Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross: Experiencing the Passion and Power of Easter
Nancy Guthrie teaches the Bible at conferences around the country and is currently pursuing graduate studies at Covenant Theological Seminary. She and her husband, David, are the co-hosts of the GriefShare video series used in more than 8,500 churches nationwide and they also host Respite Retreats for couples who have experienced the death of a child. Guthrie is the author of numerous books includingHolding on to Hope, Hearing Jesus Speak into Your Sorrow, and the five-book Seeing Jesus in the Old Testament Bible study series.John Piper(DTheol, University of Munich) is teacher and founder of desiringGod.org and chancellor of Bethlehem College and Seminary. He served for 33 years as pastor at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis and is author of more than 50 books, includingDesiring God,Don’t Waste Your Life,This Momentary Marriage,Bloodlines, andDoes God Desire All to Be Saved?TIMOTHY KELLERis founder and pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York. He is the best-selling author ofThe Prodigal GodandThe Reason for God. JONATHAN EDWARDS(1703–1758) was a pastor, theologian, and missionary. He is generally considered the greatest American theologian. A prolific writer, Edwards is known for his many sermons, including "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God", and his classic Treatise Concerning Religious Affections. Edwards was appointed president of the College of New Jersey (later renamed Princeton University) shortly before his death. Known as the "theologian's theologian,"JOHN OWEN (1616–1683) was vice chancellor of Oxford University and served as advisor and chaplain to Oliver Cromwell. Among the most learned and active of the Puritans in seventeenth-century Europe, he was an erudite and accomplished theologian both in doctrine and practical theology.STEPHEN F. OLFORDis both founder of and senior lecturer at the Stephen Olford Center for Biblical Preaching in Memphis, Tennessee. Formerly the minister of New York City's famed Calvary Baptist Church, he has authored numerous books and is a regular contributor to leading Christian periodicals on both sides of the Atlantic.Skip Ryanis Senior Minister of Park Cities Presbyterian Church in Dallas and has served as Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in America. Skip is also an instructor for the Japanese Institute for Church Growth in Tokyo. He is a graduate of Harvard University and Westminster Theological Seminary.MARTIN LUTHER (1483–1546) was professor of Bible at Wittenberg University, and this exposition of Galatians came out of his classroom. Undoubtedly the most powerful discussion of justification by faith prepared by any of the Reformers, this commentary on Galatians has had a profound impact on many through the centuries, includingboth John and Charles Wesley. The lateAdrian Rogerswas the pastor of the 27,000-member Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis. He served three times as President of the Southern Baptist Convention and wrote many books. He also reached many people through his television and radio ministry, “Love Worth Finding.”Philip Graham Ryken(PhD, University of Oxford) is the 8th president of Wheaton College and, prior to that, served as senior minister at Philadelphia’s historic Tenth Presbyterian Church. He has written or edited over 30 books, including the popular title Loving the Way Jesus Loves, and has lectured and taught at universities and seminaries worldwide. Dr. Ryken and his wife, Lisa, live in Wheaton and have five children.Martyn Lloyd-Jones(1899-1981), minister of Westminster Chapel in London for 30 years, was one of the foremost preachers of his day. His many books have brought profound spiritual encouragement to millions around the world.J. Ligon Duncanis Chancellor and John E. Richards professor of Systematic and Historical Theology at Reformed Theological Seminary. He is also Senior Minister of the historic First Presbyterian Church of Jackson, Mississippi, Chairman of the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, and the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of America.C. J. Mahaneyis the senior pastor of Sovereign Grace Church of Louisville. He has written, edited and contributed to numerous books, includingProclaiming a Cross-Centered Theology;Don't Waste Your Sports; andSex, Romance and the Glory of God.C. J. and his wife, Carolyn, are the parents of three married daughters and one son, and the happy grandparents to twelve grandchildren.CHARLES H. SPURGEON (1834–1892) was an English Baptist pastor at New Park Street Chapel, London (which later became the Metropolitan Tabernacle), for thirty-eight years. As the nineteenth century's most prolific preacher and writer, his ministry legacy continues today. J. I. Packer(DPhil, Oxford University) serves as the Board of Governors’ Professor of Theology at Regent College. He is the author of numerous books, including the classic best-sellerKnowing God. Packer served as general editor for the English Standard Version Bible and as theological editor for theESV Study Bible. JOHN CALVIN(1509–1564) was perhaps the preeminent theologian of the Reformation. Known best for hisInstitutes of the Christian Religion, he also wrote landmark expositions on most of the books in the Bible.  Alistair Beggserved two churches in his native Scotland before answering the call in 1983 to become senior pastor at Parkside Church in suburban Cleveland, OH. A graduate of the London School of Theology, he has written several books and is heard daily on the national radio programTruth For Life.John MacArthuris the pastor of Grace Community Church in California and president of The Master’s College and Seminary, as well as a best-selling author. He can be heard on the “Grace to You” radio program, which broadcasts daily around the world on nearly 2,000 stations in English and Spanish.Raymond C. Ortlund Jr.is the pastor of Immanuel Church in Nashville, Tennessee. He is the author of several books, including the Preaching the Word commentary on Isaiah, as well as a contributor to theESV Study Bible. He and his wife Jan have four children.Recognized internationally for his work in Christianity and culture,Francis A. Schaefferauthored more than twenty books, which have been translated into a score of languages and sold millions worldwide. He and his wife, Edith, founded L'Abri Fellowship international study and discipleship centers. Schaeffer passed away in 1984, but his influence and legacy continue worldwide.J. C. RYLE (1816–1900) was a prominent writer, preacher, and Anglican clergyman in nineteenth-century Britain. He is the author of the classic Expository Thoughts on the Gospels and retired as the bishop of Liverpool.JAMES MONTGOMERY BOICEwas senior minister of the historic Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia for thirty years and a leading spokesman for the Reformed faith until his death in June 2000.R. C. Sproul(Drs, Free University of Amsterdam) serves as senior minister of preaching and teaching at Saint Andrew’s Chapel in Sanford, Florida, and is the founder and president of Ligonier Ministries. He has taught at numerous colleges and seminaries, has written over seventy books, and is featured daily onRenewing Your Mind, an international radio broadcast.R. Kent Hughes(DMin, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) is senior pastor emeritus of College Church in Wheaton, Illinois. He has authored numerous books for Crossway, includingDisciplines of a Godly Man, and is the series editor and a contributor to the popular Preaching the Word series. Hughes is also a founder of the Charles Simeon Trust, which conducts expository preaching conferences throughout North America and worldwide. He now lives on the West Coast with his wife, Barbara, and is the father of four and grandfather of an ever-increasing number of grandchildren.Joni Eareckson Tadais founder and CEO of the Joni and Friends International Disability Center, which ministers to thousands of disabled people and their families through programs of practical encouragement and spiritual help. She is also an artist and the author of numerous best-selling books such asJoni;Heaven: Your Real Home; andWhen God Weeps.