Showing results by narrator "Tim H. Dixon" in All Categories

Recounting the parable of the prodigal son, author Bryan Wolfmueller discusses the biblical account in light of our culture today.

Parenting: Wrong Turns, Right Lessons: 30 Insights to Build Lifelong Influence and Relationships with Your Children is the first book in Scott's newest series featuring his three sons as co-authors, writing on the topics of parenting, communication, and relationships. This book focuses on 30 specific lessons that lead author Scott Jeffrey Miller has learned as a reluctant (hostage) parent to three sons after a life of intended bachelorhood.

Gary Tillery presents a coherent view of Elvis' thoughts through such anecdotes and other recorded facts. We learn, for instance, that Elvis read thousands of books on religion; that his crisis over making mindless movies like Girl Happy led him to writers such as Gurdjieff, Krishnamurti, and Helena Blavatsky; and that, while driving in Arizona, an epiphany inspired him to learn Hindu practice. Elvis came to believe that the Christ shines in everyone and that God wanted him to use his light to uplift people.

How do you grow as a leader in the church? Should you read church growth books? Take a few seminars? Or just wing it? Scott Thomas, former President of Acts 29, church planter, and pastor has a different approach. He unpacks how leaning on Jesus empowers not just your teaching, but also grows the humility and biblical wisdom you need to lead.

The Puritan movement began in England during the sixteenth century and continued all the way into the early eighteenth century. Although the Church of England was formed as a result of the Reformation, the Puritans believed it needed much more reform. The book concludes with ten important lessons readers can learn from the Puritans and study questions to help them retain these fascinating stories and assist them in applying the lessons to their lives.

Even though Peter and Jude wrote their canonical letters almost 2,000 years ago, the church today still faces similar challenges as their original readers. What do these short, overlooked books have to teach Christians today about God, humanity, and God’s redemptive plan?

This guide opens up the signature book of American literature, Hawthorne’s Scarlet Letter, and unpacks its universal themes of sin, guilt, and redemption.

Trauma often disrupts a person’s faith in God. At times, it even causes people to feel as though they have lost their faith in God altogether. Making Friends with Darkness joins the ongoing conversation about PTSD and moral injury recovery with an approach from the Scriptures, providing a plan that is non-formulaic, helps people heal from their trauma, and helps remove barriers to God.

There is a story that speaks into our question. It's the story of a man the institutions rejected. It's a story of a man who was brought to trial yet refused to defend himself, punished yet was innocent, suffered yet remained in complete control, even when everything seemed most out of control. This is the story at the heart of Easter.

When Jesus looks for grace in your church, it’s like spotting the sunrise in the dark sky. The smallest rays of grace eclipse sin, each sunbeam from the Spirit stirring the heart of the Son. Unfortunately, apart from the Spirit, we don’t naturally see the church as Jesus does.

Les Misérables, the powerful story of Jean Valjean's redemption, is beloved by readers, listeners, and theatre-goers everywhere. Why? Because Victor Hugo's epic novel explores, through Valjean's heroic journey and transformations, truths and delusions about politics, morality, justice, religion, and both romantic and familial love. In this invaluable companion and guide to Hugo's masterpiece author John Morrison shares with Les Miz fans the spiritual depth and breadth of this classic novel and popular Broadway musical.

In Sons of Baseball, Mark Braff interviews 18 men who share their exclusive stories, ballpark memories, and the challenges and rewards of having fathers whose talents enabled them to reach the pinnacle of their profession. Each chapter is devoted to one son talking about his experiences, from the poignancy of one son’s disclosure that his dad has not been able to acknowledge his son’s sexuality as a gay man, to the humor of another son absconding with the groundskeepers’ cart in Cleveland.

Life can feel so full of conflict and struggle. It’s easy to lose yourself in the daily grind, the bills, the chores, the responsibilities.... Perhaps you sometimes find yourself asking, “Is this really all there is to life?” When grief and pain hit, you sit with your questions about why this is happening. We all have to navigate hard times, and that will inevitably lead you to question the meaning of life. But exploring deeper answers will bring you comfort, re-energize you, and help you find a sense of purpose and place.

C S. Lewis stands as one of the most influential Christians of the twentieth century. His commitment to the life of the mind and the life of the heart is evident in classics like the Chronicles of Narnia and Mere Christianity―books that illustrate the unbreakable connection between rigorous thought and deep affection. This volume explores the man, his work, and his legacy―reveling in the truth at the heart of Lewis’s spiritual genius: God alone is the answer to our deepest longings and the source of our unending joy.

In these days of global crisis, thoughtful seekers increasingly turn to Native Americans for healing wisdom. The Sacred Pipe is the medicine, says Jay Cleve in this informative and practical guide to a key practice in Native American spirituality. The Hopi and other ancient cultures predicted our present age as one of transition into a New World. Cleve shows how the Pipe can facilitate transformation on both the personal and planetary levels. He explains its use in rituals such as the sweat lodge, the vision quest, and the sun dance, and in relation to the Medicine Wheel.

Nothing captivates the human imagination like the vast unknowns of space. Ancient petroglyphs present renderings of the heavens, proof that we have been gazing up at the stars with wonder for thousands of years. Since then, mankind has systematically expanded our cosmic possibilities. What were once flights of fancy and dreams of science fiction writers have become nearly routine. Space travel is a sometimes heroic, sometimes humorous, and always dangerous journey fraught with perils. Space Oddities brings unknown, offbeat, and obscure stories of space to life.

Among books that discern our reason for living, Sent to Soar is exceptional for its interfaith perspective and its appeal to people of all backgrounds. Reverend Poos-Benson mines the wisdom of the great spiritual heroes—Jesus, Buddha, Krishna, Mohammed, Lao Tzu—to reveal a pattern in how God works in the world. He believes that God has sent us to fulfill a unique destiny. In order to find meaning in life, we must understand why we have been sent and then fulfill that purpose.

One of Bounds’ last published works, The Weapon of Prayer, emphasizes his belief that seeing God’s power, experiencing His miracles, and participating in His works relies on dedicated prayer. While receiving prayers is important to God, this communication is crucial for His people. Prayer is not only a religious responsibility, but it is also worship, growth, power, and the Christian’s lifeline. Bounds encourages Christians to practice and sharpen this weapon of strength in order to fully appreciate the gifts that can come from God.

The Bible is full of examples of persecution for those who follow God in faithfulness and obedience. From Abel to the prophets, from John the Baptist to the disciples, the men and women who testified to the Truth endured suffering and trials for their godly witness. In the Shadow of the Cross explores suffering and persecution throughout the entire Bible, including observations and studies from nearly 200 Christian scholars, both ancient and modern. It is one of the most thorough biblical studies of persecution available today, a valuable resource for every student of the Bible.

Longtime pastor and leading authority on church health, Mark Dever draws from Paul's first letter to the Corinthians to tackle 12 major challenges facing the church today. As he presents each challenge, Dever provides practical ways for individuals and churches to respond biblically. Writing for both church leaders and laymen, Dever insists that the health of the local church should be the concern of every believer and that God can overcome the most difficult of challenges.