Archive for the ‘1st Chapters’ Category

1st Chapters Podcast | Ep. 156 “The Genesis Enigma” (Andrew Parker)

Monday, November 16th, 2009

Consider this: Genesis recounts the story of creation, step-by-step: “Let there be light”;”Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear”;”Let the earth bring forth [vegetation]“;”Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life”;”God created the whales”;”And God created … every winged fowl.” For thousands of years, Judeo-Christian belief has accepted this progression as truth. And now, thanks to recent scientific discoveries, the scientific community does too (though without mention of “God”).

In The Genesis Enigma, respected evolutionary biologist Andrew Parker explains each parallel between Genesis and science in detail–and the closer he looks, the more amazing the parallels become. But the Genesis account has no right to be correct. The author or authors could not have known these things happened in this order, and with the highlights science has come to recognize. Ultimately, Parker argues, it must be divine inspiration that guided the writing of the Bible. This startling conclusion will make The Genesis Enigma a must-read for believers and scientists alike.

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1st Chapters Podcast | Ep. 155 “The Official Chuck Norris Fact Book” (Chuck Norris)

Monday, November 9th, 2009

Hundreds of thousands of humorous Chuck Norris facts have been published, traveled around the globe via internet, and gained an international audience of millions. “Chuck Norris facts” is a quirky, but extremely popular internet phenomenon that has entertained fans from all over the globe. In the last several years, he has been asked repeatedly from the heartland of America to the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan, “Which facts are your favorites?” For the first time ever, in The Official Chuck Norris Fact Book, Chuck gives his readers not only his favorite “facts,” roundhouse kicked by the man himself, but also the stories behind those facts and the code by which Chuck lives his life. Fans from every corner of the globe will enjoy both the fanciful and inspirational from one of the world’s greatest action heroes — a hero who doesn’t sleep…only waits.

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1st Chapters Podcast | Ep. 154 “Fear Fighters” (Jentezen Franklin)

Monday, November 2nd, 2009

Will you live in FEAR? Or will you live by FAITH? Fear has the deceptive ability to influence and affect our daily lives and the world we live in. What do you fear most in life? What are the greatest threats facing you? Crime? Violence? The economy? Failure? Death? Eternity? Fear Fighters will help you identify and defeat the very source of fear that threatens you from living in peace and joy. This incredible book will open your eyes, build your faith, and empower you to reach out to those around you with the light of truth and hope.

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1st Chapters Podcast | Ep. 153 “Just Courage” (Gary A. Haugen)

Monday, October 26th, 2009

International Justice Mission president Haugen has found that “the pathway out of a nearly comatose state of boredom, ineffectiveness and triviality lies in the struggle for justice.” This book describes how to break out of a ho-hum Christian life and see God’s powerful and mysterious ways at work.

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1st Chapters Podcast | Ep. 152 “Conquer Your Fear, Share Your Faith” (Kirk Cameron and Ray Comfort)

Monday, October 19th, 2009

The co-hosts of The Way of the Master TV series and radio program, Kirk Cameron and Ray Comfort offer this simple and flexible curriculum for churches and small groups who want to obey the Bible’s command to tell others about Jesus. Kirk and Ray guide participants step-by-step through their straightforward method of evangelism, made popular through their award-winning show. Those who complete the course will have every tool they need to overcome their fear and talk about their faith with friends, neighbors, coworkers and even strangers!

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1st Chapters Podcast | Ep. 151 “My Father, Maker of the Trees” (Eric Irivuzumugabe)

Monday, October 12th, 2009

In 1994, 16-year-old Eric Irivuzumugabe climbed a cypress tree and remained there for 15 days without food or water. He wasn’t trying to win a bet with his friends–he was attempting to save his life. Eric is a survivor of the 1994 Rwandan genocide that claimed the lives of 800,000 people in just 100 days. In the midst of indescribable loss, and without a job, a home, or an education, Eric was determined to start a new life for himself and his two surviving brothers. My Father, Maker of the Trees is the story not only of his physical survival — it is the story of his spiritual rebirth and the role he is playing in the healing and redemption of his land and people. His incredible account will show readers the reality of evil in the world as well as the power of hope. Eric’s message of God’s relentless love through our darkest circumstances will encourage and inspire.

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1st Chapters Podcast | Ep. 150 “Nathan Coulter” (Wendell Berry)

Monday, October 5th, 2009

This, the first title in the Port William series, introduces the rural section of Kentucky with which novelist Wendell Berry has had a lifelong fascination. When young Nathan loses his grandfather, Berry guides readers through the process of Nathan’s grief, endearing the reader to the simple humanity through which Nathan views the world. Echoing Berry’s own strongly held beliefs, Nathan tells us that his grandfather’s life “couldn’t be divided from the days he’d spent at work in his fields.” Berry has long been compared to Faulkner for his ability to erect entire communities in his fiction, and his heart and soul have always lived in Port William, Kentucky. In this eloquent novel about duty, community, and a sweeping love of the land, Berry gives readers a classic book that takes them to that storied place.

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1st Chapters Podcast | Ep. 149 “Lost and Found” (Ed Stetzer, Richie Stanley, and Jason Hayes)

Monday, September 28th, 2009

Lost and Found is written to the church, using often-surprising results from the copious research here to strike another nerve and break some long established assumptions about how to effectively engage the lost. Leading missiologist Ed Stetzer and his associates first offer a detailed investigation of the four younger unchurched types. With a better understanding of their unique experiences, they next clarify the importance each type places on community, depth of content, social responsibility, and making cross-generational connections in relation to spiritual matters. Most valuably, Lost and Found finds the churches that have learned to reach unchurched young adults by paying close attention to those key markers vetted by the research. Their exciting stories will make it clear how your church can bring searching souls from this culture to authentic faith in Christ.

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1st Chapters Podcast | Ep. 148 “Notes from the Underground” (Fyodor Dostoevsky)

Monday, September 21st, 2009

A predecessor to such monumental works such as Crime and Punishment and The Brothers Karamazov, Notes from the Underground represents a turning point in Dostoyevsky’s writing towards the more political side. In this work we follow the unnamed narrator of the story, who disillusioned by the oppression and corruption of the society in which he lives withdraws from that society into the underground. A dark and politically charged novel, Notes from the Underground shows Dostoevsky at his best.

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1st Chapters Podcast | Ep. 147 “Remembering” (Wendell Berry)

Monday, September 14th, 2009

It is 1976 and Andy Catlett, farmer and agricultural journalist, is walking the streets of San Francisco at dawn. In the eight months since losing his right hand to a corn-picking machine, he has also lost himself. Two thousand miles from his home in Kentucky, he begins to remember people, the land, and the comfort of knowing his place intimately. Andy’s reveries evoke a membership governed by the principles of humanity and love. Inspiring and eye-opening, Remembering follows Andy’s journey out of darkness and into the warm light of community.

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