Christians are transformed by the renewing of their minds. They understand that in large measure how they think about the gospel will determine how they will live for God's glory. They learn to allow the word of God to do its own work, informing and influencing the way they think in order to shape the way they live. In a series of Scripture-enriched chapters Sinclair B. Ferguson's Devoted to God works out this principle in detail. It provides what he describes as 'blueprints for sanctification'an orderly exposition of central New Testament passages on holiness. Devoted to God thus builds a strong and reliable structural framework for practical Christian living. It stresses the foundational importance of fundamental issues such as union with Christ, the rhythms of spiritual growth, the reality of spiritual conflict, and the role of God's law.

Being a Christian is not an individualistic or isolated activity. Believing also involves belonging. Being a Christian, by definition, involves belonging to the church. This is not a book full of ideas about how your church ought to change or what it needs to do in order to grow or to be successful. Rather it is about how we fit into our own church. There are hallmarks of church life that should be stamped on all our churches because they are applicable everywhere and anywhere -- New Testament values for any size of church, in any part of the world, at any time. Devoted to God's Church will serve to help new Christians understand what it is to be part of a church, and will also be a refreshing reminder to every Christian of what it should look like to belong to the family of God.

This festschrift contains original missiological contributions from colleagues and former doctoral students of Dr. Sherwood Lingenfelter. It highlights his twin research interests of anthropology and leadership and points to the profound influence of Sherwood Lingenfelter upon the contemporary missiological landscape. These chapters signal the continuation of his legacy, a flourishing of creative, anthropologically driven mission and leadership studies. Contributors to this work include a marvelous diversity of authors, women and men, voices from North and South, East and West, representing well Dr. Lingefelter’s significant global impact.

Pull away from the things that pull you down and find lasting encouragement for today. The women at Proverbs 31 Ministries offer 100 devotions of wit, wisdom, and encouragement for women. For twenty years the P31 team has equipped and encouraged nearly a million women to live in the power of God’s truths that apply to their everyday life. Written by women from every walk of life, you will find inspiration to live authentically and fully grounded in the Word of God. The P31 Team shares from the realities of everyday life including highs and lows, humorous stories and tender moments. You will be drawn toward the truths God offers and enabled to rise above and become all God created you to be.

"Besides Jesus, no one has kept me from despair, or taken me deeper into the mysteries of the gospel, than the apostle Paul." —John Piper No one has had a greater impact on the world for eternal good than the apostle Paul—except Jesus himself. For John Piper, this impact is very personal. He does not just admire and trust Paul. He loves him. Piper gives us thirty glimpses into why his heart and mind respond this way. 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? If we know this man—if we see what Piper sees—we too will love him. Paul's testimony is a matter of life and death. Piper invites you into his relationship with Paul in the hope that you will know life, forever.

Life is good with a God who is great! What’s a girl to do in a changing world full of darkness, distractions, pressure, lies, and uncertainty? Is it really possible for a twenty-first-century young woman to live a life in direct contrast to culture’s ever-changing standards? The answer is yes! With a Lord like Jesus, guidance like the Holy Spirit’s, and that powerful weapon we call the Holy Bible, God’s truth is ours to live out. Come learn along with talented young author, Marjorie Jackson, in this devotional about letting our love and dedication to Jesus penetrate every area of life—our relationships, our decisions, our standards, our convictions, our priorities, our everything. Whether you’re a long-time Christian or you’ve still got your spiritual training wheels on, get ready to dive into God’s Word and discover what it truly means to be a young woman of God who is completely, joyfully, beautifully different. Special Features Include: Unique Hand-Lettered Art Pages for Coloring Key Scripture Verses Personal/Small Group Study Questions

History tells of women whose love for the Bible shaped its earliest and most prominent teachers. It tells of women who were great theologians, yet whose only students were their children. It tells, time and again, of Christian men who owe much to their godly mothers. Come take a brief look at eleven of them. from the church's earliest days to now.

The Bible reveals glorious things. And yet we often miss its power because we read it the same way we read any other book. In Reading the Bible Supernaturally, best-selling author John Piper teaches us how to read the Bible in light of its divine author. In doing so, he highlights the Bible's unique ability to reveal God to humanity in a way that informs our minds, transforms our hearts, and ignites our love. With insights into the biblical text drawn from decades of experience studying, preaching, and teaching Scripture, Piper helps us experience the transformative power of God's Word—a power that extends beyond the mere words on the page. Ultimately, Piper shows us that in the seemingly ordinary act of reading the Bible, something supernatural happens: we encounter the living God.

This outstanding book provides an in-depth historical study of the place of Jesus in the religious life, beliefs, and worship of Christians from the beginnings of the Christian movement down to the late second century. Lord Jesus Christ is a monumental work on earliest Christian devotion to Jesus, sure to replace Wilhelm Bousset s Kyrios Christos (1913) as the standard work on the subject. Larry Hurtado, widely respected for his previous contributions to the study of the New Testament and Christian origins, offers the best view to date of how the first Christians saw and reverenced Jesus as divine. In assembling this compelling picture, Hurtado draws on a wide body of ancient sources, from Scripture and the writings of such figures as Ignatius of Antioch and Justin to apocryphal texts such as the Gospel of Thomas and the Gospel of Truth. Hurtado considers such themes as early beliefs about Jesus divine status and significance, but he also explores telling devotional practices of the time, including prayer and worship, the use of Jesus name in exorcism, baptism and healing, ritual invocation of Jesus as Lord, martyrdom, and lesser-known phenomena such as prayer postures and the curious scribal practice known today as the nomina sacra. The revealing portrait that emerges from Hurtado s comprehensive study yields definitive answers to questions like these: How important was this formative period to later Christian tradition? When did the divinization of Jesus first occur? Was early Christianity influenced by neighboring religions? How did the idea of Jesus divinity change old views of God? And why did the powerful dynamics of early beliefs and practices encourage people to make the costly move of becoming a Christian? Boasting an unprecedented breadth and depth of coverage — the book speaks authoritatively on everything from early Christian history to themes in biblical studies to New Testament Christology — Hurtado s Lord Jesus Christ is at once significant enough that a wide range of scholars will want to read it and accessible enough that general readers interested at all in Christian origins will also profit greatly from it.