Books published by publisher Zondervan Academic

“The Spirit of God uses the Word of God to make us like the Son of God.”―Rick Warren in The Purpose Driven® Life You were created to become like Christ. This is one of the five God-ordained purposes for your life described in The Purpose Driven® Life by Rick Warren, and it’s why studying the Bible is so important. The Bible’s truths will transform you, aligning you with the character and ways of Jesus as you encounter him in the Scriptures. This easy-to-understand book shows you how to study the Bible Rick Warren’s way. It gives you not just one, but twelve methods for exploring the riches of God’s Word. At least one of them is exactly what you’re looking for―an approach that’s right for you, right where you’re at. Simple step-by-step instructions guide you through the how-tos of the following methods:• Devotional • Chapter Summary • Character Quality • Thematic• Biographical • Topical • Word Study • Book Background • Book Survey• Chapter Analysis • Book Synthesis • Verse Analysis Thousands of individuals, small groups, churches, and seminary classes have used this practical manual to unlock the wonderful truths of Scripture. You can too. Written by America’s pastor, Rick Warren, Rick Warren’s Bible Study Methods will help you develop a customized approach to studying, understanding, and applying the Bible.

Recent years have seen much controversy regarding hell: Do we go to heaven or hell when we die? Or do we cease to exist? Are believers and unbelievers ultimately saved in the end?This second edition of Four Views on Hell, featuring all new contributors, highlights why the church still needs to wrestle with the doctrine of hell. In the familiar counterpoints format, four leading scholars introduce us to the current views on eternal judgment, with particular attention being given to the new voices that have entered the debate.Contributors and views include:Denny Burk: Eternal Conscious TormentJohn Stackhouse: Annihilationism (Conditional Immortality)Robin Parry: Universalism (Ultimate Reconciliation)Jerry Walls: PurgatoryGeneral editor Preston Sprinkle concludes the discussion by evaluating each view, noting significant points of exchange between the essayists. The interactive nature of the volume allows the reader to reflect on the strengths and weaknesses of each view and come to an informed conclusion.

The straightforward manner in which Matthew Henry's Commentary brings Scripture to bear on the practical matters of life and of Christian character together with its deeply reverent, devotional style, have made it the most beloved Bible commentary of all time. For nearly 300 years, Christians have consulted its rich insights into the very heart of God's Word. Passage by passage, its prayerful, penetrating reflections inspire and challenge the reader. This careful abridgment presents in one volume the wealth of exposition and comment, metaphors, analogies, and illustrations that have set Matthew Henry's Commentary apart as one of the enduring legacies of faith. It is ideal for -- Personal devotions - Bible study - Sermon and lesson preparation -- Forever fresh and never failing to render new pearls of wisdom, Matthew Henry's Commentary is a book you will reach for often to obtain deeper understanding of the Scriptures.

Most Christians already know that they should be telling their friends about Jesus. But they have been poorly equipped with methods that are no longer effective in today's post-Christian world. As a result, many people become frustrated, blame themselves, and simply give up. Evangelism in a Skeptical World is a textbook on evangelism that is ideal for the church or the classroom to equip Christians with the principles and skills they need to tell the unbelievable news about Jesus to friends in a skeptical world.Many of the older principles and methods of evangelism in the twentieth century no longer work effectively today. In a post-Christian, post-churched, post-reached world we need new methods to communicate the timeless message of the gospel in culturally relevant ways. Dr. Chan combines the theological and biblical insights of classic evangelistic training with the latest insights from missiology on contextualization, cultural hermeneutics, and storytelling. Every chapter is illustrated with real-world examples drawn from over fifteen years of evangelistic ministry. These are methods that really work - with university students, urban workers, and high school students - getting past the defensive posture that people have toward Christianity so they can seriously consider the claims of Jesus Christ.Field-tested and filled with unique, fresh, and creative insights, this book will equip you to share the gospel in today's world and help as many people as possible hear the good news about Jesus.

What caused a former Dallas Seminary professor to believe that the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit are being given today? What convinced someone skeptical about miracles that God still speaks and heals? A dramatic change took place in Jack Deere’s life when he took a fresh look at the Scriptures. He discovered that his cherished arguments against miraculous gifts were based more on prejudice and a lack of personal experience than on the Bible. As soon as Deere became a seeker instead of a skeptic, the Holy Spirit revealed himself in new and surprising ways. In Surprised by the Power of the Spirit, Jack Deere provides a strong biblical defense for the Spirit’s speaking and healing ministries today. He also describes several reliable cases of people who were miraculously healed or who heard God speak in an unmistakable way. Finally, he gives sound advice for using spiritual gifts in the church. Written in popular style-with the care of a scholar but the passion of personal experience-this book is a vital resource for people on both sides of the debate about miraculous gifts.

There is little doubt that the inerrancy of the Bible is a current and often contentious topic among evangelicals. Five Views on Biblical Inerrancy represents a timely contribution by showcasing the spectrum of evangelical positions on inerrancy, facilitating understanding of these perspectives, particularly where and why they diverge. Each essay in Five Views on Biblical Inerrancy considers:the present context and the viability and relevance for the contemporary evangelical Christian witness;whether and to what extent Scripture teaches its own inerrancy;the position’s assumed/implied understandings of the nature of Scripture, God, and truth; andthree difficult biblical texts, one that concerns intra-canonical contradictions, one that raises questions of theological plurality, and one that concerns historicity. Five Views on Biblical Inerrancy serves not only as a single-volume resource for surveying the current debate, but also as a catalyst both for understanding and advancing the conversation further. Contributors include Al Mohler, Kevin Vanhoozer, Michael Bird, Peter Enns, and John Franke.

