First Religion

"I, Nephi, having been born of goodly parents..." So begins the first book in the Book of Mormon. In this brief theological introduction, philosopher and theologian Joseph M. Spencer investigates the central themes and purposes of a book he calls a "theological masterpiece". What was Nephi trying to accomplish with his writings? How can readers/listeners today make better sense of Nephi's words? What can an ancient seer offer readers/listeners in the 21st century? Spencer introduces a Nephi for our moment, a complex prophet with an urgent message for a world in turmoil.

For rare-book collectors, an original copy of the Gutenberg Bible - of which there are fewer than 50 in existence - represents the ultimate prize. Here, Margaret Leslie Davis recounts five centuries in the life of one copy, from its creation by Johannes Gutenberg, through the hands of monks, an earl, the Worcestershire sauce king, and a nuclear physicist to its ultimate resting place, in a steel vault in Tokyo.

What was the starting point of Christianity? Was it in a little town in Bethlehem, just as the lyrics of our favorite Christmas songs contend? In truth, in the earliest days of Christianity, when Peter and Paul first set out to preach the gospel, the belief systems of early Christians were viewed as merely a new sect of Judaism.

Betrayal. Enslavement. Redemption. Experience the story of Exodus like never before! Joseph, son of Jacob, is dead. His children – the people of Israel, are enslaved at the hands of the Egyptian pharaohs, beaten and oppressed. A single child is saved by his mother, given to the river for protection. He is found by the most unlikely of people – and grows to become the savior of the chosen people. From exile, kinghood, the Plagues all the way through to the Promised Land, Exodus Age is a retelling of the age-old history of Moses and his people through Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and ...

First Things First is an honest, insightful, and entertaining look at life inside the Warner household. Kurt and Brenda speak candidly about their marriage, the values they are working to instill in their kids, things they've done right, mistakes they've made, the importance of giving back, and the legacy they hope to leave behind.

This collection of prayers by noted Hebrew Bible scholar Walter Brueggemann can be used in both public worship and private devotion. These prayers run the gamut from particular days in the church year to special moments in the lives of worshiping communities to events playing out on the world stage. In all cases, the prayers show us how God accompanies us through all the moments and stages of our life, bringing us the joys of life even amid a broken and hurting world and especially offering a joyous calling in Christ to serve that world.

Ralph Waldo Emerson's Spiritual Laws is more than an essay—it's an invitation to align with the rhythm of the universe. With clarity and poetic force, Emerson strips away illusions of control, urging us to trust the quiet power within. For him, law isn't rigid or imposed; it's a natural flow, always present, waiting to be recognized. True self-reliance isn't defiance but harmony with this deeper order. The world moves for those who walk with conviction. The awakened soul follows a path beyond logic, yet never loses its way. Emerson doesn't instruct; he sparks something.

The year was 1922: World War I had just come to a close, the Ottoman Empire was in decline, and Asa Jennings, a YMCA worker from upstate New York, had just arrived in the quiet coastal city of Smyrna to teach sports to boys. Several hundred miles to the east in Turkey's interior, tensions between Greeks and Turks had boiled over into deadly violence. Mustapha Kemal, now known as Ataturk, and his Muslim army soon advanced into Smyrna, a Christian city, where a half a million terrified Greek and Armenian refugees had fled in a desperate attempt to escape his troops.

A comprehensive study guide. The Bible verses are given in bold with commentary on Paul's letters to the Thessalonians in a lighter font to assist with an in-depth study of all chapters of these Bible books. The pictures timelines, tables, and other visuals make the information easy to grasp. The book begins with How God solved the sin problem, how to witness to others, and how to live now that we are saved. A summary of each book and outlines and background. Why right division is really important. Features: four timelines, the Rapture contrasted with the Second Coming, and the Five Courses...

Inspired by TRUE Events! - In a historical with romance, action-adventure, family, foreign and national intrigue between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, all kinds of exciting things...Through blizzards, gale-force winds, temperatures falling below -80, and over 700 miles of death-dealing terrain, teams of brave men and courageous and smart dogs of in dominatable fighting spirit, mush sleds across the Alaska wilderness, in an around the clock relay, race with lifesaving serum for 11,000 plague-ravaged people inaccessible by everything, but death and their determined rescuers, warring with the...

