Pastoral Helps
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For His Glory Leader Guide
$15.99Add to cartDiscover Your True Worth in Christ.
What comes to mind when you hear the word masterpiece? Perhaps you think of a beautiful painting, a spectacular home renovation, or a captivating sunset. But few of us would describe ourselves with that word. We tend to listen instead to the lies that define us as rejected, unwanted, less than, ugly, stupid, or a failure. Sometimes we can feel more like worthless junk than a valuable masterpiece. Yet that is exactly what God’s Word says that we are!
In For His Glory, Marian Jordan Ellis leads us in an in-depth study of Ephesians to help us dismantle the lies we’ve believed about ourselves and replace them with a new identity built on God’s Word. The truths in this beloved epistle speak to the core beliefs we carry about ourselves, revealing to us our part in God’s magnificent design to redeem a people for Himself who reflect His glory to the world. Drawing on her own journey of transformation and her passion to equip women to overcome shame, insecurity, inferiority, and condemnation, Marian invites us on a journey to discover our true worth in Christ, our status as beloved children of God, and our glorious calling as His masterpiece.
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Holding Up Half The Sky
$21.00Add to cartWomen have played significant roles in ministry and leadership throughout the history of the church and the pages of the Bible. Today, women make up more than half the church, and do much of the mission, ministry, and discipleship in the life of the church. But women have often been held back from ministry roles. Graham Joseph Hill outlines the biblical vision for women in ministry and leadership. He offers a biblical and passionate call for women to be released to teach, to lead, to preach, to serve, to pastor, and to minister in every area of the church. The Bible paints a radical vision of women, empowered and emboldened for full ministry participation in Christ’s church. The biblical vision for women and for their role as teachers, witnesses, disciplers, and leaders transforms not only personal lives, but also the church and the world. This book offers a biblical case for women teaching and leading in the church. Hill then explores practical ways that we can empower and release more female leaders in the church, and ways that we can amplify the voices and honor the gifts of women in the way Jesus intended. Together women and men can revitalize the church and renew the world.
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Delighted : What Teenagers Are Teaching The Church About Joy
$22.99Add to cartWhat would youth ministry look like if it were based on a pursuit of authentic Christian joy?
Joy is not often a word young people associate with church–but it should be. By reimagining three common practices in youth ministry through the theological lens of joy, veteran youth workers Kenda Creasy Dean, Wesley Ellis, Justin Forbes, and Abigail Visco Rusert demonstrate how to shift this association and become more honest about what youth ministry can, and can’t, do to support young people and their faith. Grounding youth ministry in joy rather than in fear also models a way forward for the church. It reminds us that youth ministry is not a tool for anxious congregations to use to ensure their survival. Rather, youth ministry–like all ministry–is a way to help people name and experience God’s delight, free from fear and anxiety about their futures.
Delighted is the first book to emerge from the Yale Center for Faith and Culture’s Adolescent Faith and Flourishing project, offering a sustained reflection on joy’s practical importance for youth ministry. With reflection questions offered at the end of each chapter, Delighted is easy for youth ministers, volunteers, and pastors to pick up and use immediately–tapping into young people’s instinctive desire for joy for the entire church, as well as for ministry with teenagers.
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Sundays Sermon For Mondays World
$25.99Add to cartWhat can preachers do to help congregants navigate everyday life with the courage, imagination, and savvy it takes to testify in action and word to God’s mercy and justice?
Christianity’s witness depends on credible Christian lives carried out in ordinary settings of everyday life. Sunday’s Sermon for Monday’s World helps preachers design sermons that equip believers to act with improvisational, creative courage in the ordinary settings of their Monday-to-Saturday lives.
How can we who preach inspire the “ordinary prophets” of our time–those who, in Christ’s name, will act in great or small ways as agents of redemptive interruption? Sally A. Brown, with her extensive experience both in parish ministry and training others for ministry, shares preaching strategies that equip these ordinary prophets to take daring action.
Brown begins by reconsidering the power and limits of the missional model of Christian witness and argues that Christian witness today must be adaptive, and therefore imaginative and improvisational. She then turns to the connection between the sermons our listeners hear on Sunday and their capacity to timely, inventive action in everyday situations.
Sunday’s Sermon for Monday’s World will inspire both preachers and those who listen to them to move from sanctuary to street, week after week, eager to discern and participate in the ongoing, redemptive work of God already under way amid the ordinary scenes and settings of their Monday-to-Saturday lives.
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Surrendered Participant Workbook (Workbook)
$17.99Add to cartLearn How to Surrender Like Jesus.
Are you facing a problem in life that you just can’t fix, no matter what you do? Perhaps you’ve heard the phrase “Let go and let God.” But it’s easier said than done. Is it possible that giving up on what you can’t change is God’s path to peace for your life? In this six-week Bible study of Jesus in the wilderness, Barb explores Jesus’ time of testing and contrasts it with the Israelites’ failures in the wilderness.
As you learn from Jesus’ example, you’ll discover six principles that will equip you to let God lead you to victory despite your circumstances as you deal with the problems and pain you are facing:
1. Recognize You Can’t Handle It
2. Stop Following Your Feelings
3. Give Up Control and Reach for God
4. Embrace God’s Better Blessing
5. Let Go of Fear
6. Experience the Blessings of a Surrendered LifeIf you’re tired of following your feelings or being disappointed by unchanging circumstances, learn how to surrender like Jesus and experience God’s power and peace in your life as never before.
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For His Glory Participant Workbook (Student/Study Guide)
$17.99Add to cartDiscover Your True Worth in Christ.
What comes to mind when you hear the word masterpiece? Perhaps you think of a beautiful painting, a spectacular home renovation, or a captivating sunset. But few of us would describe ourselves with that word. We tend to listen instead to the lies that define us as rejected, unwanted, less than, ugly, stupid, or a failure. Sometimes we can feel more like worthless junk than a valuable masterpiece. Yet that is exactly what God’s Word says that we are!
In For His Glory, Marian Jordan Ellis leads us in an in-depth study of Ephesians to help us dismantle the lies we’ve believed about ourselves and replace them with a new identity built on God’s Word. The truths in this beloved epistle speak to the core beliefs we carry about ourselves, revealing to us our part in God’s magnificent design to redeem a people for Himself who reflect His glory to the world. Drawing on her own journey of transformation and her passion to equip women to overcome shame, insecurity, inferiority, and condemnation, Marian invites us on a journey to discover our true worth in Christ, our status as beloved children of God, and our glorious calling as His masterpiece.
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Marriage Course Study Journal
$14.99Add to cartToday we are facing a global crisis when it comes to families. Marriages are under more pressure than ever. Many children are growing up without experiencing the security of their parents’ love and commitment to each other-and consequently are finding it harder to receive God’s unconditional love. There is an urgent need to invest in marriage and family life, for strong societies are built on strong families, and strong families are built on strong marriages.
The Marriage Course, developed by Nicky and Sila Lee of Alpha, has been revised and updated to provide practical tools to help couples at every stage of their relationship. This update includes talks from experts including Dr. Gray Chapman, Dr. Henry Cloud, and Dr. Sue Johnson on topics such as money, sex, love languages, healthy boundaries, and building connections. The course will also cover how couples can:
*Better understand each other’s needs
*Communicate more effectively
*Grow closer by learning methods to resolve conflicts
*Recover from the way they may have hurt each other
*Recognize how their upbringing has affected their relationship
*Improve relationships with parents and in-lawsThe Marriage Course is based on a Christian understanding of love and serves to strengthen marriages within the church while being accessible for all couples from any cultural background, with or without a background in the Christian faith.
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Birth : The Mystery Of Being Born
$26.00Add to cartThis volume explores the connections between our own birth, the experience of having children, and the new birth of the Christian life. Seasoned pastor James Howell offers theological perspectives on a variety of themes associated with birth, such as who we are in light of having once lived in utero, why people might have children, infertility, adoption, baptism, and how to make sense of it all in light of God coming to us first in Mary’s womb and then as an infant. The book includes artwork, photos, and drawings.
About the Series
Pastors are called to help people navigate the profound mysteries of being human, from birth to death and everything in between. This series, edited by leading pastoral theologian Jason Byassee, provides pastors and pastors-in-training with rich theological reflection on the various seasons that make up a human life, helping them minister with greater wisdom and joy. Future volumes will cover addiction, disability, friendship, illness, parenting, and technology. -
Connections Year A 3 Volume Set
$155.00Add to cartDesigned to empower preachers as they lead congregations to connect their lives to Scripture, Connections features a broad set of interpretive tools that provide commentary and worship aids on the Revised Common Lectionary.
This nine-volume series offers creative commentary on each reading in the three-year lectionary cycle by viewing that reading through the lens of its connections to the rest of Scripture and then seeing the reading through the lenses of culture, film, fiction, ethics, and other aspects of contemporary life. Commentaries on the Psalms make connections to the other readings and to the congregation’s experience of worship.
This set contains all three volumes for Year A.
Connections is published in partnership with Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary.
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Bridging Theory And Practice In Childrens Spirituality
$22.99Add to cartBridging Theory and Practice in Children’s Spirituality explores the different contexts, methods, and situations that influence and foster a child’s spirituality and faith development. Through a blend of theoretical understanding held in tension with practical application, it equips those who are in, or being prepared for, the varied contexts where children are spiritually formed.
It represents a broad range of Christian expression writing from a Christ-centered perspective that furthers the conversation about the next steps in children’s spirituality and faith development. Moving beyond the basics of faith nurture and what makes for effective ministry, this resource deepens our understanding of the practices in children’s by bringing together the best of theory and practice and includes contributions from:
*Dr. Scottie May (Wheaton College)
*Dr. Kevin Lawson (Biola University)
*Dr. Erik Carter (Vanderbilt University)
*John Roberto (Vibrant Faith)
*Dr. Dana Kennamer Pemberton (Abilene Christian University)
*Dr. Shirley Morganthaler (Concordia University – Chicago)
*Dr. Holly Catterton Allen (Lipscomb University)
*Dr. Robert Keeley (Calvin College and Calvin Seminary)
*Dr. Mimi Larson (Wheaton College)
*Lacy Finn Borgo ( Renovare Institute) and others.Pastors, professors, seminary students and children’s ministry leaders and practitioners all believe that nurturing a child’s spiritual development is important. Yet often they are unsure about which current trends should be embraced. This book will help equip these people with the grounding needed to evaluate trends and with specific suggestions for moving forward. With short, accessibly written chapters it helps pastors and leaders stay up to date with current trends and is an excellent resource for teaching in college and seminary classrooms.
