Good Faith Reads

Good Faith Media staff interview authors of Nurturing Faith Books, the publishing imprint of GFM. Get to know authors and learn more about their books. In this episode: GFM media producer Cliff Vaughn interviews Paul Wallace, author of "35 Questions Christians Ask Scientists." In this book, trained scientist and theologian Paul Wallace responds to all kinds of questions from Christians, among them: How were you able to study science in school and allow room for your faith to grow? Does science disprove miracles? Do you think extraterrestrial life is out there, and if so, what is its theological significance? "Good Faith Reads" is produced by Good Faith Media, headquartered in Norman, Oklahoma. Learn more at www.GoodFaithMedia.org and @GFMediaOrg Links: Buy the book: https://goodfaithmedia.org/product/35-questions-christians-ask-scientists-by-paul-wallace/ Visit the GFM bookstore: https://goodfaithmedia.org/bookstore/ See the podcast website: https://goodfaithmedia.org/good-faith-reads/ Explore more GFM podcasts: https://goodfaithmedia.org/podcasts/ Learn more about Paul Wallace, and watch his videos about faith and science, at https://www.pwallace.net/

Good Faith Media staff interview authors of Nurturing Faith Books, the publishing imprint of GFM. Get to know authors and learn more about their books. In this episode: GFM creative coordinator Cally Chisholm interviews Maralene and Miles Wesner, authors of "Think (Or Else!)." The book explores how our very existence depends upon our willingness to base our lives upon logical principles rather than unrealistic delusions. "Good Faith Reads" is produced by Good Faith Media, headquartered in Norman, Oklahoma. Learn more at www.GoodFaithMedia.org and @GFMediaOrg Links: Buy the book: https://goodfaithmedia.org/product/think-or-else-by-maralene-and-miles-wesner/ Visit the GFM bookstore: https://goodfaithmedia.org/bookstore/ See the podcast website: https://goodfaithmedia.org/good-faith-reads/ Explore more GFM podcasts: https://goodfaithmedia.org/podcasts/

Good Faith Media staff interview authors of Nurturing Faith Books, the publishing imprint of GFM. Get to know authors and learn more about their books. In this episode: GFM's Starlette Thomas interviews Wallace W. Horton, author of "Windows for the Journey: Prose, Prayers, and Poems for the Daily Walk." The book includes a variety of meditations, prayers, and poetic thoughts that address many of the circumstances and challenges that everyone faces or will face in life. "Good Faith Reads" is produced by Good Faith Media, headquartered in Norman, Oklahoma. Learn more at www.GoodFaithMedia.org and @GFMediaOrg Links: Buy the book: https://goodfaithmedia.org/product/windows-for-the-journey-by-wallace-w-horton/ Visit the GFM bookstore: https://goodfaithmedia.org/bookstore/ See the podcast website: https://goodfaithmedia.org/good-faith-reads/ Explore more GFM podcasts: https://goodfaithmedia.org/podcasts/

Good Faith Media staff interview authors of Nurturing Faith Books, the publishing imprint of GFM. Get to know authors and learn more about their books. In this episode: GFM creative coordinator Cally Chisholm interviews Maralene and Miles Wesner, authors of "Stumbling to Zion." The Wesners' objective is to eliminate spiritual illiteracy and enable individuals to speak intelligently when doctrinal and ethical questions arise. They hope the book will help both leaders and churches to begin truly marching—instead of stumbling—to Zion. "Good Faith Reads" is produced by Good Faith Media, headquartered in Norman, Oklahoma. Learn more at www.GoodFaithMedia.org and @GFMediaOrg Links: Buy the book: https://goodfaithmedia.org/product/stumbling-to-zion-by-maralene-and-miles-wesner/ Visit the GFM bookstore: https://goodfaithmedia.org/bookstore/ See the podcast website: https://goodfaithmedia.org/good-faith-reads/ Explore more GFM podcasts: https://goodfaithmedia.org/podcasts/

Good Faith Media staff interview authors of Nurturing Faith Books, the publishing imprint of GFM. Get to know authors and learn more about their books. In this episode: GFM Media Producer Cliff Vaughn interviews Jon R. Roebuck, author of "Morning Conversations on the Wisdom of the Ages." This is volume three of a five-volume collection of devotional thoughts drawn from each chapter of the Bible. "Morning Conversations on the Wisdom of the Ages" takes the reader through five books of wisdom literature. "Good Faith Reads" is produced by Good Faith Media, headquartered in Norman, Oklahoma. Learn more at www.GoodFaithMedia.org and @GFMediaOrg Links: Buy the book: https://goodfaithmedia.org/product/morning-conversations-on-the-wisdom-of-the-ages-by-jon-r-roebuck/ Visit the GFM bookstore: https://goodfaithmedia.org/bookstore/ See the podcast website: https://goodfaithmedia.org/good-faith-reads/ Explore more GFM podcasts: https://goodfaithmedia.org/podcasts/

Good Faith Media staff interview authors of Nurturing Faith Books, the publishing imprint of GFM. Get to know authors and learn more about their books. In this episode: GFM media producer Cliff Vaughn interviews Bruce C. Salmon, author of "The Barefoot Eulogist: Speaking a Good Word While Standing on Holy Ground." Salmon shares 14 eulogies (with the families' permissions) of the many he delivered while pastor in Maryland. Each chapter contains the eulogy and a reflection about its circumstances and composition. "The purpose of this book," says Salmon, "is to provide examples of eulogies I have given, in the hope that these examples might help other eulogists in the art and craft of writing tributes to those who have died, provide consolation for those who are grieving, and lift up the Christian promise of eternal life." "Good Faith Reads" is produced by Good Faith Media, headquartered in Norman, Oklahoma. Learn more at www.GoodFaithMedia.org and @GFMediaOrg Links: Buy the book: https://goodfaithmedia.org/product/the-barefoot-eulogist-by-bruce-c-salmon/ Visit the GFM bookstore: https://goodfaithmedia.org/bookstore/ See the podcast website: https://goodfaithmedia.org/good-faith-reads/ Explore more GFM podcasts: https://goodfaithmedia.org/podcasts/ Learn more about Salmon: https://www.spelunkingscripture.com/

