Pastoral Helps
Showing 451–500 of 2394 results
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Get Your Life Back Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$12.99Add to cartWe live in soul-scorching times. The 24-7 onslaught of contemporary life–with its never-ending feed of global tragedies, demands for our attention, and pressures of work, family, and friends–has left us feeling ragged, wrung-out, and emptied. But if we have no margin in our lives, how do we find room to change anything?
In this life-changing video Bible study (DVD/digital downloads sold separately), John Eldredge distills a lifetime of wisdom into five practical and ready-to-implement practices for putting your life back together. These practices include: (1) the one-minute pause, (2) benevolent detachment, (3) practicing kindness, (4) getting outside, and (5) stepping back from technology. These practices, ready for the taking, will enable you to begin recovery, focus on what matters most, disengage from the tragedies of this broken world, and discover the restorative power of beauty.
You don’t need to abandon your life to get it back. You can restore it here and now. And you will never be the same.
Designed for use with Get Your Life Back Video Study (sold separately).
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ReVisioning : How To Stay Sharp At Every Stage Of Your Church’s Life
$17.99Add to cartAn ARC Resources Title
Vision. It can be a very slippery thing. As leaders, we can have a crystal-clear sense of purpose and direction at some points, but they may seem like foreign objects from time to time. Sooner or later, it happens to all of us. In this book, Pastor Greg Surratt shares his story of asking himself hard questions… and finding the answers to be both surprising and inspiring. He addresses the crucial topics of limitations, culture, and legacy, but he also dives into harder issues of how to handle heartaches and what actually captures the hearts of the people we lead. Re-Visioning is designed to recharge our leadership batteries and equip us to inspire our teams with humility, boldness, and joy.
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Serve Your City Participants Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$6.95Add to cartAn ARC Resources Title
This Participant’s Guide small group curriculum draws people to the heart of God, reveals their unique giftedness, and points them to practical opportunities to reach the people in their neighborhoods and communities.
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Serve Your City
$17.99Add to cartAn ARC Resources Title
Through the pages of the Gospels, we see Jesus model a “show and tell” life and ministry to His followers- He “showed” them how to serve by healing the sick, feeding the hungry, and caring for the poor-and while He was demonstrating compassion, He taught them, “telling” them of God’s immense love. This is the way to show God’s heart of compassion for the people in our cities and towns, and this is the way to break down barriers so people will listen to the life-changing message of the gospel of grace. In this book, you’ll sense Dino’s heart, be inspired by his stories and learn from his experiences, as well as many ARC churches that are serving their cities with a Jesus-style no-strings-attached kind of love. This is at the core of who ARC is – a deep passion to see churches thrive as part of the cities they serve.
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Better Bible Study Book (Student/Study Guide)
$22.25Add to cartIn this verse-by-verse study of the Book of Hebrews, Jen Wilkin explores how God “provided something better for us” in the person of Jesus Christ (Heb. 11:40). Through stories of Old Testament heroes and practices, the author of Hebrews demonstrates how the new covenant is superior to the old and how Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of every promise. Explore familiar verses in context of the entire Bible, learning how to place your hope and faith in Christ alone.
(10 sessions)
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Get Out Of Your Head Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$16.99Add to cartHave you ever wanted to be an entirely new version of you? Like a character re-do or makeover?
Have you ever felt like who you are now isn’t all that you were meant to be?
You’re on to something if you answered yes, and you’re going to be surprised if you aren’t so sure!
Sometimes we are content being good, and yet our insides are in complete disarray-but because no one knows it, we assume we are okay. This work we are going to do through our study of the book of Philippians might be the most important thing we’ve ever done. But we don’t do it merely as another self-improvement project.
The Bible knows nothing of a connected regenerate person, filled with the Spirit, whose goal is to just survive.
Our faith journey here on Earth is not meant to be summed up to a behavior modification. Our journey should be a radical departure from the world and how it thinks. Our journey should represent a supernatural intervention remaking us into whom God built us to be.
