Malaysia-based online bookstore - 15 million titles - quick local delivery with tracking number
Pastor Dane Ortlund Explores Jesus's Heart to Reveal His Tender Love for Sinners and Sufferers
Christians know that God loves them, but can easily feel that he is perpetually disappointed and frustrated, maybe even close to giving up on them. As a result, they focus a lot--and rightly so--on what Jesus has done to appease God's wrath for sin. But how does Jesus Christ actually feel about his people amid all their sins and failures?
This book draws us to Matthew 11, where Jesus describes himself as gentle and lowly in heart, longing for his people to find rest in him. The gospel flows from God's deepest heart for his people, a heart of tender love for the sinful and suffering.
These chapters take us into the depths of Christ's very heart for sinners, diving deep into Bible passages that speak of who Christ is and encouraging readers with the affections of Christ for his people. His longing heart for sinners comforts and sustains readers in their up-and-down lives.
Experience the Depth of the Psalms with Pastor and Author Dane Ortlund
The Psalms could be called the Bible's devotional. Each psalm reflects on the greatness of who God is and how he cares for his people. Written with profound emotion, each psalm sheds light on the raw experiences of the human heart, revealing how God's people should turn to him in times of anguish, pain, remorse, joy, and thanksgiving.
In the Lord I Take Refuge invites readers to experience the Psalms in a new way through heartfelt devotional content written by Dane Ortlund. Each reading is short enough to read in five minutes or less and will encourage believers to thoughtfully ponder and pray through each of the 150 Psalms. To further enhance the reading experience, this book features the full text of the English Standard Version Psalms; a large font; and thick, cream-colored paper. All of these features, along with a helpful introduction on how to read the Psalms devotionally, encourage believers to pause and reflect on the riches of each text as they commune daily with the Lord. This book was previously published as the ESV Devotional Psalter.
Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. --2 Peter 3:18
How do Christians grow? Few question the call of the Bible to grow in godliness, but the answer to exactly how this happens is often elusive.
In this book, Dane Ortlund points believers to Christ, making the case that sanctification does not happen by doing more or becoming better, but by going deeper into the wondrous gospel truths that washed over them when they were first united to him.
Drawing on wisdom from figures throughout church history, Ortlund encourages readers to fix their gaze on Jesus in the battle against sin, casting themselves upon his grace and living out their invincible identity in Christ.
A Study Guide Companion to the Bestselling Book Gentle and Lowly
In his bestselling book, Gentle and Lowly, Dane Ortlund takes readers into the depths of Christ's very heart for sinners. Focusing on Jesus's words that he is gentle and lowly in heart, Ortlund dives deep into Bible passages that speak of who he most deeply is, encouraging readers with the affections of Christ for his people.
Designed to be used in conjunction with the book, the Gentle and Lowly Study Guide helps readers reflect further on this wondrous biblical reality. This accessible resource features discussion questions organized into 10 lessons, with each lesson covering 2-3 chapters from the book. Perfect for small groups and individuals alike, the Gentle and Lowly Study Guide can also be used with the Gentle and Lowly Video Study.
Concise Edition of Dane Ortlund's Book Gentle and Lowly, Edited for Young Readers, New Christians, and Seekers
When Christians struggle with sin, they can easily feel that God is close to giving up on them. But in Matthew 11, Jesus describes himself as gentle and lowly in heart, longing for believers to find rest in him. The good news of the gospel flows from God's deepest love for his people.
In this concise book adapted from the bestselling Gentle and Lowly by Dane Ortlund, readers will encounter Jesus's tender heart for sinners and sufferers. Written for a wide audience--including younger readers, new Christians, and anyone who struggles with reading--it features easy-to-read terms and helpful explanations. The chapters are also short enough to read at bedtime, around the dinner table, or during lunchtime. The Heart of Jesus dives deep into Bible passages that speak of who Christ is, comforting and sustaining readers with the affections of Christ for his people.
God's love is greater than even now you conceive.
The Bible says not simply that God loves but also that God is love (1 John 4:8, 16). Love, for the God of the Bible, is not one activity among others. Love defines who he is most deeply. A love so great and so free that it could not be contained within the uproarious joy of Father, Son, and Spirit but spilled out to create and embrace finite and fallen humans into it. Divine love is inherently spreading, engulfing, embracing, overflowing. He wants you to know a love that is yours even when you feel undeserving or numb. The love of God is not something to see once and believe and then move beyond to other truths or strategies for growing in Christ. The love of God is what we feed on our whole lives long, wading ever more deeply into this endless ocean. And that feeding, that wading, is itself what fosters growth.
