For Matthew Paul Turner, a spiritual drought was stretching into a desert. From his upbringing in a traditional church, to his stint as the editor of CCM Magazine, to his successful career as an author, Turner had long figured God out. Yet despite his faith-based bona fides, Turner was now facing a sobering reality: He couldn't seem to connect with the Jesus who had always seemed so available. In his desperation, Turner revisited Christ's most provocative message, the Beatitudes. What he discovered led him to relearn his faith, his life, and his God. Join popular author and humorist Matthew Paul Turner on a quest to discover just who Jesus is. Here Turner applies his x-ray insights and biting wit to cut through don't-ask-questions dogma, revealing authentic, transformative truths. More than one man's spiritual manifesto, Relearning Jesus is a dialogue, a shared journey, and a reintroduction to our Savior.

Teens can have a hard time recalling abstract concepts and lists of facts, but they can remember and retell a good story. (Re)Tell: Jesus is a stand-alone leader’s guide for teaching students about Jesus using the stories of people whose lives He changed. Though it is filled with highly interactive and creative learning experiences, what makes it unique is its focus on Bible story and Scripture memory.Outcomes are focused on personal transformation, not information and applicationPresentation is gender neutralLearning plan can be done in 45 minutesNo other books are necessaryActivity-based curriculum is ideal for Sunday mornings or small groupsIncorporates Bible story, Scripture memory, and group interactionPerfect for sixth graders and younger teens

In view of the proliferation of conflicting images of Jesus in the church, in the academy, and in popular culture, it is no wonder that his identity sometimes appears more elusive than ever.Seeking the Identity of Jesus brings together an interdisciplinary group of leading scholars -- from the fields of biblical studies, theology, and church history -- to focus on the complex problems surrounding the quest for the historical Jesus. Their perspectives are richly informed by Scripture, testimony from the church's past, and experience of the risen Jesus in the present. Contributors: Dale C. Allison Jr. Gary A. Anderson Markus Bockmuehl Sarah Coakley Brian E. Daley Beverly Roberts Gaventa A. Katherine Grieb Richard B. Hays Robert W. Jenson Joel Marcus R. W. L. Moberly William C. Placher Katherine Sonderegger David C. Steinmetz Marianne Meye Thompson Francis Watson

How do we communicate the message of the Scriptures in our twenty-first-century, post-Christian context? (re)Aligning with God: Reading Scripture for Church and World answers this question by presenting the Scriptures through the lens of mission and by teaching a method for reading Scripture with a missional hermeneutic. The biblical story seeks to convert us to its perspective and to transform its readers and hearers into God's missional community that exists to reflect and embody God's character to/for/in the world. Ready to revolutionize your reading of the Bible and expand your ability to unleash the Scriptures in your context? (re)Aligning with God will give you rich content and practical tools to become a profound, inspiring, and confident reader of the Bible for all who are seeking to hear its good news.

This volume highlights the sustained focus in Acts on the resurrection of Christ, bringing clarity to the theology of Acts and its purpose. Brandon Crowe explores the historical, theological, and canonical implications of Jesus's resurrection in early Christianity and helps readers more clearly understand the purpose of Acts in the context of the New Testament canon. He also shows how the resurrection is the fulfillment of the Old Testament Scriptures. This is the first major book-length study on the theological significance of Jesus's resurrection in Acts.

Mark Van Steenwyk explores the various ways we the Christian community have failed our mission by embracing the ways of the world and advancing our own agendas. He shows us that the starting place of authentic Christian witness is repentance, and that while Jesus' kingdom is not of this world, it remains the only hope of the world.

As Christians, we know we're supposed to be holy, set apart, and different than the world. But the reality is, the lives of many Christians look a lot more like the culture than like Christ. The question the devout are seeking today is, what does it really look like to follow Christ in a culture of darkness? In this short book, Dale Partridge assaults the watered-down, lukewarm Christianity that is harbored in many modern churches and replaces it with the raw, biblical Gospel found in the New Testament -- Amazon.