Good Faith Media staff interview authors of Nurturing Faith Books, the publishing imprint of GFM. Get to know authors and learn more about their books. In this episode: GFM executive editor Johnny Pierce interviews William G. (Bill) Henderson, Jr., author of "A Daily Prayer, Short and Sweet" and "New Psalms from the Old Psalms." These devotional books are focused on "real conversations with God." "Good Faith Reads" is produced by Good Faith Media, headquartered in Norman, Oklahoma. Learn more at www.GoodFaithMedia.org and @GFMediaOrg Links: Buy the books: https://goodfaithmedia.org/product/a-daily-prayer-short-and-sweet-by-w-g-bill-henderson/ and https://goodfaithmedia.org/product/new-psalms-from-the-old-psalms-henderson/ Visit the GFM bookstore: https://goodfaithmedia.org/bookstore/ See the podcast website: https://goodfaithmedia.org/good-faith-reads/ Explore more GFM podcasts: https://goodfaithmedia.org/podcasts/

Good Faith Media staff interview authors of Nurturing Faith Books, the publishing imprint of GFM. Get to know authors and learn more about their books. In this episode: GFM CEO Mitch Randall interviews Imad S. Enchassi, author of "Cloud Miles: A Remarkable Journey of Mercy, Peace, and Purpose." Enchassi recounts how his various identities as an American, Palestinian Arab and Muslim have shaped his journey from a refugee camp in Lebanon to being an imam in Oklahoma City. "Good Faith Reads" is produced by Good Faith Media, headquartered in Norman, Oklahoma. Learn more at www.GoodFaithMedia.org and @GFMediaOrg Links: Buy the book: https://goodfaithmedia.org/product/cloud-miles-enchassi/ Visit the GFM bookstore: https://goodfaithmedia.org/bookstore/ See the podcast website: https://goodfaithmedia.org/good-faith-reads/ Explore more GFM podcasts: https://goodfaithmedia.org/podcasts/

Good Faith Media staff interview authors of Nurturing Faith Books, the publishing imprint of GFM. Get to know authors and learn more about their books. In this episode: GFM media producer Cliff Vaughn interviews Harold T. Bryson, author of "Take Time for the Pain: Pilgrimage Through Suffering." The book chronicles Bryson's decades-long experience of and investigation into pain: the types, the effects, the hope. "Good Faith Reads" is produced by Good Faith Media, headquartered in Norman, Oklahoma. Learn more at www.GoodFaithMedia.org and @GFMediaOrg Links: Buy the book: https://goodfaithmedia.org/product/take-time-for-the-pain-by-harold-t-bryson/ Visit the GFM bookstore: https://goodfaithmedia.org/bookstore/ See the podcast website: https://goodfaithmedia.org/good-faith-reads/ Explore more GFM podcasts: https://goodfaithmedia.org/podcasts/

Good Faith Media staff interview authors of Nurturing Faith Books, the publishing imprint of GFM. Get to know authors and learn more about their books. In this episode: GFM managing editor Zach Dawes, Jr. interviews Leah Grundset Davis, author of "Believe the Women: A Journey of Liberation with Alliance of Baptists' Women." The book is a collection of theological work, sermons, and personal stories that remind us that we ignore the prophetic voices of women at our own peril, for they have kept—and they will keep—raising their voices and calling us to fix broken systems. It's particularly notable that we're offered this powerful invitation to engage Mary's song through the voices of Baptist women ministers—those who have persisted in their determination to follow God's call in the face of institutions that would silence them. "Good Faith Reads" is produced by Good Faith Media, headquartered in Norman, Oklahoma. Learn more at www.GoodFaithMedia.org and @GFMediaOrg Links: Buy the book: https://goodfaithmedia.org/product/believe-the-women-davis/ Visit the GFM bookstore: https://goodfaithmedia.org/bookstore/ See the podcast website: https://goodfaithmedia.org/good-faith-reads/ Explore more GFM podcasts: https://goodfaithmedia.org/podcasts/

Good Faith Media staff interview authors of Nurturing Faith Books, the publishing imprint of GFM. Get to know authors and learn more about their books. In this episode: GFM media producer Cliff Vaughn interviews Charles E. Poole, author of "The Path to Depth." Poole explores how the path to depth is a narrow way; narrow, not as in exclusive, but as in centering; a lifelong reaching for a more thoughtful, mindful, centered life; praying, each day, all through the day, to be kind and gentle, brave and true. However, while the path to depth is a narrow way, it leads to a wide place. On the path to depth, the deeper we go, the wider we grow. "Good Faith Reads" is produced by Good Faith Media, headquartered in Norman, Oklahoma. Learn more at www.GoodFaithMedia.org and @GFMediaOrg Links: Buy the book: https://goodfaithmedia.org/product/the-path-to-depth-by-charles-e-poole/ Visit the GFM bookstore: https://goodfaithmedia.org/bookstore/ See the podcast website: https://goodfaithmedia.org/good-faith-reads/ Explore more GFM podcasts: https://goodfaithmedia.org/podcasts/

Good Faith Media staff interview authors of Nurturing Faith Books, the publishing imprint of GFM. Get to know authors and learn more about their books. In this episode: GFM media producer Cliff Vaughn interviews J. Claude Huguley, author of "Trusting Grace: The Journey from Fear to Love." Huguley, a hospital chaplain for more than 30 years, explores the origins and reaches of fear. He then leads readers to embrace LOVE as the transformative power -- for individuals and communities alike. "Good Faith Reads" is produced by Good Faith Media, headquartered in Norman, Oklahoma. Learn more at www.GoodFaithMedia.org and @GFMediaOrg Links: Buy the book: https://goodfaithmedia.org/product/trusting-grace-by-j-claude-huguley/ Visit the GFM bookstore: https://goodfaithmedia.org/bookstore/ See the podcast website: https://goodfaithmedia.org/good-faith-reads/ Explore more GFM podcasts: https://goodfaithmedia.org/podcasts/