Will the majestic piece of art that is hanging predominantly in Patrick Andersen’s home, lead them to his missing sister? He hopes so since he has no idea how to handle his other sister who is in the lawyer’s office with him.Livia Andersen was a woman who held her family together with a quiet smile and an iron will. Yet less than a week after her death only two of her four children attend the reading of her Last Will. Patrick, her younger son is there primarily to learn what he can from his mother’s lawyer about his youngest sister who has been missing since shortly after their ...

Join Frederica Mathewes-Green on a guided retreat through an ancient Orthodox text. Regardless of your denominational background, First Fruits of Prayer will bring to life the prayer experience of first millennium Christianity through immersion in this poetic hymn, an extraordinarily beautiful work that is still chanted by Christians around the world each Lent. It weaves together Old and New Testament scriptures with prayers of hope and repentance and offers ancient ways of seeing Christ that still feel new today.

Whether you're a youth ministry rookie or a seasoned veteran, walking into a new church or a new role can be a big challenge. You need to set the tone for your ministry and establish yourself as a leader, but you don't have very long to do it.

The New Book of Christian Martyrs commemorates those modern-day heroes. In this update to Foxe’s Book of Martyrs, Johnnie Moore and Jerry Pattengale highlight key martyrs of past centuries and feature stories of contemporary martyrs around the world. Through tears, Johnnie and Jerry offer this compendium of heroes from the first century to the twenty-first century, from Europe to Africa and from Asia to the Americas, to inspire Christians around the globe.

The root chakra is the initial step on a staircase that leads up from the base of your spine toward enlightenment. As the first book in Llewellyn's Chakra Essentials series, Root provides everything you need to know about this grounding energy center. Ten chakra experts—such as bestselling author Cyndi Dale, intuitive cardiologist Dr. Nitin Bhatnagar, and award-winning aromatherapist Margaret Ann Lembo—teach this chakra's color associations, intuitive style, physical reach, psychological influence, and more.

Why don't Christians in the church today keep the biblical sabbath? Was the observance of the seventh-day sabbath done away with, canceled, changed, replaced, fulfilled, made obsolete, suppressed, hijacked, or simply forgotten? Even if you already know the answers, you'll want to listen to this book. From Sabbath to Sabbath approaches the question of the sabbath from a completely new messianic Jewish perspective.

Satan wants there to be cliques, factions, and denominations, but God wants us to have unity (1 Corinthians 1:10; Ephesians 4:1-6). Satan knows the strategy of divide and conquer. This problem occurs when members of the body of Christ do not follow Paul to follow the risen Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1). God had some hidden wisdom and power in the cross that He kept secret from Satan and mankind until He saved Paul. Our ministry is not about us, but about what Christ accomplished by His death on the cross for our sins and resurrection. Our goal is to save the lost and share the ...

Popular author and presenter Patrick Madrid draws Life Lessons from the many interesting, funny, instructive, and poignant experiences of his life. Grounded in scripture and a firm moral foundation, Patrick shows how the smallest stories that make up your life are clear pointers to the greater story of God's work in your life. The laughter, the tears, and the beauty of life come alive through Patrick's insightful and clear style. These life lessons will inspire you to look anew at your everyday experiences - and see the wonder of God.

God Is in the Crowd is an original and provocative blueprint for Judaism in the 21st century. Presented through the lens of Tal Keinan’s unusual personal story, it a sobering analysis of the threat to Jewish continuity. As the Jewish people has become concentrated in just two hubs - America and Israel - it has lost the subtle code of governance that endowed Judaism with dynamism and relevance in the age of Diaspora.

Mindful Mamma is a reassuring and practical guide to help you to navigate the life-changing first year of motherhood. You’ll learn quick and easy mindfulness and hypnosis techniques to create moments of calm wherever you need it - even at four a.m. with a restless baby! As well as this, you’ll discover how to use these powerful tools to help with specific challenges along the way, such as fatigue, anxiety around breastfeeding, relationships and the end of maternity leave.