Showing results by publisher "Christian Audio" in Bible Study

We aspire to freedom but often resign ourselves to an existence trapped in uneasiness and dread. Is there any way to shed such heaviness and reignite hope for deliverance? In Traveling Light, Eugene H. Peterson urges us to listen to an expert on freedom, Paul, whose letter to the Galatians reminds us of the realities of life in Christ, freely given to all. 

Too often, cultural belonging becomes a battle, and its winners gain the world: access, comfort, safety, community. Yet for those on the margins—set apart from their culture by differences such as ethnicity, class, ability, and faith—God offers something even greater. The Gift of the Outsider celebrates the blessings found in unbelonging—and calls Christians of all backgrounds to love and listen to their community's outcasts. As a Christian, a Black American, a woman, and an expatriate, author Alicia J. Akins offers heartfelt reflections on her own experiences as an outsider.

Some questions about the New Testament canon are far from settled, either in the academy or the church—to say nothing of misconceptions and confusion. This is a crucial topic, given the importance of the canon's formation for our understanding of early Christianity and the nature of the Christian faith itself. In Creating the Canon, Benjamin P. Laird explores misunderstood, disputed, and overlooked matters tied to the composition, collection, and authority of the New Testament canon.

After twenty years of war in Iraq and Afghanistan, a global pandemic, protests against racial violence, and frequent shootings, more Americans than ever are living with the effects of trauma. The good news is that Jesus was born and died in a traumatized world, and his story speaks forever to wounded people worldwide. Army veteran and Episcopal priest David Peters explores Jesus' life story through the post-traumatic lens with which the Gospel writers first wrote it.

What does it mean to be human? This timeless question proves critical as we seek to understand our purpose, identity, and significance. Amidst the many voices clamoring to shape our understanding of humanity, the Bible reveals important truths related to our human identity and vocation that are critical to the flourishing of all of creation. Carmen Joy Imes seeks to recover the theologically rich message of the creation narratives starting in the book of Genesis as they illuminate what it means to be human.

We live in a world of staggering distraction. A world so loud and opinionated, it's not only exhausting, but immobilizing. And still we zone out, doom scroll, binge watch, and peek at other people's lives online. Yet it all feels a bit off and empty. In the struggle to thrive amid the noise and commotion, Bible teacher and blogger Katie Westenberg equips you to focus on what truly matters. Leaning on Scripture, scientific studies of memory, and the power of a renewed mind, she helps you uncover the ancient way of being undistracted: remembering the truth of who God is and how he works.

Jesus asked His disciples, "Who do you say I am?" It's a question that still needs an answer today. With deft, insightful, and humorous strokes, award-winning biographer Jared Brock weaves archaeology, philosophy, history, and theology to create a portrait of Jesus we've never seen before. This is a groundbreaking biography about the historical Jesus we don't usually think about: The child refugee. The "carpenter" who most likely worked with stone. The adult who walked at least 21,525 miles in His lifetime and yet never tasted tomatoes or potatoes. 

God's faithfulness to Israel is an incredible affirmation of His unconditional goodness, and as we discover His heart for His chosen people, we better understand His heart for us. Israel's story begins with God's promise to make Abraham a great nation, and to this day, His hand continues to guide and protect the Jewish people. Israel Always is a sweeping journey through Israel's prolific history, its modern-day influence, and its promised future, highlighting the continuous throughline of God's provision for His people.

Life prepares us for a lot of things. Until it doesn't. Because at some point we'll find ourselves stuck at the crossroads of what was and what is yet to be. Yet this in-between space doesn't have to be one of fear, frustration, uncertainty, and sleepless nights. Bestselling author and Proverbs 31 speaker Nicki Koziarz knows well the vulnerable and lost feelings of transition seasons. Digging into the life of Moses and sharing from her own struggles and successes, she gives you a practical biblical plan to discover—and thrive—right where you are.

