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The Prodigal Son Study Guide: An Astonishing Study of the Parable Jesus Told to Unveil God's Grace for You
by John F. MacarthurTwo thousand years ago, Jesus told a simple story about a father and his two sons. This tale stands out because it is a story about each of us and our struggle with sin. Whether we identify with the rebellion of the younger son or the self-righteousness of the older brother, we all are in need of our Father's grace, mercy, and forgiveness. In this five-session video-based Bible study, pastor and bestselling author John MacArthur provides fascinating new insights into this parable as he takes you step-by-step through each part of the tale. You will explore not only the shocking actions of the younger son in his rebellion but also the coldhearted attitude of the older brother toward his family. You will find a reflection of yourself in each of these two sons--and come to understand, in a fresh and new way, what God does to find you where you are and bring you back to Him. The Prodigal Son Study Guide includes video discussion questions, Bible exploration, and personal study and reflection materials for in-between sessions. 1. Parables: Unveiling God's Truth through Stories 2. Repentance: Facing the Agony of Being Lost 3. Forgiveness: Experiencing Our Father's Love 4. Pretense: Looking Good Isn't Good Enough 5. Grace: Receiving Our Most Amazing Gift Designed for use with The Prodigal Son: A DVD Study (9780310081258).
The Prodigal Son: An Astonishing Study of the Parable Jesus Told to Unveil God's Grace for You
by John F. MacarthurPreviously published as A Tale of Two Sons Nearly two thousand years ago, Jesus told a simple parable about a family . . . a father and his two sons. It was a story of rebellion, repentance, and unfathomable grace. The Parable of the Prodigal Son still stands out as a crucial lesson about our struggle with sin and dependence on divine salvation. But there is a part of this story that often goes untold. It's a message you need to hear. This powerful book provides fascinating new insight into one of the Bible's most important stories. Using accurate and captivating historical context, John MacArthur invites you to hear the parable of the prodigal son as it was originally intended. Beautiful in their simplicity, rich in God's forgiveness, these twenty-two verses from Luke will reawaken you to a new understanding of God's love and the joy our repentance brings to Him. You are about to experience a tale of inexhaustible grace and an ending you've never heard before.
The Prodigal Son: Level 1 (I Can Read! #Level 1)
by Crystal BowmanChristian parents especially appreciate books for their young readers that help them understand more about God. Reading the Bible can be a very overwhelming challenge for young readers. Therefore, Bible stories written in a learn-to-read format are a welcomed product. This is the idea behind the proposal Bible Stories for I Can Read! Level1. When interesting stories from the Bible are written with on-level vocabulary, the child gains knowledge of Scripture and biblical truths while developing his or her reading skills. The result is a meaningful and positive reading experience for the child.
The Prodigal Son: Return of the Assassin
by John BurroughsJack Brantley, a CIA assassin living in Cold War Europe during the late 1970s, is ordered to terminate a colleague who has been discovered trading secret government documents to the Russians in East Berlin. After following his intended target throughout much of West Berlin, Jack carries out his assignment with his usual efficiency and callousness. However, upon the completion of his latest hit Jack becomes quite disenchanted with what he is doing for a living in Europe and resigns from the agency in order to move back to the United States.Upon his return, Jack plies his trade as a private gun-for-hire while based out of his hometown on the Florida Gulf Coast. Jack’s efficiency as a hired gun makes him a much sought-after hitman, but the aftermath of a recent contract and his subsequent killing of a man in rural south Alabama leaves the former Green Beret and ex-CIA agent battling his inner demons as never before.Jack’s next contract is with a very shady underworld figure and the story takes the reader on a ride with him into the heart of New Orleans. Hired to eliminate a well-respected resident of the Crescent City, Jack quickly and efficiently tracks down his subject. However, the resulting encounter with his intended target is something Jack Brantley would never have foreseen when he first took the job, and his own life soon hangs in the balance.Set against the backdrop of the French Quarter and the Warehouse/Arts and Garden districts of New Orleans, The Prodigal Son: Return of the Assassin is a modern-day retelling of the biblical parable as told in the Gospel of Luke. It is a story of redemption, forgiveness and reconciliation that reveals the boundless compassion and merciful love of God toward one of His lost sons. It is a tale that is sure to take the reader on a ride that is well worth the price of the ticket.
