Do you want to be the church? How can you, if you don't know what the church actually is? Only after you understand what the church is can you begin to properly live and function as God's church in this world. Thankfully, Skeleton Church simply and easily defines "church" for you, so that you can embark on the thrilling adventure of being the church and following Jesus wherever He leads. By reading this book, you will also discover answers the most basic questions all humans have about their own existence and identity. Understanding church is the first step to understanding everything! In Skeleton Church, Jeremy Myers provides a bare-bones basic definition of the church which then allows the reader to understand their role within human history and God's plan for the world. Furthermore, the basic definition of the church provided in this book helps create peace and unity within all types of churches around the world and throughout history. By understanding the biblical definition of church, we can fulfill the prayer of Jesus that we be one (John 17:21). Let us return to the skeleton church and grow in unity once again. And don't worry. This book does not push or emphasize any one denomination or style of church. The ideas in this book apply equally to mega-churches and house-churches, as well as to Episcopal and non-denominational churches (and everything in-between. Read this book today to begin functioning as God's people in this world.

Many people think of church as a place and time where people gather, a way for ministry money to be given and spent, and a building in which people regularly meet on Sunday mornings. In this book, Jeremy Myers shows that church is more than bodies, bucks, and bricks. Church is the people of God who follow Jesus into the world, and we can be the church no matter how many people we are with, no matter the size of our church budget, and regardless of whether we have a church building or not. By abandoning our emphasis on more people, bigger budgets, and newer buildings, we may actually liberate the church to better follow Jesus into the world. This book is Volume 4 in the "Close Your Church for Good" series of books. Other volumes include: Preface: Skeleton Church Vol. 1: The Death and Resurrection of the Church Vol. 2: Put Service Back into the Church Service Vol. 3: Dying to Religion and Empire Vol. 4: Church is More than Bodies, Bucks, and Bricks Vol. 5: Cruciform Pastoral Leadership

Churches around the world are trying to revitalize their church services. There is almost nothing they will not try. Some embark on multi-million dollar building campaigns while others sell their buildings to plant home churches. Some hire celebrity pastors to attract crowds of people, while others hire no clergy so that there can be open sharing in the service. Yet despite everything churches have tried, few focus much time, money, or energy on the one thing that churches are supposed to be doing: loving and serving others like Jesus. Put Service Back into the Church Service challenges readers to follow a few simple principles and put a few ideas into practice which will help churches of all types and sizes make serving others the primary emphasis of a church service. This revised and updated book now includes discussion questions, perfect for a small group setting. Books in the “Close Your Church for Good” series: Preface: Skeleton Church Volume 1: The Death and Resurrection of the Church Volume 2: Put Service Back into the Church Service Volume 3: Dying to Religion and Empire Volume 4: Church is More than Bodies, Bucks, & Bricks Volume 5: Cruciform Pastoral Leadership

What if true church growth begins by allowing the church to die? In The Death and Resurrection of the Church, Jeremy Myers proposes that most modern church growth practices are built on faulty premises. Some of these are even rooted in the false promises that Satan offered to Jesus in the wilderness temptations. If we want the church to grow and thrive, it first needs to die to these false promises. The church must stop striving after strength, power, fame, riches, and glory, and instead follow Jesus into death. Only then will we become the church that Jesus wants. Since there can be no resurrection without death, the church must die so that it can rise again. This revised and updated book now includes discussion questions, perfect for a small group setting. Books in the “Close Your Church for Good” series: Preface: Skeleton Church Volume 1: The Death and Resurrection of the Church Volume 2: Put Service Back into the Church Service Volume 3: Dying to Religion and Empire Volume 4: Church is More than Bodies, Bucks, & Bricks Volume 5: Cruciform Pastoral Leadership

Of the parts of the human body, the bones have a unique durability that lends itself to collection. Provided a body has not been cremated, the skeletal remains can be recovered even millions of years after death, cleaned of flesh and debris, studied at length, and stored indefinitely without the maintenance that wet specimens require. Motivations for collecting human skeletal material range from the practical (in anthropology, medicine, forensics) to the ritualistic (phrenology, in the relics of martyrs and saints). This book is an examination of those motivations and the collections they have brought about--catacombs, ossuaries, mass graves, prehistoric excavations, private collections, and institutions. The book contains sections on procuring, handling, storing, transporting, cleaning, and identifying skeletal remains. The repatriation of remains and legislation covering the topic are also addressed.

