J. Ellsworth Kalas
Showing all 27 results
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Grand Sweep Leader Guide (Teacher’s Guide)
$14.99Add to cartStudy the whole Bible in a year with J. Ellsworth Kalas. The Grand Sweep is designed for personal use. The added component of a Leader Guide enables congregations and study groups to share the experience. It provides an overview of how to use the book as a study, along with specific content for weekly, monthly, or occasional group meetings. The Grand Sweep guides readers through the Bible in a year by having them read three – four chapters daily. The Psalms and Proverbs are scattered throughout the readings as devotional elements. Because the reading plan moves through the Bible in biblical sequence, readers grasp the grand sweep of the Scriptures-something missed in most Bible studies. Daily readings are manageable allowing someone just beginning a serious devotional life to have the positive experience of developing a new spiritual discipline. Individuals can start reading at any time of the year. When the year of reading ends, they will have a grasp of the biblical story from beginning to end and a stronger devotional life. Kalas also provides a faithful daily summary of readings, but with a devotional quality to encourage warmth of spirit as well as knowledge of mind. Includes a reflection from son, David Kalas, and selected quotations from Kalas’s 35 books.
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Parables Of Paul
$17.99Add to cartJesus taught with words; Paul taught with pictures.
For over 2,000 years, the church has looked to the apostle Paul and his letters in order to understand and follow the Christian life. Paul had his own compelling way of sharing Jesus’ message with others, through the use of the metaphor-a brief, imaginative word picture that shows the same truth as a longer story.
From casting himself in the role of a slave, to presenting the Christian as a soldier or an actor, or even showing how we are vessels in the King’s house, Paul’s gallery of enriching, life-changing story pictures paints for us an indelible picture of the Christian faith.
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I Love Growing Older But Ill Never Grow Old
$16.99Add to cartGrowing older is a process. Growing old is a conclusion. If you’re growing older you see some hope because you have perspective and you keep learning. If you’ve grown old, you may cynically think that times have never been as bas as they are now, and that they can only get worse.
This book is about learning how to “make peace with where you are right now.” It’s about learning from the past and then moving past it. It’s about growing – personally, spiritually, and in our relationships with God and with others. If we think properly about growing older we’ll never have to grow old.
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13 Apostles : The Men Who Journeyed With Jesus
$16.99Add to cartIn this engaging book, Kalas reveals a portrait of each apostle as a servant in ministry, a human being, and a unique individual. He draws from Scripture as well as historical writings and traditions. A chapter is also devoted to Mathias, the successor to Judas Iscariot.
Each chapter features a key passage of Scripture. At the end of the book is a 16-page discussion guide.
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Being United Methodist
$16.99Add to cartIn Being United Methodist, popular and beloved author J. Ellsworth Kalas uses his inimitable style to address a topic that sometimes is complicated even to those who have practiced it for years. Kalas explores questions such as:
Who are these people called Methodists?
Where have they come from, and where are they going?
Why do so few of them really know what it means to be Methodist?
What makes them tick, and in a forever changing world, what keeps them ticking? -
Strong Was Her Faith (Student/Study Guide)
$16.99Add to cartChapters Include:
“Elizabeth: A Friend In Need”
“Anna: She Knew How To Wait”
“Martha, The Disciplined”
“Mary, The Extravagant”
“The Mighty Widow”
“The Anonymous Evangelist”
“Mary Magdalene: When Love Is Greater Than Faith”
“Mary, The Mother Of Mark”
“Dorcas: Worth A Miracle”
“Lydia, The Businesswoman
“Mary In Life And Legend”
“Why Mary?”This Book Also Includes A Study Guide.
Additional Info
In this follow-up to his book The Thirteen Apostles, popular author J. Ellsworth Kalas focuses on several women of great faith who were crucial, in ways both obvious and understated, to the story of the New Testament. Kalas looks into the life and times of eleven different women. With his signature style, Kalas examines the Scriptures to see what we can learn about these women and what we can learn from them, and how each woman fit into as well as shaped the New Testament story. -
Faith Of Her Own (Student/Study Guide)
$16.99Add to cartChapters Include:
The Ultimate First Lady (Eve)
A Woman Who Married Trouble (Cain’s Wife)
The Compleat Woman (Sarah)
A Mother Who Played Favorites (Rebecca
They May Have Been Twins — But Not Identical (Leah & Rachel)
The Original Big Sister (Miriam)
God Saw Beyond Her Profession (Rahab)
Israel’s First Female Prime Minister (Deborah)
The Perfect In-Laws (Ruth & Naomi)
The Ladies Chorus (The Women Of Bethlehem: Ruth 4: 13-17)
Counslor To The Clergy (Huldah)
Married To A Husband’s Career (Wives Of Old Testament Prophets)A Discussion Guide Is Included.
Additional Info
In A Faith of Her Own: Women of the Old Testament, popular author J. Ellsworth Kalas focuses on women who were crucial-some in obvious and some in less obvious ways-to the story of the Old Testament. Kalas takes a look at several different women of the Old Testament. He examines the Scriptures to see what we can learn about them and from them, including their defining characteristics, how they fit into as well as shaped the Old Testament story, and how their stories of strength, courage, perseverance, and faith have shaped our lives as believers today. -
Genesis (Student/Study Guide)
$14.99Add to cartWith the input of leading Bible scholars and teachers, Immersion features a format that focuses on readers, encouraging them to explore key events, people, teachings, and ideas throughout the Bible. Written in inviting and welcoming language, Immersion helps readers:
Discover the love of a Creator who sustains and nurtures us, saves us, and makes us new
Explore the knowledge of God who teaches believers how to live as God’s people through Jesus Christ
Enjoy the opportunity to grow in faith and commitment to Jesus
Each volume contains 6-8 sessions with leader helps. -
John (Student/Study Guide)
$14.99Add to cartA fresh new look at the Bible, from beginning to end, and what it means in your life
We’ve asked some of the leading Bible scholars and teachers to help us with a new kind of Bible study. Immersion remains true to Scripture but always asks, “Where are you in your life? What do you stuggle with? What makes you rejoice?” and then helps you read the text to discover the Scriptures’ deep, abiding truths. Immersion is about God and God’s word, and it is also about you-not just your thoughts but your feelings and your faith.In each study you will preview the focus of the Bible reading, prayerfully read and reflect upon it, then identify ways you can put into practice what you have learned from the reading. This process of engagement with the biblical foundations of Christian faith is intended to help people deepen their faith and grow in love of God and neighbor.
Immersion makes use of, but is not limited to, an exciting new translation of Scripture, the Common English Bible (CEB). Immersion, like the CEB, will offer adults:
the emotional expectation to find the love of God
the rational expectation to find the knowledge of God
reliable, genuine, and credible power to transform lives
clarity of languageWhether you are using the Common English Bible, the New Revised Standard Version, the New International Version, the King James Version, or another translation, Immersion Bible Studies will offer a refreshing plunge into God’s word, your own life, and your life with God.
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Luke (Student/Study Guide)
$14.99Add to cartA fresh new look at the Bible, from beginning to end, and what it means in your life
We’ve asked some of the leading Bible scholars and teachers to help us with a new kind of Bible study. Immersion remains true to Scripture but always asks, “Where are you in your life? What do you stuggle with? What makes you rejoice?” and then helps you read the text to discover the Scriptures’ deep, abiding truths. Immersion is about God and God’s word, and it is also about you-not just your thoughts but your feelings and your faith.In each study you will preview the focus of the Bible reading, prayerfully read and reflect upon it, then identify ways you can put into practice what you have learned from the reading. This process of engagement with the biblical foundations of Christian faith is intended to help people deepen their faith and grow in love of God and neighbor.
Immersion makes use of, but is not limited to, an exciting new translation of Scripture, the Common English Bible (CEB). Immersion, like the CEB, will offer adults:
the emotional expectation to find the love of God
the rational expectation to find the knowledge of God
reliable, genuine, and credible power to transform lives
clarity of languageWhether you are using the Common English Bible, the New Revised Standard Version, the New International Version, the King James Version, or another translation, Immersion Bible Studies will offer a refreshing plunge into God’s word, your own life, and your life with God.
