Pastoral Helps
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Introduction To The New Testament
$70.00Add to cartThis New Testament introduction is different.Many introductions zero in on the historical contexts in which the New Testament literature was written. This introduction goes farther-to give particular attention to the social, cultural, and rhetorical contexts of the New Testament authors and their writings.Few introductions to the New Testament integrate instruction in exegetical and interpretive strategies with the customary considerations of authorship, dating, audience, and message. This introduction capitalizes on the opportunity, introducing students to a relevant facet of interpretation with each portion of New Testament literature.Rarely do introductions to the New Testament approach their task mindful of students preparing for ministry. This introduction is explicit in doing so, recognizing as it does that the New Testament itself-in its parts and as a whole-is a pastoral resource. Each chapter on the New Testament literature closes with a discussion of implications for ministry formation.These integrative features alone would distinguish this introduction from others. But in addition, its pages brim with maps, photos, points of interest, and aids to learning. Separate chapters explore the historical and cultural environment of the New Testament era, the nature of the Gospels and the quest for the historical Jesus, and the life of Paul.First published in 2004, David A. deSilva’s comprehensive and carefully crafted introduction to the New Testament has been long established as an authoritative textbook and resource for students. This beautiful, full-color second edition has been updated throughout with new scholarship and numerous images. It is the first choice for those convinced that a New Testament introduction should integrate scholarship and ministry.
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Your Companion Through Chronic Illness
$5.99Add to cartThe Out of the Depths series addresses common pastoral crises in a faithful, encouraging, and factual manner that provides support to parishioners in crisis beyond the initial pastoral conversation. These inexpensive booklets can be given out to parishioners when they bring their recent diagnosis, crisis, or trauma to the pastor as a way to continue to provide care throughout the difficult season. Each booklet begins with a thoughtful consideration of the topic at hand, which is followed up by 30 brief devotions. These devotions are designed to be manageable in an overwhelming time, encouraging, and honest. This Chronic Illnessedition is authored by Lauren Dunkle Dancey, a United Methodist chaplain and pastor who lives with chronic illness. The Out of the Depths booklets are essential care resources to be given out by pastors, Stephen Ministers, and congregational care teams. Key Features:
Written by metal health professionals and pastors to help the reader process their trauma both psychologically and theologically.
Includes accessible material describing the dynamics of the crisis situation and typical reactions, which provides the reader with a sense of grounding and direction through increased knowledge.
The thirty short devotions creates a sense of companionship and hope in a difficult and lonely time.
Knowing they are sharing a resource written by mental health professionals and pastors with personal experience provides pastors a trustworthy source of information.
Easy for pastors/churches to keep in stock and distribute as needed, serves as a tangible reminder of the faith community’s care. -
Your Companion Through Depression And Anxiety
$5.99Add to cartThe Out of the Depths series addresses common pastoral crises in a faithful, encouraging, and factual manner that provides support to parishioners in crisis beyond the initial pastoral conversation. These inexpensive booklets can be given out to parishioners when they bring their recent diagnosis, crisis, or trauma to the pastor as a way to continue to provide care throughout the difficult season. Each booklet begins with a thoughtful consideration of the topic at hand, which is followed up by 30 brief devotions. These devotions are designed to be manageable in an overwhelming time, encouraging, and honest. This Depression and Anxiety edition is authored by Jim Hightower and features insightful devotions by Harriet Bryan. The Out of the Depths booklets are essential care resources to be given out by pastors, Stephen Ministers, and congregational care teams. Key Features: Written by metal health professionals and pastors to help the reader process their trauma both psychologically and theologically. Includes accessible material describing the dynamics of the crisis situation and typical reactions, which provides the reader with a sense of grounding and direction through increased knowledge. The thirty short devotions creates a sense of companionship and hope in a difficult and lonely time. Knowing they are sharing a resource written by mental health professionals and pastors with personal experience provides pastors a trustworthy source of information. Easy for pastors/churches to keep in stock and distribute as needed, serves as a tangible reminder of the faith community’s care.
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Return Of Jesus Leader Guide (Teacher’s Guide)
$14.99Add to cartThe second coming of Jesus has been a topic of fascination for both scholars and lay people for centuries. The accounts of Jesus’ return found throughout the Bible, especially in Revelation, are put forth with a cinematic quality that is both enrapturing and unnerving. In this study, we’ll explore apocalyptic literature throughout the Bible along with what it does and doesn’t tell us about Jesus’ return, and the key takeaways that these scriptures have for our faith. A Deep Dive into the Story of God Fathom is a Bible study for teens that covers the Old and New Testaments in 18 4-session studies. The lessons are a blend of narrative and traditional theological approaches to understanding the Bible story. Each lesson will focus on one passage that will launch into the larger context of God’s story being studied,and how that story is meant to be theirs. Fathom is suitable for groups with middle schoolers, high schoolers, and any combination of the two. But unlike many other resources, it acknowledges the differences between older and younger youth and the way they learn. It provides activities specific to each age group, as well as activities for mixed groups in which older youth have leadership opportunities. Fathom gives leaders the option to let youth take ownership of their learning through teaching and leading alongside adults. Fathom creates space and tension for teens to wrestle with how to interpret and experience the Bible. Through youthministrypartners.com, leaders will have access to planning and teaching tools, customizable content, and other supplemental content to support their use of Fathom as well as their youth ministries in general.
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Surrendering My Ordination
$20.00Add to cartIn May 2017, after sixty years as an ordained United Methodist minister, Rev. J. Philip Wogaman surrendered his ordination, choosing to exit a community of clergy who will not allow an openly gay person to join. By surrendering his ordination, he chose to join the group of devoted Christians outside the clergy who welcomed gay and lesbian individuals.
Beginning with an examination of ordination and what is means theologically, ethically, and pastorally, Wogaman then describes the action itself and its aftermath. Surrendering My Ordination also explores how The United Methodist Church can move forward, beyond the polarized present situation found in many contemporary Christian churches.
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Names Of God (Workbook)
$16.99Add to cartDrawn from the books, Praying the Names of God and Praying the Names of Jesus, this Bible study includes additional questions designed to help individuals and groups explore the most important of God’s names and titles as they are revealed in the Bible. Exploring his names and titles in both the Old and New Testaments allows study participants to begin to realize how utterly great, loving, and powerful God is. By studying such rich and varied names as Adonai, Yahweh, Abba, Yeshua, Lamb of God, and Prince of Peace, we understand more about who God is and how he loves us. Each week’s study provides background information to help readers understand the name, a key Scripture in which the name was either first or most significantly revealed, a series of questions for individual or group study, and a brief list of passages for further study.
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Women Of The Bible
$16.99Add to cartBased on the bestselling book coauthored with Ann Spangler, Women of the Bible, this study edition includes an introduction to each woman, major Scripture passages, study materials, and cultural backgrounds. There are fifty-two studies, one for each week of the year. Newly gathered study aids include helpful charts as well as a complete listing of all women of the Bible, with pertinent Scripture references. Space is included to record your thoughts and insights.
Each timeless biblical story mirrors the challenges and changes today’s women face. Through understanding these women’s lives, this easy-to-use study resource will help you discover the God behind their stories-and yours.
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Love First : A Childrens Ministry For The Whole Church
$23.95Add to cart* A sought-after model and guide to a new paradigm for children’s ministries * Creative program based on research and personal experience Struggling to offer a children’s program that resonates with young families? Finding it difficult to recruit teachers and volunteers for your children’s program? Want a children’s ministry that is grounded in Christ’s foundational teachings and relevant to the experiences of children today? This must-have guide to rethinking your children’s ministry is informed and intelligent, with the lighthearted humor so helpful to working with children. Through storytelling, testimonials, and research-based creativity, you’ll be inspired and energized to use your church’s gifts, your children’s interests, and your families’ needs to develop a children’s ministry that fits your church and the people in it. An appendix includes sample lesson plans, suggested Bible stories and book, and sermons. Colette Potts offers a successful model for a congregation to turn around their children’s ministry program to engage the whole congregation in worship, learning, and service while partnering with parents for bridging the formation gap between Sunday morning at church and the rest of the week at home and beyond.
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Faith And Science In The 21st Century
$16.95Add to cart* Eight noted theologians, each speaking on a topic of science * Builds on popular videos from the Day 1 radio program Science or faith? The battle rages, from millennials and GenXers questioning the relevance of religion to older adults who doubt the validity of science (and vice versa), but these two are not mutually exclusive. They can, in fact, be mutually enriching and complimentary, once their proper domains are understood and respected. The Episcopal Church, with its tradition of the “via media,” offers an ideal setting for conversations seeking to bridge the often antagonistic perspectives on both sides. Faith and Science in the 21st Century presents a way to start that conversation. Built on existing videos produced by the popular Day 1 program with assistance from a John Templeton Foundation grant, this series features notable faith leaders across the denominational spectrum in 3 to 5 minute video presentations on scientific topics in which they are experts. Intended for use in a variety of settings, including congregations, schools, and campus ministries, it can be presented as an eight-session series of studies, but each session can also stand on its own for a one-time formation offering. A single video download will offer all video presentations. This Leader Guide enables facilitators to foster fruitful discussions of each session topic. It includes an introduction about the program and how it can be used, and eight detailed session plans to utilize with a downloadable video sold separately on the Day 1 website.
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Honest Worship : From False Self To True Praise
$17.99Add to cartIntroduction: Falling On My Face
Part I: Worship On The Cutting Edge
1. Smoke Machines And Laser Lights
2. Golden Dreams, Golden Calves
3. The Consumer-Driven Life
4. The Culture Of NarcissismPart II: Pride And Humility
5. Pride On The Platform
6. The Nature Of Identity
7. Worship From The True Self
8. Soul WorshipPart III: Rediscovering Worship
9. The Church Gathered
10. The Rhythm Of Worship
11. The Other Six Days Of The Week
12. Compassion And Justice
13. The Deep End Of The PoolEpilogue: Still Falling
Acknowledgments
Discussion Guide
NotesAdditional Info
When asked by his son why some churches have smoke machines, worship pastor Manuel Luz found himself responding, “Well, technically, you need smoke machines to see the lasers.” But when you take down the smoke screen, what do you have left? Where do we encounter the Holy in the midst of all this? Where can we worship with our full selves-heart, soul, mind, and body-in Spirit and truth?Drawing from his own experience leading worship in a large congregation and feeling the pull of performance, Manuel Luz guides us on a journey through worship that takes us far beyond style and deep into our own souls. He calls us back to an honest worship that moves past facades and pulls us inward toward the true self that God is forming within each of us. Each chapter ends with a spiritual practice designed to help us set aside pretense and enter into the very presence of God. -
What Does It Mean To Be Welcoming
$18.99Add to cart“Welcoming?” (An Introduction)
Part One: The Complexity
1. Meanings, Motives, Regrets, And Hopes
2. A Difficult, Knotty, Potentially Thorny Conversation
Testimonial: My Son
Testimonial: Our Daughter
3. The Terrifying Beauty Of A Diverse Church Or DenominationPart Two: The Topic
4. The Affirming Position
Testimonial: A Lesbian Christian
5. The Traditional Position
6. What Does The Bible Say?Part Three: The Way Forward
7. What Options Does A Same-Sex Attracted Christian Have?
8. We Can’t Just Sing Kumbaya Forever
9. Welcoming But Not Affirming And Mutually Transforming
Testimonial: Called To Stay
Testimonial: Why We Left
10. What Can We Do?Conclusion
Acknowledgments
Appendix A: A Process
Appendix B: A Statement On Sexuality
Discussion Guide
Notes
For Further ReadingAdditional Info
Is your church wrestling with LGBT questions from membership to marriage? Travis Collins has been there. A pastor who has walked congregations through the complex issues surrounding gay Christians, he knows firsthand the confusion and hurt that often follow. He has also seen churches have these conversations with grace and understanding. In this practical resource, readers will gain insight into relevant biblical passages and hear from interpreters on both sides of the debate. They will consider the implications of their convictions for ministry practice, relationships, church policy, and more. They will hear testimonies from gay friends and family members about their experiences in the church. Collins calls readers to both grace and truth, with humility.What Does It Mean to Be Welcoming? considers how we might welcome everyone into the church while calling for all to be transformed. -
Gods Plan For Christian Living (Workbook)
$29.95Add to cartEvery ESL Ministry Needs This Book!
