Have you ever looked more closely at the Easter story and wondered how Jesus' death on the cross transforms every day of your life? In The Gift of the Cross, beloved and trusted pastor Dr. Charles F. Stanley walks us through the Lenten and Easter seasons with biblical teaching on Christ's journey to the cross, the wonder of His divine resurrection, and what it all means for believers today. Discover how this one event forms the absolute foundation for everything Christians believe and will impact not just how you celebrate Lent and Easter but how you can experience joy and hope all year long. Both men and women will be encouraged in their faith walk as they focus on the truths that: you can find rest in the final work of the Cross Jesus lives and reigns and is intimately involved in your life you can start experiencing God's love and the promises of the resurrection today As Dr. Stanley leads you in this study, you will discover: a more meaningful way to observe and celebrate the Lenten and Easter seasons decades of biblical study and teachings on Jesus' life, death, and resurrection gorgeous photography alongside powerful scriptures and Dr. Stanley's insights Develop a deeper understanding of the Lenten and Easter seasons through The Gift of the Cross. Look for additional inspirational devotionals and biblical teaching from Dr. Charles Stanley: The Gift of Jesus The Gift of Prayer The Gift of Heaven Christmas: A Gift for Every Heart

Explore the freeing, life-changing nature of forgiveness...

A landmark in the conversation about race and religion in America. "They put him to death by hanging him on a tree." Acts 10:39 The cross and the lynching tree are the two most emotionally charged symbols in the history of the African American community. In this powerful new work, theologian James H. Cone explores these symbols and their interconnection in the history and souls of black folk. Both the cross and the lynching tree represent the worst in human beings and at the same time a thirst for life that refuses to let the worst determine our final meaning. While the lynching tree symbolized white power and "black death," the cross symbolizes divine power and "black life" God overcoming the power of sin and death. For African Americans, the image of Jesus, hung on a tree to die, powerfully grounded their faith that God was with them, even in the suffering of the lynching era. In a work that spans social history, theology, and cultural studies, Cone explores the message of the spirituals and the power of the blues; the passion and of Emmet Till and the engaged vision of Martin Luther King, Jr.; he invokes the spirits of Billie Holliday and Langston Hughes, Fannie Lou Hamer and Ida B. Well, and the witness of black artists, writers, preachers, and fighters for justice. And he remembers the victims, especially the 5,000 who perished during the lynching period. Through their witness he contemplates the greatest challenge of any Christian theology to explain how life can be made meaningful in the face of death and injustice.

Jesus died on the cross to save us. That is the turning point of history, the climax of the Bible and the heart of the Christian faith. Yet it is possible to become so familiar with the cross that it loses its impact on us. This book invites you to marvel at the death of Jesus and all that it achieved. Immerse yourself in God's salvation plan and enjoy the true freedom, forgiveness, justice, and purpose which we find only at the cross. Book jacket.

Are you flourishing in the life Jesus promised? Christians think of the cross as the instrument of their eternal salvation, not as the way to a beautiful life here and now.