We want to be women who set our minds on Christ, better yet realizing we have already been given the mind of Christ and therefore, we are deeply and intrinsically motivated and moved by an entirely different source. Not only do we make Jesus happy, but we find our complete happiness in Him. These are truths that if we could only believe, would change everything. It is possible to waste our lives because we never learn to take our thoughts captive.
This six-session Bible study (DVD/digital downloads sold separately) dives head first into Paul’s letter to the Philippians, imploring and encouraging them to become entirely new kinds of humans whose minds are set solely on Christ. Bestselling author and Bible teacher, Jennie Allen steps through the book of Philippians with purpose and intention, unpacking the simple, but difficult truth of allowing ourselves and our minds to be transformed in the name of Christ. Jennie confronts our current cultural struggles while relating valid and trusted answers in Scripture that inspire real change from the inside out.
Each session will include video teaching, group discussion, and personal study time of digging deeper, reflection, consideration, response, imagination, and Scripture memory.
Designed for use with the Get Out of Your Head Video Study (sold separately).
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Leaders Journey : Accepting The Call To Personal And Congregational Transfo
$27.99Add to cartThis book helps pastors and church leaders understand the role their personal transformation as Jesus’s disciples plays in effective congregational leadership. It shifts the focus of leadership from techniques and charisma to spiritual transformation and developing emotional maturity so leaders can effectively lead congregations to embrace change. End-of-chapter discussion questions are included. The first edition sold more than 20,000 copies and has been regularly used as a textbook over the past fifteen years. The second edition has been revised throughout and includes a greater emphasis on Bowen Family Systems Theory.
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Collected Sermons Of David Bartlett
$46.00Add to cartThis collection of fifty-two sermons shows beloved New Testament scholar David Bartlett at his best. Bartlett, who died in 2017, spent his career teaching and mentoring preachers at The University of Chicago Divinity School, Yale Divinity School, Union Presbyterian Seminary, and Columbia Theological Seminary, as well as serving as a pastor in American Baptist churches. Thus, he has generations of friends and former students who knew him for his quick wit, passion for justice, and deep knowledge of the Bible.
Those traits show through in these sermons. As Nora Tisdale says in the foreword: “All of the sermons in this volume give witness to David’s passion for preaching that is solidly grounded in the biblical text. Most of them actually begin, as Karl Barth urged preachers to begin, with the biblical text. If they don’t begin there, they always get there fairly quickly. And David’s interpretations of texts often surprise the reader with their freshness and clarity.”
In addition to individual sermons, several multiweek sermon series, including a series on Who Is Jesus? and Great Words of the Faith, are included.
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Pastor As Public Theologian
$22.00Add to cartMany pastors today see themselves primarily as counselors, leaders, and motivators. Yet this often comes at the expense of the fundamental reality of the pastorate as a theological office. The most important role is to be a theologian mediating God to the people. The church needs pastors who can contextualize biblical wisdom in Christian living to help their congregations think theologically about all aspects of their lives, such as work, end-of-life decisions, political involvement, and entertainment choices.
Drawing on the Bible, key figures from church history, and Christian theology, this book offers a clarion call for pastors to serve as public theologians in their congregations and communities. It is designed to be engaging reading for busy pastors and includes pastoral reflections on the theological task from twelve working pastors, including Kevin DeYoung and Cornelius Plantinga.
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Little Book For New Preachers
$14.00Add to cartOne of the central tasks of pastoral ministry is preaching the Word of God. Yet those who are called to ministry may feel unprepared, unable, or unwilling to step into this role. In this brief introduction to homiletics, seasoned preacher Matthew Kim provides proven insight and guidance about the importance and history of preaching, the characteristics of faithful preaching, and the personal habits of a faithful preacher.
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Know What Youre FOR Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$12.99Add to cartWhat do you want to be know FOR? This is a great question for any leader of an organization to ask, whether it is a church, a business, or a nonprofit. After all, when an organization is able to close the gap between what they are known for and what they want to be known for, it results in unprecedented growth.
