What Jesus Started

Sometimes we get so caught up in the power of Jesus shouting from the cross, "It is finished!" that we forget that Jesus started something too. Uncovering the inner dynamics of Jesus's work with the disciples, veteran church planter Steve Addison reminds us that Christianity is a movement with a unique design for expansion.

2014 Outreach Magazine Resource of the Year (Church Health) Sometimes we get so caught up in the power of Jesus shouting from the cross, "It is finished!" that we forget that Jesus started something. What Jesus started was a movement that began small, with intimate conversations designed to build disciples into apostles who would go out in the world and seed it with God's kingdom vision. That movement grew rapidly and spread wide as people recognized the truth in it and gave their lives to the power of it. That movement is still happening today, and we are called to play our part in it.

2019 Best Book Awards, Finalist: Religion—Christianity 2020 Catholic Press Association, 3rd Place: Future Church 2020 International Book Awards, Winner: Religion—Christianity Take a moment and ask yourself: does every activity in my parish point more deeply to Jesus? Julianne Stanz wants to help you and your parish community make sure the answer to this question is a resounding, "Yes!" Serving parishes in her diocese as the Director of New Evangelization, Stanz has recognized a practical and motivational way to restructure a parish's mission – start with Jesus. Start with Jesus is a book about people, process, and culture, rather than an emphasis on quick fixes or unsustainable efforts. She aims to help regular people be transformed from the inside out by growing in relationship with Jesus Christ through individual and group experiences, thus transforming our parish communities. Start with Jesus will be an essential resource for decision-makers and thought-leaders in parishes, but its true strength lies in its value for the countless Catholics longing for peace, healing, and hope in the context of our parish communities. It will be an inspiration to Catholics who come to Mass each week, parents trying to instill the faith in their children, leaders searching for an effective and sustainable approach to parish renewal, and to all who are curious about developing a relationship with Jesus. ​

Are you wondering what saying yes to following Jesus really means? Do you want to know more about Christianity but you’re not sure what, or how, to ask? Are you just beginning in a new faith in Jesus Christ? Then Start Here. Written by two authors who also know what it’s like to seek God, Start Here answers questions such as: If God is real, now what?What is the relationship between God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit?What does the church have to do with my life and my faith?Why did Jesus have to die?Isn’t grace too good to be true?Can I accept that Jesus is the way to God? Following Jesus isn’t about rules—it’s all about relationship. So start here to find practical help and encouraging stories about what authentic Christianity looks like. Welcome to the journey of a lifetime. --

Acts is the sequel to Luke's gospel and tells the story of Jesus's followers during the 30 years after his death. It describes how the 12 apostles, formerly Jesus's disciples, spread the message of Christianity throughout the Mediterranean against a background of persecution. With an introduction by P.D. James

Jesus Christ is arguably the most famous man who ever lived. His image adorns countless churches, icons, and paintings. He is the subject of millions of statues, sculptures, devotional objects and works of art. Everyone can conjure an image of Jesus: usually as a handsome, white man with flowing locks and pristine linen robes. But what did Jesus really look like? Is our popular image of Jesus overly westernized and untrue to historical reality? This question continues to fascinate. Leading Christian Origins scholar Joan E. Taylor surveys the historical evidence, and the prevalent image of Jesus in art and culture, to suggest an entirely different vision of this most famous of men. He may even have had short hair.

The biggest barrier to faith is life itself. Divorce. Cancer. Infertility. Death. There are times in our lives in which God seems very far away. We don't understand His silence. We only feel the intensity of our pain and the echoing question of 'why?' The Bible declares that God is good, but can we still believe this when our lives are falling apart? In Keep Believing, Dr. Pritchard affirms what the Bible declares: that God is good and His mercy endures forever. This is true regardless of our moment-by-moment experience. God has provided comfort in our times of struggle and healing in our times of hurt through the balm of His Word. You believed in the light of day; will you still believe at midnight? Search the Scriptures with Dr. Pritchard for words of encouragement and hope. Put your confidence in the God who sorrowfully watched His Son suffer at Calvary for your benefit. Know that the same loving heavenly Father has everything completely under control. He is with you and longs to comfort you as you struggle through your hard times. Take a tell-tale look at your devotion to the Lord and His never-ending love and commitment to you in Keep Believing. You served God in the sunshine; will you now serve him in the shadows?

Have you ever wondered... How Did God Do It? How did God perform the many miracles and supernatural events described in the Holy Bible - without violating the laws of physics and chemistry that He Himself put into place? And without conflicting with the basic tenets of Judaism and Christianity? This book proposes a theory that marries faith and rationality in a symphony of science and scripture....

A Clear, Simple Guide through the Bible Now in one volume and redesigned to help you understand God's Word even better, The Bible Study is your one-year roadmap through Scripture. • DAILY OR WEEKLY READING PLANS provide an uncomplicated, manageable way to personalize your study of the Bible and grow as a Christian. • THOUGHT-PROVOKING QUESTIONS AND SPACE TO WRITE help you discover what the readings mean and apply what you're learning to your daily life. • OVERVIEWS AND BACKGROUND INFORMATION for each book of the Bible provide helpful context to the big and small aspects of Scripture. With colorful imagery and an engaging design to propel you forward, this easy-to-use study--whether self-led or done with friends--offers a transformative way to connect deeper with God. Join more than 500,000 others who are learning the Bible like never before!

How is it that in America the image of Jesus Christ has been used both to justify the atrocities of white supremacy and to inspire the righteousness of civil rights crusades? In The Color of Christ, Edward J. Blum and Paul Harvey weave a tapestry of American dreams and visions--from witch hunts to web pages, Harlem to Hollywood, slave cabins to South Park, Mormon revelations to Indian reservations--to show how Americans remade the Son of God visually time and again into a sacred symbol of their greatest aspirations, deepest terrors, and mightiest strivings for racial power and justice. The Color of Christ uncovers how, in a country founded by Puritans who destroyed depictions of Jesus, Americans came to believe in the whiteness of Christ. Some envisioned a white Christ who would sanctify the exploitation of Native Americans and African Americans and bless imperial expansion. Many others gazed at a messiah, not necessarily white, who was willing and able to confront white supremacy. The color of Christ still symbolizes America's most combustible divisions, revealing the power and malleability of race and religion from colonial times to the presidency of Barack Obama.