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Ben Witherington III confronts the claims of The Da Vinci Code with the sure-footedness of a New Testament scholar, yet in the plain language that any interested reader can follow. Dan Brown's international bestseller The Da Vinci Code has raised many questions in the minds of readers: Was Jesus really married to Mary Magdalene? Did he father a child with her? Did Constantine suppress the earliest Gospels and invent the doctrine of Christ's divinity? Do the Gnostic Gospels represent the true Christian faith which the early church sought to supplant?The Da Vinci Code popularizes the speculations and contentions of numerous more serious books that are also attracting wide attention. How should we respond to claims that we now have documents that reveal secrets about Jesus, secrets long suppressed by the church and other religious institutions? Do these new documents successfully debunk traditional views about Jesus and early Christianity? Ben Witherington takes us back to the early centuries after Jesus' death and tells us what we can really know about Jesus, Mary Magdalene, the canonical Gospels and their Gnostic rivals.

The Avoider. The Deflector. The Self-Blamer. The Aggressor.Recognize someone you know? Or yourself?We all know people who seem to get stuck in unhealthy patterns of relating to others. Sometimes we're puzzled by a loved one's evasiveness or surprised by a friend's defensive aggression. Occasionally we look in the mirror and see such troubling behaviors in ourselves. All of these are masks that we hide behind, and they prevent us from having authentic relationships with others.Counselor Russell Willingham identifies the relational masks that obstruct us from relating freely to other people and to God. Drawing on a wealth of practical experience and biblical insight, he diagnoses the destructive ways that we respond to others and shows how underlying false beliefs govern our thinking and actions. He also shows how each mask can be subverted from within and turned inside out to help us move toward healthy relationships. Each chapter includes tools and questions for discussion and application.Discover how to relate to others with the honesty and authenticity God intended--and find the relational freedom and satisfaction you've been yearning for.

Abuse is ugly. It is always wrong. It is never part of God?s design for healthy family living. It distorts relationships and shatters dreams. It creates pain and despair. It never produces hope.You know this all too well--that's why you've picked up this book.Nancy Nason-Clark and Catherine Clark Kroeger know the pain of women who have been abused, especially the unique pain of Christian women who thought it couldn't happen to them. In this straightforward, practical book they supply the answer to the questions you face: How do I know I need help? How much of my story should I tell? Where do I find spiritual support as a victim of abuse? What help can I find in the community? How do I get started on the healing journey? What key steps will I need to take to get on with my life? How can I understand what help my abuser needs? How do I learn to trust God again?Their advice is solid, backed up by Nason-Clark's professional expertise as a sociologist and Kroeger's as a biblical scholar. Together they supply both here-and-now, step-by-step advice you need to start the healing journey and biblical insights to nourish your soul and sustain you on the path to wholeness.

Recipient of a Christianity Today 1993 Critics Choice AwardOver the last fifty years God has used InterVarsity Christian Fellowship to shape the lives of thousands of students. This fascinating chronicle begins with the early influences that shaped university witness since its founding. Eventually these influences coalesced to form InterVarsity Christian Fellowship in the United States fifty years ago. From those early beginnings with only a few staff covering the whole country and a world war breaking out, the work grew and flourished beyond human expectation. From the Urbana conventions to a new approach to Christian witness called friendship evangelism to in-depth inductive study of the Bible, InterVarsity was constantly innovating and growing. From work among nurses to promotion of missions to creative use of media, InterVarsity became a multifaceted ministry. The setbacks that are part of any human endeavor are found in this book too. But here is a story of what God did through a handful of people with a big idea.

What's wrong with Calvinism? Since the Reformation, Calvinism has dominated much of evangelical thought. It has been so well established that many Christians simply assume it to be the truest expression of Christian doctrine. But Calvinism has some serious biblical and theological weaknesses that unsettle laypeople, pastors and scholars alike. God is sovereign. All evangelical Christians--whether Arminians or Calvinists--have no doubt about this fundamental truth. But how does God express his sovereignty? Is God a master puppeteer, pulling our strings? Or has he graciously given his children freedom to respond to his love? In this eminently readable book, Jerry L. Walls and Joseph R. Dongell explore the flaws of Calvinist theology. Why I Am Not a Calvinist is a must-read for all who struggle with the limitations of this dominant perspective within evangelical theology.

Art Lindsley ably demonstrates that faith in Christ is necessarily opposed to and incompatible with the abuses of oppression, arrogance, intolerance, self-righteousness, closed-mindedness and defensiveness. Surprisingly, he shows that it is relativism which often harbors dangerous, inflexible absolutisms.

