Showing results by narrator "Michael Beck" in All Categories

The Bible says the old life is gone and the new life has come (see 2 Cor. 5:17). But we still sin; still get angry, arrogant, and greedy. Sin destroys everything in its path, yet it’s also kind of fun and quite compelling. It often has us holding on to parts of the old life instead of embracing the new life we’ve been promised. Here, Pastor Bob Merritt exposes the inner battle we all fight with sin. He exposes the cycle of failure and loss and shows listeners that no matter how many setbacks they’ve experienced, there is a way to enjoy a new and better life in Christ.

Executive and talent coach Robb Hiller wants to lift your spirits, help you find your passion, and come alongside you as you discover your natural, God-given talents. In his newest book, Running with Joy, Robb shares the inspiration he’s found in his dog, Bentley, and how his lovable Labrador naturally runs on joy. Through heartwarming stories about Bentley, Robb Hiller will help you learn how to run on instinct, use your natural talents, and lean into the happiness that has been yours all along.  

When faced with adversity, a major decision, or simply the challenges of daily existence, whether it is a difficult boss, a child who is hard to control, or a marriage or career that appears to be stuck, most of us have habitual knee-jerk reactions that hold us back. We find ourselves asking, Why am I working so hard but don’t seem to be getting anywhere? Why do I keep fighting the same battles? When did I lose passion for what I do? Everyone has those questions, and in this book, Robb Hiller unveils the coaching that he has given Fortune 500 executives to answer these questions.

A trustworthy and respected guide for pastors and church leadership in the post-quarantine world, providing hope and vision for the future of your congregation. 

In The Coming Tsunami, pastor and cultural scholar Dr. Jim Denison addresses the gravest threat Christians in America have ever faced — four cultural tidal waves threatening to submerge Christians in America and the biblical morality they proclaim. Through proactive, biblical steps, he helps us redeem these challenges so that we can live the way Jesus calls us to live.   

Immigrant. Dropout. Entrepreneur. Restauranter. Real estate developer. Movie producer. Philanthropist. These are only a few titles Izek Shomof, the so-called King of Spring Street, has carried throughout his fascinating life. Each of these monikers tells a part of Izek’s unbelievable tale, but the whole story has never been told—until now. Dreams Don’t Die is not your typical, run-of-the-mill immigrant story. It is the memoir of a man who had every opportunity to take unethical and often-illegal shortcuts but who instead chose the lesser-trod path of honesty and integrity.

During his 14-year imprisonment in Communist Romania, Richard Wurmbrand spent three years completely alone, with no human contact except for the guards who interrogated and tortured him. Though he had no Bible, pen or paper, Richard composed and memorized hundreds of sermons in rhyme to pass the lonely hours of solitude, clinging to Christ through nightly meditation on God's Word. With God in Solitary Confinement features a collection of these contemplations that he committed to memory.

Solitary confinement, mental and physical torture, extreme hunger and bitter cold—these were the daily realities for Pastor Richard Wurmbrand during his combined 14 years of imprisonment in Communist Romania. Richard's crime, like that of thousands of others, was his fervent faith in Jesus Christ and his outspoken witness to the grace and love of God. In Tortured for Christ, Richard shares the inspiring story of his faithful discipleship amid Communist oppression and his powerful witness of Christ's love and forgiveness even before his persecutors.

We are living in unprecedented times when Christian leaders are renouncing their faith and large numbers of believers are falling away. Is this the final apostasy prophesied by Jesus and Paul? And can we do anything to help those struggling with their faith? In Why So Many Christians Have Left the Faith, Dr. Michael L. Brown confronts the problem of “Christian deconstruction” with solid, faith-building answers and honest responses to difficult questions.

Listening to the Bible is a great way to stay focused while reading Scripture or great to listen to by itself! The NRSV Updated Edition Audio Bible is now available as an audio download, ready for you to start listening to the Bible. This Bible audio includes only the Gospel of John.

