The Apostle Paul’s letter to the Philippians is one of love and friendship. It resonates with joy and gratitude, as Paul thanks this beloved church for their generous support of his ministry during his season of suffering in a Roman prison. This letter also resonates with deep theological truth. Its pages contain God’s promise of sustaining sanctification, during times of either favor or suffering, which is made possible through the death and exaltation of his Son, the Lord Jesus. God’s sanctifying work produces both the power to follow Christ, by forgetting one’s sinful past, and the purpose of following Christ, which is running into the glorious future that God has for every believer. This journey, informed by prayer and the blessings of one’s Christian community, produces a lifestyle of contentment and peace that guards the heart until the day God calls his children home. This devotional commentary, featuring the exposition of noted teacher and award-winning author Dr. Bill Curtis, will challenge and inspire you to “press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus!”

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Most scholars agree that Genesis is organized around the phrase “these are the generations of.” The Hebrew word for generations is “toledoth.” As a result, this phrase has become known as a “toledoth formula.” There are ten of these statements throughout Genesis, which form eleven main sections of the book. These phrases represent transitions in Genesis which the author Moses used to organize his content. Below are the toledoth formulas in Genesis. The Toledoth Formulas of Genesis • Introduction and Creation 1:1-2:3 • Toledoth of the heavens and the earth 2:4-4:26 • Toledoth of Adam 5:1-6:8 • Toledoth of Noah 6:9-9:29 • Toledoth of the Sons of Noah 10:1-11:9 • Toledoth of Shem 11:10-26 • Toledoth of Terah 11:27-25:11 • Toledoth of Ishmael 25:12-18 • Toledoth of Isaac 25:19-35:29 • Toledoth of Esau 36:1-37:1 • Toledoth of Jacob 37:2-50:26 When we look at this list, we can see that the book of Genesis is a collection of family stories. As you proceed through the book, however, look for the way that God works through the lives of these families. God is the beginning and the end of this book. He is the main character; the one constant throughout the book. He creates, judges, promises, protects, calls, and guides the narrative of Genesis. As the families of the earth expand, God directs his focus toward one family—the family of Jacob. As a result, the toledoth of Jacob occupies more space than any other family story in Genesis except for Terah’s (Abraham’s father). Genesis is divided into two main sections. Scholars have long noted that the first eleven chapters deal with man’s primeval history, while chapters 12-50 recount the stories of the biblical patriarchs. The devotions of this book will be loosely based upon the toledoths and this two-part structure of Genesis. While the daily readings will not openly stress them, those organizational structures will be the skeletal structure around which the devotions are formed. My prayer is that you will have a great thirty-day journey through Genesis.

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As a teenager, I was familiar with the stories of the Bible, or so I thought. I heard the Bible read and preached many times, though I’d not spent any time reading it myself. Following my conversion, though, I had a seemingly insatiable hunger to understand God’s word. I picked up the Bible and did what you do with all books—I started at the beginning and tried to read straight through. I was driven, but even then I didn’t make it out of the book of Numbers. The Bible was overwhelming, intimidating, and confusing.

But, I did not stop. I skipped forward to the New Testament and began reading Matthew’s Gospel. As I read, I noticed all these little notes throughout my Bible. Before each sentence, and sometimes in the middle of sentences, there were little letters and numbers that pointed me down to the bottom of the page. There, I found all kinds of references to other passages of Scripture. In Matthew 4 I read about Jesus’ temptation by the devil in the wilderness. In this passage, Matthew placed several of Jesus’ statements in quotations marks, and, upon further reading I observed that Jesus was quoting the book of Deuteronomy. For the first time I remember thinking, “This whole book is connected.”

And I was right. As I continued to read, I learned that the Bible was one big, united story. The different authors, writing to unique audiences at specific times in history, were telling the unified story of God’s work to save fallen humanity. Even more than that—the Scriptures found in the Old Testament actually helped to understand God’s character, man’s sin, and the salvation made possible by Jesus Christ.

I was hooked. Since that time, the Bible has been an ever-increasing treasure for me. Every time I read God’s word I see his brilliance on display. Therefore, I’m grieved when people assume that the Bible is too difficult for them to understand or when they neglect God’s word and leave it to collect dust on the coffee table. I’m committed to work to help people read and understand God’s word for themselves and, for that reason, I decided to write 30 Days to Deuteronomy.

I love the book of Deuteronomy because it provides one the most vivid pictures of the grace of God found in the Bible. The themes of the book illuminate the work of Jesus like none other. In it, you will see your sin and God’s love in fresh and new ways.

