Why do religious people choose paths that lead to their deaths as martyrs? Why do some who are killed for their faith become known and revered while others do not? Gail Streete asks these important and disturbing questions in the context of early Christianity, looking at the stories of martyred women such as Thecla, Perpetua, and Felicitas--women whose stories helped shape Christian faith for centuries, yet are all but forgotten in the modern world. Streete reclaims these stories and relates them to tragic instances of martyrdom in our own world, pulling from stories as diverse as the victims of Columbine and female suicide attackers in the Muslim world. What do their deaths mean, and why do we find their stories so moving?

"God's eternal plan for us involves our body. We can't write off our physical life as spiritually irrelevant." — Sam Allberry There's a danger in focusing too much on the body. There's also a danger in not valuing it enough. In fact, the Bible has lots to say about the body. With the coming of Jesus, "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us"—flesh that was pierced and crushed for the sins of the world. In What God Has to Say about Our Bodies, Sam Allberry explains that all of us are fearfully and wonderfully made, and should regard our physicality as a gift. He offers biblical guidance for living, including understanding gender, sexuality, and identity; dealing with aging, illness, and death; and considering the physical future hope that we have in Christ. In this powerfully written book, you'll gain a new understanding for the immeasurable value of our bodies and God's ultimate plan to redeem them.

Have you ever asked yourself what changed when you were "born again?" You look in the mirror and see the same reflection - your body hasn't changed. You find yourself acting the same and yielding to those same old temptations - that didn't seem to change either. So you wonder, Has anything really changed? The correct...

Christopher West makes John Paul II's theology of the body available for the first time to people at all levels within the Christian community. Love, sexuality, and human flourishing are inseparable. Those who doubted this will find West's book a transforming experience, and those who have been wounded will find liberation and peace. A wonderful education on the meaning of being human. Christopher West teaches the theology of the body and sexual ethics at St John Vianney Theological Seminary in Denver. He is also visiting faculty member of the John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family in Melbourne, Australia.

A Clear Outline of Basic Christianity from Theologian J. I. Packer Followers of Christ grow spiritually by learning and living out the essentials of their faith, which are often taken for granted or overlooked in daily life. Renowned theologian J. I. Packer believed that Christianity is not automatic and must be learned by new believers and mature Christians alike. In Growing in Christ, Packer offers readers an easy-to-follow road map for studying theological topics, including the Apostles' Creed, the Lord's Prayer, the Ten Commandments, and baptism. Each chapter helps both new and lifelong believers examine what Packer calls "the intellectual ABCs" of the gospel so they can grow in faith. Covers Christian Themes in Depth: Including Christian convictions, communion with God, and code of conduct Great for Individual or Group Study: Each chapter ends with study questions and Bible passages Accessible: Written for Christians of all backgrounds and denominations, as well as the newly converted

Sexual brokenness permeates our culture and is often a source of fear, shame, or secret sin for emerging adults within the church. But as we experience love, joy, and intimacy with God and others, sexual shame and sin lose their power. Incorporating peer-to-peer leadership, this small group curriculum invites us to seek sexual maturity and discipleship in the context of community.

You are a sexual person. Whether you are single or married, a teenager or an older single adult, God created you as a sexual person. So how do we inhabit our sexuality in a way that brings honor to God? And what exactly is sexuality? Is it just sexual intercourse? Or is it perhaps something much greater? God created them male and female. From the moment of our conception, we are born in this act of creation as a sexual being. God's creation was the work of a master artist. It is vital that we discover both the artwork and the artist. God intended for sex to be a wonderful good. When someone allows God to guide them in how they engage in sex, it can be. However, sometimes sexuality has become a source of shame, guilt, pain, confusion, frustration, and sorrow. Sexual challenges can come from the choices we make, from the things that others do against us, and from the ways in which Satan has inundated the world with a tsunami of destructive words and images about sex. Those challenges can also come from the lack of being able to talk openly about sex. Perhaps you want to lead a life of sexual purity but you are finding it hard to find solid, biblical answers to some of the very real questions you have. You may feel like you've tried to bring up these things with those involved in your life but that you often receive the same-old trite and empty arguments about purity: "Just wait" or "Just repent" or "God has a plan. Be patient." So how do we reconcile God’s intricate and amazing plan for sex with the devastation, destruction, and frustration that sex outside of His plan can cause? How can we pursue purity and honor sexuality at the same time? What exactly is God's plan for sexuality for those who are not married? Redeeming Sexuality answers many of these and other questions that singles, teens, and parents ask the authors in their conferences and sessions, including: What is God’s plan for sex? How should single, working professionals, college students, teens, and all other unmarried individuals understand their sexuality in light of God’s plan? What is allowed and how far is too far? How can we have healthy, intimate connections with others? What is purity and how do we deal with temptation when it is so hard to escape? How do we work through the damage and pain that is already done? How can parents effectively communicate with their kids about sex? This comprehensive guide strives to bring clarity and understanding to topics that many Christians have trouble discussing. Journey with us as we discover a vibrant understanding of God's plan for redeemed sexuality.

We rarely give thought to our bodies until faced with a physical challenge or crisis. We have somehow internalized the unbiblical idea that the immaterial aspect of our being (our soul or spirit) is inherently good while the material aspect (our body) is at worst inherently evil and at best neutral--just a vehicle for our souls to get around. So we end up neglecting or disparaging our bodies, seeing them as holding us back from spiritual growth and longing for the day we will be free of them. But the thing is, we don't have bodies; we are our bodies. And God created us that way for a reason. With Scripture as his guide, theologian Gregg Allison presents a holistic theology of the human body from conception through eternity to equip us to address pressing contemporary issues related to our bodies, including how we express our sexuality, whether gender is inherent or constructed, the meaning of suffering, body image, end of life questions, and how to live as whole people in a fractured world.