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Surviving A Dangerous Sermon
$18.99Add to cartPreachers increasingly see the need to deliver sermons that are “dangerous” in a variety of ways: the way they challenge hearers’ comfort levels and challenge established powers and hierarchies. Author Frank Thomas helps readers understand those dangers–especially the forces of power and hierarchy that are so intrinsic in our everyday lives and in society as a whole. He teaches how to anticipate and navigate those forces, to open opportunities for dangerous preaching, and to mitigate negative impact on congregants, the preacher, and the preacher-congregation relationships.
Surviving a Dangerous Sermon is a logical follow-up to Thomas’s previous book, How to Preach a Dangerous Sermon. It equips preachers to say what must be said, in a way that it is heard, so that the sermon has a chance to do its work on human hearts, without negative consequences.
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Way Of Worship Student Workbook (Workbook)
$12.99Add to cartThe Way of Worship Student Workbook is a practical guide that accompanies The Way of Worship, providing questions for discussion and reflection, as well as hands-on activities to better prepare you for a lifestyle of worship. It is a resource to encourage those who are answering the calling of God on their lives to lead worship.
The Way of Worship (available separately) provides a biblical theology of worship, as well as a practical manual for practicing private and public worship as a way of life. This accompanying workbook serves as a journal and guidebook, allowing those who read and study The Way of Worship to further explore the concepts, internalizing and applying them to life.
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End Of Youth Ministry
$22.99Add to cartWhat is youth ministry actually for? And does it have a future? Andrew Root, a leading scholar in youth ministry and practical theology, went on a one-year journey to answer these questions. In this book, Root weaves together an innovative first-person fictional narrative to diagnose the challenges facing the church today and to offer a new vision for youth ministry in the 21st century.
Informed by interviews that Root conducted with parents, this book explores how parents’ perspectives of what constitutes a good life are affecting youth ministry. In today’s culture, youth ministry can’t compete with sports, test prep, and the myriad other activities in which young people participate. Through a unique parable-style story, Root offers a new way to think about the purpose of youth ministry: not happiness, but joy. Joy is a sense of experiencing the good. For youth ministry to be about joy, it must move beyond the youth group model and rework the assumptions of how identity and happiness are imagined by parents in American society.
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Prophetic Preaching : The Hope Or The Curse Of The Church
$24.95Add to cartA theological yet practical study of preaching and politics – Diverse contributors offer a variety of perspectives This book is the first collection of essays to explore the question: is there room for politics from the pulpit? In response to an increasingly polarized society, preachers grapple with the call to witness a unifying Truth in a world where truth appears subjective. While many congregations respond positively to social and political themes in sermons, others do not. Episcopalians in the conservative minority are often very uncomfortable with political-themed preaching, while liberal Episcopalians demand a political message from the pulpit. What is a preacher to do when the Episcopal Church is no more immune to the temptation of polarization than the secular world? Contributors to this volume serve in a variety of contexts and bring with them their own distinct styles and visions. Anyone with an interest in the practical implications addressing the current political climate from the pulpit will find these essays provocative, inspiring, and thoughtful.
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Journey Into The Divided Heart
$15.99Add to cartPerhaps you’ve been to counseling for years; or maybe you’ve never sought outside help. Either way, you know there are fears, insecurities, emotional blockages that have kept you from living truly free. You’re tired of it and want more.
Congratulations! You hold in your hands a guide to help you on your path to true freedom, a path that can lead you safely into true emotional wholeness. You experience unresolved pain and multiple layers of self-protection called defense mechanisms, that lead to addictions, anxiety, depression, and relationship difficulties (yes-even with God) with which we all struggle. This book will give you the tools you need from both a clinical and spiritual perspective to become truly free. The resulting peace, love, joy, reconciled marriages and relationships, and sense of positive Christ centered identity, is the fruit of your journey and will come as you lay these protections down that have become your prison.
This book is a must read for anyone looking for true lasting change, as well as a role-defining text for counselors and pastors who are looking to integrate cutting-edge clinical counseling with an unwavering faith-based, non-religious approach to working with the brokenhearted.
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Top 50 Creative Bible Lessons Fun Activities For Preschoolers Ages 2-5
$24.99Add to cartTop 50 Creative Bible Lessons for Preschoolers has everything you need to teach children ages two to five for a whole year! It’s filled with great Bible stories; step-by-step, easy-to-use instructions; fun activities; and TONS of reproducible pages. These lessons have everything you need to reach young children with the good news of God’s amazing love.
Each Bible Lesson for Preschoolers Includes:
*Bible story plus visual
*Memory verse and discussion questions
*Take-home sheets (and coloring pages)
*Step-by-step instructions and tips for kids Sunday school teachers
*2-3 flexible Bible activity options, including Bible puzzles, Bible crafts, games, snack ideas (AND MORE!)Imagine having a full year of fun and age-appropriate lessons that include teacher-friendly activities. All materials are easy-to-find, making prep a snap! Easily adapt these flexible lessons to Sunday school, children’s church, midweek Bible study, Christian school classroom, or your family home. Packed with puzzles, games, crafts, and awesome Bible stories, these kids’ Bible lessons will keep your preschoolers actively involved in creative learning.
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Welcoming The Future Church
$17.99Add to cartIf you’re not reaching the future of the church, your church has no future. As much sting as that statement has, it’s hard to argue with. Yet many churches have no idea how to attract and retain younger generations.
If you want to understand how to reach, teach, and empower young adults in your church, Jonathan “JP” Pokluda is ready to show you how. Sharing stories of successes and failures during his years of ministering to Millennials, JP offers you transferable principles that will help you mobilize the next generation toward Jesus. He encourages and equips you to:
– be real
– teach the whole truth
– hold traditions loosely
– find young leaders
– give the ministry away
– and so much moreTomorrow’s church is out there, waiting for you to care, to reach out, to understand their struggles, and to show them why today’s church needs, wants, and cherishes them.
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Acts Leader Guide (Teacher’s Guide)
$15.99Add to cartThe Acts of the Apostles is a unique and crucial book that chronicles the story of God’s grace flooding out to the world through the lives of the apostles in the decades immediately following Christ’s ascension into heaven.
In Acts: Catching up with the Spirit, author and biblical scholar Matthew Skinner provides a broad yet theologically attuned introduction to this important book and its message of fulfilling the Great Commission.
Skinner explores six key themes that illustrate the ways in which reading Acts is capable of igniting our imagination about the character of the Christian gospel, the work of God’s people (the church), and the challenges of living faithfully in a complex and changing world. The Leader Guide contains everything needed to guide a group through the six-week study including session plans, activities, and discussion questions, as well as multiple format options.
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5 Loaves Two Fish 12 Volunteers
$14.99Add to cartSixty-two percent of food pantries and meal programs in the United States are faith-based. Most of these ministries are transactional; people needing food interact with church volunteers to earn access to direct service.
Elizabeth Magill advocates relational ministry as a better model for food ministry. People donating food or money eat with the people who need food and get to know them as they serve alongside them. Those needing food share all aspects of the ministry, including planning, setting up, leading, serving, and cleaning. As volunteers become better acquainted, they can form deep, meaningful relationships, creating a new way to be the church.
Five Loaves, Two Fish, Twelve Volunteers tells the stories of 8 churches that share food ministry with people who need their services. Full of practical advice, this book emphasizes that building relationships and offering radical welcome is more important work for churches than efficiency or order.
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Restoring The Shattered Self
$32.99Add to cartNearly every professional counselor will encounter clients with a history of complex trauma.
Yet many counselors are not adequately prepared to help those suffering from complex posttraumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD), including survivors of child abuse, religious cult abuse, and domestic violence. A lack of consistent terminology in the field makes finding resources difficult, but without reliable training counselors risk inadvertently retraumatizing those they are trying to help. In this second edition of Restoring the Shattered Self, Heather Davediuk Gingrich provides an essential resource for Christian counselors to help fill the gap between their training and the realities of trauma-related work. Drawing on over thirty years of experience with complex trauma survivors in the United States, Canada, and the Philippines, she ably integrates the established research on trauma therapy with insights from her own experience and an intimate understanding of the special concerns related to Christian counseling. In addition to presenting a three-phase treatment model for C-PTSD based on Judith Herman’s classic work, Gingrich addresses how to treat dissociative identity disorder clients, respond to survivors’ spiritual issues, build resilience as a counselor in this taxing work, and empower churches to help in the healing process. This new edition is updated throughout to match the DSM-5 and includes new content on how the body responds to trauma, techniques for helping clients stay within the optimal zone of nervous system arousal, and additional summary sidebars. With this thoughtful guide, counselors and pastors will be equipped to provide the long-term help that complex trauma survivors need to live more abundantly. -
When Narcissism Comes To Church
$24.99Add to cartWhy does narcissism seem to thrive in our churches?
We’ve seen the news stories and heard the rumors. Maybe we ourselves have been hurt by a narcissistic church leader. It’s easy to throw the term around and diagnose others from afar. But what is narcissism, really? And how does it infiltrate the church? Chuck DeGroat has been counseling pastors with Narcissistic Personality Disorder, as well as those wounded by narcissistic leaders and systems, for over twenty years. He knows firsthand the devastation narcissism leaves in its wake and how insidious and painful it is. In When Narcissism Comes to Church, DeGroat takes a close look at narcissism, not only in ministry leaders but also in church systems. He offers compassion and hope for those affected by its destructive power and imparts wise counsel for churches looking to heal from its systemic effects. DeGroat also offers hope for narcissists themselves–not by any shortcut, but by the long, slow road of genuine recovery, possible only through repentance and trust in the humble gospel of Jesus.
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Analog Church : Why We Need Real People, Places, And Things In The Digital
$20.99Add to cartWhat does it mean to be an analog church in a digital age?
In recent decades the digital world has taken over our society at nearly every level, and the church has increasingly followed suit–often in ways we’re not fully aware of. But as even the culture at large begins to reckon with the limits of a digital world, it’s time for the church to take stock. Are online churches, video venues, and brighter lights truly the future? What about the digital age’s effect on discipleship, community, and the Bible? As a pastor in Silicon Valley, Jay Kim has experienced the digital church in all its splendor. In Analog Church, he grapples with the ramifications of a digital church, from our worship and experience of Christian community to the way we engage Scripture and sacrament. Could it be that in our efforts to stay relevant in our digital age, we’ve begun to give away the very thing that our age most desperately needs: transcendence? Could it be that the best way to reach new generations is in fact found in a more timeless path? Could it be that at its heart, the church has really been analog all along?
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Your Time Starved Marriage Workbook For Women (Workbook)
$12.99Add to cartReclaim your time. Reconnect your marriage. Do you feel overscheduled and underconnected? Do you wish there was a surefire way to create more meaningful time together each day? Reclaim your time together and all the relational benefits that go with it. Your Time-Starved Marriage isn’t about being more productive-it’s about being more connected.
