In the city of Rigid Creek, ugly things have come to blot out the light. Corporal Joshua Marks struggles with his place life. A veteran officer and respected leader, he’s reached the end of his tenure. Widowed, months from retirement, called to the priesthood. His partner, Officer Bale Hammond, a once respected hotshot who has slowly left a trail of errors and questionable actions. Burned-out, unsatisfied, tortured. As autumn settles along the city, a man robs a liquor store for some quick cash but winds up leaving two dead bodies. The murderer escapes the police, only to be squeezed by both his dealer and his loan shark for more. Always more. Tensions escalate as both Corporal Marks and Officer Hammond reach impasses in every aspect of their lives as well as their partnership. All the liquor store robber sees is an ever-increasing amount to his debt. A fantastic storm on Halloween. Violation and carnage. Extreme failures. Corporal Marks looks at his world crashing around him, wanting to save his friend and partner from his self-induced downward spiral. Wanting to show him the light cannot be blotted out, even when they’re in full dark. Officer Hammond wants to fix his broken life, but only has broken tools to use. Wants to stop feeling like a corpse with a pulse only because even death isn’t through with him yet. They all want redemption, but violence keeps getting in the way.

The publication of the King James version of the Bible, translated between 1603 and 1611, coincided with an extraordinary flowering of English literature and is universally acknowledged as the greatest influence on English-language literature in history. Now, world-class literary writers introduce the book of the King James Bible in a series of beautifully designed, small-format volumes. The introducers' passionate, provocative, and personal engagements with the spirituality and the language of the text make the Bible come alive as a stunning work of literature and remind us of its overwhelming contemporary relevance.

The national directory addresses the dimensions and perspectives in the formation of deacons and the model standards for the formation, ministry, and life of deacons in the United States. It is intended as a guideline for formation, ministry, and life of permanent deacons and a directive to be utilized when preparing or updating a diaconate program in formulating policies for the ministry and life of deacons. This volume also includes Basic Standards for Readiness for the formation of permanent deacons in the United States, from the bishops' Committee on the Diaconate, and the committee document Visit of Consultation Teams to Diocesan Permanent Diaconate Formation Programs.

God has written a story. Ponder that thought for a moment. That is a startling statement. The God of the universe, the only one true God, has written a story, a comprehensive narrative of what has been, what is, and what will be. And not only has God written a story, but he wrote it to be read and understood by the highest form of his creation, his magnum opus--humans. He wrote his story so that every person he has made, every person on whom he has stamped His image, might comprehend and embrace it. That means he wrote his story with you in mind. “If you ever wished for a single work whose design is to bring you up to speed in your understanding of Scripture...this is the book.” John MacArthur, Pastor, Grace Community Church and Grace to You "...a rich resource providing the Christian with a thorough knowledge of the narrative of Scripture...I highly commend this book.” Stephen J. Lawson, President, OnePassion Ministries “this book...begins with a study of the Bible, then takes us through its key events: Creation, Fall, Israel, Christ, Church and Glory...with good depth that will assist anyone, from a young believer to the oldest pastor. I heartily recommend it to everyone.” Dr. Tom Halstead, Dean, School of Biblical Studies, The Masters University

Originally published in 1906, Rev. Dr. George Campbell Morgan’s The Practice of Prayer is a devotional commentary on effective prayer. The book will provide the reader with an invaluable tool, intended to enhance personal prayer lives, in turn leading to a deeper understanding of prayer, and God.

Vicious hate crimes are rocking the LGBTQ+ community in Accra, and prejudice and politics threaten to stymie PI Emma Djan’s investigation. Author Kwei Quartey tackles a real-life—and deeply personal—issue as an anti-gay bill threatens to tear Ghana apart. Marcelo Tetteh, a twenty-seven-year-old LGBTQ+ activist, is butchered one night after being lured on a dating app to a deserted building site. With rampant homophobia in Ghana, Marcelo’s wealthy father doesn’t trust the Ghana Police Service to find the killer, so he goes to the Sowah Private Investigators Agency for help, partly because he still feels guilty for disowning his son when he came out. PI Emma Djan is assigned the case but quickly learns of a complication that prevents her from teaming up as usual with Jojo, her trusted colleague. Emma is the only one at work who knows Jojo is gay, and now he reveals something else: for some time, Jojo was dating Marcelo, the victim. Working with Manu, whom she’s never gotten along with, Emma goes undercover in the International Congress of Families, a powerful organization seeking to criminalize homosexuality in African countries. As Emma infiltrates the ICF, she uncovers a web of deceit and hypocrisy and discovers that the mastermind behind the murders is someone much closer than she ever imagined. Emma must race against time to unmask the killer, protect the vulnerable LGBTQ+ community, and bring justice to the victims, all while navigating the dangerous waters of politics, power, and personal secrets.

An invitation for overachievers to discover what it means to rest as God's daughters without compromising their God-given design as doers. Are you a Martha who feels guilty for not being a Mary? Do you want to sit at Jesus’s feet as Mary did—but you feel the need to get things done? In Made Like Martha, Katie M. Reid invites you to exchange try-hard striving for hope-filled freedom without abandoning your doer’s heart in the process. Through her own story and rich biblical illustrations, Katie reminds you that it’s not important whether you sit and listen or stand and work. What matters is that your spiritual posture is one of a beloved daughter who knows she doesn’t need to earn God’s love. Your desire to get things done is not something to temper but something to embrace as you serve from a place of strength and peace—knowing Christ already did His most important work for you on the cross. With “It Is Finished” activities at the end of each chapter and a fiveweek Bible study included, Made Like Martha helps you find rest from striving even as you celebrate your God-given design to “do.” “Made Like Martha will infuse your life with a fresh perspective as you learn both to embrace your God-given personality and also discover how—and when—to rest and retreat.” —Karen Ehman, Proverbs 31 Ministries speaker and New York Times bestselling author of Keep It Shut