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.

A collection of paintings depicting the life of Christ structured around the prayers of the rosary.

Reprint of the original.

Becky Pippert's experience in evangelism and understanding of the mindset of non-Christians shines through on each page of these six Bible studies, written for a Christian to use with a group of interested non-Christians, helping them to meet the real Jesus. Christians using this resource on every continent have seen countless conversions; and now it has been redesigned to ensure that it appeals to people of every age and background.

Forgiveness is hard. But Jesus knows how much we need it. True forgiveness can be complicated because the pain of betrayal, loss, deception, and personal attack clings tightly to our emotions, memories, even our bodies. We may intend to forgive yet become stuck in our own mixed motives, others’ silence or anger, and the skewed stories we believe and tell about our lives. In The Ignatian Guide to Forgiveness, Marina McCoy delves into the principles of Ignatian spirituality and uses gentle honesty to lay out 10 steps toward forgiveness, including: • Sort out true desires • Honor anger while deepening compassion • Make friends with time • Create a new story • . . . and more. Each chapter offers stories, real-life steps to take, and a powerful prayer for healing Forgiveness is hard, but it’s also possible—with our “habits of mercy” and God’s abundant grace.