Good Faith Media staff interview authors of Nurturing Faith Books, the publishing imprint of GFM. Get to know authors and learn more about their books. In this episode: GFM creative coordinator Cally Chisholm interviews Maralene and Miles Wesner, authors of "If Jesus Were Here Today" It's difficult to know the mind and follow the example of a person who lived so long ago, but the Gospels do include some frequently overlooked vignettes that teach us about Jesus's personal character, values, and methods of ministry. The Wesners explore some of these vignettes to help us determine what Jesus would say and do about current issues. "Good Faith Reads" is produced by Good Faith Media, headquartered in Norman, Oklahoma. Learn more at www.GoodFaithMedia.org and @GFMediaOrg Links: Buy the book: https://goodfaithmedia.org/product/if-jesus-were-here-today-by-maralene-and-miles-wesner/ Visit the GFM bookstore: https://goodfaithmedia.org/bookstore/ See the podcast website: https://goodfaithmedia.org/good-faith-reads/ Explore more GFM podcasts: https://goodfaithmedia.org/podcasts/

Good Faith Media staff interview authors of Nurturing Faith Books, the publishing imprint of GFM. Get to know authors and learn more about their books. In this episode: GFM Creative Coordinator Cally Chisholm interviews Maralene and Miles Wesner, authors of "Do You Really Know Jesus?" The book helps readers "know Jesus" better by developing an understanding of his human personality. "Good Faith Reads" is produced by Good Faith Media, headquartered in Norman, Oklahoma. Learn more at www.GoodFaithMedia.org and @GFMediaOrg Links: Buy the book: https://goodfaithmedia.org/product/do-you-really-know-jesus-by-maralene-and-miles-wesner/ Visit the GFM bookstore: https://goodfaithmedia.org/bookstore/ See the podcast website: https://goodfaithmedia.org/good-faith-reads/ Explore more GFM podcasts: https://goodfaithmedia.org/podcasts/

Good Faith Media staff interview authors of Nurturing Faith Books, the publishing imprint of GFM. Get to know authors and learn more about their books. In this episode: GFM Executive Editor and Publisher John D. Pierce interviews Tony W. Cartledge, author of "Nurturing Faith Commentary; Year A, Volume 1." Nurturing Faith Commentary emerged from a committed desire to provide quality Bible study resources for Christians who come to the scripture with open minds and a desire to go beneath a surface reading. The 12-volume set covers every text for every Sunday in the three-year cycle of the Revised Common Lectionary. Scholarly yet applicable, this expansive and insightful resource provides pastors, teachers, and other Bible students with both academic and pastoral insights in approachable language. An experienced writer, editor, academician, and teacher, Cartledge is well known for his weekly Bible lessons and teaching/preaching resources that have impacted individuals, classes, and congregations in seeking to learn and apply biblical truths. "Good Faith Reads" is produced by Good Faith Media, headquartered in Norman, Oklahoma. Learn more at www.GoodFaithMedia.org and @GFMediaOrg Links: Buy the book: https://goodfaithmedia.org/product/nurturing-faith-commentary-year-a-volume-1-by-tony-w-cartledge/ Visit the GFM bookstore: https://goodfaithmedia.org/bookstore/ See the podcast website: https://goodfaithmedia.org/good-faith-reads/ Explore more GFM podcasts: https://goodfaithmedia.org/podcasts/

Good Faith Media staff interview authors of Nurturing Faith Books, the publishing imprint of GFM. Get to know authors and learn more about their books. In this episode: GFM Media Producer Cliff Vaughn interviews William Powell Tuck, author of "A Pastor Preaching: Toward a Theology of the Proclaimed Word." The book looks seriously at what constitutes the content and background of authentic preaching. Tuck offers the book as one pastor and preaching professor's suggestions on how he has tried to share the gospel through ministry both in the classroom and in the pulpit "Good Faith Reads" is produced by Good Faith Media, headquartered in Norman, Oklahoma. Learn more at www.GoodFaithMedia.org and @GFMediaOrg Links: Buy the book: https://goodfaithmedia.org/product/a-pastor-preaching-tuck/ Visit the GFM bookstore: https://goodfaithmedia.org/bookstore/ See the podcast website: https://goodfaithmedia.org/good-faith-reads/ Explore more GFM podcasts: https://goodfaithmedia.org/podcasts/

In the 52 insightful essays covering five areas—personal devotion, worship theology and practice, preparing for worship, the church year and worship, and worship that transforms lives—we see the depth of Dr. Horton's heart, his great love for the church, and his passion for worship. This combination makes for compelling reading. The book could be an excellent resource for a weekly study for a team of musicians, a choir, a worship committee, or source of topics for a pastoral staff discussion. Each of the “windows on worship” in this book with one of the following objectives: • to help you strengthen your personal devotional life • to provide greater awareness of a biblical theology of worship • to better prepare yourself as you come to worship • to develop a deeper appreciation for the church year • to help you recognize how our Triune God transforms lives through worship Although the essays in this book could be read in one or two sittings, the author encourages you to read and meditate on one essay per week. Over the course of a single year, you will have completed a journey that will allow you to “connect some of the dots” in your own personal devotion to, application of, and participation in Christian worship. Learn more at GoodFaithMedia.org.

The Alliance of Baptists has been a progressive voice for thirty-five years, pushing the boundaries of Christianity towards anti-racism, LGBTQ+ inclusion, and gender equity in ministry. In Taking on the Cross, the Alliance gathers a diverse group of Baptist pastors, writers, and theologians who critically question substitutionary atonement theology—that Jesus died on the cross for humanity's sins—and offers pathways for reimagining the meaning of Jesus' life and death. The book begins with biblical and theological essays from multiple perspectives, then offers church resources—liturgy and faith formation—and finishes with a section on tools for the ministries of pastoral care and social justice. Each chapter concludes with questions that will make Taking on the Cross a favorite for book clubs, Sunday school classes, and small group discussions. Learn more at GoodFaithMedia.org.