God’s Plan for Christian Living, Book 2 in the ESL Ministry Series, is a practical, time-tested workbook with step-by-step activities that help ESL students move easily from learning English or reading more fluently to considering what it means to live as a disciple of Christ.
This ESL workbook is part of a series that is:
*Deliberately simple in design and vocabulary.
*Easy to follow with engaging and effective exercises.
*Suitable as a stand-alone resource or as a supplement to existing ESL courses.
*Designed to share the basic principles of Christian living in clear, concise lessons.
*Perfect for ESL teachers and ministries to use and adapt to a variety of contexts.God’s Plan for Christian Living is ideal for:
*People with limited English ability.
*Individuals with little or no previous Bible knowledge.
*People who may be reluctant to interact with the Bible because of its perceived complexity.For those looking to introduce the Good News of Christ into their ESL program, the first book in this ESL Ministry Series–God’s Plan of Love (ISBN: 978-1-61314-401-5)–is also available. Together, these easy-to-use materials will provide the tools to bridge the gap between ESL language teaching and sharing Christ and important biblical truths.
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Seeing Gray In A World Of Black And White Leader Guide (Teacher’s Guide)
$14.99Add to cartEveryone agrees that America is polarized, with ever-hardening positions held by people less and less willing to listen to one another. No one agrees on what to do about it. One solution that hasn’t yet been tried, says Adam Hamilton, is for thinking persons of faith to model for the rest of the country a richer, more thoughtful conversation on the political, moral, and religious issues that divide us. The Leader Guide includes session plans, discussion questions, and multiple format options.
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Affirm Student Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$13.99Add to cartAffirm is a 6 week discipleship refresh from confirmation. With an emphasis on following Jesus and spiritual practices Affirm is great for a youth group series, a small group study, or for a weekend retreat. Providing leaders with the tools to enlist the support of their church and parents to help students grow stronger and go deeper with their relationship with Christ.
The Affirm student guide is a devotional resource designed to support the ownership of your teens faith journey. We know teens are social. The devotional material is woven into the rest of the student material so their growth gets worked out with their peers, and is shareable. This connection with their small group will lead to better faith/life integration.
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Focus On Jesus Cycle C
$16.95Add to cartEvery time Rev. Derl G. Keefer preaches a Christmas sermon, he asks himself the same question. Why did Jesus come to earth?
It’s the question that Jesus’ earthly parents, Mary and Joseph, must have asked themselves over and over. They struggled to understand why, when he was 12 years old, he would leave their care to join the scholars of the temple.
His answer served to refocus his own parents on who he really was.”Did you not know,” he asked them, “that I must be about my Father’s business?”
The 15 sermons contained in Focus on Jesus will provide four answers to the question of why he came by revealing the nature of the Father’s business as described in the Gospel of Luke:
*Jesus came to be the fulfillment of prophecy.
*Jesus came to be our Messiah.
*Jesus came to be our Savior.
*Jesus came to be the human face of God.This Advent season, utilize Keefer’s clear, simple teaching style in Focus on Jesus to help those seeking Jesus understand who he is, and to reignite the passion that first brought members of your congregation into his arms.
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Healing Our Broken Humanity
$24.99Add to cartForeword By Willie James Jennings
Introduction: Nine Practices That Heal Our Broken Humanity
1. Reimagine Church
2. Renew Lament
3. Repent Together
4. Relinquish Power
5. Restore Justice
6. Reactivate Hospitality
7. Reinforce Agency
8. Reconcile Relationships
9. Recover Life Together
Epilogue: A Benediction And Prayer
Acknowledgments
Appendix One: Questions For Discussion And Engagement
Appendix Two: The Nine Transforming Practices Accountability Form
Appendix Three: Resources For Healing Our Broken Humanity
Notes
IndexAdditional Info
We live in conflicted times. Our newsfeeds are filled with inequality, division, and fear. We want to make a difference and see justice restored because Jesus calls us to be a peacemaking and reconciling people. But how do we do this?Based on their work with diverse churches, colleges, and other organizations, Grace Ji-Sun Kim and Graham Hill offer Christian practices that can bring healing and hope to a broken world. They provide ten ways to transform society, from lament and repentance to relinquishing power, reinforcing agency, and more. Embodying these practices enables us to be the new humanity in Jesus Christ, so the church and world can experience reconciliation, justice, unity, peace, and love.
With small group activities, discussion questions, and exercises in each chapter, this book is ideal to read together in community. Discover here how to bring real change to a dehumanized world.
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Shouting Joy To The Storm Cycle C
$15.95Add to cartHow are we to respond when the violent storm of change rolls into our lives?
Should we hide from the storm? Hide in the status quo?
As this volume of sermons reminds us, that is not the way of the Christ.Followers of Jesus are called to believe that our greatest treasure ought not be found in the comfort of worldly life as we make it. The Lord calls us instead to step outside and face the coming storm, as he did.
When we do, we face all manner of fears in a world that does not like its order challenged. Mockery when we follow God; poverty when we stop worshipping money; grief when we are vulnerable enough to love the oppressed.
Shouting Joy to the Storm reminds us that, just as the Father partnered with the Son to bring him through the storm of Calvary, so he will bring us through our storms. We are not in this for a mere lifetime. We are in it for the long haul.
“They shall no more be a prey to the nations, nor shall the beasts of the land devour them. They shall dwell securely, and none shall make them afraid (Ezekiel 34:28, ESV).”
Sermons include:
*Long View – The Long Haul(Luke 13:31-35)
*What Is Truth? (John 18:1-19, 42)
*Death Shall Be No More (John 13:31-35, Revelation 21:1-6) -
Unshakable Hope Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$12.99Add to cartThe Unshakable Hope group Bible study provides groups of all sizes the opportunity to discuss and apply what they experience during the twelve-week Unshakable Hope church campaign.
In this 12-week study, bestselling author and pastor Max Lucado reveals how the heroes in the Bible came from all walks of life. They were rulers, servants, teachers, doctors. They were male, female, single, married. Yet one common denominator united them: they all put their faith in God’s promises. Because of God’s promises, Noah built an ark on dry land, Abraham went to a distant land, Joshua claimed the Promised Land, David became king, Peter preached the first sermon, and John caught a glimpse of the future.The stories of the men and women in Scripture were different, but the theme was the same: they were people of the Promise. Since the beginning of time, God’s relationship to humankind has been shaped by specific requirements and promises. These covenants were unchangeable decrees that defined the outflow of history. Some of the promises were positive, the assurance of blessings. Some of them were negative, the guarantee of consequence. But all the promises were binding.
This world has a tremble to it. There are things that seem unsteady in this life. But when we belong to God, it allows us to filter our problems through the promises of God. When crises arise, we can simply mutter, “But God said…” When struggles threaten, we can be seen flipping through the Bible, saying, “I know that God said something about this.” When we choose to be people of the promise, we choose to build our lives on promises of God not the circumstances of life.
It is through the great and precious promises that we participate in the divine nature of God. They sit like golden stones in the pathway to God’s world. They are strong boulders that form the bridge over which we walk from our sin to salvation. They aren’t just great, they are “very great”; and they aren’t just valuable, they are “precious.” To bind them around our neck is to adorn ourselves with the finest jewels of the universe. As Dwight Moody put it, “If you would spend a month feeding on the precious promises of God-you wouldn’t be going about complaining how poor you are. You would lift up your head and proclaim the riches of His Grace, because you couldn’t help doing it.”
Sessions include:
1. You Are Stamped with God’s Image
2. God Will Win the Victory
3. You Are an Heir of God
4. Your Prayers Have Power
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Unexpected Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$16.99Add to cartIn Unexpected, a five-session video Bible study (DVD/digital video sold separately), bestselling author Christine Caine shows that while most of us have been trained to fear the unexpected and want everything to be “under control,” God wants us to anticipate the unexpected with a faith-filled perspective rooted in trust. He has never been taken by surprise with the unexpected, and he wants us to move from a life filled fear, control, worry, anxiety, panic, and feeling stuck to one full of hope, walking in faith, and trusting in him. We can step into the destiny and adventure that God has for us by dealing with pain barriers, managing disappointment, strengthening our hearts, building our faith, and expanding our lives.
Life is an unpredictable journey full of unexpected twists and turns, mountaintops and valleys, joys and sorrows. The good news is that while we do not always know what is going to happen, we can always trust that God uses everything in our lives as an invitation to rely on him more deeply and completely. We can walk forward in faith and not fear because our God is good, does good, and works all things together for his glory. Unexpected will show that in an age of political, social, moral, ethical, environmental, and economic upheaval, we can still expect our God to be good and do good.
Sessions include:
*Move into the Unexpected
*Strengthen Your Heart
*Choose Your Destiny
*Press Through to Breakthrough
*Expect the UnexpectedDesigned for use with the Unexpected Video Study (sold separately).
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Family Ministry And The Church
$26.99Add to cart“Chris Shirley provides a guide to establish a theological and practical framework for family ministry both inside and outside the church. Ministry leaders will discover the role of the church and its leaders to strengthen families and equip them to make disciples in the home, the church, and throughout the world. This work illustrates how healthy family ministry depends on effective disciple making that brings people to a close relationship with Christ both in the church and the home. The author also delivers an excellent resource for college and seminary training in the field of family ministry”–
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Disabling Mission Enabling Witness
$24.99Add to cartIn recent decades churches have accommodated disabled people in various ways. Through access ramps and elevators and sign language, disabled persons are invited in to worship. But are they actually enfolded into the church’s mission? Have the able-bodied come to recognize and appreciate the potential contributions of people with disabilities in the ministry and witness of the church?Benjamin Conner wants to stimulate a new conversation between disability studies and Christian theology and missiology. How can we shape a new vision of the entire body of Christ sharing in the witness of the church? How would it look if we “disabled” Christian theology, discipleship, and theological education? Conner argues that it would in fact enable congregational witness. He has seen it happen and he shows us how.Imagine a church that fully incorporates persons with disabilities into its mission and witness. In this vision, people with disabilities contribute to the church’s pluriform witness, and the congregation embodies a robust hermeneutic of the gospel. Picture the entire body of Christ functioning beyond distinctions of dis/ability, promoting mutual flourishing and growing into fullness. Here is an enlargement of the church’s witness as a sign, agent, and foretaste of the kingdom of God.Here is a fresh and inspiring look at the mission of the church when it enfolds people with disabilities as full members.
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Loving And Leaving A Church
$26.00Add to cartBarbara Melosh’s story was a common one. A second-career seminarian, she arrived at her first pastorate brimming with enthusiasm and high hopes. The blue-collar congregation to which she’d been called had a glorious past but an uncertain future. Certain that she could turn around its slow yet undeniable slide into decline, Melosh inaugurated a number of church growth and outreach programs. Most of these efforts had little effect, and the ones that did seem to work soon suffered reverse outcomes and eventual demise. In the end, Melosh had to conclude that the members of the congregation liked their church the way it was and that she could not drag them into a future they did not want.
Yet while the congregation failed to change itself, Melosh notes, it succeeded in changing her. Simply put, it made her a pastor. At times heartbreaking and hilarious, Loving and Leaving a Church offers a glimpse into the challenges and opportunities of ministry in a mainline church.
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Glimpsing Resurrection : Cancer Trauma And Ministry
$28.00Add to cartIn Glimpsing Resurrection, Deanna A. Thompson combines recent trauma research with compelling first-person narrative to provide insight into the traumatic dimensions of living with a serious illness. Her aim is to help those who are ill and those who care for and minister to them deepen their understanding of how best to offer support.