The Prodigal You Love: Inviting Loved Ones Back to the Church
by Theresa Aletheia Noble FSP Father Dave Dwyer CSPUsing the Parable of the Prodigal Son, Sr. Theresa Noble, a formerly fallen-away Catholic, gently covers the necessary elements of approaching those who have left the Church. She encourages you to meet them where they are while emphasizing the importance of the faith. With her gentle encouragement, she will lead you to continue to hope for their conversion, so that you might share the joy of the Father when The Prodigal You Love returns home.
The Prodigal's Christmas Reunion (Rocky Mountain Heirs)
by Kathryn SpringerCarol Award–Winning and USA Today–Bestselling Author: This Christmas could be their second chance—but is he really a changed man?With his entire family depending on him, Lucas Clayton reluctantly comes home just weeks before Christmas. Branded as the town troublemaker as a teen, Lucas left tiny Clayton, Colorado, and vowed never to return. But now he’s back—with a child in tow. No one is more stunned than Erin Fields, the hometown sweetheart he left behind. Commitment-shy Lucas is someone’s daddy? Before he can convince Erin he’s changed, he has to prove it to himself. And to a pint-size cowboy, who needs the Claytons—and the entire town—to make this a very special Christmas.Praise for the novels of Kathryn Springer“Tender, touching . . . will sweep you away.” —Irene Hannon, RITA Award–winning author of the Hope Harbor series“Small-town charm and characters who feel like dear friends.” —Liz Johnson, bestselling author of The Red Door Inn
The Prodigal's Holiday Hope (Wyoming Ranchers #1)
by Jill KemererHe&’s learned from his mistakes… But can he prove he&’s changed? When Sawyer Roth is hired to work on his childhood ranch, he knows he has a damaged reputation to repair. Tess Malone, the new ranch owner&’s daughter, is the hardest to win over. But as Christmas approaches, Tess and her toddler son find a way into Sawyer&’s heart. He lost everything the last time he put his trust in love. Can he risk it all again?From Love Inspired: Uplifting stories of faith, forgiveness and hope.Wyoming Ranchers Book 1: The Prodigal's Holiday HopeBook 2: A Cowboy to Rely On
The Prodigal's Return
by Lynn BulockHOMEWARD BOUNDLaurel Harrison longed to return to Missouri, and when her sheriff father fell ill it seemed to Laurel to be a message from above telling her to leave California behind. And she hoped that by moving back she would finally find a home for her restless heart....Deputy Tripp Jordan was trying the best he could to fill in for the town sheriff. But under the watchful eye of the sheriff’s daughter his every move was challenged. He soon found himself looking for the faith he’d let go of long ago and praying Laurel would realize her heart belonged in Missouri-with him!
The Prodigal's Sister
by John PiperThe Grace of God is so astonishing that we cannot adequately describe it. But Jesus knew how to say it in a parable. With the drawings of Robert Doares depicting the setting, The Prodigal's Sister poetically and imaginatively retells the parable of the prodigal son with a startling twist. In the poem the younger sister of the prodigal sets out to reclaim her brother's life. The new life the prodigal finds in his father's love is mirrored in the mercy the legalistic elder brother finds when he learns that his slave-like labor is useless in winning his father's love. The Prodigal's Sister, which the author reads on the accompanying CD, rejoices over the incomparable grace of God. For anyone who has ever felt beyond the hope of joy, this poem opens a way home to the Father.
The Prodigal: A Ragamuffin Story
by Brennan Manning Greg GarrettFrom the inspirational author of The Ragamuffin Gospel comes a powerful contemporary retelling of the Parable of the Prodigal Son. Jack Chisholm is “the people’s pastor.” He leads a devoted and growing megachurch, has several best-selling books, and a memorable slogan, “We have got to do better.” Jack knows how to preach, and he understands how to chastise people into performing. What he doesn’t know is anything about grace. This year, when it comes time for the Christmas sermon, the congregation at Grace Cathedral will look to the pulpit, and Jack will not be there. Of course, they will have seen plenty of him already—on the news. After an evening of debauchery that leads to an affair with his beautiful assistant, Jack Chisholm finds himself deserted with chilling swiftness. The church elders remove him from his own pulpit. His publisher withholds the royalties from his books. Worst of all, his wife disappears with their eight-year-old daughter. But just as Jack is hitting bottom, hopeless and penniless, drinking his way to oblivion, who should appear but his long-estranged father, imploring his prodigal son: “Come home.” A true companion piece to The Ragamuffin Gospel, The Prodigal illustrates the power of grace through the story of a broken man who finally saw Jesus not because he preached his greatest sermon or wrote his most powerful book, but because he failed miserably. Jack Chisholm lost everything—his church, his family, his respect, and his old way of believing—but he found grace. It’s the same grace that Brennan Manning devoted his life to sharing: profound in nature and coming from a God who loves us just as we are, and not as we should be. “A wonderfully written story that is as entertaining as it is thought provoking.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review “. . . the consummate final tale. What they have created is the Ragamuffin at his best, full of hope, full of love, and finally, full of belief in the goodness of God.” —Phyllis Tickle, founding editor, Religion Department, Publishers Weekly “Brennan Manning’s last work continues the powerful message of grace and forgiveness that has transformed so many lives. The Prodigal will transform you too.” —Mark Batterson, New York Times best-selling author of The Circle Maker
