Books published by Resource Publications (CA)

Description:An essential part of Christian orthodoxy is the belief that Jesus died at a particular point in human history. But it is not that Jesus died that has caused Christians to grapple with their understanding of faith; it is why he died that creates the struggle.For centuries Christian thinkers have wrestled with the concept of the atonement. How the death of Jesus would result in the reconciling of the world to God is no simple puzzle. Yet, this complex topic is often viewed through certain doctrinal filters that reduce the richness of the atonement into single concrete, culturally based images. The New Testament, however, offers multiple metaphors in describing the atoning work of God in Christ. Returning to the stories of the earliest witnesses to Jesus'' life, death, resurrection, and ascension--the ground zero of our faith--offers the opportunity to suspend, if only briefly, our doctrinal preferences and step into the shoes of those who saw Jesus die and later return to them as their resurrected Lord. In doing so, we open the possibility of seeing the atonement with fresh eyes, recognizing the broad reach of God''s love and learning to communicate that love in new ways.Endorsements:""Atonement at Ground Zero is a gift of the Spirit. McNichol''s imaginative narrative of the experiences and impressions of those who stood at ground zero wraps itself around you, unlocking cages and drawing you into the very heart of the atonement event. I couldn''t put the book down. In the diversity of emotions, longings, and fears that shape the narrative, we see ourselves, and are drawn into worship as we realize afresh that Jesus died for us.""--Graham Buxton, author of Dancing in the Dark""Theories and abstract doctrines invite mental assent. They give us something to argue about. An ongoing story invites our participation and our formation into that story. This is where Atonement at Ground Zero is at is best, causing readers to spread wide their mental arms to embrace the whole of the Jesus story as participants, not mere thinkers.""--Todd Hunter, author of Our Favorite Sins ""With all the current posturing and heated arguments over the nature of the atonement, this book is a welcome response and balm. McNichols invites us to explore again the depths of the cross, whilst ably guiding us through the views of the atonement. But most importantly, his navigation leads us not to more heated debate, but the ability to understand all sides with a renewed confidence in the atonement, and of how we might live and declare it to others.""--Jason Clark, coauthor of Church in the Present Tense""Without denying the helpfulness of theological constructions and metaphors to understand the atoning work of Christ, McNichols recalls us to the biblical narrative to rediscover the width, breadth, and depth of an atonement that extends far beyond what any one theory will hold. Through insightful retelling and sermonic illustration he takes us back two thousand years and re-members us to the original significance of what Christ has done.""--Dennis Okholm, author of Monk Habits for Everyday PeopleAbout the Contributor(s):Michael McNichols served for ten years as a pastor and is now Director of Fuller Theological Seminary''s Regional Campus in Irvine, California. He is the author of Shadow Meal: Reflections on Eucharist (2010) and The Bartender (2008).

Description:We yearn to be accepted and loved for who we really are. Unfortunately, we sabotage our efforts to develop successful relationships when we feel threatened. We play manipulative games with each other, protecting ourselves without realizing it. These subtle games are crippling our relationships.Let's Stop Playing Games addresses this issue with some serious fun, helping us:o expose our unhealthy games and why we play them;o enjoy humorous yet sad stories that show how these games work (or don't work) for us; o explore some game changers--practical, loving solutions to replace our games. In the end, we hope to be lovingly transformed in our relationships with our friends and family and even with God. We will be connected to each other, forming the authentic community we yearn for. What a great place to live! Endorsements:""I'm so grateful for Joe's honesty about the games we all play and the hope that, despite our hang-ups, there's a way to be real with one another.""-Jonathan Wilson-Hartgroveauthor of The Wisdom of Stability""Joe gives a personal glimpse of his journey that becomes a parable of our own. Knowing truth doesn't automatically keep us from thinking and communicating in ways that hide rather than reveal or that attempt to control rather than to grow. Gracefully dismantling guarded protections from too much light in the room, he shows us the way back. This book is a good window cleaning for the soul and a resource for rebuilding relationships. If you want authentic relationships that make for a full and rich life, this is a keepsake.""-Donald MannPastor, Teacher, and Marriage & Family Therapist""Does your heart long for community and communion? God made us this way but many things can hinder us along the way. In the pages of this book you can find out what some of these hindrances are and how they impact your relationships. Practical and insightful, this approach bridges the gap between spiritual and relational understanding. Drawing from biblical precepts as well as interpersonal insights, Lineberry's approach offers ideas and guidance that the reader can put to use immediately. With a heart for God and for relationships, he leads the reader toward relational healing and spiritual growth.""-Joseph VergaPsychologist and Executive Director of Associates in Christian Counseling""Readers everywhere are destined to relate to the common 'games' we play (even if subconsciously) and are likely to be disarmed and delighted by the author's conversational style, self-disclosure, and witty sense of humor . . . My husband and I have been looking for new, relevant material that we can share with a small group; our current search has now ended.""-Janet Smith-HillSVP of Human Resources, Novant HealthAbout the Contributor(s):Joe Lineberry is a business consultant who works alongside his wife, Beth, in ministry to those with broken relationships. They have organized Possibilities (www.exploringpossibilities.net), an umbrella organization for people of faith to tell their stories, exploring the possibilities of faith in their lives. Joe and Beth have led several interactive workshops and have coauthored the book ""Give Me Your Son"" and Other Reflections from our Journey.

