Many preachers have taught on stewardship in reference to our money and our time, but both money and time are temporary commodities of this earthly life. Jesus used the parables about stewardship in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke to teach about the Kingdom of God. Parables are used to liken something people could understand to something that they may not have understood in any other teaching. Likewise, when Jesus taught about the sower and the seed, He did not intend for believers to become better farmers or gardeners. Since believers do not use the parable of the sower and the seed to learn about gardening, why is it that they use the parables of the talents and the pounds to teach that stewardship is referring to actual money or time? As Paul was writing to the Church of Corinth, he told them, "Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God" (1 Corinthians 4:1). There is something of much more value than both money and time that God has placed into the hands of the church to take care of until He returns! This book was written so the believer can discover what God expects in us as His STEWARDS of the Mysteries of God!

New York Times bestseller What is Jesus worth to you? It's easy for American Christians to forget how Jesus said his followers would actually live, what their new lifestyle would actually look like. They would, he said, leave behind security, money, convenience, even family for him. They would abandon everything for the gospel. They would take up their crosses daily... But who do you know who lives like that? Do you? In Radical, David Platt challenges you to consider with an open heart how we have manipulated the gospel to fit our cultural preferences. He shows what Jesus actually said about being his disciple--then invites you to believe and obey what you have heard. And he tells the dramatic story of what is happening as a "successful" suburban church decides to get serious about the gospel according to Jesus. Finally, he urges you to join in The Radical Experiment -- a one-year journey in authentic discipleship that will transform how you live in a world that desperately needs the Good News Jesus came to bring.

Practice the three simple phrases that heal relationships, strengthen connection, and change the world. We all believe that saying, “Thank you,” “I’m sorry,” and “Tell me more” will help us become better people, friends, partners, employees, neighbors, and global citizens. And yet, having been brought up on rugged individualism, we often slip into self-centeredness and a corresponding sense of entitlement. We have lost the ability to speak with gentleness toward one another. We have replaced kind words that connect us to one another with ones that divide, isolate, and hurt. Everywhere we turn there is deep conflict. In this simple yet profound book, clinical psychologist Rod Wilson introduces us to the sacredness of these familiar but forgotten sayings. What impact do these sayings have on our relationships? When we say, “Thank you,” we acknowledge the way others impact us. When we say, “I’m sorry,” we acknowledge the way we impact others. When we say, “Tell me more,” we acknowledge the way we impact each other. Try it. Read this book and be encouraged and equipped to deliver kindness in your speech. As you engage with these three phrases more thoughtfully and speak them more frequently, you will enjoy a life full of deeper friendships and joy.

One of our best known biblical interpreters offers essays and sermons meant to assist preachers in their interpretation and explication of biblical texts. Often neglected in preaching, the Old Testament is a particular focus of attention, but only in the context of the wholeness of Scripture. Questions addressed in this volume include the following: How does one approach and preach the Old Testament at Easter? What are the contemporary issues or dimensions in preaching the Ten Commandments? And how does the preacher hold the Old Testament and the New Testament in proclaiming God's word to the church? In this collection, attention is given to preaching about the ministry and on particular occasions, such as funerals, baccalaureates, ordination, and in Advent and Christmas as well as before Holy Communion.

Writing to the Church in Corinth, St. Paul referred to himself and other called servants of Christ as "stewards of the mysteries of God." The work of the office of the holy ministry is still defined in this way, as pastors are sent by Christ to bring God's gifts of Word and Sacrament to His Church. The essays in this volume were written by the Rt. Rev. James D. Heiser, who serves as bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Diocese of North America (ELDoNA) and as pastor of Salem Lutheran Church in Malone, Texas. In these essays, Bishop Heiser addresses many aspects of the work of the ministry, but throughout there is an emphasis on the pastor's responsibility for preaching the Word, administering the Sacraments, and exercising the office of the keys. The ongoing significance of the Lutheran Confessions of the Book of Concord (1580), as well as other writings of the theologians of the Lutheran Reformation and the Age of Orthodoxy (1580-1713) is evident throughout Heiser's writings. In the midst of the current "ministry" debates, these essays direct pastors and laity alike to the clear teaching of God's Word concerning the blessings which the Lord grants to His Church through His called and ordained servants.

