In today's confused and confusing world, it is good to be shown once more that God is never absent. That is the heartening message of 'Ichabod toward Home'. In this volume one of today's most respected biblical scholars explores the nature of God's glory, using the engaging story of the ark of the covenant to illuminate the meaning of God's presence - not only for the ancient Israelites but for the whole world. Offering a unique entry into Old Testament theology, Walter Brueggemann examines 1 Samuel 4-6, the biblical text in which the ark of God is captured by the Philistines, seen to be a dangerous threat, and finally returned to Israel. In looking anew at what this story reveals about God's glory - or kabod, from which the name Ichabod derives - Brueggemann builds a powerful new theology of God's sovereignty. Additionally, Brueggemann demonstrates that this ancient story of the ark has profound relevance today. The three-day story of the ark's capture, detention, and return is transposed, first, into the three-day Christian story of Easter and, second, into the three days of the modern consumer weekend. In a provocative contemporary application of Old Testament theology, Brueggemann shows that the Ark narrative, in its rendering of God's glory, strongly contradicts the dominant narrative of our own culture, with its strident emphasis on self-indulgence, narcissism, and self-sufficiency.

A powerful and compelling new voice in Christian publishing, with a message urgently needed by today's Christian men. Every man encounters significant struggles in life—struggles that result in poor choices and decisions. Frequently these mistakes can be traced back to a common problem—a father who (even unintentionally) failed to provide counsel or a positive role model. In What Every Man Wishes His Father Had Told Him, author Byron Yawn offers vital input many men wished they had received during their growing-up years. This collection of 30 simple principles will help men to... Identify and fill the gaps that occurred in their upbringing Benefit from the hard-earned wisdom of others so they don't make mistakes Prepare their own sons for the difficult challenges of life The 30 principles in this book are based in Scripture and relevant to every man. They include affection, courage, balance, consistency, and more. A true must-read!

Swee Hong Lim and Lester Ruth have filled an important gap in the study of worship. Lovin’ on Jesus: A Concise History of Contemporary Worship is the first scholarly work of its kind on this topic. Lim and Ruth trace the origins and development of what we commonly call contemporary Christian worship, exploring it thoroughly and methodically. Their research includes early recordings and interviews with many who were directly involved in the early stages. The authors were students of James White, and their book is, in a sense, a much-needed addition to White’s classic Introduction to Christian Worship. The thematic structure of Lovin’ on Jesus mirrors that of White’s Introduction, making this book exceedingly useful for students and practitioners in the study of Christian worship as a whole. This is an essential resource for all students, scholars, worship leaders, and pastors who are serious about understanding the worship they lead. “Meticulously researched, accessibly written, generous in its praise, and balanced in its critiques—this is the book for which many of us have long been waiting.” —Melanie C. Ross, Assistant Professor of Liturgical Studies, Yale Divinity School, New Haven, CT “Particularly useful for teaching is the way Lim and Ruth organize their account by practices of time, space, music, prayer, technology, and scripture. This will immediately become a required textbook for the courses I teach on Christian worship.” —Ed Phillips, Associate Professor of Worship and Liturgical Theology and Coordinator of the Initiative in Religious Practices and Practical Theology, Candler School of Theology, Atlanta, GA “Readers will find Lim and Ruth’s one-of-a-kind history convincing and rigorous. The authors show how a modern genre of Christian worship claimed its place, what it all means, and where it is heading.” —Gerald Liu, Assistant Professor of Worship and Preaching, Princeton Theological Seminary, Princeton, NJ “Lovin’ on Jesus is an important book for every pastor, worship leader, and worshipper. This wonderfully prepared study will help you keep your worship experience biblically centered, dynamic, and growing.” —Rick Muchow, Founding Worship Pastor, Saddleback Church, worship leader and coach

The seeds for Worship HeartCries were planted years ago as I sat in a seminary class under Dr. T. W. Hunt. The Spirit of God used him to light a fire about worship in my heart that has been burning ever since. Now, after teaching about worship for twenty years in Latin America as a missionary and over ten years as a Seminary Professor, I am convinced there is a greater desire now to worship God than I have seen in years past. As great as the desire is, there seems to be more confusion as to what biblical worship is and even more confusion about what it looks like when we do it. If information alone could transform our worship, then we should have long since seen a revolution in our church services. But information is only part of the solution. Learning how to apply what we know may be the biggest challenge we face. One of the key issues is not so much the amount of content available about worship, but how to worship. My sincere desire is to help push back all the preconceived notions and give some practical helps as we gather together for corporate worship. Regardless of who may be on the platform, only God's Spirit can transform those moments together into what may be called "worship," and there are some definite things that the Body must do so that worship may occur. What are they? That's the heart of this book.

In this remarkable New York Times bestseller, Joel Osteen offers unique insights and encouragement that will help readers overcome every obstacle in their lives.