Books published by Zondervan

An indispensable approach to reading, interpreting and applying the Bible that teaches students how to carefully read Scripture in the biblical context, and to dig deeper into the Word of God so they will be able to understand the Bible correctly and apply its meaning to their lives. Revised and updated fourth edition.

Verse mapping means getting real about studying the Bible. More than simply reading a verse or Scripture passage, verse mapping uses Bible study tools to research what you've read---to learn about what God is saying and how you can apply his Word to your life. The NIV Verse Mapping Bible includes 350 partially completed verse maps to get you started.

Behind the Christmas songs we love to sing lie fascinating stories that will enrich your holiday celebration. Taking you inside the nativity of over thirty favorite songs and carols, Ace Collins introduces you to people you've never met, stories you've never heard, and meanings you'd never have imagined. The next time you and your family sing "e;God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen,"e; you'll have a new understanding of its message and popular roots. You'll discover how "e;Angels from the Realms of Glory,"e; with its sublime lyrics and profound theology, helped usher in a quiet revolution in worship. You'll learn the strange history of the haunting and powerful "e;O Holy Night,"e; including the song's surprising place in the history of modern communications. And you'll step inside the life of Mark Lowry and find out how he came to pen the words to the contemporary classic "e;Mary, Did You Know?"e;Still other songs such as "e;O Come, O Come, Emmanuel"e; trace back to mysterious origins--to ninth-century monks, nameless clergy, and unknown commoners of ages past. Joining hands with such modern favorites as "e;White Christmas"e; and "e;The Christmas Song,"e; they are part of the legacy of inspiration, faith, tears, love, and spiritual joy that is Christmas. From the rollicking appeal of "e;Jingle Bells"e; to the tranquil beauty of "e;Silent Night,"e; the great songs of Christmas contain messages of peace, hope, and truth. Each in its own way expresses a facet of God's heart and celebrates the birth of his greatest gift to the world--Jesus, the most wonderful Christmas Song of all.

The NIV Application Commentary helps readers with the vital task of bringing the ancient message of the Bible into a contemporary context. It gives preachers and teachers the tools, ideas, and insights they need to communicate God's Word with the same powerful impact it had when it was first written.

Costi Hinn went from being a next-generation preacher in a prosperity gospel dynasty to abandoning the family faith for the true Gospel. God, Greed, and the (Prosperity) Gospel offers unprecedented perspective on the perils of greed, threats to the global church, and encouragement for your own journey toward the Truth.

Kim Walker Smith's passionate performance of "How He Loves Us" launched Jesus Culture onto a global platform. Brave Surrender is the story of how Kim learned to trust in the unrelenting, powerful love of God no matter what season of life you may find yourself in.

The Blue Parakeet is author Scot McKnight's compelling statement of how to read the Bible in a new evangelical generation. In reexamining the Bible, McKnight provides an exciting "New Way" that appeals to the millions in today's church who long to be authentic Christians but don't consider themselves theologically conservative or liberal.

In Unstoppable, Christine Caine empowers you to do big things right where you are. If you long to see your faith grow and God's influence thrive, take up Caine's challenge to join the team of believers passing a divine baton in a race you are destined to win. Now includes discussion questions for small-group study.

Jodie Berndt knows what it's like to ache for an adult child who has left the nest but not the heart. In Praying the Scriptures for Your Adult Children, Jodie offers biblically-based prayers and encouraging stories to guide you in hope-filled trust that no matter what, your grown child is never out of God's reach.

In Courage to Soar, the official autobiography from US Olympic gymnast Simone Biles, Simone presents the story of how she overcame early childhood challenges to become the most decorated US female gymnast and the only female gymnast to ever win three consecutive World Championship titles.

Emotionally Healthy Relationships Day by Day is centered on a life-transforming rhythm of intentionally and daily pausing to be deeply present with God.

In this six-session small group Bible study, The Christian Atheist, Craig Groeschel leads you and your group on a personal journey toward an authentic, God-honoring life.

Kyle Idleman, bestselling author of not a fan, shares the powerful next step in becoming a completely committed follower of Jesus: recognizing and letting God defeat the gods at war within us---the false gods battling to rule our hearts.

This special edition, two-in-one book and devotional from bestselling author Gary Thomas helps you see your marriage as much more than a union between you and your spouse. From the love you share to the forgiveness you both offer and seek by turn, Thomas shows you how your marriage---divine or difficult---can become a doorway to a closer walk with

Whose Jesus do you believe in? Too many people inherit somebody else's Jesus. Rather than discovering for themselves who Jesus really is, they depend on their family, friends, or pastor for their spiritual vitality and end up defeated by compromise. In Your Own Jesus, pastor and Casting Crowns' lead singer Mark Hall explores the meaning of knowing the living Lord.

Pastor Jim Cymbala shares the lessons he learned when the Spirit ignited his heart and began to move through his people. This book is for anyone seeking to live at the center of God's purposes, through experiencing the power of his Spirit. This softcover edition includes a study guide.

