What are the fears that govern our lives? Why do we seldom share them with others? How do they inform the way we think of the politics of the day and the life of the church? These are some of the questions addressed by Lorraine Cavanagh in this short and readable book. Her reflections take us through the kind of private fears that originate in early childhood and remain deeply embedded in the adult psyche, so that they later shape the person's thinking and often define that person's life. ...

Waiting on the Word is an exploration of the gift of preaching and of becoming an effective communicator – someone who is able to connect with people’s innate desire for God.In an age of soundbites and information overload, Lorraine Cavanagh believes that we can lose sight of God’s real work in the world. Through waiting on the Word that abides in the preacher’s own heart, and in the hearts of the people, the preacher can learn to speak the deep truth which comes with knowing God a...

There are many people who are put off Christianity by the way the doctrines of atonement and redemption are communicated. People find it hard to believe in a loving God who appears at the same time to be so angry and vindictive.Many also feel that Christian teachings, publicly or privately, do not connect with them in any meaningful way. This is either because they are put off by the narrow theological framework in which Christianity is presented, or because what is said about aton...

As we journey in faith, many of us begin to find God in the context of more than one kind of churchmanship. Even if we feel happy where we are, we may benefit greatly from getting out of our particular church 'comfort zone' in order to encounter God in new ways through Christians whose priorities and styles of worship are at variance with our own. This book calls us to a deeper and more compassionate approach to the challenges of diversity among Christians. It addresses issues such as: Are...

How can we be restored to God's love? Is there a way back?Many people are put off Christianity by the idea of God punishing his Son for our sins. They find it hard to believe in a loving God who appears to be so angry and vindictive. Many also feel that the things Christians teach, publicly or privately, do not work for them in real life.This book therefore addresses some of the difficult questions that these people are asking. It is also for those who may ...

In Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church, top-selling author and Anglican bishop, N.T. Wright tackles the biblical foundations of Christian hope and shows how most Christians get it wrong. We do not “go to” heaven; we are resurrected and heaven comes down to earth—a difference that makes all of the difference to how we live on earth as part of the mission of the Church.Following N.T. Wright’s resonant explora...

World-renowned Jesus scholar Marcus J. Borg shows how we can live passionately as Christians in today's world by practicing the vital elements of Christian faith.For the millions of people who have turned away from many traditional beliefs about God, Jesus, and the Bible, but still long for a relevant, nourishing faith, Borg shows why the Christian life can remain a transforming relationship with God. Emphasizing the critical role of daily practice in living the Christian life, he ...

In After You Believe, award-winning author and esteemed spiritual leader Bishop N.T. Wright (Simply Christian, Surprised by Hope) addresses the often neglected question of what happens after you believe, exploring how the development of Christian character is the key to a vibrant faith. Newsweek calls Bishop Wright "the world’s leading New Testament scholar," and After You Believe is an essential work of spiritual formation for fans of C.S. Lewis's M...

In his bestselling book Why Christianity Must Change or Die, Bishop John Shelby Spong described the toxins that are poisoning the Church. Now he offers the antidote, calling Christians everywhere into a new and radical reformation for a new age. Spong looks beyond traditional boundaries to open new avenues and a new vocabulary into the Holy, proposing a Christianity premised upon justice, love, and the rise of a new humanity -- a vision of the power that might be.

Is it possible that we have left Christ out of Christianity? Is the faith and practice of American Christians today more American than Christian? These are the provocative questions Michael Horton addresses in this thoughtful, insightful book. He argues that while we invoke the name of Christ, too often Christ and the Christ-centered gospel are pushed aside. The result is a message and a faith that are, in Horton's words, "trivial, sentimental, affirming, and irrelevant." This alternative ...

This discussion guide will help you learn how to dialogue with those who share common doubts and objections to Christianity.In the video sessions (DVD/digital video sold separately), Timothy Keller and six panelists hold candid and unscripted discussions about the broad scope of people's discomforts with God, the Bible, and Christianity in general:Discussion 1: Is the Bible a myth? Has science disproved Christianity?Discussion 2: Is there on...

"A pre-modern baseball umpire would have said something like this: 'There's balls, and there's strikes, and I call 'em as they are.' The modernist would have said, 'There's balls, and there's strikes, and I call 'em as I see 'em.' And the postmodernist umpire would say, 'They ain't nothing until I call 'em.'" With that humorous quote, Ravi Zacharias illustrates the challenge postmodernism poses to Christians passionate about evangelism. How do you communicate truth to a world that isn't su...