For nearly 2,000 years, the parables of Christ have instructed and inspired. Now, these powerful stories are re-told in a way that will immediately grab viewers' attention. Each DVD in the series contains short films depicting three beloved parables in modern settings and situations. Use them as introductions, illustrations, or discussion starters, and your students will see God's Word in a whole new way.

An eloquent, challenging and inspiring six-week introduction to Christian ethics that avoids pat answers and simplistic lists of dos and don'ts. Dr. Wheeler focuses on the formation of Christian character, citing helpful examples both from Scripture and from Church history. She concludes with a test case: the issue of money and consumption. What would Paul, Augustine, Luther and Wesley say to modern Christians about their use of resources?

The six video lessons (20 minutes each) include:
1. Introduction: A Christian Way of Living?
Four Models for Christian Ethics:
2. Scripture: The Story that Forms Us
3. Augustine: Ordering Our Loves
4. Luther: The Spirit of Christian Life
5. Wesley: Transforming Grace
6. Conclusion: Learning from Our Traditions- A Test Case

"Amber" is part of the 36 Parables series. "Amber" includes:

After Life
•A middle-aged woman tries to explain to her pastor that she traveled to hell in a near-death experience.
•Based on the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31)

Tractor Safety Tips
•A man fails to understand the warning signs before him as he takes his new riding lawn mower out for a test drive.
•Based on the Parable of the Leafing Fig Tree (Matthew 24:30-33)

The Good Shepherd
•A young girl obsessed with animals risks a big secret to help her older sister's neglected hamsters.
•Based on the Parable of the Wheat and the Weeds (John 10:11-18)

Beginnings: Longing to Belong is a ten-week study that explores the importance of community in the Christian faith, using fire as its central metaphor. Each session includes a meal, a video presentation, and a small-group discussion.

Sessions include:
1. Longing to Belong?- Introduction
2. How Do We Find Our Place?- Baptism
3. What Are We Hungry For?- Holy Communion
4. What Happens When We Pray Together?- Prayer
5. What's The Deal With Miracles?- Signs and Wonders
6. What Do We Have in Common?- Stewardship
7. How Can we Remember Who We Are?- Worship
8. How Can We Open Our lives to Each Other?- Hospitality
9. How Can We Get Along When We Are So Different?- Conflict Resolution
10. How Do We Share What We Have Discovered?- Witness

This series contains a DVD, a director's manual, a small-group leader's manual, a sample participant's guide, and a copy of the book Longing to Belong.

Beginnings: The Spiritual Life, is a ten week study of Christian spirituality that introduces and explores spiritual "habits of the heart", including centering, loving, serving, questioning, and engaging.
Each session includes a meal, a video presentation, and a small-group discussion.

Sessions include:
1. Where is the Spirit in Spirituality?
2. How Much Am I Willing to Risk?
3. What Is Most Important To Me?
4. Can I Find Balance In A Whirlwind World?
5. What Do I Want To Be When I Grow Up?
6. How Do I Keep My Possessions From Possessing Me?
7. How Do I Get Ahead?
8. Can I Go Deeper Without Going Under?
9. What Can I Do With My Doubts?
10. Can A Change in Me Change The World?

This series contains a DVD, a director's manual, a small-group leader's manual, a sample participant's guide, and a copy of the book Habits of The Heart.

"Blue" is part of the 36 Parables series. "Blue" includes:

The Music Box
•A man stumbles upon a box of superior value that played a crucial role in his childhood and will pay whatever it takes to get that box.
•Based on the Parable of the Hidden Treasure (Matthew 13:44)

Gnobody's Gnome
•A middle-aged yuppie is in deep water and hopes the judge will see his situation in a merciful light, but he can't see his neighbor's need in the same light of mercy.
•Based on the Parable of the Unmerciful Servant (Matthew 18:15-35)

Like Father Like Son
•A father blind to his own condition cannot see the similarities between his issues and his son's issues.
•Based on the Parable of the Two Debtors (Luke 7:36-48)

Tape 14.
Throughout our everyday lives we don't pay much attention to the way we breathe, do we? But for thousands of years, people have understood that our physical breath is actually a picture of a deeper spiritual reality. In the Bible, the word for "breath" is the same as the word for "spirit." There's an inherent dilemma at the core of what makes us human. Includes subtitles in English, French, German, Korean, Mandarin, Portuguese and Spanish.

Young Jimmy is puzzled as to what the Beatitudes mean to someone his age. When he dozes off, he receives a visit from an angel who shows him how some of his school mates are already helping to build God's Kingdom. By the time Jimmy's journey with the angel is finished, he comes to understanding and makes a commitment to live the Beatitudes in his own life.

Young Anthony tries to complete his homework on the Ten Commandments - but he just can't see how that "old list of rules" makes any sense to today's modern kids. In this episode, young people will see that the commandments aren't really a "book of rules" at all. Rather, they present us with opportunities to give witness to God's love, share with others, and care for our friends and families as we help build God's kingdom everyday.

This is tape 1 of 5 in "Ten Commandment" series.
Program 1: "Have No Other Gods but Me"- Where did the commandments come from? What is their special link to the desert and mountain? What does it mean to have our bodies free but our hearts enslaved? Why was it more difficult to get the slavey out of Israel than to get Israel out of slavery? Discover how the first commandment is really more a joy than a duty. Meet the man who thought he didn't need anyone or anything.
Program 2: "Do Not Bow Down to Anything"- How does religion get in God's way? What are the techniques we use to make God more manageable and safe? See how we inevitably will worship someone or something. Consider how our choices have consequences not only for us but for future generations. Meet the lady who had to decide about God at David Koresh's Waco compound.