Religion England

Sir Philip Sidney was an Elizabethan courtier, statesman, soldier, poet, and patron of scholars and poets. He was famous as the ideal gentleman of his day and a model for subsequent generations until the twentieth century replaced classical education with industrial age expedience. He represents something of what we have lost in modern self-interest. For three centuries, he was considered the most extraordinary man of the English Renaissance. But unfortunately, his legacy has faded from modern prominence. Nevertheless, it is fascinating to peer into the past and discover a singular person ...

In Detestable and Wicked Arts, Paul B. Moyer places early New England's battle against black magic in a transatlantic perspective. Moyer provides an accessible and comprehensive examination of witch prosecutions in the Puritan colonies that discusses how their English inhabitants understood the crime of witchcraft, why some people ran a greater risk of being accused of occult misdeeds, and how gender intersected with witch-hunting.

God is both everywhere and always near, yet we often miss him. In our ever-on, busy world, it requires intentionality to encounter God and learn to enjoy him. In Always Near, Robert J. Morgan provides 10 ways we can cultivate the blessings of God’s presence.

Historian and Christian apologist Larry Taunton has spent much of his career refuting just this sort of thinking, but when he encounters Sasha, a golden-haired Ukranian orphan girl whose life has been shaped by atheistic theorists, he discovers an unlikely champion for the transforming power of grace. Through the narrative of Sasha’s redemption, we see the false promises of socialism; the soul-destroying influence of unbelief; and how a society cultivates its own demise when it rejects the ultimate source of grace.

History's final chapter will be written in Jerusalem. When an Iranian president thunders a murderous threat or an obscure Turkish drunkard has a dream in Mecca or a Jewish couple from Brooklyn lands at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion airport, these events might seem disconnected. But they’re not. In Dateline Jerusalem, CBN News correspondent Chris Mitchell connects the dots and unveils Jerusalem as the epicenter and crossroads of the spiritual, political, and, yes, supernatural worlds. Jerusalem’s powerful draw has always transcended simple economics, military strategy, and religious affiliation.

According to Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, faithful action is always inspired and sustained by common convictions - the basic truths that have sustained God’s people throughout every generation. The Awakening of Hope re-presents Christian faith by beginning with stories of faithful witness and asking, "Why?" Why do Christians eat together? Why do we fast? Why would we rather die than kill? These questions help us see why creation and the fall, covenant, community, ethics, and evangelism matter.

In the new film Courageous (from the makers of Fireproof), four police officers are confident and focused when it comes to facing danger on the job. But leading their families at home in a God-honoring way? That takes courage. Because it is important to take a faithful, fearless stand in so many areas of life, pastor and Courageous executive producer Michael Catt offers Courageous Living as a closer look at biblical themes and characters that inspired the greatly anticipated movie.

England is an ancient land steeped in history and tradition, filled with prehistoric ruins, majestic castles, and a countryside sculpted from millennia of human habitation. Thus, it is not surprising that many believe England is a land filled with ghosts. The Ghosts of London: A Collection of Ghost Stories from the British Capital offers a sampling of the many strange ghost stories and unexplained phenomena that make London such an intriguing place.

In Sticky Church, author and pastor Larry Osborne makes the case that closing the back door of your church is even more important than opening the front door wider. He offers a time-tested strategy for doing so: sermon-based small groups that dig deeper into the weekend message and tightly velcro members to the ministry. It’s a strategy that enabled Osborne’s congregation to grow from a handful of people to one of the larger churches in the nation - without any marketing or special programming.

"These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also." That was the startled cry, circa AD 50, from a hastily assembled mob in Thessalonica. These men who have turned the world upside down: their description of Paul and Silas. Holy vandals on the loose, anointed marauders running amok, men out ransacking Roman cities with the gospel. Above all, Your Church Is Too Safe is a biblical reflection and exhortation on why we should be like this.

John MacArthur, Jr. believes that peace is not only possible, it's a divine mandate. Drawing from a rich legacy of teaching and ministry, MacArthur puts aside cultural cures to uncover the source of our anxiety and stress. Based on solid Biblical insights, Anxious for Nothing shares how we can overcome uncertainty, defeat doubt, and be truly worry-free.

Tornadoes. Tsunamis. Earthquakes. Hurricanes. Why does God allow such disasters to happen? We find ourselves asking, are these truly the acts of a loving and compassionate God? In An Act of God?, pastor and best-selling author Erwin W. Lutzer tackles this tough subject head-on, offering real answers as well as comfort and hope to those who struggle with challenges to their faith.

Insights from Philip Yancey's personal pilgrimage away from and back to the church. Why are there so many more professing Christians than churchgoing Christians? Is it because something is wrong with the church? In his candid, thought-provoking manner, award-winning author Philip Yancey reveals the reasons behind his own journey back from skepticism to wholehearted participation in the church, and weighs the church's human failings against its compelling worth as the body of Christ.

How does a believer compete and succeed in a secular workplace while still making his or her faith a priority? Through a collection of real-life stories and anecdotes, business professor and Chrisian counselor Dr. David Goetsch gives anxious believers the practical advice and reassurance they need to live strong in their faith while making a living.

An illuminating example of friendship as a vital way God answers our need for guidance, encouragement, affirmation, and correction. Most of the time, what we need to help us through the struggles in our lives is not the advice of an expert but the wisdom of a friend. Through this series of eloquent letters written to a life-long friend, author Eugene Peterson demonstrates friendship as a means to Christian maturity.

Adrian Roger's last written manuscript before his passing in 2005 has been edited and brought together by his son Steve as a final joint work. When We Say Father takes the Lord's Prayer and breaks it down to its most basic components for readers to easily learn how to pray from the ultimate source, Jesus himself.

As a Christian man, how do you prioritize between what you are driven to do at work and church with what you are responsible for at home? Rich Wagner debunks the myth of a balanced life and shares a biblical model of becoming a hands-on leader of his family.

Noted author and pastor Andy Stanley points out that by investing energy into intentionally designed organizational systems, leaders can create powerful, sustainable ministries God can use to transform lives.

A companion to Game Plan for Life NIV Bible, Joe Gibbs that will inspire and encourage sports fans and “regular Joes”. Most men want to know what it takes to be a success in life - not just with wealth and awards, but to be truly great as a husband, father, son, and neighbor. Coach Gibbs knows both success and failure, but he has learned that no matter how much you plan for your life, it’s God’s plan that will bring you happiness. Game Plan for Life Chalk Talks includes inspiring stories, practical application, a Scripture verse, and prayer.

The ghostly little monk of Foulridge and the giant apparition from Heaton Norris are just two of the denizens of the North-West you might not care to meet on a dark, stormy evening. But for those intrepid souls whose hearts quicken at the thought of eerie footsteps and muffled groans Peter Underwood has assembled an impressive collection of traditional legends.