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When I was in high school, my best friend and I played basketball all the time. We would shoot hoops in his driveway for hours, we played on the same team at school, and we watched games on television. Almost every day we played basketball. One night we went to the video store looking for a movie to watch and were thrilled when we found one with the word basketball in the title. We watched the entire plotless, pointless movie, and there was only one basketball scene. I do not know if you have ever had an experience where you picked something because of the title and realized the title really did not capture the content. If you are unfamiliar with 1 and 2 Samuel, you may be surprised by the content. The previous three books of the Bible are Joshua, Judges, and Ruth. The main character in the book of Joshua is Joshua, the main characters in the book of Judges are the Judges, and the main character in the book of Ruth is Ruth. When you finish Ruth and turn to 1 Samuel, you are prepared for a book primarily about Samuel, and when the book begins, Samuel is the main character. But after the first quarter of the book, the focus changes. The main character in 1 and 2 Samuel is not Samuel, the main character is David. And we discover as the Bible continues that the ultimate focus of the book is not David, but a coming king from the line of David. This book, which begins with Samuel and chronicles the rise and reign of King David is part of a much larger story; a story which began in the Garden of Eden with the promise of a conquering king and ends with an eternal kingdom governed by King Jesus. Over the next thirty days, we will study stories about a king and his kingdom. These stories show us how God’s plan to raise up a king to build a kingdom is pictured in David and fulfilled in Jesus. My hope and prayer is that this study in Samuel will provide a clearer picture of Jesus Christ, and that seeing Jesus more clearly will deepen your love for him. And when your love for Jesus grows, you will find listening to him, doing his will, and keeping his commands easier and sweeter.

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As one of the top Jeremiah scholars in the world, Dr. Gary Yates brings to this devotional an abundance of intelligence and wisdom. But equally, Yates offers a sincere commitment to the everyday practicality of these prophetic texts. Dr. Yates not only has spent his career learning and teaching in academics, he has at the same time taught and worked in the church promoting the cause of Christ. His dual zeal for the Bible and the church will become evident as you work through this fascinating study of Jeremiah/Lamentations. Because the times of Jeremiah were so turbulent, the lessons from 30 Days to Jeremiah/Lamentations will prove to be helpful and relevant as you walk for the Lord in this turbulent world.

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The parables of Jesus are some of the most memorable stories in the Bible. Jesus used these spiritual object lessons to provide concrete examples of what it means to be a resident in his Kingdom. From the beloved parables of The Prodigal Son and The Good Samaritan, to obscure parables about The Kind Money Lender and The Persistent Widow, this devotional commentary, featuring the exposition of noted teacher and award-winning author Dr. Bill Curtis, will challenge and inspire you to fulfill your purpose as a resident of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ.

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The Gospel of John is a deep look into the nature and calling of Christ. It can be a challenging book to understand. But a rich study like this will help unlock the beauty of the gospel, the good news of salvation. You will come to better comprehend what it means to be born again and for grace to change your life. You will learn the ways of Jesus we are to imitate, and you will gain a deeper understanding of the meaning of the crucifixion, burial, and resurrection of our Lord. Expect these insights into Christ to shape your understanding of him and your walk with him.

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The book of Acts is exciting and a bit intimidating. One cannot help but be thrilled at the miraculous events, the bold witness and the explosive growth that is written about in Acts. But it can be intimidating to read of faith that seems so much deeper and witness that seems so much bolder than what one sees in the life of the average church and Christian today. Rather than intimidation from the book, I want to suggest that we desire imitation of the book. Let’s ask the Lord to help us to learn all we can from this great book of the Bible so that we can discover the same passion and power that we see in the early church. Let’s ask the Lord to make us bold and to fill us with faith and to use us in powerful ways. Let’s follow the example of Spirit-filled men like Peter, Paul and Barnabas. Let’s ask the Lord to give our churches life like the church at Antioch or discernment like the church at Berea. The Lord gives us the book of Acts as an example of what our lives and churches can be like when we are filled with the Holy Spirit and walking by faith. Let me suggest some things in connection with reading 30 Days to Acts. First, read it with someone else, or better yet, with a group of people. Reading it with a Bible study group or a Sunday School class or others will help you get the most out of it. As you discuss together what God is teaching you, there will be mutual benefit and encouragement. Perhaps your entire church could go through these 30 days together. Second, read the verses for the day before reading the devotional words that follow. Read the verses carefully and prayerfully and allow those words to sink into your soul. Then read the focal verse and the devotional words that follow. Also, read one chapter per day. Perhaps the “30 Days” part of the title already clued you into that idea. Instead of reading through the entire book, read a chapter each day. This will help you to develop the healthy pattern of a daily devotional time and it will allow the words of each day to sink in a bit. I am praying for you. I am praying that every person who reads 30 Days to Acts will experience the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit in his or her own life. As you read this book, I am praying God will open your heart to what he wants to do in your life and through your life. I’m praying that reading this book will awaken a hunger in your heart for God to work in your life as he did in the lives of the men and women of the early church. Ask him to guide you on this journey and to do something so great in your heart that you know it is from him. I pray God blesses the next 30 days of your life in a special way!

