hindus, Jews, and atheists to do the same.Andrew T. Walker, an emerging Southern Baptist public theologian, argues for a robust Christian ethic of religious liberty that helps the church defend religious freedom for everyone in a pluralistic society. Whether explicitly religious or not, says Walker, every person is striving to make sense of his or her life. The Christian foundations of religious freedom provide a framework for how Christians can navigate deep religious difference in a secular age. As we practice religious liberty for our neighbors, we can find civility and commonality amid disagreement, further the church's engagement in the public square, and become the strongest defenders of religious liberty for all. Foreword by noted Princeton scholar Robert P. George.

Please, God, no more hard things.Most of us know what it's like to whisper those words to God. Hard circumstances often stir something so destructive in a soul: doubt.Through this six-session study guide, Nicki Koziarz will lead you through the biblical account of Noah and help you uncover the five best decisions to make when life is hard and doubt is rising.This study guide, for group or individual use, is designed to accompany the book Flooded and teaching videos (sold separately). The study will help you:● Gain a deeper understanding of the biblical account of Noah by studying the Scriptures in-depth.● Learn to memorize Scriptures to help deflect doubt in your life.● Answer reflection questions that will bring insight and wisdom to your own doubt-struggle.● Develop a daily Bible study habit that will help you walk with godly confidence into hard situations.It's time to quiet the fear that God won't come through by understanding the difference between biblical hope and wishful thinking. The Flooded Study Guide and teaching videos will get you there one session at a time.

Fight the Way Jesus FoughtFor many believers, times of unrest simply mean that darkness is on the rise. But what if the growing violence in the world today means something different? What if our "signs of the times" mean that the Spirit of God is on the move?Author and trusted prophet Kim Maas reveals one of the mysteries of the Kingdom: When light breaks through the gates of darkness, the result is violence. This is spiritual warfare, and it signals a fresh awakening. It means that the Kingdom of God is advancing and that you are advancing!Engage in Kingdom violence the way Jesus taught--with violent love, violent forgiveness, violent healing, violent deliverance, violent peace. If answering violence with violence sounds like war, it is. You are already in position. Overturn the works of darkness in every area of your life, and watch for a great move of God!

Is the gift of tongues for today? Does God want me to have the gift of tongues? Should I ask for the gift of tongues? Believers have asked these questions and many others about this debated and mysterious spiritual gift.Offering fresh biblical insight, Robert Henderson has written an essential guide that helps readers understand and discover the power of tongues to remove limits and establish a renewed relationship with God transcending the natural realm. In these pages, you will· gain biblical understanding of the mystery of tongues· learn how to empower your prayer life· defeat discouragement, depression, and disillusionment· receive an impartation for this spiritual gift to become a reality in your own life· enter a new realm of personal power, hope, and faith in the LordLet go of powerless Christianity and ready yourself for the supernatural, in which the Bible declares that every believer can operate!

An internationally recognized scholar highlights the important role the North African church played in the development of Christian thought. This accessible introduction brings Africa back to the center of the study of Christian history by focusing on key figures and events that influenced the history and trajectory of Christianity as a whole. Written and designed for the classroom, the book zeroes in on five turning points to show how North African believers significantly shaped Christian theology, identity, and practice in ways that directly impact the church today.

As well-known Christians announce a newfound loss of faith, other believers face increasing pressure or doubt. We feel let down, ashamed to question God's goodness, and in need of assurance of our faith and answers to our pain.From a leading voice on issues facing Christians today comes a frank and insightful discussion about whether it's okay to doubt God and what to do about it. Michael L. Brown answers the very toughest questions, such as· Why are people leaving the church?· Why haven't my prayers been answered?· Why do people have to experience pain?· What if there is no God?· And moreThese pages will lead anyone who has been hurt, anyone with questions that will not go away, into a wonderful, fresh, life-transforming encounter with the living God.

The Bible calls us to not be afraid, and of course we all want to live without fear. But how?Using her own story as a catalyst, Maria Furlough shows you how to overcome fear for good. She calls you to make a list of your fears, to choose to bring those fears to God rather than acting on them, and to trust God with the future. She shows how when we give God full control over our lives, choosing his sovereignty over our own ability, we can break the cycle of fear, grow through suffering, and trust God to fulfill his promises of protection and peace.