Six sessions include:
1. Is Your Marriage Slipping into the Future?
2. Busyness-the Archenemy of Marriage
3. Time Styles-Uncovering your Unique Approach to Time
4. Prioritizing Primetime-Maximizing your Moments
5. Time Bandits-Catching Your Time-Stealers Redhanded
6. Time Mines-Where You’re Sure to Strike Gold -
Your Time Starved Marriage Workbook For Men (Workbook)
$12.99Add to cartConnect your time styles–and your hearts.
The way you spend your time not only defines you as a man, it also defines your marriage and reveals the value of your relationship. Your Time-Starved Marriage Workbook for Men helps you find more time with your wife–and enjoy it more together.
Here are the hands-on, practical tools you need to dramatically reclaim the times you’ve been missing together and make every moment with your loved one count. Designed to be used either on your own or in a small group, this workbook helps you work with your wife to incorporate the new lessons you’ve both learned while reading Your Time-Starved Marriage. This workbook includes exercises for each chapter in the book, plus a small-group discussion guide designed to be used with Your Time-Starved Marriage DVD.
You’ll take five or ten minutes on your own to do each exercise and then compare the results with your wife. These exercises are designed to help you deepen your relationship with each other as you apply proven principles that help you manage your time as a couple. Your Time-Starved Marriage Workbooks can help you be more connected to each other, leading to a deeper level of contentment, satisfaction, and commitment in your marriage.
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Intentional Churches : How Implementing An Operating System Clarifies Visio
$18.99Add to cartIn spite of many church leaders and Christian researchers doubt about the local church’s relevancy and ability to grow, there are many churches growing and making disciples. They are implementing a revolutionary new Intentional Growth Planning operating system.
Pastors and church leaders are frequently frustrated and overworked, not knowing how to create systems and structures to support church growth and the making of more and better disciples. Just as laptops and smart phones have an operating system, the church needs a biblically-based operating system which its various programs and activities can effectively plug in to. In Intentional Churches, church growth leaders Doug Parks and Bart Rendel unveil a proven and practical operational system that will help leaders clarify their unique vision, filter trends and new idea through their mission, improve implementation abilities, and maintain unity and alignment to what matters most. It is a repeatable and transferable process any church can learn!
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Embodying Integration : A Fresh Look At Christianity In The Therapy Room
$30.99Add to cartDiscussing spirituality and religion in the therapy room is increasingly accepted, some even forgetting that integration of psychology and Christianity was once a rare thing.
Yet even as the decades-long integration movement has been so effective, the counselor’s lived context in which integration happens grows increasingly complex, and the movement has reached a new turning point. Christian practitioners need a fresh look at integration in a postmodern world. In Embodying Integration, Megan Anna Neff and Mark McMinn provide an essential guide to becoming integrators today. Representing two generations of counselor education and practice, they model how to engage hard questions and consider how different theological views, gendered perspectives, and cultures integrate with psychology and counseling. “Many students,” they write, “don’t want models and views that tend to simplify complexity into categories. They are looking for conversation that helps them dive into the complexity, to ponder the nuances and messiness of integration.” More than focusing on resolving issues, Neff and McMinn help situate wisdom through personally engaging, diverse views and narratives. Arising from conversations between an up-and-coming practitioner and her veteran integrator father, this book considers practical implications for the day-to-day realities of counseling and psychotherapy. Personal stories, dialogues between the coauthors, and discussion questions throughout help students, teachers, mental health professionals, and anyone interested in psychology and faith to enter–and continue–the conversation.
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Healing The Christian Church
$14.95Add to cartAre you looking to improve the relevance, life, and health of your church? In Healing the Christian Church, author Al Pomeroy offers a fresh, unique, and sustainable approach that will consistently produce good ground. Addressing church leadership, he provides practical advice and a resource for those wanting to see their church succeed beyond the status quo, and he discusses how to prevent the church from dealing with unnecessary problems. It requires more than reading the Bible, attending services, and listening to sermons. Leaders must let go of fear, bitterness, envy, and more to build the spirits of those involved. Pomeroy provides opportunities for personal reflection, inspires action, and motivates a response, helping one assess whether their actions are helping or harming the church. Healing the Christian Church conducts an open and honest discussion on how easily a lack of knowledge and apathy has resulted in shattered lives, ineffective leaders, and paralyzed churches. Delivering a fresh approach supported by scripture, it presents several ways to address current and potential problems.
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Wesleyan Journey Pastor Guide (Teacher’s Guide)
$13.99Add to cartThe transforming work of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer was a central theme of John Wesley’s life and work.
In The Wesleyan Journey: A Workbook on Salvation, beloved pastor and author Maxie Dunnam invites readers to spend time every day exploring Wesley’s understanding of salvation through prayer, study, and reflection.
Based on John Wesley’s theology and the Bible’s teaching on what it means to be saved, this workbook will help readers consider anew God’s ever-present grace, the experience of acceptance, pardon, and forgiveness, and the lifelong journey to become more Christ-like.
The Pastor Guide offers guidance and tips for pastors on how to use, promote, and share this study, with ideas for how to incorporate it into worship and invite people into the journey. It also contains short session guides and leader helps to facilitate group discussion through an eight-week study.
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Connections Year A Volume 3 Season After Pentecost
$55.00Add to cartDesigned to empower preachers as they lead congregations to connect their lives to Scripture, Connections features a broad set of interpretive tools that provide commentary and worship aids on the Revised Common Lectionary.
This nine-volume series offers creative commentary on each reading in the three-year lectionary cycle by viewing that reading through the lens of its connections to the rest of Scripture and then seeing the reading through the lenses of culture, film, fiction, ethics, and other aspects of contemporary life. Commentaries on the Psalms make connections to the other readings and to the congregation’s experience of worship.
Connections is published in partnership with Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary.
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Our Witness To The World
$12.99Add to cartConcise Wisdom from a Seasoned Pastoral Veteran
The Kingdom Pastor’s Library is a new series of books that brings you a succinct, complete pastoral philosophy and training from Tony Evans.
Our Witness to the World teaches you how to equip every member of your church to go out into their neighborhoods and do effective outreach. It also demonstrates how important social impact is for the spreading of the gospel.
Faithful. Powerful. Practical. Become a Kingdom Pastor Today.
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Extraordinary Ministry In Ordinary Time
$12.99Add to cartWhat energizes someone in pastoral ministry for the long haul? Holy days like Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost are the exception. Ordinary Time, the longest season of the Christian year, is where pastors spend most of their ministry.
James Harnish invites pastors and other ministers to see Ordinary Time as a metaphor for the ordinary days of ministry. “Whether we thrive or merely survive depends on what we do with the ordinary days,” he writes.
Harnish encourages ministers to develop spiritual disciplines and personal relationships to nourish their souls for long-term ministry. He highlights the importance of reflection on scripture, spiritual reading, journaling, prayer, and spiritual conversation with trusted friends.
This 6-week study focuses on themes Harnish found crucial in over four decades of ministry: Power, People, Places, Proclamation, Perseverance, and Promise. Daily readings help readers develop their own spiritual formation practices to sustain their life and ministry.
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Better Together Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$12.99Add to cartIn a time when societal disruptions are rampant-have you wanted to cut and run?
Have you considered your own gender versus the opposite in a defensive way?
If we are honest, we all have. And that truth is where we begin to be set free. We are only as strong as our understanding of our differences-and they are many and varied and begin with each our fingerprint. But we were not created alone, or separately. We were in fact created of and from and in the image of the same God. Until God created man AND woman, he called everything he created ‘good.’ When he saw us together, he declared, “It is VERY good” Gen 1:1-31.
So how then, in a current state of division at every intersection of life, do we return to the flourishing of men and women together as originally intended?
In this six-session study (DVD/downloads sold separately), author, activist, and headlining international speaker Danielle Strickland will guide us through our differences and mutuality with a biblical lens and foundation. She will teach and inspire us to face the core challenge that drives all division-FEAR-and to change the story of our culture. We will transform and become examples of equality and equity as in the Garden of Eden where we were made better, together.
Designed for use with Better Together Video Study (sold separately).
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Bible And Moral Injury
$36.99Add to cartThe Bible and Moral Injury offers an exploration (with case studies) of the interpretation of biblical texts, especially war-related narratives and ritual descriptions from the Old Testament, in conversation with research on the emerging notion of moral injury within psychology, military studies, philosophy, and ethics. This book explores two questions simultaneously:
*What happens when we read biblical texts, especially biblical stories of war and violence, in light of emerging research on moral injury?, and
*What does the study of biblical texts and their interpretation contribute to the emerging work on moral injury among other fields and with veterans, chaplains, and other practitioners?The book begins by explaining the concept of moral injury as it has developed within psychology, military studies, chaplaincy, and moral philosophy, especially through work with veterans of the U.S. military’s wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. A major part of this work has been the attempt to identify means of healing, recovery, and repair for those morally injured by their experiences in combat or in similar situations.
A key element for the book is that one feature of work on moral injury has been the appeal by psychologists and others to ancient texts and cultures for models of both the articulation of moral injury and possible means of prevention and healing. These appeals have, at times, referenced Old Testament texts that describe war-related rituals, practices, and experiences (e.g., Numbers 31). Additionally, work on moral injury within other fields has used ancient texts in another way–namely, as a means to offer creative re-readings of ancient literary characters as exemplars of warriors and experiences related to moral injury. For example, scholars have re-read the tales of Achilles and Odysseus in The Iliad and The Odyssey in dialogue with the experiences of American veterans of the Vietnam war and the moral struggles of combat and homecoming.
Alongside these trends, consideration of moral injury has increasingly made its way into works on pastoral theology, Christian chaplaincy, and moral theology and ethics. These initial interpretive moves suggest a need for an extended and full-orbed examination of the interpretation of biblical texts in dialogue with the emerging formulation and practices of moral injury and recovery. This book will not simply be an effort to interpret various biblical texts through the lens of moral injury. It also seeks to e
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Study
$14.99Add to cart“While physical training has some value, training in holy living is useful for everything. It has promise for this life now and the life to come.” 1 Timothy 4:8
Christians crave a deeper, more intimate relationship with God. Spiritual disciplines are activities and practices that guide you in your daily walk through life bringing you closer to Christ. They also help you to make a difference in our world. Practicing these spiritual disciplines opens you to God’s transforming love and help you experience Holy Living.
This is one of series of eight books. Each book in this series introduces a spiritual practice, suggests way of living the practice daily, and provides opportunities to grow personally and in a faith community with others who engage with the practice. Each book consists of an introduction and four chapters and includes questions for personal reflection and group discussion.
This is one of series of eight books. Each book in this series introduces a spiritual practice, suggests way of living the practice daily, and provides opportunities to grow personally and in a faith community with others who engage with the practice. Each book consists of an introduction and four chapters and includes questions for personal reflection and group discussion.
Other disciplines studied: Celebration, Confession, Discernment, Neighboring, Simplicity, and Worship.
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Multiplication Effect : Building A Leadership Pipeline That Solves Your Lea
$19.99Add to cartMost pastors say that the need to identify and develop leaders is critical to the health and growth of their church. Yet, most churches do not have an intentional plan for doing this. In this book, Mac Lake reveals a practical strategy for addressing this problem.
How do you develop leaders in a church setting–good leaders, qualified leaders, leaders who are committed, who possess the DNA of the church, and leaders who produce results? The majority of churches have tried everything, but is what they are doing working? Unfortunately, in most cases, no. The Multiplication Effect is a proven, tested program, designed using unique training modules to help identify potential leaders, equip and disciple them at every level of their leadership journey, and empower them to multiply themselves by developing other leaders. Churches who use this plan will become “cultures” of leader development built into the structure and mission statement of the church and thus solve their leadership shortage.
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Simplicity : Spiritual Practices For Building A Life Of Faith
$14.99Add to cart“While physical training has some value, training in holy living is useful for everything. It has promise for this life now and the life to come.” 1 Timothy 4:8
Christians crave a deeper, more intimate relationship with God. Spiritual disciplines are activities and practices that guide you in your daily walk through life bringing you closer to Christ. They also help you to make a difference in our world. Practicing these spiritual disciplines opens you to God’s transforming love and help you experience Holy Living.
At its core, the spiritual practice of simplicity enables us to eliminate from our lives all the things–both material possessions and thoughts, habits, and attitudes–that distract us from God so that God has complete freedom to work in and through us. Simplicity brings freedom, balance, and perspective to our lives and enables us to align our priorities with the priorities of God. It reorients us and allows us to be open to the present moment. Developing the spiritual practice of simplicity is key to a healthy, vibrant relationship with God and others. This book helps us know how to begin and implement this practice.
This is one of series of eight books. Each book in this series introduces a spiritual practice, suggests way of living the practice daily, and provides opportunities to grow personally and in a faith community with others who engage with the practice. Each book consists of an introduction and four chapters and includes questions for personal reflection and group discussion.
Other disciplines studied: Celebration, Confession, Discernment, Neighboring, Study, and Worship.
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Renewing Communication : Spirit-Shaped Approaches For Children Youth And Fa
$29.99Add to cartHow can we as Christian leaders make the most of our communication to help others become more like Christ? Colleen Derr draws on decades of experience in education and church ministry to offer a holistic strategy for transformational communication, showing that communication powered by the Spirit needn’t be limited to the pulpit or classroom, but can include everyday interactions and relationships.
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Holy Moments : Activities For Teaching Children About Worship
$19.99Add to cartHoly Moments: Activities for Teaching Children About Worship is a library of activities created to help children fully understand how and why we worship together as a community of faith.
These simple activities cover each of the elements of a typical traditional or contemporary worship service, and are perfect for adding holy moments to your children’s church, worship service, Sunday school, or children’s event.
Parent letters and reproducibles are included to help the children and their families experience holy moments at home and connect them to what they have experienced at church.
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Get Your Life Back Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$12.99Add to cartWe live in soul-scorching times. The 24-7 onslaught of contemporary life–with its never-ending feed of global tragedies, demands for our attention, and pressures of work, family, and friends–has left us feeling ragged, wrung-out, and emptied. But if we have no margin in our lives, how do we find room to change anything?
In this life-changing video Bible study (DVD/digital downloads sold separately), John Eldredge distills a lifetime of wisdom into five practical and ready-to-implement practices for putting your life back together. These practices include: (1) the one-minute pause, (2) benevolent detachment, (3) practicing kindness, (4) getting outside, and (5) stepping back from technology. These practices, ready for the taking, will enable you to begin recovery, focus on what matters most, disengage from the tragedies of this broken world, and discover the restorative power of beauty.
You don’t need to abandon your life to get it back. You can restore it here and now. And you will never be the same.
Designed for use with Get Your Life Back Video Study (sold separately).
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Pursuit Of Holiness A 12 Week Small Group Curriculum
$17.99Add to cartHoliness. The Christian’s Joint Venture with God.
“Be holy, for I am holy,” commands God to His people. But holiness is something that is often missed in the Christian’s daily life. According to Jerry Bridges, Christians are often confused about their role in bringing about holiness. In this classic, Bridges helps us see clearly just what we should rely on God to do–and where we need to accept responsibility.
Whether you are just beginning your pursuit of holiness or continuing your journey, these timeless principles and guidelines will challenge you to joyfully obey God’s command.
This small-group edition includes:
*12 sessions
*the full text of The Pursuit of Holiness
*discussion questions for each session
*wide margins for taking notes
*a leader’s guide -
Long Long Road Back To Love
$19.95Add to cartArley Fadness has taken a fresh look at the age-old biblical allegory of Jesus of the Prodigal Son. Created to involve the whole congregation, this resource will save time and eff ort for the pastor and the participants. People will look forward to the next weekly installment of their Lenten journey.This resource includes:
– Homilies
– Children’s sermons
– Dramatic dialogues -
Kingdom Stewardship Group Video Experience Participants Guide
$9.99Add to cartIn Kingdom Stewardship, Dr. Tony Evans inspires you to broaden your perspective of Christian stewardship. This encouraging and challenging participant’s guide is designed to be used in a group, together with the DVD Group Video Experience and the book. You will learn that stewardship includes how you manage all that God has given you-your time, your talents, and your treasures-to advance God’s kingdom and bring Him glory. While many stewardship books focus on managing financial resources, Tony Evans says that your finances are one small part of a much bigger calling. He teaches that God owns all things, and you are the manager of His assets. When you bring your entire life into alignment under God, you will be blessed with purpose and the abundant life that comes from living by God’s eternal principles.
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Forgiveness : A Practical And Pastoral Companion
$27.00Add to cartEvery day we hear stories of people caught up in conflict, violence, trauma and abuse, which can affect anyone in any walk of life. Each of us needs to offer forgiveness as well as receive it, but how?
Designed to accompany everyone on a personal or communal journey of forgiveness, this companion also offers an important resource for all engaged in listening, reconciliation and pastoral care, including clergy, counsellors and spiritual directors. It explores:
-Why forgiveness is important;
-What forgiveness is;
-Who can forgive;
-Offering forgiveness;
-Receiving forgiveness;
-How communities respond to tragedy;
-God’s forgiveness. -
Get Out Of Your Head Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$16.99Add to cartHave you ever wanted to be an entirely new version of you? Like a character re-do or makeover?
Have you ever felt like who you are now isn’t all that you were meant to be?
You’re on to something if you answered yes, and you’re going to be surprised if you aren’t so sure!
Sometimes we are content being good, and yet our insides are in complete disarray-but because no one knows it, we assume we are okay. This work we are going to do through our study of the book of Philippians might be the most important thing we’ve ever done. But we don’t do it merely as another self-improvement project.
The Bible knows nothing of a connected regenerate person, filled with the Spirit, whose goal is to just survive.
Our faith journey here on Earth is not meant to be summed up to a behavior modification. Our journey should be a radical departure from the world and how it thinks. Our journey should represent a supernatural intervention remaking us into whom God built us to be.
We want to be women who set our minds on Christ, better yet realizing we have already been given the mind of Christ and therefore, we are deeply and intrinsically motivated and moved by an entirely different source. Not only do we make Jesus happy, but we find our complete happiness in Him. These are truths that if we could only believe, would change everything. It is possible to waste our lives because we never learn to take our thoughts captive.
This six-session Bible study (DVD/digital downloads sold separately) dives head first into Paul’s letter to the Philippians, imploring and encouraging them to become entirely new kinds of humans whose minds are set solely on Christ. Bestselling author and Bible teacher, Jennie Allen steps through the book of Philippians with purpose and intention, unpacking the simple, but difficult truth of allowing ourselves and our minds to be transformed in the name of Christ. Jennie confronts our current cultural struggles while relating valid and trusted answers in Scripture that inspire real change from the inside out.
Each session will include video teaching, group discussion, and personal study time of digging deeper, reflection, consideration, response, imagination, and Scripture memory.
Designed for use with the Get Out of Your Head Video Study (sold separately).
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Last Pastor : Faithfully Steering A Closing Church
$32.00Add to cartGail Cafferata was heartbroken when the church she pastored voted to close its doors. It may have been the right decision, but it led to a million questions in her mind about her call, leadership, and future. She began to think that other pastors who close churches perhaps go through this same experience. This led her to obtain a grant from the Louisville Institute to conduct a sociological study of over 130 pastors in five historically established denominations (Episcopal, Lutheran, United Methodist, Presbyterian, and United Church of Christ) who were called to serve churches that closed. This book tells the results of that study, which consisted of many interviews, and the hard-won lessons learned by these courageous pastors.
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What Is Jesus Doing
$40.99Add to cartHow do we understand Jesus’ present activity in a challenging, post-Christian context? Leading thinkers in pastoral theology, homiletics, liturgical theology, and missiology consider how to recognize the divine presence and join in what God is already doing in all areas of church ministry. With deep theological reflection, personal stories, and practical suggestions, this is a compelling interdisciplinary conversation.
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Loving Your Community
$20.00Add to cartAre you and your church making a difference in your community? Are you meeting needs in a positive, proactive, and loving way? Too often when churches are presented with a need outside their walls, they operate on the principle of “Say no unless you have to say yes.”
Don’t want that to be your church’s legacy in your community? Drawing on more than 30 years of service to the community surrounding Faith Church in Indiana, pastor Stephen Viars shows you how to develop a dynamic, giving relationship with your community, one in which your natural response to needs is “Yes! How can we help?”
No matter the size, location, demographics, or issues in your community, the approach found in this practical book will help you improve people’s lives, draw them into productive conversation about the hope you have in Christ, and glorify God.
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Collected Sermons Of Walter Brueggemann Volume 3
$44.00Add to cartThis collection features sixty sermons by Walter Brueggemann, preached mostly in the last five years. For his final public appearances, he preached at various churches and the Festival of Homiletics, including his last address there in 2018. Most of these are based on lectionary texts, with numerous sermons on Advent-Christmas and Lent-Easter texts. Preachers will find inspiration in the handful of sermons covering special occasions or themes, including confirmation, evangelism, and funerals.
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Leaders Journey : Accepting The Call To Personal And Congregational Transfo
$27.99Add to cartThis book helps pastors and church leaders understand the role their personal transformation as Jesus’s disciples plays in effective congregational leadership. It shifts the focus of leadership from techniques and charisma to spiritual transformation and developing emotional maturity so leaders can effectively lead congregations to embrace change. End-of-chapter discussion questions are included. The first edition sold more than 20,000 copies and has been regularly used as a textbook over the past fifteen years. The second edition has been revised throughout and includes a greater emphasis on Bowen Family Systems Theory.
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Collected Sermons Of David Bartlett
$46.00Add to cartThis collection of fifty-two sermons shows beloved New Testament scholar David Bartlett at his best. Bartlett, who died in 2017, spent his career teaching and mentoring preachers at The University of Chicago Divinity School, Yale Divinity School, Union Presbyterian Seminary, and Columbia Theological Seminary, as well as serving as a pastor in American Baptist churches. Thus, he has generations of friends and former students who knew him for his quick wit, passion for justice, and deep knowledge of the Bible.
Those traits show through in these sermons. As Nora Tisdale says in the foreword: “All of the sermons in this volume give witness to David’s passion for preaching that is solidly grounded in the biblical text. Most of them actually begin, as Karl Barth urged preachers to begin, with the biblical text. If they don’t begin there, they always get there fairly quickly. And David’s interpretations of texts often surprise the reader with their freshness and clarity.”
In addition to individual sermons, several multiweek sermon series, including a series on Who Is Jesus? and Great Words of the Faith, are included.
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Little Book For New Preachers
$14.99Add to cartOne of the central tasks of pastoral ministry is preaching the Word of God. Yet those who are called to ministry may feel unprepared, unable, or unwilling to step into this role. In this brief introduction to homiletics, seasoned preacher Matthew Kim provides proven insight and guidance about the importance and history of preaching, the characteristics of faithful preaching, and the personal habits of a faithful preacher.
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Pastor As Public Theologian
$25.00Add to cartMany pastors today see themselves primarily as counselors, leaders, and motivators. Yet this often comes at the expense of the fundamental reality of the pastorate as a theological office. The most important role is to be a theologian mediating God to the people. The church needs pastors who can contextualize biblical wisdom in Christian living to help their congregations think theologically about all aspects of their lives, such as work, end-of-life decisions, political involvement, and entertainment choices.
Drawing on the Bible, key figures from church history, and Christian theology, this book offers a clarion call for pastors to serve as public theologians in their congregations and communities. It is designed to be engaging reading for busy pastors and includes pastoral reflections on the theological task from twelve working pastors, including Kevin DeYoung and Cornelius Plantinga.
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Know What Youre FOR Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$12.99Add to cartWhat do you want to be know FOR? This is a great question for any leader of an organization to ask, whether it is a church, a business, or a nonprofit. After all, when an organization is able to close the gap between what they are known for and what they want to be known for, it results in unprecedented growth.
However, as Jeff Henderson reveals in the Know What You’re FOR small-group study (DVD/video downloads sold separately), this is also a great question for believers in Christ to ask themselves. All too often today, people in the world know more about what those in the church are AGAINST than what they are FOR. Instead of perceiving believers as being people of grace, love, and acceptance, they see them as angry, pessimistic, and intolerant. Certainly, as believers in Christ, we are called to state the truth about the condition of the world and its problem with sin . . . but the Bible is clear we are also to love others, extend grace, and get along as much as possible.
Back in the days of the early church, the believers also struggled with how to “draw the line” when it came to accepting the sinner but not the sin. The Christians even held a council in Jerusalem to discuss the issue and whether Gentiles were required to following Jewish practices to follow Jesus. It was the ruling of James, the brother of Christ and leader of the church, “that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God” (Acts 15:19). The early church decided to be FOR bringing people into the family of God instead of putting up unnecessary barriers that would keep them out.
Today, we are called to do the same . . . in our work lives, our relationships, our community, and our world. In this hypercritical and cynical world, we are called to be a group for who and what we’re FOR. It’s a powerful strategy for business . . . but more importantly, it is a revolutionary way to live.
Designed for use with Know What You’re FOR Video Study (sold separately).
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Jesus Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$12.99Add to cartIn this six-session video Bible study (DVD/digital downloads sold separately), bestselling author Max Lucado explores the life and character of Jesus, helping participants become more familiar with the man at the center of the greatest story ever told. As Max explains in this study, for thirty-three years Jesus felt everything that we have ever felt: weakness, weariness, rejections. He got colds. His feelings got hurt. His feet grew tired. His head ached.
To think of Jesus in such terms almost seems irreverent. It is much easier to keep the humanity out of the incarnation. Clean up the manure from around the manger. Wipe the sweat out of his eyes. Pretend he never snored or hit his thumb with a hammer. There is something about keeping Jesus divine that keeps him distant, packaged, and predictable.
But we have to remember that by Jesus becoming human, God made it possible for us to see him and hear his voice. If we want to know what matters to God, all we need to do is look in the Bible to see what matters to Jesus. If we want to know what God is doing in our world, we need only ponder the words of Jesus. By learning more about the person Jesus was and is, we come to understand more clearly the people we were created to be.
Jesus will inspire group members to spend time at the foot of the cross and search the heart of the one who would rather die for them than live without them.
Designed for use with the Jesus Video Study (sold separately).
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Ministry With Persons With Mental Illness And Their Families Second Edition
$39.00Add to cartThose who are afflicted as well as those who are adversely affected by mental illness often live lives of “quiet desperation” without recourse to appropriate assistance. Most caregivers confronted with these illnesses in the work of ministry have had no training or accurate information about mental illnesses, so frequently they do nothing, resulting in further harm and damage. Others may operate out of a theological system that does not adequately account for the nature, severity, or treatment of these illnesses. In Ministry with Persons with Mental Illness and Their Families, Second Edition, psychiatrists and pastoral theologians come together in an interdisciplinary, collaborative effort to ensure accuracy of information concerning the medical dimensions of mental illness, interpret these illnesses from a faith perspective, and make suggestions relative to effective ministry. Readers will learn how science and a faith tradition can not only co-exist but work in tandem to alleviate the pain of the afflicted and affected.
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Growing A Healthy Church (Student/Study Guide)
$14.99Add to cart19 Chapters
Additional Info
Sheep Swapping. Shuffling of the Saints. Whatever you call it, many churches are growing only because Christians transfer from one church to another. What’s more, many churches aren’t growing at all.The problem, according to authors Dann Spader and Gary Mayes, is that too many church calendars are filled with out-dated, mediocre programs that have become more of a burden than a blessing. That, coupled with the fact that these programs minister almost exclusively to Christians, leaves little for the non-Christian ‘seeker’ to get excited about.
Growing a Healthy Church is not a list of trendy new programs for your church agenda. It is a journey of rediscovery. Dann Spader and Gary Mayes look closely at the four stages of spiritual growth in relation to outreach. Using the innovative “M-level” system, these gifted men show how a church can minister to all individuals regardless of their levels of maturity in potential service. This helps eliminate the mistakes of forcing new Christians into service that may overwhelm them or may leave the mature Christian unchallenged.
Proven successful through SonLife and churches who have used this system, this resource will help you focus on the simplicity of Christ’s ministry, enabling you to build an effective discipline strategy for your church.
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Grace Of Les Miserables Leader Guide (Teacher’s Guide)
$14.99Add to cartVictor Hugo’s Les Miserables is a truly epic story. Whether you’ve tackled the 1,400-page 19thcentury novel, witnessed the Broadway musical (and memorized its soundtrack), or seen the several screen adaptations of it, you already know the power of its story.
In the six-week Lenten study The Grace of Les Miserables, author and pastor Matt Rawle dives into six ideals found in the story–grace, justice, poverty, revolution, love, and hope–each represented by a character in Hugo’s story. As these imperfect and relatable characters interact, we can see how these ideals work together (perhaps even in spite of each other) out in the world.
In keeping with his previous works, Matt Rawle brings us to the intersection of Church and Pop Culture by drawing parallels between the iconic story and musical and our Christian calling, inspiring us to both understand our faith and live it out in the world.
The Leader Guide contains everything needed to guide a group through the six-week study including session plans, activities, and discussion questions, as well as multiple format options.
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Grace Of Les Miserables
$16.99Add to cartVictor Hugo’s Les Miserables is a truly epic story. Whether you’ve tackled the 1,400-page 19thcentury novel, witnessed the Broadway musical (and memorized its soundtrack), or seen the several screen adaptations of it, you already know the power of its story.
In the six-week Lenten study The Grace of Les Miserables, author and pastor Matt Rawle dives into six ideals found in the story–grace, justice, poverty, revolution, love, and hope–each represented by a character in Hugo’s story. As these imperfect and relatable characters interact, we can see how these ideals work together (perhaps even in spite of each other) out in the world.
In keeping with his previous works, Matt Rawle brings us to the intersection of Church and Pop Culture by drawing parallels between the iconic story and musical and our Christian calling, inspiring us to both understand our faith and live it out in the world.
A DVD, Leader Guide, youth resources, and Worship Resource Flash Drive are also available for a six-week study.
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Will Willimons Lectionary Sermon Resource Year A Part 2
$26.99Add to cartWill Willimon is widely acclaimed as one of the top ten preachers in the world. For each Sunday of the Christian year, Will provides just what you need to begin the journey toward a sermon. This guide will stoke, fund, and fuel your imagination while leaving plenty of room to insert your own illustrations, make connections within your congregational context, and speak the Word in your distinctive voice. Guidance from Will Willimon is like sitting down with a trusted clergy friend and asking, “What will you preach next Sunday?” Year A Part 2 is part of a six-volume set that includes years A, B, and C (2 volumes per year) in the Revised Common Lectionary. Part 1 includes the Pentecost through the end of the church year, Christ the King/Reign of Christ Sunday.
Each week of sermon resources includes:
1.Readings
2.Theme title
3.Introduction to the Readings
4.Encountering the Text
5.Proclaiming the Text
6.Relating the Text -
Grace For The Children
$20.99Add to cartThe church’s response to child and adolescent mental health disorders has too often been characterized by fear and misinformation rather than grace or wisdom. Psychologist Matthew Stanford educates Christians about a range of common mental health disorders–from both scientific and biblical perspectives–so that the church may offer young people hope, a holistic view of human nature, accessible care, and supportive community.
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How To Lead In A World Of Distraction Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$12.99Add to cartIn this six-session video study (DVD/digital downloads sold separately), pastor Clay Scroggins builds on the principles he established in his bestselling How to Lead When You’re Not in Charge and shows participants how to take the next step in their leadership growth by developing emotional awareness. As Clay notes, we are all surrounded by “white noise”–a soul-masking tool that keeps us from hearing the voices in our lives that we really need to hear. Our busy lives, the numbing nature of entertainment, and the urgency of ministry all work together to create a toxic cocktail of emotional distraction. And while many leaders have learned to tune out this “white noise,” in the process they have become “deaf” to the inner issues to which they need to attend.
Emotional healing begins with emotional awareness–our ability to identify and understand our feelings. Developing such emotional awareness comes from engaging in spiritual practices such as fasting, meditation, Sabbath keeping, prayer, and hospitality. As Clay states, such practices today are often viewed as “countercultural,” but they are solidly biblical and instrumental for helping us identify our emotions.
Through the practices described in this guide, leaders will unmask unpleasant emotions–robbing them of their stronghold–and learn how to pay close attention to the desires within. The result is that business, church, and ministry leaders will be empowered to replace the chaos in their increasingly busy lives with an emotional competence that leads to a calmer, less stressed, and more fulfilling life than ever before.
Designed for use with How to Lead in a World of Distraction Video Study (sold separately).
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Cry Of The Blind
$10.99Add to cartA Gods Life Publishing Title
Today there is a cry rising to God from the Blind Bartimaecus’s all cross our nation. The church as a whole is deafened to their cry. The love of money has caused many leaders to be more focused on having things rather than carrying the great commission of obeying Christ by evangelizing the lost. The Cry Of The Blind will encourage the church to refocus to the hearing the cry of the blind, initiate a plan of action to rescue them and thus fulfill the Great Commission.
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Big Gospel In Small Places
$22.99Add to cartChristian ministries increasingly prioritize urban areas–big cities and suburbs are considered more strategic, more influential, and more desirable places to live and work. As a ministry strategy, focusing on big places makes sense. But the gospel of Jesus is often unstrategic. Filled with helpful stories and practical advice, pastor Stephen Witmer lays out an integrated theological vision for small-place ministry today.
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Connections Year A Volume 2 Lent Through Pentecost
$55.00Add to cartDesigned to empower preachers as they lead their congregations to connect their lives to Scripture, Connections features a broad set of interpretive tools that provide commentary and worship aids on the Revised Common Lectionary.
For each worship day within the three-year lectionary cycle, the commentaries in Connections link the individual lection reading with Scripture as a whole as well as to the larger world. In addition, Connections places each Psalm reading in conversation with the other lections for the day to highlight the themes of the liturgical season. Finally, sidebars offer additional connections to Scripture for each Sunday or worship day.
This nine-volume series is a practical, constructive, and valuable resource for preachers who seek to help congregations connect more closely with Scripture.
This volume covers Year A for Lent through Pentecost.
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Jude Teen Girls Bible Study Book
$15.99Add to cartCalled. Loved. Kept.
God has commanded His beloved church to contend for the faith in a world of unbelief, and as we do, He will keep us from falling into the same deception.
Dive into themes of being called, loved, and kept, and learn how to point others to Jesus in grace and truth. We serve others well when we share the whole gospel with them, not just the parts our culture finds attractive.
Jude Teen Girls’ Bible Study Book includes content for seven sessions, personal study between group sessions, applicable Scripture, “How to Use this Study,” and a leader guide.
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Why Easter Matters Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$10.99Add to cartAs believers in Christ, we all would like to say that we trust in God. We would all like to claim that we believe God has our best interests in mind and that obedience to him is the best pathway to finding joy, peace, contentment, and fulfillment in life. But the truth is that we often find ourselves actively resisting the very God in whom we say we trust. Our hearts and our consciences tell us what is right–and what we need to be doing–but for some reason we tend to find ourselves going the other way.
This was true of people even back in the days of first-century Israel when Jesus walked the earth. In this four-session study (DVD/digital downloads sold separately), pastor Andy Stanley explores the lives of some of these individuals and reveals how the story of Easter became real to them when they found themselves caught up in the events of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection. These characters include figures in the Gospels such as:
*Joseph Caiaphas, the powerful Jewish religious leader, who refused to embrace Jesus as the Messiah because it would have put an end to his influence and control.
*Judas Iscariot, who was more interested in his own personal gain than in truly following after God–and betrayed Jesus to the Jewish authorities as a result of his greed.
*The two criminals on the crosses next to Jesus, who found themselves in their last hours of life just twelve feet away from God-in-the-flesh.
*The disciples and other followers of Jesus, who found their world turned upside down when the one they believed to be the Messiah was first put to death . . . and then rose again.The stories of these men and women who were present in the greatest story ever known–the story of Easter–give us great insights into our own relationship toward God. They reveal the attitudes of our hearts and compel us to truly consider why Easter matters and the effect it has on our lives.
Sessions include:
1. The High Cost of Following Christ (John 12:25)
2. The Risk of Surrendering to God (Matthew 19:27)
3. The God Who Can Be Trusted (Luke 23:39-41)
4. The Foundation of Our Faith (Acts 1:8)Designed for use with the double disc Who Needs Christmas/Why Easter Matters Video Study (sold separately).
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Think And Eat Yourself Smart Workbook (Workbook)
$9.99Add to cartScience is beginning to understand that our thinking has a deep and complicated relationship with our eating. Our thoughts before, during, and after eating profoundly impact our food choices, our digestive health, our brain health, and more. Yet most of us give very little thought to our food beyond taste and basic nutritional content.
In this curriculum, Dr. Caroline Leaf helps participants avoid fads and focus on their unique nutritional needs and thought patterns in order to positively impact their own health through right thinking. Anyone who is tired of traditional diet plans that don’t work, who struggles with emotional eating, or who simply isn’t satisfied with their level of health will find in this program the key to discovering how they can begin developing a healthier body, brain, and spirit. Perfect for small groups who want something a little different.
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Healing Together : A Guide To Supporting Sexual Abuse Survivors
$12.99Add to cartSex is such an intimate topic historically wrapped in shame and when someone shares they were sexually abused, we may not know how to respond.
With recent #MeToo and #ChurchToo movements, we are learning just how many men, women, boys, and girls have suffered sexual abuse at the hands of a trusted person, often family members or leaders in the church. Sexual abuse is rampant in modern society and now–sometimes many years later–sexual abuse survivors are sharing their stories.
Anne Marie Miller is a survivor of childhood clergy sexual abuse and has shared her journey toward healing with audiences all over the world. After speaking with thousands of survivors and their loved ones, she saw the need for a fundamental and practical guide for helping supporters of sexual abuse survivors understand the basics of abuse, trauma, healing, and hope. Drawing from her own experience as a survivor and evidence-based research, Anne addresses these questions and more in Healing Together.
*What is sexual abuse?
*How can I help survivors?
*Who are predators and how do they groom victims?
*How does trauma affect survivors?
*What happens when someone doesn’t remember the details of their abuse?
*How does abuse wound the physical, emotional, and spiritual health of people who have been abused?
*When and how should authorities be contacted?
*How do you talk to your children about sexual abuse?
*What are the warning signs of abuse?
*Is healing possible?Whether you are a spouse, a family member, a friend, or a church leader looking for easy-to-navigate resources to understand and support sexual abuse survivors, you’ll find answers and hope in these pages.
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Sent To Flourish
$40.99Add to cartHow can church planters and their congregations flourish for the long haul? Written by a diverse team of scholar-practitioners and filled with real-world insights, stories, and questions for reflection and discussion, this guide gives church planters and their teams the tools to be theologically reflective, spiritually grounded, and missionally agile.
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Tending Soul Mind And Body
$28.99Add to cartThroughout his ministry, Jesus consistently demonstrated his concern and love for the whole person: soul, mind, and body.
That concern is carried forward today by pastors and church leaders, who are called to care for people in the midst of individual circumstances as well as seismic cultural shifts. How might that calling be informed by recent developments in psychology? How should the church attend to matters of mental health? How might psychology and counseling aid us in our spiritual formation? Based on the 2018 Center for Pastor Theologians conference, this volume brings together reflections by pastors, theologians, and psychologists who explore the relationships among three fields of study–theological anthropology, spiritual formation, and modern psychology. The result is a vibrant whole-person theology that can aid the church today in its centuries-old call to care for the soul, mind, and body.
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Beyond The Tyranny Of The Text
$25.99Add to cartPreachers and students of preaching need help communicating hope! They want their sermons to communicate the promises of scripture, so that people can envision a new world in which their lives will be transformed. Preachers want to experience a new sense of freedom in their preaching, and to extend liberation based on their reading and interpretation of the scripture.
James Henry Harris introduces interpretation theory and continental philosophy as a resource for preachers to resist and overcome interpretive oppression, and lays out a new theory of scriptural interpretation. He analyzes philosopher Paul Ricoeur’s hermeneutics as a helpful guide for modern preachers, and incorporates in his analysis of the lived experience of the Black church. Harris highlights the preaching of several 19th and 20th century Black women, including Jarena Lee, Maria Stewart, and Mary Evans.
Beyond the Tyranny of the Text develops a five-part method for preaching that stretches from preparation to proclamation, and demonstrates how this method for interpretational creativity emerges from fidelity to the text. Harris demonstrates his method with sermonic exegesis of the Book of Jonah. With this new process of reading, rereading, un-reading, writing, and un-writing the text, the author offers wisdom and tools for reflection and illumination.
At its core, Beyond the Tyranny of the Text challenges the field of homiletics and all preachers to un-write like Jesus Christ: to get in front of the text, to understand preparation and preaching as a creative and transformative enterprise.
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Lectionary Reflections Cycle A
$29.95Add to cartWith Lectionary Reflections, Cycle A, readers will delight in the process of preparing to preach from the lectionary. While it is academically informed and theologically sound, this volume is notable in how it engenders a sense of playful, holy curiosity.
Readers will get insightful commentary, ideas for a variety of ways to preach and teach the texts, and weekly questions and suggestions to get conversations going.
Duffield’s wit and palpable love for the Body of Christ will invigorate any pastor’s sermon writing process. If you’re preaching or teaching from the lectionary, this will be a go-to resource week after week.
Jill Duffield holds an M.Div. degree from Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond, Virginia and a D.Min. degree from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Austin, Texas. She has pastored congregations in North Carolina and South Carolina. Jill won the James Solheim Award for Editorial Courage and the Award of Merit in Bible Reference for “Looking Into the Lectionary.” She is the current editor and publisher of The Presbyterian Outlook and is married to Grant. They are the parents of three children.
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Who Needs Christmas Study Guide
$10.99Add to cartThe details of the Christmas story are amazing . . . and can seem a bit unbelievable. There is the angelic announcement to Mary that she will give birth to the Messiah. The dream from God that convinces Joseph to take Jesus as his own son. The story of Zechariah, who lost his ability to speak for many months for doubting God’s word. The angelic host who announces Jesus’ birth to the shepherds. The wise men who visit Jesus and bring gifts. The madness of a king who tried to put an end to Jesus’ life.
The narrative of Jesus’ birth is both miraculous and incredible. But as pastor Andy Stanley explores in this four-session video study (DVD/digital downloads sold separately), when you look at all the events in the Old Testament leading up to this point in time, the unbelievable story of Christmas becomes quite remarkable. For the story does not begin with angels announcing Jesus’ birth in the Gospels but with God making a promise to a man named Abraham in the book of Genesis–a promise that all peoples in the world would be blessed through him.
It was only “when the set time had fully come” that God sent Jesus into the world “that we might receive adoption to sonship” (Galatians 4:4-5). God sent Jesus to do what laws and regulations, judges and prophets, and exile and punishment could not accomplish. He sent Jesus so that individual people could have a relationship with him. He sent Jesus, the author of life, to document his great love for his rebel race. He sent Jesus not merely to deliver us from the penalty and consequences of our sin, but to actually break the power of the enemy and free us from our slavery to sin.
Through Christmas, we are reminded God is active even when it seems like he is not. We are reminded that even when it seems God is silent, he is always working. And we are reminded that God sent Jesus not simply to be the Savior of the world but to be the Savior in our world. Through Christmas, we are reminded that God always keeps his promises to us.
Sessions include:
1. The Story Behind the Story (Genesis 12:3)
2. The Author of Life (Acts 3:15)
3. The Message of Christmas (Matthew 1:21)
4. Ready or Not . . . He Is Coming (Luke 1:37)Designed for use with the Who Needs Christmas/Why Easter Matters Video Study (sold separately).
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Everything You Need Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$12.99Add to cartMany Christians today feel unprepared and uncertain when it comes to living each day as followers of Christ. We often know what we are supposed to do, and even why we are supposed to do it. Yet when we lack confidence in ourselves and our spiritual development, we fail to live boldly as difference makers in our world.
As one of the world’s leading Bible teachers, Dr. David Jeremiah wants readers to know that this lack of confidence is both unnecessary and unhelpful. In fact, the Bible makes it clear that–in the same way skilled hikers pack all the necessary supplies before a journey–God Himself equips all believers with everything they need to walk and work with confidence as members of His kingdom.
Everything You Need continues Dr. Jeremiah’s focus on helping the church strive for spiritual victory through Christ. Using his signature depth, wisdom, and compassion, Dr. Jeremiah explores 2 Peter 1:5-10 to highlight seven critical tools God provides each of His people: virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love. When we use the equipment God provides, we can live confidently in the knowledge that we will never stumble.
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Womens Ministry With Purpose
$14.99Add to cartWhat Does God Expect from Women’s Ministry?
While women’s ministry can easily get caught up in Bible study themes and Pinterest-worthy decor, God’s heart calls for a ministry that is rooted in him. In order to understand what women’s ministry should look like today, Gena explores Scripture to establish what this ministry was meant to be and how women are called minister to other women.
Every church needs a team of women who serve in God’s name. Women’s Ministry with Purpose will show you how to rediscover the true purpose of your women’s ministry and gain support from your church’s leadership. More importantly, it will breathe new life into leaders and volunteers, giving you practical advice for organizing, training, and supporting the women around you.
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Almost Christmas : A Wesleyan Advent Experience
$17.99Add to cartIn 1741, John Wesley preached his famous sermon titled “The Almost Christian” in which he encouraged people to follow Christ wholeheartedly. We should not be satisfied with being almost Christian but rather strive towards being altogether a Christian.
In Almost Christmas: A Wesleyan Advent Experience, author and pastor Magrey deVega leads a group of authors to explore how we can make the same commitment to Christ during Advent, connecting our Wesleyan heritage with the traditional Advent themes of Love, Hope, Joy, and Peace.
In this book, perfect for Advent, deVega and the other authors break down the barriers that prevent us from experiencing an “altogether” love, hope, joy, and peace in Christ in our lives and in the world around us. They demonstrate the promises God offers to us that makes those longings a reality, inviting us to claim those promises for ourselves this Advent and celebrate an altogether Christmas.
Chapters include:
*Altogether Love
*Altogether Hope
*Altogether Joy
*Altogether PeaceAdditional components for a four-week study include a DVD featuring Magrey deVega and the other writers and a comprehensive Leader Guide, as well as nativity hymns by Charles Wesley, litanies for lighting the Advent wreath, and prayers that can be incorporated into both worship and small group settings. A daily devotional and a youth study book are also available.
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God Is With Us (Large Type)
$11.99Add to cartGod Is With Us, originally published in 2016, invites you to explore your longing for God’s presence through a study of the lectionary Bible readings for Advent and Christmas. The hope of Advent is the fulfillment of that longing; we await the coming of Jesus as Immanuel, God With Us. Each week’s Scriptures call us to praise God as we actively await the coming of Christ and prepare our hearts and lives for his arrival. Through the readings, we hear the invitation to claim and celebrate the new hope we have in Jesus Christ.
The season of Advent offers opportunities to prepare for God’s coming in human form in the infant Jesus and for the fulfillment of God’s kingdom with the second coming of Christ. Hope is the focus of Advent worship, study, and prayer. We will discover the light that began in the manger, which continues as we look forward with hope to Christ’s return.
God Is With Us is based on the Revised Common Lectionary Scriptures for church year A, the first of a three-year cycle of Bible readings. The study includes commentary and reflection on readings from the Old Testament, the Gospels, and the Epistles. It offers the opportunity to explore these Bible readings in a five-session study. It will help participants understand, appreciate, and engage in meaningful and joyous celebrations of Advent and Christmas and to live each day in God’s hope through Jesus Christ.
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God Is With Us
$10.99Add to cartGod Is With Us, originally published in 2016, invites you to explore your longing for God’s presence through a study of the lectionary Bible readings for Advent and Christmas. The hope of Advent is the fulfillment of that longing; we await the coming of Jesus as Immanuel, God With Us. Each week’s Scriptures call us to praise God as we actively await the coming of Christ and prepare our hearts and lives for his arrival. Through the readings, we hear the invitation to claim and celebrate the new hope we have in Jesus Christ.
The season of Advent offers opportunities to prepare for God’s coming in human form in the infant Jesus and for the fulfillment of God’s kingdom with the second coming of Christ. Hope is the focus of Advent worship, study, and prayer. We will discover the light that began in the manger, which continues as we look forward with hope to Christ’s return.
God Is With Us is based on the Revised Common Lectionary Scriptures for church year A, the first of a three-year cycle of Bible readings. The study includes commentary and reflection on readings from the Old Testament, the Gospels, and the Epistles. It offers the opportunity to explore these Bible readings in a five-session study. It will help participants understand, appreciate, and engage in meaningful and joyous celebrations of Advent and Christmas and to live each day in God’s hope through Jesus Christ.
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Light Of The World (Large Type)
$18.99Add to cartIn Light of the World: A Beginner’s Guide to Advent, author, professor, and biblical scholar Amy-Jill Levine explores the biblical texts surrounding the story of the birth of Jesus. Join her as she traces the Christmas narrative through the stories of Zechariah and Elizabeth, Mary, the journey to Bethlehem, and the visit from the Magi. These stories open conversations around connections of the Gospel stories to the Old Testament, the role of women in first-century Jewish culture, the importance of Mary’s visitation and the revolutionary implications of Mary’s Magnificat, the census and the stable, and the star of Bethlehem and the flight to Egypt.
The book provides a rich and challenging learning experience for small groups and individual readers alike. As part of a larger four-week study that is perfect for Advent, it includes a DVD and a comprehensive leader guide.
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Fierce Womens Bible Study Leader Guide (Teacher’s Guide)
$15.99Add to cartThe word fierce is trendy. It is used to describe women who are extreme athletes, high-level executives, or supermodels. Women at the top of their game. But what about the rest of us? Can we be fierce? Absolutely! In fact, women like us have been changing the world for thousands of years-many who received little fanfare yet lived fiercely anyway. In this six-week study we will look at lesser-known female characters in the Bible and the ways they changed the world by living into God’s calling, including:
*The midwives of Egypt (Shiphrah and Puah), who made hard decisions in the face of evil
*Deborah, who was an unlikely and powerful leader
*Naaman’s slave girl, who bravely points others to God’s healing power
*The Woman at the Well, who boldly repented and shared her faith
*Lois and Eunice, who parented with intentionality and effectiveness
*Dorcas, who showed kindness to those in need.As we explore their lives, we will discover how we too can live into our callings, honor the Lord, and even change the world through our courage, faithfulness, and obedience.
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Fierce Womens Bible Study Participant Workbook (Workbook)
$17.99Add to cartLearn from the fierce women of God who changed the world.
The word fierce is trendy. It is used to describe women who are extreme athletes, high-level executives, or supermodels. Women at the top of their game. But what about the rest of us? Can we be fierce? Absolutely! In fact, women like us have been changing the world for thousands of years-many who received little fanfare yet lived fiercely anyway. In this six-week study we will look at lesser-known female characters in the Bible and the ways they changed the world by living into God’s calling, including:
*The midwives of Egypt (Shiphrah and Puah), who made hard decisions in the face of evil
*Deborah, who was an unlikely and powerful leader
*Naaman’s slave girl, who bravely points others to God’s healing power
*The Woman at the Well, who boldly repented and shared her faith
*Lois and Eunice, who parented with intentionality and effectiveness
*Dorcas, who showed kindness to those in need.As we explore their lives, we will discover how we too can live into our callings, honor the Lord, and even change the world through our courage, faithfulness, and obedience.
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Light Of The World
$17.99Add to cartIn Light of the World: A Beginner’s Guide to Advent, author, professor, and biblical scholar Amy-Jill Levine explores the biblical texts surrounding the story of the birth of Jesus. Join her as she traces the Christmas narrative through the stories of Zechariah and Elizabeth, Mary, the journey to Bethlehem, and the visit from the Magi. These stories open conversations around connections of the Gospel stories to the Old Testament, the role of women in first-century Jewish culture, the importance of Mary’s visitation and the revolutionary implications of Mary’s Magnificat, the census and the stable, and the star of Bethlehem and the flight to Egypt.
The book provides a rich and challenging learning experience for small groups and individual readers alike. As part of a larger four-week study that is perfect for Advent, it includes a DVD and a comprehensive leader guide.
