The Flawed Characters Of The Bible

A mission to portray men who are inherently imperfect that appear in the bible. They were revered, respected and emulated by many throughout the ages. This book seeks to debunk the seemingly perfect streak of these men.

Most Christians believe that the Bible holds the answers to their questions about daily living, and that reading the Scriptures will show them good examples to follow for their own lives. Think for a moment and try to list a few examples of healthy families in the Bible who are ideals worth emulating. Having trouble? The families of the Bible were far from perfect, and not so different in that regard from our imperfect families today. In Flawed Families of the Bible, a New Testament scholar (David) and a professor of social work (Diana) take a real and close look at the actual families of the Bible. This honest book will inspire and encourage readers with its focus on the overarching theme of hope and grace for families, showing that it is in the "imperfect places" that we can catch a glimpse of grace. Perfect for pastors, counselors, and anyone in a flawed family.

In 1997, Atlanta businessman Os Hillman began writing a daily e-mail devotional featuring 4-minute meditations on faith and work life. For men and women in the workplace, this was just what they needed: practical help in applying their faith to their work life; encouragement to live out their faith; empowerment to be more effective in their jobs; support to become powerful witnesses at work; and examples of others who experienced the presence of God at work. It has since become one of the fastest growing e-mail devotions on line. Now Hillman has written his second book of devotions. TGIF includes 365 all-new daily meditations, plus a bonus topical index to find devotions that relate to specific topics such as motives, handling disappointments, adversity, integrity, finances, decision making and much more. Whether for individual quiet times, Bible study groups or workplace groups, these daily devotions will help men and women fulfill God's call on their lives in the workplace.

Approaching the Bible in an original way—comparing biblical heroes to heroes in world literature—Elliott Rabin addresses a core biblical question: What is the Bible telling us about what it means to be a hero? Focusing on the lives of six major biblical characters—Moses, Samson, David, Esther, Abraham, and Jacob—Rabin examines their resemblance to hero types found in (and perhaps drawn from) other literatures and analyzes why the Bible depicts its heroes less gloriously than do the texts of other cultures: * Moses founds the nation of Israel—and is short-tempered and weak-armed. * Samson, arrogant and unhinged, can kill a thousand enemies with his bare hands. * David establishes a centralized, unified, triumphal government—through pretense and self-deception. * Esther saves her people but marries a murderous, misogynist king. * Abraham's relationships are wracked with tension. * Jacob fathers twelve tribes—and wins his inheritance through deceit. In the end, is God the real hero? Or is God too removed from human constraints to even be called a “hero”? Ultimately, Rabin excavates how the Bible’s unique perspective on heroism can address our own deep-seated need for human-scale heroes.

Good Women Behaving Badly A spiteful boss, a defiant employee, a manipulative mother, a desperate housewife, an envious sister…honey, we know these women. We’ve lived with them, worked with them, or caught a glimpse of them in our mirrors. Now let’s take a look at their ancient counterparts in Scripture: Sarah mistreated her maidservant, Hagar despised her mistress, Rebekah manipulated her son, Leah claimed her sister’s husband, and Rachel envied her fertile sister. They were far from evil, but hardly perfect. Mostly good, yet slightly bad. In other words, these matriarchal mamas look a lot like us. “A Slightly Bad Girl is simply this: a woman unwilling to fully submit to God. We love him, serve him, and worship him, yet we find it difficult to trust him completely, to accept his plan for our lives, to rest in his sovereignty.” —from Slightly Bad Girls of the Bible

