Author
Bio:
Author, speaker, and sidewalk theologian, Cheri Cowell is
passionate about discipleship and challenging the body of Christ to
holiness of heart and life. As the author of Direction: Discernment for
the Decisions of Your Life (Beacon Hill, 2007) and over 300 articles,
Cheri’s love of story and the Holy Word shines through in her
writing and teaching. In 2009 she was one of six journalists chosen for a
tour of the Holy Land by the Israeli Ministry of Tourism, a blessing that only
deepened the love of the parables Jesus told. Cheri is a graduate of Asbury
Theological Seminary where she learned the Inductive Bible study method used in
this study to encourage, challenge, and equip the body of Christ to
live story-shaped lives.
Book Description:
Parables and Word Pictures from the New
Testament is a 13-week workbook-style study of 118
parables from Jesus, Paul, and the apostles. This comprehensive look at the New
Testament parables will help readers develop an ear for the message they
convey—that the Kingdom of God is both here and near. Through the study readers
will be challenged to live faithful and holy “Kingdom lives” in a broken and
unholy world.
Of the
thirteen weeks, the first nine explore the parables of Jesus in the four
gospels; the next three look at the parables in Acts and those from Paul and
the apostles. The study culminates in a look at what the author calls living
parables, with Jesus
as the Parable of all parables. Through Him we come to know God the Father, and
through Jesus we come to live as living parables in a world begging to “see
God.” Living story-shaped lives allows others to see God in us—this is
Kingdom living.
The workbook includes a chart of
parables in chronological order, a chart of parables alphabetically
arranged in the four gospels, a chart showing the locations in Israel
where the parables were taught, and an index of scriptures to make
finding parables quick and easy. A Leader’s Guide is available.
Author Interview
What was the first
book you wrote?
Direction: Discernment
for the Decisions of Your Life (Beacon Hill Press, 2007) about spiritual
discernment and knowing and following God's will in tough times.
What was the most
difficult aspect of writing your book and how did you overcome it?
What to include and what not to include in a study of the
parables. My study covers 118 New Testament parables, parables word pictures
such as when Jesus refers to himself as the Good Shepherd, and what I call
'parable sequels' or extensions offered by Paul and the apostles.
What passion drove
you as you wrote your new book?
I LOVE the Word and I love storytelling and I want others to
fall in love not only with the Word but also with the concept that they can
become a living parable, a living story pointing others toward the Ultimate
Living Parable––Jesus Christ.
What surprised or
otherwise impacted you as you wrote your book?
There's not a consensus on how many parables are in the
Bible or even what defines a parable.
What do you hope
readers will gain from your book(s)?
That the parables are not isolated stories only used for
sermon illustrations, but when read together they give us a picture of how we
are to live as kingdom people. Through the parables we learn how to become
living parables in a world desperate to "see" God.
What book(s) do you
have on your nightstand right now?
I'm reading two books, Cynthia Ruschti's They Almost Always Come Home and Calvin
Miller's Preaching: The Art of Narrative
Exposition.
What life experience,
education, or training helped you become an author?
I am a writers' conference fan, having attended and taught
at more than 40 over the last ten years. I wouldn't be where I am today as a
writer without them. I also received a Masters in Theological Studies from
Asbury Seminary, where I learned the Inductive Bible study method I used in
writing the parables Bible study.
What do you do when
you’re not writing?
My husband and I love to travel, to see nature and all the
beautiful places God's created for us to enjoy. National Parks are our favorite
destinations. In June we will travel to Yellowstone.
What is God teaching
you right now?
That we all have a story to share and in sharing our stories
we hear how God is moving, in listening to other's stories we begin to see how
our own story is shaped by the interweavings of so many stories to form a God-story.
The title of your
study is Parables & Word Pictures; just what is a “word picture?”
There are some teachings of Jesus, such as when He says,
"I am the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for His sheep" that
aren't technically parables but are what I call parable word pictures because
the image tells the whole story.
It has been said that
Jesus spoke in parables to “confuse and confound” and you say you have a “key”
to making these less confusing and confounding to modern-day readers. What is
this key?
It wasn't until I studied the parables as a whole that the
whole message they convey became clear, so the key is a comprehensive look at
the New Testament parables. This is what the study brings to the reader.
To schedule an interview with Cheri
Cowell, call (407) 712-3431
Parables
and Word Pictures from the New Testament in the Following God Bible study
series
ISBN:
978-0-89957-349-6 0-89957-349-5 $14.99, Trade Paper, 224 pages, 8.5” x 11” AMG International. Book is available at your local
Christian bookstores, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and from the author at www.CheriCowell.com
Preferred
Ordering Link:
http://www.amazon.com/Principles-Testament-Parables-Pictures-Following/dp/0899573495/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1335897377&sr=8-1
Trailer Link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffcY35Vw2gE
1 comment:
I'd love to hear what your favorite parable is and why?
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