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Matthew (Student/Study Guide)
$14.99Add to cartA fresh new look at the Bible, from beginning to end, and what it means in your life
We’ve asked some of the leading Bible scholars and teachers to help us with a new kind of Bible study. Immersion remains true to Scripture but always asks, “Where are you in your life? What do you stuggle with? What makes you rejoice?” and then helps you read the text to discover the Scriptures’ deep, abiding truths. Immersion is about God and God’s word, and it is also about you-not just your thoughts but your feelings and your faith.In each study you will preview the focus of the Bible reading, prayerfully read and reflect upon it, then identify ways you can put into practice what you have learned from the reading. This process of engagement with the biblical foundations of Christian faith is intended to help people deepen their faith and grow in love of God and neighbor.
Immersion makes use of, but is not limited to, an exciting new translation of Scripture, the Common English Bible (CEB). Immersion, like the CEB, will offer adults:
the emotional expectation to find the love of God
the rational expectation to find the knowledge of God
reliable, genuine, and credible power to transform lives
clarity of languageWhether you are using the Common English Bible, the New Revised Standard Version, the New International Version, the King James Version, or another translation, Immersion Bible Studies will offer a refreshing plunge into God’s word, your own life, and your life with God.
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Mark (Student/Study Guide)
$14.99Add to cartA fresh new look at the Bible, from beginning to end, and what it means in your life
We’ve asked some of the leading Bible scholars and teachers to help us with a new kind of Bible study. Immersion remains true to Scripture but always asks, “Where are you in your life? What do you stuggle with? What makes you rejoice?” and then helps you read the text to discover the Scriptures’ deep, abiding truths. Immersion is about God and God’s word, and it is also about you-not just your thoughts but your feelings and your faith.In each study you will preview the focus of the Bible reading, prayerfully read and reflect upon it, then identify ways you can put into practice what you have learned from the reading. This process of engagement with the biblical foundations of Christian faith is intended to help people deepen their faith and grow in love of God and neighbor.
Immersion makes use of, but is not limited to, an exciting new translation of Scripture, the Common English Bible (CEB). Immersion, like the CEB, will offer adults:
the emotional expectation to find the love of God
the rational expectation to find the knowledge of God
reliable, genuine, and credible power to transform lives
clarity of languageWhether you are using the Common English Bible, the New Revised Standard Version, the New International Version, the King James Version, or another translation, Immersion Bible Studies will offer a refreshing plunge into God’s word, your own life, and your life with God.
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Easter From The Back Side
$12.99Add to cartUsing an approach similar to the one he took in Parables from the Back Side and other books in the popular Back Side series, author J. Ellsworth Kalas opens up new possibilities of insight into the biblical Easter story. The author looks beyond the traditional gospel scriptures to connect the story of Christ’s resurrection with other stories and scriptures throughout the Bible, including both the Old Testament and the New Testament.
Kalas’s creative approach both clarifies basic teachings and introduces new possibilities of meaning, even for those who are most familiar with the Easter story. Enriched with contemporary illustrations and personal experiences, this volume will provide new perspectives on Easter.
Chapter titles and Scriptures include: “Why We Need Easter” (Genesis 3:1-7, 22-24); “Easter from an Ash Heap” (Job 19:13-27); “Easter for the Disillusioned” (Ecclesiastes 2:14-26); “Ezekiel Celebrates Easter” (Ezekiel 37:1-10); “Easter Is a Love Story” (John 20:1-18); “Late for Easter” (1 Corinthians 15:1-11); and “Forever Easter” (Revelation 21:1-4).
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Beatitudes From The Back Side (Student/Study Guide)
$16.99Add to cart11 Sessions
Additional Info
Using his method of approaching Bible passages from an unusual angle or a unique starting point, J. Ellsworth Kalas presents new insight into the beatitudes, Jesus’ blessings from the Sermon on the Mount.The book contains sessions and a study guide for personal use or for use in groups.
This book continues Kalas’ popular series of “Back Side” books.The beatitudes form the introduction to what is no doubt the best-known sermon ever preached. We call it the Sermon on the Mount (see Matthew 5-7), and of course it was preached by Jesus.
When we start examining the beatitudes we realize that in Jesus’ view, happiness is not something we get by pursuing it; indeed, almost the contrary. We are told that we will be happy-or blessed, if you prefer-in what appears to be the near antithesis of happiness. If we choose to live by the beatitudes, we make a declaration of dependence. We put ourselves into bondage to such things as poverty of spirit, purity of heart, and a readiness for persecution. This isn’t the sort of product they advertise on prime-time television; indeed, I’m not sure that it appears overly often in our prime-time worship services. That is because this is not a spiritual quick fix. It doesn’t come in a five-easy-lessons capsule. Instead, it is largely contrary to the way we live and to the way we think.