New York Times bestselling author Rachel Macy Stafford shares simple words of inspiration each day to help you find hope and encouragement amidst life's challenges.Millions of Stafford's fans from her blog and her books find hope, challenge, and inspiration through her poetic and powerful short pieces on her blog. Only Love Today brings these pieces and many new, original entries together in a beautiful book based around the four seasons.From finding daily surrender in the autumn and daily hope in the winter, to daily bloom and daily spark in the spring and summer, you will always find fresh beautiful words for your day. With a flexible, non-dated structure, Only Love Today is perfect to pick up at any time of the year to find strength and vision for a new and more connected way to live.

Hey, you. Are you debating whether to destroy something with your bare hands or curl up on the couch for a decade or two? This book will solve all of your problems. (Sheesh, that's aiming a bit high.) This book is a cup of hot coffee, a ginormous bar of chocolate, or the magical fairy that comes over and does your dishes while you lie in the fetal position clutching a fluffy pillow. Sometimes when life falls apart the only acceptable response is hysterical laughter. When things get so far gone, so spectacularly a world away from any plans you made or dreams you dreamed, you feel it bubbling up inside of you and you scream, ';It's not fair!' And it isn't. Fair is an illusion, and life is weird. This book will help you laugh at life's absurd backhands. This book is an empathetic groan of our collective unfairnesses. You might want to throw it across the room, and you might want to hug it like your new best friend. This book is about us sitting down together in our shared mess, taking a deep breath, gripping hands, looking the hard stuff in its beady little eyeballs, and bahahahaaing at it. Life's not fair, but we can learn to love this life we didn't choose.

This ten-session small group Bible study (DVD/digital video sold separately), Death and Resurrection of the Messiah, from noted teacher and historian, Ray Vander Laan, is volume four of the That the World May Know series. In it, Vander Laan illustrates how Jesus' call to follow him turned the world upside down, and learn how confronting evil can be loudly proclaiming the name of Jesus or quietly caring for someone in need.Filmed on location in Israel, Faith Lessons is a unique video series that brings God's Word to life with astounding relevance. By weaving together the Bible's fascinating historical, cultural, religious, and geographical contexts, teacher and historian Ray Vander Laan reveals unique insights into the Scriptures' significance for modern believers.The Death and Resurrection of the Messiah (336 pages) includes ten sessions. Each lesson:Focuses on passages of Scripture explored in the DVD Includes sidebars, maps, photos and other study toolsFeatures questions that facilitate discussion and inspire personal reflectionIncludes 30 personal Bible studies to help you deepen your learning experience between sessions, and turn lessons from the past into applications that impact how you live out your faith today.These illuminating "e;faith lessons"e; afford a new understanding of the Bible that will ground your convictions and transform your life. The Faith Lessons video series is ideal for use in small groups, personal and family Bible studies, and adult Sunday school. Individual believers and families will gain vital insights from long-ago times and cultures through this innovative approach to Bible study.This Discovery Guide is designed for use with the Death and Resurrection of the Messiah DVD (sold separately).Lessons include:When Storms Come Sea of GalileePiercing the Darkness KursiGates of Hell Caesarea PhilippiCity of the Great King Part 1 The TempleCity of the Great King Part 1 JerusalemThe Lamb of God Mount of OlivesThe Weight of the World Capernaum/GethsemaneRoll Away the Stone Garden TombPower to the People Southern StairsTotal Commitment Caesarea

Thousands of readers have found an exciting new vision for the second half of life in the best-selling book, Halftime. Bob Buford showed us that we aren't experiencing a midlife crisis that's winding us down to our retirement years, but a break in the game that can prepare us for the most exciting half of life.In Game Plan, Buford gives you a practical way to move from success to significance and create an individual strategy that can get you where you want to be five . . . ten . . . twenty . . . thirty . . . or more years from now.If you sense it's time for a positive change in your life, Game Plan gives you the tools to uncover your best self, aim for your highest dreams, and make your career and personal life more meaningful and fulfilling than ever.

With over 2.5 million copies sold since its release in 1976, The Act of Marriage has helped Christian couples around the world discover new joy and sexual fulfillment in marriage. This new edition expands on topics previously only touched on and includes updates on the latest findings in medicine and social science. It offers biblical principles, goals, guidelines, and charts to help couples enrich their physical relationship.

In Undaunted: Student Edition, Christine Caine uses her dramatic life story to show teens how God rescued her from a life where she was unnamed, unwanted, and unqualified. She tells how she overcame abuse, abandonment, fears, and other challenges to go on a mission of adventure, fueled by faith and filled with love and courage. Her personal stories inspire teens to hear their name called, just as Christine heard her own-"e;You are beloved. You are the hope. You are chosen"e;-to go into a dark and troubled world, knowing each of us possess all it takes to bring hope, create change, and live completely for Christ. Part inspirational tale, part manifesto to stir readers to lives of adventure, Undaunted: Student Edition shows the way with spiritual wisdom and insight.