Perhaps no passage takes us into the endless love of God for messy sinners as deeply as the end of Ephesians 3. In one of the most spiritually nuclear passages in all the Bible Paul prays to the Father that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith--that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. (Eph. 3:16-19). Here, Paul prays that the Ephesians would be given supernatural power--not power to perform miracles or walk on water or convert their neighbors, but power, such power, the kind that only God himself can give, power to know how much Jesus loves them. Not just to have the love of Christ. To know the love of Christ.
The love of Christ is as expansive as God himself. We can underestimate it. We always do. We can never overestimate it. Who are we--weak, faltering, mixed-motives we--to be filled up with the very fullness of God himself? How can the clay be filled with the fullness of the potter, the plant with the fullness of the gardener, the house with the architect? What breathtaking condescension, what astounding dignifying of us. Yet this is not something God relents to do, wishing he could be doing something else. Filling up his fallen people with his own fullness is what he delights to do. And how does he do this? What is the means by which he fills us with his own fullness? The text tells us: to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Knowing Christ's love is the means, and being filled with divine fullness is the purpose. We are infused with divine plenitude, fullness, buoyancy, joy, as we experience the love of Christ. We don't go out and attain divine fullness. We receive it. This is the surprise of the Christian life.
This love is the power that burst the created order into existence, and most supremely you, the pinnacle of creation. He created you in order to love you. He knit you together with his hands so that he could pull you into his heart. One day we will stand before him, quietly, unhurriedly, overwhelmed with relief and standing under the felt flood of divine affection in a way we never can here in this life.
Whether you have ignored it, neglected it, squandered it, misunderstood it, or hardened yourself to it--the Lord Jesus Christ approaches you today not with arms crossed but with arms open, the very position in which he hung on the cross, and he says to you: None of that matters right now. Don't give it another thought. All that matters now is you and me. You know you are a mess. You are a sinner. Your entire existence has been built around you. Step in out of that storm. Let your heart crack open to Joy. I was punished so that you don't have to be. I was arrested so you could go free. I was indicted so you could be exonerated. I was executed so you could be acquitted. And all of that is just the beginning of my love. That proved my love, but it's not an endpoint; it's only the doorway into my love. Humble yourself enough to receive it. Plunge your parched soul into the sea of my love. There you will find the rest and relief and embrace and friendship your heart longs for.
Go Deeper with this Companion Study Guide by Dane C. Ortlund
How do Christians grow? Few question the call of the Bible to grow in godliness, but the answer to exactly how this happens is often elusive. In Deeper, Dane Ortlund points believers to Christ, making the case that sanctification does not happen by doing more or becoming better, but by going deeper into the wondrous gospel truths that washed over them when they were first united to him.
Designed to be used in conjunction with the book, the Deeper Study Guide covers all 9 chapters of the book, with each chapter offering 10 reflection questions on the topics of despair, union, honesty, pain, and more. Whether readers choose to study alone or in a group, this guide will encourage them to fix their gaze on Jesus in the battle against sin--casting themselves upon his grace and living out their invincible identity in Christ.
Whoever comes to me I will never cast out.
John 6:37
John Bunyan is most famous for The Pilgrim's Progress, which is, besides the Bible, history's bestselling book. But he also authored fifty-seven other books. One of the loveliest is Come and Welcome to Jesus Christ, written in 1678. In this particular book he takes John 6:37 and zeroes in on it, looking at it from every angle, wringing it dry. He confronts our innate suspicions of Christ's deepest heart. Using his KJV rendering (Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out), Bunyan writes:
They that are coming to Jesus Christ, are often times heartily afraid that Jesus Christ will not receive them.
This observation is implied in the text. I gather it from the largeness and openness of the promise: I will in no wise cast out.
For this word, in no wise, cuts the throat of all objections; and it was dropped by the Lord Jesus for that very end; and to help the faith that is mixed with unbelief.
But I am a great sinner, say you.
I will in no wise cast out, says Christ.
But I am an old sinner, say you.
I will in no wise cast out, says Christ.
But I am a hard-hearted sinner, say you.
I will in no wise cast out, says Christ.
But I am a backsliding sinner, say you.