The Production of American Religious Freedom: The Production of American Religious Freedom (North American Religions)
by Finbarr CurtisAmericans love religious freedom. Few agree, however, about what they mean by either “religion” or “freedom.” Rather than resolve these debates, Finbarr Curtis argues that there is no such thing as religious freedom. Lacking any consistent content, religious freedom is a shifting and malleable rhetoric employed for a variety of purposes. While Americans often think of freedom as the right to be left alone, the free exercise of religion works to produce, challenge, distribute, and regulate different forms of social power.The book traces shifts in the notion of religious freedom in America from The Second Great Awakening, to the fiction of Louisa May Alcott and the films of D.W. Griffith, through William Jennings Bryan and the Scopes Trial, and up to debates over the Tea Party to illuminate how Protestants have imagined individual and national forms of identity. A chapter on Al Smith considers how the first Catholic presidential nominee of a major party challenged Protestant views about the separation of church and state. Moving later in the twentieth century, the book analyzes Malcolm X’s more sweeping rejection of Christian freedom in favor of radical forms of revolutionary change. The final chapters examine how contemporary controversies over intelligent design and the claims of corporations to exercise religion are at the forefront of efforts to shift regulatory power away from the state and toward private institutions like families, churches, and corporations. The volume argues that religious freedom is produced within competing visions of governance in a self-governing nation.
The Production of Entheogenic Communities in the United States (Elements in New Religious Movements)
by Brad StoddardThe rise of entheogenic religion – that is, religions that involve the use of psychoactive drugs – has captured the attention of scholars and journalists. These studies tend to advance the interests of practitioners who advocate for the legitimacy of entheogens and of entheogenic religion more broadly. This Element breaks with these approaches as it offers a historical and critical analysis of entheogenic communities. It examines the production of entheogenic groups in the United States and considers the historical factors that have contributed to the rise in psychedelics more broadly. It also explores legal considerations and the impact of the law as a curator of entheogenic communities. This Element recognizes that these communities – like all imagined communities – are culturally conditioned, socially constructed, and historically contingent. By exploring these contingencies, we learn more about the broader sociocultural, historical, and economic frameworks that underlie the burgeoning association of psychoactive substances and religion.
The Production of Prophecy: Constructing Prophecy and Prophets in Yehud (BibleWorld)
by Ehud Ben Zvi Diana Vikander EdelmanThe Persian and Hellenistic periods saw the production and use of a variety of authoritative texts in Israel. 'The Production of Prophecy' brings together a range of influential biblical scholars to examine the construction of prophecy and prophetic books during the Persian period. Drawing on methodological and comparative research and studies of particular biblical texts, the volume explores biblical prophecy as a written phenomenon, examining the prophets of the past, setting this within the general history of Yehud. The relationship between prophetic and other authoritative, written texts is explored, as well as the general social and ideological setting in which the prophetic books emerged.
The Profane, the Civil, and the Godly: The Reformation of Manners in Orthodox New England, 1679–1749 (Kenneth Scott Latourette Prize in Religion and Modern Literature)
by Richard P. GildrieIn this prize-winning study of the sacred and profane in Puritan New England, Richard P. Gildrie seeks to understand not only the fears, aspirations, and moral theories of Puritan reformers but also the customs and attitudes they sought to transform. Topics include tavern mores, family order, witchcraft, criminality, and popular religion. Gildrie demonstrates that Puritanism succeeded in shaping regional society and culture for generations not because New Englanders knew no alternatives but because it offered a compelling vision of human dignity capable of incorporating and adapting crucial elements of popular mores and aspirations.
