Being a teenager is hard work. Thanks to a combination of hormone overload, peer pressure, and social beliefs, teens and even preteens often feel misunderstood or alienated and are treated as unimportant or an outcast. These feelings are a combination of many things but generally come down to trying to figure out your place in the world from under your parent's thumb. Sports and video games sometimes help you escape the pressures of life for a little while. but they are not solutions. You need answers that can help you get a clearer picture of where you're going in life and what you want to be like when you get there. Through movies, we can see the best and worst in ourselves. These studies will help you as a young adult (ages eleven to sixteen) to see beyond the movie's storyline and into the heart of the feelings and issues the characters are dealing with. If you haven't had to deal with some of these issues yet, hang on. They're coming. You need to give serious thought now about how you will choose to deal with these issues when they do come up. No one can do it for you. Going through these questions is a good way to get started thinking. The world is ever-changing, but we have the one thing that will never change--God's Word. Living in this world can be rough, but you can be the one to make it better. Not all of the movies are rated to be seen by someone your age, but they don't have to be. You don't have to see the movies to do this study. The questions will guide you through the scenes so you can focus on the issues without dealing with the emotions that accompany visual images. Despite this, some topics may still be too sensitive for some people. For this reason, movies that focus solely on death or evil are noted with an asterisk on the "Contents" page because viewer discretion is advised.

In this thoroughly revised and updated edition of his popular book, Brian Godawa guides you through the place of redemption in film, the tricks screenwriters use to communicate their messages, and the mental and spiritual discipline required for watching movies.

In this book the author reveals the truth behind what you see on screen. Movies are much more than just flickering lights on a wall. Movies matter. Movies impact your life every day, even if you never watch one. Why can movies affect us so deeply? How can one producer, actor, director, or writer change the way we think? Movies will continue to radically modify our culture. Find out how -- and why. Learn how you can play a part in changing our cluture for the dacades ahead, and how to guide your children to do the same. -- from back cover

Many people don't like to watch movies or have time to do so. That's okay. This book is not about watching movies. It's about looking at how you live your life and what you want for your future. Movies are just stories about life so even if you don't watch them, you can still learn from them here. Some of life's most important lessons are learned through stories. What better way to hear these stories than on the big screen? Movies draw us in and touch our lives in ways we never imagined. The best part is that our supply is limitless. Here we have stories for all ages. As we watch the characters on the screen, we see ourselves; our need for love and understanding, hope for the future, or wish for revenge against someone who wronged us. We see how the characters on the screen deal with these emotions, but as Christians, how should we deal with ours? In this study, movies from different times and different genres offer us an opportunity to delve into the Bible and see the choices our heavenly Father wants us to make under similar circumstances. Each lesson will review one or more aspects of the movie and provide an opportunity for reflection or discussion. Bible passages are also referenced to enhance understanding. Now that we have this information, what do we do with it? Odds are that people around you every day are looking for this information as well. What a comfortable way to share your faith with your friends, co-workers, or neighbors while you discuss the latest flick. These Bible studies can be taught to a group of people or they can be done individually. Popcorn is optional.

An Adventure Novel for Middle-Grade Readers Steeped in Magic, Mystery, and Glimmers of Hope—Book 1 in the Dream Keeper Saga Even though she's only 12 years old, Lily McKinley already feels the weight of the world's brokenness. She's seen it in her mother's exhaustion, her grandmother's illness, and the cruelty of Adam, the bully at her school. But most tragically, she experienced it two months ago when her father died in a terrible accident. As an artistic daydreamer, Lily has a brilliant imagination to help her cope, but that imagination often gets her into trouble. One day, it transports her to a fantasy world called the Somnium Realm, where her father's secret history embroils her in an epic quest. With the help of a dragon guide named Cedric, Lily battles evil shrouds, harpies, and other creatures to find her way through grief, rescue the world from evil, and discover the power of redemption. This thrilling novel by Kathryn Butler mixes fantasy with Christian themes, taking middle-grade readers on a quest through castles, forests, and caverns to help a young girl find hope and usher in restoration. Christian Themes: This exciting story invites readers into deep conversations about the gospel and theological issues including faith, mourning, sacrifice, salvation, and redemption Ideal for Middle-Grade Readers and Families: Includes kids' favorite fantasy and adventure elements with imaginative new characters and settings they'll love Book 1 in the Dream Keeper Saga by Kathryn Butler