“The tendency for Christians to move almost immediately from death to proclamations of new life risks alienating those for whom healing and new life seem out of reach,” says Thompson. Glimpsing Resurrection focuses less on the “why” to help readers instead come to terms with the “how” of living with a serious disease. In particular, Thompson provides a framework and concrete suggestions for how to be a church where those who are undone by illness can be undone, as well as a place that can love and support them to hope.
“Finding space within the psalms, the story of Job, Jesus’ cry of God-forsakenness on the cross, and even Christ’s descent into hell helps us imagine how Christian communities can be spacious enough to acknowledge and hold those who are undone by illness,” Thompson says. “Only then does it become possible to identify the hope that can emerge from our not-yet-resurrection reality to imagine more in life today as well as in the life to come.”
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After The Trip
$15.99Add to cart1. What Now?
2. Coming Home With Gifts
3. Mining For Gold
4. Treasures On The Journey
5. Keeping The Lines Open
6. Make Your Next Trip Your Best Trip
7. The Key To A Life-Changing Journey
Afterword: The Trip Is Just The Beginning
Questions For Reflection And Discussion
Appendix: Eight Great Questions
NotesAdditional Info
Can a one-time crosscultural experience truly be life-changing?Veteran trip leader and intercultural guide Cory Trenda says yes-if we let the trip launch a journey of integrating the experience into our ongoing life.
In After the Trip Trenda provides a unique guide for individuals and teams to make the most of a crosscultural trip after returning home. Readers will find help with navigating the crucial reentry process, remembering and sharing key stories, interweaving new insights into everyday life, and engaging in continuing learning and service. Combining practical tips, reflections, and stories from Trenda’s own decades of crosscultural travel, this is an essential resource for organizations, churches, schools, and all travelers who want crosscultural trips to be a catalyst for lasting good.
The trip itself is just the beginning; real life change happens after the trip.
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Miracles : Gods Presence And Power In Creation
$50.00Add to cartMiracles are not confined to the stories of Scripture; these signs of God’s presence and power in creation are experienced throughout our daily existence. Yet cultural challenges and modernity’s skepticism have marginalized belief in them as unreasonable and irrational, says Luke Timothy Johnson.
In this excellent resource for church professionals, Johnson reclaims Christian belief in miracles as integral to recovering a proper and strong sense of creation, recognizing the validity of personal experience and narrative and asserting the truth-telling quality of myth. His analysis includes:
a description of the competing symbolic worldviews that have framed the discussion on miracles, including secular debates and theological imagination;
interpretation of miracles consonant with the biblical construction of reality in the Old and New Testaments;
suggestions for four areas in the church’s life-teaching, preaching, prayer, and pastoral care-that can work together to shape a symbolic world, within which believers can expect, perceive, and celebrate the miracles in everyday life. -
Guardrails Study Guide Updated Edition (Student/Study Guide)
$14.99Add to cartEver wonder what it would be like to have guardrails in other areas of your life-areas where culture baits you to the edge of disaster and then chastises you when you step across the line? Your friendships. Your finances. Your marriage. Maybe your greatest regret could have been avoided if you had established guardrails.
In this five-session video-based small group Bible study (video sold separately), Andy Stanley challenges us to stop flirting with disaster and establish some personal guardrails.
Sessions include:
*Direct and Protect
*Proximity
*Forever Yours
*Money Matters
*The Heart of the MatterDesigned for use with the Guardrails Video Study (9780310095910), sold separately.
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Leaders Of The Church Student Journal (Student/Study Guide)
$9.99Add to cartIn The Leaders of the Church, students will be introduced to some of the lesser-known, but still vitally important leaders of the early church. These four lessons will profile four leaders and help students understand what it means to be a leader while following God and working towards the kingdom of Heaven. These studies will come from the Gospels, Acts, and the New Testament Letters. A Deep Dive into the Story of God Fathom is a Bible study for teens that covers the Old and New Testaments in 18-4 session studies. The lessons are a blend of narrative and traditional theological approaches to understanding the bible story. Each lesson will focus on one passage that will launch into the larger context of God’s story being studied,and how that story is meant to be theirs. Fathom is suitable for groups with middle schoolers, high schoolers, and any combination of the two. But unlike many other resources, it acknowledges the differences between older and younger youth and the way they learn. It provides activities specific to each age group, as well as activities for mixed groups in which older youth have leadership opportunities. Fathom gives leaders the option to let youth take ownership of their learning through teaching and leading alongside adults. Fathom creates space and tension for teens to wrestle with how to interpret and experience the bible. Through youthministrypartners.com, leaders will have access to planning and teaching tools, customizable content, and other supplemental content to support their use of Fathom as well as their youth ministries in general.
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Broken Kingdom Leader Guide (Teacher’s Guide)
$14.99Add to cartIn The Broken Kingdom, you and your teens will experience the story of Israel’s fall and eventual exile. Throughout these four lessons, your group will learn about the consequences of failing to trust in God as well as the redemption offered by God in even the worst of circumstances. This study covers the history of Israel and Judah in 1 & 2 Kings and the prophets. A Deep Dive into the Story of God Fathom is a Bible study for teens that covers the Old and New Testaments in 18-4 session studies. The lessons are a blend of narrative and traditional theological approaches to understanding the bible story. Each lesson will focus on one passage that will launch into the larger context of God’s story being studied,and how that story is meant to be theirs. Fathom is suitable for groups with middle schoolers, high schoolers, and any combination of the two. But unlike many other resources, it acknowledges the differences between older and younger youth and the way they learn. It provides activities specific to each age group, as well as activities for mixed groups in which older youth have leadership opportunities. Fathom gives leaders the option to let youth take ownership of their learning through teaching and leading alongside adults. Fathom creates space and tension for teens to wrestle with how to interpret and experience the bible. Through youthministrypartners.com, leaders will have access to planning and teaching tools, customizable content, and other supplemental content to support their use of Fathom as well as their youth ministries in general.
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Broken Kingdom Student Journal (Student/Study Guide)
$9.99Add to cartIn The Broken Kingdom, you and your teens will experience the story of Israel’s fall and eventual exile. Throughout these four lessons, your group will learn about the consequences of failing to trust in God as well as the redemption offered by God in even the worst of circumstances. This study covers the history of Israel and Judah in 1 & 2 Kings and the prophets. A Deep Dive into the Story of God Fathom is a Bible study for teens that covers the Old and New Testaments in 18-4 session studies. The lessons are a blend of narrative and traditional theological approaches to understanding the bible story. Each lesson will focus on one passage that will launch into the larger context of God’s story being studied,and how that story is meant to be theirs. Fathom is suitable for groups with middle schoolers, high schoolers, and any combination of the two. But unlike many other resources, it acknowledges the differences between older and younger youth and the way they learn. It provides activities specific to each age group, as well as activities for mixed groups in which older youth have leadership opportunities. Fathom gives leaders the option to let youth take ownership of their learning through teaching and leading alongside adults. Fathom creates space and tension for teens to wrestle with how to interpret and experience the bible. Through youthministrypartners.com, leaders will have access to planning and teaching tools, customizable content, and other supplemental content to support their use of Fathom as well as their youth ministries in general.
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Making Disciples Confirmands Journal
$14.99Add to cartMaking Disciples is a 13-session mentor-based confirmation program that pairs confirmands with adult mentors and guides them through a variety of learning experiences that will strengthen the student’s understanding of the faith while connecting him or her with the community of believers in a personal way. It can be used as a stand-alone program, or in conjunction with your current curriculum as a special experiential unit. This is a confirmation program that is more like a process and less like a reading assignment, more engaging and congruent with the nature of the Christian faith than existing programs. Using an “apprenticeship” approach to confirmation Will Willimon produced a series of learning experiences where adult mentors and confirmands are both teachers and learners at the same time. This time-tested approach has been extensively revised and updated for usage in today’s churches that take seriously Christ’s command to be engaged in disciple making. The Confirmand’s Journal is a place where an individual can write down highlights, memories, and details of their confirmation journey. This journal is a guided journal. Which means the confirmand will be given directions on things to do, and questions to reflect on, which will help them get started in their writing. Topics explore the basics of Christian faith: -God -Jesus -the Holy Spirit -worship -the Bible -gifts -ministry -baptism -spiritual life -death and resurrection -the church
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Making Disciples Mentor Guide
$17.99Add to cartMaking Disciples is a 13-session mentor-based confirmation program that pairs confirmands with adult mentors and guides them through a variety of learning experiences that will strengthen the student’s understanding of the faith while connecting him or her with the community of believers in a personal way. It can be used as a stand-alone program, or in conjunction with your current curriculum as a special experiential unit. This is a confirmation program that is more like a process and less like a reading assignment, more engaging and congruent with the nature of the Christian faith than existing programs. Using an “apprenticeship” approach to confirmation Will Willimon produced a series of learning experiences where adult mentors and confirmands are both teachers and learners at the same time. This time-tested approach has been extensively revised and updated for usage in today’s churches that take seriously Christ’s command to be engaged in disciple making. The bulk of the Mentor Guide is exactly the same as the Confirmand’s Journal. You are encouraged to work through the activities right along with the confirmands and to complete the activities and writing assignments just as he or she does. By working along with your confirmand you will demonstrate the need to keep learning and growing. Topics explore the basics of Christian faith: -God -Jesus -the Holy Spirit -worship -the Bible -gifts -ministry -baptism -spiritual life -death and resurrection -the church
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Making Disciples Coordinators Guide (Teacher’s Guide)
$18.99Add to cartMaking Disciples is a 13-session mentor-based confirmation program that pairs confirmands with adult mentors and guides them through a variety of learning experiences that will strengthen the student’s understanding of the faith while connecting him or her with the community of believers in a personal way. It can be used as a stand-alone program, or in conjunction with your current curriculum as a special experiential unit. This is a confirmation program that is more like a process and less like a reading assignment, more engaging and congruent with the nature of the Christian faith than existing programs. Using an “apprenticeship” approach to confirmation Will Willimon produced a series of learning experiences where adult mentors and confirmands are both teachers and learners at the same time. This time-tested approach has been extensively revised and updated for usage in today’s churches that take seriously Christ’s command to be engaged in disciple making. The Confirmand’s Journal is a place where an individual can write down highlights, memories, and details of their confirmation journey. This journal is a guided journal. Which means the confirmand will be given directions on things to do, and questions to reflect on, which will help them get started in their writing. Topics explore the basics of Christian faith: -God -Jesus -the Holy Spirit -worship -the Bible -gifts -ministry -baptism -spiritual life -death and resurrection -the church
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Disciples Path Leader Guide With Download (Teacher’s Guide)
$27.99Add to cartA Disciple’s Path is an engaging approach to discipleship from a distinctly Wesleyan perspective that is perfect for a new member class or other small group. The six-week program guides individuals to take the next step in discipleship and become dynamic followers of Jesus Christ and engaged, vital members of the local church. The study combines a Wesleyan understanding of our growth in God’s love and grace with the time-tested practices of spiritual discipline expressed in the membership vows to uphold the church with our prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness. Participants will develop spiritual practices, discover their unique gifts, and become engaged in ministry that brings transformation in their own lives, the lives of others, and the world. This Leader Guide provides group facilitators with helpful tips for leading a group, material for leading an introductory session or pastor’s coffee, and six ready-to-use session guides. Also included is a link to downloadable resources, along with previews of these online tools, including sample e-mails handouts, including customizable templates that can be modified for any congregation,and PowerPoint presentations.