Going far beyond matters of creation and evolution, Johnson calls for all true educators and leaders to openly pursue questions of ultimate concern, including questions about the meaning of human history, about God, and God's Word.

In Bored with God, Sean Dunn catalogs what he's seen of apathy in his ministry to youth. He offers sympathetic guidance from the Scriptures for keeping apathy from spreading and for shepherding students into spiritual hunger.

Explores the messages of twenty-five of the greatest hymns in the Christian faith.Uncovers fresh meaning and new significance to familiar, favorite hymns.Show how biblical truths are encapsulated in the lyrics of hymns.Shows how the great hymns have shaped the church's life and vitality.Includes the lyrics of each featured hymn.Written by a musician and preacherPerfect for devotional reading!

Rebecca Osaigbovo tells women who who want to be the keys to change in their homes, churches and communities: "Stop going your own way and follow God's lead."

God is up to something! And his plans are far greater than you might imagine. Christianity is not merely about isolated individuals going to heaven. It's about God transforming the entire world and making things right. Sicknesses will be healed, sins will be forgiven, injustice will be eradicated, and all creation will be redeemed. But this is not merely a distant future. It's happening now through what Jesus came to establish--the kingdom of God. Allen Wakabayashi reawakens you to the world-changing reality of the kingdom of God. With clear, biblical insight, he unpacks what Jesus proclaimed about the good news of the kingdom and spells out the implications for you today. Focusing on the kingdom of God will revolutionize how you live out your faith, how you think about your world and how you explain the good news about Jesus. Ultimately, understanding yourself as a citizen of the kingdom will empower you to be one of God's change agents in the world. God is at work to restore everything to be the way he intended it to be, and you can be a part of what he is doing! Get a glimpse of the kingdom coming, and experience his will being done--on earth as it is in heaven.

"Justice and power must be brought together, so that whatever is just may be powerful, and whatever is powerful may be just"--Blaise Pascal.Problems plague the world around us. Many in our churches and communities face injustice, crime, poverty, racism and other daunting evils. But often Christians have not known how to respond effectively. The issues seem bigger than anything the church can handle, and so we are paralyzed into inaction and offer halfhearted prayers at best.Yet throughout history God has empowered his people to stand up to injustice. When the situation calls for confrontation or structural change, our response must be more than personal piety, pastoral care or individualistic evangelism. Christians must become proficient in the practice and exercise of power.Christians have often been wary of power, thinking of it as something inherently evil or oppressive. But God calls his people to wield power responsibly and to use it to promote his kingdom ideals of justice and peace.Robert Linthicum offers an integrative, biblical study of the proper use of power. Based on a thorough exploration of Scripture and decades of real-world experience in community organizing and urban ministry, Linthicum's model of relational power provides sound, practical strategies for changing individuals, communities, structures and systems.With insights from biblical mentors like Nehemiah and Paul as well as contemporary examples of Christians in action, this book offers hope for all who want to move toward the vision of the shalom community--God's intended best for communities and the world.

One of Discerning Reader's Best BooksWe are not created to worship. Nor are we created for worship. We are created worshiping.Too often Christians have only thought of worship in terms of particular musical styles or liturgical formats. But a proper view of worship is far larger than what takes place in churches on Sunday mornings. Worship is not limited to specific times, places or activities.God is by his very nature continuously outpouring himself. Because we are created in his image, we too are continually pouring ourselves in various directions, whether toward God or toward false gods. All of us, Christian or not, are always worshiping, whether or not that worship is directed toward God. We are unceasing worshipers.The fruition of a lifetime of study, reflection and experience, this volume sets forth Harold M. Best's understanding of worship and the arts. Widely respected as one of the foremost thinkers and practitioners in his field, Best explores the full scope of worship as continuous outpouring in all settings and contexts. With careful exposition and eloquent analysis, Best casts a holistic vision for worship that transcends narrow discussions of musical style or congregational preference. On this broader canvas, Best addresses popular misunderstandings about the use of music and offers correctives toward a more biblically consistent practice of artistic action.Incisive, biblical, profound and comprehensive, Best's landmark volume is one by which all other statements on worship and the arts will be measured.

