We are now living in post-Christian times, when Christianity no longer is the prevailing influence on the mind and heart of our culture. But we cannot compromise. More than ever before, it is imperative that Christians understand and embrace the biblical pattern for the church. Philip Graham Ryken knows that the changing face of America makes the need for the church to remain steadfast even more important. City on a Hill will provide readers with a deeper understanding of how to live for Christ in the twenty-first century: go back to the model set out in the first century. Sure to be an encouragement and challenge to anyone concerned about the effectiveness of the church today.
We live in a world where sexuality is ruined by sin, its beauty obscured by our brokenness. We need a divine vision for the way love was meant to be, with a gospel that offers forgiveness for sin and grace to live in the way that God has made us to be. In the Song of Songs, we encounter a love story that is part of the greatest love story ever told. Philip Ryken walks through this biblical love poem verse by verse, reflecting on what the Bible says about God's design for love, intimacy, and sexuality and offering insights into not only human relationships but also our relationship to God himself—learning more about the One who has loved us with an everlasting love.
The Lord's Prayer, the greatest prayer in the Bible, comes from the heart of the Savior, the Son of God, to his Heavenly Father. It is proclaimed at celebrations, cried in times of war, whispered in the face of death. In a society where people are bombarded by worry and concern, violence and evil, it is so important to meet with the Heavenly Father in the intimate solitude of prayer. Pastor Philip Ryken urges readers to recognize the power that the Lord's Prayer holds. This model reminds us that God is our protector and provider. It expresses our every need and gratitude to the one who graciously provides. By intently studying and applying this passage, Christians will recognize that this pattern of prayer holds the promise of a changed life.
An Examination of Beauty in the Christian Life from Philip Ryken The world is full of beautiful things—the vibrancy of trees in fall, the joy of sitting around a table with family—but in our fallen world, many beautiful things have been turned into ugly distortions. How should Christians think about beauty in a world that is often ugly? In Beauty Is Your Destiny, Philip Ryken provides readers with an introduction to the theology and practice of beauty, striving to awaken a longing for beauty that he explains "can only be satisfied in the face of Jesus Christ." Adapted from chapel messages given at Wheaton College, Ryken considers key topics on Christian thought—including the Trinity, the incarnation, sexuality, and racial diversity—through the lens of beauty, showing how beauty illuminates each of these biblical principles in our world today. Introduction to the Theology of Beauty: Great for college students, pastors, and small groups Biblically Based: Examines how beauty is seen in Christian doctrines such as eternity, the church, and the crucifixion Written by Philip Ryken: President of Wheaton College and author of Grace Transforming; Is Jesus the Only Way?; and Loving the Way Jesus Loves
For those of us who are performance-oriented or for those who have long since thrown in the towel, a word about grace is in order. Within these pages are 9 key messages on the grace of God. These are masterful lessons, built on Scripture, edifying and applicable for all who want to experience the freedom that comes from resting on the promise of God's unmerited favor. Helping us to understand that we are not defined by what we do, but rather by who Jesus is and what he has done, Grace Transforming powerfully addresses the transforming power of grace that is essential for every Christian.
10 Bible Stories of Faith and Doubt to Encourage Believers through Uncertainty Will God do what he says he promises? Can we trust his intentions? Is he even good? Without guidance, these doubt-filled questions can hinder spiritual progress and lead to discouragement. Thankfully, the Bible offers encouraging examples of men and women who remained faithful to God even through seasons of uncertainty. Based on a series of Wheaton College chapel messages, this encouraging guide explores 10 Bible stories on the topic of faith and doubt to reassure readers that doubt is normal for Christians. These stories cover a wide range of questions and doubts that most Christians experience at some point in their faith journey—doubts about God's power, protection, justice, healing, and more. Ultimately, readers will better understand the dynamic of faith and doubt, helping them renew their faith in God even through times of uncertainty. Encouraging: This book bolsters faith in God and his word amid inevitable times of doubt Scriptural Study: Explores 10 stories of biblical believers who experienced doubt yet remained faithful to God Written by Philip Ryken: President of Wheaton College and author of Beauty Is Your Destiny; Is Jesus the Only Way?; and Loving the Way Jesus Loves.
Do you love Jesus more than your spouse? Your reputation? Your kids? Your health? Your job? Your money? As Christians, we're called to love Jesus more than anyone or anything else. But do we really do this? Emphasizing that God's love for us is the source of our love for him, Phil Ryken challenges us to take Jesus's words seriously and think carefully about where our affections truly lie.