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Leaders Of The Church Leader Guide (Teacher’s Guide)
$14.99Add to cartIn The Leaders of the Church, students will be introduced to some of the lesser-known, but still vitally important leaders of the early church. These four lessons will profile four leaders and help students understand what it means to be a leader while following God and working towards the kingdom of Heaven. These studies will come from the Gospels, Acts, and the New Testament Letters. A Deep Dive into the Story of God Fathom is a Bible study for teens that covers the Old and New Testaments in 18-4 session studies. The lessons are a blend of narrative and traditional theological approaches to understanding the bible story. Each lesson will focus on one passage that will launch into the larger context of God’s story being studied,and how that story is meant to be theirs. Fathom is suitable for groups with middle schoolers, high schoolers, and any combination of the two. But unlike many other resources, it acknowledges the differences between older and younger youth and the way they learn. It provides activities specific to each age group, as well as activities for mixed groups in which older youth have leadership opportunities. Fathom gives leaders the option to let youth take ownership of their learning through teaching and leading alongside adults. Fathom creates space and tension for teens to wrestle with how to interpret and experience the bible. Through youthministrypartners.com, leaders will have access to planning and teaching tools, customizable content, and other supplemental content to support their use of Fathom as well as their youth ministries in general.
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Quit Church : Because Your Life Would Be Better If You Did (Reprinted)
$18.00Add to cartBased on research among congregations across the country, seasoned church coach and pastor Chris Sonksen reveals habits we need to simply let go, along with spiritual practices we need to relearn in order to thrive as individuals and produce growth in our churches.
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Disciples Path Daily Workbook (Workbook)
$15.99Add to cartA Disciple’s Path is an engaging approach to discipleship from a distinctly Wesleyan perspective that is perfect for a new member class or other small group. The six-week program guides individuals to take the next step in discipleship and become dynamic followers of Jesus Christ and engaged, vital members of the local church. The study combines a Wesleyan understanding of our growth in God’s love and grace with the time-tested practices of spiritual discipline expressed in the membership vows to uphold the church with our prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness. Participants will develop spiritual practices, discover their unique gifts, and become engaged in ministry that brings transformation in their own lives, the lives of others, and the world. This Daily Workbook contains six weeks of daily readings (five per week) that guide participants in learning and practicing seven essential spiritual disciplines: Prayer Scripture Corporate Worship Small-group Community Financial Generosity Gifts-based Service Invitational Evangelism Each day’s reading includes a Scripture, a message for the day, questions and prompts for personal reflection (with space provided for recording responses), and prayer. A special introductory section includes material on the history, beliefs, and structure of the church and answers to frequently asked questions. Whether you’re just setting out or are further along the path of discipleship, this excellent resource will help you to take the next step. – Roger Scholtz, Senior Pastor, Manning Road Methodist Church, Durban, South Africa A Disciple’s Path has the potential to revolutionize the way we view our participation in the church. Following this ‘path’ can transform us from wanderers into pilgrims. – Dr. Steve Harper, Professor of Spiritual Formation, Asbury Theological Seminary
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Life In The Church 2 Leader Guide (Teacher’s Guide)
$14.99Add to cartIn this study, your students will learn about what it was like to be a part of the early church in the first century. In addition to unpacking selected teachings in Hebrews, James, 1 & 2 Peter, 1, 2 & 3 John and Jude, teens will also gain an understanding of the historical context and local church situations that led to the writing of these letters. A Deep Dive into the Story of God Fathom is a Bible study for teens that covers the Old and New Testaments in 18-4 session studies. The lessons are a blend of narrative and traditional theological approaches to understanding the bible story. Each lesson will focus on one passage that will launch into the larger context of God’s story being studied,and how that story is meant to be theirs. Fathom is suitable for groups with middle schoolers, high schoolers, and any combination of the two. But unlike many other resources, it acknowledges the differences between older and younger youth and the way they learn. It provides activities specific to each age group, as well as activities for mixed groups in which older youth have leadership opportunities. Fathom gives leaders the option to let youth take ownership of their learning through teaching and leading alongside adults. Fathom creates space and tension for teens to wrestle with how to interpret and experience the bible. Through youthministrypartners.com, leaders will have access to planning and teaching tools, customizable content, and other supplemental content to support their use of Fathom as well as their youth ministries in general.
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Life In The Church 2 Student Journal (Student/Study Guide)
$9.99Add to cartIn this study, your students will learn about what it was like to be a part of the early church in the first century. In addition to unpacking selected teachings in Hebrews, James, 1 & 2 Peter, 1, 2 & 3 John and Jude, teens will also gain an understanding of the historical context and local church situations that led to the writing of these letters. A Deep Dive into the Story of God Fathom is a Bible study for teens that covers the Old and New Testaments in 18-4 session studies. The lessons are a blend of narrative and traditional theological approaches to understanding the bible story. Each lesson will focus on one passage that will launch into the larger context of God’s story being studied,and how that story is meant to be theirs. Fathom is suitable for groups with middle schoolers, high schoolers, and any combination of the two. But unlike many other resources, it acknowledges the differences between older and younger youth and the way they learn. It provides activities specific to each age group, as well as activities for mixed groups in which older youth have leadership opportunities. Fathom gives leaders the option to let youth take ownership of their learning through teaching and leading alongside adults. Fathom creates space and tension for teens to wrestle with how to interpret and experience the bible. Through youthministrypartners.com, leaders will have access to planning and teaching tools, customizable content, and other supplemental content to support their use of Fathom as well as their youth ministries in general.
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Cultures In Conflict Discovery Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$14.99Add to cartHow do you live in a culture where the worldview conflicts with Christianity? Learn from Paul as he settled among the Greco-Romans of Corinth, who valued wealth and class, worship of multiple gods, and decadent pleasure seeking above all else. In this sixteenth volume of That The World May Know , discover how to live in your own Corinth-a dechristianized Western world-in a way that glorifies God.
Designed for use with the Cultures in Conflict Video Study (9780310085928), sold separately.
Video sessions, filmed on location in Israel and Greece, include:
Engaging the Mind-Paul in the Stoa of Athens (Athens)
Engaging the Heart (Athens)Turning Weakness into Strength (Timnah, Corinth)
The Lord’s Supper-Discerning the Body (Corinth, Delos)
Transforming the Chaos (Corinth)THAT THE WORLD MAY KNOW Join renowned teacher and historian Ray Vander Laan as he guides you through the land of the Bible. In each lesson, Vander Laan illuminates the historical, geographical, and cultural context of the sacred Scriptures. Filmed on location in the Middle East and elsewhere, the That the World May Know film series will transform your understanding of God and challenge you to be a true follower of Jesus.
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Your Comeback Interactive Workbook (Workbook)
$9.99Add to cartYou May Be Down, but You’re Not Out!
Your future can include an amazing comeback story! This companion to Dr. Tony Evans’s Your Comeback DVD is perfect for individual or group study.
Find inspiration from biblical underdogs and modern-day sports heroes, and see how God has used those who are less than perfect to accomplish incredible feats. This workbook provides…
*brief passages from Tony’s book Your Comeback
*key points and quotes from the DVD
*questions to promote reflection and conversation
*relevant Scripture passages to read and discuss
*activities for further personal studyLearn to release your feelings of inadequacy and embrace the victory found in hope and redemption. Use this resource to find your purpose and begin your comeback today!
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Organic Outreach For Churches (Expanded)
$16.99Add to cartNearly all churches and ministries consider themselves dedicated to evangelism, and many explicitly include outreach in their mission statements. But few are actually bearing fruit. Kevin Harney diagnoses this problem and offers guidance for multiplying the outreach impact of churches. Organic Outreach for Churches provides direction for local congregations to weave evangelism into the fabric of the church. Commitment to the Great Commission is not simply about sending money and prayers to missions or holding occasional events to reach out (although these things are good). Organic outreach happens when evangelistic vision and action become the domain of every ministry and the commitment of every person in the congregation. This will not happen accidentally. There is huge spiritual and practical resistance to such changes. But the only way evangelism will become an organic part of a church is when every leader and each member is gripped by a commitment to proclaiming the gospel. This book is a roadmap for pastors and leaders who wish to infuse evangelistic passion into every aspect of their church’s life.
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Sacred Privilege : Your Life And Ministry As A Pastor’s Wife
$17.00Add to cartLife as a pastor’s wife offers meaningful opportunities to play a significant part in God’s work, to witness and participate in the beauty of changed lives. Yet it also carries the potential for deep wounds and great conflict that can drain the joy out of service. Is it worth it? Oh, yes, says Kay Warren, wife of Pastor Rick Warren and cofounder of Saddleback Church. It is more than worth the risk–it’s a sacred privilege.
Drawing on more than forty years in ministry in every possible size church, Kay provides encouraging principles and life lessons, along with intimate personal stories, that will give readers the confidence needed to lead and live well. Pastor’s wives learn to- accept who they are- adapt to change- help their children survive and thrive- protect their private lives- deal with criticism- live with integrity- develop an eternal perspectiveWhether she is excited, struggling, or feeling broken and tired, every pastor’s wife will find hope and encouragement for their calling in Kay’s warm and wise words.
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Learning Biblical Hebrew
$39.99Add to cartWhat’s the best way to learn a new language? By approaching it not as a series of facts to memorize but as something alive, with a personality you can get to know and tendencies you can sometimes predict.
Designed for long-term retention, Learning Biblical Hebrew focuses on helping students understand how the Hebrew language works and providing a solid grounding in Hebrew through extensive reading in the biblical text.
Introduces advanced concepts in a form accessible to beginning students. Focuses on historic patterns and changes that minimize memorization. Focuses on how the language works for long-term retention. Encourages mastery of paradigms from a handful of representative forms. Includes extensive translation from the third week of class. Prepares students for translation of unedited biblical texts by the end of first semester. Emphasizes reading comprehension rather than decoding. Promotes a strong oral component to enhance language competence.Written for first-year and second-year Hebrew students, grammar is laid out to present comprehensive concepts to first-year students and then to aid in review and deeper understanding for second-year students.
Though written for Hebrew competency, Learning Biblical Hebrew is also well-suited for students with different learning styles and objectives.
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Preaching Jesus Christ Today
$26.00Add to cartThis book approaches preaching as a theological practice and a spiritual discipline in a way that is engaging, straightforward, and highly usable for busy preachers. Bringing to bear almost three decades of practical experience in the pulpit and the classroom, Annette Brownlee explores six questions to help preachers listen to Scripture, focus on what God does in the event of the sermon, and move from interpretation to text as they prepare weekly sermons. Each chapter contains theological reflections, guidelines for sermon preparation, and numerous examples and illustrations. Sample sermons are also included.
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Lifesaving Church : Faith Communities And Suicide Prevention
$14.99Add to cartIn The Lifesaving Church: Faith Communities and Suicide Prevention, pastor Rachael Keefe shatters the deadly silence around suicide by sharing her own painful story of life-long depression and suicidality — and how the church responded for better and for worse — to help equip other communities become lifesaving churches.
Equal parts memoir, theological reflection, clinical response, and action guide, The Lifesaving Church is critical reading for faith communities seeking abundant life for all of its members. With specific appendices for clergy and church leaders, suicide loss survivors, and those considering suicide — as well as provocative discussion questions at the end of each chapter — The Lifesaving Church is rich with resources for all to help break the silence and begin saving lives.
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Age Of Opportunity
$18.00Add to cartA companion to the author’s earlier book Designing an Older Adult Ministry (Discipleship Resources, 1999), this book will provide new information and outline ways to develop and strengthen ministries by, with, and for older adults that can, and will, enhance the spiritual growth and well-being of people of all ages. The church is beginning to recognize that there are vast numbers of older people in its membership. It is becoming aware of its indebtedness to them for the leadership, support, service, and faith that has made the church of today possible. The church is uniquely positioned to help older adults respond to the challenges of aging; to see the tremendous potentialities in the lives of older adult for making the church and community better; and to assist older people as they experience new meaning and purpose in their later lives. Chapters include “Why Older-Adult Ministries?”; “Understanding the Aging Process”; “Aging and the Spiritual Journey”; “The New Seniors: Boomers?”; “Intentional Ministry by, with, and for Older Adults”; “Organizing for Intentional Ministry in the Local Church”; “Organizing for Intentional Ministry in the Conference”; “Congregational Care Ministry”; “Additional Ideas for Intentional Ministry”; and “Trends in Aging.” Appendixes include a “Facts about Aging” quiz, information on creating and using older adult surveys, and suggested resources for further reading and study.