We live in a world that can best be described as a collective mess: messes in our families, careers, communities, and culture. We find ourselves fighting through the chaos just to survive. But our God is still God in the mess. Inspired by the story of the blind man in John 9, bestselling author and pastor Samuel Rodriguez shows us that sometimes Jesus makes a mess first—and out of that mess emerges a miracle. Full of biblical inspiration, scientific findings, and true stories, Pastor Sam reminds us that God's process is temporary but his promise is permanent.

Jesus came to lift up the lowly. Throughout his ministry to his final days on the road to the cross, we find stories of his relationships with ordinary, flawed, and unexpected people. He met, dined, and traveled with people who were not perfect. Many of them were struggling, some were outsiders or even outlaws. Whoever they were, from those he healed to the outlaws with him at his crucifixion, Jesus brought the good news of God's kingdom to those who most needed to hear it. Adam Hamilton explores the life, teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus as told in the Gospel of Luke.

What in the world is God doing? It's easy to wonder this. We are living in an unfolding story, and it's hard to hold on when difficult circumstances linger, or your deepest prayer hangs in the air, seemingly unanswered. Thankfully the Bible is filled with people who experienced the same thing. They had to learn to trust God's way and timing—and their stories give us insights to live that way too.

Some books on how to read the Bible are academically informative, but their rationality can make God seem distant. Other books are spiritually vibrant but provide few tools that truly help God's people read the Bible better. Readers need a guide that combines the academic with the spiritual—that integrates textual analysis with the illuminating and transformational work of the Holy Spirit.

In this 100-day devotional, trusted Bible teacher Tara-Leigh Cobble explores powerful sections from each book of the New Testament. Each day's reading points toward a name or attribute of God from that passage. These snapshots are dense with theological truth, helping you grow in the truth of His character and rest in His goodness and kindness.

We live in a world of options, where we might do this or that if we feel like it. But for followers of Jesus, certain things are not optional, but necessary. Bishop Claude Alexander unpacks the Gospels' statements of what Jesus said he must do. He must be about his Father's business. He must go through Samaria. He must go to Jerusalem. Life in God is less about what you could do, and more about what you must do. Contrary to the life of the optional, accidental, and haphazard, the believer is called to live with a sense of divine necessity. No maybes about it.

The American church avoids lament. But lament is a missing, essential component of Christian faith. Lament recognizes struggles and suffering, that the world is not as it ought to be. Lament challenges the status quo and cries out for justice against existing injustices. Soong-Chan Rah's prophetic exposition of the book of Lamentations provides a biblical and theological lens for examining the church's relationship with a suffering world. It critiques our success-centered triumphalism and calls us to repent of our hubris. And it opens up new ways to encounter the other.

Many Christian women are torn between how the church has taught traditional gender roles and the liberty they see secular society afford to women. But what if the church's conventional teachings on the place of women aren't really biblical at all? On Purpose is a serious study on the verses in the Bible that have often been interpreted to define the role of women in the church, at home, and in the workplace. Julie Coleman reveals how the timeless principles in the Bible actually teach freedom for women. In fact, when rightly understood, these verses are a wake-up call.

From Genesis through Revelation, redemptive history is captured through feasts. Through them, God calls his people to commemorate mercy, delight in grace, and commune with him and with each other. Invitations to Abundance brings to life the festivities described in the Bible and illuminates how relevant they remain in a modern world defined by isolation and disillusionment. When your heart needs encouragement, these wondrous celebrations remind you why, where, and how you can find security, unity, and hope.

In Inspired Imperfection, Gregory A. Boyd adds another counterintuitive and provocative thesis to his corpus. While conservative scholars and pastors have struggled for years to show that the Bible is without errors, Boyd considers this a fool's errand. Instead, he says, we should embrace the mistakes and contradictions in Scripture, for they show that God chose to use fallible humans to communicate timeless truths.

Here's a book that should accompany every copy of God's Word! It's small but packed with helpful information on the Christian faith, promising insight for believers and seekers of any age or background.