A rare chance to know Jesus as his first disciples knew him. What would it be like to journey back to the first century and sit at the feet of Rabbi Jesus as one of his Jewish disciples? How would your understanding of the gospel have been shaped by the customs, beliefs, and traditions of the Jewish culture in which you lived? Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus will change the way you read Scripture and deepen your understanding of the life of Jesus. It will also help you to adapt the rich prayers and customs you learn about to your own life, in ways that both respect and enrich your Christian faith. Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus takes you on a fascinating tour of the Jewish world of Jesus, offering inspirational insights that can transform your faith. Ann Spangler and Lois Tverberg paint powerful scenes from Jesus' ministry, immersing you in the prayers, feasts, history, culture, and customs that shaped Jesus and those who followed him. In these pages, you will: Hear the parables as they must have sounded to first-century Jews, powerful and surprising. Join conversations among the rabbis of Jesus' day. Watch with new understanding as the events of Jesus' life unfold. Experience new excitement about the roots of your Christian faith. This expanded edition includes a discussion guide for both individuals and groups, and instructions for a simple home Passover Seder celebration.

In this ebook download of Walking in the Dust of Rabbi Jesus, Lois Tverberg challenges readers to follow their Rabbi more closely by reexamining his words in the light of their Jewish context. Doing so will provide a richer, deeper understanding of his ministry, compelling us to live differently, to become more Christ-like. We'll begin to understand why his first Jewish disciples abandoned everything to follow him, to live out his commands. Our modern society, with its individualism and materialism, is very different than the tight-knit, family-oriented setting Jesus lived and taught in. What wisdom can we glean from his Eastern, biblical attitude toward life? How can knowing Jesus within this context shed light on his teachings for us today? In Walking in the Dust of Rabbi Jesus we'll journey back in time to eavesdrop on the conversations that arose among the rabbis of Jesus' day, and consider how hearing Rabbi Jesus with the ears of a first-century disciple can bring new meaning to our faith. And we'll listen to Jewish thinkers through the ages, discovering how ideas that germinated in Jesus' time have borne fruit. Doing so will yield fresh, practical insights for following our Rabbi's teachings from a Jewish point of view.

This book will guide the reader through a variety of passages of Scripture recorded in the Gospel of Luke that placed Jesus at the dinner table. The stories represented in the passages of Scripture demonstrate a number of situations into which Jesus was either thrust, or into which he placed himself. My desire with this book is to encourage the reader to come back to what is important—the table—but more crucially to recognize the importance of engaging people around a proverbial table with whom you may not normally associate. The purpose of this book is to challenge your thinking as a believer regarding people’s needs and how you might meet them, and to challenge your view of contemporary Christianity and the hypocrisy with which we are so often accused. Finally, I hope to make Jesus’s table talk a welcome part of your faith and life as a believer.

What would it be like for modern readers to sit down beside Jesus as he explained the Bible to them? What life-changing insights might emerge from such a transformative encounter? Lois Tverberg knows the treasures that await readers willing to learn how to read the Bible through Jewish eyes. By helping them understand the Bible as Jesus and his first-century listeners would have, she bridges the gaps of time and culture in order to open the Bible to readers today. Combining careful research with engaging prose, Tverberg leads us on a journey back in time to shed light on how this Middle Eastern people approached life, God, and each other. She explains age-old imagery that we often misinterpret, allowing us to approach God and the stories and teachings of Scripture with new eyes. By helping readers grasp the perspective of its original audience, she equips them to read the Bible in ways that will enrich their lives and deepen their understanding.

What comes after deconstruction? How do we begin to pick up some of the pieces of a faith or religious life that we had held on to for so long? We Don't Trust Your Theology is one person's approach to starting the reconstruction work. Meant as a jumping off point, this book walks alongside the reader to give ideas, encouragement, and some personal stories on what that may look like.

