When we look to the Bible for role models in our daily discipleship, we tend to think of Noah's obedience and David's bravery. Limping With God: Jacob and the Old Testament Guide to Messy Discipleship posits that we can also look to Jacob.

Jacob seems to be anything but a model disciple, though we can learn a lot from his journey.

He's a trickster, liar, and selfishly ambitious man who fathers children with four women and leads a dysfunctional family rife with jealousy and backstabbing.

But Jacob is also Israel, the namesake of the Old Testament community of God, chosen and blessed. As such, this sinner-saint, who limps along with the Lord, burdened by weakness and beset by problems, is the mirror image of all of us who follow Jesus.

In Jacob's life we see our lives, our struggles, our failures, and most especially the God who loves us and chooses us as his own. As we explore his bio, from his wrangling in the womb with Esau to his death as an old man in Egypt, we will learn more about ourselves and the God who is with us and for us in Jesus the Messiah.

From the author: I have entitled this book Limping With God instead of Walking With God or Running With God, not because there would be anything wrong with those metaphors, but because, as Jacob limped away from his famous wrestling match with God, so we all get by on bum hips and bad knees. Following Jesus, we gimp our way down the dark and slippery paths of life. As we do, we discover, ironically, that the longer we follow him, the weaker we become, and the more we lean on our Lord. Finally, at our most mature, our eyes are opened to realize that we've never run or walked or even limped a single day of our lives.

We've been on Christ's shoulders the entire time.

Unveiling Mercy will do just that--unveil how the mercy of God in the Messiah is spoken of from the very opening Hebrew word of the Bible, all the way to the closing chapter of Malachi. By the end of the year, you will have entered the Old Testament through 365 new doorways, looked with fresh eyes at old verses, and traced a web of connections all over the Scriptures that you've never spotted before. You'll begin to see what one person meant when he described Hebrew words as hyphens between heaven and earth.

Reading the Bible in translation can be like kissing the bride through the veil. Each of these 365 devotions is crafted so as to lift that veil ever so slightly, to touch skin to skin, as it were, with the original language. You do not need to know anything about Hebrew to profit from these meditations. They are not written to teach you the language of Abraham, Moses, and Isaiah, but to give you a taste of their insights, to expose you to their eloquence, to laugh with them at their winking wordplays, to un-English their idioms, and--most importantly--to trace their trajectories all the way into the preaching of the Messiah and the writings of his evangelists and apostles.

The creeds of the Christian church are far from empty traditions of a bygone era. They contain the essential teachings of the Christian faith and, as such, are the confession of Christians for all times.

The chapters of this book are concerned with the most basic creed--the Apostles' Creed. Each addresses a particular article within it and what it means to confess it. Far from being pious artifacts, they are gifts to Christians as they seek to always stand firm in the faith and remain united with Christ in his death and resurrection.

Much to the dismay of its critics, defending the Christian faith does not rest on a complicated, philosophical quest nor illogical assumptions. The task of defending the Christian faith - or Christian apologetics - is for every Believer. In this easy-to-read, beginners guide to Christian apologetics, scholar and apologist Dr. John Warwick Montgomery lays the groundwork for why the case for Christianity is factually and historically compelling as well as how we should defend the faith.

The book's three sections will lead you through the importance of Christian apologetics, issues the nonbeliever may raise, and how to bring the centrality of the faith - Christ on the cross - before atheists, skeptics and people from other worldviews.

For those who want a lighthearted yet thorough introduction to the how, why and what of Christian apologetics, this primer is a go-to guide for those who hope to be ready always to give an answer for the faith that is within (1 Peter 3:15).

The Lutheran in the title doesn't mean The Lutheran Toolkit is just for Lutherans. It's about a Lutheran witness for the whole church and for all sinners with ears to hear. It's a slender book about the big theological ideas the evangelical reformers of the 16th century used as a lens for understanding God's work in Christ.

Starting with Philiip Melanchthon's 1530 Augsburg Confession, which was drafted to defend the preaching and teaching of Luther and his colleagues, Ken Sundet Jones sees its primary themes as a set of tools that God uses to build faith in us. He takes the reader beyond scholarly analysis and historical explanations and uses his own experience as a college professor, parish pastor, and sinner looking for mercy, to discover God's handiwork in our lives.

Each chapter takes as its starting point one of the foundational ideas presented to the Holy Roman Emperor and representatives of the church, including Sin, God hidden and revealed, justification, ministry, the Christian life, the church, sacraments, and vocation. These are not simply theological categories for scholars to debate or historians to recount. They're the lived experience of the faithful from the first believers, to big thinkers like Augustine and Luther, to people in the pews, at the supper table, in their careers, and at their deathbeds throughout the ages.