However, as Jeff Henderson reveals in the Know What You’re FOR small-group study (DVD/video downloads sold separately), this is also a great question for believers in Christ to ask themselves. All too often today, people in the world know more about what those in the church are AGAINST than what they are FOR. Instead of perceiving believers as being people of grace, love, and acceptance, they see them as angry, pessimistic, and intolerant. Certainly, as believers in Christ, we are called to state the truth about the condition of the world and its problem with sin . . . but the Bible is clear we are also to love others, extend grace, and get along as much as possible.
Back in the days of the early church, the believers also struggled with how to “draw the line” when it came to accepting the sinner but not the sin. The Christians even held a council in Jerusalem to discuss the issue and whether Gentiles were required to following Jewish practices to follow Jesus. It was the ruling of James, the brother of Christ and leader of the church, “that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God” (Acts 15:19). The early church decided to be FOR bringing people into the family of God instead of putting up unnecessary barriers that would keep them out.
Today, we are called to do the same . . . in our work lives, our relationships, our community, and our world. In this hypercritical and cynical world, we are called to be a group for who and what we’re FOR. It’s a powerful strategy for business . . . but more importantly, it is a revolutionary way to live.
Designed for use with Know What You’re FOR Video Study (sold separately).
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Jesus Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$12.99Add to cartIn this six-session video Bible study (DVD/digital downloads sold separately), bestselling author Max Lucado explores the life and character of Jesus, helping participants become more familiar with the man at the center of the greatest story ever told. As Max explains in this study, for thirty-three years Jesus felt everything that we have ever felt: weakness, weariness, rejections. He got colds. His feelings got hurt. His feet grew tired. His head ached.
To think of Jesus in such terms almost seems irreverent. It is much easier to keep the humanity out of the incarnation. Clean up the manure from around the manger. Wipe the sweat out of his eyes. Pretend he never snored or hit his thumb with a hammer. There is something about keeping Jesus divine that keeps him distant, packaged, and predictable.
But we have to remember that by Jesus becoming human, God made it possible for us to see him and hear his voice. If we want to know what matters to God, all we need to do is look in the Bible to see what matters to Jesus. If we want to know what God is doing in our world, we need only ponder the words of Jesus. By learning more about the person Jesus was and is, we come to understand more clearly the people we were created to be.
Jesus will inspire group members to spend time at the foot of the cross and search the heart of the one who would rather die for them than live without them.
Designed for use with the Jesus Video Study (sold separately).
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Cry Of The Blind
$10.99Add to cartA Gods Life Publishing Title
Today there is a cry rising to God from the Blind Bartimaecus’s all cross our nation. The church as a whole is deafened to their cry. The love of money has caused many leaders to be more focused on having things rather than carrying the great commission of obeying Christ by evangelizing the lost. The Cry Of The Blind will encourage the church to refocus to the hearing the cry of the blind, initiate a plan of action to rescue them and thus fulfill the Great Commission.
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Big Gospel In Small Places
$22.00Add to cartChristian ministries increasingly prioritize urban areas–big cities and suburbs are considered more strategic, more influential, and more desirable places to live and work. As a ministry strategy, focusing on big places makes sense. But the gospel of Jesus is often unstrategic. Filled with helpful stories and practical advice, pastor Stephen Witmer lays out an integrated theological vision for small-place ministry today.
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Connections Year A Volume 2 Lent Through Pentecost
$55.00Add to cartDesigned to empower preachers as they lead their congregations to connect their lives to Scripture, Connections features a broad set of interpretive tools that provide commentary and worship aids on the Revised Common Lectionary.
For each worship day within the three-year lectionary cycle, the commentaries in Connections link the individual lection reading with Scripture as a whole as well as to the larger world. In addition, Connections places each Psalm reading in conversation with the other lections for the day to highlight the themes of the liturgical season. Finally, sidebars offer additional connections to Scripture for each Sunday or worship day.