A mysterious song in the forest . . .A discovery in war-torn France . . .A journey toward hope. The trenches of the Great War are a shadowed place. Though Platoon Sergeant Matthew Petticrew arrived there with a past long marked by shadow, the realities of battle bring new wounds--carving within him a longing for light, and a resolve to fight for it. One night, Matthew and his comrades are enraptured by a sound so pure, a voice so ethereal, it offers reprieve--even if only for a moment. Soon, rumors sweep the trenches from others who have heard the lullaby too. "The Angel of Argonne," they call the voice: a mysterious presence who leaves behind wreaths on unmarked graves.  Raised in the wild depths of the Forest of Argonne, Mireilles finds her reclusive world rocked when war crashes into her idyllic home, taking much from her. When Matthew and his two unlikely companions discover Mireilles, they must embark on a journey that will change each of them forever . . . and perhaps, at long last, spark light into the dark. On the 100th anniversary of the dedication of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier comes an emotive tale inspired by the courageous soldiers of World War I.

We want to believe that a slower life is possible, but we're afraid of what we'll miss if we don't keep up the pace. So we bend to the pressure and miss the gift of rest and slowness. What if we could move from a place of depleting hurry to grasp the high reward of good things grown slowly? In this Bible study, which accompanies a trade book by the same name, Jennifer Dukes Lee helps readers dig deep into Scripture to reveal how land is a picture of our slow growth into claiming the promises of God. The land is more than a backdrop for the Bible. It is a central part of the magnificent narrative, from the very beginning when Creator God used dirt to make life on a farm called Eden. Jennifer weaves these biblical lessons into her own experience of the importance of land, gleaned from her fifth-generation farm. The land--both then and now--teaches us how to un-hurry our hurry-sick hearts.

"God, I need you to do something in my children!"Have those words found their way into your desperate prayers? Do you feel helpless to know how to equip your children for this world and all it throws at them? If so, you're not alone.When Brooke McGlothlin realized her best efforts were falling woefully short of her goal to produce godly children, she discovered the joy and power of praying Scripture over her family. Her life and her children's lives were transformed. Yours can be too.Complete with prayers for specific situations, this encouraging book is perfect for times when you· feel too busy to pray,· don't know what or how to pray,· don't know if your prayers really matter.Nothing is more powerful and faith-building than praying God's Word for those you love. Become a mom full of hope in the God who can, even if you can't. "Praying Mom is the prayer mentor you've always wanted from a mom who absolutely lives this message on her knees."--STACEY THACKER, author of Threadbare Prayer

"Prepare to be blown away by what the Holy Spirit can do in and through you! If you want to experience all of God, don't miss out on this book!"--PAULA FARIS, author of Called Out"A must-read for anyone who feels a bit alone, not enough, unable, and not up to the task at hand."--ALYSSA BETHKE, author of Spoken For 30 Incredible Benefits of the Holy Spirit's Presence in Your Life.Have I settled for less than everything God has for me? As a lifelong follower of Jesus, Jeannie Cunnion wrestled with this question and was surprised to realize that she'd been missing out on living in the power of the Holy Spirit! Discovering the significance of the Spirit's work in her life lit a fire in Jeannie's soul--and became the message she tucked into these pages for you.  Through winsome and tender storytelling, Jeannie will:· Reveal why Spirit-help is far superior to self-help· Equip you to activate the Spirit's power in your daily life· Guide you into deeper intimacy with Jesus· Show you how the Holy Spirit champions youThrough Jesus, God set us free. Through His Spirit, God keeps us free. Don't Miss Out is a life-changing invitation to experience the essential work of the Holy Spirit-- in you!

What Does Christ-Centered Leadership Look Like?As a Christian, does your leadership approach look any different from that of those who don't follow Christ? Throughout the Bible, God shows us what leadership looks in His kingdom, and sometimes it can seem upside-down. The first shall be last. The master shall be the servant. But how can we apply these counterintuitive truths in our world today? Rather than focusing on the nuts and bolts of management, Lead like Christ uses the book of Titus to take a close look at what biblical leadership entails. Using Paul's instructions to his young ministry partner as a guide, Tozer takes us through themes of grace, servanthood, spiritual boldness, and humility toward the Word of God. This foundation will lead to powerful, long-lasting change in both your own leadership role today as well as in God's eternal kingdom.

