Books with author William J. Bennett

Bestselling author R. William Bennett imagines how a contemporary of Jesus, Simon, an ordinary spice merchant and a Jew without deeply felt religious beliefs, begins his lifelong journey as one of the first new Christians as his life intersects with Jesus at the major milestones of his life and ministry.From the very beginning, Simon is on the scene on the eve of Jesus's birth. He is the last man to get an available room at the inn in Bethlehem, forcing Joseph and Mary to be turned away upon their arrival. Later that night, unable to sleep, Simon stumbles upon a group huddled around a cave, solemnly watching the miracle of a newborn babe in a stone manger and immediately recognizes the couple from the inn. Gazing upon the scene, he feels something of spiritual significance: peaceful, holy, sacred. The next day, he hears rumors in the marketplace of a holy birth which is the fulfillment of an ancient prophecy: the promised Messiah of the Jewish people. Simon wonders if that was what he witnessed.As listeners, we walk with Simon as he witnesses Jesus's revolutionary teachings like the Sermon on the Mount. Simon also hears testimonies of Jesus's miracles, and watches his own eldest son embrace the new covenant after witnessing John baptize Jesus, an act which signals the beginning of Jesus's ministry, which paves the way for a new people of God.Simon feels blessed to have his family, but he doesn't understand why others are searching for deeper faith and connection to God. Still questioning and unsure, he spends his life determined to find out if Jesus truly is the son of God, the promised Messiah. Eventually, Simon travels to Jerusalem as the popularity of Jesus's ministry catches the attention of those in power.By the time he arrives in Jerusalem, he discovers that Jesus has been tried and convicted of treason in a Roman court and is sentenced to death by crucifixion. After a life of following Jesus from a distance, Simon is now walking the streets of Jerusalem with him. At a critical moment, Simon steps out from the crowd to help Jesus ease the burden of carrying the cross, symbolically pledging himself to ease the burden of humankind by spreading the word of Jesus as a new true Christian believer.In the aftermath of Jesus's death, Simon's family thinks that the new ministry is now over. But it's a true test of faith believing in the certainty of what is unseen, and in a week's time, Jesus's followers encounter him risen from the dead. In this moment of Jesus's resurrection, Simon is ready. His faith, built steadily on the bedrock of Jesus's teachings, love of God, and love of one's neighbor moves him to dedicate himself to a new mission, declaring we have work to do.

Originally published in 1898, this classic volume is a retelling, in simple language for young people, of the story of the Old Testament.CONTENTSPART I: THE PATRIARCHSIsrael in the WildernessAbrahamIsaacJacob and EsauJacob and LabanJoseph the Spoilt DarlingJoseph in PrisonJoseph the Ruler of EgyptPART II: MOSES AND JOSHUAThe Son of Pharaoh’s DaughterThe Reproach of ChristThe Burning BushThe Ten PlaguesThe ExodusThe Red SeaThe Wanderings in the WildernessThe Conquest of JerichoThe GibeonitesPART III: THE JUDGES, RUTH, AND SAMUELDeborah and BarakGideonJephthahRuthHannah and SamuelEli and SamuelPART IV: SAUL, DAVID, AND SOLOMONSaul, the First King of IsraelSaul’s VictoriesDavid, Saul’s Minstrel and Armour-BearerDavid and GoliathDavid and JonathanDavid Spares Saul’s LifeDavid and the Ark On ZionDavid and AbsalomPART V: ELIJAH AND ELISHAThe FamineThe RainThe Still Small VoiceNaboth’s VineyardThe War with MoabNaamanJehuPART VI: AMOS, HOSEA, AND ISAIAHAmos and HoseaThe Call of IsaiahThe Deliverance From SennacheribPART VII: JEREMIAHThe Putting Down of the High PlacesThe Fall of JerusalemPART VIII: RELIGIOUS STORIES OF ANCIENT ISRAELThe CreationThe FallCain and AbelThe FloodThe Tower of BabelPART IX: THE NEW ISRAELThe New TempleEzra and NehemiahPART X: RELIGIOUS STORIES OF THE NEW ISRAELThe CreationThe FloodNote: The original physical edition of this work includes several illustrations. They are not included in this Kindle edition.About the Author:William Henry Bennett (1855–1920) was Professor of Old Testament Exegesis in New and Hackney Colleges, London; a Fellow of St John’s College, Cambridge, England; and a Lecturer in Hebrew at Firth College, Sheffield. Other works include “A Primer of the Bible,” “Old Testament History,” and “The Bible and Criticism.”

Planning for DiscipleNow? Try this study for your next DiscipleNow Weekend or retreat! This five-session book will help youth to become more natural and confident as they share their faith with others. Youth will learn a relational approach to witnessing that takes the pressure off as they learn to depend on the power of God's Holy Spirit. This is a great resource for a weekend DiscipleNow, weeknight Bible study, or retreat.

A Gripping Paranormal Action Thriller With A Quirky, Resilient Heroine!Maya knew something was wrong... The stranger’s glowing hands were a big tipoff.When the stranger murders Maya’s boyfriend with a single touch and injects her with a DNA-altering serum, Maya prays for a savior. Instead, she gets a double helping of knight-in-not-so-shining-armor when two young men claiming to be her half-brothers pull off a belated rescue. Now Maya is swiftly transforming into an “angel,” one of the scientifically enhanced, energy-sucking creatures her brothers have spent their whole lives trying to destroy. Struggling to control the murderous appetite that fuels her new abilities, this reluctant protagonist must find a way to accept her new condition and learn to trust her angel-hunting brothers as she joins them in their fight against the powerful and destructive creatures. On the up side, at least Maya’s eldest brother has stopped trying to kill her!“There are so many positive adjectives I can apply to this novel, I scarcely know where to begin. It's totally exciting. Dramatic. Vividly intense. Poignant. Need I add that it's an utterly riveting, page-turning read?” A Night’s Dream Of Books BlogGet ready to fall hard for FALLING, the first novel in J Bennett’s new adult paranormal series, GIRL WITH BROKEN WINGS. * Warning, this book contains violence and cursing