Outline : Augustine is widely considered to be the most influential theologian in church history after the apostle Paul. Dramatically converted from a life of licentiousness to one of wholehearted devotion to Christ, the humble North African pastor quickly established himself as a leading figure within the ancient church. In Augustine on the Christian Life, historian Gerald Bray explores the ri…
Outline : J.I. Packer is widely recognized as a pillar of 20th-centuryevangelicalism and has had a profound impact on millions of Christians living today. Now in his late eighties, Packer still exerts an enormous influence on pastors and laypeople around the world through his many books, articles, and recorded lectures-works that overflow with spiritual wisdom related to the Christian life. In …
Outline : Personal Change. Do you dread family get-togethers and try to avoid your extended family whenever you can? When you see your family, do you sometimes regret the way you talk and act? Why is it so hard to get along with the people we grew up with? Childhood hurts, unrealistic expectations, and old patterns resurfacing are just some of the reasons that Timothy S. Lane shares for unresol…
Outline : Resources for Personal Change. Everyone experiences hurt in relationships, but most of the time we are able to forgive and move on. But sometimes we experience a major hurt that lingers in our minds and leads to bitterness. We feel trapped by the resulting hostility, ongoing broken relationships, and inability to move on. Can you escape the sorrow and soul impoverishment that bittern…
Outline : Medical and Psychiatric Issues Depression makes so many things hard. Things you used to take for granted-a good night's sleep, having goals, responding to someone's love, looking forward to the future-now seem beyond reach. Is there any hope and help for those who are struggling with depression? Edward T. Welch insightfully describes the world of the depressed person and gives a bibl…
Outline: Faithful Men "It's normal." "Everyone does it." "Nobody gets hurt." These are some commonly held beliefs about sexual fantasy and masturbation, but are they really true? Are sexual fantasies and masturbation harmless ways to dealing with sexual frustattion? Marriage and family counselor Winston T. Smith uses his counseling experience and biblical knowledge to show how these seemingly …
Outline: Parenting. If you are a single parent, you already know you have one of the hardest jobs in the world. Trying to be both dad and mom -- breadwinner, cook, chauffeur, comforter, dishwasher, homework helper, disciplinarian, nurse, and role model -- can wear down the hardiest man or woman. But do you know that God, in the Bible, offers words of grace, power, and hope especially for you?…
Outline: ARE YOU OVERWHELMED by stress? On edge? Pressured to achieve? Spinning into free fall? What is the "noise" going on inside you? Or are you quiet inside? Here David Powlison invites you to look at Psalm 131to learn how to quiet your soul. "Psalm 131 gives us intimate access to the inner life of someone who has learned composure," Powlison writes. "This person is quiet on the inside beca…
Outline : Personal Change How many times have you tried to change a behavior only to find yourself doing the same thing again? Do these phrases sound familiar? "There I go again!" "I've had this struggle for years, and I just can't seem to win." "I do okay for awhile, but then I get caught in the same old sin." It's easy to be discouraged when we fall into the same old sins, but God, in the Bi…
Outline : Richard Baxter (1615-1691) was arguably the greatest English Puritan of the seventeenth century. However, he is less known for his vigorous insistence that parish ministers were better off unmarried. And yet he did marry, though he continued to champion clerical celibacy for the rest of his life. This book explores Baxter's argument for clerical celibacy by placing it in the context o…
Outline : In late 17th-century England, James Owen, a nonconformist minister, along with a circle of moderate friends like Edmund Calamy, Philip and Matthew Henry, and Francis Tallents, sought to emphasize a Protestant ecumenism grounded in agreement on foundational truths, openness to differences on secondary issues, including ecclesiastical structures, and the pursuit of some kind of visible …
Outline: "Why has this happened to me? Where is God when I'm suffering?" If you've been harmed by another person, the shock, confusion, and grief can be disorienting and sometimes immense. How are you supposed to process what's been done to you? Where does God fit in? Psalm 10 is an anguished prayer that is filled with comfort and guidance for the sufferer. Here David Powlison shows us what it …