This nine-volume series is a practical, constructive, and valuable resource for preachers who seek to help congregations connect more closely with Scripture.
This volume covers Year A for Lent through Pentecost.
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Teach Us To Pray Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$11.95Add to cartJesus did not teach His disciples how to preach, teach, or grow a church, but He did teach them to pray. In this 13 lesson study guide, Ray Petty shares passionate wisdom that will inspire you to participate with God to boldly advance the kingdom of heaven on the earth. Perfect for individual or group study, each lesson culminates with practical exercises for reflection and activation. Through this life-changing book, you will: learn to pray the Word; practice the very presence of God; be transformed from the inside out; make a difference.
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Heart Of The Preacher
$18.99Add to cartYou can teach the craft, but you must first form the heart.
Many preachers want to preach better, but they don’t always know how to go about improving, and most books on preaching focus on the mechanics of the craft.But preaching involves more than the steps from a text to a sermon, because every time a preacher stands up to preach, their character shines through–for better or for worse.
In The Heart of the Preacher, Rick Reed focuses on the personal heart preparation required before any preacher is ready to preach. He explores issues preachers often wrestle with–like discouragement, insecurity, and pride. He then offers practices to fight these challenges and form a heart that carries the fruit of the Spirit into the pulpit.
It takes more than a good speaker to preach. It takes a Spirit-filled person. This book will help you check your heart and cultivate the most important aspect of preaching: your character.
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Healing Together : A Guide To Supporting Sexual Abuse Survivors
$12.99Add to cartSex is such an intimate topic historically wrapped in shame and when someone shares they were sexually abused, we may not know how to respond.
With recent #MeToo and #ChurchToo movements, we are learning just how many men, women, boys, and girls have suffered sexual abuse at the hands of a trusted person, often family members or leaders in the church. Sexual abuse is rampant in modern society and now–sometimes many years later–sexual abuse survivors are sharing their stories.
Anne Marie Miller is a survivor of childhood clergy sexual abuse and has shared her journey toward healing with audiences all over the world. After speaking with thousands of survivors and their loved ones, she saw the need for a fundamental and practical guide for helping supporters of sexual abuse survivors understand the basics of abuse, trauma, healing, and hope. Drawing from her own experience as a survivor and evidence-based research, Anne addresses these questions and more in Healing Together.
*What is sexual abuse?
*How can I help survivors?
*Who are predators and how do they groom victims?
*How does trauma affect survivors?
*What happens when someone doesn’t remember the details of their abuse?
*How does abuse wound the physical, emotional, and spiritual health of people who have been abused?
*When and how should authorities be contacted?
*How do you talk to your children about sexual abuse?
*What are the warning signs of abuse?
*Is healing possible?Whether you are a spouse, a family member, a friend, or a church leader looking for easy-to-navigate resources to understand and support sexual abuse survivors, you’ll find answers and hope in these pages.
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Sent To Flourish
$40.00Add to cartHow can church planters and their congregations flourish for the long haul? Written by a diverse team of scholar-practitioners and filled with real-world insights, stories, and questions for reflection and discussion, this guide gives church planters and their teams the tools to be theologically reflective, spiritually grounded, and missionally agile.
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Beyond The Tyranny Of The Text
$25.99Add to cartPreachers and students of preaching need help communicating hope! They want their sermons to communicate the promises of scripture, so that people can envision a new world in which their lives will be transformed. Preachers want to experience a new sense of freedom in their preaching, and to extend liberation based on their reading and interpretation of the scripture.
James Henry Harris introduces interpretation theory and continental philosophy as a resource for preachers to resist and overcome interpretive oppression, and lays out a new theory of scriptural interpretation. He analyzes philosopher Paul Ricoeur’s hermeneutics as a helpful guide for modern preachers, and incorporates in his analysis of the lived experience of the Black church. Harris highlights the preaching of several 19th and 20th century Black women, including Jarena Lee, Maria Stewart, and Mary Evans.