The tools in this kit continually point to Jesus as the one who promises mercy and abundant life -- and who has the power to deliver them. This is a word for those who've not yet heard it and for those who desperately need to hear it again.

You've tried it all before. You've done the Bible reading plans until you reached the book of Numbers. You have prayer journals that are half full. You hunger for a deep, meaningful spiritual life, but are so weary of your own personal inconsistencies and life interruptions that it almost feels hypocritical to try again. It often feels like spiritual disciplines are for the privileged few theologians who contemplate God's word while sitting in their studies. But God doesn't ask for your performance in exchange for his love.

It's time to release the feeling of failure from your spiritual life and redeem the promised peace in the midst of a life full of exhaustion and interruptions. It's time to recognize its all about dependence on God. Ragged will give you a paradigm shifting approach to daily devotions. God intends to grow us in his love through all of of life's disruptions. Using scripture, you'll see how your relationship with God--from start to finish--is not dependent on your works but on the works of Christ.

The God of heaven and earth is no tightfisted, miserly deity who leaves us starving for mercy and begging for crumbs of grace. He is lavish. He gives and gives, then just when we think he can't possibly have more for us, he heaps on still more. He formed all creation for us, his sons and daughters. He fills us with forgiveness and life in his Son, Jesus, who is love in the flesh. All we are and all we have is from him. What's more, using us as his hands and feet, the Spirit cares for those around us, even as they care for us. United by faith to our Father and by love to our neighbor, we live in the freedom that comes from Jesus, whose cup of salvation overflows into our lives.

Faith Alone, written in 1943, is a prequel to Bo Giertz's better-known novel, The Hammer of God.

This is Bo Giertz's masterpiece-written with the doctrinal clarity and purpose of G.K. Chesterton and C.S. Lewis, the historical acumen of Bernard Cornwell, and the psychological insight of Kafka. The result is a Scandinavian Noir that cuts open the soul and lays it at the foot of the cross.

The novel begins in 1540 and ends in 1543, during which time the largest peasant revolt in the history of Scandinavia occurred under the leadership of Nils Dacke. The Dacke Rebellion, as it is known, started in the county of Småland but bled over into the Ydre district on Östergötland's southern border with Småland.

The plot follows the story of two brothers, Anders and Martin. It was the wish of their mother that these two brothers would become priests in the Catholic Church, and so they were both sent to study for the priesthood in the town of Linköping, Sweden, when they were quite young.

It was at this time that the Reformation began in Germany, and Sweden fought for independence from Denmark, breaking the Kalmar Union. German mercenaries hired by King Gustav Vasa to fight Danish troops brought Reformation literature with them. So, Martin became a Lutheran and left for Stockholm to work for King Gustav Vasa as a scrivener. His brother Anders continued with his studies and became a Catholic priest.

When the king has to pay his debt to Lubeck for the mercenaries he hired for the war, he confiscates the church's land, bells, silver, and gold to do so. With this he firmly declares his cause with the Reformation doctrine of Martin Luther. However, the people of Småland are fond of Roman Catholicism and chafe at Lubeck's measures. So, they rebelled. Anders takes up with their cause and joins with Nils Dacke and his men. Martin stays with the king, before becoming disillusioned and falling in with a group of Schwärmerei, or pre-Pentecostal legalists. As the war comes to an end both brothers are brought back to the Reformation faith through the patient shepherding of a Lutheran priest named Peder.

On any given Sunday the Christian approaches Christ who is present in Word and Meal. The songs, movements, and prayers that surround this Word and Meal are called the Divine Service. It is God's (divine) service to us and our proclamation of Christ's life, death, and resurrection to ourselves and anybody that enters the church on that Sunday.

One way to appreciate the traditional divine service is to see the life of Christ on display. The major events in the life of Christ are hinted at or explicitly mentioned in the classic order of service. We rightly plead for God's mercy when we enter his presence. God's answer is Christ. Traditionally Christians have sung the Christmas song Gloria to God in the highest after pleading, Lord, have mercy! With this reminder of Christ's birth we begin the story of Christ. Soon we wave our palm branches and sing Hosanna! on Palm Sunday. We cry the Good Friday prayer, Lamb of God . We eat with our resurrected Lord as did the Emmaus disciples, and we receive a blessing as we enter the same crazy world the disciples did after Jesus blessed them as he ascended into heaven.

This volume aims to teach the Divine Service to both the lifelong worshipper who was never taught why the church does the things the church does on Sunday mornings and the curious observer of this ancient tradition. It is divided into two parts. Part One: A Story of the Divine Service is a story of a young married couple encountering Christ's forgiveness at a church service and finding the ability to forgive each other. Part Two: The Life of Christ in Poetry and Prose explains the life of Christ as told in the classic Divine Service.