Outline: Personal Change. Prickly, defensive, nasty, volatile, withdrawn, miserable ... aren't these days when you fell surrounded by difficult people? How do you cope? You can try avoiding them, gossiping about them, or giving them a piece of your mind. But wait! Don't your reactions make you hard to love too? William P. Smith explains that learning how to deal with difficult people starts wi…
Outline : PRE-ENGAGEMENT : 5 Questions to Ask Yourselves David Powlison & John Yenchko How do you know if you're ready to marry? What are the signs that a man and a woman are heading in the same direction and are right for each other? In this booklet a biblical counselor and a pastor team up to offer five pertinent questions that will help couples decide whether to commit themselves to each ot…
Outline : This study is the first to focus in depth on communion frequency in the Reformed tradition. It concludes that, although the sixteenth century Reformers desired more frequent communion, this was balanced by their desire to create mature Christian communities. So, preachers and church leaders stressed the priority of moral conduct, and the importance of understanding what the eucharist …
The frequent use of the theme of the infinite by Nicholas of Cusa in order to characterize the divinity, and the eminent place of mathematics in his doctrine seem to authorize a comparison with Duns Scotus. In this contribution we attempt to show the deep differences between these two enterprises and more generally the Cusan’s originality with respect to the scholastics of the fourteenth cent…
Shinto as one of traditional beliefs of Japanese people unconsciously gives much influence in the cultural activities of Japanese people. Therefore, the authors had examined the existence of Shinto in Shogatsu by distributing questionnaires to the 20 respondents of Osaka University students. The article clarifies the intensity level and purpose of Japanese people in carrying out Shogatsu, in re…
Outline : Personal Change Forgiving someone who has hurt you is one of the most difficult tasks anyone ever faces. In fact, it is so hard that most people avoid it at all costs. But when we don't forgive, we pay the price of bitterness that affects all of our relationships. Is it possible to forgive a great wrong and treat others with compassion despite the way they have treated us? Timothy S.…
Outline : Teks yang populer ini terus meneliti bidang komunikasi yang luas,termasuk situasi komunikasi antarpribadi, kelompok, publik, antarbudaya, dan massa, serta menjadikan proses belajar tentangkomunikasi efektif maupun menyenangkan. Edisi kelima ini disusunberdasarkan edisi sebelumnya, memperpadukan penetapan teori yenkuat dan dikaitkan secara langsung dengan perolehan keakomunikasi. Perub…
Outline : Parenting. When your child is anxious, it's easy to get anxious too. You want to help your child regain a sense of peace and safety, but how can you? This world is big and scary and sometimes our worries get big too. Julie Lowe, a skilled family counselor with more than twenty years of experience, guides parents in assessing their child's anxiety and gives practical ways to encourag…
Outline: "PRIVATE SEXUAL FANTASY can preoccupy vast areas of a person's mental life," notes David Powlison. "As explicit sexual images proliferate in films and magazines, on television, and over the Internet, the temptations increase and the bondage seems unbreakable. Even Christians can find that their lives have become a push-pull struggle between indulging in fantasy and resisting it." "Is i…
Outline: Personal Growth. What if your human parents were violent, deceptive, cold... or even just occasionally disappointing? Can their failures keep you from understanding God's love and having a growing relationship with your heavenly Father? Some say that you can't know God's love unless someone will stand in your parent's place, giving you a loving new image to use in relating to God. Bu…
Outline : "Not then, men and their moments. Rather, moments and their men." writes Erving Goffman in the introduction to his groundbreaking 1967 Interaction Ritual, a study of face-to-face interaction in natural settings. that class of events occurs during co-presence and by virtue of co-presence. The ultimate behavioral materials are the glances, gestures, positionings, and verbal statements t…
Outline: WORRY. ANXIETY. PANIC. Does any problem hamper our lives more? It plagues us daily, draining our joy and exhausting our energy. It springs up suddenly, clouding our thinking and wrecking our relationships. Most of us have come to accept it, and even expect it... but do we have to? Biblical counselor Robert Jones brings hope for this common problem by demonstrating that it's also a solv…
