The Letter to Philemon is one of the most beautiful rhetorical letters written by Paul--and yet, at the same time, perhaps the most underread letter in the New Testament. Paul wrote this letter out of love, hoping to persuade the slave master Philemon to choose compassion rather than follow the typical Roman attitudes towards slaves; to treat Onesimus as a brother in Christ rather than as an inferior, subhuman chattel. This letter is not only theologically important but also important in a practical sense because it is more than mere words--it is a testimony. In order for readers to better appreciate the true depth of the meanings in the letter, this book is written in a rather creative way. Each chapter begins with a selected scene from the movie Les Miserables, to introduce the key theme of the chapter. Then the author will interpret the details of the text of the letter and the other relevant texts in the Pauline corpus. The final section of each chapter is a creative story, based on the text and historical context. The purpose of inventing these creative stories is to help readers better grasp the historical context and, most importantly, the rhetoric in the letter.

When it comes to disagreement, we are in perpetual fight-or-flight mode. Rather than respond with a posture of compassion and connection, we are encouraged to "resist" others personally and politically. Either we engage in fruitless arguments with people who refuse to see things our way or we retreat to our echo chambers where everyone agrees with us. But the real resistance, the kind that helps us grow, is learning to love others--especially those who disagree with us. If you're tired of seeing your real-life and online communities in turmoil and you long to be an agent of peace, understanding, and reconciliation, it's time to join a new kind of resistance movement--one that pushes us toward personal transformation. Grounded in Scripture and illustrated with compelling true stories, this new book from Ashley Abercrombie will help you gain the confidence to communicate and connect with others, stop avoiding necessary tension, and resolve your internal and external conflicts. When we make love our habitual reaction to the conflicts and divisions in our lives, we'll find that we can stay true to our convictions without sacrificing our relationships.

The Letter to Philemon is one of the most beautiful rhetorical letters written by Paul—and yet, at the same time, perhaps the most underread letter in the New Testament. Paul wrote this letter out of love, hoping to persuade the slave master Philemon to choose compassion rather than follow the typical Roman attitudes towards slaves; to treat Onesimus as a brother in Christ rather than as an inferior, subhuman chattel. This letter is not only theologically important but also important in a practical sense because it is more than mere words—it is a testimony. In order for readers to better appreciate the true depth of the meanings in the letter, this book is written in a rather creative way. Each chapter begins with a selected scene from the movie Les Misérables, to introduce the key theme of the chapter. Then the author will interpret the details of the text of the letter and the other relevant texts in the Pauline corpus. The final section of each chapter is a creative story, based on the text and historical context. The purpose of inventing these creative stories is to help readers better grasp the historical context and, most importantly, the rhetoric in the letter.

DO YOU LOVE YOURSELF? Most people have never even asked themselves that question, let alone know how to answer it. This is because we live under a modern plague, where masses struggle to love themselves as God loves them. Very few understand how to love themselves in a healthy way and have no tools to break free from the resistance that blocks them. Jesus said that we are to love our neighbor "as ourselves." Yet that phrase seems to be the most ignored command of the Bible. The fruit of our relationships hinges on our ability to loves ourselves with the love that God has for us. So many struggle in a daily battle that keeps them from the freedom that love has. In this book, Mark will utilize his personal freedom experience and over 20 years working with people to unlock the missing link to powerful relationships. In this book, you will be equipped to move into the power of self-love by: - Learning what healthy self-love is and what it is not. - Identifying the resistance that blocks people from loving themselves. - Observing how a lack of self-love affects every area of our lives. - Unlocking practical ways to gain freedom and to love yourself as God does. - Receiving important tools that you can practice immediately to overcome. - Putting healthy self-love into action to give and receive love powerfully!

Arianne knew Luc before he went away, of course she did. Everyone in Samaroux knows each other. When he returns after five years, the spark between them reignites and becomes something more, but will the war let them be together? As the two teens fall deeply in love, their world starts to crumble around them. German forces, reeling from defeats in the east, are closing in, and Luc, desperate to atone for his family's past, wants to join the resistance. Arianne will do anything to keep him safe, but in such a small village, Luc is not alone in his love for Arianne. And Luc's rival just might be a traitor. How far will they go to protect what they believe in? And what will they do for love?

A lesbian love story set during the Nazi occupation in Holland.

A sharp and entertaining essay collection about the importance of multiple forms of love and friendship in a world designed for couples, from a laser-precise new voice. Sometimes it seems like there are two American creeds, self-reliance and marriage, and neither of them is mine. I experience myself as someone formed and sustained by others' love and patience, by student loans and stipends, by the kindness of strangers. Briallen Hopper's Hard to Love honors the categories of loves and relationships beyond marriage, the ones that are often treated as invisible or seen as secondary--friendships, kinship with adult siblings, care teams that form in times of illness, or various alternative family formations. She also values difficult and amorphous loves like loving a challenging job or inanimate objects that can't love you back. She draws from personal experience, sharing stories about her loving but combative family, the fiercely independent Emerson scholar who pushed her away, and the friends who have become her invented or found family; pop culture touchstones like the Women's March, John Green's The Fault in Our Stars, and the timeless series Cheers; and the work of writers like Joan Didion, Gwendolyn Brooks, Flannery O'Connor, and Herman Melville (Moby-Dick like you've never seen it!). Hard to Love pays homage and attention to unlikely friends and lovers both real and fictional. It is a series of love letters to the meaningful, if underappreciated, forms of intimacy and community that are tricky, tangled, and tough, but ultimately sustaining.