Is it possible to find the revelatory, to find faith in a tiny blue berry? This is but one of the questions explored in this collection of engaging essays aimed at the intrinsically human intersection of memory and belief. Threaded throughout with an ever-changing cast of meadowland characters, not the least of which is a rambling barren of wild blueberries, these writings offer an intimate chronicle of one man's quest to understand what it means to believe. Again and again the author's words bring the reader from a particular geographical place to a location at once familiar and foreign, universal and unique: the landscape of memory. Whether grappling with the implications of adoption, or grieving over a lost family recipe; recalling a surprise encounter with an equally surprised red fox, or reconsidering the meaning of migration, Blueberry Fool is about the sheer fragility and strength of belief, the idiosyncratic light of memory, and the simple year-round pleasures of a wild meadow.

Just a Dropped Stitch is a memoir told in interlocking short stories. It's a family photo album; each snapshot tells a mini-story. You're sure you understand what you're seeing, but it's not until you've finished ¿ipping through the entire album that you develop an intimate sense of who this family is. You thought you knew them, understood all the subtleties and dynamics, but, change the angle, soften the focus, ¿ip the page; there's a different story.Jesse, the narrator, is on a search. She's trying to identify the ""dropped stitches"" in her own life, to name them, and reknit them into a whole.As the book opens Jesse's mother is dying, but Jesse and her father find it impossible to face the inevitable. Turn the page: Jesse desperately wants to have children; she's a lesbian; she has to figure out how to make that happen. Later we meet her children, Noah and Sophie; we're introduced to Anna, who becomes Jesse's spouse, before the world has caught up with the concept. We meet grandparents, and learn that in Jesse's family writing is revered, but infused with unspoken taboos. And we meet her brothers who each has a particular place to stand in the family portrait.Jesse has a story to tell, and she isn't sure it's safe to tell it. Loss and grief, being silenced and silencing oneself, becoming frozen, and the heat-generating, melting power of love, these are the themes in Just a Dropped Stitch. The importance of naming, the redemption that comes from breaking silences, these are the interwoven threads.Meanwhile, keep ¿ipping through the album and you see snapshots of everyday life: hiking with Noah, shopping with Sophie for a bat mitzvah dress. And Jesse's mother, who refuses to completely disappear, makes a surprise appearance, embarrassing Jesse at a job interview. As we close the album, we're keeping vigil with Jesse in the hospital while she waits to hear whether she has the disease that killed her mother. And, then, there's a final snapshot: a handmade Chinese box, with sides that drop open, revealing a blood-red interior where there's nothing to hide.

An elderly peasant woman lives with her coffin in the kitchen. An American teacher is ""adopted"" by a village family. An eccentric grandfather teaches Chinese to his American student by jumping around the room and other perilous pantomimes. China is a vast and populous nation which demands our understanding. But while newspaper headlines commonly focus on politics and economics, Saving Grandmother's Face, written by Christian university teachers in China, recounts their experiences in the classroom and in the countryside, celebrating a child's birth and mourning a child's death, grading papers and discussing Chinese literature. Through these stories you will see a side of China often left out-the human side.