As parents, we deeply desire the best for our kids. We look for the right preschool, teach them to read, and get them involved in extracurriculars. We take our job as parents seriously.But are we also putting our time and energy into teaching them the Bible? Leading our kids to life through Scripture is not only doable, it's an essential part of parenting kids for Jesus. And the good news is studying God's Word as a family doesn't have to be hard or overly time-consuming. This book will give you the tools and confidence to study the Bible as a family. It will help you identify and overcome your objections and fears, give you a crash course in what the Bible is all about and how to teach it, and provide the tools and techniques to set up a family Bible-study habit. You will finish this book feeling encouraged and empowered to initiate and strengthen your child's relationship with the Lord through his Word.

With his signature infectious positive energy, John Mason offers you a simple yet powerful message of encouragement and hope--you can seize today and uncover a brighter tomorrow. For anyone who feels stuck, who yearns for a change but isn't sure just how to pursue it, John shows that the most powerful tool we have is asking ourselves the right questions to get the right answers. These bite-sized readings are perfect for busy professionals, overworked moms, entrepreneurs, and anyone looking for an uplifting boost.

When difficult or unwanted change enters our lives, it can cause fear, anxiety, and anger to bubble up from within. We want to quiet that simmering stress, but how do we do that, especially when we know our circumstances aren't going to calm down any time soon? By regularly meeting with God and exchanging our worries and fears for his assurances that he is using our difficult change for us, not against us.Easier said than done? Not if you have Kristen Strong alongside you as your understanding guide. Offering thoughtful, humorous anecdotes and powerful prayers to recite, Strong invites you to think and feel differently about change on the inside so you can live and love differently on the outside. As the tender companion she is, Kristen will show you how not to get over difficult change but rather to get through it. She'll help you acknowledge your change, give your anxieties over to God, and abide well in the days to come--no matter what transitions life brings.

Rory Perez, a food truck owner who can't cook, is struggling to keep the business she inherited from her aunt out of the red--and an upcoming contest during Modest's annual food truck festival seems the best way to do it. The prize money could finally give her a solid financial footing and keep her cousin with special needs paid up at her beloved assisted living home. Then maybe Rory will have enough time to meet the man she's been talking to via an anonymous online dating site. Jude Strong is tired of being a puppet at his manipulative father's law firm, and the food truck festival seems like the perfect opportunity to dive into his passion for cooking and finally call his life his own. But if he loses the contest, he's back at the law firm for good. Failure is not an option.Complications arise when Rory's chef gets mono and she realizes she has to cook after all. Then Jude discovers that his stiffest competition is the same woman he's been falling for online the past month.Will these unlikely chefs sacrifice it all for the sake of love? Or will there only ever be tacos for one?

Ben Zook had only two loves in his life: books and birds. In a stroke of good fortune, he'd stumbled onto a way to cobble together those two loves into a career, writing books about rare birds. He was as free as a bird--until a chase for a rare White-winged Tern takes him to the one place on earth he planned to never return: his Amish home in Stoney Ridge. Desperate for photographs of the elusive tern, Ben hires a local field guide, Micah Weaver, and boards at Micah's farm, planning to "bag the bird" and leave Stoney Ridge before anyone recognizes him. But he neglected to plan for Micah's sister, Penny. One long-ago summer, Penny had introduced Ben to birding, even sharing with him a hidden eagle aerie. That was when she knew true love. She'd always hoped he would come back to Stoney Ridge. Back to his Amish roots. Back to her. The only problem? Ben has absolutely no memory of Penny.Bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher welcomes her readers to the Amish community at Stoney Ridge in this engaging story of discovering just who the rare birds are in life.

Illness and trauma touch us all. Into the uncertainty and pain trots a herd of tiny horses, bringing a smile, a laugh, a chance to heal.Mini Horse, Mighty Hope introduces you to Gentle Carousel Miniature Therapy Horses, one of the largest equine therapy programs in the world. You'll experience moments of comfort, hope, healing, and even miracles as you follow these spirited mini horses on visits to children's and veterans' hospitals, victims of natural disasters, survivors of and first responders to mass shootings, and more. Along the way, you'll also get to know the founder of Gentle Carousel as she shares how the love of these marvelous little creatures has helped her navigate her own struggles and challenges.Perfect for animal lovers, people who enjoy true stories of healing, and anyone who has undergone trials and longs for hope.