The New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition (NRSVue) Audio Bible is now available, ready for you to start listening to Scripture today. This audio Bible includes the entire New Testament so you can listen to Jesus’ own words and more. The NRSVue is intended to be as literal as possible so that the meaning of Scripture can be as clear to the lay person as it is to the dedicated biblical scholar.

"Will you pray for me?" is a question pastors hear every day. But when have you heard a pastor ask that question for themselves? Frankly, it's rare. That was the question Thom Rainer asked his congregation. The response was overwhelming. Within two days, more than one hundred people committed to praying for him, and the church was transformed over the next year. Thom cannot imagine what would have happened if he hadn't overcome his initial reluctance to be that vulnerable with his congregation.

There has been renewed interest in the five points of Calvinism among many Christians today. But these doctrines are not a product of the twenty-first century. So where did they come from, and why are they so important? Dr. W. Robert Godfrey takes us back to 1618-19 when the Canons of Dort were written in response to a mounting theological assault on Reformed Christianity. Now, for its four-hundredth anniversary, he offers a new translation and pastoral commentary on the canons, equipping the next generation with these God-glorifying truths.

This Bible audiobook is easy for kids to understand and brings the story of Jesus to life. Parents, see how easily you can teach your children about the miracle of Jesus's life, death, and resurrection using this tool. Churches, The Action Bible Easter Story is the perfect resource for Sunday school teachers and families. Don't forget the most important gift of all this year. Share the true meaning of Easter with The Action Bible Easter Story.

Joe Gibbs has dedicated his life to helping the “average Joe” apply Biblical principles to everyday situations, using the Bible as a game plan. But in 2019, when his son, J.D., lost his battle with a degenerative brain disease at the age of 49, Joe realized that while he did have a game plan for life, he did not have a game plan for dealing with loss. Written with the non-Christian in mind, Game Plan for Loss presents Coach Gibbs’ answers to these questions in plain, everyday language, proving once again that the Bible is in fact the ultimate game plan.

Charles M. Sheldon, through the words of protagonist Rev. Henry Maxwell, encourages Christians to question every choice, every thought, and every motive against what they believe Jesus would do in the same situation. This creates an environment of not only self-reflection and internal conviction, but also brings into question the influence and effectiveness of the church and its leadership. Uprooting comfortable and stale Christianity, Sheldon promotes drastic spiritual growth, which is shown in this story to impact the individual as well as the community as a whole.

What does it really mean to be a Christian? In a world where everything from sports to politics, social media to podcasts, and movies to television vies for our attention, we need to get back to what is essential. We need to know who we truly are and who we serve. When people finally grasp who they are in Christ and what their participation means to their local church, everything changes. Life begins to make sense. Their purpose becomes clear. Their mission through their local church is confirmed. Their hearts start longing to cooperate with God in the company of fellow believers. 

William C. Davis, one of America’s best Civil War historians, here offers a definitive portrait of the Confederacy unlike any that has come before. Drawing on decades of writing and research among an unprecedented number of archives, Look Away! tells the story of the Confederate States of America not simply as a military saga (although it is that), but rather as a full portrait of a society and incipient nation.  

For more than three years, while imprisoned in a cell 30 feet below ground in Communist Romania, Richard Wurmbrand composed sermons for an audience of One. When released from prison, he retained the treasure that God had given him there—sermons composed in solitary confinement. Though isolated from people, VOM founder Richard Wurmbrand was never separated from God's presence. In his book If Prison Walls Could Speak, he shares how God graciously brought His beauty to one of the most horrific places ever known.

While in solitary confinement for three years in a subterranean prison cell with no Bible, pencil or paper, Pastor Richard Wurmbrand composed hundreds of sermons. He committed them to memory by summarizing them in rhymes and delivered them nightly to an unseen congregation. These sermons, the fruit of extreme depravation, demonstrate in a very personal way the relevance of Scripture to an imprisoned pastor—and to us today—while revealing Pastor Wurmbrand's thoughts and questions while locked in a solitary cell.