This is a book written primarily for gay Christians and those who love them. Part memoir, part pastoral-theological reflection, this book wrestles with three main areas of struggle that many gay Christians face: (1) What is God's will for sexuality? (2) If the historic Christian tradition is right and same-sex behavior is ruled out, how should gay Christians deal with their resulting loneliness? (3) How can gay Christians come to an experience of grace that rescues them from crippling feelings of shame and guilt? Author Wesley Hill is not advocating that it is possible for every gay Christian to become straight, nor is he saying that God affirms homosexuality. Instead, Hill comes alongside gay Christians and says, ';You are not alone. Here is my experience; it's like yours. And God is with us. We can share in God's grace.' While some authors profess a deep faith in Christ and claim a powerful experience of the Holy Spirit precisely in and through their homosexual practice, Hill's own story, by contrast, is a story of feeling spiritually hindered, rather than helped, by his homosexuality. His story testifies that homosexuality was not God's original creative intention for humanitythat it is, on the contrary, a tragic sign of human nature and relationships being fractured by sinand therefore that homosexual practice goes against God's express will for all human beings, especially those who trust in Christ. This book is written mainly for those homosexual Christians who are trying to walk the narrow path of celibacy and are convinced that their discipleship to Jesus necessarily commits them to the demanding, costly obedience of choosing not to nurture their homosexual desires. With reflections from the lives of Henri Nouwen and Gerard Manley Hopkins, Wesley Hill encourages and challenges Christians with homosexual desires to live faithful to God's plan for human sexuality.

You Can Live a Deeper, More Spiritual Life Right Where You Are.An expanded edition with a new chapter on prayer and discussion questionsThe heart of Christianity is transformation-a relationship with God that impacts not just our "e;spiritual lives,"e; but every aspect of living. John Ortberg calls readers back to the dynamic heartbeat of Christianity-God's power to bring change and growth-and reveals both the how and why of transformation.With a new chapter on prayer and added discussion questions, this expanded edition of The Life You've Always Wanted offers modern perspectives on the ancient path of the spiritual disciplines. But this is more than just a book about things to do to be a good Christian. It's a road map toward true transformation that starts not with the individual but with the object of the journey-Jesus Christ. As with a marathon runner, the secret to winning the race lies not in trying harder, but in training consistently-training with the spiritual disciplines. The disciplines are neither taskmasters nor an end in themselves. Rather they are exercises that build strength and endurance for the road of growth. The fruit of the Spirit-joy, peace, kindness, etc.-are the signposts along the way.Paved with humor and sparkling anecdotes, The Life You've Always Wanted is an encouraging and challenging approach to a Christian life that's worth living-a life on the edge that fills an ordinary world with new meaning, hope, change, and joy.

A rare chance to know Jesus as his first disciples knew him.What would it be like to journey back to the first century and sit at the feet of Rabbi Jesus as one of his Jewish disciples? How would your understanding of the gospel have been shaped by the customs, beliefs, and traditions of the Jewish culture in which you lived? Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus takes you on a fascinating tour of the Jewish world of Jesus, offering inspirational insights that can transform your faith. Ann Spangler and Lois Tverberg paint powerful scenes from Jesus' ministry, immersing you in the prayers, feasts, history, culture, and customs that shaped Jesus and those who followed him.You will hear the parables as they must have sounded to first-century Jews, powerful and surprising. You will join the conversations that were already going on among the rabbis of his day. You will watch with new understanding as the events of his life unfold. And you will emerge with new excitement about the roots of your own Christian faith. Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus will change the way you read Scripture and deepen your understanding of the life of Jesus. It will also help you to adapt the rich prayers and customs you learn about to your own life, in ways that both respect and enrich your Christian faith. By looking at the Jewishness of Jesus, Ann Spangler and Lois Tverberg take you on a captivating journey into the heart of Judaism, one that is both balanced and insightful, helping you to better understand and appreciate your own faith.

As people face addictions, deal with loss and grief, and seek help in restoring broken relationships, where can they turn for counsel and assistance? The local church has been uniquely blessed with the gift of the gospel and is able to offer hope and counsel that no other institution on earth can.In Biblical Counseling and the Church, Bob Kellemen and Kevin Carson have assembled over twenty respected ministry leaders who examine the relationship between counseling and the church. This comprehensive resource, part of the Biblical Counseling Coalition series, helps leaders and counselors develop a vision that goes beyond being a church with a biblical counseling ministry to becoming a church of biblical counselinga church culture that is saturated by ';one-another' ministry.Divided into five parts, Biblical Counseling and the Church will help church leaders: Unite the pulpit ministry of preaching the Word with the personal ministry of the Word in counselingOffer practical and theological training to equip counselorsLaunch and lead a counseling ministry, regardless of the size of your churchBring together the relational focus of small group ministry with the ministry of care and counselingBetter understand the relationship between biblical counseling, church discipline, and conflict resolutionLearn how to use counseling in outreach through ';missional' biblical counselingmoving biblical counseling beyond the doors of the church and into the world