Kirjahaku

There are many biblical stories which can be considered spiritual favorites, "greatest hits" even. Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Noah and his ark. Moses and the crossing of the Red Sea. Daniel in the lions den. The Christmas story. Paul on the road to Damascus. This book isn't about any of these stories.In the pages of Hidden Treasures, the latest by pastor and author Judson Edwards, we go a bit off the beaten, scriptural path to meet unfamiliar people and visit unusual places. You'll meet Bezalel, Ahimaaz, and Diotrephes. You'll make stops in books rarely visited, like Lamentations, Habakkuk, Haggai, and 3rd John. Even if you've spent a good part of your life studying the Bible, you'll probably go places in this book that you've seldom been before. As you wander the back roads of the Bible, you'll be impressed with the people you meet and the sights you see. You might even come to believe that there are truths to be learned on the back roads that can't be learned anywhere else.Each chapter is accompanied by a list of questions for reflection and study that will help you draw insights from these stories into your own life.

In Making the Good News Good Again, Judson Edwards asks questions shared by many longtime Christians: wouldn't it be great if the Bible fascinated us once again? Wouldn't we do almost anything to sense the presence of God anew in our lives? Wouldn't we pay almost anything to get the wonder back?Wonder is the fuel that keeps Christians going, the element that makes our faith contagious and alive-and it is the greatest need in our churches today. With so many of our spiritual tanks running low, we need to splash around in grace a while and come out laughing and feeling frisky again. Making the Good News Good Again will help readers hear with new ears the sweet, undistilled melody of the gospel.

Judson Edwards believes that it is important for Christian writers to strive to be among the best writers in the world. Following the example of the Apostle Paul, we can see ourselves as stewards of God's mysteries, polishing the message until it shines.In Blissful Affliction: The Ministry and Misery of Writing, Edwards draws from more than forty years of writing experience to explore why we use the written word to change lives and how to improve the writing craft. Simultaneously informative, educational, and inspiring, Edwards' latest work is a guided tour of what it means (and what it takes) to suffer the curse of so beloved an affliction.

In Quiet Faith, Judson Edwards writes, "For all of the fine qualities we introverts bring to the table, the truth remains that we are typically viewed as people in need of a personality upgrade. Those of us who are active in the church find that to be especially true in the community of faith. We are consistently, though subtly and indirectly, reminded that we need to be bolder, louder, and more certain in our faith. If we ever really got filled with the Spirit, the church seems to suggest, we would become extroverts."In eight finely crafted chapters, Edwards looks at key issues like evangelism, interpreting the Bible, dealing with doubt, and surviving the church from the perspective of a confirmed, but sometimes reluctant, introvert. In the process, he offers some provocative insights that introverts will find helpful and reassuring.Quiet Faith offers a thoughtful, honest, and entertaining look at what it means to be a Christian in the twenty-first century.

In Bugles in the Afternoon, Edwards writes, "My long experience in the church has convinced me that most ministers-both professional and lay-spend time under the juniper tree. Those ministers who have served more than ten years and not been depressed, discouraged, or disillusioned can hold their annual convention in a phone booth. The rest of us, if we're honest, will admit that we occasionally visit the juniper tree . . . ."In eight honest and helpful chapters, Edwards probes the shape of modern ministry and the stresses that plague ministers. He explores ways to survive church conflict and how to know when it is time to leave the steeple. His fresh, thoughtful insights will encourage anyone trying to minister in a complex world.Bugles in the Afternoon is one juniper tree survivor guiding other juniper tree sufferers toward hope.

Tired from too much marching and not enough dancing . . . Judson Edwards sought a faith that went beyond severity, beyond the "witnessing buttons" and skipped proms of his youth. In Dancing to Zion, he shares the results of his seeking: a vision for Christianity, imbued with joy.In thirteen chapters, Edwards explores how love, grace, sin, and responsibility can converge to form a joyful faith. He exposes challenges to a dancing kind of Christianity while offering the lessons he learned on his road to greater joy.For those of us who are worn out from responsibility, guilt, and expectations, Edwards lays out the dance floor, marks the soft spots, and even teaches us a few steps.

