A profound exploration of how to hold on to hope when our unchanging faith collides with a changing culture, from two respected Christian storytellers and thought leaders. “Offers neither spin control nor image maintenance for the evangelical tribe, but genuine hope.”—Russell Moore, president of ERLC As the pressures of health warnings, economic turmoil, and partisan politics continue to rise, the influence of gospel-focused Christians seems to be waning. In the public square and popular opinion, we are losing our voice right when it’s needed most for Christ’s glory and the common good. But there’s another story unfolding too—if you know where to look. In Gospelbound, Collin Hansen and Sarah Eekhoff Zylstra counter these growing fears with a robust message of resolute hope for anyone hungry for good news. Join them in exploring profound stories of Christians who are quietly changing the world in the name of Jesus—from the wild world of digital media to the stories of ancient saints and unsung contemporary activists on the frontiers of justice and mercy. Discover how, in these dark times, the light of Jesus shines even brighter. You haven’t heard the whole story. And that’s good news.

A tiny fig tree needs time to grow. But how much time? All four seasons go by . . . and there are no figs. The seasons pass again. Still no figs! Is the fig tree good for nothing? Inspired by the parable of the Barren Fig Tree, The Good for Nothing Tree reminds us that the sweetest figs, like many other things, are worth waiting for. Not every tree—and not every child—grows at the same pace. Yet patience, care, and love can change everything, making what may appear "good for nothing" very good. A note about the parable's New Testament origins and a recipe are included.

Modern-day Christians often bring their own presuppositions and assumptions to the reading of the Bible, not realizing how deeply their understanding of Christ's life and teachings is affected by a 21st-century worldview. In Understanding Jesus, author Joe Amaral delves deep into Jewish history, societal mores, and cultural traditions, closing the gap created by geographical distance and over two thousand years of history. Using a chronological approach to the life of Christ, he guides the reader through significant events such as Jesus' birth, baptism, and crucifixion, pointing out illuminating details that that the Western mind would normally miss. Amaral's premise is that to understand Jesus, we must understand the time and place in which he was born, the background from which he drew his illustrations, and the audience he spoke to. Throughout the book he explores specific terms, places, and events for their significance and shows how they add richness and meaning to the text. Topics include the connection between Jesus and John the Baptist, the annual Feasts and why they are important to modern Christianity, Jewish customs such as foot-washing, clean and unclean foods, paying tribute to political governments, and the significance of various miracles. In Understanding Jesus, Amaral draws back the curtain on a way of life that existed during the reign of the Caesars, and in doing so, reveals truths about the way we live more than two thousand years later, half a world away.

John Bunyan's The Barren Fig Tree; or The Doom and Downfall of the Fruitless Professor (1688) is an exposition of Luke 13:6-9, concerning a barren fig-tree and a man. A professor planted a fig tree in his vineyard, but it bore no fruits for three years. Now the professor is doomed and cursed to death. Bunyan goes through the parable word by word, explicating its metaphors and their relevance to the life of the modern sinner.

Peter Rhea Jones has spent the majority of his career studying and teaching the parables. Studying the Parables of Jesus is a primer on the historical and -literary approaches to biblical study. It informs and inspires in dialogue with contemporary methods and contemporary meanings. It provides an introduction to the methods of interpretation of the parables as well as an opening chapter on the recent history of interpretation. The chapters of exegesis approach a select group of parables for a more intensive analysis. While reserving much of the technical details for the endnotes, the text includes -discussion of critical issues and alternative opinions. Questions and exercises are appended at the close of each chapter for personal use or classroom -discussion.

The overall aim of this investigation of Mark 11.12-14, 20ff. is to ascertain the attitude to the Temple taken by the author of the earliest Gospel and his community. More specifically, it is a meticulous study of the most curious of all the Synoptic miracle-stories, in which the place of the story within the Markan redaction and subsequently in the Synoptic Gospels is explored. The study also entails a detailed exploration of the story's origin, background and Sitz in Leben prior to Mark, involving thorough consideration of the Old Testament and Jewish background of its motifs.

Over 2000 years ago Jesus invited his followers to a new life, empowered by the saving grace of God. Jesus in-filled them with spiritual knowledge and asked them to develop certain attitudes and life-styles so that they may possess this new life. Do you want to be blessed by this new life but unsure of how to achieve it? Dr. Timothy Maurice Pianzin's spirit-filled book entitled, Discovering the Truth of Jesus' Parables in the light of its Historical, Geographical and Socio-cultural Setting uncovers the hidden meanings contained in Jesus' parables and gives you understanding on how to live life that will qualify you to claim your inheritance in heaven. Don't hesitate, read Dr. Timothy Maurice Pianzin's excellent guidebook to the parables of Jesus now. If you read Discovering the Truth of Jesus' Parables with a receptive heart and mind, the life-saving Words of Jesus will comes alive and transforms your life to live it in the fullness of God's grace. Dr. Timothy Maurice Pianzin has doctorates in Biblical Theology and Sustainable Development. For the last thirty years he has been a devoted Bible scholar and has participated in many Bible courses and seminars. He has also traveled extensively in the lands that Jesus once walked and preached, and has painstakingly researched on the background to Jesus' parables-which became the basis for writing of this book. In addition he has also contributed in the teaching the Bible for over twenty years, covering most books of the Bible and many other biblical topics. In his professional life he has written many reports for the United Nation, Commonwealth Secretariat and other institutions. Since his retirement from consulting works, he has devoted his life to make the Word of God better known.