Welcome to Volume 2 of a 5-volume collection of devotional thoughts from the Old Testament. Morning Conversations on The Rise and Fall of Kings and Kingdoms takes the reader through nine books of biblical history. Once again, I invite you to join with me in a fresh devotional read through the pages of the Old Testament text. My goal in writing is not to exhaustively interpret, translate, or provide full commentary on every chapter of the Old Testament, but to help you engage with the text and perhaps draw some meaningful application for each day. I have discovered a number of fascinating ways the truth of God's Word leaps off the page and into my heart. It is my hope that some of my reflections will help you with your discovery of scripture and the role of faith in your life. I use the word “Conversations” with great intentionality. I think Bible study should happen that way. God is revealed to us through God's story, and then we reflect and offer back to God the thoughts of our hearts. It is a conversation… a back-and-forth dialogue. Conversations invite us to ponder, reflect, inquire, learn, and grow. As you read through these volumes, my hope is that you will take the time, not to simply read what I have written, but to reflect with me on what the ancients have written. Let me challenge you each morning to take a moment to read the suggested focus chapter from a trusted translation before you dive into the words I have written. Read and reflect. As you make your way through this book, and the other volumes in the set, you will discover a lot of my life story written into these pages. But more importantly, I hope you will discover a lot about God's story... the one carefully crafted and preserved for you. For in hearing God's story, you will hear the echoing refrain of God's desire to know you, to love you, and to redeem you. Welcome to the conversation. Learn more at GoodFaithMedia.org.

Twelve years ago, Larry began a project of putting together excerpts from Samuel H. Miller's first three books—The Life of the Soul (1951), The Life of the Church (1953), and The Great Realities (1955)—that he hoped would become a collection of spiritual meditations. Larry felt the need to lift nuggets out and make them available for people who had read Miller in the past and had forgotten his books. And he also felt the need to bring forth this deep, honest spirituality for those who had never heard of Samuel Miller.

Steve Nichols grew up in church and in the modern world outside of church. By his late teens, he was trying to integrate his religious and secular lives into a unified whole. How would he fashion a worldview consistent with his religious heritage and modern science? And how would he recognize God's Presence in his everyday secular life? Some people adopt a religious position that they defend against all secular input. Other people do the opposite, casting their lot with the secular against everything religious. Raised on both sides of the cultural division into secular and sacred, Nichols internalized both, and chose the difficult path of reconciliation. In these pages, Nichols presents the story of his faith, and faith rediscovered, in the hope that it will provide encouragement to others. Learn more at GoodFaithMedia.org.

People of faith sometimes hesitate at the suggestion that they are by definition “theologians.” The word tends to conjure up an image of an ordained church leader or an academic professional with formal training in the field. And, to be sure, such persons have carried the discipline of theology in a formal way through the generations, providing a structure and basis for the church's understanding of its faith. Also, the accumulated work of formal theologians is massive to the point of being overwhelming to many people who attempt to delve into it. Its complexity can easily dissuade those with casual interest and even those required to study it. But there is another level of theological thinking that goes on in the life and mind of every adherent to a faith. It usually does not lead to formal expression in a systematic way, but it becomes the working understanding of what one's faith means and how it is lived in real time. It is to this kind of theological thinking and to those who engage in it that the author offers this “set of keys.” These basic suggestions do not delve into the depths of the doctrines of the church or explore the nuances that have accompanied the Christian tradition. There are resources aplenty for anyone who wishes to explore those avenues and their many-faceted interpretations of the faith experience. This set of keys is more basic, but no less important. They provide helpful access to the rooms of theology and a perspective for dealing with what is found there, so that the encounters can be a healthy and wholesome part of the faith journey. Learn more at GoodFaithMedia.org.

The Gospels are magnificent, classic, world-shaping, reverent sketches of Jesus of Nazareth, who, to his followers, became the Christ. The Gospels have many tantalizing gaps in the story of the Jesus who lived, walked, and loved among family members, Galilean friends, and tyrannical religious and political systems. The Gospels are essentially memories of memories of a cadre of devoted followers of Jesus. That said, the four Gospels are all we have of the telling of the Jesus of Nazareth story from about 4 BCE to about 30 CE. Through careful, reverent, well-researched twenty-first-century flights of informed imagination, Maddox aims to fill in some of the historical blanks in the life of Jesus of Nazareth, this unique person, in the words of John Shelby Spong, “full of God.” Volume one imagines the Αρχή (beginning) of Jesus of Nazareth. Volume two trumpets the call of Jesus to serve his beloved kingdom of weeds. As the late Marcus Borg had a way of saying, “It may not have happened exactly this way, but it's true anyway.” Meet Jesus again for the first time as he grew and served among God's beloved “weeds” in his own time. This is the first of a three-part series. Book Two: The Kingdom of Weeds is available here. Book three has not yet been published. Learn more at GoodFaithMedia.org.

This book presents a psychological explanation of the gospel. It deals with the nine basic human needs that salvation fills. Believing that we have acceptance, love, and value gives us peace and contentment: “We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom 5:1). Believing that we have security, forgiveness, and guidance gives us assurance and confidence: “All things can be done for the one who believes” (Mark 9:23). Believing that we have support, purpose, and hope gives us meaning and significance: “We have this hope, a sure and steadfast anchor for the soul” (Heb 6:19). People today want more than creeds and platitudes. Discovering that there are logical reasons for the positive changes that take place when we become a Christian helps us understand how and why a conversion experience makes such a real difference in our lives. Learn more at GoodFaithMedia.org.

For many LGBTQIA+ Christians and allies, the infamous “clobber” passages (the handful of passages used by religious conservatives to demonize LGBTQIA+ people) elicit a similar response: stay far, far away. These verses haven't been used to make us uncomfortable; they've been used to cause us deep harm. As we deal with the damage that these verses have done, we each have our own healing journey to walk. For some of you, the conversation this book provides will be a healing balm; for others, encountering these passages again may be too deep a reminder of the pain they've caused you. Your path to healing may not include revisiting these passages or reading this book, and that's okay. Engage both God and your own inner wisdom before choosing to embark on this journey. To the straight cisgender folks who may have picked this book up on a whim, you may feel like you're “on the outside looking in” while reading the experiences of the queer folks who contributed to this book. I want to encourage you to read it anyway. Treat this as an opportunity to learn about your siblings in Christ and how you might be a better sibling for them. You might even find some healing for yourself within these pages. If you—queer folk or cishet ally—choose to take this path, know that we are not starting at ground zero. Thanks to many fantastic theologians and pastors, we know that those verses have been used improperly for far too long, and we can examine them with new eyes. We can see lessons full of love instead of hate. We can see instruction instead of condemnation. Together, we can discover a message around which people from all walks of life can talk, laugh, and be nourished. Learn more at GoodFaithMedia.org.