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Fellowship Of The Suffering
$18.99Add to cartPreface
Part 1: Welcome To The Fellowship
1. Suffering Comes With The Territory
2. The Worst Suffering: Paul’s Story
3. Learning To Trust Anyway: Dave And Erin’s StoryPart 2: Fellowship With Christ
4. The Sun Comes From The Dark: Prayer Through Suffering
5. Becoming The Kind Of People The World Needs: Transformation Through Suffering
6. Not What I Expected: Joy Through SufferingPart 3: Fellowship With Others
7. It’s Our Family: Solidarity Through Suffering
8. Pain As Common Ground: Neighboring Through SufferingPart 4: Fellowship With The World
9. The Seed Must Die To Multiply: Mission Through Suffering
10. Are You Really Passionate? Calling Through SufferingEpilogue
Acknowledgments
Recommended Reading
NotesAdditional Info
“That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings.” Philippians 3:10 (ASV)If we follow Jesus, we will experience pain. It comes with the territory. We might face hardship because of our Christian commitment, or we may have challenges just from living in a fallen world. Either way, Christians follow in the footsteps of our suffering Savior and participate in his suffering.
But that’s not the whole story. Missionary Paul Borthwick and pastor Dave Ripper show how transformation through our personal pain enables us to minister faithfully to a hurting world. They candidly share about their own struggles and how they have seen God’s kingdom advance through hardship and suffering. Though we naturally avoid suffering, Christians throughout church history have become powerful witnesses to Christ as a result of their brokenness.
Life is painful, but pain need not have dominion over us. Instead, it can propel us in missional solidarity with our suffering world. Come find comfort and renewed purpose in the fellowship of the suffering.
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Who Is Jesus Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$14.99Add to cartWho is Jesus? Some people say he was a good man, a prophet, or a wise teacher. Some think he was a lunatic with delusions of divinity-if he even existed at all. Some say he was a liar bent on deceiving the world. Still others say he was the Son of God, the Lord. History, culture, and the Bible all agree that all of life centers on our answer to this question: Who is Jesus?
In this five-session video Bible study (DVD/downloads sold separately), Pastor Louie Giglio invites group members to meet God both in their intellect and their hearts by uncovering what history and Scripture have to say about Jesus. He encourages believers in Christ to ask the tough questions as to whether Jesus is truly God, truly a friend who loves us, and truly the King of kings. He encourages believers to explore whether Jesus is really the only way to God-as many people in our post-modern world doubt today-and whether his sacrifice on the cross truly provides the means for us to reconcile with God and experience eternal life.
This study is for everyone who has ever wondered whether Jesus is truly everything he said he was in the Bible. It will not only help new believers in Christ understand their faith, but also help those who have known Jesus for many years to have a better understanding of what they believe. And it will also help followers of Christ know how to better share the truth they have found with others.
Sessions include:
*Good or God?
*Friend or Foe?
*King or Pawn?
*A Way or the Way?
*The Lion or the Lamb?Designed for use with the Who Is Jesus? Video Study (sold separately).
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Drawing On Holy Currencies (Workbook)
$14.99Add to cartDreading another yawn-inducing stewardship season? Reanimate your congregation by Drawing on Holy Currencies-an altogether awesome (and fun!) new tool for exploring your gifts and purpose in the world! Created by Eric Law and his artist-nephew Dave, this interactive graphic workbook is filled with 52 weeks’ worth of creative activities and exercises to empower your year-round stewardship movement. Drawings, doodles, questions, invitations, songs, meditations, and more spirited exercises will help you explore the amazing ways you give and receive in life. Who knows-Drawing on Holy Currencies might just lead to more amazing and animated ways of living in God’s creation!
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Faithful Celebrations 2
$22.95Add to cartMany of our experiences in life happen when several generations are together–at church, at home, in our communities. Holidays and family events are times for celebration, learning, rituals, food, and fun. For each edition of Faithful Celebrations, you will discover plenty of activities to learn more about the season, holiday, or special day for church settings, at home, camp, or anywhere in between. This abundance of ideas allows you to create meaningful celebrations within a faith context throughout the year. Each event to be celebrated includes key ideas, a cluster of activities to experience the key ideas, materials needed, full instructions for implementation, background history and information, music, art, recipes, and prayer resources to use in a small, intimate or large multi-generational group. Making Time for God in Autumn includes Back to School, Labor Day, St. Francis International Day of Peace, Halloween, All Saints, and Thanksgiving.
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Concerning Sin Righteousness And Judgment
$13.00Add to cartPart 1 Concerning Sin…
Chapter 1 Salvation
The Creator God And Man
The Wall Of Sin Between God And Man
The True Meaning Of Salvation
The Method Of Salvation
The Providence Of Salvation Through Jesus ChristChapter 2 The Father, Son, And Holy Spirit
Who Is The Father God?
Father God – The Supreme Director Of Human Cultivation
Who Is The Son, Jesus Christ?
Jesus Christ The Savior
Who Is The Holy Spirit, The Helper?
The Work Of The Holy Spirit, The Helper
God The Trinity Fulfills The Providence Of SalvationChapter 3 Works Of The Flesh
Things Of The Flesh And Works Of The Flesh
Works Of The Flesh That Keep Man From Inheriting The Kingdom Of God
Evident Works Of The FleshChapter 4 “Therefore Bear Fruit In Keeping With Repentance”
Bear Fruit In Keeping With Repentance
Do Not Suppose Abraham Is Your Father
“Every Tree That Does Not Bear Good Fruit Is Cut Down And Thrown Into The Fire”
The Fruit In Keeping With Repentance
People Who Bore The Fruits In Keeping With RepentanceChapter 5 “Abhor What Is Evil; Cling To What Is Good.”
How Evil Is Displayed As Sin
To Cast Out Evil And Become A Person Of Goodness
An Evil And Adulterous Generation That Craves A Sign
The Forms Of Evil We Should AbhorGlossary 1
Part 2 Concerning Righteousness…
Chapter 6 Righteousness That Leads To Life
Righteousness In God’s Sight
The One Act Of Righteousness Which Saves All Of Mankind
The Beginning Of Righteousness Is Believing In God
The Righteousness Of Jesus Christ Which We Must Emulate
The Way Of Becoming A Righteous Person
The Blessings For The RighteousChapter 7 The Righteous Shall Live By Faith
To Become A Truly Righteous Person
Why Do We Need To Become Righteous?
The Righteous Shall Live By Faith
How To Possess Spiritual Faith
Ways To Live By FaithChapter 8 To The Obedience Of Christ
Fleshly Thoughts Which Are Hostile Toward God
“Self-Righteousness” – One Of The Prime Fleshly Thoughts
Apostle Paul Broke Down His Fleshly Thoughts
The Righteousness Which Comes From God
Saul Disobeyed God With Fleshly Thoughts
The Way To Fulfill God’s Righteousness Through FaithChapter 9 He Whom The Lord Commends
He Whom The Lord Commends
To Be Approved By God
Nail Your Passions And Desires On The Cross
The Patriarchs Who Were Righteous Before GodChapter 10 Blessing
Abraham, The Father Of Faith
God Considers Faith As Righteousness And Gives His Blessings
God Makes QualityAdditional Info
Today, there are many people who go on with their lives not even knowing what sin is, what righteousness is, and what judgment is all about. Even those who go to church don’t have assurance of salvation, and they live secular lives–just like everyone else in the world. Furthermore, they do not lead Christian lives that are righteous according to God, but righteous according to what they think is righteous. So Concerning Sin, Righteousness, and Judgment is the first book of the Holiness and Power sermon series which deals with how we can lead a successful Christian life by receiving forgiveness for our sins and by accomplishing the righteousness of God in our lives.To confirm this teaching with evidence of His power, in the first session of the first day of our revival in 1993, God promised the blessing of conception for dozens of couples who were married for 5-6 years, and even as long as10 years without conceiving a child. By the end of the revival, almost all of these couples conceived and began raising families.
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Footsteps Of The Lord 2
$14.00Add to cartAuthor’s Note: Following In His Footsteps…
ForewordChapter 11 Jesus Saves Lazarus
1. The Death Of Lazarus (11:1-16)
2. Lazarus Walks Out Of The Tomb (11:17-44)
3. The Conspiracy To Kill Jesus (11:45-57)Chapter 12 The Victorious Entry Into Jerusalem
1. Mary Prepares For Jesus’ Burial (12:1-11)
2. The Entrance Into Jerusalem (12:12-36)
3. The Teaching Of The Messiah (12:37-50)Chapter 13 The Last Passover Supper
1. Jesus Washes The Disciples’ Feet (13:1-20)
2. “One Of You Will Betray Me” (13:21-30)
3. “A New Commandment I Give To You” (13:31-38)Chapter 14 Jesus, The Way, The Truth, And The Life
1. Jesus Comforts The Disciples (14:1-15)
2. Promise Of The Helper, The Holy Spirit (14:16-31)Chapter 15 Jesus Is The True Vine
1. The Parable Of The Vine And The Branches (15:1-17)
2. The Disciples And The World (15:18-27)Chapter 16 The Helper, Holy Spirit
1. The Coming And Ministry Of The Holy Spirit (16:1-15)
2. The Prophecy Of Jesus’ Death And Resurrection (16:16-24)
3. Jesus, Who Had Victory Over The World (16:25-33)Chapter 17 Jesus’ Intercessory Prayer
1. A Prayer For Taking Up The Cross (17:1-5)
2. A Prayer For The Disciples (17:6-19)
3. A Prayer For The Believers (17:20-26)Chapter 18 Jesus, Who Suffered
1. Judas Iscariot, The One Who Betrayed Jesus (18:1-14)
2. Jesus Stands Before The High Priests (18:15-27)
3. Jesus Stands Before Pilate (18:28-40)Chapter 19 Jesus On The Cross
1. Pilate Authorizes The Death Sentence (19:1-16)
2. Jesus Is Nailed To The Cross (19:17-30)
3. Jesus Is Buried In The Tomb (19:31-42)Chapter 20 Jesus, Who Resurrected
1. The People Who Came To Visit The Empty Tomb (20:1-10)
2. The People Who Met The Risen Lord (20:11-23)
3. “Because You Have Seen Me, Have You Believed?” (20:24-31)Chapter 21 The Lord’s Love For His Disciples
1. The Lord Appears At The Sea Of Galilee (21:1-14)
2. Do You Love Me? (21:15-25)Epilogue: The Ascension And Another Helper
Additional Info
“After finishing the Passover meal and comforting the disciples and giving them several more lessons, Jesus began teaching about the work of the Holy Spirit. He told them that the Holy Spirit would come to convict and rebuke the world concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment.”Footsteps of the Lord 2 is a book compiled from Dr. Jaerock Lee’s series “Lectures on the Gospel of John”(from John chapter 11 21). The Lord’s ministry, crucifixion, and resurrection are well explained in this book so that readers can be guided to the way of salvation, and receiving answers, love, and blessings.
