The creation of this Leader’s Guide will be a welcomed addition to Miracles of Healing in the Gospel of Mark. The goal of the leader’s guide is to make this unique resource user friendly. It answers the many questions included in each of the sixteen Healing Moments and addresses new and controversial concepts. The leader’s guide also offers guidance to help the participants stay true to the material’s content in each of the Healing Moments. In addition to this, the leader’s guide provides the resources and tools to equip leaders to help participants have a good experience and to get the most out of this unique study.

Early on in my study, it became evident that Mark was not simply recounting the healing incidents that Jesus had performed. Mark looked at the healing miracles of Jesus through the lens of God's perspective. What was significant to Mark and what captured my spiritual imagination was his interpretation of the healing miracles. He made it clear to the readers that Jesus clearly understood the redemptive implications of his mission as the Jewish healer-redeemer. Jesus fully embraced his Messianic mission to bring salvation to the Hebrew people. He would become the perfect sacrificial lamb of God to bring about the restoration of fallen humanity. In and through him, God's good creation would be restored. Through Jesus' sacrificial death, God would create a new covenant of grace, which could be acceptable to both Jews and Gentiles. The healing miracles demonstrated the defeat of sin, sickness, death, and the evil influence of Satan's demonic forces. Jesus did this by not only removing our sins but also taking the consequences of our sins upon himself, nailing them to the cross. All of Jesus' healing miracles were interpreted similarly. I found Mark's gospel both inspiring and informative, allowing me to see the heart, love, compassion, and mind of God for His creation.

The earliest of the four Gospels, the book portrays Jesus as an enigmatic figure, struggling with enemies, his inner and external demons, and with his devoted but disconcerted disciples. Unlike other gospels, his parables are obscure, to be explained secretly to his followers. With an introduction by Nick Cave

Mark Mincolla’s The Way of Miracles: Accessing Your Superconsciousness teaches us that we can create our own miracles every day. The Way of Miracles is an adventure for the mind and spirit that begins with the premise that miracles don’t randomly happen—we create them! According to Mark Mincolla, PhD, developing our superconscious mind and recognizing the divine source that exists within each of us is what generates miracles. A wholistic physician for more than three decades, Mark used his own techniques and learnings to cure himself of a life-threatening illness. In The Way of Miracles, he shares experiences, documented research, and exercises that he provides his patients and uses himself to raise consciousness in order to cultivate the ability to heal and create miracles that have a lasting effect.

Does God Still Do Miracles Today? A Simple Guide to Experience Miracles will give you confidence in and awareness of the supernatural realm as you learn how to flourish spiritually by experiencing more miraculous interventions in your life and ministry. Internationally renowned philosopher J. P. Moreland looks at the nature of miracles and explains why bearing and receiving credible testimony to God's miraculous acts is a crucial feature of a mature Jesus-follower. He also shows how to distinguish a real miracle from a mere coincidence. Miracles bring comfort to believers, strengthening faith in God and creating boldness in our lives. While miraculous healings have occurred frequently throughout church history, Moreland provides data showing how the last fifty years have seen a massive outbreak of miracles and supernatural activity. Today, he argues, the church should humbly expect to see more of these miraculous works of God than we do. Moreland looks at topics like: The relationship between sickness and suffering, along with two different ways to pray for healing How to discern clearly the difference between a genuine miracle and a mere coincidence How to increase your faith that petitionary prayer really works and what to make of unanswered prayer Six ways God speaks to us and advice for hearing God wisely and biblically The role angels play in our lives, how they appear to us, and how to combat demonic influence The biblical basis for most Near-Death Experiences and what we can learn from them A Simple Guide to Experience Miracles increases your expectation and hope that God can and often does miraculously intervene to bring help and comfort. Moreland shows that it makes rational sense to step out and engage in employing Kingdom power and to strengthen courage to witness and act on behalf of the gospel of Jesus. Filled with inspiring, credible, motivating accounts of miracles, he covers five different kinds of supernatural activities and provides practical wisdom about how to begin practices such as healing prayer and learning to deal with the demonic.

This useful and accessible guide provides an introduction the Gospel of Mark. It is perfect for readers who are new to the Gospel as well as those who are looking for a new perspective on its message. This guide is perfect for individual or group study. Donald L. Griggs' popular volumes The Bible from Scratch: The Old Testament for Beginners and The Bible from Scratch: The New Testament for Beginners presented basic themes, histories, personalities, and meanings of the Bible. With this expansion of the series, Griggs offers the lay reader an opportunity to build on the foundation of that broad knowledge with a series of volumes based on the individual books of the Old and New Testaments. A leader's guide and participant section are included for each book, making each volume an excellent resource for group or individual study.

Offers a cohesive New Testament theology of petitionary prayer.