I will in no wise cast out, says Christ.
But I have served Satan all my days, say you.
I will in no wise cast out, says Christ.
But I have sinned against light, say you.
I will in no wise cast out, says Christ.
But I have sinned against mercy, say you.
I will in no wise cast out, says Christ.
But I have no good thing to bring with me, say you.
I will in no wise cast out, says Christ.
What is Bunyan after?
Jesus's statement in John 6:37, and the book Come and Welcome to Jesus Christ, and this quote at the center of that book, all exist to calm us with the persevering nature of the heart of Christ. We say, But I . . . He says, I will never cast out.
Fallen, anxious sinners are limitless in their capacity to perceive reasons for Jesus to cast them out. We are factories of fresh resistances to Christ's love. Even when we run out of tangible reasons to be cast out, such as specific sins or failures, we tend to retain a vague sense that, given enough time, Jesus will finally grow tired of us and hold us at arm's length. Bunyan understands us. He knows we tend to deflect Christ's assurances.
No, wait--we say, cautiously approaching Jesus--you don't understand. I've really messed up, in all kinds of ways.
I know, he responds.
You know most of it, sure. Certainly more than what others see. But there's perversity down inside me that is hidden from everyone.
I know it all.
Well--the thing is, it isn't just my past. It's my present too.
I understand.
But I don't know if I can break free of this any time soon.
That's the only kind of person I'm here to help.
The burden is heavy--and heavier all the time.
Then let me carry it.
It's too much to bear.
Not for me.
You don't get it. My offenses aren't directed toward others. They're against you.
Then I am the one most suited to forgive them.
But the more of the ugliness in me you discover, the sooner you'll get fed up with me.
Whoever comes to me I will never cast out.
The only thing required to enjoy such love is to come to him. To ask him to take us in. He does not say, Whoever comes to me with sufficient contrition, or Whoever comes to me feeling bad enough for their sin, or Whoever comes to me with redoubled efforts. He says, Whoever comes to me I will never cast out.
Our strength of resolve is not part of the formula of retaining his good will. When my two-year-old Benjamin begins to wade into the gentle slope of the zero-entry swimming pool near our home, he instinctively grabs hold of my hand. He holds on tight as the water gradually gets deeper. But a two-year-old's grip is not very strong. Before long it is not he holding on to me but me holding on to him. Left to his own strength he will certainly slip out of my hand. But if I have determined that he will not fall out of my grasp, he is secure. He can't get away from me if he tried.
So with Christ. We cling to him, to be sure. But our grip is that of a two-year-old amid the stormy waves of life. His sure grasp never falters. Psalm 63:8 expresses the double-sided truth: My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.
In his bestselling book, Gentle and Lowly, Dane Ortlund takes readers into the depths of Christ's very heart for sinners. Focusing on Jesus's words that he is gentle and lowly in heart, Ortlund dives deep into Bible passages that speak of who he is, encouraging readers with the affections of Christ for his people.
This Gentle and Lowly book and study guide set is ideal for small groups and individuals looking to read the book and reflect further on these key biblical truths. The study guide features discussion questions organized into 10 lessons, with each lesson covering 2-3 chapters from the book. This set can also be used in conjunction with the Gentle and Lowly Video Study, sold separately.
Grow Deeper in Faith with This Book and Study Guide Set by Bestselling Author Dane C. Ortlund
How do Christians grow? Few question the call of the Bible to grow in godliness, but the answer to exactly how this happens is often elusive. In Deeper, Dane Ortlund points believers to Christ, making the case that sanctification does not happen by doing more or becoming better, but by going deeper into the wondrous gospel truths that washed over them when they were first united to him.
This Deeper set includes a copy of the book and the companion study guide, with 10 reflection questions per chapter, to help readers explore the topics of despair, union, honesty, pain, and more. Ideal for small groups and individuals, these Deeper resources will encourage readers to fix their gaze on Jesus in the battle against sin--casting themselves upon his grace and living out their invincible identity in Christ.
A tremendous resource for those wanting to study and teach the Bible with an understanding of how the gospel is woven throughout Scripture. --Bryan Chapell, Pastor, Grace Presbyterian Church
The Knowing the Bible series is a resource designed to help Bible readers better understand and apply God's Word.
