Lives grind to a halt when people don’t know how to relate to their past. Some believe “the past is nothing” and attempt to suppress the brokenness again and again. Others miss out on renewal and change by making the past more important than their present and future. Neither approach moves people toward healing or hope. Pastor and biblical counselor Stephen Viars introduces a third way to view one’s personal history—by exploring the role of the past as God intended. Using Scripture to lead readers forward, Viars provides practical measures to understand the important place “the past” is given in Scripture replace guilt and despair with forgiveness and hope turn failures into stepping stones for growth This motivating, compassionate resource is for anyone ready to review and release the past so that God can transform their behaviors, relationships, and their ability to hope in a future.

Putting Jesus in His Place is designed to introduce Christians to the wealth of biblical teaching on the deity of Christ and give them the confidence to share the truth about Jesus with others.

Instead of an Anxious Parent, Become a Praying Parent Any Christian mother and father, or grandmother and grandfather, desires what is spiritually best for their children. However, knowing how to pray for them can often be as challenging as knowing what to pray. Without proper guidance, our prayers are prone to become dry, repetitive lists of requests. With the help of Dr. Erwin Lutzer, you can learn how your best, loving intentions can become enriching, effective intercessions for your children or grandchildren. Trade your lists of requests for Scripturally-based prayers that will immerse you in God’s promises and will. In A Practical Guide for Praying Parents, Dr. Lutzer addresses: -How to pray when children have hardened hearts -How to pray for children who have become wayward prodigals -How to become a prayer warrior who prays in the face of spiritual warfare This small guide will help you pray scriptural prayers that both bring you closer to God and bless your children. You’ll also find daily Biblical prayers crafted by Dr. Lutzer himself to help you begin your prayer journey. With your love for your children, your desire to help, and Dr. Lutzer’s guidance, your prayers can become effective ministry in the lives of those you care for the most.

We all have stories to tell -- of a rapturous first kiss, a life-altering moment of choice, or the shocking revelation of a long-guarded secret. And these stories are often as distinctive, fascinating, exciting and entertaining as those found in the memoirs and autobiographies that currently top the nation's bestseller lists. We just need to know how to tell them best. Veteran, writing teacher, lecturer, and author of So You Want to Write a Novel, Lou Willet Stanek can help you translate your joys and ordeals, thoughts and triumphs into superbly crafted nonfiction -- taking you step-by-step through the writing process with care, encouragement, and expert advice. She shows you how to unlock your memories, create settings and scenes, protray major characters and dramatic events. And she offers the key to finding your own unique voice, and to presenting your greatest charcter -- yourself -- without boring your reader or sounding egotistical. Complete with invaluable exercises, nuts-and-bolts techniques, and motivational tools, Writing Your Life is indispensible for every aspiring writer who wishes to mine the rich lode of his or her past for all the gems hidden there.

Alcoholism. Child Abuse. Divorce. Gluttony. Abortion. Homosexuality. Sexual Addictions. Is there a place to begin again? No one can go back to the starting line in the race of life. What's done, is done. But we are not tied to our past mistakes. By following God's instructions and allowing Him to salve our wounds, we can be freed from the weight of guilt, regret, and bitter heartache. In Putting Your Past Behind You, Dr. Lutzer explains what the Bible says about God's role in the process of separating hurting and discouraged people from their pasts. Come to understand that your trial, addiction, or injustice is not uncommon to man. You aren't facing your hurt alone. God is faithfully standing ready to help, and He almost always uses His people to share in His work of restoration and healing. Many others have struggled with the pain you are feeling. And many have traveled beyond the pain to become blessed servants of Christ. Others have put a past just like yours behind them; so can you.

John Skillen s book calls Christians to come together as one body and enrich art culture in the church. Putting Art (Back) in its Place equips laity and clergy to think historically about the vibrant role the visual arts have played and could again play in the life of the church and its mission. Most Christians today view art from a distance: Do not touch In frames and galleries, art is walled off from the rest of life. Christian discussions of art focus primarily on artists as lonely dreamers and encourage training artists in technique, while leaving them up to their own devices in deciding what to create and how to keep food on the table. Yet for a long time, artwork assisted communities in performing actions that defined their corporate work and identity (their liturgies). Art touched the entire community: the artist, commissioning patrons, advisors who articulated beliefs and ideas, and representatives of the community for whom the art was made. The whole body of Christ played a part in the creation and use of art that said: Touch me and see In order for Christians to foster a vibrant culture of the arts, we must restore and cultivate active and respectful relationships among artists, patrons, scholars, communities and the art they create. Putting Art (Back) in its Place equips laity and clergy to think historically about the vibrant role the visual arts have played and could again play in the life of the church and its mission. "

This is a study of the Historical Jesus that pays close attention to the role of space and place, from house to kingdom, for understanding Jesus' identity. Halvor Moxnes employs a sociological and anthropological approach that promises to give greater depth to our perceptions of Jesus.