Most people see the Bible as a collection of short stories, but it is much, much more:? We know that the wise men came to visit Jesus, but what was the meaning behind their visit?? We've heard that Jesus calmed a storm, but what does that story really reveal?? We know the story of Joseph and his amazing, colorful coat-but what is the underlying message of his story?? We've read of Jonah being swallowed by a whale, but what hidden meaning swims underneath the surface of this familiar story?Yes, the Bible contains some great stories, but it is not a storybook. Every story in the Bible has a deeper meaning and message that is hidden to many. Messages from God helps you decode and discover deeper meaning behind the classic stories you've grown up hearing. And just when most readers think they've got the Bible figured out, they will be surprised to find that each Bible story contributes to a singular storyline that the original writers of the Bible wanted you to discover for yourself: The message and mission of God.

Acts is the sequel to Luke's gospel and tells the story of Jesus's followers during the 30 years after his death. It describes how the 12 apostles, formerly Jesus's disciples, spread the message of Christianity throughout the Mediterranean against a background of persecution. With an introduction by P.D. James

The Faith and Liberty Bible offers 813 articles and quotations from people in American history who have drawn on the Bible in their work and writings. Each piece is annotated and reviewed by a team of scholars of American history, law, and religion and placed near a biblical passage it quotes. As a reference (including an index of Bible citations and allusions) it will help you discover new depths to history as you uncover the significant influence of the Bible on the American experience. But the Faith and Liberty Bible also invites you into your own encounter with the Bible's message in the company of the parents, leaders, writers, educators, and reformers whose lives and work it has touched. The articles are organized by six values--faith, liberty, justice, unity, hope, and love--and ten topical tracks from Liberty and Law to Education and Virtue to Slavery and Abolition. Discover how, in the American experience ... faith guides liberty toward justice. This edition features the accessible and reliable Good News Translation(R) of the Bible

Endorsed in its time by Francis Scott Key, John Jay, and Theodore Roosevelt, the American Bible Society (ABS) is a seminal institution for American Protestants. The group was founded in 1816 with the goal of distributing free copies of the Bible in local languages throughout the world. Today, the ABS is a Christian ministry based in Philadelphia with a $300 million endowment and a mission to engage 100 million Americans with the Bible by 2025. In The Bible Cause, noted historian of American religion John Fea demonstrates how the ABS's primary mission - to place the Bible in the hands of as many people as possible - has caused the history of the organization to intersect at nearly every point with the history of the United States. For the last two hundred years, the ABS has steadily increased its influence both at home and abroad, working with all Christian denominations in the US and internationally, aligning itself whenever possible with the gatekeepers of American religious culture. Over the years ABS Bibles could be found in hotel rooms, bookstores, and airports; on steam boats, college and university campuses; the Internet; and even behind the Iron Curtain. Its agents, Bibles in hand, could be found on the front lines of every American military conflict from the Mexican-American War to the Iraq War. However and wherever the United States developed, the ABS was there. Throughout the last two centuries ABS has never wavered in its mission, and its commitment to be the guardian of a Christian civilization has been proven many times over.

Women were made to lead. Even in church. Jesus affirmed women as leaders-many contend Mary Magdalene was the first female minister. Yet women in ministry face challenges and obstacles, both from churches and from their own self-doubts. Both men and women miss out when women don't lead. Made to Lead empowers you to live out your calling boldly and confidently. Draw closer to God with relevant biblical examples and heart-felt prayers. Break down stereotypes of women in leadership. And create your own successful reality in which you are a key part of God's holy community.

The publication of the King James version of the Bible, translated between 1603 and 1611, coincided with an extraordinary flowering of English literature and is universally acknowledged as the greatest influence on English-language literature in history. Now, world-class literary writers introduce the book of the King James Bible in a series of beautifully designed, small-format volumes. The introducers' passionate, provocative, and personal engagements with the spirituality and the language of the text make the Bible come alive as a stunning work of literature and remind us of its overwhelming contemporary relevance.