These 12-week studies lead participants through books of the Bible and are made up of four basic components: (1) reflection questions help readers engage the text at a deeper level; (2) Gospel Glimpses highlight the gospel of grace throughout the book; (3) Whole-Bible Connections show how any given passage connects to the Bible's overarching story of redemption, culminating in Christ; and (4) Theological Soundings identify how historic orthodox doctrines are taught or reinforced throughout Scripture.
With contributions from an array of influential pastors and church leaders, these gospel-centered studies will help Christians see and cherish the message of God's grace on every page of the Bible.
In his second letter to the church at Corinth, the apostle Paul defends the authenticity of his authority and teaching, helping his readers see that the gospel is full of seemingly paradoxical truths--strength from weakness, life through death, and comfort in affliction.
Highlighting how the gospel confronts our own culture's expectations and drawing implications for all of life, Dane C. Ortlund helps us discover the truth that the gospel humbles the powerful while strengthening the weak.
Pastor Dane Ortlund's Best-Selling Book Gentle and Lowly, Now in a Beautiful Gift Edition
Christians know that God loves them, but often think that he is perpetually disappointed and frustrated, maybe even close to giving up on them. As a result, they focus a lot on what Jesus has done to appease God's wrath for sin. But how does Jesus Christ actually feel about his people amid all their sins and failures?
In his best-selling book, Gentle and Lowly, Dane Ortlund takes readers into the depths of Christ's very heart for sinners. Focusing on Jesus's words that he is gentle and lowly in heart, Ortlund dives deep into Bible passages that speak of who he is, encouraging readers with the affections of Christ for his people. This gift edition features a TruTone cover, a ribbon marker, and a presentation page.
An Introduction to the Theology and Themes of 2 Corinthians by Dane C. Ortlund
Best known for its interpersonal, emotionally raw, and pastorally distressed tone, 2 Corinthians is one of Paul's most distinctive epistles. In this letter to his complicated church in Corinth, Paul aims to expand on the deeply paradoxical nature of the Christian life. The importance of understanding this key doctrine makes 2 Corinthians an ideal study for believers today.
In this volume of the New Testament Theology series, bestselling author Dane Ortlund explores 2 Corinthians to reveal the core arguments presented by Paul. Through clear and engaging theological examinations, Ortlund expounds two predominant themes--inaugurated eschatology and strength through weakness--and connects various other motifs traced throughout this epistle. Readers will learn how Christ's resurrection ushered in the new realm--one where life and ministry are flipped upside down, and God's power is intertwined with human weakness.
Jonathan Edwards is widely hailed as the greatest theologian in American history. In Edwards on the Christian Life, Dane Ortlund invites us to explore the great eighteenth-century pastor's central passion: God's resplendent beauty. Whether the topic was the nature of love, the preeminence of Scripture, or the glory of the natural world, the concept of beauty stood at the heart of Edwards's theology and permeated his portrait of the Christian life. Clear and engaging, this accessible volume will inspire you to embrace Edwards's magnificent vision of what it means to be a Christian: enjoying and reflecting of the beauty of God in all things.
Martin Luther's historical significance can hardly be overstated. Known as the father of the Protestant Reformation, no single figure has had a greater impact on Western Christianity except perhaps Augustine. In Luther on the Christian Life, historian Carl Trueman introduces readers to the lively Reformer, taking them on a tour of his historical context, theological system, and approach to the Christian life. Whether exploring Luther's theology of protest, ever-present sense of humor, or misunderstood view of sanctification, this addition to Crossway's Theologians on the Christian Life series highlights the ways in which Luther's eventful life shaped his understanding of what it means to be a Christian. Ultimately, this book will help modern readers go deeper in their spiritual walk by learning from one of the great teachers of the faith.
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.
Widely recognized as a pillar of 20th-century evangelicalism, J. I. Packer has had a profound impact on millions of Christians living today. Now in his late eighties, Packer still exerts an enormous influence on pastors and laypeople around the world through his many books, articles, and recorded lectures--works that overflow with spiritual wisdom related to the Christian life. In the latest addition to Crossway's growing Theologians on the Christian Life series, well-known pastor Sam Storms examines Packer's legacy when it comes to the Christian and sanctification. Whether exploring Packer's insights into prayer, Bible study, the sovereignty of God, or the Christian's fight against sin, this accessible book offers readers the chance to learn from the best of Packer's thinking on what true godliness really entails.
