Some of the most comforting words a Christian could possibly hear from God are, "I want to bless you." In the Sermon on the Mount, Christ told us that we can come to Him as we are—in need, mourning, oppressed, or hungering—and He will bless us. In Charles Spurgeon's revealing exploration of The Beatitudes, you will learn to... Receive God's comfort Develop a gentle, forgiving spirit Inherit the earth Find contentment Obtain mercy Be pure in heart See God more clearly God has an excellent benefits package for His children. Discover the way to receive the rich treasures God wants you to have!

The newest title in the Discipleship Series of compact small-group resources "for people with busy lives but open hearts." Features 6 engaging sessions that reflect on the Beatitudes, drawing on Scripture and the Catechism and illustrated through brief stories of people touched by grace: Blessed Solanus Casey, St. Gemma Galgani, Blessed Padre Pro, a Death Row inmate, a saintly young boy with Down syndrome, and St. Teresa of Calcutta. Includes prayer and discussion questions integral to growth as a disciple of Jesus Christ.

The Beatitudes are not telling you how to become a Christian—they tell you what a true Christian looks like. Everyone wants to be blessed. We want to be blessed in life, blessed in death, and blessed in eternity. In the Beatitudes, the Son of God tells us about the life that is blessed and about the people who are blessed. But Jesus does more than just describe a blessed life, He gives us a way to actually pursue it. If you want to make strides in overcoming sin, growing in godliness, abounding in good works, and enjoying intimacy with the Lord, this book is for you. And if you have lost hope that any of these things are possible, this book is especially for you. You can make progress, starting today.

Drawing on stories from the lives of the saints, scripture, and everyday life, Jim Forest opens up the mysteries of the Beatitudes. These ancient blessings, with which Christ began his Sermon on the Mount, are all aspects of communion with God. As Forest shows, they are like rungs on a ladder, each one leading to the next. They appear at the doorway of the New Testament to provide an easily memorized summary of everything that follows, right down to the crucifixion ("Blessed are you who are persecuted") and the resurrection ("Rejoice and be glad").

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.

In this timely exploration of the Beatitudes, Kolbell suggests that the eight pillars--meekness, empathy, righteousness, peace, persecution, poverty, purity, and simplicity--are still valuable codes of conduct for busy, anxious lives.

“In troubles times, hope often seems elusive, a vague promise of the future. But Anne Howard transforms hope into a tangible practice of faith by sharing the stories of young adults who take Jesus’ beatitudes both literally and seriously. Read Claiming the Beatitudes and glimpse a transformational wisdom for church that grounds life in God’s beauty, truth, and goodness.” - Diana Butler Bass, author, Christianity for the Rest of Us and A People’s History of Christianity “Anne Howard interprets each beatitude through the story of a present-day student as well as Jesus’ beatitudes. She brings the beatitudes into our experience now, beautifully, readably, so we can answer the question, ‘Where do you see God’s presence in our world?’ And so we can say, ‘yes, thanks’ to God’s invitation to participate.” - Glen Harold Stassen, Lewis B. Smedes Professor of Christian Ethics, Fuller Theological Seminary “By focusing on how Jesus’ beatitudes are actually being lived in the lives of twenty-and thirty-somethings today, Anne Howard accomplishes what few before her have done; she takes the beatitudes out of the realm of pietistic platitudes or arcane academics and puts flesh and blood on them. In so doing, she instills a craving in each of us to wrap our own lives around these simple yet revolutionary words.” - Eric Elnes, author of The Phoenix Affirmations and Asphalt Jesus “Can the beatitudes come alive for us today? The moving stories and compelling reflections of Claiming the Beatitudes say ‘Yes!’ The questions at the end of each chapter offer true-to-life challenges. The entire book is an invitation to conversation and conversion. Try it!” - Bishop Frederick Borsch, Professor of New Testament, Chair of Anglican Studies, Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia