"Empty Spaces, Empty Places" revisits the manger, cross and tomb through interviews with the innkeeper's wife, the Centurion and Mary Magdalene. By remembering the stories of Jesus' birth, death and resurrection, believers see the lives He touched then and continues to touch today.

This study of Jesus' parables cuts through theological code words and shows how we can apply their easy-to-understand lessons to our lives. Each chapter includes points to ponder and stimulating discussion questions. There's also a study guide and tips to assist small group leaders. Stories To Remember is excellent for personal inspiration, use with new member or adult Sunday school classes, small group studies, and sermon preparation.

Ron Lavin says that we desperately need to re-examine and return to the basics of the Christian faith -- and what better source of inspiration is there than the word of God and the sacraments, God's holy pipelines from heaven?
In the latest installment of his popular "Another Look" series, Lavin explores God's Word, baptism, and communion, and demonstrates that far from being meaningless rituals, they are extremely relevant for modern living. Weaving together time-tested biblical truths with a series of vignettes about Grace Livingstone, a fictional character who is a typical church...

In the latest installment of his popular series examining the basics of the Christian faith, Ron Lavin takes another look at the Ten Commandments and suggests they offer a powerful biblical corrective for a society filled with ethical relativism and moral decay. But they are much more than just a list of do's and don?ts ? they are also the foundation for God's invitation to a full and abundant life. The Big Ten is an ideal group study resource ? each chapter includes a ?digging deeper? section plus stimulating discussion questions, and there are tips to assist small group leaders. The Big Ten...

The Old Testament details the epic faith story of ancient people who, just like us today, seek God's answers to complex problems. Yet because pastors sometimes overlook this rich source of preaching texts, many people in the pews are not fully aware of the Hebrew Scriptures and their profound lessons for modern living. In this inspiring collection of spiritually enlightening messages based on the First Readings from Cycle B of the Revised Common Lectionary, four master preachers insightfully demonstrate the continuing relevance of passages from the Old Testament and the book of Acts. Building...

Ron Lavin maintains that today's Christian believers face the same critical challenge as did the first-century apostles -- the call to witness to people in a corrupt culture by declaring and sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. Using the book of Acts as a model, Witness takes readers on an in-depth exploration of exactly what it means to be a missional church. Lavin examines the vital importance of witnessing, and discusses how we can become vessels for God's work through prayer, repentance, hospitality, koinonia, hope, and encouragement. The call to witness can be difficult (and sometimes...

Lying in bed, Andrew felt restless, full of anxiety, self-doubt and anger. He was now president of the architecture company, but he didn't like who he was or where he was going. The pain from Melinda's suicide would not go away. He found himself asking hard questions. "What more could I have done? What should I have done differently? Who am I? Where is God? Where am I?" Life was overwhelming. Empty and alone, he felt like his heart had turned to stone. He could feel the hardness and the heaviness within his chest. Sometimes he could hardly breathe ....
"Today in my prayer of Examen,...