The average age of churchgoers in Britain is now 47. Almost every denomination is experiencing steady decline. How sure can we be that we are still offering something people want to hear? Alison Morgan identifies four clear reasons to be confident: 1. The gospel still speaks to confused teens and weary sceptics. By embracing doubts and welcoming questions it remains open to us to present something which answers people's real needs. 2. The word of truth and the Spirit of power still exercise authority and compel attention. Alison's own experience of ministry in the UK and abroad provides illustrations. 3. Spiritual gifts, given not to excite individuals but in order to renew the church for its core task of mission, are powerfully present and widely recognised and practised. 4. In a time of rapid cultural change, new expressions of church are constantly emerging: this is necessary to guard against vital spirituality sliding into drab religion.

This second edition of Jesus and the Gospels prepares readers for an intensive study of Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and the events they narrate. Craig Blomberg considers the historical context of the Gospels and sheds light on the confusing interpretations brought forth over the last two centuries. The original 1997 book won a Gold Medallion Award from the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association, and this updated version, factoring in new scholarship, debate, critical methods, and the ongoing quest of the historical Jesus, ensures the work will remain a top tool for exploring the life of Christ through the first four books of the New Testament.

Well organized and readily accessible, The Complete Book of Discipleship pulls together into one convenient, comprehensive volume relevant topics to discipleship such as: Spiritual growth Transformation Spiritual disciplines Discipleship in the local church and beyond Indexed for easy reference.

A Revised and Expanded Edition of What Are They Saying About Matthew? The sheer volume of scholarship on Matthew has grown even larger recently because of renewed interest in the Jewish background of Jesus and the New Testament. Donald Senior, distinguished biblical scholar, writer, and teacher, surveys a list of nearly one hundred new articles and books published in North America and internationally within the last decade. In a clear and readable fashion, Senior investigates and then explains the major issues that dominate the study of Matthew today: the background of the evangelist and his community, the structure and the purpose of the gospel, the relationship of the gospel to Judaism, and the gospel's portrayal of Jesus, discipleship, and church. What Are They Saying About Matthew? is a welcome resource for those who wish to benefit from this most comprehensive and reliable exploration of modern biblical scholarship. +

Gary Tyra's constructive study of the Sermon on the Mount seeks to revitalize discipleship by exposing and rooting out the modern incidence of Pharisaism (legalism, dogmatism, separatism, judgmentalism, etc.) among evangelical churches today.

Annotation. Arguing that crowds in the Gospel of Matthew serve as a theological entity that represent the people of Israel (as opposed to their leaders), Cousland (classical, Near Eastern, and religious studies, U. of British Columbia, Canada) explores how this representation sheds light on Matthew's relationship to Judaism. Although Matthew had broken with Jewish leadership, he still had hopes of converting the Jewish people to Christianity and this tension was displayed in the ambivalent manner in which crowds were portrayed in the gospel. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR.