Like David. Outlaw. Cave man. Guerrilla. So how does the hero behave under pressure?The subject of this second volume on the life of David is his fugitive years, when his passion for God was stressed to the breaking point. He starts out holding Goliath's severed head and ends up weeping over the death of nemesis Saul and soul mate Jonathan. In between-he runs. At first the battlefield hero wins the hearts of the people and becomes a palace fixture. All is well in King Saul's court-until the women begin singing his praises. Now the rising star is a marked man with a price on his head. Dodging javelins, David succumbs to fear. He resorts to deception. Once he ran toward his enemies; now he runs from them. His only hope-his only help-is God. "The Lord is for me," he writes, "so I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?" (Ps. 118:6, NLT). This book is for all who walk through the valley of the shadow, who face the perfect storm of failure and disgrace. Before God can bring us into a spacious place, we must learn what David learned in the dark about God. God delivers. The storm will subside. Goliath will fall. But we must wait on the Lord.

In this book, Steven Mann highlights the role of theology in the story of David's departure and return as told in 2 Samuel 14-20. Mann's method of narrative analysis employs a philosophy of language called speech act theory. His primary interest is ways in which speech act theory has been applied to biblical narrative, and he concentrates specifically on speech acts that include theological propositional content, that is, words used to denote God. In this way, Mann analyzes the theological speech acts of the narrative and then suggests a way to view the narrative itself as a speech act. The thesis of this study is that speech act theory illuminates the integral role of theology in the story of David's departure and return. Theology is not merely one aspect of the story but is in fact a catalyst necessary to the plot. Furthermore, the act of telling the story as 2 Sam 14-20 does is the very act of portraying David's faith in Yhwh. David's speech acts demonstrate that he believes that Yhwh is someone who intervenes and who finds ways to bring his banished ones back to him. The narrative portrayal of David's faith can be understood as an illocutionary act, with the potential effect of encouraging an audience, a perlocutionary act. In other words, Man demonstrates that this story can inspire any readers who see this narrative as a story not only about David but about themselves.

"Join former NBC newsman and Meet the Press moderator David Gregory as he probes various religious traditions to better understand his own faith and answer life's most important questions: who do we want to be and what do we believe? While David was covering the White House, he had the unusual experience of being asked by President George W. Bush "How's your faith?" David's answer was just emerging. Raised by a Catholic mother and a Jewish dad, he had a strong sense of Jewish cultural and ethnic identity, but no real belief--until his marriage to a Protestant woman of strong faith inspired him to explore his spirituality for himself and his growing family. David's journey has taken him inside Christian mega-churches and into the heart of Orthodox Judaism. He's gone deep into Bible study and asked tough questions of America's most thoughtful religious leaders, including evangelical preacher Joel Osteen and Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the Catholic Archbishop of New York. It has brought him back to his childhood, where belief in God might have helped him through his mother's struggle with alcoholism, and through a difficult period of public scrutiny and his departure from NBC News, which saw his faith tested like never before. David approaches his faith with the curiosity and dedication you would expect from a journalist accustomed to holding politicians and Presidents accountable. But he also comes as a seeker, one just discovering why spiritual journeys are always worthwhile"--

A classic tale of bravery and faith in this inspiring retelling of a timeless Bible story. A long time ago, there was a giant named Goliath, who even the toughest soldiers were afraid to fight. But one young boy, David, was very brave, and he found the courage to stand up to Goliath. Armed with only his slingshot and his faith in God, David defeated Goliath and brought peace to his people. Share the classic, remarkable tale of David and Goliath with young ones in the third book of this delightful series. With stunning art by Helen Dardik and simplified text for little readers, The Story of David and Goliath is sure to become a perennial favorite for families.

In Matthew 10:16, Christ advised His Apostles to be "wise" and "innocent" as they go out "in the midst of wolves." This book shows Christians how to be wise and innocent as they work among people who sometimes behave like wolves. Temptation, greed, dishonesty, and misguided ambition have always presented challenges for Christians in the workplace. Add secular bias, political correctness, and persecution to the mix, and the modern workplace becomes a foreboding environment for Christians to navigate. This is so much the case, many Christians wonder if it is still possible to earn a living without compromising their faith. Christians on the Job does more than demonstrate that Christians can stand firm when confronted with faith-related dilemmas in the workplace. It also demonstrates how to go about it. Using concepts illustrated with real-life examples, steps to implement in specific situations, life application questions, and resources for going deeper, Dr. Goetsch draws a clear map to ensure Christians can find their way and thrive on the job.

Profound reflections on the cross that help you to meditate on and marvel at the sacrificial love of Jesus. This book can be used as a devotional, especially during Lent and Easter. These profound reflections on the cross from David Mathis, author of The Christmas We Didn’t Expect, will help you to meditate on and marvel at Jesus’ life, sacrificial death, and spectacular resurrection-enabling you to treasure anew who Jesus is and what he has done. Many of us are so familiar with the Easter story that it becomes easy to miss subtle details and difficult to really enjoy its meaning. This book will help you to pause and marvel at Jesus, whose now-glorified wounds are a sign of his unfailing love and the decisive victory that he has won: “He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5) This book can be used as a devotional. The chapters on Holy Week make it especially helpful during the Lent season and at Easter.

In this book, Steven Mann highlights the role of theology in the story of David’s departure and return as told in 2 Samuel 14–20. Mann’s method of narrative analysis employs a philosophy of language called speech act theory. His primary interest is ways in which speech act theory has been applied to biblical narrative, and he concentrates specifically on speech acts that include theological propositional content, that is, words used to denote God. In this way, Mann analyzes the theological speech acts of the narrative and then suggests a way to view the narrative itself as a speech act. The thesis of this study is that speech act theory illuminates the integral role of theology in the story of David’s departure and return. Theology is not merely one aspect of the story but is in fact a catalyst necessary to the plot. Furthermore, the act of telling the story as 2 Sam 14–20 does is the very act of portraying David’s faith in Yhwh. David’s speech acts demonstrate that he believes that Yhwh is someone who intervenes and who finds ways to bring his banished ones back to him. The narrative portrayal of David’s faith can be understood as an illocutionary act, with the potential effect of encouraging an audience, a perlocutionary act. In other words, Man demonstrates that this story can inspire any readers who see this narrative as a story not only about David but about themselves.