Talk about God is often the source of controversy. Theists and atheists are equally passionate when making their stand for or against belief in God. In this book, a wide range of philosophers of religion have come together to discuss how serious talk about God ought to be conducted for theists and atheists alike in what should be their common pursuit for truth. The essays both address methodological questions and provide a range of concrete samples of serious God-talk, spanning from political, religion, and classical proofs of God's existence to the problem of evil. (Series: Nordic Studies in Theology / Nordische Studien zur Atheism, Vol. 4) [Subject: Religious Studies]Ã?Â?Ã?Â?

Scripture reveals a God who meets us where we are, not where we pretend to be. No More Faking Fine is your invitation to get honest with God through the life-giving language of lament. If you've ever been given empty clichés during challenging times, you know how painful it is to be misunderstood by well-meaning people. When life hurts, we often feel pressure--from others and ourselves--to keep it together, suck it up, or pray it away. But Scripture reveals a God who lovingly invites us to give honest voice to our emotions when life hits hard. For most of her life, Esther Fleece Allen believed she could bypass the painful emotions of her broken past by shutting them down altogether. She was known as an achiever and an overcomer on the fast track to success. But in silencing her pain, she robbed herself of the opportunity to be healed. Maybe you've done the same. Esther's journey into healing began when she discovered that God has given us a real-world way to deal with raw emotions and an alternative to the coping mechanisms that end up causing more pain. It's called lament--the gut-level, honest prayer that God never ignores, never silences, and never wastes. No More Faking Fine is your permission to lament, taking you on a journey down the unexpected pathway to true intimacy with God. Drawing from careful biblical study and hard-won insight, Esther reveals how to use God's own language to come closer to him as he leads us through our pain to the light on the other side, teaching you that: We are robbing ourselves of a divine mystery and a divine intimacy when we pretend to have it all together God does not expect us to be perfect; instead, he meets us where we are There is hope beyond your heartache, disappointment, and grief Like Esther, you'll soon find that when one person stops faking fine, it gives everyone else permission to do the same.

The most celebrated story collection from “one of the true American masters” (The New York Review of Books)—a haunting meditation on love, loss, and companionship, and finding one’s way through the dark that includes the iconic and much-referenced title story featured in the Academy Award-winning film Birdman. "Raymond Carver's America is ... clouded by pain and the loss of dreams, but it is not as fragile as it looks. It is a place of survivors and a place of stories.... [Carver] has done what many of the most gifted writers fail to do: He has invented a country of his own, like no other except that very world, as Wordsworth said, which is the world to all of us." —The New York Times Book Review

A fallen world is full of reasons to lose heart. From the large-scale tragedies of war, famine, and natural disasters, to the more personal tragedies of broken relationships and broken dreams, it can be difficult to avoid discouragement--even for the believer. And yet, Scripture calls us to a life of hope, based not on wishful thinking or avoiding our problems but based on who God is, what he has done, and what he is still doing. In this short, giftable book, pastor Jason Meyer shows you that though the reasons for discouragement seem strong, the reasons we have to take heart and hold on to hope are stronger yet. Through biblical truth and personal stories, Meyer encourages the weary and anxious believer by shining light on the nature of reality, the nature of God, and the intersection of the two in our daily, rubber-meets-the-road lives. The result is a book that lifts our spirits in a world that too often seeks to drag us down.

The most important questions anyone can ask are: Why was Jesus Christ crucified? Why did he suffer so much? What has this to do with me? Finally, who sent him to his death? The answer to the last question is that God did. Jesus was God's Son. The suffering was unsurpassed, but the whole message of the Bible leads to this answer. The central issue of Jesus' death is not the cause, but the meaning. That is what this book is about. John Piper has gathered from the New Testament fifty reasons in answer to the most important question that each of us must face : What did God achieve for sinners like us in sending his Son to die?

Explaining the essentials of the faith, renowned theologian and author Dr. J. I. Packer outlines the core commitments that are common to those of us who profess belief in Jesus. Here is a call to discipleship in mere Christianity—the business of taking God seriously.

In a time before youth were welcomed in short-term missions, Loren Cunningham founded Youth With A Mission to unlock the world for millions. He called young and old, women and men, and every ethnicity to go. Loren Cunningham's dream began with a vision - waves of young people from every nation going to every nation, telling everyone, everywhere about Jesus. How did God move Loren's dream from vision to reality and take him to every country on earth? Loren and his wife, Darlene, grew through tough lessons on hearing and obeying the Lord. This exciting story of Youth With A Mission shows how hearing God's voice is for every believer. Translated into 150+ languages, Is That Really You, God? is a practical guide to hearing God's voice and following His direction to change our hearts and our world. In this legacy edition, read a special new chapter On to Eternity, on "the biggest vision I can imagine" where Loren unveils his final call, to rally this generation to translate the Bible orally into every mother tongue on earth. In addition, see a special tribute called 'Grateful Reflections" on Loren's life from dear friend and senior YWAM leader David Joel Hamilton from his up close and personal experience serving Loren over the decades.

Ever asked Jesus what he likes best about you? Jesus longs to speak to your deepest desires. These powerful yearnings for things like love, approval, freedom, belonging, and significance animate our lives and lie at the root of the thorny behaviors we most want to change. Our true desires were designed to be filled in our relationship with Jesus. But most of us never learned how to ask. Questions for Jesus takes you on the exhilarating adventure of hearing Jesus speak to the deepest places of your heart. Your own desires will surface as the meditations help you enter into the thoughts and feelings of characters in the gospel of Matthew. After watching Jesus touch that person's desire, the book will launch your own heart encounter with with five creative, intimate questions for Jesus, like these: “Jesus, what are you proud of in me today? How am I touching your desire?” “Jesus, what will it be like for you to tell the story of the life you and I have lived together to all of heaven?” “How am I valuable to you? What makes me worth your time and attention?” “So what's it like for you to not be afraid of anything?” “Who do you say that I am, Jesus?” Written by a master of the art of asking, the 52 meditations in Questions for Jesus will help you or your small group add an exhilarating new dimension to your prayer life, and encounter Jesus in profound new ways. Using this BookWritten in a devotional format, Questions for Jesus focuses on the passages in the book of Matthew where Jesus touches an individual's deep desire. The author weaves each scene into a powerful story that brings the bible to life, putting you inside the thoughts and feelings of the characters (Jesus included!) Then, you simply take one of the five desire prayers given for each story and ask Jesus that question. You'll talk about what Jesus was experiencing in those situations, how he feels about waiting for and preparing for your arrival in heaven, what your meeting there will be like, Jesus' own deep desires, and much more. Talking with Jesus is much easier when you are asking the right questions! With 52 devotional meditations (each with five questions) this book can provide a year's worth of encounters with the goodness of God. Facing pages offer space to journal your answers, and pithy articles spaced throughout the text show you how the heart works, how to create your own desire prayers, ways to overcome obstacles to hearing God speak, etc. A free Questions for Jesus Group Guide is also available, letting you use Questions for Jesus with small groups, leadership teams or churches.

Explaining how to become a Christian hedonist, a bestselling author offers guidance on how to find spiritual joy to readers who are unsure of where to seek it.