The Bible appears to be a book of many great stories, but it is actually one story--the divinely woven account of God's plan for humankind. "Discovering God's Story" is an approachable, illustrated Bible handbook written in chronological order.

Winner of the 2008 Christianity Today Award of Merit in Theology/Ethics The History of God In Discovering God, award-winning sociologist Rodney Stark presents a monumental history of the origins of the great religions from the Stone Age to the Modern Age and wrestles with the central questions of religion and belief.

This book presents a vision of God's big story. This accessible survey introduces the Bible as a whole and shows how the important pieces of the biblical narrative fit together in their right context and perspective. The Bible tells the story in the broadest way, implementing God's kingdom rule in history through a series of covenantal arrangements all in pursuit of a coherent redemptive plan the ultimate goal of which is new creation.

Originally published: Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway Books, 1999.

An in-depth look at the powerful story and symbolism behind God's unique design of our universe. Thousands of words have been written about the first ten words in the Bible: "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth," a simple and profound statement that has ignited a firestorm of debate and controversy. People often only focus on the "how" and "when" of creation, but Story in the Stars explores the "why." Why did God create such a vast universe? Why did He choose the sun and moon to light our paths? Why did He design images with stars in the night sky? The Bible is very clear when it states that God created, named, and positioned all of the stars of the universe in their place in a very specific way-a way that tells us the greatest story ever to be told. In Luke 21:25 Jesus says, "There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars." Signs are meant to point us towards something: Jesus. Story in the Stars takes an in-depth look at the Bible and all the signs God mapped out through constellations, planets, and even the way the Earth is tilted. We are uniquely designed by God, and He loves us so much that He ensured a way for all inhabitants of the earth, through all of time, to see the messages of salvation and redemption that He painted in the stars.

Surveys indicate that most Christians feel disempowered. Wrong (dualistic) thinking, which separates the whole of life into 'spiritual' and 'secular', and creates a division within the Church between those in 'full‐time' ministry and those who are not, has robbed many believers of the joy of knowing their life can make a difference. The purpose of this book is to help give every Christian believer the realization that they have a special, God-given role and place in the fulfillment of God's Story and the Great Commission. Our life‐story fits into God's bigger story (HIStory). Our mission and purpose in life, fits within his global mission and purpose. God is calling us today towards the consummation of his story and his mission. This task is not just for church workers or overseas missionaries. Whatever your vocation in life, you have a destiny to fulfill and a unique contribution to make. With practical tools and study questions.

God can be a mystery to a non-believer who has many questions and nowhere to find the answers. Discovering God is a conversational masterpiece dedicated to giving readers a way to sit back and enjoy their coffee and discover God's true meaning. Structured as a series of letters between the main characters, Kyle and Jim, the book is brought to life and given a personal touch to make the reader feel like they are a part of the story.

Have you had an experience of the presence of God? Has a voice, a vision, a dream changed your sense of who you are? Has a sense of oneness with God changed your life? Are you hungry for a God who provides real guidance? This book is for you. Have you wondered if God exists? Have you wondered if God cares about you? Do you wonder if God is still talking to humans? Do you yearn to love God but feel you need to be introduced? This book is for you. In a context in which an intimate interactive relationship with God is not always highly valued, understood, or actively nurtured, and whose importance as the root of social action is sometimes overlooked, this book witnesses to the action of God in the lives of Friends today, and their response to it. Mysticism at work. Frances Taber, Ohio "The stories range all over the human condition and encompass such a broad variety of peoples experience of God that when one needs to read the words of another human being wrestling with an experience similar to ones ownit is possible to find it among the many stories. All of us have so much of the world in our lives, dragging us away from faith, that this kind of book is what we need." Rita Varley, Philadelphia Yearly Meeting Library What Canst Thou Say? is a quarterly newsletter that has gathered stories of Quakers sharing their first-hand mystical experience and contemplative practice. It is produced cooperatively by a group of volunteers, who, themselves, have felt the movement of the Spirit and wish to deepen their understanding by interacting with others. This book includes some of the stories and poems published in the first ten years as celebration of our tenth anniversary.