Showing results by narrator "Jim Denison" in All Categories

The Bible is the most influential book in Western history. As the foundational text of Judaism and Christianity, the Bible has been interpreted and reinterpreted over millennia, utilized to promote a seemingly endless run of theological and political positions. Adherents and detractors alike point to different passages throughout to justify wildly disparate behaviors and beliefs. Translated and retranslated, these texts lead both to unity and intense conflict.

The growth of the nones in American society has been dramatic. In 1972, just five percent of Americans claimed "no religion" on the General Social Survey. In 2018, that number rose to 23.7 percent, making the nones as numerous as both evangelical Protestants and Roman Catholics. Every indication is that the nones will be the largest religious group in the United States in the next decade. Burge's accessible book draws from carefully curated datasets, some tracking changes in American religion over a long period of time.

It used to be that Christians conceived of the world as a battleground. They believed in sin and the devil and hell as constituting one force, and in God and righteousness and heaven constituting the other. How different today. People think of the world not as a battleground, but as a playground.

Done with dating? Don't know where to start? Wondering if your date is the one to marry? Pastor-scholar Sam Andreades brings single Christians in that vulnerable life moment the practical, theological help to make the dangerous decision confidently. Bringing the Bible's wisdom on relationships to bear on the dating scene, he helps you lay a foundation for a love that lasts. 

Authors Eric Geiger (author of the best-selling Simple Church and Creature of the Word) and Kevin Peck argue that churches that consistently produce leaders have strong convictions to develop leaders, healthy cultures for leadership development, and helpful constructs to systematically and intentionally build leaders. All three are essential for leaders to be formed through the ministry of a local church.

In God of All Promises: A Poetic Pilgrimage through Genesis, Walter Brueggemann offers a fresh, prayerful journey that illuminates our shared faith. With poetic insight and theological depth, Brueggemann invites listeners to find new meaning in each chapter of Genesis through his personal spiritual practice of praying back the Bible to the God who dwells therein.

Bitterness is a destructive poison, yet we all struggle with it sometimes due to circumstances our sovereign God has allowed. In a world full of struggle, we must take care that difficult circumstances do not feed a bitter spirit within us. In this honest and hopeful book, pastor and counselor Stephen Viars shows you how to avoid the pitfalls of a bitter heart as you walk through our fallen world. When we learn to process bitterness biblically and effectively, we can move from life's greatest hurts to a life filled with joy. 

Christians believe that history is moving towards a dramatic conclusion—that one day Jesus Christ will return in glory to judge the living and the dead. But there seem to be so many different views about how this will happen, and when it will take place. How can we make sense of it all? This short audiobook explains clearly and simply the liberating reality of what the Bible is actually saying about the return of Christ and the end of the world.

In Created for Purpose, you will discover God's plan for your life as a loved and valuable member of his creation, what it means to be called by God, and how to know and live in your purpose throughout your life. You are not an accident. You are present on this earth for a significant reason. Find out who you were meant to be!

Every day we give and receive communication. But good communication doesn't always come naturally. Strengthening our skills is vital not only for those who specialize in communication but for everyone who wants to have healthy relationships, love our neighbors, and shape the world around us for...

Understanding the New Testament is a daunting but exciting task. Our world is so different from that of the first century. Yet it is important to understand the context and content of the New Testament if we are to be faithful followers. Now, this survey addresses the who, what, where, when, why, and how questions that readers of the Bible may have, such as: How can we tell if what is written in the New Testament is true history or just mythology? When were these books written and why? and What can today's believers get out of letters addressed to people who lived two millennia ago?

For over a decade, A Biblical History of Israel has gathered praise and criticism for its unapologetic approach to reconstructing the historical landscape of ancient Israel through a biblical lens. In this much-anticipated second edition, the authors reassert that the Old Testament should be taken seriously as a historical document alongside other literary and archaeological sources. Significantly revised and updated, A Biblical History of Israel, Second Edition includes the authors' direct response to critics, and includes updated archaeological data and new references.

In this roadmap to spiritual growth, biblical counselor Jim Berg guides new and mature believers alike to better cultivate a deep relationship with Christ and respond wisely to God's direction for life.

The church has too often lost its way in reading the Old Testament for lack of sound principles of interpretation. When careless habits get us off track, we can lose sight of what the Bible is really saying, derailing our own spiritual growth and even risking discredit to God's word. We need a consistent approach to give us confidence as faithful interpreters. In Wisdom for Faithful Reading, trusted Old Testament scholar John Walton lays out his best practices developed over four decades in the classroom.

John Elmore is no stranger to addiction. Fifteen years ago, he put a loaded shotgun to his head and later had three doctors tell him he was going to die of alcoholism. Now he leads the world's largest weekly recovery gathering where people journey toward healing in Christ. In Freedom Starts Today, he makes a huge promise to the addicted: You can be free from your struggle, and much sooner than you may think. Through easily digestible readings grounded in Scripture and the practice of daily surrender, Elmore tells you how to break the cycle of addiction.

Ludwig Wittgenstein was born in Vienna in 1889 and died in Cambridge, England in 1951. He was one of the most influential philosophers of the 20th century.

The world is angry and afraid. Humankind is on a trajectory away from God, against His Church and into increasing darkness—with the darkest hours still ahead. Yet the Father has an unexpected and compassionate answer for the rise of ugliness and violence: a beautiful, unified Church of wholehearted followers of Jesus who will put Him on full display for all the world to see. Discover how to become part of a Church that counters anger with kindness and mercy, loves its enemies, overcomes bitterness and offense, and lays hold of the Lord's beauty via revelation and transformation. 

Culture is saturated in self-interest and self-preservation, and the church has become complacent—and complicit. Many Christians want God to move—but only if they don't have to move. In an age of spectacle and opulence, we've lost sight of sacrifice and obedience. In this never-before-published compilation of teachings, A. W. Tozer turns to Bible passages and stories like Abraham and Isaac, unpacking them to reveal spiritual truths crucial to a lifetime of fruitfulness and power: unwavering obedience.

The first in Joe Thorn's three book series on the confession, nature, and expression of the Church, The Heart of the Church explores the center of the Church's life and identity: the gospel. Useful for training in membership classes, discipleship groups, and elder boards - The Heart of the Church is at once theological, practical, and experiential. Listeners will not simply be informed, but led to believe in, rejoice in, and be transformed by the truth of God for his gathered people.

Do you know if you have enough? Do you know how much is enough? If you can't answer these questions, Master Your Money is for you. In this book, Ron Blue extracts principles from God's Word and applies them to your financial portfolio.