Winner of the 2016 Religious Communication Association Book of the Year Award In God Mocks, Terry Lindvall ventures into the muddy and dangerous realm of religious satire, chronicling its evolution from the biblical wit and humor of the Hebrew prophets through the Roman Era and the Middle Ages all the way up to the present. He takes the reader on a journey through the work of Chaucer and his Canterbury Tales, Cervantes, Jonathan Swift, and Mark Twain, and ending with the mediated entertainment of modern wags like Stephen Colbert. Lindvall finds that there is a method to the madness of these mockers: true satire, he argues, is at its heart moral outrage expressed in laughter. But there are remarkable differences in how these religious satirists express their outrage.The changing costumes of religious satirists fit their times. The earthy coarse language of Martin Luther and Sir Thomas More during the carnival spirit of the late medieval period was refined with the enlightened wit of Alexander Pope. The sacrilege of Monty Python does not translate well to the ironic voices of Soren Kierkegaard. The religious satirist does not even need to be part of the community of faith. All he needs is an eye and ear for the folly and chicanery of religious poseurs. To follow the paths of the satirist, writes Lindvall, is to encounter the odd and peculiar treasures who are God’s mouthpieces. In God Mocks, he offers an engaging look at their religious use of humor toward moral ends.

Your God is too somber if your posture before him lacks a spirit of joy and a commitment to rejoice as much as possible. While life has its sadness and tragedy, the good news of Jesus Christ is that God's kingdom has won; and the suffering we face for a time is shorter compared with the endless delight that God promises. So, "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice!" (Phil 4:4). Your God is too somber if you embrace a theology of tears, rather than a theology of laughter. Of course, salvation and Christ's sacrifice are serious business, and we should engage in moments of penitential reflection, confession, and atonement. But all of this so we can shake off the shackles of our shortcomings and celebrate God fully and joyfully. Your God is too somber if you fail to see the humor in the Bible: the calls to joy, paradox, irony, burlesque, play, and wordplay. God laughs, sometimes with us, sometimes at us, and Jesus's humor is evident in parables and sayings, with the goal of teaching us the truth. Is your God too somber? This book aims to help you answer that question.

Winner of the 2018 Christian Book Award for Bible of the Year. The Swindoll Study Bible offers the best of Chuck Swindoll's wit, charm, pastoral insight, and wise biblical study directly to you as you study God's Word. Chuck's warm, personal style comes across on every page, and his informed, practical insights get straight to the heart of the Bible's message for the world today. Reading each part of this study Bible is like hearing Chuck speak God's Word directly to your heart. It will both encourage readers' faith and draw them deeper into the study of God's Word. In Chuck's own words: "This study Bible was designed with you in mind. As you read the Scriptures, imagine my sitting beside you and sharing personal stories, important insights, and hard-earned lessons that will encourage you to walk more closely with Jesus Christ. You'll discover the who, what, where, when, why, and how of the Bible: Who wrote it and when? What does it mean, and where did its events occur? Why should I trust it? And most importantly, how can I apply it today? "It's that last question more than any other that has fed my passion to publish this Bible. My primary focus in ministry has been teaching biblical insight for living . . . for genuine life change. After all, that's why God has communicated His Word to us--so that we may become like His Son, Jesus Christ, the central figure of this Book." Free app with purchase! App includes all content from The Swindoll Study Bible and can be used across multiple devices with your Tecarta app account. Available for iOS and Android. (Free app applies to print editions only.)

Winner of the 2018 Christian Book Award for Bible of the Year. The Swindoll Study Bible offers the best of Chuck Swindoll's wit, charm, pastoral insight, and wise biblical study directly to you as you study God's Word. Chuck's warm, personal style comes across on every page, and his informed, practical insights get straight to the heart of the Bible's message for the world today. Reading each part of this study Bible is like hearing Chuck speak God's Word directly to your heart. It will both encourage readers' faith and draw them deeper into the study of God's Word. In Chuck's own words: "This study Bible was designed with you in mind. As you read the Scriptures, imagine my sitting beside you and sharing personal stories, important insights, and hard-earned lessons that will encourage you to walk more closely with Jesus Christ. You'll discover the who, what, where, when, why, and how of the Bible: Who wrote it and when? What does it mean, and where did its events occur? Why should I trust it? And most importantly, how can I apply it today? "It's that last question more than any other that has fed my passion to publish this Bible. My primary focus in ministry has been teaching biblical insight for living . . . for genuine life change. After all, that's why God has communicated His Word to us--so that we may become like His Son, Jesus Christ, the central figure of this Book." Free app with purchase! App includes all content from The Swindoll Study Bible and can be used across multiple devices with your Tecarta app account. Available for iOS and Android. (Free app applies to print editions only.)

"Coded to the revised Strong's numbering system."

Summer Theme: God Genesis | Exodus | Proverbs | Hebrews | Joshua | Psalms |John Romans | Deuteronomy | Habakkuk | Acts This fall, our lessons focus on God, what it means that we are created in God's image, and what it means to worship God alone. The writer of the student book lessons is Clara Welch; the teacher book writer is Stan Purdum. God, the Creator This unit takes us through texts that help us discern what "Godness" is. The readings from Genesis present the Lord as the divine initiator of the cosmos and as the creator of humankind. The Exodus text reminds us that God is not limited to what we can know of or imagine about God, and that mystery remains part of God's nature. In Lesson 4, we learn about Wisdom as an essential part of who God is. And Lesson 5, invites us to consider Christ's role with God in the world's creation. These lessons encourage us to develop the spiritual practice of mindfulness. In God's Image This unit focuses on the human condition. Lesson 6 recalls the story of the sin of Achan, reminding us of the chasm sin imposes between ourselves and our Creator. Lesson 7 takes us to Psalm 51, which is a prayer that models the nature of penitence that asks God to bridge the breach caused by sin. Lesson 8 lets us hear Jesus talking about being born anew and how that provides entry into the kingdom of God. Lesson 9 takes us to a text in Romans, which enables us to consider what the redeemed life looks like. These lessons help us focus on the spiritual practice of confession. Worship This unit unites around the theme "objects of worship," with "objects" meaning not worship aids, such as candles and paraments, but those things we place ahead of God. In Lesson 10, we look at the first two of the Ten Commandments. Lesson 11 takes us to the story of the gold calf and gives us a chance to think about why we may deliberately choose to worship that which is not God. Lesson 12 reminds us that nothing we worship other than God can impart life. And Lesson 13 invites us to understand that the worship impulse is only satisfied when it is directed toward God. These lessons lead us deeper into the spiritual practice of worship. Published quarterly, each week's student book lesson features key verses, reliable and relevant biblical explanation and application, and more. Now, in response to feedback, we are introducing new features and benefits for students including: A comprehensive Bible study plan with more flexibility in terms of Scripture selection and topics. Observation of the church seasons, including Advent and Lent. Suggestions for developing spiritual practices (prayer, confession, worship, mindfulness, solitude, community, hospitality, neighboring, service, and celebration). One font size in the student edition to accommodate all readers. No printed Scripture text allowing you to choose your own Bible translation. Visit AdultBibleStudies.com and sign up for the FREE weekly newsletter to automatically receive the FREE Current Events Supplement and other information about these resources and more!