Beyond the Tyranny of the Text develops a five-part method for preaching that stretches from preparation to proclamation, and demonstrates how this method for interpretational creativity emerges from fidelity to the text. Harris demonstrates his method with sermonic exegesis of the Book of Jonah. With this new process of reading, rereading, un-reading, writing, and un-writing the text, the author offers wisdom and tools for reflection and illumination.
At its core, Beyond the Tyranny of the Text challenges the field of homiletics and all preachers to un-write like Jesus Christ: to get in front of the text, to understand preparation and preaching as a creative and transformative enterprise.
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Tending Soul Mind And Body
$28.00Add to cartThroughout his ministry, Jesus consistently demonstrated his concern and love for the whole person: soul, mind, and body.
That concern is carried forward today by pastors and church leaders, who are called to care for people in the midst of individual circumstances as well as seismic cultural shifts. How might that calling be informed by recent developments in psychology? How should the church attend to matters of mental health? How might psychology and counseling aid us in our spiritual formation? Based on the 2018 Center for Pastor Theologians conference, this volume brings together reflections by pastors, theologians, and psychologists who explore the relationships among three fields of study–theological anthropology, spiritual formation, and modern psychology. The result is a vibrant whole-person theology that can aid the church today in its centuries-old call to care for the soul, mind, and body.
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Lectionary Reflections Cycle A
$29.95Add to cartWith Lectionary Reflections, Cycle A, readers will delight in the process of preparing to preach from the lectionary. While it is academically informed and theologically sound, this volume is notable in how it engenders a sense of playful, holy curiosity.
Readers will get insightful commentary, ideas for a variety of ways to preach and teach the texts, and weekly questions and suggestions to get conversations going.
Duffield’s wit and palpable love for the Body of Christ will invigorate any pastor’s sermon writing process. If you’re preaching or teaching from the lectionary, this will be a go-to resource week after week.
Jill Duffield holds an M.Div. degree from Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond, Virginia and a D.Min. degree from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Austin, Texas. She has pastored congregations in North Carolina and South Carolina. Jill won the James Solheim Award for Editorial Courage and the Award of Merit in Bible Reference for “Looking Into the Lectionary.” She is the current editor and publisher of The Presbyterian Outlook and is married to Grant. They are the parents of three children.
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Everything You Need Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$12.99Add to cartMany Christians today feel unprepared and uncertain when it comes to living each day as followers of Christ. We often know what we are supposed to do, and even why we are supposed to do it. Yet when we lack confidence in ourselves and our spiritual development, we fail to live boldly as difference makers in our world.
As one of the world’s leading Bible teachers, Dr. David Jeremiah wants readers to know that this lack of confidence is both unnecessary and unhelpful. In fact, the Bible makes it clear that–in the same way skilled hikers pack all the necessary supplies before a journey–God Himself equips all believers with everything they need to walk and work with confidence as members of His kingdom.
Everything You Need continues Dr. Jeremiah’s focus on helping the church strive for spiritual victory through Christ. Using his signature depth, wisdom, and compassion, Dr. Jeremiah explores 2 Peter 1:5-10 to highlight seven critical tools God provides each of His people: virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love. When we use the equipment God provides, we can live confidently in the knowledge that we will never stumble.
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Fierce Womens Bible Study Participant Workbook (Workbook)
$17.99Add to cartLearn from the fierce women of God who changed the world.