The drama of the Old Testament comes to life as Judah's most notorious king ascends to the throne in this gripping novel from the award-winning author of Isaiah's Daughter. At eight years old, Shulle has known only life in a small village with her loving but peculiar father. When Uncle Shebna offers shelter in Jerusalem in exchange for Shulle's help tutoring King Manasseh, Judah's five-year-old co-regent who displays the same peculiarities as her father, she's eager to experience the royal court. But Shulle soon realizes the limits of her father's strict adherence to Yahweh's Law when Uncle Shebna teaches her of the starry hosts and their power. Convinced Judah must be freed from Yahweh's chains, she begins the subtle swaying of young Manasseh, using her charm and skills on the boy no one else understands. When King Hezekiah dies, twelve-year-old Manasseh is thrust onto Judah's throne, bitter at Yahweh and eager to marry the girl he adores. Assyria's crown prince favors Manasseh and twists his brilliant mind toward cruelty, beginning Shulle's long and harrowing journey to discover the Yahweh she'd never known, guided with loving wisdom by Manasseh's mother: Isaiah's daughter, the heartbroken Hephzibah. Amid Judah's dark days, a desperate remnant emerges, claiming the Lord's promise, "Though we're helpless now, we're never hopeless--because we serve El Shaddai." Shulle is among them, a girl who becomes a queen through Isaiah's legacy.

Presents a week's worth of fixed-hour prayers that one can use while traveling or out of the home.

The best stories in the book of Genesis involve families. The issues these stories raise—married vs. single life, sibling rivalry, infertility, family relocation, blended families, and the like—are startlingly relevant to families of today. This Bible study examines the families of Genesis, starting with how the Adam and Eve story encompasses far more ways of being family than most of us think. It looks at the sibling rivalry of the Cain and Abel story, pointing to the jealousy and violence to which the whole human family seems addicted. It uses the ups and downs of the relationship between Abraham, Sarah, Hagar, and Ishmael can help us understand the complicated dynamic of blended families. Carol Helsel and Suzie Park invite readers these and many other connections as they reexamine the joys and complications of modern family life. This engaging Bible study includes questions for individual reflection or group use.

This short book is the second in a series of three in the Characters of the Bible series, each containing twenty-five themed reflections on Bible persons. The first book in the series is Flawed Bible Characters and the God Who Chooses, Uses, and Loves and the third Wicked Bible Characters and the God Who Works His Sovereign Plan. Tamar's future was bleak, snuffed out in the cruelest manner at the prime of her young life. She had as yet experienced none of the exhilaration of young love. This unsuspecting princess went within the probable span of one-half hour from "Come in!" to "Get out!"-with the door barred behind her . . . Two Old Testament Tamars-both disgraced in the most horrific manner (see also Genesis 38). One bringing the dishonor upon herself as a backhanded means to rectify years of neglect and broken promises, the other an unwilling participant, shamed by her half-brother's lust and then tossed aside like a dirty rag. The Old Testament minces no words when it comes to the kinds of stories that make us squirm. Ironically, our own society is hardly tight lipped; perhaps we can relate to these sordid stories in a way previous generations found difficult. Donna L. Huisjen is a former editor in the Bible Department at HarperCollins Christian Publishing/Zondervan, She has for several years enjoyed writing and freelance editing. The single adoptive mother of three grown daughters, Donna makes her home near Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Join Greg Laurie, pastor and bestselling author of Steve McQueen: The Salvation of an American Icon, as he takes you on a personal journey into the life and legend of Johnny Cash. At the peak of his career, Cash had done it all—living the ultimate rags-to-riches story of growing up on a cotton farm in the Deep South to becoming a Nashville and Hollywood sensation, singing alongside heroes like Elvis Presley and performing for several American presidents. But through all of this, Cash was troubled. By the time he released the iconic Man in Black album in 1971, the middle-aged icon was broken down, hollow-eyed, and wrung out. In his search for peace, Cash became embroiled in controversy. He was arrested five times in seven years. His drug- and alcohol-induced escapades led to car accidents and a forest fire that devastated 508 acres. His time was divided between Jesus and jail, gospel tunes and the “Cocaine Blues.” But by the end of his life, Cash was speaking openly about his “unshakeable faith.” What caused the superstar to turn from his conflicting passions to embrace a life in Christ? Johnny Cash: The Redemption of an American Icon dives deep into the singer’s inner demons, triumphs, and gradual return to faith. Laurie interviews Cash’s family, friends, and business associates to reveal how the singer’s true success came through finding the only Person whose star was bigger than his own.