Homosexuality has been at the forefront of debate in the church for the last quarter-century, with Biblical interpretation at the heart of this debate. Some biblical passages appear to condemn certain same-sex relationships or erotic practices, resulting in a challenge to clergy as well as laity regarding the preaching and understanding of these Biblical passages. In "The Man Jesus Loved," Jennings proposes a gay-affirmative reading of the Bible in the hope of respecting the integrity of these texts and making them more clear as well as persuasive. This reading suggests that the exclusion of persons on the basis of their sexual orientation or same-sex practices fundamentally distorts the Bible generally and the traditions concerning Jesus in particular.

Based on Kurt Bennett's popular-ish blog God Running, Love Like Jesus begins with the story of how after a life of regular church attendance and Bible study, Bennett was challenged by a pastor to study Jesus. That led to an obsessive seven-year deep dive. After pouring over Jesus' every interaction with another human being, he realized he was doing a much better job of studying Jesus' words than he was following Jesus' words and example. The honest and fearless revelations of Bennett's own moral failures affirm he wrote this book for himself as much as for others. Love Like Jesus examines a variety of stories, examples, and research, including: -Specific examples of how Jesus communicated God's love to others. -How Jesus demonstrated all five of Gary Chapman's love languages (and how you can too). -The story of how Billy Graham extended Christ's extraordinary love and grace toward a man who misrepresented Jesus to millions. -How to respond to critics the way Jesus did. -How to love unlovable people the way Jesus did. -How to survive a life of loving like Jesus (or how not to become a Christian doormat). -How Jesus didn't love everyone the same (and why you shouldn't either). -How Jesus guarded his heart by taking care of himself--he even napped--and why you should do the same.-How Jesus loved his betrayer Judas, even to the very end. With genuine unfiltered honesty, Love Like Jesus, shows you how to live a life according to God's definition of success: A life of loving God well, and loving the people around you well too. A life of loving like Jesus.

This stirring book explores Jesus's heart and compassion for every woman—giving them undeniable value and significance. Based on Jesus's encounters with women during the time of his ministry, this tender book uncovers how time and again Jesus went against the traditional conventions of his era by treating women with respect and love, showing the world what a vital role they play. Jesus lived in an era where women were considered property and of little value as significant individuals. But by following Jesus's example, readers will see how women should be cherished and uplifted. Each chapter touches on Jesus's interactions with a specific woman, their conversations, and the gifts he bestows upon her. One tells of the widow who was burying her son, only to have Jesus resurrect him. Another is of the woman who was crippled for eighteen years and how Jesus not only freed her from her physical malady, but freed her spirit as well. But more than a mere retelling of these encounters, this book is a love story—a romance between the Creator of the universe come to earth and the women he came to know. Through these women, we see his love and compassion for every woman, and we watch as he lifts us all out of our ordinariness into the sublime intentions he planned for us since the beginning of time.

The essence of spirituality is loving God, says Powell. The Bible, the Talmud, and the Qu'ran all direct their followers not merely to believe in God, to trust God, to obey God, and to serve God but to love God. But how does one do that? Can we learn to love God? In this biblical spirituality for today, Powell's earnest plea is for Christians to revisit their faith not by blazing in religious enthusiasm but by harboring a steadier flame and deeper commitment. Living at the poetic heart of faith, he argues, entails seeing the coordinates of religious life love, understanding, truth, hope and especially devotion in a new way. Powell espouses the old-fashioned idea of piety. Drawing on his wide knowledge of the Bible and Christian tradition, as well as insights from his own journey, he shows how simple religious practices move us beyond the old certitudes of a naove and youthful faith into the less certain but more bracing terrain of a second naovete, a closer walk with Jesus.

How close can we get to Jesus? How close do you want to get? Six circles of relationship formed around Jesus in his time on earth. In the outermost circle, the Crowds who were curious. Next, the Five Thousand who were needy, while the Seventy worked and served in Jesus’ ministry; then came the Twelve who walked with Jesus, the Three who suffered and celebrated with him, and finally the One who sat beside him at the Last Supper. Jesus’ closest follower listened more closely than any other, and recognized the Savior when no one else did. Scripture promises if you move closer to God, he will move closer to you. Wherever you are in your pursuit of Christ, you can draw closer still. In TheOne Jesus Loves, you will learn about each of the six circles, and what it takes to move further in, closer and closer to Jesus. Which circle are you in today? Jesus is calling you closer. "After reading The One Jesus Loves, you’ll not only understand how to deepen your relationship with God by drawing closer into His ‘circle of intimacy,’ you’ll also see how becoming a closer follower of Christ can improve every other relationship in your life." —Mark Batterson, author of The Circle Maker and lead pastor of National Community Church “This book itself will be a gift to you. Robert Crosby has not just studied the costly grace of Jesus; he's lived it. This grace is a pool of fathomless depths. The deeper we go, the more healing we find.” —John Ortberg, author of Who Is This Man? and senior pastor of Menlo Park Presbyterian Church

In his essay The End for Which God Created the World, the great theologian Jonathan Edwards proclaimed that God's ultimate end is the manifestation of his glory in the highest happiness of his creatures. Pastor John Piper has devoted his years of ministry to exploring the implications of this stunning truth for life and ministry. Understanding that God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him has made all the difference for John Piper-and can transform your life as well. Here Piper passionately demonstrates the relevance of Edwards's ideals for the personal and public lives of Christians today through his own book-length introduction to Edwards's The End for Which God Created the World. This book also contains the complete essay supplemented by almost a hundred of Piper's insightful explanatory notes. The result is a powerful and persuasive presentation of the things that matter most in the Christian life.

The day after Jesus' death, whatever small mark he made on the world seemed destined to disappear. Instead, his impact on human history has been unparalleled, leading believers and nonbelievers alike to ask, Who Is This Man? In Who Is This Man, bestselling author John Ortberg explores the paradox of Jesus, history's most familiar figure while simultaneously the man no one knows. Who Is This Man traces Jesus' incredible life and legacy from his days on Earth to the present moment, showing us: How his vision of life continues to haunt and challenge humanity The ways his influence has inspired movements in art, science, government, medicine, and education How his lessons about dignity, compassion, forgiveness, and hope continue to influence humanity Join John Ortberg as he shares how Jesus' influence has swept over history and how his vision of life continues to impact us today. Praise for Who Is This Man?: "Sometimes in the clutter and noise of 'religion,' we lose sight of who Jesus is. Once again, John Ortberg helps us do what he does best: he helps us see God as he really is and connect with him amid all the noise. This book is a gift." --Dr. Henry Cloud, psychologist, coauthor of the bestselling Boundaries books "We live in a period where the divide between the secular and the sacred has never been greater. Who Is This Man? bridges this gap by sharing in his inimitable and entertaining style the undeniable and profound impact of Jesus Christ on our world. His impact, over two thousand years later, is more profound on the day-to-day lives of people--believers or not--than the impact of any other person at any point in history. John shows how Christ came to teach us how to live and in the process changed the world forever and for good." --Ron Johnson, CEO, J. C. Penney