It is the hope that this book helps teach this beautiful but under-appreciated jewel of our Christian heritage.

How shall we live? What is the good life? What is the value of a person? What is my place in this world? Is God active in this world? These are questions that have been asked in every culture and in every era. From the Hebrew concept of Shalom (wholeness/well-being) to the Greek concept of Eudaimonia (happiness) and even to the American notion that all people have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, great thinkers have pondered what it means for humans to flourish.

The doctrine of vocation uniquely answers these questions. A certain level of security, prosperity, and freedom are essential components of human flourishing. God provides these components by working through humans in their stations in life such as parents and police (security), farmers and bankers (prosperity), and soldiers and governments (freedom).

And yet there is more for which we humans strive. We are the types of beings whose wonderment drives us to the pursuit of knowledge, justice, and achievement. In short, we desire to be justified. We want to be valued. We want to be right or just. We strive for epic-ness. But no mere human adulation will satisfy. Nor can we justify ourselves before God with our broken lives. God justifies Christians through Christ and then uses them. God adds another component to human flourishing: purpose. He uses Christians in his economy of love to take care of the world. He lifts us from the ordinary to accomplish the extraordinary even as we carry ordinary tasks. For the Christian these stations become callings or vocations.

This can only fully be appreciated if the Christian knows that he or she is free from pleasing God through works. Once the Christian is freed from this burden the whole of the Christian life is reoriented to the free exercise of love towards neighbor. It is the highest calling, the truly good, flourishing, and happy life.

John Warwick Montgomery takes fascinating look at the paranormal, the supernatural, and the hidden things, including prophecy, divination, poltergeist, cabala, extra-sensory perception, fairies, ghosts, astrology, and other bizarre phenomena.

Contents:
* Prologue. To the Reader Fascinated by the Occult
* Chapter One. But Is It Real?
* Chapter Two. A Bit of Hidden History
* Chapter Three. Cabala and Christ
* Chapter Four. The Stars and the Hermetic Tradition
* Chapter Five. The Land of Mordor
* Chapter Six. God's Devil: A Ghost Story with a Moral
* Epilogue. Before You Close the Creaking Door
* Supplement: The Church and Demonology

Also includes appendices and indices.

For the contemporary believer, Paul's role in the historical setting of the Resurrection is far more than a matter of theological curiosity. The Christian justification for rational belief in the Resurrection is in large part anchored in Paul's justification for rational belief in the authenticity of his own experience. In Paul we find the earliest and best attested documentary evidence for a historical investigation of the miraculous event. Moreover, his epistles are an indispensable source of independent corroboration of the gospel narratives.

Opponents of Christianity have formulated a variety of hypotheses to account for Paul's experience on the Damascus Road. Some propose that Paul was deceptive; others argue that he was deluded; and still others contend he came to believe a legendary development. Yet according to the Christian hypothesis, Paul's claim to have encountered the risen Jesus is dependable, and his testimony can be shown to withstand the scrutiny of critics. In this innovative, interdisciplinary study, Pagán combines the analytic tools of history and philosophy to explore and evaluate competing explanations of Paul's belief in the Resurrection of Jesus.

What treasures of the reformation can pastors, Christians and the church make use of today when trying to navigate burnout and scandal? What should a person look for in a church? Magnus Persson examines his own journey from popular preacher where church was a party, to the Lutheran faith and a pastor in the Church of Sweden where he relishes the liturgy nourished by historic roots using Luther's book On Council's and the Church to answer this question and explain his journey.

Originally titled Christ's Church, On the Marks of the Church Magnus shows the influence of Bo Giertz but also draws on many different influences from within and without the Lutheran tradition to explain how everything the church does needs to be focused on Christ crucified for you. Church is about communicating the forgiveness of sins Christ won for you on the cross to you. The church does this through the word, the liturgy, and the sacraments. Through these means the soul is nourished and matured to handle the distress and tribulation with which the world harries the church and her people. Here true rest is found for the souls of pastors battered by the pressure to be the next biggest church in town before they burnout and check out with scandal.

In 1933 a group of theological students in Berlin asked Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Hermann Sasse to work together with other theologians to come up with a confession that could be used to challenge nazi ideology and its inroads into the church bodies of Germany through the so-called German Christians who wanted to reshape Christianity into a worship of German ethnicity.

The result was the August Bethel Confession named after the town in which Sasse and Bonhoeffer worked together. Unfortunately, church bureaucrats got a hold of it and watered it down, and then it was forgotten for the Barmen Declaration what was much more heavily influenced by Reformed theology and concerns and failed to even take up the question of what place Jews had in the church.

This was a huge disappointment to both Bonhoeffer and Sasse who are largely regarded as two of the greatest Lutheran theologians of that era.

