Showing results by narrator "Michael Beck" in All Categories

From beginning to end, the Bible reveals the glory of Jesus. But for many Bible listeners, it doesn't seem that simple. We're often unsure how the Bible's many stories, characters, events relate together and connect to Jesus. Some are tempted to force the pieces of the Bible together, making superficial jumps to him. Others give up trying to understand the Bible altogether.

After the release of their groundbreaking book, A Church Called Tov, which recorded the stories of abuse and toxic church cultures at some of the most prominent churches in the United States, New Testament scholar and blogger for Christianity Today Scot McKnight and Laura Barringer heard from a flood of people who had experienced similar instances of abuse. In Pivot, Scot and Laura help churches to implement practices, establish priorities, and cultivate the Kingdom Gospel-centered qualities that form goodness cultures.

Michael was in a hurry. He was scrambling up the ladder at Drake and Sweeney, a giant Washington law firm. He was a rising star, with no time to waste, no time to toss a few coins into the cups of panhandlers, no time for a conscience. But a violent encounter with a homeless man stopped him cold. Michael survived; his assailant did not. Who was this homeless man?

Beloved and best-selling author Bob Goff provides you with a year's worth of inspiring, unexpected, thought-provoking teaching that will prepare you for the day ahead.

A new generation is going to church. But is the church ready? Church consultant and researcher Thom Rainer believes God is at work in this generation, and he believes that this moment in time has created unique opportunities for churches to grow, thrive, and revive. In this book, Thom explores research that reveals that the anxious generation is yearning for meaningful community and is waiting to be invited in.

In the mid-1980s, Dr. Shariat together with his wife, prayed, “Lord, use us to save Iran!” His passion for Muslims stems, in part, because of the murder of his brother, Hamraz, who was arrested in Iran at the age of 16 on a minor political charge. After two years in jail, he was executed by firing squad. God showed Hormoz the best way to respond to this tragedy was to dedicate his life to bring one million Muslims to salvation in Christ. Join Dr. Shariat on a journey out of bondage to Islam to freedom in Christ.

New York Times bestselling author Joel C. Rosenberg, based in Jerusalem, skillfully and clearly explains the sometimes-encouraging, sometimes-violent, yet rapidly shifting landscape in Israel and the Arab/Muslim world. Enemies and Allies will take listeners behind closed doors in the Middle East and introduce them to the very kings and crown princes, presidents and prime ministers who are leading the change.

Winner of the British Book Awards, Lifetime Achievement Award, 2007.
Trumble: a minimum security federal prison, home to the usual assortment of criminals, drug dealers, bank robbers, swindlers, embezzlers, tax evaders, two Wall Street crooks, one doctor, at least four lawyers. And three former judges who call themselves The Brethren: one from Texas, one from California, and one from Mississippi.

Can a Christian-killer really endure 195 lashes from a heart of love? Can a mystic who thinks he was caught up into heaven be a model of lucid rationality? Can an ethnocentric Jew write the most beautiful call to reconciliation? Can a person who lives with the unceasing anguish of empathy be always rejoicing? Can a man's description of the horrors of human sin be exceeded by his delight in human splendor? Can a man with a backbone of steel be as tender as a nursing mother?

Winner of the British Book Awards, Lifetime Achievement Award, 2007.
An eccentric, reclusive billionaire looking for a way to die, a burnt-out Washington litigator just out of rehab for the fourth time, and a woman who left the modern world to live and work with a primitive tribe of Indians in the jungles of Brazil. They are all brought together by the startling secret of The Testament.

The book of Romans is the Bible’s most comprehensive summary of salvation by Jesus Christ. Beloved for its profound theological depths, this letter of Paul’s has captured the minds and warmed the hearts of Christians throughout history. It remains a favorite New Testament epistle for its rich presentation of the gospel, the power of God to redeem people from sin and transform them into the likeness of His Son. This daily devotional lets you spend a year in Romans with Dr. R.C. Sproul as your guide.

Karl Marx, coauthor of the revolutionary text The Communist Manifesto, grew up in a Christian family, and his early writings showed belief in a Christian worldview. Yet in his adulthood, Marx embraced a deep personal rebellion against God and all Christian values. In Karl Marx and the Satanic Roots of Communism, Richard Wurmbrand explores the development of Marx’s antireligious perspective that led to the philosophical foundations of communism.

Western exceptionalism - the idea that European civilizations are freer, wealthier, and less violent - is a widespread and powerful political idea. It has been a source of peace and prosperity in some societies, and of ethnic cleansing and havoc in others. Yet in The Invention of Power, Bruce Bueno de Mesquita draws on his expertise in political maneuvering, deal-making, and game theory to present a revolutionary new theory of Western exceptionalism: that a single, rarely discussed event in the 12th century changed the course of European and world history.

Daniel’s prayer and seventy-week prophecy in Daniel 9 is unique and epic. With Israel being in exile nearly seven decades, Daniel was eager for the nation’s physical and spiritual restoration. However, the Lord revealed that His plans for Israel would reach into the distant future, encompassing a period of seventy weeks. In this remarkable revelation, God outlined a precise chronology when Christ would come and die to achieve redemption, and when the Antichrist would rise and reign but ultimately be destroyed.

The Action Bible: Old Testament presents 150 fast-paced episodes in chronological order, making it easy to follow the Bible’s historical flow from the very beginning of Creation through the last acts of God’s chosen prophets. Every episode sparks excitement to explore God’s Word and know Him personally. Listeners will witness God’s active presence in the world through stories from the life of Jesus and great heroes of the faith.

God gave us His Word so that we may know Him and live by His truth. So, what should we do when we’re reading the Bible and a difficult passage stops us in our tracks? Sometimes the solution is right there on the page—if we know where to look—while other passages gain clarity in light of the rest of the Bible or its historical background. With the help of an experienced guide, we can overcome the obstacles to our progress and know God’s Word more deeply. In Hard Sayings, Dr. R.C. Sproul applies his wisdom as a theologian and Bible teacher to some of the most challenging verses in Scripture.

On February 29, 1948, Romanian secret police abducted Richard Wurmbrand off the streets of Bucharest because of his bold Christian witness. Despite the torture and great suffering he endured in a Communist prison, he loved and encouraged both his cellmates and his oppressors through the hope he had in Christ. In his book In God's Underground, Richard shares his story of triumphant faith amid deep anguish.

The Mentoring Project’s flagship mentoring resource is its field guides. These long-form pieces provide practical guidance on various aspects of life as a Christian, like finances, purity, technology, work, and more. Written by pastors and other Christian leaders, these field guides provide a biblical framework for mentors and mentees to discuss these topics and grow together.

In The Great Rescue, Dr. R.C. Sproul introduces the Bible’s message of salvation. Since God is holy and we are not, we stand condemned in His presence. We have no power to remove our sin or to escape His wrath. But by sheer grace, God has provided the rescue we need through the atoning sacrifice of His Son. Seeing that Jesus alone brings salvation, one question remains: Will you trust in Him?

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.