The Professor and the Parson: A Story of Desire, Deceit, and Defrocking
by Adam SismanThis “amusing and elegantly written” romp takes readers on a wild ride through the life of Robert Parkin Peters (The New York Times Book Review)—a liar, bigamist, and fraudulent priest who tricked some of the brightest minds of his generation.One day in November 1958, the celebrated historian Hugh Trevor–Roper received a curious letter. It was an appeal for help, written on behalf of a student at Magdalen College, with the unlikely claim that he was being persecuted by the Bishop of Oxford. Curiosity piqued, Trevor–Roper agreed to a meeting. It was to be his first encounter with Robert Parkin Peters: plagiarist, bigamist, fraudulent priest, and imposter extraordinaire.The Professor and the Parson is a witty and charming portrait of eccentricity, extraordinary narcissism, and a life as wild and unlikely as any in fiction. Motivated not by money but by a desire for prestige, Peters lied, stole, and cheated his way to academic positions and religious posts from Cambridge to New York. Frequently deported, and even more frequently discovered, he left a trail of destruction including seven marriages (three of which were bigamous) and an investigation by the FBI."I was captivated from start to finish by this utterly mad, and wholly delightful story of chicanery and fantasy, and which involves a man who relentlessly duped our most cherished institutions of godly pursuit and higher learning. Plus I learned how to defrock a priest, always good to have on hand in these troubling times." —Simon Winchester, author of The Perfectionists
The Professor of Immortality: A Novel
by Eileen Pollack&“A tragicomedy about the paradoxes of trying to be a decent human, and—maybe even trickier—of trying to be a decent mom&” by the author of A Perfect Life (Rivka Galchen, author of Little Labors). Professor Maxine Sayers once found her personal and professional life so fulfilling that she founded the Institute for Future Studies, a program dedicated to studying the effects of technology on our culture and finding ways to prolong human life. But when her beloved husband dies, she is so devastated she can barely get out of bed. To make matters worse, her son, Zach, abruptly quit his job in Silicon Valley and has been out of contact for seven months. But Maxine is jolted from her grief by her sudden realization that a favorite former student (and a former close friend of her son) might be a terrorist called the Technobomber and that Zach might either be involved in or has become a victim of this extremist&’s bombing. Deserting her teaching responsibilities, her ailing mother, and an appealing suitor, Maxine is compelled to set out in search of her son in order to warn and protect him—even though she knows she should report her suspicions to the FBI to prevent greater carnage. &“The Professor of Immortality is intimate and sweeping, funny and terrifying, and most of all dead-on in its observations of what it means to want to know everything about people we love while still being frightened of what we might find out: it&’s a detective story, and a story of motherlove. Eileen Pollack is a splendid writer.&” —Elizabeth McCracken, author of Bowlaway &“In this exceptional novel, Eileen Pollack writes with great immediacy about the impact of grief on a parent&’s perception of the world. Tender, wry, full of unexpected revelations, The Professor of Immortality gripped me from the first scene, and the urgent questions it poses have stayed with me.&” —Idra Novey, author of Those Who Knew
The Professor's Heart
by Laurie Alice EakesMia Roper has what she always wanted Her independence, her career and her home back East. But when a train wreck strands her in Hillsdale, Michigan, the town she once called home, Mia begins to wonder if she made the right choice to leave Hillsdale-and her true love-behind. Rescuing injured passengers, Professor Ayden Goswell can't believe his eyes. Could that really be Mia, the woman who once owned his heart, emerging from the wreckage? Long ago, Mia and Ayden chose their careers over love. But God, it seems, may have other plans for them....
The Profile of a Wise Man
by Swami SuddhanadaSwamiji unfolds many facets of Wisdom like petals of a flower. Wisdom does not lie in searching for a wise man. Wisdom is when you stop blaming others for your problems. Wisdom is when we stop having double standards. Wisdom is becoming happiness. Wisdom is not searching for happiness in other things. A scientist in one who challenges the perception. If doubting the perception is the beginning of science, doubting the perceiver - I the individual, is the beginning of wisdom. Swamiji also explodes many common myths convincingly with sheer directness. Engineers do not know engineering, those who know engineering are engineers. You have a limitation but you are not limited. The body has no fear; body does not know; it has no sense of 'I'. A thought reminds you of the object but does not produce the object. The relevance of knowledge is facing life, not in keeping ideas in your head. Anytime you are with yourself you are happy. Whenever you are happy: unconsciously you are with yourself.