Being a good mom isn't about doing everything right to create a set of perfect trophy children--though every mom has felt the pressure to do just that and to do it all on her own. To ask for help feels like defeat. Yet when we try to do it all by our own strength, we end up depleted, lonely, and ineffective. Heather MacFadyen wants you to know that you are not meant to go it alone. Sharing her most vulnerable, hard mom moments, she shows how moms can be empowered by God, supported by others, and connected with their children. With encouragement and insight, she helps you foster the key relationships you need to be the mom you want to be.Whether you work or stay home, whether you have teenagers or babes in arms, you'll find here a compassionate friend who wants the best--not just for your kids but for you.

Joseph is the pampered favorite son of the patriarch Jacob. His older brothers, deeply resentful of his status in the family, take advantage of the chance to get rid of him, selling him to slave traders and deceiving their father about his fate. It seems like their troubles are over. But for Joseph and older brother Judah, they are just beginning.While Joseph is accused of rape and imprisoned, Judah attempts to flee the memory of his complicity in the betrayal of his younger brother. After decades apart, the brothers will come face-to-face in a stunning role reversal that sees Joseph in a position of great power while Judah begs for mercy. Will forgiveness or vengeance win the day?Bestselling and award-winning author Jill Eileen Smith brings her considerable research and imaginative skills to bear in this vivid retelling of one of the most popular stories found in Scripture--a story of jealousy, betrayal, and a reconciliation that only God could bring about.

As the Nazis march toward Paris in 1940, American ballerina Lucie Girard buys her favorite English-language bookstore to allow the Jewish owners to escape. Lucie struggles to run Green Leaf Books due to oppressive German laws and harsh conditions, but she finds a way to aid the resistance by passing secret messages between the pages of her books.Widower Paul Aubrey wants nothing more than to return to the States with his little girl, but the US Army convinces him to keep his factory running and obtain military information from his German customers. As the war rages on, Paul offers his own resistance by sabotaging his product and hiding British airmen in his factory. After they meet in the bookstore, Paul and Lucie are drawn to each other, but she rejects him when she discovers he sells to the Germans. And for Paul to win her trust would mean betraying his mission.Master of WWII-era fiction Sarah Sundin invites you onto the streets of occupied Paris to discover whether love or duty will prevail.

In the face of the world's problems, kindness may seem like a long-lost virtue without enough power to make an impact. Yet we are called to show courageous kindness to those around us--even those we don't agree with--just as God has shown us kindness beyond measure. How we treat people matters! Every small kindness we show has the potential to create waves of lasting change in Jesus's name.God wants to use your ordinary days--as you go on your way--to accomplish more than you could ever expect. Courageous Kindness is a six-week Bible study that will help you- start making an impact right where you are and using exactly what you have- embrace the power of inconvenience and put on compassion- learn to live eyes wide open to the evidence of God's abundant kindnessIf you're ready to experience and share the kind of radical kindness that changes the world, join your friends at (in)courage and become a woman of courageous kindness, one simple, life-changing step at a time.

We've all got a lot of questions these days: In a world marked by division, how do we create bridges of meaningful connection? When despair runs rampant, is real hope possible? When competition is elevated, is compassion still relevant? And at the end of the day, can one person really make any impact at all?When the world's problems loom large and your ordinary life stretches you thin, it is still possible to be a difference-maker--one small, intentional, extravagant act of kindness at a time.Rather than telling you to do more, The Simple Difference shows you how to see more: more of the people in front of you, more of God's lavish love for you, more of his power within you. The Simple Difference will help you- stop getting buried in busyness and distraction and discover countless opportunities for impact right where you are- remove your perceived limitations and learn to see that your "not-enough" is exactly what the world needs- discard expectations of what it takes to make a difference and delight in the life-changing power of simple kindnessThe Simple Difference isn't about totally changing the course of your life; it's about letting God change you and work through you in the midst of your ordinary days. To say, As I go on my way, Lord, have your way with me. Be a part of The Simple Difference movement--your life and the world will never be the same.