In 1998, Pastor Tim Davis created the CleanLaugh e-mail list as a way of quickly sharing clean humor with his family and friends. Soon after, people from around the world began to find the list and sign up for their daily joke. Over time Pastor Tim's CleanLaugh list has become a trusted source of humor that will lift one's spirit without causing one's face to blush. As such, it has often been printed and taken or snail mailed to nursing homes, prisons, and service men and women stationed around the world. Pastor Tim's CleanLaugh Collection is another convenient way to send clean humor to friends and family who are not online. Of course you don't have to give away every copy. Take one with you on your travels so you can easily find that "pick me up laugh" we all need from time to time.

Every preacher, teacher, or writer knows the value of a good illustration in helping connect the truth of the passage with the congregation or class—and how hard it is to come up with good illustrations week after week. This book contains the cream of the crop: 1001 illustrations carefully selected from among thousands on Christianity Today International’s popular website PreachingToday.com. These illustrations are proven, memorable, and illuminating. As the saying goes, they will preach! And they’re fresh, all written within the past seven years. Of course the best illustrations are no good if you can’t find the right one. These illustrations have been arranged according to twelve master topics, each divided into several subtopics. Further, they’ve been indexed according both to Bible references and to 500 keywords. A searchable CD-ROM is included, allowing you to get the illustration into your lesson or sermon with ease.

Grounded Truth for Life’s Perplexing Questions The NIV Understand the Faith Study Bible, with content from Christianity Today International, provides a deep grounding in Scripture and gives you solid understanding for discussing your faith with others. You will value the way this Bible keeps the joyful, astounding nature of the gospel always in view when addressing doctrine and the pressing questions about what Christians believe. Its content will help you understand what you believe and why, while inspiring you to live for God. Features: Complete text of the accurate, readable, and clear New International Version 104 Everyday Faith devotions use stories and anecdotes to illuminate God’s glorious nature 25 Culture Connections articles highlight customs, holidays, proverbs, stories and sayings from around the world to illustrate classic Christian doctrines 40 Living Parables commentaries demonstrate how contributions of past Christians remain important today 75 Doctrine 101 articles explore the doctrines that have become the bedrock of Christian belief and why in today’s world they are vital to know and believe 12 Up for Debate tables present multiple viewpoints on topics about which believers disagree 8 charts and graphs provide summaries of various theological concepts and arguments Foreword by Christianity Today managing editor Mark Galli

Designed to encourage readers to spend time reading and meditating on the truth of God's Word, these brief devotions, based solidly in Scripture, are ideal for reading over morning coffee, waiting in the car for children after school, or anytime people “on the go” want to make the most of just a few minutes. These devotions will encourage men and women to meditate on God's Word daily, even in the midst of a busy, active schedule.

Gain the skills and knowledge needed to create effective data security systems This book updates readers with all the tools, techniques, and concepts needed to understand and implement data security systems. It presents a wide range of topics for a thorough understanding of the factors that affect the efficiency of secrecy, authentication, and digital signature schema. Most importantly, readers gain hands-on experience in cryptanalysis and learn how to create effective cryptographic systems. The author contributed to the design and analysis of the Data Encryption Standard (DES), a widely used symmetric-key encryption algorithm. His recommendations are based on firsthand experience of what does and does not work. Thorough in its coverage, the book starts with a discussion of the history of cryptography, including a description of the basic encryption systems and many of the cipher systems used in the twentieth century. The author then discusses the theory of symmetric- and public-key cryptography. Readers not only discover what cryptography can do to protect sensitive data, but also learn the practical limitations of the technology. The book ends with two chapters that explore a wide range of cryptography applications. Three basic types of chapters are featured to facilitate learning: Chapters that develop technical skills Chapters that describe a cryptosystem and present a method of analysis Chapters that describe a cryptosystem, present a method of analysis, and provide problems to test your grasp of the material and your ability to implement practical solutions With consumers becoming increasingly wary of identity theft and companies struggling to develop safe, secure systems, this book is essential reading for professionals in e-commerce and information technology. Written by a professor who teaches cryptography, it is also ideal for students.

This second book in the Perfect Illustrations series contains 300 more anecdotes and illustrations for pastors, writers, teachers, and other Christian communicators on a variety of topics. Each entry includes Scripture references, cross-references to related topics, and an anecdote or illustration, and its source.

Who were the men called by Jesus? Among the twelve disciples were two sets of brothers – Peter and Andrew, James and John – and a man named Matthew. If we were selecting individuals to follow Jesus, these men would have never been on our list. But Jesus saw something in them we could never see. Peter, Andrew, James, and John made their livelihood fishing in the Sea of Galilee. Matthew collected taxes for the hated Roman empire. Each was an average man just going about his daily business. But Jesus turned their lives upside down by calling to them, saying, “Follow me.” Just as his call changed their lives, it can change your life, too. Billy Joseph Stines, who served almost forty years at six churches scattered around North and South Carolina, explores why you should listen to the call of Jesus. He also urges readers to stop dismissing those parts of the Bible that do not fit their idea of who God is. Instead of seeking peace through compromise, the goal must be to discover the truth – Jesus Christ.