Brian C Stiller

The teaching of Jesus of Nazareth is unparalleled and universally acclaimed in the history of our world. Born into relative obscurity and poverty, no one has impacted the world to the same extent as Jesus. Amidst all he said and did, his close friend Matthew (a former social outcast) captured his teaching--delivered on a hillside just above the town where he lived, overlooking the Sea of Galilee. The fifth, sixth, and seventh chapters of Matthew's Gospel, commonly referred to as the Sermon on the Mount, have been described as the essence of all that Jesus taught about God and how we relate with him. Every Christian (and every preacher ) must wrestle with the words of Jesus given on a Galilean hillside. If a person grasped nothing else of the words Jesus spoke, apart from that contained in the Sermon on the Mount, he or she catches the essence of his timeless message. This book unpacks the essence of Jesus' teaching and its remarkable application in our current age--a resource for individual Christ-followers, preachers, and a discussion-starter for small groups.

Christianity started in Jerusalem. For many centuries it was concentrated in the West, in Europe and North America. But in the past century the church expanded rapidly across Africa, Latin America, and Asia. Thus Christianity's geographic center of density is now in the West African country of Mali—in Timbuktu. What led to the church's vibrant growth throughout the Global South? Brian Stiller identifies five key factors that have shaped the church, from a renewed openness to the move of the Holy Spirit to the empowerment of indigenous leadership. While in some areas Christianity is embattled and threatened, in many places it is flourishing as never before. Discover the surprising story of the global advance of the gospel. And be encouraged that Jesus' witness continues to the ends of the earth.

This book by Brian C. Stiller thoughtfully captures 20 years of insights and reflections from his work in the public square, providing an analysis for the biblical call to "occupy until I come" and a practical guide for serving God through serving our world. As president of the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, Stiller bacame a key public voice for people of biblical faith. As founder and editor-in-chief of Canada's national Christian magazine, "Faith Today," he spoke out on these issues. He also hosted the national television program, Cross Currents, and is author of eight books. Today he serves as president of Tyndale College &Seminary. He and his wife Lily live in Newmarket, Ontario.