Outline: Resources for Personal Change What makes you angry? Sometimes small things make us angry: traffic ham, a waiter's mistake, or a friend's inattention. And sometimes big things make us angry: betrayal, injustice, meanness, violence, oppression, selfishness, and lying. How do you deal with your anger? Do you dump it on those around you? Or stuff it deep inside? David Powlison surprises …
Outline : IF YOU HAVE EVER purposely injured yourself, it may seem normal, even right. But if you haven't, it seems impossible to understand those who have. After all, don't living creatures avoid pain? Edward T. Welch writes this eye-opening and encouraging booklet assuming that you feel trapped in a cycle of self-injury or that you love someone who does. Welch helps loved ones to understand t…
Outline : Resources for Personal Change The damage you suffered may have been done in one terrible moment or over time. But the healing and the restoration will unfold at your pace, at a human pace. It unfolds as part of your story, and it unfolds over time. As a vulnerable child, instead of being protected, helped, and comforted, you were physically, emotionally, and/or sexually abused. Learn…
Outline: DOMESTIC ABUSE How to Help Couples who publicly sit at peace in church pews can secretly be at war. How do you help the victim of domestic abuse? And doesn't the perpetrator of the violence also need our help? Three counselors reveal ways to clearly communicate God's grace to the victims of violence. They demonstrate how to minister with confidence and humility to the afflicted. They…
Outline : In this updated and expanded edition, the author invites professors of communication and media to reflect on each chapter in light of our current cultural challenges and technological advancements over the past two decades. The collection of voices and conversations offer a discerning introduction to communication theory that guides readers through an interesting, creative, and biblic…
Outline : I hate it. I love it. Sometimes our desires can be cruel lovers. We think we should be rid of a particular desire, but we feel stuck. "What's the use in trying to rid my life of this desire?" we ask ourselves. "I've tried, but there's just no way out for me." Or is there? The problem may be more complicated than just being stuck. Might there be a path to true change? (If so, would …
Outline : Easy distractibility or forgetfulness Mouths, arms, hands, and legs that run ahead of thinking Impulsive decisions, chronic difficulties meeting deadlines, mistaken notions of one's own abilities ... behaviors often associated with Attention Deficit Disorder. What is ADD? What are the strengths and weaknesses of ADD children? What can be done about this puzzling disorder? Noting b…
Outline : Personal Change Often, in our busy world, our lives feel like one long "to-do" list. It's easy to get so busy that we don't even notice how exhausted and anxious we are. Do you find yourself saying yes to activities you don't have time for? Have you ever said, "If I don't do it, who will?" An overloaded schedule and an inability to rest are signs of approaching "burnout." Instead of …
Outline: LOST AMBITION. Emotional numbness. Fear and withdrawal. Fatigue. Marks of what is commonly called depression. If you are one of the many people suffering from depression, there is hope and there is help - a way up when you are down. Even if you don't feel like doing anything, this booklet provides manageable steps for getting started on the path that leads out of depression. Edward T. …
Outline : Medical and Psychiatric Issues If you're struggling with a sexual addiction of any sort, you understand that feeling of being trapped, out of control, and afraid of being found out. No matter what you try, it seems impossible to break free from the lure of illicit sexual thoughts and practices. Author David Powlison encourages those who want to overcome their compulsive sexual behavi…
Outline : "GOD'S UNCONDITIONAL LOVE." Sounds nice, but is it enough? Is there more to God's love? Describing unconditional love as detached "blanket acceptance" and "benign affirmation," David Powlison challenges our common assumption about the nature of God's love. Although wonderfully accepting, divine love is also intrusive, intimate, personal, and active. Instead of simply loving us as we a…