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Footsteps Of The Lord 1
$14.00Add to cartAuthor’s Note
ForewordChapter 1. The Son Of God Who Came To This World
1. Jesus, The Word That Became Flesh (1:1-18)
2. The Testimony Of John The Baptist (1:19-34)
3. The Followers Of Jesus (1:35-51)Chapter 2. Jesus Performs The First Sign
1. The Wedding Feast In Cana (2:1-12)
2. Stop Making My Father’s House A Place Of Business (2:13-25)Chapter 3. The Secret To Being Born Again
1. The Conversation With Nicodemus (3:1-21)
2. The One Who Descends From Heaven (3:22-36)Chapter 4. Jesus’ Method Of Evangelism
1. Jesus’ Conversation With The Samaritan Woman (4:1-26)
2. Jesus Teaches His Disciples (4:27-42)
3. The Second Sign In Cana (4:43-54)Chapter 5. The Sign At The Pool Of Bethesda
1. The Man Who Was Healed After 38 Years Of Sickness (5:1-15)
2. The Jews Who Persecuted Jesus (5:16-30)
3. Jesus’ Testimony For The Jews (5:31-47)Chapter 6. The Bread Of Life
1. The Sign Of The Two Fish And Five Loaves (6:1-15)
2. Jesus Who Walked On Water, And The Crowd Who Followed Him (6:16-40)
3. Eating The Flesh Of The Son Of Man And Drinking His Blood For Eternal Life (6:41-59)
4. The Disciples Who Left Jesus’ Side (6:60-71)Chapter 7. The Teaching At The Feast Of Tabernacles
1. Jesus Goes To Jerusalem In Secret (7:1-13)
2. Jesus Reveals Himself At The Temple (7:14-31)
3. The Jews Try To Capture Jesus (7:32-53)Chapter 8. The Truth Will Make You Free
1. Jesus Forgives The Woman Who Committed Adultery (8:1-11)
2. Jesus’ Message For The Jews (8:12-30)
3. The Freedom In The Truth (8:31-47)
4. The Jews Try To Stone Jesus (8:48-59)Chapter 9. Jesus Heals A Blind Man
1. Go, Wash In The Pool Of Siloam (9:1-12)
2. The Blind Man Who Was Healed And The Pharisees (9:13-34)
3. Being Spiritually Blind (9:35-41)Chapter 10. “I Am The Good Shepherd”
1. The Parable Of The Good Shepherd (10:1-21)
2. “I And The Father Are One” (10:22-42)Additional Info
“God, who existed in the form of the Word, made Himself into the Triune God for the cultivation of man, and as the Trinity, He began the work of creation.”Footsteps of the Lord 1 is a book compiled from Dr. Jaerock Lee’s series “Lectures on the Gospel of John”(from John chapter 1 10). This book vividly describes the Lord’s ministry. The secret of Jesus’ origin as well as the spiritual meaning embedded in Jesus’ birth, public ministry are well explained in this book so that readers can be guided to the way of salvation, and receiving answers, love, and blessings.
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Power Of God
$11.00Add to cartMessage 1. To Believe In God (Hebrews 11:3)
Message 2. To Believe In The Lord (Hebrews 12:1-2)
Message 3. A Vessel More Beautiful Than A Jewel (2 Timothy 2:20-21)
Message 4. The Light (1 John 1:5)
Message 5. The Power Of The Light (1 John 1:5)
Message 6. The Eyes Of The Blind Will Open (John 9:32-33)
Message 7. People Will Get Up, Leap, And Walk (Mark 2:3-12)
Message 8. People Will Rejoice, Dance, And Sing (Mark 7:31-37)
Message 9. The Unfailing Providence Of God (Deuteronomy 26:16-19)
Additional Info
“How can we accomplish the heart of God who is light, receive His power, and lead countless people to the way of salvation? First, we must not only avoid every kind of evil and accomplish sanctification, but also achieve the good of the heart and long for the uppermost good. Next, we must accomplish spiritual love.”The Power of God has attempted to introduce the process in which one meets God and receives His power, the different levels of power, the Most High Power of Creation that goes beyond the limit permissible for a creature human being, and the places at which His power is manifested.
The power of God the Creator descends upon an individual as much as he resembles God who is light.
Furthermore, when he becomes one in spirit with God, he can manifest the kind of power Jesus manifested. This is because in John 15:7, our Lord tells us, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” -
Toward A Homiletical Theology Of Promise
$41.00Add to cartPromise has a long pedigree in the history of Christian understandings of the gospel. This volume gathers together leading homileticians to consider the breadth of its understanding today in light of the struggle to reconcile God’s grace with God’s justice. Assuming that promise is a core sense of the gospel, how does this relate to the variety of contexts in which homiletical theology is done? In this final volume in the series, six homileticians from a variety of contexts and perspectives try to move specifically toward a homiletical theology of promise as a way to articulate the central theological gift and task that is preaching the gospel today.
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Toward A Homiletical Theology Of Promise
$21.00Add to cartPromise has a long pedigree in the history of Christian understandings of the gospel. This volume gathers together leading homileticians to consider the breadth of its understanding today in light of the struggle to reconcile God’s grace with God’s justice. Assuming that promise is a core sense of the gospel, how does this relate to the variety of contexts in which homiletical theology is done? In this final volume in the series, six homileticians from a variety of contexts and perspectives try to move specifically toward a homiletical theology of promise as a way to articulate the central theological gift and task that is preaching the gospel today.
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Plan To Protect Association Edition
$59.99Add to cartThis “Plan to Protect” manual to assist Associations (Schools, Clubs, Sporting Leagues, and Camps) in the United States in protecting their children, youth, association and personnel. The manual mirrors the insurance standards in United States to qualify for abuse coverage. The manual includes policies on: recruitment and screening, implementation and training, children and youth program procedures, and reporting and responding to suspicions and allegations of abuse, reflecting the laws of United States. The extensive appendices include templates of forms, signs, policies, checklists, and more.
The USA Association version of “Plan to Protect” also includes sample outlines for training modules.
With your purchase we include a code to download the appendices which you can customize for your own organization’s use.
Copyright regulations allow you to copy portions of “Plan to Protect” for training purposes at your organization.
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Lamp : Messages Of Love Drawn From The River Of Light
$13.00Add to cartPart 1. With The Light
Part 2. Clear Sky, Blue Sea
Part 3. The Gifts Given To Us
Part 4. The Lamp In Our Life
Part 5. The Best Designer
Part 6. Happiness And Sharing Love
Part 7. Hope For Heaven
Additional Info
“Just like lamps that shed light on the streets in the dark of night, the Word of God sheds light that tell us what to do in this complicated world and guides us to the right way.”Lamp is a compilation of Dr. Jaerock Lee’s column series that had appeared on Korea’s major daily newspapers including The Chosun Ilbo, The Joong-Ang Daily, The Dong-A Ilbo, and The Hankook Ilbo. This book composed from a column series provides the reader with 7 “points of fulfillment’ necessary to receive God’s answers and blessings. These include but are certainly not limited to: love of God; mysteries of God’s creation; solutions to various problems in human life; guidelines to reach eternal life; life of spreading the fragrance and light of the Christ; ways to receive wisdom from above; and hope for the kingdom of heaven.
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Living Pulpit
$34.99Add to cartFifty years of preaching excellence in one volume.
The Living Pulpit collects sermons from representative preachers in the Stone-Campbell Movement–pastors affiliated with the Churches of Christ, the Christian Churches/Churches of Christ, and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)–over the past 50 years. The fourth volume in a series that began in 1868, this collection of sermons from 40 ministers, reviewed by a diverse team of scholars, captures the theological themes and changing approaches to preaching across the Movement’s three streams. Emerging from an era of mutual suspicion, the three streams have developed a better understanding, shared mutuality and respect for each stream’s unique qualities, and cooperated in many venues, qualities reflected in this collection. The Living Pulpit 2018 helps preachers and scholars recognize where preaching has been–and why it has been there–in each stream, and where preaching appears to be going in a new mission field for Christianity and the Unity Movement.
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Worship In Spirit And Truth
$11.00Add to cartChapter 1 Spiritual Worship That God Accepts
Chapter 2 Old Testament Offerings As Recorded In Leviticus
Chapter 3 The Burnt Offering
Chapter 4 The Grain Offering
Chapter 5 The Peace Offering
Chapter 6 The Sin Offering
Chapter 7 The Guilt Offering
Chapter 8 Present Your Body A Living And Holy Sacrifice
Additional Info
God tells us, “You shall be holy, for I am holy” (Leviticus 11:45; 1 Peter 1:16), and desires each of us to wholly understand the laws on offerings recorded in Leviticus and lead a sacred life. I hope you will come to understand every aspect of offering in Old Testament times and worship in New Testament times. I also hope that you will examine the manner in which you worship, and come to worship God in a way that is pleasing to Him. -
Against Such Things There Is No Law
$12.00Add to cartChapter 1. To Bear The Fruit Of The Spirit
Chapter 2. Love
Chapter 3. Joy
Chapter 4. Peace
Chapter 5. Patience
Chapter 6. Kindness
Chapter 7. Goodness
Chapter 8. Faithfulness
Chapter 9. Gentleness
Chapter 10. Self-control
Chapter 11. Against Such Things There Is No LawAdditional Info
This work Against Such Things There Is No Law lets you easily understand the spiritual meanings of the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) along with specific examples.
Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
The nine fruits of the Holy Spirit are like a signpost in our journey of faith and a standard to check the extent to which we have cultivated the heart of God. Our inner being will be renewed and we will enjoy true freedom in the truth as we bear each of the fruit of the Spirit. -
Listening To Sexual Minorities
$35.99Add to cartStudents arrive on campus with various boxes of belongings to unpack, some heavy, some tidy, some more valuable, some more private. For many students, two of these boxes could be labeled “My Faith” and “My Sexuality”-and these two can be among the most cumbersome to handle. How to balance the two without having to set one down? How to hold them both closely, both securely, but still move forward to settle in with new friends in a new environment? How to keep from dropping one or the other, spilling its embarrassing contents for all to see?
Such can be the struggle for any student, but especially for any sexual minority who identifies or struggles with an LGB+ identity or same-sex attraction on a Christian college campus. For these students their faith and their sexuality often feel both tender and in acute tension. Who is God making them to be? What do they need to grow in to develop faithfully, and what might they need to leave behind? How can they truly flourish?
The research team of Yarhouse, Dean, Stratton, and Lastoria draw on their decades of experience both in the psychology of sexual identity and in campus counseling to bring us the results of an original longitudinal study into what sexual minorities themselves experience, hope for, and benefit from. Rich with both quantitative and qualitative data, their book gives an unprecedented opportunity to listen to sexual minorities in their own words, as well as to observe patterns and often surprising revelations about life and personal development both on campus and after graduation.
Listening to Sexual Minorities will be an indispensable resource not only for counselors and psychologists but also for faculty, student-development leaders, and administrators in higher education as well as leaders in the church and wider Christian community who want to create an intentional environment to hear from and contribute to the spiritual flourishing of all.
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Canoeing The Mountains (Expanded)
$22.00Add to cartPart 1: Understanding Uncharted Territory
1. Seminary Didn’t Prepare Me For This
2. Adventure Or Die
3. A Leadership Model For Uncharted TerritoryPart 2: On-the-Map Skill Set
4. Competence And Credibility
5. Preparing For The Unknown
6. Eating Strategy For BreakfastPart 3: Leading Off The Map
7. Navigating The “Geography Of Reality”
8. My Italian Grandfather Was Killing Me
9. Don’t Just Do Something, Stand There . . . Then Do Something
10. The Mission Trumps!
11. Take A Good Look Into The CoffinPart 4: Relationships And Resistance
12. Gus And Hal Go To Church
13. Et Tu, Church?Part 5: Transformation
14. How A Nursing Mother Saved America
15. The End Of Our ExploringEpilogue: Taking The Hill With Grandma
Study Guide
Acknowledgments
NotesAdditional Info
14th Annual Outreach Magazine Resource of the Year, LeadershipExplorers Lewis and Clark had to adapt. While they had prepared to find a waterway to the Pacific Ocean, instead they found themselves in the Rocky Mountains. You too may feel that you are leading in a cultural context you were not expecting. You may even feel that your training holds you back more often than it carries you along.Drawing from his extensive experience as a pastor and consultant, Tod Bolsinger brings decades of expertise in guiding churches and organizations through uncharted territory. He offers a combination of illuminating insights and practical tools to help you reimagine what effective leadership looks like in our rapidly changing world.If you’re going to scale the mountains of ministry, you need to leave behind canoes and find new navigational tools. Now expanded with a study guide, this book will set you on the right course to lead with confidence and courage. -
Strengthening The Soul Of Your Leadership (Expanded)
$26.99Add to cartForeword By Gary A. Haugen
Introduction
1. When Leaders Lose Their Souls
2. What Lies Beneath
3. The Place Of Our Own Conversion
4. The Practice Of Paying Attention
5. The Conundrum Of Calling
6. Guiding Others On The Spiritual Journey
7. Living Within Limits
8. Spiritual Rhythms In The Life Of The Leader
9. Leadership As Intercession
10. The Loneliness Of Leadership
11. From Isolation To Leadership Community
12. Finding God’s Will Together
13. Re-envisioning The Promised Land
Afterword By Leighton Ford
Discussion Guide
Appendix: How Is It With Your Soul?
