Showing titles in Death & Grief

In the tumultuous days of the Reformation, the centerpiece of Luther’s ministry was his bold biblical preaching. Martin Luther, the reformer, theologian, author and polemicist is well known as hymn-writer, musician, teacher, and pastor to both clergy and laity. However, Luther saw himself as a preacher first. On religious holidays, he preached twice a day. The sermon "Day of St. John the Evangelist" is based on John 21:19-24, about Christ’s imminent death. At that time, Jesus reprimanded Peter for doing everything but that which he was supposed to do.

Christians today are often not prepared to suffer well and have a short-sighted view of pain and trials. Ken Boa shows how God uses suffering to shape his children for eternity and to grow them in Christlike character. The book of 1 Peter tells us suffering is both a guarantee and comparatively brief; we shouldn't be surprised when it comes to us. The nature of our affliction is not as important as our response to it. God is at work through our hardships and wants to use them to prepare us for eternal life. Suffering can make us bitter or better. Rediscover living hope, present joy, and a glorious future.

A Bridge of Hope tells the heart-wrenching story of the loss of Camilla Neff’s first full-term baby girl, Serena Nadine, who died unexpectedly during delivery. With compassion and empathy for grieving parents everywhere, Neff describes the raw emotions and anguish that she faced. She shares the deeply personal journey of wading through the layers of grief and pain that engulfed her, to learning to live again in a new reality after her world was shattered.

How will we face the end? On whom does our hope finally depend? What are the last things ever to be remembered? These are the questions examined in this course, whose lectures abound with insight and imagery drawn from the rich patrimony of the Church's wisdom and experience. In this course, Dr. Regis Martin presents a comprehensive overview of the finalities that frame our human story and how our action (or inaction) when faced with the end will determine where we spend eternity.

Thomas More (1478-1535) opposed King Henry VIII's separation from the Catholic Church, and refused to acknowledge Henry as Supreme Head of the Church of England. While awaiting execution for refusing to betray his faith, More wrote this fictional dialogue set in 16th century Hungary. The dialogue takes place between a young man, Vincent, and his wise old uncle, Anthony. Vincent fears a Turkish invasion which could force him to either betray his faith or die a martyr.

Everybody waits. We wait for a spouse, wait for a baby, wait on our children, wait for our parents. We wait for clarity and direction. We wait on a job, a promotion, a new direction. We wait for hope, for healing, and for miracles. We wait on God. And when we misunderstand what waiting is about...

The book addresses the question of the silence of God, especially when people suffer. It also deals with miracles, and the Bible versus the church. Several indexes contain further discussions on the subject matter.

Life is marked by a variety of losses, says certified trauma specialist H. Norman Wright. Some are life-changing, such as leaving home, the effects of natural disasters or war, the death of a loved one, or divorce. Others are subtle, such as changing jobs, moving, or a broken friendship. But...

Can any good come from thinking about death? Our natural tendency is to answer that question no! But what if our meditation on death was informed by a theological understanding of death, a recognition of the comfort Jesus's death affords Christians, and ethical guidance for dealing with death in these complicated days of modern medical developments? Rather than being morbidly unhelpful, authors Joel R. Beeke and Christopher W. Bogosh contend that meditating on dying and death can be profitable, even necessary, for us. Are you prepared to say that your death will be "gain" (Phil. 1:21)?

Life hit Pat and Tammy McLeod hard when their son Zach collapsed on a high school football field; he had sustained a severe brain injury. Facing the devastating possibility that things would never be the same for their beloved son, they committed to staying strong as a family and finding a way to maintain their footing. But the journey would reshape their faith, their family, and their future in ways they never saw coming. 

In this short work, G.K. Chesterton writes with characteristic vivacity as he explores the compelling paradoxes of the book of Job, as found in the Hebrew Scriptures. Armed with keen precision and incisive wit, Chesterton revels in the reversions of expectation found in this story, particularly regarding the character of God. Indeed Chesterton names the God of Job a blasphemer, an atheist...and identifies the loneliness of God as the central idea of the Hebrew Scriptures. Listeners will delight in the twists and turns of Chesterton's thought.

Lament helps us hear God’s louder song. When you’re in the midst of suffering, you want answers for the unanswerable, resolutions to the unresolvable. You want to tie up pain in a pretty little package and hide it under the bed, taking it out only when you feel strong enough to face it. But...

Kara Tippetts discovered how to find joy in the small moments of life. She learned how to hold tight to hope, even while battling intense physical and emotional pain. And she lived out the truth that God can redeem any story. In her final book, Kara offers gentle reflections on living and dying well. She invites us to cultivate soft hearts, even when we face great disappointment. Her ideas for living are hard-won, wrestled with in the crucible of family, illness, and faith.

The story of aging George Stransom, who is obsessed with observing the anniversary of his fiancée Mary Antrim's death, a fact that leads him to expand his commemorative pantheon to include all the other departed friends who live on in his memory. As in life, if we live long enough, the departed outnumber the living. When Stransom becomes the last of the living, who will light a candle for him?

Once you hear this new book, you can't go back to your old life. Texas businessman Mike Fechner had it all. Money. Investments. Prestige. Until he did the unthinkable. He sold his company and poured his life’s earnings into a ministry for the poor. With a strong faith in God at his core, this...

Dallas Willard spent his life making eternal living concrete for his friends. After his unexpected passing in 2013, the kaleidoscope of memories and the diversity of the lives he had touched could not be confined to one or even two memorial services but three. It is this wide breadth of impact that inspired friends, family, colleagues, students, and leaders of the church to gather their reflections on this celebrated yet humble theologian and philosopher.

Underwood shares how the story of Lazarus brought renewed hope during his darkest moments of suffering and doubt in his personal battle with leukemia, bringing to life God's powerful answer to the question of pain and suffering - that Jesus loves and cares for us...

In your darkest hour, when the pain seems almost too much to bear, God is there for you. He sees your grief. He hears your cry. He sends others to keep you company along the way. Let these prayers ease your heart and be companions for your own grief journey. Grief is a fragile and intimate...

You are not alone. Are you facing a difficult decision? A painful situation? Drawing on God’s Word, her own struggles, and the experiences of others, Elizabeth George reaches out with help. Knowing the Bible says to “count trials as joy,” she shares the vital truths that make that positive...

In Chicken Soup for the Soul of America, everyday heroes are celebrated. Heroes have always been in our midst, but the recent terrorist attacks on American soil have revealed many more heroes who have given their lives, love, time and strength to those in great need. In the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 events, Americans have found courage and inspiration from so many heroes, and this book pays tribute to them all, as well as those who appear every day in our lives.