PART IV: In this final FREE SAMPLE READING installment of the "God Becomes Man" series, Simon carried the cross for Jesus. But when he heard that Jesus was still alive again, he had to find out the truth for himself. Meanwhile his two sons, Alexander and Rufus, hope to find nice Jewish girls to betroth while they are in Judea. The result is a Biblical adventure story filled with romance. The Pentecost events come to life for you and your children in "Simon's Own Cross" as the author depicts the wonder and the conflicts surrounding Jesus' many appearances following his crucifixion. Read about how the storm and the earthquake affected the people of that time, and how families were divided into separate faiths. As you read, you will be reminded of many facts which are often overlooked as we review these important events. But this is not the conclusion! The adventure that Jesus began is still in progress.

Why is it, asks Bishop Fulton Sheen, that one hears so often the expression "Go to hell!" and almost never the expression "Go to heaven!" Here, at his most penetrating, challenging, and illuminating best is Bishop Sheen with his answer, in a book that breathes new meaning into the truths about heaven and hell, and new life into the concepts of faith, tolerance, love, prayer, suffering, and death. Beginning with "The First Faint Summons to Heaven," Sheen shows how unpopular it is today to be a true Christian, and describes the struggle for living our faith amid the disorders of our times. Keenly aware of evil in the myriad forms it takes in today's world, Bishop Sheen writes about the constant battle man faces with the "seven pallbearers of character" - pride, avarice, envy, lust, anger, gluttony and sloth - linking them with the corrosive forces that never cease in their attacks on the Church and those who earnestly desire to be serious Christians. In Go to Heaven, a great spiritual teacher and writer, deeply aware of the human and spiritual conflicts being waged in the world, shows us the way to heaven in a most eloquent book, encouraging the reader to choose heaven now, and to understand the "reality of hell."

“Scripture frequently sums up a man’s life in a single sentence.” – Charles Spurgeon Inspired by the great preacher Charles Spurgeon, Warren Wiersbe launched a personal study of the lives of prominent Bible characters. Interested in more than biographical facts, Wiersbe sought out the themes of each person’s life as reflected in the pages of Scripture. How does the Bible summarize this person’s life? What is the key to understanding his or her character? How do I see my own life reflected in the life of this person? The Defining Verse takes you into the lives of sixty-three Biblical men and women who encountered an extraordinary God. For each, Wiersbe identifies a Scripture verse that sums up that individual’s life and then reflects on the lessons to be learned, both positive and negative. Now including a personal study for personal self-reflection, you will not only be challenged by these examples, you will be stimulated to consider what your “life sentence” will be. Previously released under the title Life Sentences.

The pieces are in place. The curtain rises for the final act. God is about to die. An unprecedented conspiracy of injustice, cruelty, and religious and political interests sentenced a man guilty of no crimes to the most barbaric method of execution ever devised. The victim was no mere man. Jesus was God in the flesh. The Creator of life died. How did such a thing come to be? Who were the onlookers, the players, the fakes, frauds, and heroes? What was it like in the Upper Room that night, in the shadows of Gethsemane, or in the Praetorium awaiting Pilate's verdict? What is the meaning of the last words Jesus uttered as He gasped for breath on the cross? What if all the facts you now so well could come alive in your ind and heart as a living story, rather than as a 2000-year-old ancient account? By piecing together the narrative from the perspective of the participants, John MacArthur invites you to relive the most awesome injustice in the history of man, the unparalleled triumph of the sovereignty of God, and the passion of Christ.

You've read about Jesus' death on the cross from Mary's perspective, the disciples', and the centurions'... but now, you get to glimpse Jesus' death through the eyes of an unlikely character who was "in the wrong place at the wrong time." Journey with Simon as he discovers who Jesus was, how his encounter changed his life, and how he came to recognize how his meeting with Him was actually very providential. Recognize the power in enduring our own crosses, and understand the transformational power of Jesus' death in a whole new way when you read Simon's story. You will enjoy reading this book with the whole family!

This engaging and inspirational book by Carl Lentz, the rock star pastor of Hillsong NYC, shows us the way toward a more connected, spiritually-grounded, and fulfilled life. When you think of a Christian pastor, you probably don’t envision a tattooed thirty-something who wears a motorcycle jacket, listens to hip-hop music, references The Walking Dead and Black Lives Matter in his sermons, and every Sunday draws a standing-room only crowd to a venue normally used for rock concerts—in godless New York City, no less. But then you clearly have never met Carl Lentz. As lead pastor of the first United States branch of global megachurch Hillsong, the former college basketball player is on a mission to make Christianity accessible in the 21st century. In Own The Moment, he shares the unlikely and inspiring story of how he went from being an average teenager who couldn’t care less about church to leading one of the country’s fastest-growing congregations—how one day he is trying to convince a Virginia Beach 7-Eleven clerk to attend his service, and just a few years later he is baptizing a global music icon in an NBA player’s Manhattan bathtub. Amid such candid personal tales, Lentz also offers illuminating readings of Bible passages and practical tips on how to live as a person of faith in an increasingly materialistic world. How do you maintain your values—and pass them onto your children—in a society that worships money and sex and fame? How do you embrace your flaws in this Instagram era that exalts the appearance of perfection? How do you forget about “living the dream” and learn to embrace the beauty of your reality? These are just a few of the many important questions Lentz answers in Own The Moment—a powerful book that redefines not just Christianity but spirituality as a whole.

Families are shaped one day at a time through the Word of God You want your children to become Christ followers, obedient to His commands, and fruitful in their faith, but where do you begin? Though there isn’t a formula or prescription for raising godly kids, what you desire for your family begins with heeding God’s instructions to remember and declare His faithful works to the next generation. Bestselling author and artist Ruth Chou Simons, along with her husband, Troy, are gratefully raising six boys on a firm foundation of God’s Word by preaching that truth to themselves and their family daily. In this book, they invite you to join them in the holy work of training children to know and love God for a lifetime. Foundations will help you direct your family one day at a time, as you explore 12 key truths that will help connect your children’s hearts—and yours—to the heart of God. With a simple, chapter-a-day format that includes Scripture, devotional thoughts, meditations, and discussion questions, this book will guide you in leading your family.

A Holocaust survivor's surprising and thought-provoking study of forgiveness, justice, compassion, and human responsibility, featuring contributions from the Dalai Lama, Harry Wu, Cynthia Ozick, Primo Levi, and more. You are a prisoner in a concentration camp. A dying Nazi soldier asks for your forgiveness. What would you do? While imprisoned in a Nazi concentration camp, Simon Wiesenthal was taken one day from his work detail to the bedside of a dying member of the SS. Haunted by the crimes in which he had participated, the soldier wanted to confess to--and obtain absolution from--a Jew. Faced with the choice between compassion and justice, silence and truth, Wiesenthal said nothing. But even years after the way had ended, he wondered: Had he done the right thing? What would you have done in his place? In this important book, fifty-three distinguished men and women respond to Wiesenthal's questions. They are theologians, political leaders, writers, jurists, psychiatrists, human rights activists, Holocaust survivors, and victims of attempted genocides in Bosnia, Cambodia, China and Tibet. Their responses, as varied as their experiences of the world, remind us that Wiesenthal's questions are not limited to events of the past.