Explore the miracles of Jesus in Signs and Wonders with Amy-Jill Levine, Professor of New Testament studies and Bible study author. In Signs and Wonders: A Beginner’s Guide to the Miracles of Jesus, Amy-Jill Levine explores selected miracles of Jesus in historical and theological context. For each miracle, she discusses not only how past witnesses would have understood the events, but also how today’s readers can draw meaning from Jesus’s words and actions. Chapter topics include: Giving sight to the blind: Metaphors of understanding (Mark 8, John 9) “Take up your pallet and walk” (the paralyzed man): On the role of caregivers A bleeding woman and a dead girl: The importance of women’s bodies Walking on water and stilling the storm: Ecological readings of the Gospels The feeding of the 5,000 (or more): The centrality of bread The raising of Lazarus: Taking death seriously The Leader Guide contains everything needed to guide a group through the six-week study including session plans, activities, and discussion questions, as well as multiple format options. Praise for Signs and Wonders Amy-Jill Levine has the rare and wonderful gift of being able to offer solid exegetical work to readers with or without formal theological training as if she is sitting in your living room sharing a cup of tea. Throughout this book she calls us to the interpretive work, reminding us that the big question is not "did this happen?" but "what does it mean?" and ultimately "so what?" How can these old miracle stories speak good news to our lives in this time and place and invite our own healing and transformation along the way? – Rev. Dr. Richard Simpson, Canon to the Ordinary (Assistant to the Bishop), Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts Amy-Jill Levine is herself a sign and wonder, a sign that reading the New Testament through Jewish eyes is not just essential but revelatory, and a wonder, as she always writes with verve, wisdom, humor and rich insight. Her latest is hardly an exception, an accessible, fascinating book we welcome eagerly. – James Howell, Senior Pastor, Myers Park United Methodist Church, Charlotte, North Carolina With brilliant insight and trademark wit, Dr. Amy-Jill Levine reveals wondrous details of the most prominent miracles in the gospels. We become more than readers of these stories; we discover how to be recipients and participants in the ongoing, miraculous work of God. – Magrey R. deVega, Senior Pastor of Hyde Park United Methodist Church in Tampa, Florida, and author of The Bible Year: A Journey through Scripture in 365 Days What a rich and accessible resource for anyone who wants to grow their understanding of the Gospels and the claims they make about Jesus! AJ Levine teaches us how to learn from the miracle stories, marvel at them, worry about them, and respond to them in our own lives. – Matthew L. Skinner, Professor of New Testament, Luther Seminary Making space for the believer and skeptic alike, Levine masterfully connects the miracles of the God of Israel with the miracles of Jesus. From friends who clear the way, to a father who pleads for his daughter, to sisters who stand resolute, Levine invites the reader to cherish the helpers and the healed as much as we cherish the healer. Levine's willingness to authentically share portions of her own story reminds the reader of the ways the miraculous breaks into our own lives. –Rev. Dawn Taylor-Storm, Director of Connectional Ministry, Eastern Pennsylvania Conference, The United Methodist Church Amy-Jill Levine engages the miracles of Jesus with scholarly acumen and signature wit. Christians who have been confused by these stories will find new clarity in her comprehensive context, including corrective understandings of Judaism. Those who have been intimidated by these texts will be encouraged by her candor. Those who have been inspired by Jesus’ miracles will find even deeper dimensions of meaning in the practical, pastoral, theological, and literary levels she opens and the provocative issues raised, from food insecurity to gender assumptions. Levine presses the essential “so what?” question and challenges us to be changed by these stories – and to be amazed. – The Rev. Deborah A. Block, D.Min. Pastor, Immanuel Presbyterian Church in Milwaukee

William Wrede was among the first to recognise the creative contribution of the Gospel writers. His work thus laid the foundation for the work of the Form Critics, Redaction Critics and Literary Critics whose scholarship dominated New Testament studies during the twentieth century. This highly influential work was throughout this period the departure point for all studies in the Gospel of Mark and in the literary methods of the evangelists. It remains highly relevant for its ground-breaking approach to the classically complicated question of whether Jesus saw himself and represented himself as the Messiah.

In The Christian Man, Patrick Morley--bestselling author of The Man in the Mirror--offers men practical ways to deal with life's problems and become the men of God they aspire to be. No man fails on purpose. Quite the opposite. When our feet hit the floor every morning, we're looking for a win. But these are turbulent times to be a man. In gathering material for this book, Morley interviewed many men. Their input was powerful. And transparent. They agreed that it's increasingly difficult to juggle all their responsibilities as men, husbands, fathers, friends, workers, churchmen, and citizens. No one understands what you're going through more than men's expert Patrick Morley, author of the landmark bestseller The Man in the Mirror, which has sold over 4 million copies. And now, Morley has put together a game plan so you can get that win you're looking for. The Christian Man is filled with powerful stories and refreshingly practical answers to questions like: How can I lead a more balanced life? How can I have a deeper walk with God? What makes a great husband? How can I become a dad who makes a difference? How should I think about my work? What's the right way to deal with lust? By the end of this must-read book, you will know how to intentionally release the power of God on the issues that matter most to you. You'll be able to walk with confidence in the one identity that matters most: The Christian Man.