Showing results by narrator "Lyle Blaker" in All Categories

Do we have anything in common with the bad guys of the Bible? The sins of wrath, idolatry, and abuse of power are closer to us than we think. How do we guard against them? We learn not only by following moral exemplars; we also need to look at the warnings of lives gone wrong. In this fictionalized narrative, JR. Forasteros reintroduces us to some of the most villainous characters of Scripture. He shows us what we can learn from their negative examples, with figures such as Cain, Jezebel, and even Satan serving as cautionary tales of sin and temptation.

What can we learn about leadership and influence from Paul? Most Christians know something of the Apostle Paul's life and ministry, but what about the incredible team of influencers he assembled and mobilized? Who were they, and how did Paul lead this team to accomplish God's purposes? Even more, what can we learn from their successes and failures, and how can we imitate their qualities?

Johnnie Moore, like many American Christians, didn't fully appreciate the extent of Christian persecution in other parts of the world - until he witnessed the graduation of theology students in India. Unlike graduation ceremonies in America - where feel-good speeches made by visiting celebrities are common - this one featured a remarkable oath. It wasn't an oath to excel or succeed. It was an oath to be willing to die, if necessary, for the cause of Christ. This was no empty promise. This was a choice, choosing the eternal over the temporal.

Nestled in a few verses in Luke's Gospel is a Jesus who would not have been tolerated today: He was not politically correct and He certainly did not try to save people's feelings. Steven Lawson unpacks these few verses, looking at the unashamed honesty, passion, and urgency with which Jesus explains the life-long cost involved in choosing to follow Him. True Christianity is the biggest sacrifice any person ever makes...but it is in pursuit of the most precious prize ever glimpsed.

Introverts have gifts for the church and the world. But many churches tend to be extroverted places where introverts are marginalized. Some Christians end up feeling like it's not as faithful to be an introvert. Adam McHugh shows how introverts can live and minister in ways consistent with their personalities. He explains how introverts and extroverts process information and approach relationships differently and how introverts can practice Christian spirituality in ways that fit who they are.

In 52 Ways to Connect with Your Smartphone Obsessed Kid, author Jonathan McKee offers just the help you need to have meaningful interaction with your kids instead of always overreacting to their unhealthy consumption of technology and media. In a world where over 80 percent of 12- to 17-year-olds now own a smartphone, parents are searching for ways to pry their kids’ eyes from their devices and engage them in real, face-to-face conversation.

In Living beyond Pain, a physician and a therapist offer a whole person approach to pain management, addressing the physical, mental, and spiritual aspects of pain and providing alternative strategies that don't rely on opioids. Through education, pain triumph stories, daily guided cognitive activity, and as-needed pain rescue techniques, listeners will reprogram their neurologic pathways, increase functioning, and experience improvement in their symptoms.  

Money issues are a frequent source of conflict in any marriage. But blended families are a monetary minefield. Debts, bills, and child support payments from previous relationships often influence the finances of a blended family. And planning for college expenses, retirement, and inheritance gets even more complicated in stepfamilies. 

We have a leadership problem, and we all know it. When we look at our churches, we see two glaring problems: a lack of qualified leaders, and a general mistrust of leadership as a response to sinful leadership. But churches need leaders. What do we do? The answer is in The Leadership Formula. In...

Boys are history-makers! And this deeply compelling storybook proves it! Boys are history-makers! And this deeply compelling storybook proves it! Just for boys in your life, this collection of 100 adventurous stories of Christian men--from the Bible, history, and today--will empower them to know...

In The Strategic Leader's Roadmap, Updated and Revised Edition: 6 Steps for Integrating Leadership and Strategy, Wharton management professors Harbir Singh and Michael Useem offer a six-point checklist for today's leaders to follow. They explain how leading strategically will help managers strengthen their capacity to develop strategy and to lead its execution.

Discover how to build a fulfilling, God-honoring marriage that you both love. When life throws us non-stop challenges and curveballs, how can we have any hope of building a fulfilling and intimate marriage? How do we move from stressed and stretched to energized and inspired, finding the...

Priest and fisherman Pete Nunnally loves to teach people how to fish for fish and, through that, how to fish for what their soul is yearning for: to come alive. In Catching Hope, he takes his listeners fishing with him. Each chapter explores a different aspect of the fishing process—from preparing your tackle, to reading the landscape, to finally catching something (or not). But this isn't a book about how to fish. It's a book about the bigger and more profound truths about our lives that the act of fishing reveals.

Our current culture seems to be increasingly divided on countless issues, including those affecting the church. But for centuries, theological disagreements, political differences, and issues relating to church leadership have made it challenging for Christians to foster unity and love for one another. In this book, author Tim Cooper explores this polarization through the lives of two oppositional figures in church history: John Owen and Richard Baxter.

A comprehensive guide to understanding your gut, its influence on your health, and what you can do to protect it. Digestion may be its primary job, but your gut is pulling double duty behind the scenes. Sometimes referred to as the body’s “second brain,” your gut plays an important role in...

How should we think about church growth in our current cultural moment? The golden era ushered in by the industrial revolution led the Protestant church in America to experience unprecedented growth and prosperity in the twentieth century. This environment has formed our understanding of and...

In 2024, Vaughan Roberts was invited to address Christian leaders from 202 countries gathered for the Fourth Lausanne Congress. His topic of “Identity and Sexuality” could not have been more sensitive or more vital. Full of Grace and Truth contains reflections born from deep study of the Word and from his conversations with many. Together with Vaughan's complete Lausanne talk, these provide a rich biblical vision of how Christians can engage compassionately and faithfully on issues of sexuality with those inside and outside the church.

Scholars and citizens have often assumed that dispassionate rationality, reciprocity, and nonviolent tolerance are necessary conditions for the sustained development of democracy. Accordingly, they reject oppositional parties that spurn consensus and terms of mutual respect—and often use force to accomplish their political goals—denouncing extremists as antidemocratic.

Drawing upon the timeless wisdom of Thomas Aquinas, The Natural Law offers clear insights into perplexing ethical dilemmas. The compelling conclusions of Aquinas emerge through a critical examination of contemporary ethical frameworks, including moral relativism, utilitarianism, and Machiavellian politics. In part one, which elucidates the core principles of natural law ethics, the listener will discover fundamental truths underpinning the concepts of right and wrong, which are rooted in the very fabric of our humanity.

Critical theory was born over a century ago. Created to foster social transformation, this emerging theory would soon influence universities, politics, and pop culture across the globe and spark tense debates between groups across the sociopolitical spectrum. But what exactly lies at the heart of critical theory, and how should Christians engage with this controversial perspective? To answer these questions, we must examine the history, philosophy, and ideas of the thinkers who shaped its development.