In a recent interview, former church leader Rob Bell sought to clarify the reason why, in late 2011, he left Mars Hill Bible Church in Grandville, Mich., arguing that he was not driven out by his congregation over his controversial book Love Wins. Rather, he and his wife felt they had a new spiritual calling awaiting them in California.

A November 2012 piece in The New Yorker implied that Bell and his wife, Kristen, had an immense fallout with the Mars Hill Bible congregation after the release of his book, Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived, which questioned the existence of a literal and eternal hell and the evangelical teaching that only those who believe in Jesus Christ go to heaven.

The New Yorker article claims that Bell lost members of his congregation numbering in the thousands as a result of his controversial book. more >>

James (Jim) Garlow and writing partner Keith Wall have written the latest in a series of books about heaven, hell, angels and miracles entitled "Real Life, Real Miracles." The book focuses on the stories of everyday people experiencing the miraculous in their lives. Garlow spoke with The Christian Post about his own belief in the miraculous and the process used to develop the book.

The Christian Post: What led to your belief in angels/miracles?

Garlow: I'm an unlikely candidate to write a book about such things; I personally have never witnessed an angel or had an angelic or supernatural experience. I believe everyone else's account. As for miracles, I read the Old and New Testaments and see God's power demonstrated. Some say that miracles stopped with Jesus, but I see no evidence. more >>

Rob Bell, who recently left the Mars Hill Bible Church congregation he founded over a decade ago due to his controversial Love Wins book, is returning to its pulpit this weekend in place of Teaching Pastor Kent Dobson to preach on the Lenten theme of sloth.

Bell's name is listed as the "teacher" for the March 10 service on Mars Hill Bible Church's Sunday schedule, with Troy Hatfield listed as the worship leader. Bell, who will be visiting Michigan as part of a book tour for his new title, What We Talk About When We Talk About God, is expected to preach at the 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. services. The subject of his sermon, sloth, is number four in a seven-part Lenten series titled "The Seven Deadly Sins."

Someone working the front desk at the Grandville church confirmed in a phone call with The Christian Post Thursday that Bell would indeed be a guest speaker this coming Sunday. The person was unable to say what kind of turnout is expected for the services and whether Bell would discuss his new book. more >>

In a recent YouTube video promoting his new book What We Talk About When We Talk About God, former Mars Hill Bible Church Pastor Rob Bell compares God to an Oldsmobile, saying that traditional Christian teachings in a modern world are losing relevance.

Bell begins the three-minute video by describing the Oldsmobile he drove when he was 20 years old, which he and his friends nicknamed "the sled." Bell goes on to lament that Oldsmobile factories shut down because the automotive company "couldn't keep up with the times."

"[Oldsmobile] has become more and more something of the past, not the future," Bell says. "For a growing number of people in our modern world, God is a bit like Oldsmobiles." more >>

NEW YORK — Pastor Judah Smith of The City Church in Seattle recently celebrated the release of his new book, Jesus Is: Find a New Way to Be Human, and spoke with The Christian Post about his excitement for the book, how things have changed since he took over leadership of the megachurch previously led by his parents, and what he believes is the biggest challenge facing believers today.

Jesus Is: Find a New Way to Be Human was officially released Tuesday, Feb. 26, but made a splash days before in pre-sales due to a special nod from Justin Bieber, who endorsed the book via his social media accounts to millions of followers. Pastor Smith, who shared that he's known the 19-year-old singer for about three years, has explained that he hopes more than anything that Jesus Is: Find a New Way to Be Human sparks dialogue and gets people thinking about "the most formidable figure in human history."

Below is an edited transcript of Smith's interview with The Christian Post, in which the Seattle megachurch pastor tells why he believes Jesus is the answer to everything and why the Christian Church needs to be honest with itself in order to survive. more >>

The Resurgence, a ministry that provides training resources for Christians, is expanding its reach by teaming up with Tyndale House Publishers to form a new publishing imprint, Resurgence Publishing.

As a part of the new agreement, Tyndale will publish all future books written by Mark Driscoll, preaching and vision pastor of Mars Hill Church in Seattle, who has penned works that include the bestselling Real Marriage: The Truth About Sex, Friendship, and Life Together and the more recently released Who Do You Think You Are?: Finding Your True Identity in Christ.

"Tyndale and Resurgence are about as close as you can get to a perfect match," Driscoll wrote in a recent blog post. "For our part, we produce a ton of content – books, study guides, curriculums – and Tyndale offers a unique combination of theological integrity, practical knowledge, and industry experience that is rare in the world of Christian publishing." more >>