"By his wounds we are healed"--Isaiah 53:5. We are wounded people. In this fallen world, people are hurt and exploited. Children are abused. Marriages are broken. Tragedies of all kinds afflict us and the ones we love. Woundedness, it seems, is simply a fact of life. But we are not alone in our suffering. Despite our emotional, psychological and physical injuries, God has not abandoned us. God is not distant or aloof. On the contrary, through the ministry of Jesus, God enters our painful situations to bring healing and redemption. Balancing sound biblical exposition with sensitive pastoral care, Stephen Seamands examines the profound implications of Jesus' crucifixion for our healing and restoration. Because Jesus experienced abuse, shame and rejection, he understands the hurts we experience today. And his response to pain and suffering gives us hope that we too can experience forgiveness and new life. Filled with real-life stories of people?s brokenness and healing, Wounds That Heal offers comfort for our wounded souls. Ultimately, we take heart that God not only understands our pain but has done something about it. Encounter here the promise that the wounds of Jesus are wounds that heal.

We work long and hard to make our ministry the biggest, the loudest, the brightest.But look out and listen up: God is not caught up in sound and fury. And he doesn't want to see youth workers disengage--letting the momentum define their purpose. Mike Higgs, reflecting on more than two decades of work with youth, thinks the greatest need among youth workers today is a reminder of who we are. We need to set aside the distractions of an emphasis on performance and focus instead on connecting with God in his work in us, our students and other youth workers. When a renewed spirit shapes our work with youth, our ministry will become less a muddled chorus of strategies and targets, and more a symphony of purpose and practice.

Table of Contents1. Spirit-Empowered Leadership2. Followership and Self-Surrender3. Pay the Price, Carry the Cross4. God's Power in Cracked Pots5. The Power of Personal Example6. The Power of Partners7. Through Prayer8. The Race to the Bottom9. The Leadership We Need Is Apostolic Appendix: Pray for a Burden--Hearing God's Direction for Your Ministry

Throughout the world today, Christians continue to face intense persecution, and Christian women are often the most vulnerable. In Pakistan, Christian girls are systematically kidnapped, tortured and raped. In China, underground church leaders are sent to labor camps for hosting illegal home meetings. In Sudan, Christian women are captured and sold into slavery or mutilated and left to die. And in many Muslim countries, a woman can be killed by her husband or father for converting to Christianity. In this deeply moving book, Kay Marshall Strom and Michele Rickett tell the stories of persecuted Christian women from around the world. From Africa to the Middle East to Asia, they give voice to our sisters persevering under the yoke of oppression and injustice. Each section provides specific prayer points and practical action steps to equip us to respond to the issues at hand. Above all, these stories remind us that suffering is part of the call of followers of Jesus. The challenges do not mean that God has abandoned us. Rather, God is active and present with his suffering people. Do not be discouraged. Take heart from these daughters of hope.¿

Drama has power.It can awaken us. Make us curious. Reveal our inner desires and passions. Remind us of our foolishness.Drama has power in worship.It can snap us out of our Sunday morning (or Saturday night) trance. It can draw us into the story of Scripture. It can help us see our sin. It can motivate us to change.But drama can also be dull, predictable, guilt-inducing and just plain cheesy. How do we avoid the pitfalls and discover the power?Alison Siewert and her team of writers have some ideas about that. They offer in this handbook articles on every aspect of drama ministry--from why it's biblical to how to direct a performance, from warm-ups for actors to how to write your own sketches. You'll learn how to do drama that is simple and meaningful--without experienced actors. You'll learn how to craft drama with authenticity and excellence. Also included are cutting-edge sketches for the postmodern crowd that you can reproduce for your drama team and use in your ministry.Drama has power to change lives. Drama Team Handbook will show you how.

A companion to A Fragile Stone, this study guide offers nine sessions for individuals or groups that highlight how the apostle Peter provides a model for our own transforming relationship with Jesus.

The nail that sticks out gets hammered down. This Japanese expression characterizes the attitude of many Asian Americans. We are often taught not to put ourselves forward--not to stick out. But the Western concept of leadership is all about stepping up and standing apart from the group. Is that appropriate for Asian Americans? Or can we lead out of our own cultural strengths rather than being pressed into the Western mold? Paul Tokunaga has been a leader in Asian American, white and multiethnic contexts for many years. He has been active in ministry and in his community. In Invitation to Lead he offers, with surprising transparency, lessons from his own rich experiences--both successes and failures. Many of us aren't sure whether we can or should lead. We are waiting for someone to ask. Or we are just beginning to take on new roles and responsibilities at church, at work or in our neighborhoods. Here, at last, is our invitation to lead.

