Believing Jesus

Are you truly willing to risk everything? In Believing Jesus, Bible teacher and author Lisa Harper retraces the steps of the apostles in the book of Acts, while throwing in a few of her own crazy adventures along the way. The disciples didn’t have much of a road map after Jesus ascended to heaven, but God’s grace and spirit filled in the gaps as they moved forward. It required their willingness to risk everything to establish a new community that would change the future world. As a regular speaker on the Women of Faith® tour, Lisa has earned a reputation as a true theological scholar and hilarious storyteller—not necessarily in that order! Best-selling author and pastor Max Lucado calls Lisa one of the “best Bible tour guides around.” Believing Jesus will highlight both of Lisa’s strengths as she tackles every chapter of the Book of Acts with biblical wisdom and modern wit. Lisa keeps it real, telling stories on herself and pointing readers back to Jesus, the only one who can truly lead.

"In order to understand why the 'outside' of the Church—the visible, organized part—is important we have to ask the question: What is the Church for? The Church's purpose is to do in flesh and blood what Jesus did and does."—from Chapter 14 Leonard Foley wrote Believing in Jesus to help "born Catholics" come to a deeper understanding of the beliefs and practices they have held all their lives and to help those who approach the Catholic Church for the first time. He wrote, "I hope this book will help some scared and scarred people and challenge others." Now in its fifth revised edition, the best-selling Believing in Jesus captures the Christian's continuing journey of faith, ever new, ever alive—yet always founded on God's steadfast love for us. In 27 chapters written in a lively style, Foley covers the complete spectrum of Catholic faith, leading the reader from early Old Testament times through a world "starting over" in Jesus to the endtime, when Jesus will come again and we will share fully in his life. This edition is current with Church documents and events, including cross-references to the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Discussion questions and an updated and expanded resources section will prove invaluable to individuals and groups wanting to explore further the faith they profess.

What does it mean to believe Jesus? Not just believe in Jesus, but actually believe what He said--and shape our lives around that truth? How would that affect the choices we make? The way we see the world? The way we conduct ourselves with other Christians? In this eight-session video Bible study (DVD/digital video sold separately), Lisa Harper answers these questions by looking at the lives of the believers in Acts and how Jesus' command to spread the gospel forever shaped their lives. You will hear how Peter turned tables on his Benedict-Arnold behavior and became a church-building saint when the power of the Holy Spirit came over him. How the first believers were so gifted at giving they made Santa look bush league. How it cost Stephen and other early believers their very lives to follow Christ. And how Paul's case proves God's grace can change the worst of sinners, making us willing to have our lives interrupted by God and boldly share the gospel to the world. Today, we are faced with the same decisions the early church faced. Will we, like them, truly believe the words of Jesus and allow them to transform every part of our lives? Sessions include: The Declarations that Define Us Earth, Wind, and Celestial Fire Checkered Pasts Can Make Incredible Preachers What's Mine Is Yours Loving More People, More The Need to Be ReGospeled Turning Your World Upside Down Bearing the Chain Because Designed for use with the Believing Jesus Video Study (sold separately).

Must you believe something to be saved? Does the kingdom of God include non-Christians? Is hell for real and forever? These are big questions. Hard questions. Questions that divide Christians along conservative and liberal lines. Conservatives love their beliefs and liberals believe in their love. Each pushes the other to opposite extremes. Fundamentalists imply that it doesn’t matter how we live as long as we believe in Jesus, while some Emergent Christians respond that it doesn’t matter what we believe as long as we live like him. Theologian Michael Wittmer calls both sides out of bounds and crafts a third way that retains the insights of each. He examines ten key questions that confront contemporary Christians and shows why both right belief and right practice are necessary for authentic Christianity. Here is an urgent reminder that best practices can only arise from true beliefs. Genuine Christians never stop serving because they never stop loving, and they never stop loving because they never stop believing.

A wonderful tool to assist parents in leading their children to accept Christ. Tells the story of God's plan of salvation from creation through the life, death and resurrection of Christ. Helps children see God's plan for their lives. Includes a salvation prayer and page for child and parent to sign and date regarding their decision.

A best-selling Christian author shares the story of his own spiritual journey of discovery, and how he went from skepticism to devout belief, while honestly dealing with the fundamental questions about the nature of God and Jesus that all Christians must ask themselves.

Gerald O'Collins, SJ, is professor emeritus of the Gregorian University (Rome) and now adjunct professor at Australian Catholic University. An international authority in the area of resurrection studies, he has published seven books and dozens of articles on the resurrection of Jesus.

Popular author and pastor helps Christians stop trying to live up to standards Jesus never set for us and embrace the life giving things he did say.