When justice is used as a synonym for judgment we miss the point of justice. The prisons of the world are bursting at the seams with offenders who have been judged guilty and are being punished for wrongdoing. Prisons are a failure. In fact, justice is not achieved through imprisonment. Ron and Andy have dedicated their lives to pursuing justice and mercy in response to criminal offenders. In many respects, prisons are the most spiritual places on earth. It is in prison where the great que...

You Are in a War, Whether You Know It or Not. Most Christians would have no hesitancy in affirming the concept that God has a kingdom, with its angelic hosts. Unfortunately, many Christians are unaware that Satan also has a kingdom, represented by a host of demons. With earth as the battlefield, these two kingdoms wage war with one another for our minds and souls. As Christians, we need to understand the nature of this war and how Satan's kingdom operates. Legendary author and Bible teache...

High-Interest Guide Sure to Spark Curiosity and ConversationA surprising number of well-known Bible verses are commonly misused and misunderstood. Whether intentionally or not, people take important verses out of context, and pastor and Bible scholar Eric J. Bargerhuff has seen the effects: confusion, faulty decisions, sin being dismissed, and more. With a deft touch, he helps readers understand and apply sound principles of interpretation and application of twenty familiar verses....

What makes for a healthy church? A large congregation? Plentifulparking? Vibrant music?You may have read books on this topic before-but not like thisone. This new expanded edition of Nine Marks of a Healthy Church isnot an instruction manual for church growth. It is a pastor'srecommendation of how to assess the health of your church usingnine crucial qualities that are neglected by many of today'schurches.Whether you're a church leader or an involved member of yourcongregat...

How are Christians to approach the central gospel teachings concerning the death and resurrection of Jesus? The Bible firmly establishes the historicity of these events and doesn't leave their meanings ambiguous or open to interpretation. Even so, there is an irony and surprising strangeness to the cross. Carson shows that this strange irony has deep implications for our lives as he examines the history and theology of Jesus's crucifixion and resurrection.Scandalous highli...

The most important words ever written are the Ten Commandments. These words changed the world when they were first presented at Mt. Sinai to Israelites, and they are changing it now. They are the foundation stones of Western Civilization.Given their staggering importance, you would think that all societies, and certainly our educational and religious institutions, would be intent on studying them closely. Sadly, this is not the case. Our schools ignore them and our churches and syn...

What if the biggest danger to the church of Jesus Christ is not blatant heresy, the moral failures of church leaders, persecution, the rise of Islam or the loss of our rights? What if the biggest threat is counterfeit gospels within the church, ways of thinking and speaking about the good news that lead to a gradual drift from the truth of Scripture?The gospel is like a three-legged stool. There’s the Gospel Story – the grand narrative of Scripture (Creati...

What are spiritual gifts?What does the Bible say about them?How do I experience them for myself?In An Essential Guide to Spiritual Gifts, Ron Phillips explains the gifts of the Spirit--including the five leadership gifts, the seven service gifts, and the eight sign gifts--and provides clear biblical background and support for them.As a Spirit-fil...

They're often mistakenly considered God's "rules"-his outdated list of do's and don'ts that add up to a guilt-ridden, legalistic way of life. But as beloved author and Bible scholar J. I. Packer probes the purpose and true meaning of the Ten Commandments, you'll discover that these precepts can aptly be called God's blueprint for the best life possible. They contain the wisdom and priorities everyone needs for relational, spiritual, and societal blessing-and it's all coming from a loving h...

"Our Father, who art in heaven…."The opening words of the Lord's Prayer have become so familiar that we often speak them without a thought, sometimes without any awareness that we are speaking at all. But to the disciples who first heard these words from Jesus, the prayer was a thunderbolt, a radical new way to pray that changed them and the course of history.Far from a safe series of comforting words, the Lord's Prayer makes extraordinary claims, ...

Together for the first time in a single volume, two of Dr. Michael L. Brown's groundbreaking works are ready to challenge a new generation of Christians to combat the status quo of a compromised church and a godless society.-----Have you ever wondered why you rarely-if ever-see the kinds of miracles today that were so common in the Bible? Whatever Happened to the Power of God? explores why so few of the seriously ill are healed, why apparent encounters with God's s...

Lent recalls times of wilderness and wandering, from newly freed Hebrew slaves in exile to Jesus' temptation in the desert. God has always called people out of their safe, walled cities into uncomfortable places, revealing paths they would never have chosen. Despite our culture of self-indulgence, we too are called to walk an alternative pathâ€"one of humility, justice, and peace. Walter Brueggemann's thought-provoking reflections for the season of Lent invite us to consider the challengin...