Most people are familiar with the ‘love chapter’ of the Bible, 1 Corinthians 13, yet Phil Ryken still has something new to say. He draws on the earthly life and ministry of Jesus to illustrate Paul’s several statements about what love is and isn’t. These aspects of love are then illuminated chronologically through the story of Christ’s advent, teaching, miracle working, sufferings, crucifixion, death, resurrection and ascension. Jesus never does anything without love. His love is everything the love chapter says that love should be. It is patient with sinners and kind to strangers. It does not envy or boast, but offers itself in humble service. It does not insist on its own way, but submits to the Father. It is able to forgive, trust, hope and persevere. This approach highlights the crucial truth that we are able to love only because Christ first loved us in this particularly profound, very real, and transformative manner.
This commentary originated with a series of Sunday evening sermons preached at Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia. In keeping with the subject matter of the book itself, the focus of the exposition is on its practical implications for life in the local church. The author chose to preach from this New Testament book early in his ministry, so as to get the full benefit of Pauls instructions to Timothy as a young man in gospel ministry. - Publisher.
Throughout the history of English literature, church ministers have figured prominently in novels, plays, morality tales, and even poetry. Pastors in the Classics is a unique, unprecedented collection of relevant literary masterpieces in which the pastor's experience is a major part of the story. Part 1 is a reader's guide to twelve important classics written over four centuries and covering seven different nationalities. Each chapter not only describes and interprets the work in question, it also highlights a specific feature of pastoral ministry explored in the work. Part 2 is a handbook that defines the canon of literary masterpieces that deal with the pastor's experience, offering reading suggestions for both ministers and lovers of literature. From the familiar (The Canterbury Tales; Cry, the Beloved Country; and The Scarlet Letter) to the lesser-known (Silence, Witch Wood) to the surprising (A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man), this collection uncovers the good, the bad, and the ugly ways in which pastors have been presented to the reading public for the past half millennium.
The book of Ecclesiastes is, above all else, unflinchingly honest. Whether wrestling with the tedium of work, the injustices of life, the ravages of age, or the inevitability of death, this enigmatic Old Testament book takes a hard look at the way the world really is. And yet, as Phil Ryken points out in this instructive commentary, Ecclesiastes wisely teaches people to trust God in the midst of such struggles. Written with pastors and Bible teachers in mind, this commentary will equip readers to better understand, explain, and apply the message of Ecclesiastes, highlighting the book’s enduring relevance as a testament to the ultimate duty of all people: fearing God and keeping his commandments. The Psalms is one of the most widely loved books of the Bible. A source of instruction for our prayers, inspiration for our songs, and consolation for our tears, these biblical poems resound with the whole spectrum of human emotion and teach us to hope in God each and every day. In the first volume of a three-part commentary on the Psalms, pastor James Johnston walks readers through chapters 1–44, offering exegetical and pastoral insights along the way. In an age that prizes authenticity, this resource will help anyone interested in studying, teaching, or preaching the Bible to truly engage with God in a life-changing and heart-shaping way. Part of the Preaching the Word series.
The Ten Commandments are the crystallization of God's law - but how do we apply them, and how do they relate to the gospel of sins forgiven? The church exists in a kind of moral limbo where we say we live under grace, yet still know that the commandments have to have a role in our lives somewhere. Where should we place them in our everyday lives, motives and attitudes? The commandments are an expression of God's character - this means that they provide foundational principles for how we relate to God and his plan for our lives.
Though the world's wisest king, Solomon's heart was led astray by temptations of wealth, sex, and power. And we face the same dangers today, though the temptations may be different in degree and detail. Author Philip Ryken writes, "In witnessing Solomon's moral triumphs and sinful failures we learn how to live more wisely. By the grace of God, we may avoid a tragic downfall of our own and learn how to use money, sex, and power for the glory of God." Tracing Solomon's life from coronation to burial—and from godly devotion to self-serving excess—Ryken shows readers how to avoid similar downfalls and seek God's glory amid earthly temptations. These thirteen chapters are pastoral, rich in application, and biblically faithful. This overview of Solomon's life also includes a study guide, making it a great resource for both personal and group use.
Everything we do, say, and think reflects our fundamental worldview. Whether we realize it or not, basic beliefs about God, man, good and evil, history, and the future inevitably shape how we view and interact with the world. In this accessible student's guide, Phil Ryken, author and current president of Wheaton College, explains the distinguishing marks of a distinctly Christian worldview—exploring the existence of God, the nature of creation, the role of grace, and God's plan for the future. Written for both Christians and non-Christians, this handy resource will help believers develop a cohesive worldview while offering unbelievers a succinct introduction to the foundational tenets of the Christian faith.
