Best-selling author David Jeremiah is grateful for retailers as ‘God’s frontline ambassadors to a hostile world’

Dr. David Jeremiah is no stranger to big releases. The New York Times best-selling author of more than 40 books and founder of Turning Point Ministries reaches tens of millions across the world through his radio and television broadcasts and through the written word. But a pair of key releases this fall sets the bar even higher for him.

The Jeremiah Study Bible, the first Bible to incorporate Jeremiah’s widely-respected commentary and insight, will be released Nov. 26 by Worthy Publishing. The leatherbound or jacketed hardcover edition of the New King James Version Bible features 8,000 individual study notes, hundreds of sidebars with word studies and historical information, and more than 60 full-page articles exploring key themes of the Christian walk, as well as an array of maps, charts, tables and a topical index and general concordance. In keeping with his commitment to making his teachings as comprehensive and accessible as possible, the volume will also include digital and multimedia resources, accessible through QR codes in the text.

“The Jeremiah Study Bible is the most important project I’ve ever worked on in my entire life because it brings everything I’ve done back to what matters most in my life and ministry: the Word of God,” Jeremiah said. “Pulling together and classifying and condensing nearly 50 years’ worth of notes and insights has been daunting at times, but I have strongly felt the Holy Spirit’s lead and encouragement along the way, and that helped a great deal as I worked through the process.”

As befitting a Bible bearing Jeremiah’s name, the commentary and supplementary tools in The Jeremiah Study Bible focus on three key questions: What does the Bible say? What does it mean? and What does it mean for you?

“My prayer is that The Jeremiah Study Bible will accomplish three things for those who want to delve more deeply into God’s Word: that it will reveal what the Bible says, illustrate what it means, and uncover what it means for them as an individual,” Jeremiah said. “God speaks to us through His Word and He’s been doing so for more than 2,000 years.”

“If someone reads the Word and doesn’t know how it applies to their life and to them personally, they will leave the Book wanting and perhaps even confused,” he added. “But if they realize what the Scriptures say to them and how they apply to real life—to their life—then there is nothing in existence more powerful and more able to change someone into the person God wants them to be.”

Worthy Publishing, a relatively new house helmed by industry veteran Byron Williamson, is gearing up for this landmark  Bible release.

“We have always been moved by Dr. Jeremiah’s ability to blend serious scholarship, practical application and inspiration,” said Williamson. “That’s his unique gift. He is such a diligent student; the long hours he invested in the development of this amazing study resource was an inspiration to all of us.”

“Dr. Jeremiah fervently believes in the need for every believer to plunge into God’s Word,” Williamson added. “His approach appeals to Christians from all walks of life and tradition.”

Last month saw the release of Jeremiah’s latest trade book, What Are You Afraid Of? (Tyndale House Publishers). Providing biblical answers to 10 of the top fears believers are facing today, the book offers a timely response to an uncertain age.

“I wrote What Are You Afraid Of? because I heard people say things I had never heard before—like, ‘I wonder if it’s safe even to go to church. I wonder if it’s safe to put my children in school. I wonder if it’s safe to eat in a public place. I wonder if it’s safe to shop in a mall,’ ” Jeremiah said. “It’s a very present problem, and obviously the Bible has a lot to say about it. I wanted to try to answer some of those questions from the Scripture.”

Jeremiah takes a personal approach to these fears and casts them in a spiritual light, referencing the most often used admonition in the Bible—“fear not”— and helping to not only put the fears in a proper frame of reference, but also illustrating how key figures from the Bible struggled with—and overcame— similar fears.

“Fear is universal—it’s the great equalizer,” he said. “Everyone is afraid of something. I realized in writing this book that, at some point in time or another in my own life, I experienced every one of these fears.”

“What Are You Afraid Of? will reveal to people who are wrestling with fear, or know someone who is, that there are biblical answers to our fear questions—and ways to face down their fear with faith,” he added.

Maria Eriksen, senior marketing director for Tyndale, sees the topic of fear as “deeply relevant in today’s fear-filled culture,” she said.

 The Jeremiah Study Bible and What Are You Afraid Of? are only the latest in a successful writing career spanning more than 30 years. Jeremiah’s keen insight and ability to translate key elements of the faith into layman’s terms has made him widely sought as a voice on spiritual issues.

“I think that God has blessed me with a writing style that ordinary people can relate to,” Jeremiah said after deferring speculation on why he so resonates with readers. “I try to utilize the power of story, just as Jesus did in His parables. Stories have a great ability to illustrate truth to people.”

“Readers of Dr. Jeremiah’s work immediately see evidence of his own fresh, in-depth Bible study,” said Williamson, who has worked with the author on multiple projects throughout his publishing career. “He has the capacity to uncover insights that arrest your attention, clarify God’s message for you and provide such practical counsel about how to live a joyful life.”

Jeremiah is also appreciative of how crucial Christian retailers have been to his writing career and to spreading the gospel, especially in the moral, economic and religious upheaval that led to the propagation of fears he addresses in What Are You Afraid Of?

“Christian retailers are absolutely essential to helping us fulfill the mission I founded my ministry, Turning Point, on more than 30 years ago: delivering the unchanging Word of God to an ever-changing world,” he said. “The man or woman serving God’s kingdom in a Christian retailer might be the first real face of Jesus a struggling, lost person has ever seen. That’s a mighty responsibility, but an equally mighty opportunity to win a soul for Christ.”

“Christian retailers are truly God’s frontline ambassadors to a hostile world,” he said, “and they are needed now more than ever.”