An old man saws through his right ankle.A smooth-skinned boy lies to his father's face.Fetid tombs, harsh slavery, fatal choking . . . these images come right from the words of Jesus! They are word pictures Jesus asks listeners to imagine.But why?Why did Jesus paint such vivid pictures when he talked about sin? And why did he make them so sobering-and downright gory at times?In The Smell of Sin, Don Everts seriously tackles these stark images, coming face to face with Jesus' clear, graphic theology of sin. It's a view of sin that might make you uncomforable. But a collision with this hard truth may be just what you need.

True spirituality is down-to-earth, everyday life. Stevens says we encounter God in the ordinary, common stuff of life, not just in devotional times or church on Sundays. The author examines the Genesis account of Jacob and uncovers how ordinary moments are made extraordinary, transformed by the presence of God in the midst of the mundane.

A 2001 ECPA Gold Medallion Award winner!A 2001 Christianity Today Award of Merit winner!Phillip E. Johnson highlights the deficiencies in science and the philosophy (naturalism) that undergirds and outlines a cognitive revolution.If there is a dispute, science arbitrates it. If a law is to be passed, science must ratify it. If truth is to be taught, science must approve it. And when science is ignored, storms of protest are heard in the media, in the university--even in local coffee shops.Science speaks so authoritatively in our culture that many are tempted to use its clout to back claims that go beyond the available evidence. How can we spot when such ideological slight of hand has taken place?While we may learn a great deal from science, it does not offer us unlimited knowledge. In fact, most scientists readily acknowledge that science cannot provide answers to questions of ultimate purpose or meaning. The deficiencies in science and the philosophy (naturalism) that undergirds it call for a cognitive revolution--a fundamental change in our thinking habits. And it all begins with a wedge of truth.This wedge of truth does not "wedge out" a necessary foundation of rational thought. But it does "wedge in" the much-needed acknowledgment that reason encompasses more than mere scientific investigation. Phillip E. Johnson argues compellingly for an understanding of reason that brings scientific certainty back into relational balance with philosophical inquiry and religious faith.Applying his wedge of truth, Johnson analyzes the latest debates between science and religion played out in our media, our universities and society-at-large. He looks to thinkers such as Newbigin, Polanyi and Pascal to lay a foundation for our seeing the universe in a totally different way. In the end, Johnson prophetically concludes that the walls of naturalism will fall and that the Christian gospel must play a vital role in building a new foundation for thinking--not just about science and religion but about everyhting that gives human life hope and meaning.

Do you feel stuck?Are you trying to find a way to do the right thing?Do you long to overcome sin?Everyone faces barriers and difficulties at some time in life. Everyone has a history including mistakes and failures.But sometimes you may feel as though you cannot go on. Or you may think that your choices are limited, your actions curtailed.If you are ready to see true and lasting change in your life, Raymond Causey will help you find your way in his book Changing for Good.He points to the truth--that there is freedom in Christ. And that there is power from the Spirit to overcome everything that holds you back.

Richard Winter's critique of our "culture of entertainment" explores the nature, causes and effects of boredom and counteracts it with practical suggestions for living with passion and wonder.

David, a shepherd boy with slingshot, brave warrior, poet-musician, deceitful adulterer, repentant sinner, beloved king, "a man after God's own heart."David faced some desperate circumstances and some tough choices. So do you, day by day. In this book Rebecca Manley Pippert shows how you, like David, can choose the good, find hope and grow to be one who has a heart for God.

As relations between Islam and the West grow more polarized, many Christians are nervous about meeting Muslims. How can we possibly overcome years, if not centuries of mistrust?Christine Mallouhi, who married into a Muslim family and has lived much of her life in the Middle East, suggests we should emulate St. Francis, who during the Crusades went to be with the Muslims and even shared the gospel with the Sultan.We should start by seeing Muslims as people, she suggests. "When Muslims are skeptical of our creed, confused by our message and wounded by our warfare, the most credible witness left is our lives. Muslims need to see Jesus, and the only way most of them will see him is in us." Here is a book that gives history, insight and much of the author's own story in offering the Prince of Peace to Muslims.

What would happen if Socrates--yes, the Socrates of ancient Athens--suddenly showed up on the campus of a major university and enrolled in its divinity school? What would he think of human progress since his day? How would he react to our values? To our culture? And what would he think of Jesus? Peter Kreeft, Christian philosopher and longtime admirer of the historic Socrates, imagines the result. In this drama Socrates meets such fellow students as Bertha Broadmind, Thomas Keptic and Molly Mooney. Throughout, Kreeft weaves an intriguing web as he brings Socrates closer and closer to a meeting with Jesus. Here is a startling and provocative portrayal of reason in search of truth. In a new introduction to this revised edition, Kreeft also highlights the inspiration for this book and the key questions of truth and faith it addresses.