The Joy Of Encountering Jesus

The Joy of Encountering Jesus does not call simply for faith in Jesus, but spells out how and why we can believe in Jesus in this twenty-first century. Reflecting on human experiences recorded in the Bible, including those of Jesus of Nazareth, we search for who we really are. Finding our true selves is possible only by discovering the risen Jesus dwelling within us. Then the sun rises, the whole world dances with joy, and our hearts are filled with Gods grace; we are Living Gods Life in a New World. The Joy of Encountering Jesus provides 174 short homilies for three liturgical years that will lead you to: rely on the heart rather than the head, utilize non-dualistic thinking rather than dualistic, find God from within rather than from without, build Gods kingdom on earth, expand knowledge on Jewish apocalypse and eschatology, update theology of resurrection and the Eucharist.

Jesus can change you, no matter what your life situation. He can give you peace, hope and joy in the most desperate circumstances. But you need a life-changing encounter with him. In this eight-session LifeGuide® Bible Study, Douglas Connelly examines the stories of how eight people—among them a scholar, a failure, a blind man and an adulteress—found their lives changed forever when they met Jesus Christ. Looking at their lives can give you hope when you find yourself dealing failure or with an emptiness nothing in life seems to fill. The good news is that Jesus is waiting to meet you and longing to offer you what you need most. For over three decades LifeGuide Bible Studies have provided solid biblical content and raised thought-provoking questions—making for a one-of-a-kind Bible study experience for individuals and groups. This series has more than 130 titles on Old and New Testament books, character studies, and topical studies. PDF download with a single-user license; available from InterVarsity Press and other resellers.

The perfect gift! A specially priced, beautifully designed hardcover edition of The Joy of the Gospel with a foreword by Robert Barron and an afterword by James Martin, SJ. “The joy of the gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus… In this Exhortation I wish to encourage the Christian faithful to embark upon a new chapter of evangelization marked by this joy, while pointing out new paths for the Church’s journey in years to come.” – Pope Francis This special edition of Pope Francis's popular message of hope explores themes that are important for believers in the 21st century. Examining the many obstacles to faith and what can be done to overcome those hurdles, he emphasizes the importance of service to God and all his creation. Advocating for “the homeless, the addicted, refugees, indigenous peoples, the elderly who are increasingly isolated and abandoned,” the Holy Father shows us how to respond to poverty and current economic challenges that affect us locally and globally. Ultimately, Pope Francis demonstrates how to develop a more personal relationship with Jesus Christ, “to recognize the traces of God’s Spirit in events great and small.” Profound in its insight, yet warm and accessible in its tone, The Joy of the Gospel is a call to action to live a life motivated by divine love and, in turn, to experience heaven on earth. Includes a foreword by Robert Barron, author of Catholicism: A Journey to the Heart of the Faith and James Martin, SJ, author of Jesus: A Pilgrimage

New York Times bestselling author of The Prodigal Prophet Timothy Keller explores how people are changed by meeting Jesus personally—and how we can be changed encountering him today. The people who met Jesus Christ in person faced the same big life questions we face today. Like most of us, the answers handed down to them didn’t seem to work in the real world. But when they met Jesus, things immediately started to change for them. It seems he not only had the answers—he was the answer. In Encounters with Jesus, Timothy Keller shows how the central events and meetings in Jesus’ life can change our own lives forever. "Keller's work belongs on the bookshelf of every serious Bible student." —Examiner "Keller has mined the gold from these texts of Scripture, and any Christian is bound to have their minds expanded and hearts stirred." —Grace for Sinners

In this fallen world, Christians often suffer due to no fault of their own. Imagine a loving spouse who suffers the pains of marital unfaithfulness, or loving Christian parents who suffer the loss of their child. Now, imagine that you can overcome the pain and instead experience a "joy unspeakable" (1 Pet 1:8). That is the message of this book. It teaches that to experience righteous suffering is to "fellowship with Christ in his sufferings" (1 Pet 4:13). We desire to know the glory of Christ, but that is only half of what he experienced. Unless we know Jesus' suffering, we will never know the whole Jesus. And to know Jesus is the greatest joy of a believer, a "joy unspeakable."

“Dear friends, be glad! Do not be afraid of being joyful!” —Pope Francis, from The Joy of Discipleship Near the end of Luke’s Gospel, two disciples slowly make their way home from Jerusalem to the village of Emmaus. At the outset, they are deeply saddened by Jesus’ tragic death. By that evening, however, they have made a 180-degree turn: from dejected disciples to followers filled with joy—a joy they simply must share with others as fast as they can. What accounts for this change? They have encountered the risen Christ! In The Joy of Discipleship, Pope Francis reminds us that joy should be one of the defining characteristics of any person who has truly encountered Jesus. This skillfully curated collection of homilies, speeches, and other documents from Pope Francis, compiled and edited by James P. Campbell, offers a fresh perspective on why Christian disciples should be so joyful in the first place and how that joy might manifest itself in our individual daily lives. Covering a broad range of themes—Christ’s Resurrection, mercy, wealth and poverty, the Christian family, and more—The Joy of Discipleship moves us to meditate on Christ and then inspires us to move out from our own four walls, jubilantly proclaiming God’s transforming love in word and deed. For anyone who wants what Pope Francis has—an active, abiding, authentic love for Jesus Christ, for the Church, and for the people of this world—The Joy of Discipleship will point the way. “This volume gives us a portrait of the Pope and what amazing joy fills his life, his mind, his teaching . . . his discipleship!” —From the foreword by Daniel Cardinal DiNardo

People living with mental health challenges are not excluded from God’s love or even the fullness of life promised by Jesus. Unfortunately, this hope is often lost amid the well-meaning labels and medical treatments that dominate the mental health field today. In Finding Jesus in the Storm, John Swinton makes the case for reclaiming that hope by changing the way we talk about mental health and remembering that, above all, people are people, regardless of how unconventionally they experience life. Finding Jesus in the Storm is a call for the church to be an epicenter of compassion for those experiencing depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and related difficulties. That means breaking free of the assumptions that often accompany these diagnoses, allowing for the possibility that people living within unconventional states of mental health might experience God in unique ways that are real and perhaps even revelatory. In each chapter, Swinton gives voice to those experiencing the mental health challenges in question, so readers can see firsthand what God’s healing looks like in a variety of circumstances. The result is a book about people instead of symptoms, description instead of diagnosis, and lifegiving hope for everyone in the midst of the storm.

In one of the first homilies after his election, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI said: “There is nothing more beautiful than to be surprised by the Gospel, by the encounter with Christ.” In his newest book, Encountering Jesus in Word, Sacraments, and Works of Charity, popular DC-based pastor and teacher Msgr. Peter J. Vaghi connects this vision to everyday life, drawing on gospel passages that portray Christ’s power and his important teaching in parables. He also offers challenging reflections that show readers how they can draw near to Christ: by studying scripture, celebrating the sacraments, and exercising the ministry of charity. This essential resource is perfect for those fostering the New Evangelization, the newly baptized, during the mystagogy phase of RCIA, catechist formation, and adult education. Msgr. Peter Vaghi presents a fresh and challenging look at how to encounter and grow close to Jesus through scripture, the sacraments, and acts of charity. Prayers and reflection questions at the end of each chapter make this an ideal guide for small groups and other settings of adult faith formation.