Rev. John Newton describes how God's grace changes a person during the three stages of spiritual maturity found in Mark 4:28, of the Blade, the Ear, and the Full Corn in the Ear. The "Blade's" characteristic is "desire," or eagerness in his new life. The "Ear's" characteristic is "conflict," with many trials. The "Full corn in the ear's" characteristic is "contemplation," drawing upon much experience. Using this outline a believer can identify general states of sanctification to help work out their own salvation, as God works in them.

Discusses the life of John Newton.

John Newton is best known as the slave trader turned hymn writer who penned the most popular English hymn in history: “Amazing Grace.” However, many Christians are less familiar with the decades he spent in relative obscurity, laboring as a “spiritual doctor” while pastoring small parishes in England. In the latest addition to Crossway’s growing Theologians on the Christian Life series, Tony Reinke introduces modern readers to Newton’s pastoral wisdom by leading them through the many sermons, hymns, and—most importantly—letters that he wrote over the course of his life. Considered by many to be one of the greatest letter writers of all time, Newton has valuable insights to offer modern Christians, especially when it comes to fusing together sound doctrine, lived experience, and godly practice. Part of the Theologians on the Christian Life series.

A "who's who" among microscopic and slightly larger animals, telling how they eat and reproduce.

Jesus was quite clear that we must lose our life before we find it. This book gives a hopeful and realistic look at what losing our life entails, articulating how “growth” in the Christian life is not our ascent to God but the process by which our eyes are opened to the beauty God has already given to us. It is a book about descending into God, and into our own inner depths, about the deep waters of the Christian faith. “Put out into the deep and let your nets down for a catch.” (Luke 5:4) We live in a world that values productivity and success, and we vainly imagine that God expects us to be spiritually productive and successful, too. It doesn’t matter how much we talk about grace, our conversation is often narrowly focused on what we need to do for God—so much so that we often block the work God longs to do in us. This book does not articulate God’s work as a process by which we become spiritually strong, but rather as the process by which we embrace our weakness as the place where we most fully experience God’s perfect strength (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Eliza Cunningham (1771-1785), was adopted by the Rev. John Newton in 1782. She was the daughter of James and Elizabeth Cunningham. Elizabeth was the sister of John Newton's wife, Mary. Consumption had gripped this 14-year-old niece, but she was a treasure in character. Her father, brother, sister and then her mother had passed away and entered the joy of their Lord. John Newton had taken a special liking to her and gave her much loving care. This account was originally written only for friends, but then published widespread because of demand.Full title: A Monument to the Praise of the Lord's Goodness, and to the Memory of Dear Eliza Cunningham.