Using Paul's radical letter to the Philippians as his road map, Matt Chandler forsakes the trendy to invite readers into authentic Christian maturity. The short book of Philippians is one of the most quoted in the Bible, yet Paul wrote it not for the popular sound bites, but to paint a picture of a mature Christian faith. While many give their lives to Jesus, few then go on to live a life of truly vibrant faith. In this disruptively inspiring book, Chandler offers tangible ways to develop a faith of pursuing, chasing, knowing, and loving Jesus. Because if we clean up our lives but don't get Jesus, we've lost! So let the goal be Him. To live is Christ, to die is gain—this is the message of the letter. Therefore, our lives should be lived to Him, through Him, for Him, with Him, about Him—everything should be about Jesus.

By the Book Series

In To Live Is Christ, best-selling author Beth Moore travels on a spiritual odyssey through the life of one of Christianity’s most fervent journeymen, the apostle Paul, tracing his story from childhood to martyrdom. Proclaiming his faith as a benchmark in New Testament Scripture, Beth writes, "I have accepted many of Paul’s words as a personal challenge. ‘I want to know Christ’ has become my plea. ‘To live is Christ and to die is gain’ has become my hope. And to borrow his words once more, ‘Not that I have already obtained all this . . . but I press on.’" Paul’s undying passion for Christ continues to inspire and challenge those with a deep spiritual hunger for the things of God. Readers will be greatly refreshed by the obvious mercy of God that causes those who have failed him to repent and serve him wholeheartedly and effectively.

The four chapters of Philippians contain some of the most-quoted and beloved passages in Scripture: "For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain," "Rejoice in the Lord always," "Do not be anxious about anything," "I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content." Yet in our familiarity with the Apostle Paul's words to his favorite church, we must be careful not to miss the deeper themes, says commentator R. Kent Hughes. Themes such as the robust fellowship and unity that Paul shared with the Christians at Philippi based on their mutual commitment to the gospel. Theirs was a partnership we rarely see today--between people who were bound together in the great cause of unfurling the gospel flag in cities, countries, and other cultures--undergirded by Paul's central call to let their "manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ." It was a joyous cause, a unity, a manner of life that should be ours as well. The characteristics of such true Christian conduct and spirit are detailed throughout this epistle and this commentary, with every aspect ultimately centering in Christ. Hughes's faithful exposition and application will reveal how much Philippians is about Christ and about people in Christ Jesus, as well as about people who are in the joyful fellowship of the gospel together because they are in Christ.Part of thePreaching the Wordseries.

In the early sixteenth century, Europe is torn by religious differences and bloody battles. The peasants have had enough of the oppression which they have endured for centuries and are taking matters into their own hands -violently. The Muslim Turks are on a bloody rampage, pressing in from the east, drawing ever closer to the heart of the Holy Roman Empire. More and more people are growing dissatisfied with the religion of the land: the Roman Catholic church. They form different religious factions which vehemently oppose each other.Albrecht von Adler, the son of a German lord, is puzzled by the steadfast convictions, unshakeable courage, and uncanny peace of one radical outlaw religious group known as the Anabaptists. They dare to oppose the religion of the land and often must pay the price for their beliefs -with their lives. As Albrecht struggles to comprehend the strange beliefs of the Anabaptists, he must come to grips with his own nagging doubts about the empty, ritualistic state church. In his quest for the truth, he must find the answer to one question:Is a true faith worth dying for?