What Does God Think about Technology? From smartphones to self-driving cars to space travel, new technologies can inspire us. But the breakneck pace of change can also frighten us. So how do Christians walk by faith through the innovations of Silicon Valley? And how does God relate to our most powerful innovators? To build a biblical theology of technology, journalist and tech optimist Tony Reinke examines nine key texts from Scripture to show how the world's discoveries are divinely orchestrated. Ultimately, what we believe about God determines how we respond to human invention. With the help of several theologians and inventors throughout history, Reinke dispels twelve common myths in the church and offers fourteen ethical convictions to help Christians live by faith in the age of big tech. Biblical, Informed Look at Technology: Written by the author of 12 Ways Your Phone Is Changing You and Competing Spectacles: Treasuring Christ in the Media Age Gathers Ideas from Industry Experts and Theologians: Interacts with Christian and non-Christian sources on technology and theology including John Calvin, Herman Bavinck, Wendell Berry, and Elon Musk Educational: Discusses the history and philosophy behind major technological innovations

Of the many world religions, only one claims that its founder returned from the grave. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the very cornerstone of Christianity. But a dead man coming back to life? In our sophisticated age, when myth has given way to science, who can take such a claim seriously? Some argue that Jesus never died on the cross. Conflicting accounts make the empty tomb seem suspect.sHow credible is the evidence for the resurrection? Focusing his award-winning skills as a legal journalist on history's most compelling enigma, Lee Strobel retraces the startling findings that led him from atheism to belief. Drawing on expert testimony first shared in his blockbuster book The Case for Christ, Strobel examines: The Medical Evidence -- Was Jesus' death a sham and his resurrection a hoax? The Evidence of the Missing Body -- Was Jesus' body really absent from his tomb? The Evidence of Appearances -- Was Jesus seen alive after his death on the cross? Written in a hard-hitting journalistic style, The Case for Easter probes the core issues of the resurrection. Jesus Christ, risen from the dead: superstitious myth or life-changing reality? The evidence is in. The verdict is up to you. Book jacket.

Gospels -- Faith -- Wealth -- Health -- Victory -- American blessing -- Megachurch table -- Naming names.

#1 New York Times bestseller with more than 11 million copies sold! When 4-year-old Colton Burpo emerges from life-saving surgery with remarkable stories of his visit to heaven, his family doesn’t know what to believe. Heaven is For Real details what Colton saw and his family’s journey towards accepting their young son had visited the afterlife. “Do you remember the hospital, Colton?” Sonja said. “Yes, mommy, I remember,” he said. “That’s where the angels sang to me.” Colton told his parents he left his body during an emergency surgery–and proved that claim by describing exactly what his parents were doing in another part of the hospital during his operation. He talked of visiting heaven and described events that happened before he was born and how he spoke with family members he’d never met. Colton also astonished his parents with descriptions and obscure details about heaven that matched the Bible exactly, even though he had not yet learned to read. With disarming innocence and the plainspoken boldness of a child, Colton recounts his visit to heaven, describing: Meeting long-departed family members Jesus, the angels, how “really, really big” God is, and how much God loves us How Jesus called Todd, Colton’s father, to be a pastor The Battle of Armageddon Retold by his father, but using Colton’s uniquely simple words, Heaven Is for Real offers a glimpse of the world that awaits us, where as Colton says, “Nobody is old and nobody wears glasses.” Heaven Is for Real will forever change the way you think of eternity, offering the chance to see, and believe, like a child. Praise for Heaven is for Real: “A beautifully written glimpse into heaven that will encourage those who doubt and thrill those who believe.” —Ron Hall, coauthor of Same Kind of Different as Me

Jesus Christ is arguably the most famous man who ever lived. His image adorns countless churches, icons, and paintings. He is the subject of millions of statues, sculptures, devotional objects and works of art. Everyone can conjure an image of Jesus: usually as a handsome, white man with flowing locks and pristine linen robes. But what did Jesus really look like? Is our popular image of Jesus overly westernized and untrue to historical reality? This question continues to fascinate. Leading Christian Origins scholar Joan E. Taylor surveys the historical evidence, and the prevalent image of Jesus in art and culture, to suggest an entirely different vision of this most famous of men. He may even have had short hair.