The NIV is the world's best-selling modern translation, with over 150 million copies in print since its first full publication in 1978. This highly accurate and smooth-reading version of the Bible in modern English has the largest library of printed and electronic support material of any modern translation.

"Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it. For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there few who find it." (Matthew 7:13-14) If life is a portal to paradise, then how we get there should be everyone's concern. Our Christian call is to know, love, and serve God in this world that we may be happy with him in heaven. In our day-to-day lives, this means finding and keeping to the narrow way that Jesus describes as the path to heaven. Fortunately, we have a vast collection of Christian classics to help us on our way, and one of the greatest is Saint Benedict's Rule. In Enter the Narrow Gate: Saint Benedict's Steps to Christian Maturity, Susan Muto draws from Saint Benedict's twelve steps to humility, showing how these steps give us a road map to the narrow way. Rooted in timeless spiritual principles, this book offers guidance and encouragement to find and stay on the narrow path, no matter how attractive the easy road may seem. The choices we make each day have eternal ramifications, and there can be no compromise between the narrow way and the easy road. Ultimately, each of us must face -- and answer -- this all-important question: Are we willing to enter through the narrow gate and follow the narrow way all the way to heaven? ABOUT THE AUTHOR Susan Muto, Ph.D., is executive director of the Epiphany Association and dean of the Epiphany Academy of Formative Spirituality. She holds a doctorate in English literature from the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Muto has been teaching the literature of ancient, medieval, and modern spirituality for over forty years. She has written more than thirty books, and in 2014 she received the Aggiornamento Award presented by the Catholic Library Association in recognition of an outstanding contribution to the ministry of renewal modeled by Pope St. John XXIII.

We start off this study with the words of Jesus about this narrow gate. They are words the church does not want to hear in this modern age of political correctness. But we really need to consider the implications.”You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.” [Matthew 7:13–14 NLT] We must start with the narrowness. Many people are made nervous by this. It is obvious that most pastors and priests are. How can you build a church by telling the people things like this? It is not good to talk about exclusiveness. This is certainly part of the narrowness of the gate. In modern America this is where we get into trouble very quickly from the PC media police.Jesus could not have made it more clear. This aspect of the narrowness is made clear by many things he said. If you are into the words of Jesus typeset in red ink—these are in red. He lays it out boldly—in a way that cannot be ignored.”Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved.” [John 10:9 NLT]However, it is obvious to us all that today many local church pastors have trouble saying that Jesus is the gate, the door to the life abundant. It is commonly not preached because the whole approach sounds a bit narrow-minded. But it is much stronger than that. As you will see in this book, many powerful, active church members will find themselves outside with no way to enter heaven. You need to read this book.

"Discusses marks of a credible profession of Christian faith"--

A boy doesn't automatically become a man at age 18. What differentiates a man from a boy is the way he lives. A boy lives day to day, wants to be MVP, plays, wants the reassurance of the crowd, and is a predator. A man has a vision for his life, is a team player, works, has the courage to take a minority position, and is a protector. These are the five marks of a man. It's not enough to just know them. A real man aggressively pursues them on a daily basis. Drawing from his own experience and the lives of others, pastor Brian Tome calls on men to examine themselves and take steps in the direction of a fully realized manhood that honors God, respects women, elevates others, and works purposefully for an end greater than their own satisfaction or pleasure. It's time for men to step into their honorable place in the world and lean into a new reality--one defined by strength, purpose, and honor.

The diversity of the world's religions has come to the West, but believers are often ill-equipped for any kind of serious engagement with non-Christians. In Encountering World Religions, professor and author Irving Hexham introduces all the world's major religious traditions in a brief and understandable way. Hexham outlines key beliefs and practices in each religion, while also providing guidance on how to think critically about them from the standpoint of Christian theology. African, yogic, and Abrahamic traditions are all covered. Accessible and clear, Encountering World Religions will provide formal and lay students alike with a useful Christian introduction to the major faiths of our world.