Before we go any further, however, let me say that over the past twenty centuries a very great many people have found in these beatitudes a depth of peace and joy beyond anything our common culture promotes and seeks. But it isn’t easy, and it isn’t obvious. There’s nothing easy or soft about this kind of dependence. Rather, it is an attitude that demands a huge store of courage. It’s the kind of dependence the trapeze artist displays when he or she lets go of the bar and with no safety net awaiting, flies off into space, trusting.
Welcome to the beatitudes. And may you be eternally happy, beginning now.
-adapted from the introduction
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Men Worth Knowing
$20.00Add to cartAuthor J. Ellsworth Kalas believes there is much we can learn about our own walk with God from the people in the Bible. In this inspiring book he gives us meditations about sixteen men from Scripture, some of them well known, others not even named. Each of them, he tells us, can teach us something about ourselves and our relationship with God, “not only through their wisdom but sometimes through their errors and obvious humanness.”
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What I Learned When I Was 10
$19.99Add to cartIn this book, popular author J. Ellsworth Kalas reflects back on the tenth year of his life and talks about how that year shaped him and his Christian faith in so many important ways. (That was the year in which he first read the entire Bible cover to cover, for example, and the year in which he first felt a calling to Christian ministry.) Kalas shares many stories about what it was like growing up in Iowa during the days of the Great Depression, and he recounts many people and events that shaped and have continued to shape his life to this day.
Themes explored include the importance of connecting with one’s past, salvation, hearing God’s call, living life with urgency, self-worth, the importance of investing and giving wisely, discovering the richness of the Bible, having confidence in God’s promise, and the importance of looking back over your life to make sense of all the lessons you have learned.
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Longing To Pray
$17.99Add to cartThe Psalms are much more than ancient poetry. They represent, in a moving, kaleidoscopic way, a vast catalog of very real humans with an unquenchable need to relate to their Creator. In spite of experiencing a wide array of troubles, inconsistencies, and questions, these writers were indeed sants who left behind the greatest collection of prayers in the possession of our human race. Best-selling author J. Ellsworth Kalas invites readers to study with ancient experts in prayer – the people who wrote the Book of Psalms. Kalas contends that is was the quality of their friendship with God that fueled them to begin the prayerful conversations that today’s readers across the globe admire and hold dear. The psalmists do not, however, offer any secret precept or a hard set of rules for effective praying. Still, if their prayers are read carefully, their secret of “the Ultimate Friendship” can truly be discovered. Kalas helps readers start down the path of an incredible journey of stimulating, challenging conversation with God. Also includes a study guide by John D. Schroeder.
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More Parables From The Back Side (Student/Study Guide)
$16.99Add to cartChapter Titles:
1. The Value Of The House–Matthew 7:24-27
2. The Man Who Talked With His Soul–Luke 12:13-21
3. What Chance Does An Average Sinner Have?–Luke 7:36-48
4. The Importance Of Downward Mobility–Luke 14:7-11
5. The Danger Of Being Good And Empty–Matthew 12:43-45
6. Risky Business–Matthew 13:45-46
7. Miracles Can Be Overrated–Luke 16:19-31
8. Second Chance For A Poor Manager–Luke 16:1-13
9. A Laugh And A Prayer–Luke 11:5-13, 18:1-8
10. It Happens While We Sleep–Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43
11. The Importance Of Being Dressed For The Party–Matthew 22:1-14
12. The Genius Of Effective Waiting–Luke 12:32-40Additional Info
This study is an addition to the author’s popular “Back Side” books .
J. Ellsworth Kalas presents new insight into twelve of Jesus’ parables by entering them through a unique starting point, a creative retelling, a new “lens,” or the eyes of a minor or unsympathetic character. The book also will contain a study guide. -
Preaching The Calendar
$25.00Add to cartPastors face a perennial challenge of knowing how to treat special days in the calendar. For days marked in the church year, the challenge is how to speak a fresh word about a familiar theme or story. For days marked in the civil calendar, the challenge is to discern within secular celebrations appropriate connections with the Christian gospel. In Preaching the Calendar, masterful preacher Ellsworth Kalas discusses the importance of embracing holidays and special days as occasions when sermons can enlarge and deepen spiritual yearnings. His words of wisdom demonstrate how this type of preaching can be done well and serve as valuable sources of stories and sermon illustrations for pastors eager to help people find new and renewed relationships with God.
