Showing results by narrator "David Cochran Heath" in All Categories

God tells Jonah to preach repentance to Nineveh, a ruthless and idolatrous nation. Jonah, a prophet who does not like the Assyrians, wants Nineveh to be destroyed. Instead of following God’s call, Jonah rebels and sails the opposite direction, deliberately fleeing from God. Stubborn Jonah ends up in the belly of a fish. Listen to the story of this prophet as God disciplines him for his disobedience and teaches him that He loves all people, even the enemies of his chosen ones.

John Piper invites you to experience deeper intimacy with God through these thought-provoking and soul-enriching meditations. Whether you are just discovering the divine richness of Scripture or have long been a passionate student, you’ll find a deeper understanding of God and renewed insight for your journey.

The biggest story of the election was how the media ignored the biggest story of the election.

Amid all the breathless coverage of a nonexistent war on women, there was little or no coverage of Obama's war on the economy - how, for instance, part-time work is replacing full-time work, how low-wage jobs are replacing high-wage ones, how for Americans between the ages of 25 and 54 there are fewer jobs today than there were when the recession officially ended in 2009, and fewer, in fact, than at any time since mid-1997.

When all of the men in her family die, Ruth is left a widow, and her mother-in-law, Naomi, is left helpless. Ruth, a very loyal daughter-in-law, decides to stay with Naomi, hunting for food to help them survive. The widow unexpectedly meets a wealthy man named Boaz, who takes an interest in her. Could this man be God’s rescue plan for Ruth and Naomi?

Job is what everyone would consider a “good” person. So why are so many terrible things happening to him? The real question may be: Why does Job continue to give praise to God in the midst of his terrible circumstances? Although he laments and suffers, Job ultimately understands that God is good and is worth praising no matter what.

The prophet Micah scolds Israel and Judah for their idolatry and injustice to the poor. The Assyrians are about to invade and the two Jewish nations will have to suffer for their sinfulness. Thankfully, God’s judgment is seasoned with mercy and he will not break the covenant with His people.

Just like in Galatians, Paul teaches the church in Colossae to beware of men who add unnecessary elements to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Anything added to the gospel results in “no gospel at all” (Gal. 1:7) The main reminder given in this book is that Jesus is king over all. This means that we must trust in him alone and not in “the tradition of men” (Col.2:8) Listen to Paul’s letter to Colossae and be reminded of the superiority of Jesus, who is our only hope.

The day of the Lord is coming. This means total destruction of creation. Zephaniah’s message of judgment on all nations is not complete without his message of hope. God will vindicate the righteous, and he blesses those who repent and trust in him. Listen to the prophet Zephaniah, and be encouraged as we too wait for the final redemption in Christ’s second coming.

There is an inseparable link between our faith and how we live our lives. In his letter to his coworker, Titus, Paul gives us practical instruction on godly living as well as qualifications for Church leaders. While Paul paints a picture of what a healthy Church looks like, he also emphasizes the Gospel as the source of godliness: "...he saved us not because of works done by us in righteousness but according to his own mercy...."

As Christians we often face opposition while doing kingdom work. It is sometimes easy for us to forget about God's sovereignty and become discouraged. The prophet Haggai challenges God's people to trust in God's power as they face local opposition while building the Temple. He encourages them to repent and look to God for strength. Listen to Haggai as he draws attention to common struggles we face today.

As many have said, the church must always be reforming. It must continually move closer to a truer, more faithful expression of the gospel. The risen Christ’s powerful letters to the seven churches in Revelation are a guide to just that. Based on John MacArthur’s exposition of these letters, Christ’s Call to Reform the Church is a plea to the modern church to heed these divine warnings, to reform before it succumbs to the kinds of compromise and error that invite God’s judgment.

It should come as no surprise that misunderstandings about the gospel message and the nature of true conversion result in a problem with genuine assurance of salvation. A pseudo-gospel of easy believism has led many into careless presumption, and a poor understanding of salvation has abandoned tender consciences to near spiritual despair.

Christian organizations have come to be known mostly for what we're against. And all too often, that includes being against each other. But amid growing distrust of religious institutions, Christ-centered nonprofits have a unique opportunity to link arms and collectively pursue a calling higher than any one organization's agenda. Rooting for Rivals reveals how your ministry can multiply its impact by cooperating rather than competing with others, modeling Christlike love and generosity in the process. 

Two hundred and fifty years later, Jonathan Edwards, America’s consummate pastor-theologian, continues to capture the attention of Christians around the world. Yet Edwards left us over 1,200 sermons and thousands of pages of other publications, not to mention the literal thousands of books that have been written about Edwards since he died. The Essential Jonathan Edwards serves as a perfect introduction to Edwards’s life and thought. It explores Edwards day-to-day life, and his views on beauty, true Christianity, heaven and hell, and the good life. 

A plumb line and a basket of ripe fruit: two things the prophet Amos sees in visions. But what could these things symbolize? Listen to Amos, a lowly shepherd, as he warns the wealthy and religious Israelites about their idolatry and injustice to the poor. Could God be giving this prophet signs of the coming judgment?

God’s providence always comes through, even in the worst of situations. This is something we learn in the life of Queen Esther. A woman of strength and humility, Queen Esther endures the struggles that come with living a life of obedience to God. She knows that God’s hand is on her and that His plans are not moved, not even by the actions of evil men.

In Many Are Called, Dr. Scott Hahn, one of the most celebrated scholars and influential Catholic writers living today, enthusiastically encourages Catholics around the world to renew their focus on the sacred role of the Catholic priest. Using his unique ability to present deep spiritual and theological ideas in the language of everyday life, Dr. Hahn examines the biblical and historical roots of the priesthood to explain the centrality of the priest in the life of the Church.

This letter was written by Paul while he was imprisoned Rome. The apostle is experiencing persecution for his faith but this is no surprise to him, nor is it stealing his hope.

This letter was written by Paul while he was imprisoned Rome. The apostle was experiencing persecution for his faith, but this was no surprise to him, nor was it stealing his hope. “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Tim. 3:12). He was writing this letter to encourage Timothy, his coworker, to be strong in the Lord in spite of suffering. He called on him to be a good soldier of Jesus Christ, as we should all strive to be ourselves.

The lives of many believers rarely escape the tight orbits that circle around their own schedules, their own interests. The familiar gravity of familiar places. But the trajectory of our faith should be one that’s continually cycling outward, fueled by a mission and message that God first brought within reach of us, so that we can now join with Him in taking it within reach of others. Authors Daniel L. Akin and Bruce Riley Ashford are calling today’s church members to lives of going—whether going around the world or to people right where they live—going out with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.