The prophet Jeremiah is a supreme example of how believers can live well in a society that has turned against God. While the book of Jeremiah chronicles the last, desperate days of Jerusalem before it is conquered by an invading army, Lamentations expresses the cries of Jeremiah’s heart for the fallen city. Together, the two books reflect on the meaning of human suffering and illustrate the eternal principle that a man will reap what he sows. In this commentary, Philip Graham Ryken helps pastors, church leaders, and Bible teachers understand and teach these spiritually relevant books, inspiring readers to respond to God’s personal call to live for him in these troubled times. Part of the Preaching the Word series.
Provides crucial details about the law in Jesus' time and how it compares to our own legal system, two respected pastors give careful attention to each stage of the judicial process Jesus endured. As you hear the evidence and weigh the testimony against him, you will find yourself drawn into the role of a juror. You'll gain a deeper understanding of Jesus and what it meant for him to claim that he was "Christ, the Son of the Blessed One." And as you are riveted by the hows and whys of the jury findings, you will develop a new perspective on how and why Christ died for you.
Philip Graham Ryken draws parallels between the pagan world to which the prophet Jeremiah addressed himself and the neo-pagan tendencies of our own age. He issues a call to Christians to heed Jeremiah's message to stand for truth.t
How are we to relate to a three-personed God? The idea of the Trinity may initially seem too abstract to understand, but the truth is that a deeper knowledge of God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit has daily importance. Convinced that many Christians "have some level of awareness that God is triune...[but] are virtually Unitarian," the authors have written a practical and theologically robust resource to help readers grow closer to the Triune God. Philip Ryken and Michael LeFebvre examine the doctrine of the Trinity in four parts. They explain the roles of the Father, Son, and Spirit in salvation; answer difficult questions about the Trinity; explore the believer's relationship to each person of the Trinity; and provide an exposition of the various Gospel narratives depicting how the three persons of the Trinity work together to accomplish the redemptive purposes of God. Their careful treatment of these central truths captures important implications for the Christian life. Our Triune God is a helpful guide for Christians wanting to deepen their faith and for pastors as they shepherd their congregations toward a richer love of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
In this expository commentary on the book of Exodus, Philip Graham Ryken mines the story of Israel’s escape from Egypt for knowledge of God’s character and instruction for his followers. Theologically instructive and decidedly pastoral, this commentary leads readers to rejoice at God’s work in the life of every person who follows him on the path to spiritual freedom. Ryken skillfully relates how the Israelites’ deliverance from slavery anticipated the salvation accomplished in Jesus Christ, proving that God remembers his covenant and always delivers on his promises. For those who preach, teach, and study God’s Word, this book is more than just a commentary; it is a celebration of God’s faithfulness. The book of Daniel abounds with powerful imagery showcasing God’s unmatched glory and wise plan for the future. In this accessible commentary, pastor Rodney Stortz highlights the coming triumph of God's kingdom, offering pastors and Bible teachers a resource to help them explain and apply Daniel’s message to Christians today. Stortz’s careful exegesis and perceptive applications focus on personal holiness, the wisdom and power of God, and the importance of Daniel’s prophecies concerning the Messiah and the Antichrist. In addition, this commentary looks to the New Testament to shed light on Daniel’s prophecies about the future. Part of the Preaching the Word series.
There is no question that we live in an age of weak theology and casual Christianity. We have substituted intuition for truth, feeling for belief and immediate gratification for enduring hope. Evangelicalism desperately needs to return to the doctrines that once before reformed the world: radical depravity, unconditional election, particular redemption, efficacious grace and persevering grace. James Boice and Philip Ryken not only provide a compelling exposition on these doctrines of grace, but also look briefly at their historical impact. The authors leave no doubt that the church suffers when these foundational truths are neglected and that she must return to a Christianity that is practical-minded, kind-hearted, and most importantly, biblically based.
Can The Lord of the Rings help us understand the Christian faith more deeply? From the inaugural Hansen Lectureship series, Wheaton College president Philip Ryken mines the riches of Tolkien’s theological imagination. In the characters of Gandalf, Frodo, and Aragorn, Ryken hears echoes of the one who is the true prophet, priest, and king, considering what that threefold office means for the calling of all Christians.
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