Life’s hurdles and challenges can sometimes breed cynicism and smother our devotion to God. That’s what the Israelites faced as they tried to rebuild the temple. But God did not abandon them in their despair. Instead, He sent prophets Haggai and later Malachi to encourage them. Take a journey through the books of Haggai and Malachi, and be encouraged by God’s promises and love as you gain the courage to trust Him with your disappointment and move on with hope and joy. The Journey Through series provides assistance to those who desire to spend time with God in His Word, book by book. The daily insights will help Christians discover the precious, life-transforming wisdom of the Bible, inspiring them towards a closer walk with God.

With Journey through the Old Testament, you'll gain a solid grasp of the major themes and stories of the Old Testament. Journey through the Old Testament helps you explore God's original design for humanity; track the major themes of the Old Testament's prophetic and poetic books; trace the story of redemption through the Old Testament books of the law, prophets, and writings; discover the parts of the Old Testament that foretell and foreshadow the developments that occur in the New Testament; and summarize the grand story of the Bible in the Old Testament in a way that people can understand and apply to their lives. This book is a solid foundation of essential biblical knowledge of the Old Testament for your personal study of the Scriptures. Start your journey through the Old Testament today.

Writing in a conversational rather than a scholarly tone, Paul Redditt assumes little or no prior knowledge of the Old Testament as he presents and introduces the Major and Minor Prophets in the canonical order of the English Bible. The chapters of Redditt's Introduction to the Prophets discuss the place of each book in the canon; the literary setting of each book; their structure, integrity, and authorship; the main genre(s) in each; special features of each book; basic emphases of each book; and problems -- theological, literary, or historical -- raised by a study of the book. Among other things, Redditt demonstrates that the prophets were both "foretellers" and "forthtellers," and he argues that the Old Testament prophets developed the concept of monotheism. Each chapter ends with questions for further reflection. Concluding the volume are a helpful glossary and several indexes.

This extract from the Eerdmans Commentary on the Bible provides Rogerson and Carroll R.'s introduction to and concise commentary on Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. The Eerdmans Commentary on the Bible presents, in nontechnical language, the best of modern scholarship on each book of the Bible, including the Apocrypha. Reader-friendly commentary complements succinct summaries of each section of the text and will be valuable to scholars, students, and general readers. Rather than attempt a verse-by-verse analysis, these volumes work from larger sense units, highlighting the place of each passage within the overarching biblical story. Commentators focus on the genre of each text—parable, prophetic oracle, legal code, and so on—interpreting within the historical and literary context. The volumes also address major issues within each biblical book—including the range of possible interpretations—and refer readers to the best resources for further discussions.

Travel Straight Through the Events of Scripture Imagine how your understanding of the Bible could grow if you knew how every part and player fit together on the stage of time! Bible scholar Ron Rhodes, author of the popular book The End Times in Chronological Order, now presents a spectacular bird's-eye view of God's larger work—past, present, and future. You'll see... who was used by God to display His glory and spread His message what key happenings shine a light on God's will throughout the ages when the true stories of Scripture took place—in order where these events unfolded, and the direction humanity is headed why it's important to study these details found in God's Word Are you ready to take the tour? Experience the wonder of knowing your Bible better—and let this inspire you to draw closer to God than ever before.