Women of the Bible is a bestselling devotional study focused on fifty-two remarkable women in Scripture. As you learn more about these incredible women, their everyday joys, and their struggles to live with faith and courage, you'll see that their stories aren't far from our own. This updated and expanded year-long devotional, now with over one million copies sold, invites you to take a closer look at the lives of fifty-two prominent--and not-so-prominent--women of Scripture, offering a fresh perspective on the story of salvation. From Eve to the Proverbs 31 woman, you'll have a chance to see the women of the Bible in a brand new light. Authors Ann Spangler and Jean E. Syswerda dive into the lives of fifty-two women of the Bible, spending one week getting to know each of them better through an interactive devotional. Each week, you'll learn: Her story--an inspirational portrait of this character's life Her life and times--background information about the culture of her day Her legacy in Scripture--a short Bible study on her life with application to your own Her promise--the Bible's promises that apply to her life and yours Her legacy of prayer--praying in light of her story Other special features in Women of the Bible include: A theme index A list and timeline of all the women of the Bible A list of women in Jesus's family tree A list of women in Jesus's life and ministry Perfect for personal prayer and Bible study or for use in small groups, Women of the Bible offers a new perspective that will strengthen your personal relationship with God and will give you a deeper appreciation for the women of faith who have come before us.

What can the Bible’s most flawed men and women reveal about who God is and how he reaches out to less-than-perfect people? In Less Than Perfect, bestselling author Ann Spangler takes us beyond cardboard cutouts of 38 biblical characters to show us how these were real individuals who had dreams, temptations, and weaknesses just like us. Whether considering the murderous Herodias, the scheming Jacob, or the doubting Sarah, Spangler approaches both familiar and lesser known characters with fresh eyes. We meet each of these individuals again as if for the first time as Spangler offers a dramatic retelling of their lives, insight into the historical and cultural context of their time, and key takeaway points for our lives today. Each chapter includes questions for discussion or reflection, making Less Than Perfect ideal for individual or group Bible study. Entertaining, informative, and inspirational, Less Than Perfect gives you a big picture view of the Bible even as it takes you into the hearts and minds of people with struggles just like yours. As you learn more about the individuals who are part of your spiritual family tree, you’ll discover why God loves to use imperfect people to tell his perfect story of redemption.

Jesus the Jew, Christ the King unites biblical scholarship with established theology. Oftentimes, scholars distinguish between the historical Jesus and the Christ of faith, suggesting that Christian belief has elevated Jesus of Nazareth from the common life of an itinerant Jewish rabbi to a divine figure akin to the heroes of Greco-Roman culture. James Mikolajczyk evaluates both the historical Jesus and the Christ of faith separately before uniting the concepts for academics and believers alike. The definition of Israel connects to this harmony, although many theologians apply it exclusively to the church or to the Jewish people. In keeping with Christian tradition, Mikolajczyk affirms Jesus as the only begotten Son of God and, moreover, the fulfillment of scriptural Israel.

The Christian life was so much more than just a one-time decision to secure a place in heaven. What if you could experience heaven on earth today? Not flying angels singing on clouds, but the fulfilled, abundant life Jesus promised in the Bible—a life that, regardless of your circumstances or your present context, experiences joy, happiness, and peace that is difficult to encapsulate in human terms. What if heaven was available to us today? Pastor and author Robby Gallaty thinks it is. We have been taught that salvation is getting man out of earth to live in heaven when the Bible teaches that God desires to bring heaven to earth through man. In Here and Now, readers will journey together to uncover the nucleus of Jesus’ messages, which says the opposite. Jesus spoke about the Kingdom of Heaven and the Kingdom of God (both are synonymous as we will see) more than any other topic. No other concept is even close.

See for yourself the relational revolution that can happen in your life as you discover God’s desire and design for your relationship with Him. Every day, social media pages are filled with millions of people sharing their desire for a relationship that will bring joy and depth to their life. Maybe you’re one of the contributors. But get this: long before the invention of the internet and much closer to the beginning of time, God has been sharing His desire for a relationship with you and me! Garrett Kahrs invites you to share his personal journey in encountering a relationship with God he never knew was possible. #Relationshipgoals takes a fresh, unique, scriptural approach in seeing God’s desire for a relationship with us and ways to say “yes” to the life and love He’s always intended. It’s time to begin your journey into God’s relationship goals with Him!