In Faith in the Face of Tyranny, Torbjörn Johannson takes a look at the work that both these men brought to the forgotten Bethel Confession to show just what a confessional response to national socialism and racism looks like. Today there are often calls for new confessions and declarations addressing different political ideologies and issues and well as cultural movements. This book shows what such a confession should look like and why as well as what considerations should be taken into account when looking at such a project.

Serpents in the Classroom answers questions that teachers, pastors, and parents often ask themselves. Despite their best efforts, why do children so often reject the Christian faith? The answer is found in the theological presuppositions that undergird much of contemporary education. Though the educational establishment often presents its models as products drawn from evidence-based research that is theologically neutral, they are anything but. Rather, they are founded on theologies that are diametrically opposed to orthodox Christian teaching.

Drawing on his experience as an educator, pastor, and professor, Dr. Korcok uncovers the theological tenets of some of the pedagogues who have been influential in shaping contemporary educational thought and discovers how they have intentionally designed education to turn children away from the Christian faith.

For the Christian teacher and parent, there is an alternative. Dr. Korcok presents the classical liberal arts education model that has served the church well for almost 2,000 years as a practical and theologically sound model of education for training a child for a life of faith.

Is Christian worship best conceived as a creative, Spirit-fueled experience that any formalized structure necessarily inhibits, or are there any biblical prescriptions around for worship that Christians were meant to follow?

In light of recent research from various disciplines-including history, psychology, and New Testament studies - In Defense of Christian Ritual: The Case for a Biblical Pattern of Worship argues the latter.

Specifically, this book will demonstrate three things.

• First, in contrast to the anti-ritualism so prevalent in modern churches, ritual's indispensable role in providing biblically-centered context and content is detailed.
• Second, contrary to modern opinion, a definite pattern of worship is shown to be present both in our earliest New Testament documents and the early church.
• Finally, new research will reveal that the assumptions about creativity lying at the heart of modern contemporary worship are fundamentally flawed.

Readers will discover that the apostolic teaching embodied in the church's early ritual, as expressed in its liturgy, was never intended to be outdated or rendered irrelevant in light of current fads. It was never meant to be a relic of the ancient past, but a structured way of bringing the memoirs of the apostles -that Jesus died for sinners- to God's people in the here and now.

The Freedom of the Christian was Martin Luther's first public defense of the doctrine of justification by grace through faith on account of Christ alone.

Luther's explosive rediscovery of the Gospel of Jesus Christ shattered the Church of Rome's foundation of works, which considered good works a part of salvation instead of a result of it. Here, Luther constructed a rich theology that relies on the full power of the Gospel, which not only grants saving faith but also nurtures that faith through good works done in the freest service.

This new abridged translation from Adam Francisco, featuring a brief essay from Scott Keith, leaves no doubt that the Christian, secure in Christ, is truly free-free from sin, death, and the devil, and free to serve their neighbor.

All three volumes of Crisis in Lutheran Theology deal with the issue of biblical inerrancy (that the Bible is completely true and accurate, not only when it speaks to ideas of religious belief, but also when it speaks about factual elements of history and science, properly understood). This issue rocked the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod back in the late 1960s and early 1970s, prompting the release of the first two volumes.

Volume 1 consists of essays by John Warwick Montgomery himself, and is addressed primarily to theologians.

Though obviously addressing themselves primarily to Lutheranism, the materials are, to a large degree, equally applicable to many of the other Christian communions and will be found to be extremely valuable in assessing the needs of a variety of denominations.

All Three volumes deal with the issue of biblical inerrancy (that the Bible is completely true and accurate, not only when it speaks to ideas of religious belief, but also when it speaks about factual elements of history and science, properly understood). This issue rocked the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod back in the late 1960s and early 1970s, prompting the release of the first two volumes.

Volume one consists of essays by John Warwick Montgomery himself, and is addressed primarily to theologians.

Volume two consists of an anthology by eight separate Lutheran contributors and is addressed to laymen as well as professional theologians.

Volume 3 is new, never before published material and consists of essays by Dr. Montgomery outlining a new challenge along the same lines. Dr. Jeffery Kloha suggested a few years ago with the latest critical edition of the New Testament (Nestle-Aland 28th Edition), because of the interchangeability of some variant readings, that we now had a plastic text. Dr. Montgomery goes up against this assertion with everything he has.

Though obviously addressing themselves primarily to Lutheranism, the materials are, to a large degree, equally applicable to many of the other Christian communions and will be found to be extremely valuable in assessing the needs of a variety of denominations.

Parables are some of the most familiar stories in the Bible, yet their interpretations and applications are anything but uniform. Scandalous Stories is a sort of commentary on these familiar stories that are steeped in God's offensive grace and loving mercy for sinners and saints alike.