Outline: How hard it is to see God's goodness in the face of tragedy and suffering! Feeling abandoned, we cry out to him, question him, turn away from him, perhaps even curse him. It may seem like he's cheated us - we've done our part following him, but he's let us down. Paul David Tripp helps hurting people see their circumstances from an eternal perspective. Gently uncovering the wrong motive…
Outline : WHAT HOPE IS THERE WHEN A LOVED ONE'SMARRIAGE IS ABUSIVE? One spouse seeking to control and dominate the other is a prevalent problem, and even Christian marriages are not safe from it. But how can counselors and concerned family and friends know how to approach it... or even recognize it? Experienced Christian counselor Darby Strickland demonstrates how to recognize and uncover oppre…
Outline: "HOMOSEXUALITY is the hot issue of the day," says Edward T. Welch in this booklet. "Even more than abortion, it will confront the church throughout this generation, forcing us to listen, study, and respond wisely." How can we answer claims that the Bible does not prohibit committed homosexual relationships? Or that science proves that homosexuality is genetic, not a chosen lifestyle? W…
Outline : Closely entwined with the educational revolution of early modernity, the Reformation transformed the pedagogical landscape and culture of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Embracing a broad understanding of the Reformation this volume examines the confessional dynamics which shaped the educational transformations of early modernity. Going beyond conventional emphases on the rol…
Outline: Parentings Many teenagers are struggling to navigate adolescence successfully. Often, even though they have lots of material things clothes, electronics, spending money-they can be stressed, sad, and feel that life is without purpose. For an increasing number of teenagers, their struggle to manage pressures and expectations leads them to consider suicide as their only means of escape.…
Outline : Amandus Polanus (1561-1610) has often been described as a highly significant theologian, but also a neglected one. Stephen B. Tipton shows how Polanus' understanding of God's essence and attributes is built upon the ground of scripture, arranged with the aid of logical arguments and reasoning, and aimed at the worship and glory of the Triune God. Tipton defends this conclusion against…
Outline : While Isaac Watts is best known for his significant legacy as a hymnographer, he also functions as a key transitional figure between the English Puritans and the Evangelicals during eighteenth-century English dissent. As a pastor, theologian, philosopher, and literary mainstay of his era, Watts' influence grew well beyond his early work in hymnody to impact scores of Christians on bot…
Outline: DISTORTED IMAGES of sex bombard our children from every angle. Where can they find a healthy view of their sexuality? How can parents and youth leaders teach kids the life-transforming truths that expose the counterfeits for what they are. Paul David Tripp unearths the premises that underlie popular views of sex and notes several characteristics that make teenagers especially vulnerabl…
Outline : WHAT CHARACTERIZES YOUR MARRIAGE? Marriage is a place for sacrificial giving-so a spouse who uses it to gain power and control is violating God's design. If you are being oppressed, you are probably feeling isolated and alone.., but you're not alone. Scripture has much to say about your experience, your safety, and God's heart for you-he does not blame you for your suffering and does …
Outline : Parenting The kids are hungry, dinner is late, evervone's tired and on edge, and then it happens-you lose control and blow up at them again. Is losing control with our children inevitable in our busy world? Or is there a better way? Learn from William P. Smith a better way to relate to your children than with irritation, anger, and harsh words. Drawing on his counseling and parenting…
Outline: Marriage Anger...fear...despair...guilt...shame...when your marriage is broken by adultery, the core struggles of your heart are revealed. But although you and your spouse may be experiencing many of the same emotions, you are standing on opposite sides of a deep abyss-one of you has profoundly hurt the other. Is it possible to bridge the gap between you and heal your marriage? Robert…
Outline: Are you having suicidal thoughts and feelings? Perhaps you are convinced that life is not worth living. Your life seems hopeless, like a black hole with all love, hope, and joy sucked out. David Powlison describes the various reasons you might be feeling hopeless and explains that God is not surprised or put off by your feelings of despair. Your life is precious to God. He knows everyt…