The Profits of Religion: An Essay in Economic Interpretation
by Upton SinclairAn eye-opening condemnation of the economic sins of organized religion Throughout his adult life Upton Sinclair was an unapologetic idealist and a tireless crusader for the rights of the common man. In this powerful and scrupulously researched critique, he argues that organized religion is a gargantuan moneymaking operation in collusion with industry in their shared quest to strike down dissent while bleeding profits from the millions in their thrall. Sinclair catalogs how spirituality, "the most fundamental of the soul's impulses," is used as a tool for exploitation by unsavory clerical organizations. He specifically details the hypocrisy and self-serving, parasitic nature of churches in the West, from the entrenched fortresses of ancient Christianity to the "nonconforming" Protestant sects to the cultist "new religions" that came into vogue in the early twentieth century. A controversial, impassioned broadside, The Profits of Religion is Upton Sinclair at his most provocative and persuasive. This ebook has been authorized by the estate of Upton Sinclair.
The Progeny: A Novel (Descendants of the House of Bathory #1)
by Tosca LeeNew York Times bestselling author Tosca Lee brings a modern twist to an ancient mystery surrounding the most notorious female serial killer of all time. A fast-paced thriller for fans of Lee's Books of Mortals series with Ted Dekker, Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code, and BBC America's hit series Orphan Black.Emily Porter is the descendant of a serial killer. Now, she's become the hunted. She's on a quest that will take her to the secret underground of Europe and the inner circles of three ancient orders--one determined to kill her, one devoted to keeping her alive, and one she must ultimately save. Filled with adrenaline, romance, and reversals, The Progeny is the present-day saga of a 400-year-old war between the uncanny descendants of "Blood Countess" Elizabeth Bathory, the most prolific female serial killer of all time, and a secret society dedicated to erasing every one of her descendants. A story about the search for self amidst centuries-old intrigues and Europe's underground scene...and one woman's mission to survive.
The Program of Christianity
by Henry DrummondHenry Drummond was a Scottish evangelical lecturer. Few men have exercised more religious influence than he has. In The Program of Christianity, Henry Drummond sets forth how Christianity and society should interact.
The Program: Inside the Mind of Keith Raniere and the Rise and Fall of NXIVM
by Toni Natalie Chet HardinA jaw-dropping insider look into the world of the so-called "Hollywood Sex Cult" NXIVM chronicling the rise of enigmatic cult leader, Keith Raniere, from its "Patient Zero," his former girlfriend and test subject for his coercive control techniques. Many have heard of NXIVM and its creator, Keith Raniere, the unassuming Albany man now prosecuted for ensnaring tens of thousands of people in the US, Mexico, Canada and elsewhere, to do his bidding and pay millions of dollars to participate in his self-improvement methodology. But where did Keith Raniere begin? Enter Toni Natalie, Keith's Patient Zero, the first one indoctrinated into Raniere's methodology and the first one to escape. THE PROGRAM begins with the origin story of NXIVM, follows its rise to international prominence, and takes the reader into the downfall of Raniere through Toni's eyes. During this time she bore witness to the evolution of his methodology, including his use of sex, blackmail, and employment of psychological tools such as neuro-linguistic programming to control and punish those who would not heed his wishes. She uniquely details the fortunes lost and the lives left in disarray that she witnessed contemporaneously, including members of DOS, a group of women coerced into sexual acts under the guise of a "women's empowerment" inner circle, whom Raniere exercised extreme control over directly and through his lieutenants.But far from being a victim's story, in the spirit of Erin Brockovich, Toni's is a nuanced narrative of a multi-dimensional woman saving herself, and then working tirelessly to help other women do the same for themselves. Today, Toni is happy, reunited with her son, and surrounded by friends and family--it is this perspective that makes her such a unique storyteller.
The Progressive Mystery: Tracing the Elusive Spirit in Scripture and Tradition
by Myk HabetsA careful exploration of how the identity and mission of the Holy Spirit have been progressively revealed throughout Holy Scripture and then interpreted by the Church. The Progressive Mystery describes how the Spirit has been revealed, understood, and interpreted throughout the sweep of Holy Scripture and the ways in which the orthodox understanding of the mission of the Holy Spirit has developed. An ideal entrée into the study of pneumatology, it introduces readers to the complex history of the theology of the Holy Spirit. Ideal for students, it takes its place among other introductions to pneumatology, as a readable and reliable guide to an elusive topic.
The Progressive Planter: A Handbook for Ecclesial Entrepreneurs
by Joe GravesDiscover how to launch an inclusive Church for today’s world.Equip new church start pastors, sending churches and denominational leaders with the essential tools to establish an inclusive, theologically healthy church that will impact its community. Learn about crafting a vision, recruiting leaders, working with parent churches and denominations, marketing, reclaiming evangelism, and cultivating generous givers.With the purchase of The Progressive Planter, you will receive access to supplemental digital download templates and tools for starting a church, including a board manual, job descriptions, core values, surveys, prayer guides, and more.