Are these the last days? Could Jesus return at any time to establish his thousand-year reign on earth? What is the nature of Christ’s millennial kingdom referred to in the book of Revelation? What must happen before Jesus returns, and what part does the church play? Three predominant views held by evangelicals seek to answer these and related questions: premillennial, postmillennial, and amillennial. This book gives each view a forum for presentation, critique, and defense. Besides each contributor’s personal perspective, various interpretations of the different positions are discussed in the essays. Three Views on the Millennium and Beyond lets you compare and contrast three important eschatological viewpoints to gain a better understanding of how Christianity’s great hope, the return of Jesus, is understood by the church. The Counterpoints series provides a forum for comparison and critique of different views on issues important to Christians. Counterpoints books address two categories: Church Life and Bible and Theology. Complete your library with other books in the Counterpoints series.

The Zondervan Biblical and Theological Lectures series provides a unique audio learning experience. Unlike a traditional audiobook's direct narration of a book's text, Know the Creeds and Councils: Audio Lectures includes high-quality live recordings of college-level lectures that cover the important points from each subject as well as relevant material from other sources. In every generation, the Christian church must interpret and restate its bedrock beliefs, answering the challenges and concerns of the day. In Know the Creeds and Councils: Audio Lectures, priest and author Justin Holcomb explores centuries of creeds, councils, catechisms, and confessions - not with a dry focus on dates and places, but with an emphasis on the living tradition of Christian belief and why it matters for our lives today. Each lecture explains a key statement of faith and its historical context, provides a simple overview of the statement's content and key points, and reflects on its contemporary relevance. As a part of the KNOW series, Know the Creeds and Councils: Audio Lectures is designed for personal study or classroom use, but also for small groups and Sunday schools wanting to more deeply understand the foundations of the faith.

There is little doubt that the inerrancy of the Bible is a current and often contentious topic among evangelicals. Five Views on Biblical Inerrancy represents a timely contribution by showcasing the spectrum of evangelical positions on inerrancy, facilitating understanding of these perspectives, particularly where and why they diverge. Each essay in Five Views on Biblical Inerrancy considers:the present context and the viability and relevance for the contemporary evangelical Christian witness;whether and to what extent Scripture teaches its own inerrancy;the position’s assumed/implied understandings of the nature of Scripture, God, and truth; andthree difficult biblical texts, one that concerns intra-canonical contradictions, one that raises questions of theological plurality, and one that concerns historicity. Five Views on Biblical Inerrancy serves not only as a single-volume resource for surveying the current debate, but also as a catalyst both for understanding and advancing the conversation further. Contributors include Al Mohler, Kevin Vanhoozer, Michael Bird, Peter Enns, and John Franke.

In every generation, the Christian church must interpret and restate its bedrock beliefs, answering the challenges and concerns of the day. This accessible overview walks readers through centuries of creeds, councils, catechisms, and confessions--not with a dry focus on dates and places, but with an emphasis on the living tradition of Christian belief and why it matters for our lives today.As a part of the KNOW series, Know the Creeds and Councils is designed for personal study or classroom use, but also for small groups and Sunday schools wanting to more deeply understand the foundations of the faith. Each chapter covers a key statement of faith and includes a discussion of its historical context, a simple explanation of the statement's content and key points, reflections on contemporary and ongoing relevance, and discussion questions.

This laminated sheet accompanies Mark L. Strauss's Four Portraits, One Jesus. Following the textbook's structure, this quick-study tool offers summaries, important definitions, dates, and concepts designed to support the students' learning experience and enhance their comprehension of what can be known from the Gospels about the central defining subject of Christianity, Jesus of Nazareth.Four Portraits, One Jesus is a thorough yet accessible introduction to the four biblical Gospels and their subject, the life and person of Jesus. Like different artists rendering the same subject using different styles and points of view, the Gospels paint four highly distinctive portraits of the same remarkable Jesus. With clarity and insight, Mark Strauss illuminates these four books, first addressing their nature, origin, methods for study, and historical, religious, and cultural backgrounds. He then moves on to closer study of each narrative and its contribution to our understanding of Jesus, investigating things such as plot, characters, and theme. Finally, he pulls it all together with a detailed examination of what the Gospels teach about Jesus’ ministry, message, death, and resurrection, with excursions into the quest for the historical Jesus and the historical reliability of the Gospels.

In every generation, the Christian church must interpret and restate its bedrock beliefs, answering the challenges and concerns of the day. This accessible overview walks readers through centuries of creeds, councils, catechisms, and confessions--not with a dry focus on dates and places, but with an emphasis on the living tradition of Christian belief and why it matters for our lives today.As a part of the KNOW series, Know the Creeds and Councils is designed for personal study or classroom use, but also for small groups and Sunday schools wanting to more deeply understand the foundations of the faith. Each chapter covers a key statement of faith and includes a discussion of its historical context, a simple explanation of the statement's content and key points, reflections on contemporary and ongoing relevance, and discussion questions.