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Almost Christmas Devotions For The Season
$12.99Add to cartIn 1741, John Wesley preached his famous sermon titled “The Almost Christian” in which he encouraged people to follow Christ wholeheartedly. We should not be satisfied with being almost Christian but rather strive towards being altogether a Christian.
In Almost Christmas: A Wesleyan Advent Experience, author and pastor Magrey deVega leads a group of authors to explore how we can make the same commitment to Christ during Advent, connecting our Wesleyan heritage with the traditional Advent themes of Love, Hope, Joy, and Peace.
In this book, perfect for Advent, deVega and the other authors break down the barriers that prevent us from experiencing an “altogether” love, hope, joy, and peace in Christ in our lives and in the world around us. They demonstrate the promises God offers to us that makes those longings a reality, inviting us to claim those promises for ourselves this Advent and celebrate an altogether Christmas.
The devotional contains 28 daily devotions for the four weeks of Advent corresponding to the themes of Altogether Love, Altogether Hope, Altogether Joy, and Altogether Peace. Written by pastors and other leaders, the devotions celebrate and bring together the season of Advent and the best of our Wesleyan heritage.
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Almost Christmas Youth Study Book (Student/Study Guide)
$12.99Add to cartIn 1741, John Wesley preached his famous sermon titled “The Almost Christian” in which he encouraged people to follow Christ wholeheartedly. We should not be satisfied with being almost Christian but rather strive towards being altogether a Christian.
In Almost Christmas: A Wesleyan Advent Experience, author and pastor Magrey deVega leads a group of authors to explore how we can make the same commitment to Christ during Advent, connecting our Wesleyan heritage with the traditional Advent themes of Love, Hope, Joy, and Peace.
In this book, perfect for Advent, deVega and the other authors break down the barriers that prevent us from experiencing an “altogether” love, hope, joy, and peace in Christ in our lives and in the world around us. They demonstrate the promises God offers to us that makes those longings a reality, inviting us to claim those promises for ourselves this Advent and celebrate an altogether Christmas.
This Youth Study Book takes the ideas presented in the book and interprets them for young people grades 6-12.
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Almost Christmas : A Wesleyan Advent Experience (Large Type)
$18.99Add to cartIn 1741, John Wesley preached his famous sermon titled “The Almost Christian” in which he encouraged people to follow Christ wholeheartedly. We should not be satisfied with being almost Christian but rather strive towards being altogether a Christian.
In Almost Christmas: A Wesleyan Advent Experience, author and pastor Magrey deVega leads a group of authors to explore how we can make the same commitment to Christ during Advent, connecting our Wesleyan heritage with the traditional Advent themes of Love, Hope, Joy, and Peace.
In this book, perfect for Advent, deVega and the other authors break down the barriers that prevent us from experiencing an “altogether” love, hope, joy, and peace in Christ in our lives and in the world around us. They demonstrate the promises God offers to us that makes those longings a reality, inviting us to claim those promises for ourselves this Advent and celebrate an altogether Christmas.
Chapters include:
*Altogether Love
*Altogether Hope
*Altogether Joy
*Altogether PeaceAdditional components for a four-week study include a DVD featuring Magrey deVega and the other writers and a comprehensive Leader Guide, as well as nativity hymns by Charles Wesley, litanies for lighting the Advent wreath, and prayers that can be incorporated into both worship and small group settings. A daily devotional and a youth study book are also available.
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How Happiness Happens Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$14.99Add to cartIn this six-session video Bible study (DVD/digital downloads sold separately), bestselling author Max Lucado looks at several “one another” statements in the Bible that reveal how the happiest people on earth aren’t those who have the most but those who are willing to give the most away. While everyone craves happiness, and everyone benefits from it, the sad reality is that fewer people today are finding it. We have more possessions than ever before, better access to education, and greater advancements in technology and medicine. Yet the majority of us can’t find an adequate reason to check the “yes” box on a happiness questionnaire.
Our culture tries to convince us there is one way to happiness: aspire, acquire, desire, retire. Happiness depends on what we hang in our closet, park in our garage, and deposit in our bank account. It’s a path that always fails to deliver. Instead, Jesus provides a better way: “It is better to give than receive” (Acts 22:35 nkjv). Intentional, altruistic acts of service are the most reliable sources of well-being. It is a principle Jesus lived out in his own life. While he was accused of much, he was never described as being grumpy or perpetually somber. Rather, he said, “I came to give life with joy and abundance” (John 10:10 vce).God wants to bring joy to the people of this generation, and in his Word, he has given us practical and applicable ways to quarry that joy by giving it away. In this study, group members will look at several key “one another” statements given in the New Testament and discover how to make happiness happen in their lives. They will discover that while the world can be a lonely and disappointing place, they can be God’s representatives to bring about a cascade of kindness. While we cannot solve every problem, we can bring a few smiles to a few faces. In this way, we might even initiate a quiet revolution of joy.
This study guide is designed for use with the How Happiness Happens Video Study (sold separately).
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Preachers Guide To Lectionary Sermon Series Volume 2
$47.00Add to cartBoth lectionary preachers and topical preachers will enjoy the best of both worlds with this second volume of sermon series ideas designed to frame consecutive weeks of lectionary texts into seasonal and short-term series. With contributors from seven denominations, this comprehensive resource offers new perspectives and fresh ideas for diving deep into biblical themes in ways that make congregants eager to come back for the next sermon and to invite others as well. Twenty-eight series plans include thematic overviews, sermon starters, and ideas for worship and outreach, honoring holy days and seasons and addressing typical patterns of church attendance to maximize visitor retention and member engagement.
Contributors include: Amy K. Butler, Kyle E. Brooks, Carol Cavin-Dillon, Magrey R. deVega, Brian Erickson, Mihee Kim-Kort, Jasper Peters, Tuhina Verma Rasche, Bruce Reyes-Chow, Brandan J. Robertson, Martha K. Spong, and Anthony J. Tang.
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Preachers Bible Handbook
$47.00Add to cartWhen it comes to understanding a passage in the Bible, context is everything. What historical events surround a book’s composition? What larger literary unit is a given passage part of? What central themes explored by the book touch on the verses in question? If we don’t know the answer to questions like these, we are ill-prepared to speak to-and especially preach about-a passage’s meaning. The Preacher’s Bible Handbook aims to meet this need for extra help in preparing the sermon. Essays on each of the biblical books introduce the most relevant historical, literary, and theological facts about the book. Each is designed to aid the preacher in setting the stage for a sermon on any passage in the Bible.
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Connections Year A Volume 1 Advent Through Epiphany
$55.00Add to cartDesigned to empower preachers as they lead congregations to connect their lives to Scripture, Connections features a broad set of interpretive tools that provide commentary and worship aids on the Revised Common Lectionary.
This nine-volume series offers creative commentary on each reading in the three-year lectionary cycle by viewing that reading through the lens of its connections to the rest of Scripture and then seeing the reading through the lenses of culture, film, fiction, ethics, and other aspects of contemporary life. Commentaries on the Psalms make connections to the other readings and to the congregation’s experience of worship.
Connections is published in partnership with Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary.
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Defined Teen Guys And Young Men Bible Study Bible (Student/Study Guide)
$13.99Add to cartWho Are You?
When you introduce yourself to someone for the first time, you may start with your name, where you go to school, a sport or instrument you play, or your future plans. Each of those may help our culture define us, but are they enough? There are bigger questions culture can’t answer: “Who am I?” and “Why do I matter?” But first, you must answer, “Who is God?”
Scripture teaches that we’re all made in the image of God. We don’t define ourselves-the Creator does. Once you begin to understand who God is and what it means to be created in His image, you’ll begin to discover all God has called you to be. This Bible study will examine spiritual truths from the Book of Ephesians to lead you into a closer relationship with God and a better understanding and appreciation of your God-given identity-which is fulfilled in Christ.
Defined Teen Guys’ Bible Study Book includes content for eight sessions, personal study between group sessions, applicable Scripture, “How to Use this Study,” tips for leading a group, and a leader guide.
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Defined Who God Says You Are Leader Guide (Teacher’s Guide)
$14.99Add to cartDefined: Who God Says You Are – Leader Guide is an 8-week Bible study guiding kids to find their identity in Christ, based on selected passages from Ephesians.
“Who am I?” is a question that many kids are being challenged to answer. To answer this question, we must first ask “Who does God say I am?” Beginning in Genesis, the Bible tells us that we are each made in God’s image, but that image has become distorted by sin. The only way to restore what was broken is through a relationship with Jesus.
Through Defined: Who God Says I Am, kids will discover who God created them to be and what is true about their identity because of their relationship with Jesus.
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Revolutionary Kingdom Leader Guide (Teacher’s Guide)
$15.99Add to cartWhat exactly is a disciple, and how will we know if we have made one? There are three core values that a disciple embodies: undiluted devotion to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, a Kingdom of God worldview, and a missional lifestyle.
In Revolutionary Kingdom: Following the Rebel Jesus, author and Pastor Mike Slaughter explores why we must exchange comfortable cultural worldviews and values for the radical requirements of living out the Kingdom of God on Planet Earth. When God’s people get serious about this call, it’s revolutionary. Jesus himself was the most radical revolutionary who ever lived and provided us a vision of a kingdom worth dying for.
Welcome to the revolution!
The Leader Guide contains everything needed to guide a group through the six-week study including session plans, activities, and discussion questions, as well as multiple format options.
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Shades Of Light Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$12.99Add to cartThis six-week study guide is an opportunity for you to reflect on how the experiences of the characters in the novel resonate with your own experience. Daily Scripture readings and reflection questions are accompanied by an invitation to explore creativity through art and prayer collage. You’ll also be introduced to the practice of visio divina (meditating on art) through a weekly link to a piece of art by Vincent van Gogh. With simple spiritual practices, this guide offers a healing balm for those in the midst of difficult seasons.
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Will Willimons Lectionary Sermon Resource Year A Part 1
$26.99Add to cartWill Willimon is widely acclaimed as one of the top ten preachers in the world. For each Sunday of the Christian year, Will provides just what you need to begin the journey toward a sermon. This guide will stoke, fund, and fuel your imagination while leaving plenty of room to insert your own illustrations, make connections within your congregational context, and speak the Word in your distinctive voice. Guidance from Will Willimon is like sitting down with a trusted clergy friend and asking, “What will you preach next Sunday?” Year A Part 1 is part of a six-volume set that includes years A, B, and C (2 volumes per year) in the Revised Common Lectionary. Part 1 includes the First Sunday in Advent through the Easter season.
Each week of sermon resources includes:
1.Readings
2.Theme title
3.Introduction to the Readings
4.Encountering the Text
5.Proclaiming the Text
6.Relating the Text
