Coming to the Resource Center in Mid-August

We're only eleven days into August and already it's turning into a great month at the Resource Center. We've got so many books, audiobooks and DVDs coming in, I'm not sure where John's going to put them all. (But I'm sure he'll find a way.)

Here are some of the books that should be arriving soon:

The Big Story: How the Bible Makes Sense Out of Life (2013) Justin Buzzard

ISBN 9780802408570

When strangers meet today they often ask not, "What do you do?," but "What is your story?" Everybody has a story. And everybody on the planet believes some larger story in order to make sense of the smaller story of their life. We want our lives to fit within a larger plot-complete with a sense of history, conflict resolution, forward movement, and future.

So, the better question to ask is, "What sort of story are you in?"

Most people believe false stories that leave them disillusioned, enslaved, and hopeless. Secular stories of chasing success and religious stories of doing good works can both leave us feeling exhausted and empty. Only Christianity, only the old and ongoing story of the Bible, offers a story that's big enough to make sense of both the beauty and brokenness in our lives and in our world. At the center of this story is a God who disturbs our life in order to set us free.

God’s Good Design: What the Bible Really Says about Men and Women (2012) Claire Smith

ISBN 9781921896392

Although Claire Smith was a young adult when she came to know Jesus, it wasn't until she went to theological college that she noticed parts of the Bible that challenged her feminist views. Studying these passages led to radical changes in her life. 

Too often we put these same passages in the 'too hard basket', or we make up our minds without taking a close look at them for ourselves. But we must let God's word determine these issues, and not the culture in which we live.

Claire takes us through the same process she went through herself, looking closely at seven key Bible passages about men and women and how they should relate together in God's purposes. Along the way she deals with many common objections, and applies the teaching of the Bible simply and practically to our relationships at home and in church. 

The warmth and simplicity of the book means it will benefit every Christian—whether you have looked at these passages a thousand times, or you've never thought about them in your life.

Manhood Restored: How the Gospel Makes Men Whole (2013) Eric Mason

ISBN 9781433679940

The earthly crisis within manhood will be there until Jesus returns, but in Christ men are pointed toward the gospel as the vision for renewal.Manhood Restored by exciting new pastoral voice Eric Mason combines theological depth with practical insights, putting men in step with a gospel-centered manhood that will enrich every facet of their lives.

The Family Worship Book: A Resource Book for Family Devotions (1998/2012) Terry L. Johnson

ISBN 9781857924015

Do you struggle to provide enjoyable, meaningful and spiritual times of family devotions? Do you avoid the whole subject but have the nagging thought that you should be doing something? Let Terry & Family Worship equip you for leading your family in worship with the help of some key questions: What is family worship? What have other people done? Why Should I do it? How can I start? A Valuable resource which you will not exhaust in years.

God Behaving Badly: Is the God of the Old Testament Angry, Sexist and Racist? (2011) David T. Lamb

ISBN 9780830838264

God has a bad reputation. Many think of God as wrathful and angry, smiting people right and left for no apparent reason. The Old Testament in particular seems at times to portray God as capricious and malevolent, wiping out armies and nations, punishing enemies with extreme prejudice. But wait. The story is more complicated than that. Alongside troubling passages of God's punishment and judgment are pictures of God's love, forgiveness, goodness and slowness to anger. How do we make sense of the seeming contradiction? Can God be trusted or not? David Lamb unpacks the complexity of the Old Testament to explore the character of God. He provides historical and cultural background to shed light on problematic passages and to bring underlying themes to the fore. Without minimizing the sometimes harsh realities of the biblical record, Lamb assembles an overall portrait that gives coherence to our understanding of God in both the Old and New Testaments.