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Do you ever wonder whether God even cares if we're happy? This world can be so hard, and we aren't promised an easy road. But that's not the whole story. The Bible is filled with verses that prove that ours is a God who not only loves celebrations but also desperately wants his children to experience happiness. Why else would he go to the lengths he did to ensure our eternal happiness in his presence? We know that we will experience unimaginable joy and happiness in heaven, but that doesn't mean we can't also experience joy and happiness here on earth. In Happiness, noted theologian Randy Alcorn (bestselling author of Heaven) dispels centuries of misconceptions about happiness, including downright harmful ideas like the prosperity gospel, and provides indisputable proof that God not only wants us to be happy, he commands it. Randy covers questions like: How can I cultivate happiness in my life? What's the difference between joy and happiness? Can good things become idols that steal our happiness? Is seeking happiness selfish? How can I achieve happiness through gratitude? What does it look like to receive God's grace? The most definitive study on the subject of happiness to date, this book is a paradigm-shifting wake-up call for the church and Christians everywhere.

This wide-ranging historical survey provides an indispensable resource for those interested in exploring, teaching, or studying English spirituality. In two stand-alone volumes, it traces history from Roman times until the year 2000. The main Christian traditions and a vast range of writers and spiritual themes, from Anglo-Saxon poems to late-modern feminist spirituality, are included. These volumes present the astonishing richness and variety of responses made by English Christians to the call of the divine during the past two thousand years.

Reprint of the original, first published in 1866.

Whether you serve as a vocalist, instrumentalist, technician, dancer, actor, or in some other role, you know what a blessing it is to serve on your church’s worship team. But you also know that some days you’re more technically prepared than you are spiritually prepared for the ministry of leading others in worship. In the midst of rehearsals, setup, and myriad distractions, not to mention the busyness of daily life, it’s easy to miss the forest for the trees. How can you and your fellow team members be prepared to worship in spirit and truth as well as lead others in worship with integrity?With thirty years of experience in worship leading, Rory Noland knows the issues—in both the private life of the worship team member and the public ministry of a worship team. In this readable book, he offers practical insights on how to• Grow as a private worshiper• Encounter the character of God during worship• Respond to the character of God during worship• Be transformed by the character of God• Learn from ancient worship leaders... and more.So relevant you’ll think the author was eavesdropping on your last church service, The Worshiping Artist is ideal to read either by yourself or as a team.

As Satan tempted Christ, so he tempts us today. Pointing to the glory of the kingdoms of the world, he says, “All these things I will give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.” Although always with an air of piety, the consumer-driven church is lured into following the counsel of Satan while rejecting the example of Christ. He who is a deity emptied himself of his privileges and became a man. And not just any man but the lowest of men—a servant. He died not just any death but the cruelest of deaths—on a cross, as a condemned criminal. Such a vision of Christ’s humiliation should consume all of our self-interest and pour contempt on all our pride. But the vision of the exalted Christ should all the more compel us to renounce our own self-importance and self-seeking. The enslaving power of self-love does not only attach itself to the church, transforming its spiritual life into empty forms, turning its so-called good works into monuments of self-glory and changing its sacred mission into a search for the significance and fulfillment of self. It also enslaves the individual Christian by exalting the self to preeminence. Thus, it defeats real happiness by producing pride, discontent, envy, bitterness, unforgiveness, ambition, anxiety, and a whole host of other destructive qualities that exist for no other reason than to defend and maintain the self that we have erroneously, and to our own injury, exalted to preeminence. Self-love will never be made subordinate until we get a glimpse, by divine grave, of something far lovelier. Other idols may be replaced by even more enticing ones, but the idol of the self can only be laid aside by the all-entrancing vision of the loveliness of Christ.

50 volumes. 4 million words. Global representation. Engage with the latest theological thinking in this new, readable exposition of the Bible in 50 volumes. Covering all books of the Bible and including the full the Anglicised New International Version (NIV) text, the Hodder Bible Commentary series makes connecting scripture and scholarship easier than ever. Explore how the Bible intersects with 21st century life with commentary that is doctrinally sensitive and globally aware, sourced from a team of contributors representing a variety of cultural and ecclesiastical contexts from around the world. Designed to be accessible to all adult readers and particularly for those who preach, teach, and lead Bible studies, each book is split into manageable sections suitable for talks or study groups. Read the Bible text and the commentary side by side to gain a deep knowledge of scripture and the variety of interpretations that can be made from it. Be refreshed with new understanding. Be encouraged to apply your conclusions to life today.