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Preaching From The Soul
$22.99Add to cartCareful biblical interpretation; insights into contemporary life; polished delivery; humorous anecdotes; these are the building blocks of preaching that genuinely reach people. Right? Wrong, says Ellsworth Kalas. We have all encountered preachers who seem to know all the fine points of exegesis and inflection, yet whose sermons leave us surprisingly unmoved, aware that we were in the presence of good speaking, but not great preaching.
The difference, Kalas reminds us, lies in that hard-to-describe, yet essential quality known as soul. Soul is the collection of those perspectives and convictions that matter most to the preacher. Soul preaching means offering one’s particular ideas, attitudes, and convictions fully to the congregation. When one preaches with soul, one engages the biblical text with the core of one’s values and beliefs. Soul preaching is, in other words, simply giving the whole self to the task of proclamation. While the concept may sound simple, the reality is anything but.In the clear, insightful style for which he is known, Kalas takes readers on a path of discovery, introducing them to the unique gifts that they can bring to preaching, and the best way to engage those gifts in preparing and delivering the sermon.
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10 Commandments From The Back Side (Student/Study Guide)
$16.99Add to cartUsing an approach similar to the one he took in Parables from the Back Side and Old Testament Stories from the Back Side, J. Ellsworth Kalas opens new possibilities of insights into the familiar Ten Commandments. Restating them in the positive, Kalas explores how these “prohibitive” laws actually are our dear friends, intended to make life richer and more fulfilling. Kalas uses contemporary illustrations and personal experience to show how these timeless laws give us an appetite for divine excellence.
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Parables From The Back Side Volume 1 (Student/Study Guide)
$16.99Add to cartKalas presents new insight into twelve of Jesus’ parables by entering them through the “back side” – through the eyes of a minor or unsympathetic character. By approaching the stories in this way, Kalas releases new meaning and clarifies basic teachings
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Parables Of Jesus
$11.99Add to cartWritten by noted biblical scholar J. Ellsworth Kalas, Parables of Jesus provides new insight to some of your most troubling or most beloved parables: The House on the Rock: Matthew 7:24-27, The Sower: Mark 4:1-20, The Father and His Two Sons: Luke 15:11-32, The Mustard Seed: Matthew 13:31-32, The Good Samaritan: Luke 10:25-37, The Widow and the Unjust Judge: Luke 18:1-8, The Wise and Foolish Bridesmaids: Matthew 25:1-13, The Pharisee and the Tax Collector: Luke 18:9-14, The Nobleman and the Pounds: Luke 19:11-26. Scripture references are based on the New Revised Standard Version. Each session is self-contained and includes study helps and questions for reflection that are all you need to lead a group or pursue the study on your own.
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Old Testament Stories From The Back Side (Student/Study Guide)
$16.99Add to cartUsing an approach similar to his Parables from the Back Side, Kalas now opens up new possibilities of insight into selected Old Testament stories by entering them through the “back side” through a unique starting point, a creative retelling, a new “lens,” or the eyes of a minor or unsympathetic character. Kalas’ creative approach both clarifies basic teachings and introduces new possibilities of meaning, even for those who are most familiar with the stories. Enriched with contemporary illustrations and personal experiences, this volume will provide new perspectives on Old Testament stories. Study Guide included.
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Reading The Signs Cycle C
$12.95Add to cartIf you are like many parish pastors, you find the Christmas season to be the most frustrating season of the church year — so much to do, so much to celebrate, so much to say — and so little time to prepare it all!
That is why J. Ellsworth Kalas has prepared these twelve thoughtful sermons — to help you present the meaningful and coherent messages you want your congregation to hear during this busiest of seasons.
Within are sermons for every Cycle C gospel text during the Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany seasons from the Common, Lutheran, and Roman Catholic lectionaries, including:
– The Signs of Summer
– The Hinge of History
– Songs of the Season
– Return to the New
– From Empty Nets to Full Lives
– Awake to GloryUse these complete sermons as presented — or as jumping-off points for your own meaningful messages.