The resurrection of Jesus is the lynchpin of the Christian faith. As Paul wrote, “If Christ hasn't been raised, then your faith is worthless” (1 Cor. 15:17a CEB). Without Easter, there would be no church. All four gospels present the Resurrection as historical occurrence, and most of the other books of the New Testament allude to or elucidate the meaning of the Resurrection. That Jesus died for our sins and was raised to new life by the power of God is the heart of the gospel. Easter is the most important day of the Christian year. Thus, it seems fitting that we should read and study the accounts on which Easter is based, namely the stories in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John about the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. The goal of this volume is to move beneath the surface of the stories to explore what the Resurrection means for our lives. This is the method of “spelunking scripture.” As we examine each passage, we move beyond the details of the narrative to probe how it speaks to us, and to seek connections with life today. Each resurrection narrative, or post-resurrection appearance, is interpreted by three sermons. The sermons are designed to bring the resurrection of Jesus into our time and circumstance, and to enable us to recognize the risen Christ in our midst. Spelunking Scripture is a series of studies based on some of the most important passages of the Bible. Other volumes in this series include Christmas, The Letters of Paul, and Acts and the General Epistles of the New Testament. The Easter study focuses on the passages in the Gospels that tell about the Resurrection, just as the Christmas study focuses on the birth narratives. All scripture is inspired, but not every passage of scripture is of equal importance. These passages of scripture that tell the story of the Resurrection are among the most important ones in the Bible. Learn more at GoodFaithMedia.org.

A good story contains between five and ten components that help readers understand what is happening, why they should care about the characters, and how the story will ultimately end. In The Gospel According to Broadway, Terrell Carter examines the characters, setting, plot, conflict, and resolution in various Broadway plays while interweaving biblical stories and scriptural lessons. By delving into both scripture and plays, Carter explores the implications of God's love for all creation and how God's unwavering love should impact how we live in relationship with our Creator, each other, and all that God has made. Learn more at GoodFaithMedia.org.

Enjoy this collection of 51 sermons written by husband and wife team, Maralene and Miles Wesner. These sermons are written for holidays throughout the year, from New Years Day to Christmas. Special days often attract the greatest church attendance and thus offer the greatest opportunity for outreach. Unfortunately, many holiday and seasonal messages are shallow and sentimental. So, these sermons were developed with three goals in mind: appropriateness, depth, and psychological soundness. They are highly adaptable and require a minimum amount of preparation. The authors hope this collection of their most meaningful and successful “celebration services” will be useful to others. Learn more at GoodFaithMedia.org.

Time is a form of currency that each of us is afforded a set amount. No one has any more or any less time. Everyone is granted the same 1,440 minutes in a day. How we use them, however, is our decision. This book of devotions recognizes that reality and offers a resource to make those moments we carve out of our busy schedules the most meaningful. Based on the Christian year, these brief reflections invite readers to enjoy the rhythms of the various seasons of the liturgical calendar so that they might align their lives with the broad redemption story of Scripture and make commitments that will promote faith's flourishing, one day at a time all the way through to eternity, when faith will become sight and time will be a constraint no more. Learn more at GoodFaithMedia.org.

Those of us who write, do so armed with wisdom, commentary, and insights gleaned from a lifetime of study and influence. Most of what is presented in each day's devotion is simply my personal reflection on the text, hopefully inspired through the work of the Spirit, and my musings on how to best apply the wisdom of God's word to daily life. Morning Conversations on the Creation of a People and Place is the first volume of a set that follows the natural order of the Old Testament canon, and spans the Biblical narrative from the opening chapter of Genesis to the end of the book of Ruth. As you read through these volumes, my hope is that you will take the time, not to simply read what I have written, but to reflect with me on what the ancients have written. Let me challenge you each morning to take a moment to read the suggested focus chapter from a trusted translation before you dive into my words. Read and reflect. As you make your way through this book, and those that will follow, you will discover a lot of my life story written into these pages. But more importantly, I hope you will discover a lot about God's story… the one carefully crafted and persevered for you. For in hearing God's story, you will hear the echoing refrain of God's desire to know you, to love you, and to redeem you. Welcome to the conversation. Learn more at GoodFaithMedia.org.

Exploring hope through thoughtful meditations that distinguish between our life-hopes and our hopes for the world, Day guides the reader through understanding the phenomenon of hope, hope's many challenges, and our literary view of hope. Many of the anxieties racing through us are not wed to current events or twenty-first-century novelties. Apprehensions have always been nibbling at our peace, dangling us over “the drop edge.” Perhaps, as someone has suggested, it's not that things are getting worse: rather, they are just getting uncovered. Yet, there are moments when what is within us meets dilemmas and demands that are beyond us, moments when we must choose hope or wilt in despair. Today feels like one of those moments. And this is a book about this moment and that choice. The book's main title comes from scripture, specifically from the venerable 1611 King James translation of 1 Peter 1:3, which says God has “begotten us again unto a lively hope." So, this is a book about hope, but it is not intended to be an exhaustive treatise. These are but meditations upon chosen aspects of hope about which the author hopes will say something helpful to readers. “I want to explore lively hope, the kind that sings songs in the night and stares down long odds in clear daylight, the kind that dares to dance before the fiddler has even picked up his bow and won't stop talking until the right has been done," Day writes. "Anything less isn't worth your time or mine.” Learn more at GoodFaithMedia.org.