Against a background of the strife-torn land of Judea two thousand years ago, Mika Waltari has written what is certainly his most important novel. Seeking the meaning to his life in the study of philosophy, the young Roman. Marcus Manilianus, discovers in an Alexandrian library a vast number of predictions, all tending to confirm his own feeling that the world is about to enter upon a new era. Two chance encounters with Jews who proclaim the coming of a world leader whom they call the Messiah or King, cause Marcus to resolve to make a visit to the Holy City of the Jews. He arrives outside Jerusalem in time to see crowds—some curious, some shocked—staring up at three crosses on a nearby mound. Above the center cross, an inscription had been fixed: JESUS OF NAZARETH, KING OF THE JEWS. The quest that ensues leads Marcus through all parts of Jerusalem and into contact with men and women of all stations of life who had known this remarkable man. And by degrees, wonderful if strange things are revealed to him of Jesus’ teaching, and he experiences the odd sensation of almost believing in the destiny of this crucified Roman among the alien Jews, Stands alone on the borderline of two worlds, feelings he belongs to neither, and it becomes vital to him to find “the way, “the Kingdom,” to again knowledge and certainty, not merely belief. What follows, as Marcus pursues his search for the promised secret of the Kingdom, bring to a climax as exciting and deeply moving a novel as Mika Waltari, certainly one of the world’s outstanding historical novelists, has ever written. It is a story of a time long past, yet it deals with a theme as modern as today: the dilemma of modern man and his culture in gaining and retaining a faith. And always present throughout the novel is the splendor, the irony and humor which have so delighted millions of readers of other Waltari novels from The Egyptian to The Etruscan.

KNOWING of nothing that aims to present in one volume, the various mysteries of the New Testament, it has been a happy service to pen these papers, hoping thereby to minister to the profit of some who, while of the household of faith, may have given little or no attention to truths of such vast importance. The teaching set forth is not original with the writer. He is indebted to many, both through oral and written ministry, for most of the instruction he now seeks to impart to others. May it be yours, reader, to test all by the word of the living God, and thus find true profit.

Stewardship is a dirty word in most churches. Pastors preach about it knowing they must while members sit uncomfortably through the "it's-that-time-again" sermons and other appeals. Afire with God urges ministries and congregations to become stewards-in-action of all God has entrusted to us. Members go beyond thinking in terms of dollars contributed to see stewardship as becoming living examples of the gospel. "Real stewardship is radical, which means going to the roots of our faith," writes Schwarzentraub. "If we take stewardship seriously--and joyfully--it won't be just another addition to the same old programs we've been doing in our congregations. It will change our thinking, acting, and imagining. And it will change our vision of ministry, working from the inside out." The book's four chapters are simple and elegant. Chapter 1 addresses our mixed feelings about stewardship and uses the biblical image of the Hebrews as aliens in Egypt. Chapter 2 uses the experience of Moses at the burning bush as a way to explore foundations of stewardship in the Bible. Chapter 3 connects stewardship with the mysteries of faith and with John Wesley's understanding of the means of grace, exploring Wesley's life as a steward. Chapter 4 looks at practical approaches for becoming stewards-in-action. Included are examples for faithful stewardship of the earth, ways to reinvigorate stewardship in worship, long-range planning ideas and plans for individual ministry growth. Schwarzentraub will lead you to a spirited stewardship that embraces every dimension of life and alters your ideas about the topic: converting the noun steward into a verb! Transform who you are becoming and what you can do in the world. Lead in Stewardship Leader's Guide is also available.

How can I know God if he is incomprehensible? Is it possible to know God in a way that takes seriously the fact that he is beyond knowledge? Steven Boyer and Christopher Hall argue that the "mystery of God" has a rightful place in theological discourse. They contend that considering divine incomprehensibility invites reverence and humility in our thinking and living as Christians and clarifies a variety of theological topics. The authors begin by investigating the biblical, historical, and practical foundations for understanding the mystery of God. They then spell out its implications for theological issues and practices such as the incarnation, salvation, and prayer, rooting knowledge of God in a concrete life of faith. Evangelical yet ecumenical, this book will appeal to theology students, pastors, church leaders, and all who want intellectual and practical guidance for knowing the unknowable God.

The changing fortunes of Detroit, told through the lens of the city's major sporting events, by the bestselling author of Soccernomics, and a prizewinning cultural critic From Ty Cobb and Hank Greenberg to the Bad Boys, from Joe Louis and Gordie Howe to the Malice at the Palace, City of Champions explores the history of Detroit through the stories of its most gifted athletes and most celebrated teams, linking iconic events in the history of Motown sports to the city's shifting fortunes. In an era when many teams have left rustbelt cities to relocate elsewhere, Detroit has held on to its franchises, and there is currently great hope in the revival of the city focused on its downtown sports complexes—but to whose benefit? Szymanski and Weineck show how the fate of the teams in Detroit's stadiums, gyms, and fields is echoed in the rise and fall of the car industry, political upheavals ushered in by the depression, World War II, the 1967 uprising, and its recent bankruptcy and renewal. Driven by the conviction that sports not only mirror society but also have a special power to create both community and enduring narratives that help define a city's sense of self, City of Champions is a unique history of the most American of cities.