The Focus Of Our Faith

The most common methods of evangelism are tailor-made for extroverts. But what about the rest of us? Other Christians, including introverted, reflective people, are left with feelings of guilt and fear and the desire to become more outgoing. The problem, says Mike Bechtle, is not their personality, but that they've been taught methods of evangelism that push them too far out of their comfort zone. In Evangelism for the Rest of Us, Bechtle shows readers how to share their faith in more comfortable ways by helping them discover and define their unique strengths within their personality type. With fresh, biblical insight, this much-needed resource renews a passion for sharing Christ with others, because telling the Good News does not have to be so intimidating.

These chapters point to the heart of the Christian faith. Each chapter may be read independently of the others. You will find messages such as "The Question that is the Answer," "Making Good News into Bad News," "The Exciting Hope," and many more. These messages are written for the mature Christian, the new Christian, and for people who are seeking and want to know more about the Bible. If you are not familiar with the Bible, some of the concepts may be difficult for you to understand at first. The author aims to write simply in order that even a child can understand. Many of these messages were first delivered in Japan where I served as a missionary and also in many other countries.

Faith in Focus is a 40 day Christian challenge. It is a commitment to stay focused on God with thoughts and actions that align with His Word. It is for any Christian at any place on their walk with God. Take this as your personal challenge! Set your mind and keep it set that for the next 40 days you are going to focus on God. You are going to pay attention to your thoughts throughout each day. When you catch yourself thinking unhealthy thoughts, you are going to purposely refocus on God's Word. You are going to live beyond your feelings by doing what God wants you to do. By the end of the 40 days, you will naturally be thinking and doing the things that keep you on His path. You will feel better than ever before which will drive you to continue your journey with God. God is going to work miracles in your life!

FOCUS IS IMPORTANT. The better your focus, the more clearly you can see. But it is important that your focus be on the right thing because your direction will follow your focus. When your focus is clear and on the right thing, then you will be heading in the right direction. The gospel of our faith is the good news that the kingdom of God has come and Jesus is the Messiah, God’s anointed King. He is the focus of our faith — not only the One upon whom we fix our attention but also the One through whom we view the whole world, to see more clearly and understand God’s purpose with greater wisdom. That is what Paul’s letter to the Jesus believers at Colosse is about. This book is a study of that letter. In it you will learn about: • The blessing and inheritance God has for you • The divine power trio: faith, hope and love • A walk that is worthy, a life that is pleasing and fruitful • Knowing God more and more • How all things hold together • Where all divine fullness dwells • The reconciliation of heaven and earth • The good news of God’s pleasure • The revelation of divine glory in you • Being rooted and built up in Jesus • The powers that have been disarmed • Living from a higher realm • The Word that qualifies us • Clothes for your new life • New life at home and in the community of faith • The spiral of watchful, thankful prayer • Walking in wisdom… and more These are “bite-size” studies to help guide you through Paul’s letter, a little at a time. At the end of each study are focus questions to help you think further about the truths Paul brings. They are open-ended questions to allow for maximum personal reflection and group discussion.

Learn from the book of Daniel how to live confidently for Christ today. What does it look like to live with joy in a society that does not like what Christians believe, say or do? It’s tempting to grow angry, keep our heads down, retreat or just give up altogether. But this isn’t the first time that God’s people have had to learn how to live in a pagan world that opposes God’s rule. In this realistic yet positive book, renowned Bible teacher Alistair Begg examines the first seven chapters of Daniel to show us how to live bravely, confidently and obediently in an increasingly secular society. Readers will see that God is powerful and God is sovereign, and even in the face of circumstances that appear to be prevailing against his people, we may trust him entirely. We can be as brave as Daniel if we have faith in Daniel’s God! "The message of Daniel is incredibly relevant for us in our generation. Not because it maps out a strategy for how to deal with our new lack of status ... or because Daniel was a great man and we need to follow his example. The reason is that it will help us to believe in Daniel’s God." Alistair Begg, author.

In this important study Hays argues against the mainstream that any attempt to account for the nature and method of Paul's theological language must first reckon with the centrality of narrative elements in his thought. Through an in-depth investigation of Galatians 3:1-4:11, Hays shows that the framework of Paul's thought is neither a system of doctrines nor his personal religious experience but the "sacred story" of Jesus Christ.

In chapter 4 talks about focus on giving God Thanks for Everything. The Holy Spirit led me to further focus on my ancestry, who faithfully served and dedicated themselves to God. They prayed to pave the way for the next generation to be strong, unable to uproot from God’s Word and purpose—to stay focused, faithful, obedient, and serve God in Jesus’ name to the fullest. Focus on God’s Word, and see it come to pass. “And it shall come to pass that when your days are fulfilled to go to be with your fathers, I will raise up your off-spring after you, who will be of your sons, and I will establish his kingdom.” —I Chronicles 17:11 My great-great-grandfather, Elder Aaron Bazemore (in middle); my sister, Angel (far left); and myself, Linda (far right) In Jesus’ name, thank you, Heavenly Father, for answering the prayers of my ancestry and allowing me to see the mantle of God being passed to the next generation and generations to come. Thank you, Lord, for choosing me and my offspring to come. Amen.

There is an enormous amount of confusion and deception about what it means to be a woman. Even within the church, women are continually struggling to define their femininity. Pat Ennis and Lisa Tatlock tackle the difficult question of 'What makes a godly woman?' with warmth, compassion, and directness in Becoming aWoman Who Pleases God. Readers will find themselves challenged to re-think their priorities, re-examine the position of the home, and re-work their definition of what it means to be a woman in whom God is well pleased.