Readers who embark on a study of 1, 2, 3 John and Jude will encounter writers with a passion for learning and living the truth. If there is one verse in the Bible that captures the theme of these four letters, it is John 8:32, where Jesus says, "You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free."First John focuses on the truth about loving God, the truth about loving people, and the truth about the difference Jesus makes. Second and Third John and Jude all focus on the truth about bad religion and how Christians must take a stand against bad teaching, bad leading, and bad living within the church. This study will focus on those four truths and guide readers on a quest for truth in our day.To read these old letters is to read the words of people who loved the truth, especially the truth they had discovered in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This was the truth they held most dear, the truth that had transformed their lives, and the truth they felt was under attack in the early church.Studying these four letters will challenge readers to consider their own truth-the truth that governs their lives and the truth they feel is worth living and dying for. In a world where truth is a slippery reality, 1, 2, 3 John and Jude remind us that truth does exist and that truth still sets people free.This Teaching Guide for the Smyth & Helwys Annual Bible Study on 1, 2, 3 John and Jude includes teaching options, suggested worship and sermon outlines, and approaches to leading discussions and group study. This study also includes relevant lesson plans for including youth and children in a congregational study of 1, 2, 3 John and Jude.

Readers who embark on a study of 1, 2, 3 John and Jude will encounter writers with a passion for learning and living the truth. If there is one verse in the Bible that captures the theme of these four letters, it is John 8:32, where Jesus says, "You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." First John focuses on the truth about loving God, the truth about loving people, and the truth about the difference Jesus makes. Second and Third John and Jude all focus on the truth about bad religion and how Christians must take a stand against bad teaching, bad leading, and bad living within the church. This study will focus on those four truths and guide readers on a quest for truth in our day. To read these old letters is to read the words of people who loved the truth, especially the truth they had discovered in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This was the truth they held most dear, the truth that had transformed their lives, and the truth they felt was under attack in the early church. Studying these four letters will challenge readers to consider their own truth-the truth that governs their lives and the truth they feel is worth living and dying for. In a world where truth is a slippery reality, 1, 2, 3 John and Jude remind us that truth does exist and that truth still sets people free. This Study Guide for the Smyth & Helwys Annual Bible Study on 1, 2, 3 John and Jude serves three purposes: to educate the learner on major issues of appropriate interpretation, to offer an overview of theological themes, and to build the learner's Bible study skills by reviewing significant interpretations.

The first four lessons in this unit draw inspiration from a traditional interpretation of the Advent candles as the Prophets' Candle, the Bethlehem Candle, the Shepherds' Candle, and the Angels' Candle. The final lesson, which occurs after Advent, celebrates the theological meaning of Jesus' birth as described in the prologue to John's Gospel.In the first lesson, taking our cue from the Prophets' Candle, we delve into some of the prophetic words about the Messiah in the book of Isaiah. As we study these Old Testament prophecies, we will ask ourselves, How is God present in my life-yesterday, today, and tomorrow?In honor of the Bethlehem Candle, we move in the second lesson to the little town of Bethlehem, a most unexpected place to serve as the birthplace of the King. Through what unexpected sources might God want to bless us? As we think about ancient Bethlehem, we will ponder this question.The third lesson reminds us of the Shepherds' Candle. Shepherds were considered untrustworthy and irreligious, so it is surprising that God chose shepherds to receive the news of Jesus' birth. We also may sometimes feel unworthy of God's love. The lesson invites us to think about the kinds of people God uses.In the fourth lesson, we focus on the Angels' Candle and ponder the angel's difficult message to Mary. What hard thing might God call us to do?Finally, in the fifth lesson we explore what it means that "the Word became flesh and lived among us" (Jn 1:14). We conclude our study by asking a practical question: How is the birth of Christ relevant to my life?May these sessions help us celebrate with new meaning the birthday of the King.