GratitudesAdditional Info
“I’m tired of helping others enjoy God-I just want to enjoy God for myself.”With this painful admission, Ruth Haley Barton invites us to an honest exploration of what happens when spiritual leaders lose track of their souls. Weaving together contemporary illustrations with penetrating insight from the life of Moses, Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership explores topics such as
responding to the dynamics of calling
facing the loneliness of leadership
leading from your authentic self
cultivating spiritual community
reenvisioning the promised land
discerning God’s will togetherEach chapter includes a spiritual practice to ensure your soul gets the nourishment it needs. Forging and maintaining a life-giving connection with God is the best choice you can make for yourself and for those you lead.
This expanded edition includes a new appendix for self-evaluation, “How Is It with Your Soul?” and a flexible six- or twelve-week discussion guide for groups.
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Building Credibility In Leadership
$19.99Add to cartToday there is a lack of trust in leaders, notably those leading the church, potentially leading to a lack of trust in God Himself – the Leader. As secondary leaders we must help to build credibility in leadership by remembering that our service is “unto the Lord.” This book giving sound instructions on how to become the type of leader God has destined you to be.
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Basics Of Greek Accents
$14.99Add to cartBasics of Greek Accents by John A. L. Lee is a compact, student-friendly, and practical guide to accents for students of both classical and biblical Greek. In eight simple lessons students will learn the basics of ancient Greek accentuation.Ideal for beginners who are just learning the language or for intermediate students who have learned some Greek but are unsure of their accents, this handy resource avoids theory and concentrates on taking the learner through the essentials in a natural sequence and reinforces learning by means of simple exercises.
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Speak Forth With The Original Voice
$11.00Add to cartChapter 1 Origin
Chapter 2 Heavens
Chapter 3 Triune GodExamples Of The Bible I Events That Took Place When The Gate Of The Second Heaven Opened In The First Heaven
Chapter 4 Justice
Chapter 5 Obedience
Chapter 6 FaithExamples Of The Bible II The Third Heaven And The Space Of The Third Dimension
Chapter 7 Who Do You Say I Am?
Chapter 8 What Do You Want Me To Do For You?
Chapter 9 It Shall Be Done For You As You Have BelievedExamples Of The Bible III The Power Of God, Who Possesses The Fourth Heaven
Additional Info
This work Speak Forth with the Original Voice is the last book of the series ‘Holiness and Power’. It shows you the way to experience the power of God through the original voice. There are also introduction of the actual works of God’s power so the readers can apply the principle in their everyday lives. There are also ‘Examples of the Bible’ which will help the readers understand the spiritual realm and the principles in receiving the answers. -
Love : Fulfillment Of The Law
$12.00Add to cartPart 1 Significance Of Love
Chapter 1 Significance Of Love
Chapter 2 Fleshly LovePart 2 Love As In The Love Chapter
Chapter 1 The Kind Of Love That God Desires
Chapter 2 Characteristics Of Love
Chapter 3 Perfect LovePart 3 Love Is The Fulfillment Of The Law
Chapter 1 The Love Of God
Chapter 2 The Love Of The ChristAdditional Info
“Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.” (Romans 13:10)This work Love: Fulfillment of the Law will be teaching us about the spiritual love.
In Part 1 “Significance of Love,” it looks into various forms of love that are found between husband and wife, parents and children, and among friends and neighbors, thereby giving us an idea of the difference between fleshly love and spiritual love. Part 2 “Love as in the Love Chapter,” categorizes 1 Corinthians 13 into three parts. The first part, ‘The Kind of Love that God Desires’ (1 Corinthians 13:1-3), is the introduction to the chapter that puts an emphasis on importance of spiritual love. The second part, ‘Characteristics of Love’ (1 Corinthians 13:4-7), is the main part of Love Chapter, and it tells us the 15 characteristics of spiritual love. The third part, ‘Perfect Love’, is the conclusion of the Love Chapter, which lets us know that faith and hope are needed temporarily while we are marching towards the kingdom of heaven during our lives on this earth, while love lasts eternally even in the kingdom of heaven.
Part 3, ‘Love is Fulfillment of the Law’, explains what it is to fulfill the Law with love. -
Worlds Of The Preacher (Reprinted)
$27.00Add to cartBuilding on Haddon Robinson’s philosophical approach to preaching, this book brings together accomplished evangelical preachers and teachers to help students and pastors understand the worlds–biblical, cultural, and personal–that influence and impact their preaching. The contributors explore the various inner and outer worlds in which a preacher functions with the goal of helping preachers sharpen their craft. Foreword by Bryan Chapell.
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Lead Like A Shepherd
$19.99Add to cartPastor, author, and leadership consultant unpacks instruction for church leaders found in 1 Peter 5:1-4 where they are exhorted to shepherd the flock among them.
Some instruction is timeless. Regardless of the age in which we live, certain instruction carries no expiration on its relevance. Pastor, author, and leadership consultant, Larry Osborne has discovered this to be the case with instruction on how to be a good leader. The best, most practical advice comes from the Bible, and in particular, 1 Peter 5:1-4. It’s in this short passage where leaders are exhorted to shepherd the flock among them.
Unfortunately, most modern leaders have precious little experience tending sheep, and many of the implications that were well understood when Peter penned these words are lost on today’s reader. Osborne finds the parallels to be numerous, well-worth reviewing and understanding anew.
A shepherd leads them to water even when they fear it. A shepherd never allows one sick lamb to destroy the flock. A shepherd lays down his life for his sheep . . .
When leaders truly understand Peter’s words of exhortation to lead like a shepherd, then they will begin to see the path that leads them to Leading Well.
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How To Lead When Youre Not In Charge Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$14.99Add to cartAre you letting your lack of authority paralyze you?
One of the greatest myths of leadership is that you must be in charge in order to lead. Great leaders don’t buy it. Great leaders lead with or without the authority and learn to unleash their influence wherever they are. With practical wisdom and humor, Clay Scroggins will help you nurture your vision and cultivate influence, even when you lack authority in your organization. And he will free you to become the great leader you want to be so you can make a difference right where you are. Even when you’re not in charge.In this six-session video study (video sold separately), author and pastor Clay Scroggins explains what is needed to be a great leader-even when you answer to someone else.
Sessions include:
*The Oddity of Leadership
*Lead Yourself
*Choose Positivity
*Think Critically
*Reject Passivity
*Challenging UpDesigned for use with the How to Lead When You’re Not in Charge Video Study (9780310095958), sold separately.
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Everybody Always Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$12.99Add to cartAs followers of Christ, there is question we need to be asking ourselves every day: How do we prove who we are? This doesn’t refer to what our driver’s licenses say we are, or what our careers suggest about who we are, or who other people tell us we are. Rather, this refers to what Jesus said we should be-and he said that his followers would be identified simply by how they loved people. Love isn’t something we just haphazardly fall into; it is someone we become. Jesus wants us to love everybody, always.
In this five-session video study (DVD/digital downloads sold separately), bestselling author Bob Goff shares some of the stories from his life that have helped him understand what it truly means to love everybody the way Jesus loved them-without fear, insecurity, or restriction. This begins by loving people right where you are through serving and helping the neighbors God has placed into your world. It means loving people when they mess up and helping them move past the place of shame to acceptance. It continues by being courageous and following where God leads one step at a time-even if you feel you are flying blind. Above all, it means not just agreeing with Jesus but actually stepping out and doing what Jesus said.
Following Christ means more than just putting a toe in the water when it comes to loving others. It means grabbing your knees and doing a cannonball! And, as Jesus revealed, it means loving the difficult ones. Everybody, Always, will provide practical steps to help you take that journey.
Sessions include:
*Love People Where You Are
*Catch People on the Bounce
*Don’t Play It Safe
*Do More Stuff
*Love Even the Difficult PeopleDesigned for use with the Everybody, Always Video Study (sold separately).
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Kingdom Disciples Bible Study Book (Student/Study Guide)
$20.99Add to cartThere is a missing force in Christianity today. Its a critical one, and its absence has led to weak believers, disintegrating families, ineffective churches, and a decaying culture. Without it, we lack what we need to fully live as heavens representatives on earth. That missing force is discipleship. In Kingdom Disciples, Tony Evans outlines a simple, actionable definition of discipleship to help the church fulfill its calling.
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Christ On The Psych Ward
$17.95Add to cartChrist on the Psych Ward is a series of reflections on the intersections among mental health, faith, and ministry. Beginning with his own experience, Finnegan- Hosey shares ways communities of faith can be present with those suffering from mental illness and crises. Weaving together personal testimony, theological reflection, and practical ministry experience, he offers a message of hope for those suffering and for friends and faith communities struggling to care for them. Ultimately, his journey of recovery and healing reveals the need for a theological understanding of a vulnerable God, important not solely for ministry with those with mental health struggles, but offering a hopeful vision forward for the church.
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Learning To Study The Bible Leader Guide For Tweens (Teacher’s Guide)
$14.99Add to cartLearning to Study the Bible is an eight-week curriculum designed for tweens to help them learn the basics of biblical interpretation. The Leader Guide includes easy-to-use instructions to guide students as they explore topics like genre, historical context, biblical geography and more. Sessions are: 1. Who? * Learn to identify the original author and audience * Understand your own social location and biases * Practice reading a text with the author and original audience in mind 2. What? * Understand the significance of genre * Practice identifying genre in biblical texts 3. When? * Understand the significance of historical context * Learn about the major social contexts of biblical texts * Practice reading Scripture contextually 4. Where? * Learn how to utilize biblical maps * Understand the significance of geography and shifting national borders for biblical interpretation * Practice interpreting a biblical text with a geographical lens 5. Why? * Learn about the formation of the canon * Understand the significance of a text’s changing meaning over time * Practice reading a text with multiple layers of meaning 6. How? Close reading * Learn the value of reading texts slowly and carefully * Understand how to use study bibles and commentaries * Practice reading a short text carefully 7. How? Side-by-side reading * Learn about the Revised Common Lectionary and its purpose * Understand how to use a concordance to cross-reference texts * Practice reading a text intra-canonically 8. How? Lectio Divina * Learn about the ancient practice of Lectio Divina * Understand the significance of a spiritual reading of Scripture * Practice Lectio Divina individually and as a group
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Unafraid Youth Leader Guide (Teacher’s Guide)
$14.99Add to cartAmericans are anxious people. A recent study found that one in five of us has an anxiety disorder and we spend over $2 billion a year on anti-anxiety medications. Often our life events play a significant role in our worries and fears. In this study based on his book Unafraid, Adam Hamilton explores the most common worries and fears experienced by Americans today. He considers practical steps for overcoming these fears, and reflects upon fear in the light of Scripture and a faith that promises again and again that we don’t need to live in fear. We can live with courage and hope. This Youth Study Book takes the ideas presented in Adam Hamilton’s book and interprets them for young people grades 6-12.
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After The Miracle
$14.99Add to cartWhat happens when the miracle of sobriety shakes up the way we’ve trained the people in our lives to treat us as opposed to what we need from them now? Where do we turn when getting what we’ve prayed for messes up everything we thought we knew and believed? After the Miracle: Illusions On the Path To Restoration addresses the illusions we have as we begin to break the cycles in our lives and face the reality of what healthy living will really cost. David Hampton poses a realistic view of what the path will be to a new way of being for everyone concerned After the Miracle.