The importance of Dutch theologian Herman Bavinck to Reformed theology is difficult to overstate. Bavinck's comprehensive four volume systematic theology, Reformed Dogmatics, is a modern classic that has influenced countless pastors and theologians over the past 100 years. In Bavinck on the Christian Life, scholar John Bolt brings the great Dutch theologian's life and work to bear on following Jesus in the 21st century. By practically applying Bavinck's systematic works to the Christian life and looking at the life of the man himself, this book shows the direct connection between robust theology, practical holiness, and personal joy.
John Owen is widely hailed as one of the greatest theologians of all time. His many works--especially those encouraging Christians in their struggle against sin--continue to speak powerfully to readers today, offering much-needed spiritual guidance for following Christ and resisting temptation day in and day out. Starting with an overview of Owen's life, ministry, and historical context, Michael Haykin and Matthew Barrett introduce readers to the pillars of Owen's spiritual life. From exploring his understanding of believers' fellowship with the triune God to highlighting his teaching on justification, this study invites us to learn about the Christian life from the greatest of the English Puritans.
Part of the Theologians on the Christian Life series.
Dane Ortlund Explains That Hell Is Indeed Real, but Hope Comes through Jesus Christ
When individuals talk about an afterlife, they often talk about heaven and avoid any mention of hell. The idea of hell is uncomfortable and most people prefer to not discuss it. Given this reality, our society lacks an understanding of what hell is, why it exists, and how people can avoid it.
Pastor Dane Ortlund has written this Church Questions booklet to educate readers on the reality of hell and the hope found in Jesus Christ. Using a variety of biblical passages, Ortlund explains that God is just, righteous, and deals perfectly with humanity. In light of God's holiness and our sin, we fall woefully short of heaven. Humanity deserves hell, but heaven is offered to believers through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Bestselling Author Dane Ortlund Shares Daily Devotions through the Psalms, Now in a Beautiful Gift Edition
The book of Psalms could be called the Bible's devotional. Written with profound feeling, each psalm comforts and consoles us amid the raw experiences of life, revealing how God's people are free to turn to him in times of anguish, pain, remorse, joy, and thanksgiving.
In the Lord I Take Refuge invites readers to experience the Psalms in a new way through heartfelt devotional content written by pastor and bestselling author Dane Ortlund. Previously published as the ESV Devotional Psalter, each reading is short enough to complete in 5 minutes or less and will encourage believers to thoughtfully ponder and pray through all 150 Psalms, connecting each psalm to Jesus Christ. This book features the full text of the English Standard Version Psalms, a large font, and thick, cream-colored paper. All of these features, along with a helpful introduction on how to read the Psalms devotionally, encourage believers to pause and reflect on the riches of each text as they commune daily with the Lord. This gift edition features a high-quality TruTone cover.
Abide in my love. --John 15:9
As followers of Christ, we long to grow in godliness, but we often find ourselves stuck. Sin runs deep, we continue to fail, and we are easily tempted to give up. It doesn't have to be that way.
In How Does God Change Us?, Dane Ortlund explains how those united to Jesus Christ do not need to look anywhere but to Christ himself for real growth. We change by going deeper into the same truths that saved us in the first place. With timeless counsel from historical Christian figures, Ortlund shows you how to get traction in your spiritual walk, experience real change, and live out your invincible identity in Christ.
A tremendous resource for those wanting to study and teach the Bible with an understanding of how the gospel is woven throughout Scripture. --Bryan Chapell, Pastor, Grace Presbyterian Church
The Knowing the Bible series is a resource designed to help Bible readers better understand and apply God's Word.
These 12-week studies lead participants through books of the Bible and are made up of four basic components: (1) reflection questions help readers engage the text at a deeper level; (2) Gospel Glimpses highlight the gospel of grace throughout the book; (3) Whole-Bible Connections show how any given passage connects to the Bible's overarching story of redemption, culminating in Christ; and (4) Theological Soundings identify how historic orthodox doctrines are taught or reinforced throughout Scripture.
With contributions from an array of influential pastors and church leaders, these gospel-centered studies will help Christians see and cherish the message of God's grace on every page of the Bible.
The Gospel of Mark paints an important portrait of Jesus as Israel's promised Messiah. Mark's account also makes clear how Jesus' kingship confounds public expectations by emphasizing his humility, suffering, and sacrifice.
This accessible guide is filled with wise reflections on the biblical text and helps us understand what vibrant faith and authentic discipleship look like as we follow a rejected king.