A Journey through the Catechism: Unveiling the Truth, Beauty, and Goodness of the Catholic Faith is the comprehensive resource for Catholics who want to be better informed about their faith. Building on Michael Pennock’s longtime bestseller This Is Our Faith: A Catholic Catechism for Adults, this companion to the Catechism of the Catholic Church retains the favorite question-and-answer format combined with Fr. Daniel J. Mahan’s pastoral and open-minded approach. Fr. Mahan, director of the USCCB’s new Institute on the Catechism, provides concrete answers to questions about God, faith, and the Catholic Church that many people wonder about. He does not shy away from the more challenging questions; when an answer seems difficult, he offers practical advice with compassion and encouragement. Organized around the four pillars of the Catechism—creed, sacraments, Christian life, and prayer—A Journey through the Catechism uses personal reflections, sound reasoning, and practical examples in a question-and-answer format to teach how Catholics: profess their faith worship live their lives in society pray “You were born for much more than you can imagine. You are meant for God. You are meant to live with God and enjoy great happiness,” says Fr. Mahan. “By picking up this book, you have taken the first step to discover or deepen your connection to God and to delve more deeply into the great mystery of your relationship with Jesus Christ and the Catholic Church. This book is intended to guide you along this journey. Be assured as you read this book that you are loved by God and God has a plan for you.” Accompanied by enriching videos featuring Fr. Mahan as well as captivating pull-out features including maps, photo essays, and graphic organizers, this book offers an immersive learning experience. Furthermore, a free, online comprehensive guide to the Lectionary connects questions from the book to themes in the Sunday readings for all three cycles and holy days, making it a perfect resource for homilists. Also included in the Lectionary guide are discussion questions that connect the themes of the Sunday readings to topics in the book, making them ideal for discussion at both Sunday dismissal sessions and further catechetical sessions during the week. Whether you’re a new convert, returning to the faith, or a seasoned Catholic, A Journey through the Catechism will lead you to discover the truth, beauty, and goodness that lie at the heart of Catholicism.

Whoever starts on a Journey should be prepared for surprises! The Old Testament offers a wealth of wonderful stories. The stories talk about people who are on a quest for God with all their heart and soul. About skeptics, unhappy people, and enthusiasts. About people just like you and me. About life as it is. With all its worries, anxieties, and unfairness. But also about God who makes His face shine upon us. Who does not abandon us. We should not deprive our children of this hope. If we read these stories with them, we can awaken their longing for God. We may perhaps also arouse their curiosity. And touch their heart and move their mind with pictures from two thousand years of art. Thus igniting a life-long journey in search of God. With easy-to-understand picture explanations for children and textual commentaries for adults. A read-aloud book for children ages 5 and up, a book to be read on one’s own for children ages 8 and up, and a book to lose yourself in for adults of all ages.

The fifth volume of A Journey Through Torah is designed to help believers of all generations and ages to understand God’s Word, as it pertained to the original readers, many years ago and to us, today. I have allowed Scripture to interpret Scripture, within the explanation portion of each weekly reading. Providing additional information in the ‘Deeper Understandings’ section adds depth and helps to further the reaer’s knowledge base.

Taken together, the nine prophets found in the books Obadiah through Malachi lived during a tumultuous two hundred years of Israelite history. Their communities dealt with the crisis of the impending Assyrian threat in the eighth century and the Babylonian exile in the sixth, as well as the hopeful age of restoration in the late sixth and early fifth centuries. Intimately connected to the travails and needs of their communities, these prophets had the responsibility of bringing God's message of hope - even in the bleakest times - to their people. Their questions - Where is the God of justice and mercy? What is God up to these days? and What are we, in turn, to do? - are timely for our own church and society. William Brown offers readers a look at these important prophets and their message about where the God of justice and mercy is at work today.

The gift to be "born again" each day could sum up the impact of this book. It is an inspired personal journey through the Bible. As such it provides energy and hope during the difficult days of that journey as well as praise and thanksgiving for the gifted days of joy and happiness. A precious companion for those searching for personal nourishment from the Scriptures. - Joseph Grassi, Professor Emeritus, Santa Clara University This book will be a rich resource for many people. The reflections and questions help to focus on selected key points in a way that leads to personal application and prayer. - Dr. Eileen Schuller, Professor of Religious Studies, McMaster University In a day when addiction issues are permeating society, looking carefully at Scripture and some of the more difficult issues of life is a great investment of time. - Dr. Steve Stiles, Professor of Addiction Studies, Bethany University Lea Karen Kivi, M.A. is a technical writer who has worked in Silicon Valley, California and in Toronto, Canada. Outside of work, her writings touch on both the light side and dark side of community life, with a view to bringing unity, healing, and forgiveness where needed. Topics of her articles range from reporting on community celebrations to the analysis of particularly painful and sensitive issues such as domestic violence, sexual harassment, and clerical abuse. She has studied philosophy and French literature at the University of Toronto, biblical languages and exegesis at Regis College, and pastoral ministry at Santa Clara University. In her faith life, she has studied Hebrew at a synagogue, spoken at an interfaith conference hosted by a Muslim community, and been a member of several Christian denominations. Currently, her spiritual home is St. Michael's Cathedral in Toronto.