Unpacking assumptions about corseting, Rebecca Gibson supplements narratives of corseted women from the 18th and 19th centuries with her seminal work on corset-related skeletal deformation. An undergarment that provided support and shape for centuries, the corset occupies a familiar but exotic space in modern consciousness, created by two sometimes contradictory narrative arcs: the texts that women wrote regarding their own corseting experiences and the recorded opinions of the medical community during the 19th century. Combining these texts with skeletal age data and rib and vertebrae measurements from remains at St. Bride’s parish London dating from 1700 to 1900, the author discusses corseting in terms of health and longevity, situates corseting as an everyday practice that crossed urban socio-economic boundaries, and attests to the practice as part of normal female life during the time period Gibson’s bioarchaeology of binding is is the first large-scalar, multi-site bioethnography of the corseted woman.

Running his hand over the joint, Joe felt the crumbling mortar give beneath his touch, revealing a long crack. He traced the patched mortar's jagged path from the floor almost to the ceiling. The dirt was loose. Looking in, he spotted a small opening. 'There's something back here!' At the risk of drawing worldwide media attention, Meredith Bartholomew, renowned archeologist and a young widow, and Joe Berger, a handsome geologist, must work quickly and carefully with a small team of Israeli experts to uncover the identity of the ancient skeleton. But when a fatal accident occurs on the site and several attempts are made on their lives, they begin to realize the magnitude of their discovery. Someone wants to stop them or, at the very least, influence their findings. Their search for answers leads them to uncover a traitor in their midst, a hidden secret order within the Knights of Malta, and a long-buried Islamic conspiracy. Are they pawns in a scheme to shatter Christianity to its core, or could their discovery help answer many age-old questions? Dottie May'sSkeletal Secretsis a fast-paced mystery novel that will challenge readers to search for answers beneath the foundations of Christianity. You can be sure there are manySkeletal Secretswaiting to be discovered.

Why is the Bible so violent and bloody? How can God's behavior in the Old Testament be reconciled with that of Jesus in the New? Do you find yourself trying to rationalize God's violent demeanor in the Bible to unbelievers or even to yourself? Does it seem disconcerting that God tells us not to kill others but He then takes part in some of the bloodiest wars and vindictive genocides in history? The answer to all such questions is found in Jesus on the cross. By focusing your eyes on Jesus Christ and Him crucified, you come to understand that God was never angry at human sinners, and that no blood sacrifice was ever needed to purchase God's love, forgiveness, grace, and mercy. In Nothing but the Blood of Jesus, J. D. Myers shows how the death of Jesus on the cross reveals the truth about the five concepts of sin, law, sacrifice, scapegoating, and bloodshed. After carefully defining each, this book shows how these definitions provide clarity on numerous biblical texts. If you have ever wanted to see God in the light of Jesus, seek no further. J. D. Myers masterfully reveals the truth of who God is, as well as the missing pieces you have been searching for in order to truly understand what is written in the Bible. You will also gain insight into the true plight of humanity and what Jesus came to rescue and deliver us from. Read this book. You will not be disappointed.

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In the wake of Anthony's tragic demise, the world he once cherished lies in ruins, ravaged by the relentless fires of war. Humanity and the beast-kin teeter on the precipice of annihilation, their once-unbreakable bonds irrevocably severed. The very essence of Dena quivers beneath the weight of their relentless conflict. Yet, amid this heart-wrenching chaos, a glimmer of hope flickers once more. For the first time in generations, new champions have taken up the Guardian Oath. Aila, Tommie, and Damien have shouldered the mantle, vowing to mend the tattered fabric of their world. Their odyssey is fraught with peril. In a land poisoned by distrust and inflamed by ancient vendettas, they will confront both familiar adversaries and unfamiliar threats. Betrayals and blood feuds threaten to unravel the fragile peace. At the core of it all, an old nemesis orchestrates a sinister scheme to pit them against each other. Welcome to the enthralling fourth installment of the Death Knight series, where the fires of war rage, alliances fracture, and heroes emerge from the ashes. Although Anthony's dream of a united world may have dimmed, his legacy endures. Can the Guardians, armed with unwavering determination, rekindle that dream? As Dena's destiny hangs in the balance, the Resurgence begins, for they understand that together, their strength surpasses anything they face alone.