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I wrote this book for me—and people like me. Now, let me explain. I love God, and I love to read and study his book, the Bible. In fact, that’s what I do for a living. I’m blessed to lead a wonderful church, and I’m also an adjunctive professor for two large, evangelical seminaries. What this means is that I’m constantly studying and teaching God’s word. And that’s just it—studying for my mind is one thing; meditating with my heart is another. That is why I love devotional studies. They help remind me that I must be a faithful worshiper before I can be a faithful teacher. That’s why I’ve written this book. 30 Days to James is the kind of devotional that I love to read—a devotional that unites solid teaching with practical application. It’s designed to give you a devotion to read every day for a month, along with some valuable resources for meditation, application, and prayer. Honestly, my days are as crazy as yours, so you can read each day’s devotion in 15-20 minutes. The study, however, will stay with you all day long!

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This catechism is for children and new believers to memorize basic, Baptistic Christian doctrine. Much has been gleaned from older catechisms and revised for the contemporary learner. The question and answer format allow a parent or teacher to work systematically through the major areas of theology. This catechism has been written and illustrated for three types of children: the very young who cannot read; young children who are learning to read; and older children who are reading and have a greater capacity to memorize.

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It’s 2016, and this year my Grandmother will turn 100. She moved to the homestead when she was two, and spent the better part of her childhood there. In fact, the picture on the cover of this book shows the Hurst Homestead during those years. Later, she and her family moved into tiny Rexford (an old, mountain town now submerged in the depths of Lake Koocanusa), and from there Cyrilla Hurst Curtis began the adventure called life.  She married, had a son, experienced the heartache of divorce, and built careers with the US Army and as the secretary to the pastor of a large church in California. She survived a depression, two world wars, life as a single mother, and the death of her only son. She lived through an onslaught of technology that took her from the horse and buggy to the automobile; from outhouses to indoor plumbing; from party lines to the cell phone. Her story is fascinating.

Through the tapestry of her life, however, runs a scarlet thread of faith. Cyrilla committed her life to Jesus Christ as a young woman, and it changed everything. In both the happiness and the heartaches, she learned to trust a God whose plans are always perfect, even when they’re hard to trace. As a result, her life was a testimony to the goodness and greatness of God. Whether she was planning a Sunday School class event at her church or knitting afghans for hospice patients, Cyrilla didn’t just talk about her faith—she lived it. Her faith remains strong to this day—in spite of the physical travails that result from a century of life—and she awaits with anticipation her journey “home.” Grandma Cy is a source of hope and inspiration for me and for others like me who long to finish their spiritual journeys well.

The poems in this book are the story of her journey. They are poems of hope and joy, hardship and sadness. They explore the entire range of human experience: births, deaths, loves, losses, promise, and fear. Yet, each poem is infused with her unwavering confidence in God and his promises. So sit back, relax, and enjoy this wonderful collection of poems—from her heart to yours!

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In this 25-day devotional, Dr. Tim Dowdy provides an enjoyable journey through the mysteries and miracles of the Christmas story. He writes, “God’s love is more amazing and more valuable than anything else we treasure in this life. I want us to take each day in December to direct our hearts back to the ‘reason for the season.’ I hope to awaken our hearts to the most powerful way God’s love has been displayed through Jesus. The Apostle John put it this way: ‘In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him (1 Jn 4:9).'” This book has been beautifully illustrated by a group of young, Christian artists. You will want to revisit it every year during the Christmas season!

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A discounted pricing of $15 per book is available for orders of 10 copies or more!  For discounted orders, please call 843-601-6375 or email orders@seed-publishing-group.com.

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Order your copy of Aspire today by clicking our Seed Publishing Store menu button.

A discounted pricing of $15 per book is available for orders of 10 copies or more!  For discounted orders, please call 843-601-6375 or email orders@seed-publishing-group.com.

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Discipleship is for everyone. The Aspire Student Edition invites students to build a life of active, Christ-exalting discipleship by diving deeper into the Gospel to become more like Jesus. Aspire’s model equips and pairs a mature follower of Jesus with a student. In Aspire, you will study the relationship between the Gospel and Theology:• Creation and Life• Sin and Judgment• Covenant and Incarnation• Cross and Resurrection • Obedience and Worship• Church and Mission Understanding God’s redemptive work in the world transforms our hearts and lives for God’s glory. The time you invest in making disciples or being discipled will deepen your knowledge and love of the Gospel and will multiply your love and worship of God.

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