Spinks rethinks atonement by giving careful attention to the words of Jesus, abandoning entirely the concept of "the atonement" held as the most popular view among conservative evangelicals today. Most of the classic theories of the atonement propose what the authors intended to be literal, often legal, explanations of what Jesus did for us on the cross. These theories proposed the idea that the cross of Christ provided "the atonement" -- an event that made it possible for God to forgive us and make us his children. The New Testament shows that Jesus did not preach any "theory of the atonement." In fact, Jesus never used any word that could be translated "atonement," nor did he preach any concept that could be so construed. Jesus proclaimed the metaphor of the loving Father. Jesus taught how we are to reconcile (although he never used that word, either) with the Father, not how the Father reconciles himself to us. The view presented here does not claim to be Jesus' theory of the atonement, for the New Testament evidence does not indicate that he had one. Instead, Spinks sets forth what Jesus proclaimed as his good news of the kingdom of God. Once we understand the gospel Jesus preached, we do not need any theory of the atonement because Jesus' message, as communicated through his favorite metaphor, stands sufficient on its own. Learn more at GoodFaithMedia.org.

This book considers three ways of thinking about God: in relation to the Bible, in relation to philosophy, and in relation to science. Thinking about God in relation to the Bible includes numerous beliefs about God. Thinking about God in relation to philosophy involves an emphasis on human reason, usually reason apart from special revelation such as the Bible. Finally, thinking about God in relation to science considers some traditional beliefs about God in view of various scientific discoveries and accounts. As we become more deeply involved in thinking about God, it would be good to remember that the thinking is about God but is done by humans. We should be careful. We should not have too high an opinion of our own thinking. We might recall the statement of Isaiah 55.8-9: "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." With the reminder that human thinking about God has important limitations, we should still try to think about God as carefully as possible. Learn more at GoodFaithMedia.org.

In the second book of the “Spelunking Scripture” series, Spelunking Scripture: The Letters of Paul—Exploring Important Passages of the Bible, author Bruce C. Salmon digs into the thirteen letters of the New Testament attributed to Paul. Although some scholars believe some of the letters may have been written, or edited, by Paul's followers, all of the letters begin by identifying Paul as the author. Most of the letters were addressed to specific churches (or groups of churches), although a few were addressed to specific individuals. Probably, most of the letters were intended to be read aloud to assembled congregations, and most were written to address particular needs within the churches. As such, Paul's counsel about certain situations was not meant to be applied universally to all the churches. The passages from Paul's letters identified for this study have a universal application, and Salmon focuses on the way in which Paul's letters convey the truth about God's intentions for our lives. This book is part of the “Spelunking Scripture” series. You can find all of the published books in the series at GoodFaithMedia.org.

The Bible is a record of and witness to divine-human encounter and relationship—period! To understand such stories, we have to understand that the Bible must not only be read; it must be interpreted. So, how do we do that? I am convinced that a significant portion of the difficulties many people have with the Bible is due to a lack of understanding of the historical process by which we received these inspired scriptures—and I do believe they are divinely inspired. We have not paid sufficient attention to the story of how the Bible came to be written. If we read the Bible as a technical treatise in which every word stands on equal footing, we distort the meaning of scripture. If, on the other hand, we read every sentence of the Bible through the lens of Jesus Christ, we come to see God in all the glory we earth-bound and time-bound creatures can stand. Trust Jesus and let him show you how to read the record of God's self-revelation. Read everything before Jesus and everything after him through the Jesus lens. Learn more at GoodFaithMedia.org.

In the first book of the “Spelunking Scripture” series, Spelunking Scripture: Christmas—Exploring Important Passages of the Bible, author Bruce Salmon digs into the story of Jesus' birth as told in the Gospel of Luke. He briefly introduces each pertinent scripture passage related to the Christmas story then illustrates each passage with studies gleaned from the more than 1,500 sermons he preached during his 33 years as pastor at Village Baptist Church in Bowie, Maryland. In addition to examining Luke, Salmon also digs into the visit of the wise men, the prophecy in Isaiah 9 about a child being born unto us, and the prologue to John's gospel as he explores how these important scripture passages underpin the Christmas story. Learn more at GoodFaithMedia.org.

At one of our Center for Healthy Churches semiannual gatherings, we decided to come up with a definition of “healthy church” that would help us articulate our understanding of what lies at the heart of the Center's work. We spent several hours crafting a definition. We wanted it to reflect both our own long years of experience in creating healthy churches in congregations we had served as pastors and what we have learned from our years of working as consultants with church leaders from around the country. We quickly came to a shared agreement about what metrics don't inform our under-standing of “healthy,” specifically: the number of members a church has, the size of its budget, and how “successful” it has been. We've seen too many large, “successful” churches that exhibit unhealthy behaviors. We've also worked with too many small churches that exhibit robust health and a vital mission. After many drafts, we came up with a statement that we feel captures the heart of our work. It also mirrors our understanding of the church's call to be the body of Christ in and for the world. This definition emerged from our discernment: A healthy church is a community of Jesus followers with shared vision, thriving ministry, and trusted leadership. Learn more and purchase the book at GoodFaithMedia.org.

A TIME FOR EVERY PURPOSE: A Devotional Guide / Homiletical Commentary for Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary is a special publishing project by pastor Doug Dortch and members of his congregation, Mountain Brook Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama. This beautiful, well-written hardcover volume (which is being shared by sponsors as a gift to military chaplains and others) is not being sold on the public market. Learn more at GoodFaithMedia.org.

God created space from chaos. He chose to carve out space for all living things. He created space for the sun, moon, and stars. He created space for the oceans to form and for the dry land to appear. He created space for plants to flourish, for animals to roam, and yes, even for man to dwell. And in his image we are gifted with the ability to create space for all living things, including people who may not always feel included in our space or in God's. We have the ability to make space for things to happen, for lives to thrive, for relationships to bloom, and for people to find wholeness.

