The gospel presents a life-changing NUTS wisdom that conflicts with normal ways of making sense of the world. There is the World According to Normal. There is the World According to NUTS . . . where NUTS is an acronym for Never Underestimate the Spirit. The wisdom of Jesus is a NUTS wisdom.—From the book All people are different, but some are more different than others. Christians are meant to be the most different of all. Yet we often “normalize” God. We judge what is a successful Christian and a successful church by the world according to Normal, not the world according to NUTS, the wisdom of Jesus.In Jesus Drives Me Crazy!, Leonard Sweet reminds us of the “crazy wisdom” of Christ and how our lives and our churches can and should be different from the way “normal” people live. He says, “Jesus wants to drive you crazy . . . crazy in love with God, with life.” Jesus Drives Me Crazy! challenges you to make the upside-down wisdom of God your own, inspiring you to live an extraordinary Christian life that does not conform to the world, but transforms the world.When you truly grasp the freeing truth that we do not have to conform to this world, then you can become the crazy, zany, unpredictable, but powerful force for Jesus you were intended to be. Jesus Drives Me Crazy! shows how, by losing your mind, you can find your soul.

There is no available information at this time.

A Comprehensive Resource for Today’s Christian Communicators. This extensive encyclopedia is the most complete and practical work ever published on the art and craft of biblical preaching. Its 11 major sections contain nearly 200 articles, comprehensively covering topics on preaching and methodology, including: Sermon structure and “the big idea.” The art of introductions, transitions, and conclusions. Methods for sermon prep, from outlining to exercising. Approaches to different types of preaching: topical, expository, evangelistic, and more. Best practices for sermon delivery, speaking with authority, and using humor. Leveraging effective illustrations and stories. Understanding audience. and much more. Entries are characterized by intensely practical and vivid writing designed to help preachers deepen their understanding and sharpen their communication skills. The contributors include a virtual Who’s Who of preaching from a cross section of denominations and traditions, such as Dallas Willard, John Ortberg, Rick Warren, Warren Wiersbe, Alice Mathews, John Piper, Andy Stanley, and many others. Haddon Robinson and Craig Brian Larson—two of today’s most respected voices in preaching—provide editorial oversight. Includes audio CD with preaching technique examples from the book.

One of my most enjoyable and enlightening experiences was going to lunch with Troy Dungan. Not just any lunch, but the weekly Wednesday Bible study lunches where media folks from the Dallas Morning News and Troys WFAA-TV station would gather to hear Troys take on a Bible passage. His knowledge on the Scripture and his perspectives on life were always insightful and enriched my faith. They also strengthened my courage to face the rest of the week. This book is a must-read over and over. Stewart Lytle, journalist and novelist Gathering each week, we could almost smell the fish and spices from Jesuss breakfast fire. We prayed for Idgie the dog and for a child with cancer. Absorbing Troys poignant lessons, we tasted Jesuss own special sauce. These lessons enriched us; they changed our lives. Phil Oakley, journalist and author Troy Dungans studies are refreshingly creative and biblically on target. I love how he thinks about teaching the Scriptures. He makes me smile, laugh, and reflect on the Scriptures in a very personal way. I cannot help but think, I wish I had thought of it that way. I sat there with him on more than one occasion when he led these studies at Channel 8, and I watched God encourage people through his studies. God has gifted Troy with wonderful creativity and insight of getting to the point. Dr. Harold Habecker, longtime senior pastor of Dallas Bible Church, founder of Finishing Well Ministries

Jesus is as American as baseball and apple pie. But how this came to be is a complex story - one that Stephen Nichols tells with care and ease. Beginning with the Puritans, he leads readers through the various cultural epochs of American history, showing at each stage how American notions of Jesus were shaped by the cultural sensibilities of the...

Take my life or change it, Milta Velez declared to a God she had just met. With this statement, she challenged God while standing at the altar with a gun in her purse. She grew up in Manhattan at a time when womens liberation was born. She sought her identity in the nightclubs of New York. With five disastrous relationships, she was following in the footsteps of the Samaritan woman when Jesus touched her and saved her life. Tired and desperate, she surrendered to Jesus. During her walk with God, she struggled with the conversion of being a Christian because she didnt believe in miracles, until the day she decided to put Jesus to the test. Her first granted miracle enabled her to purchase her first home without any credit or collateral. Milta soon discovered that anything is possible in the name of Jesus. And that a dreamer in the hands of God can accomplish great things. Milta sets an example of what one can accomplish when one surrenders their hopelessness to God. Today she owns a travel agency, a restaurant, and the property.

"Have you ever wondered, ""Why am I here? What's gone wrong with the world? What is the answer? How will it all end? What do I have to do to know God?"" What's God up to on Planet Earth? offers a no-strings-attached presentation of the Christian message written for those who are seeking answers to questions like these.Mark Keown gives a compelling vision of a loving God whose desire is the restoration of the whole world. The book focuses on the individual person and how he or she fits into this inspiring vision. It is a must-read for those seeking to understand the Christian faith more. "

More than 50 years ago scientists made a remarkable discovery, proclaiming, "We have found the secret of life ... and it's so pretty!" The secret was the discovery that life is helixical, two strands wound around a single axis—what most of us know today as the model for DNA. Over the course of his ministry, author Leonard Sweet has discovered that this divine design also informs God's blueprint for the church. In this seminal work, he shares the woven strands that form the church: missional, relational, and incarnational. Sweet declares that this secret is not just pretty, but beautiful. In fact, So Beautiful! Using the poignant life of John Newton as a touchstone, Sweet calls for the re-union of these three essential, complementary strands of the Christian life. Far from a novel idea, Sweet shows how this structure is God's original intent, and shares the simply beautiful design for His church.

What goes through the mind of a person while having sex? Acclaimed story teller Robert Olen Butler turns his daring imagination to the intimate in his latest collection that both dazzles and probes. He lays bare the most flagrant, personal thoughts and feelings of fifty often surprsing couples. The author's meitculous research reveals that these famous people actually did get together and, almost certainly (he wasn't there), consummated their relationship. Erotic, provocative, political, and funny, each story illuminates the inner workings of these well-known people and also reveals the delights, deviousness, and distractions of intercourse. Butler is at his most entertaining and insightful in this wild and engaging new collection.