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Church In Life
$78.00Add to cartChurch in Life breaks fresh ground by proposing a new framework for thinking about innovation in the church, by arguing that starting new ecclesial communities should be at the centre of the church’s life and thought, and by offering new theology and methodologies for church planting. Church planters will find in it the theoretical and practical resources for a radical missional ecclesiology, while theologians will find a nuanced reworking of the purpose and nature of the church. “”I love the framework for innovation that Mike uses here. It’s a really exciting way to come at mission and pioneering, and a welcome voice in a church that can so often be risk averse. There’s a lot of energy in an approach that is fuelled by imagination, possibility and hope rather than anxiety. As a result of seeing the material I invited Mike to teach pioneers at CMS and they found it energising for their pioneering practice.
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Secret Of Academic Progress And Success
$9.99Add to cartThe common questions among college and university Christian and non Christian students are: what is the secret of academic success? How can I succeed? How can I balance my academics with my spirituality? These and many other relevant questions are intelligently and concisely discussed in this booklet
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Church In Life
$51.00Add to cartChurch in Life breaks fresh ground by proposing a new framework for thinking about innovation in the church, by arguing that starting new ecclesial communities should be at the centre of the church’s life and thought, and by offering new theology and methodologies for church planting. Church planters will find in it the theoretical and practical resources for a radical missional ecclesiology, while theologians will find a nuanced reworking of the purpose and nature of the church. “”I love the framework for innovation that Mike uses here. It’s a really exciting way to come at mission and pioneering, and a welcome voice in a church that can so often be risk averse. There’s a lot of energy in an approach that is fuelled by imagination, possibility and hope rather than anxiety. As a result of seeing the material I invited Mike to teach pioneers at CMS and they found it energising for their pioneering practice.
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Does God Always Get What God Wants
$46.00Add to cartTim’s wife, Anne, died of breast cancer at the age of forty-nine, having battled against the disease for more than six years. Her suffering had a profound influence on their lives and that of their church, and raised challenging questions: – If “”God is in control,”” does that mean God is to blame for suffering? – Why did God not heal Anne? – Is Anne’s death what God wanted to happen? – Does prayer make any difference? – What is God doing about evil? People’s experience of suffering causes them to examine the kind of God they believe in, the nature of the universe God made, and God’s activity in the world. This book explores all three aspects and responds constructively to the complex issues that the above questions pose–and provides powerful reasons for confidence in the firm Christian hope.
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Friend Of Sinners Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$14.99Add to cartIn the Bible, we find that Jesus was called a lot of names. Many of the religious leaders of the day were jealous of his success and wanted to discredit him in the eyes of the public, so they said all sorts of crazy things about him. They whispered that he was an illegitimate child. They accused him of being demon-possessed. They denounced him to the Roman authorities as a rioter, a threat to public peace.
However, in this five-session video study (DVD/digital downloads sold separately), pastor and author Rich Wilkerson, Jr. reveals how one of their nicknames for Jesus was true: “Here is a . . . friend of tax collectors and sinners” (Luke 7:34). In the religious leaders’ minds this was one of the greatest indictments imaginable, but for Jesus it was a sign of success because it was the very definition of his mission. Today, Jesus still calls us “friends” not because of who we are or what we have done, but because of who he is. While he was on earth, he knew that people needed to belong before they would want to behave. He understood that the power within him was greater than the darkness around him, so he loved fearlessly.
Rich shows that by following his example, we can have the same clear conviction and compassion for the lost that Jesus did. His gospel of scandalous grace cannot be overestimated. When we embrace the truth that we all need Jesus equally and when we trust him to bring transformation in people’s hearts, we will walk as Jesus walked, experiencing the glory of God in our own lives and in the lives of those around us.
Sessions include:
*Missed Message
*Weight Shift
*Lost and Found
*Comfortably Uncomfortable
*How to Be GreatDesigned for use with the Friend of Sinners Video Study (sold separately).
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Exodus Preaching : Crafting Sermons About Justice And Hope
$23.99Add to cartExodus Preaching is the first of its kind. It is an exploration of the African American prophetic rhetorical traditions in a manner that makes features of these traditions relevant to a broad audience beyond the African American traditions. It provides readers a composite picture of the nature, meaning, and relevance of prophetic preaching as spoken Word of justice and hope in a society of growing pluralism and the world-shaping phenomenon of racial, economic and cultural diversity. African American preachers have distinctively invested great symbolic significance in the Exodus story, the messianic witness of Jesus, and the prophetic literature for developing and shaping prophetic sermons. Kenyatta Gilbert demonstrates how four distinctive features of discourse can shape sermon preparation, for effective preaching in a period of intense social change, racial unrest, and violence. Gilbert includes dozens of practical suggestions and five practical exercises to equip the reader for preaching in new ways and in new environments. He offers an holistic approach, fully equipping the reader with the theological and practical resources needed to preach prophetically.
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Does God Always Get What God Wants
$26.00Add to cartTim’s wife, Anne, died of breast cancer at the age of forty-nine, having battled against the disease for more than six years. Her suffering had a profound influence on their lives and that of their church, and raised challenging questions: – If “”God is in control,”” does that mean God is to blame for suffering? – Why did God not heal Anne? – Is Anne’s death what God wanted to happen? – Does prayer make any difference? – What is God doing about evil? People’s experience of suffering causes them to examine the kind of God they believe in, the nature of the universe God made, and God’s activity in the world. This book explores all three aspects and responds constructively to the complex issues that the above questions pose–and provides powerful reasons for confidence in the firm Christian hope.
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People Are The Mission
$17.99Add to cartWhen it comes to interacting with guests, churches typically gravitate towards one of two camps: over-the-top, shock-and-awe, let-us-entertain-you or oh-man,-some-people-just-showed-up, underwhelming experience. Each extreme has drawbacks: on one end, people become the center of the universe. On the other, hospitality is effectively ignored in deference to the “serious business” of worship.
People Are the Mission proposes a healthy middle, one where guests are esteemed but the gospel is the goal. Danny Franks, Connections Pastor at Summit Church, shows churches how to take a more balanced approach – a “third way” that is both guest-friendly and gospel-centric. He shows why honoring the stranger doesn’t stand in opposition to honoring the Savior. People are the mission that Christ has called us to, and if we focus on people we can better assist people to focus on the gospel.
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Final Words From The Cross
$14.99Add to cartIn life and in death, Jesus’ words were powerful and meaningful. Despite the serious effort and increased pain required for Jesus to speak as he hung on the cross, Jesus spoke seven “final words”-statements that have much to teach us about Jesus, his Father, and ourselves: Father Forgive Them Today You Will Be with Me in Paradise Behold Your Son…Behold Your Mother My God, My God, Why Have You Forsaken Me? I Thirst It Is Finished . . . Into Your Hands I Commit My Spirit Postscript: The Words After That In 24 Hours That Changed the World, Adam Hamilton took us on a Lenten journey through the last day of Jesus’ life. Now in this inspiring follow-up book, Hamilton explores these final words as seen and heard through the eyes and ears of those who stood near the cross. Each chapter begins with the biblical account followed by a first-person story as might have been told from the viewpoint of one of the characters at the cross. Then the chapter explores the meaning of Jesus’ dying words for our lives today. Following the last statement, a postscript recounts the words Jesus spoke following his resurrection, including what truly were the final words Jesus spoke while walking this earth. Join the crowd now and experience the final words from the cross. Final Words from the Cross offers six chapters/sessions plus a postscript chapter/session, so that classes have the option of a seventh session on Easter Sunday.
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Navigating The River Of Grief
$16.95Add to cartWhen members of the church experience loss, it can be difficult for pastors to discern how best to care for them. What can spiritual leaders expect in the grief process? What are we to do, to say, to journey with those who have experienced loss? What mistakes might we make that do more harm than good?
In Navigating the River of Grief, Rev. Dr. Bonnie Bates shares the results of her important research into the grief process. Her concept of grief as a river is inspired by several biblical references to water, both its ability to threaten and give life. Bates uses case studies to present grief not as the neat linear progression of stages we’d like it to be; rather, it is a river that sweeps the bereaved along in unpredictable ways. Its choppy waters cause pain and its depths are menacing, but when we understand the flow of its currentas a spiritual journey we can better help the bereaved navigate toward new life.
Navigating the River of Griefprovides pastors with invaluable resources when providing grief ministry:
Evidence-based best practices for spiritual counseling
Case studies to provide context
Guidance on the use of specific scriptures
Explorations of theological conflictsTogether with the Bible itself, Navigating the River of Grief will inform your ministry with spiritual truth about those hours between the night of weeping and the joy the Lord brings in the morning (Psalm 30:5).
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Cure For Todays Dying Church
$16.99Add to cartThe church is in the desert today!! The arid conditions existing in the church leave the people parched, thirsty and longing for refreshing. Many church leaders do not know how to get the spiritual water for themselves and therefore they cannot lead God’s people into the Promised Land of true fellowship and discipleship. This sad state of the church causes many church buildings to stand empty because people are tired of church leaders committing gross indecencies and leading people astray with messages that “tickle their ears” or boring them to tears with sermons that contain no life-changing truths.
In The Wellspring of Life: Why the Church is Dying of Thirst, Dr. Meyer van Rensburg addresses the issue by pointing out many of the mistakes that have been made (from spraying people with “Doom” insecticide in Africa to church leaders refusing to be criticised because they see themselves as “little gods,” as well as the vacuous Sunday services that leave people in the same state that they came to church, instead of inspiring them and changing their lives). The church is dying of thirst in the desert and the condition can only be treated by discovering the living water to quench that thirst. Too many church leaders do not know how to hear the voice of God and therefore cannot lead people to the living water.
By following the listing of the well in the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, this book demonstrates that the church needs the living water the Wellspring of Life provides. Each mention of the well is dealt with separately to show the significance of what is revealed there, to prove how these Scriptures were specifically put in this order to provide a systematic study of the importance of the well to the church and to point out the mistakes people in the church make. For instance, with Hagar, the fact that the well existed in the desert is first explored and then the fact that it had to be revealed for her to see it. Many people live next to the Well, but it has never been revealed to them that it can change their lives. Further revelations follow with each mention of the well: from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob through to David and the prophets. This continues to the New Testament and the Book of Revelation to show how God will provide for us if we can but follow His instructions regarding the Wellspring of Life. The truths discovered are applied as lessons for the church today.
Pastors and ministry professionals will find this book illuminating as
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Liking Jesus Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$10.99Add to cartWe all love the benefits of technology and social media, but even with the incredible upsides, many of us suspect there are unintended negative consequences beyond our control. The more we compare ourselves with others, the less satisfied we are. The more we interact online, the more we crave face-to-face intimacy. The more filtered our lives become, the more challenging it is for us to be authentic. The more information we receive about the pain and crises in the world, the more difficult it is for us to care.In this timely five-session video-based study (DVD/downloads sold separately), New York Times bestselling author Craig Groeschel taps in to some of the most up-to-date studies on social media to help us understand how it affects our emotions, our relationships, our attitudes, and our beliefs. He offers real-life examples to reveal the depths to which each of us battles with social media, how it masks our real struggles, and how we can reclaim a Christ-centered life. He encourages us to regain control over our lives by rediscovering the principles real life with Jesus brings: contentment, intimacy, authenticity, compassion, and rest.It’s time to refresh and rediscover what it means to be “like Jesus” and find true authenticity, a healthy self-image, and compassion for others in an age when we relate to each other so differently than ever before. It is time to no longer be defined by who follows you but by the One you follow.
Sessions include:
*Recovering Contentment
*Restoring Intimacy
*Revealing Authenticity
*Resurrecting Compassion
*Replenishing RestDesigned for use with the Liking Jesus Video Study (sold separately).