Christian congregations, like just about everything else in our culture, are undergoing tremendous change. That's not a huge revelation. Almost everyone involved with congregations agrees with that statement, because we live with that reality. One of the central changes for congregations today is that they are no longer the center of social and cultural life in most communities. Today, depending on where you live, churches are somewhere between slightly off center and all the way at the margins of centers of social influence in their communities. Perhaps no group of churches has experienced this shift more dramatically than “Old First” churches. Another change is that denominational organizations are no longer the repository of all resources, services, and expertise that congregations need to be effective. Often, the true “experts” are not denominational organizations, but other congregations. The best denominational organizations see their task, primarily, as cultivating a network of churches and ministry partners and connecting them to one another as a community of mutual learning and resourcing. With these changes in mind, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of North Carolina (CBFNC) partnered with First Baptist Church Wilmington and others in 2010 to produce the first “Hopeful Imagination” conference. The centerpiece of the conference was telling the story of FBC Wilmington in the words of its leaders. It was a story of how an “Old First” church adapted to our changing times and managed not only to survive, but also to thrive. In addition to the resource of the FBC story, we brought in other leaders who made contributions to the corporate learning. Teams of congregational leaders attended the conference, listened to the stories, and returned home to apply their learning in their own congregations and communities.

Finding the Gospel is a book about changing one's mind. Or, more accurately, it is a book about how I have changed my mind about some portions of the Christian faith—especially its central message. Apparently, I am not the only one caught up in this rethinking endeavor. Some people suggest Christianity itself is undergoing one of its every 500-year “rummage sales” when all manner of doctrines and practices are dragged out to the driveway for disposal. I don't know if that's true—and I will be long dead before the historians settle the question—but what I do know is that as I enter the fourth quarter of my life, my own faith doesn't look like it did in the first quarter, or, for that matter, in any previous quarter. It is still a work in progress. Perhaps it is so for you, too. If so, I'd like for this book to be my way of sharing notes with you. There's one thing I learned very soon in my process: Change is hard work. Intellectually and emotionally, it is hard work. If we were talking about something less emotionally charged—such as changing from cable to satellite TV—it would be so much simpler. But when the change has to do with what you think about God and everything south thereof, the stakes are much higher.

This book is designed to reach multiple audiences. First, I hope it will be a resource for beginning classes in formal theological education. For students interested in church ministry, I believe an appropriate starting point for theological studies is with a study of God's call. Such a study at the beginning of an undergraduate or graduate theological degree could serve to inspire students and increase their hunger for greater biblical and theological learning. Students tend to be full of questions regarding God's call at the beginning of formal theological education, whether undergraduate or graduate. Second, I want to provide a written resource about God's call that may be helpful to lay readers as well as to those called to the ministry. In church life, many persons other than clergy feel called to some form of non-ordained ministry or service. Many of the characteristics of God's call are similar for both groups. Third, I want this book to be a ready resource for professors, pastors, ministers, and mentors to have available to give to persons seeking their wisdom and counsel relative to God's call. Many times I have wished I had such a volume at my fingertips to offer to inquiring persons. I hope this book will meet this need. A theme of personal conviction will provide the foundation for this book. This conviction is that “it is worth a life” to answer God's call. This is true for persons called to vocational ministry and equally true for those called to ministries not requiring ordination. The call of God is not exclusive to clergy, as special as that call is. God's call can come to all, and it is worth a life to serve God, whether as an ordained servant or layperson.

Staring at Dementia is a tender journal recollection of the author's time spent with his mother during the last decade of her life. Danny E. Akin journals their many visits together in an attempt to capture and record the rapid and extreme changes Mother experiences as she transitions over the years from an independent living apartment to a Personal Care setting and finally to Memory Care. The journal is filled with daily events, Mother's pronouncements, family tales, and the author's personal reflections on the toll dementia takes on both the patient and the caregiver. He shares with his audience the successes and failures of maintaining a close relationship with an elderly family member in decline. Over time, Akin and his mother switch roles, with Akin becoming the parent and Mother the child. Writing about this slow change helps the author make sense of the stressful episodes and gives him a sense of purpose, even as he struggles to make sense of difficult situations and decisions. “As I look back and remember my feelings of frustration, there are times when I regret my anger—even when I tried to see the humor. Wise advice from other writers prompted me to look for the self, the person that remained of the mother I loved. Often, I found it in her kindness and even, at times, in her words.” The author's goals for this book is to share the legacy of Mother, a woman who, without fame, wealth, or status, who deeply influenced the lives of her sons, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, extended family, church, neighbors, friends, and retirement home staff. It is also his hope that the book will give others who must travel this road some hope, practical advice, a feeling of camaraderie with fellow caregivers, humor, and the encouragement to write down the stories of their parents before the stories are lost forever. Learn more and purchase the book at GoodFaithMedia.org

God has entrusted preachers with his sacred word, his church and the sacred desk. Preachers have an obligation to offer back to God excellence in Christian ministry by conducting the ministry of preaching “decently and in order.” Likewise, churches are entrusted with honoring the time and energy that preachers — especially guest ministers — spend in preparation for speaking/preaching engagements by providing hospitable treatment and proper payment. This manual begins with an introduction on the history of etiquette and why it matters. Part one provides an exegetical analysis of key passages of scripture that deal with preaching etiquette. Part two suggests that if greater attention is given to matters of preaching etiquette, the ministry of preaching will be done decently and in order, and those charged with proclaiming God's word will be better equipped to serve in a spirit of excellence. Part three addresses matters of hospitality and honoraria viewed from studying 1 Corinthians 9:3-14, 3 John 5-8, and 1 Timothy 5:17-18. Following some personal reflection, I offer guide- lines on conducting a seminar on preaching etiquette. Learn more and purchase the book at GoodFaithMedia.org.

This book is a memoir of my journey in faith. That journey began in the home of my childhood, but the chapters cover experiences extending from some of my earliest memories until just a few years ago. I had already begun reflecting on these experiences, theologically, as the later ones were occurring, but it was not until a friend invited me to speak to his congregation that I connected them. "You're not what most of our people think of when they hear the word Baptist," the priest of a local Episcopal church said. "Come talk to us about how you got where you are from where you started." It was a fascinating challenge. As I sat down to prepare a one-hour Sunday school lesson for Episcopalian adults, I realized I had a story to tell. My suspicion is that this story, regardless of how eloquently I have or have not told it, will resonate with many people. Too frequently I hear people speak of their "bad experiences" with the church, experiences often occurring in the formative years of childhood or adolescence. Sadly, too many of these folks leave organized religion, if not turn their backs altogether on a God they suspect has turned a blind eye or a judgmental whim against them. I have managed to stay within the realm of organized religion. In fact, it is my life. I have not felt the need to abandon or reject God. In fact, God has become more important, more real, more central to my story. I understand those who leave, but because I believe so strongly in the church and the value of faith in one's life, I hope my experience might be an encouragement. One can question, doubt, reject much of what we learned in our childhood, and still remain faithful. There is a "new way home." Maybe my experiences will help some of you find it. Learn more and buy book at GoodFaithMedia.org.