""Jesus Does Stand-Up,"" and Other Satires is a collection of fifty short parables and parodies that highlight the weaknesses of the contemporary Western church and the increasingly secular culture in which its members live out their faith. The satires target an entire herd of sacred cows, making fun of areas of discipleship or Christian living such as prayer, evangelism, worship, mission activity, and social justice issues. Several entries skewer the church's tendency to trivialize our faith or the holiness of God, or our obsession with our culture's emphasis on efficiency and individual fulfillment.The entries range from parodies of familiar hymns, including one that looks at Jesus as our friend on Facebook, to an exploration of the dilemma facing Donald Trump as he decides which member of the Trinity to fire. Others describe a group of cheerleaders rehearsing for Jesus' second coming, explain why Jesus couldn't be hired for a church's child-care job, and record Lazarus' difficulty in convincing his HMO that he was raised from the dead.The result allows Christians to laugh, or sometimes squirm, at these commentaries on the pressures of the consumerist, individualistic, and even narcissistic culture in which Western believers find themselves. Neither Christian conservatives nor progressives are spared. The intent of the entries, however, is never mean spirited. Collectively, these satires offer a corrective or warning, prodding the church and Christians to be the distinctive, counter-cultural presence and witness that God calls us to be.

How does Jesus expect his followers to live in this world? The Sermon on the Mount is the manifesto of his Kingdom. Not a future kingdom, but his present kingdom. Satan is the ruler of this world. The Bible tells us he is the prince of this world, the prince of the power of the air, and a king. This world is enemy territory. As Jesus told Pilate, his kingdom is not of this world. Jesus' followers represent his kingdom and are to live out its values. The Sermon on the Mount lays out the values of Christ's kingdom. It is in living out these values that we can subvert the kingdom of this world. We are revolutionaries inside the enemy's kingdom. But our revolution is not one of violence and force. It is a revolution of love and peace based on obedience to our Lord and living out his values.

This little book tackles the big questions about worship music. In considering the theology of biblical and Reformed worship and the purpose of music in worship, Pastor Janssen develops objective guidelines which lead to an evaluation tool for selecting the best music for worship. This book helpfully moves beyond personal preference, leading to greater light than heat in the continuing discussion of worship practice. Written from a pastoral perspective, this book is theological, readable, and practical.

Who Me? Worthwhile? Yes, You! is a workbook to help you evaluate where you stand with yourself. As an abused individual, I feel it necessary to change the way one sees who one is. Many people have a low self-image. We think we are who others say we are, when in fact their view of us might be very wrong. It is easy to see good qualities and value in other people, but when it comes to who we are, the tables can get turned. Our vision is sometimes colored by what hides deep inside. This workbook is designed to help us take a deep look into what makes us the people we are. Emotions play a part in our make-up; therefore, in discussing those, we can better evaluate the true nature of our total being.Looking at Scripture helps us to revaluate who we are in God. It gives us the hope and help needed to better our lives. The Bible also has many quotes and stories that are relevant today. It applies to every emotion we have and lets us know God gave us these feelings. God is there in all that we go through. He can, will, and does help us live through events thought to be too tough to handle. He changes us in ways we only thought we could dream would happen. He gives us value beyond measure. He is the one who ultimately measures our worth.

In the late summer months of 2000, on a cool dark night in the foothills of Boulder, Colorado, a seventeen year old boy was murdered by a young man he once considered his best friend. The calamity nearly crippled the boy's parents, especially the father who struggled mightily with grief, anger, and guilt. With the help of a very special elderly sage, the father of the boy struggled to survive the tragedy and recover from the heartbreaking ordeal.The story begins with the funeral of Michael's son, reveals the pain of a grief-stricken father on the verge of self-destruction, and ends with his redemption and return to a meaningful life. Michael is referred by a close friend to an elderly gentleman named Solomon. Solomon is a wise, irreverent, white-haired seer living in the small coastal village of Carlsbad, California where he teaches his own very special brand of spiritual therapy for lost souls. His office is a coffee shop and the beach where he and Michael meet and together try to find a way to recover Michael's lost life after his son's death. The relationship that develops between Michael and Solomon reaches a depth rarely found between two men.

The books of Obadiah and Jonah can be read in just ten minutes. Yet these two books, written nearly three thousand years ago by two very different Hebrew prophets, address attitudes and actions that we struggle with even today. The valuable lessons the ancient writers have for people of the twenty-first century truly make them prophets for our time.Prophets for Our Time strikes a balance between scholarly study and practical exposition to bring these two prophetic books alive for modern readers. The result is a practical, readable book that clearly explains the meaning of the biblical text. Maps, charts, and suggestions for personal application and further study enhance the value of the book, making it a very useful tool for personal and group study.