"In The Lowering Days Gregory Brown gives us a lush, almost mythic portrait of a very specific place and time that feels all the more universal for its singularity. There's magic here." —Richard Russo, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Empire Falls and Chances AreA promising literary star makes his debut with this emotionally powerful saga, set in 1980s Maine, that explores family love, the power of myths and storytelling, survival...

The battle for purity in society is raging, and unfortunately, many are captives or severely losing. David lost this battle as he committed adultery with Bathsheba. Solomon lost it as he had 1,000 wives and concubines to fulfill his lust. If we are going to win this battle, we must be strategic and disciplined. Winning is important to protect our lives, our families, our churches, and most importantly to honor our God.How can we win the battle for purity? In 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5, ...

The letter of First Peter was written to persecuted Christians scattered throughout the Roman Empire. It was meant to both encourage and instruct them on how to live as pilgrims in a hostile world. This message is still relevant today.Christ declared that in the end times believers would be hated by "all nations" because of him (Matthew 24:9). With the continuing culture shift, animosity and persecution towards Christians is increasing at an alarming rate. Over 400 Christians are m...

What is the highest good in life that anyone can pursue?In Latin, there is a term summum bonum, which means "the highest good out of which all good flows." Many pursue wisdom, social justice, wealth, power, or physical strength as the highest good in life. However, none of these compare to the benefits of knowing God. Listen to what the Lord said through the prophet Jeremiah:Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boa...

How should we pursue spiritual maturity—becoming more like Christ? In Paul's epistle to the Philippians, one of the dominant themes is spiritual maturity. Throughout the epistle, he encourages them to pursue unity, to be faithful in suffering, to rejoice regardless of circumstances, to live as citizens of heaven, to have the mind of Christ, and to practice many other virtues—essentially calling them to be mature. Then, in chapter 3, he specifically exhorts them to imitate his pursuit of Ch...

Nehemiah: Becoming a Godly Leader is a fourteen week expositional study of the book of Nehemiah. It considers topics like the characteristics of a godly leader, a godly leader's priorities, cultivating a life of celebration, characteristics of revival, how a godly leader responds to discouragement, conflict, prosperity and promotion, the tactics of the enemy, and much more. Let's study it together with the Bible Teacher's Guide."Helpful to both the laymen and the serious student, T...

Around fifty percent of marriages end in divorce and of those who stay married, a large number are unhappy. "Happily ever after" seems to be something only reserved for fairy tales. Even the disciples, when considering the difficulties of marriage, replied, "If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry" (Matt 19:10). Certainly, this is not what God had in mind when he created marriage (Gen 2:24). How are married couples supposed to experience the abundant ...

Unlike other epistles, James is not so much concerned with doctrine but living out doctrine. Over half the words in this epistle are commands. James believed that true faith produces the corresponding works, and if it does not, it is not true faith (Jam 2:14-26). Even the demons believe in God but are not saved (2:15, 19). True faith not only hears God's Word, but obeys it (1:22). It not only sympathizes with the poor but also cares for them (1:27, 2:1-13). It affects one's tongue (1:26, 3...

Though every year the Bible is the world's most popular, purchased, and translated book, the majority of people reading the Bible have never deeply studied it, and even among those who have, many still have numerous, lingering questions, such as: "Who wrote it?" "Is it historically reliable?" "How were the books of the Bible selected?" "Is it possible that some books are missing or that others will be added?" "What is the over-arching storyline of the Bible and its primary message?" "How d...

What is anthropology? Anthropology comes from the Greek word anthropos which means man or humanity. Therefore, anthropology is the study of humans. It considers who we are and why we exist. In secular universities, the study is engaged primarily from a man-centered perspective; however, since God created humans and made them in his image, it is impossible to truly study humanity apart from God. It is from God that people derive their significance and purpose. Consequently, the study of ant...

Ecclesiology is the study of the church, which is God's people throughout the world. God has chosen the church to be his global representative (Matt 28:19) and to glorify him throughout eternity (Eph 3:21). The church is God's temple (1 Cor 3:16) and his family (Gal 6:10). It is Christ's body, including various members with different spiritual gifts (1 Cor 12:12-28). It is the salt and light of the world (Matt 5:13-14). While on earth, Christ promised to build his church and that the gates...

Building Foundations for a Godly Marriage can be used as an eight-week small group study on marriage, a pre-marital or marital counseling curriculum, or simply to help one have a deeper understanding of marriage.“Expositional, theological, and candidly practical! I highly recommend The Bible Teacher’s Guide for anyone seeking to better understand or teach God’s Word.”—Dr. Young–Gil Kim, Founding President of Handong Global University“This study could be used by pasto...