American mom and Baptist church lady Becky Ramsey moves to France knowing her family's life will change, but her faith? Why would it? Then a quirky new friend gives her a holy card she found at the flea market and soon Becky finds herself on an accidental pilgrimage out of the pew and into the streets of France. Readers come along as she collects a ragtag assortment of unlikely saints and sacred everyday things, each one earning a chapter and holy card of its own. Curious encounters with a silver haired prostitute and the ghost of Vincent Van Gogh, a bowl of cidre in a stranger's garage and an éclair chocolat at Patisserie Antoinette, among others, whisper into her workaholic heart, revealing the wildness of God's love, tempting her to let go of her striving to become God's teacher's pet and finally accept grace for herself.

After being asked by the associate pastor of his church to write a weekly blog post, author Jeff Hampton jumped at the opportunity to offer up his thoughts on matters of faith—which he has now done for the past ten years. This act of deliberate writing has forced him to explore what he believes, and to consider whether or not he practices what he preaches. At his wife LeAnn's suggestion, Hampton collected these blog posts into a book. It was then that LeAnn noticed that most of the writings were about community— not “community” as defined by the census bureau and the chamber of commerce, but rather all the different types of community in which we live. That includes family, friends, neighbors, churches, workplaces, towns, states, countries, races, and humankind. At different times we all live and interact in these communities—usually in several simultaneously. Jeff Hampton explores through his weekly personal writings how we all fit into and contribute (or not) to the communities to which we belong. Learn more at GoodFaithMedia.org.

I almost gave up on Christianity. Growing up in a conservative Protestant church, I was taught a lot of ideas about God, the Bible, salvation, and what was called faith. I never questioned most of this until I got older and began to really study the Bible. I slowly discovered that much of what I had been taught did not make sense in that it was internally inconsistent and sometimes contradictory. My childhood theology could not answer even the simplest questions about prayer or how to know what was authoritative. Jesus taught that we should love our neighbors as ourselves. Was my church in the forefront of advocating for social justice? Sadly no, but it didn't really matter because all the church members believed they were saved regardless. This version of Christianity just didn't make sense to me. I found it hard to believe that Jesus didn't teach a coherent understanding of the nature of God, how God interacts with us, and what God expects of us in this life. Learn more at GoodFaithMedia.org.

I am not an authority on the practice of yoga. I am, in many ways, deciding to be the proverbial blind leading the blind. I am a beginner offering insight to other beginners. I am a novice sharing my embryonic experiences and pitifully sophomoric thoughts in order to get you past whatever anxieties and fears you hold with regard to yoga. Some may seem simple: What equipment do I need? How will I ever learn the poses? Will my body really do that? Other concerns may be deeper: Will this conflict with my faith? Do I have to be vegan? How will yoga affect my life? I am making the assumption that my experience and subsequent thoughts will naturally address the mental and physical obstacles that have kept you from entering the yoga world, your local yoga studio, or your community center's yoga class. Some fellow novices will be astounded by the depth of my knowledge and commitment after having only practiced for one year. Longtime practitioners of yoga will probably smile and roll their eyes at my ignorance and naivete. Both reactions will be expressions of truth. I want this book to be informative and fun. I want you to laugh with me and at me. I will transparently expose my worries, missteps, and fumbles so that you can either avoid them or fall fearlessly into them. I would suggest the latter. I'll admit it: I want to entice you into a world-no, into a way of being in the world-that makes the world a better place for all of us. Learn more at GoodFaithMedia.org.

Over the years, I have been deeply moved by the exemplary lives of parents, nurses, and my fellow chaplains and physicians. In addition, the inspiration to write arose out of my encounters with social injustice and suffering that first barged into my awareness in my preadolescent and adolescent years. Sometimes it is just the unwanted stuff of everyday life that comes without invitation to threaten us on the one hand but with the potential to make us better servants and caregivers on the other. With each essay, reflection, and poetic writing I intend to speak of the need for our presence in community with the suffering. Even then there is more than a human presence, for in all such instances God is also present. This presence acting in the world is not dependent in any way on whether or not we see or acknowledge it. God spoke first; God will have the last word: “In the beginning was the Word” (John 1:1). Learn more at GoodFaithMedia.org.

The biggest challenge for me of a long-term pastorate was the preaching. How does one come up with something “new” to say every Sunday? By the time I retired, some parishioners had heard me preach more than 1,000 times. Dr. Dave Thompson, an astrophysicist with NASA at the Goddard Space Flight Center, had heard me preach more than 2,000 times since he attended both worship services most Sunday mornings. Yes, the Bible is a vast trove of sermonic material, but the same preacher Sunday after Sunday struggles to interpret a fresh vision of biblical truth that stimulates the mind and touches the heart. Yet it is possible. The purpose of this book is to illustrate how it is possible. It is a case study in long-term pastoral ministry. Included are sermons from thirty-three years at the same church. Over the years I preached on some biblical texts many times. Yet I never repeated a sermon in thirty-three years, except for preaching basically the same sermon at the two Sunday morning worship services during the school year. The only difference is that I preached the sermon extemporaneously from the floor for the early contemporary service, and I stood behind the pulpit (with manuscript) for the traditional second service. Thus, the sermon wasn't the same for the two services, but Dave Thompson said they were essentially the same. Beyond that repetition on Sunday morning, however, no one ever came up to me and said, “I remember you preached that sermon before.” For thirty-three years I preached original sermons every Sunday, except for the Sundays we had a guest preacher or choir cantata or other special event. “Preaching for the long haul” requires commitment and study and creativity and prayer, but by God's grace, it can be done. Learn more at GoodFaithMedia.org.