The word fierce is trendy. It is used to describe women who are extreme athletes, high-level executives, or supermodels. Women at the top of their game. But what about the rest of us? Can we be fierce? Absolutely! In fact, women like us have been changing the world for thousands of years-many who received little fanfare yet lived fiercely anyway. In this six-week study we will look at lesser-known female characters in the Bible and the ways they changed the world by living into God’s calling, including:
*The midwives of Egypt (Shiphrah and Puah), who made hard decisions in the face of evil
*Deborah, who was an unlikely and powerful leader
*Naaman’s slave girl, who bravely points others to God’s healing power
*The Woman at the Well, who boldly repented and shared her faith
*Lois and Eunice, who parented with intentionality and effectiveness
*Dorcas, who showed kindness to those in need.As we explore their lives, we will discover how we too can live into our callings, honor the Lord, and even change the world through our courage, faithfulness, and obedience.
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Almost Christmas Devotions For The Season
$12.99Add to cartIn 1741, John Wesley preached his famous sermon titled “The Almost Christian” in which he encouraged people to follow Christ wholeheartedly. We should not be satisfied with being almost Christian but rather strive towards being altogether a Christian.
In Almost Christmas: A Wesleyan Advent Experience, author and pastor Magrey deVega leads a group of authors to explore how we can make the same commitment to Christ during Advent, connecting our Wesleyan heritage with the traditional Advent themes of Love, Hope, Joy, and Peace.
In this book, perfect for Advent, deVega and the other authors break down the barriers that prevent us from experiencing an “altogether” love, hope, joy, and peace in Christ in our lives and in the world around us. They demonstrate the promises God offers to us that makes those longings a reality, inviting us to claim those promises for ourselves this Advent and celebrate an altogether Christmas.
The devotional contains 28 daily devotions for the four weeks of Advent corresponding to the themes of Altogether Love, Altogether Hope, Altogether Joy, and Altogether Peace. Written by pastors and other leaders, the devotions celebrate and bring together the season of Advent and the best of our Wesleyan heritage.
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Almost Christmas Youth Study Book (Student/Study Guide)
$12.99Add to cartIn 1741, John Wesley preached his famous sermon titled “The Almost Christian” in which he encouraged people to follow Christ wholeheartedly. We should not be satisfied with being almost Christian but rather strive towards being altogether a Christian.
In Almost Christmas: A Wesleyan Advent Experience, author and pastor Magrey deVega leads a group of authors to explore how we can make the same commitment to Christ during Advent, connecting our Wesleyan heritage with the traditional Advent themes of Love, Hope, Joy, and Peace.
In this book, perfect for Advent, deVega and the other authors break down the barriers that prevent us from experiencing an “altogether” love, hope, joy, and peace in Christ in our lives and in the world around us. They demonstrate the promises God offers to us that makes those longings a reality, inviting us to claim those promises for ourselves this Advent and celebrate an altogether Christmas.
This Youth Study Book takes the ideas presented in the book and interprets them for young people grades 6-12.
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Almost Christmas : A Wesleyan Advent Experience (Large Type)
$18.99Add to cartIn 1741, John Wesley preached his famous sermon titled “The Almost Christian” in which he encouraged people to follow Christ wholeheartedly. We should not be satisfied with being almost Christian but rather strive towards being altogether a Christian.
In Almost Christmas: A Wesleyan Advent Experience, author and pastor Magrey deVega leads a group of authors to explore how we can make the same commitment to Christ during Advent, connecting our Wesleyan heritage with the traditional Advent themes of Love, Hope, Joy, and Peace.
In this book, perfect for Advent, deVega and the other authors break down the barriers that prevent us from experiencing an “altogether” love, hope, joy, and peace in Christ in our lives and in the world around us. They demonstrate the promises God offers to us that makes those longings a reality, inviting us to claim those promises for ourselves this Advent and celebrate an altogether Christmas.
Chapters include:
*Altogether Love
*Altogether Hope
*Altogether Joy
*Altogether PeaceAdditional components for a four-week study include a DVD featuring Magrey deVega and the other writers and a comprehensive Leader Guide, as well as nativity hymns by Charles Wesley, litanies for lighting the Advent wreath, and prayers that can be incorporated into both worship and small group settings. A daily devotional and a youth study book are also available.
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How Happiness Happens Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$14.99Add to cartIn this six-session video Bible study (DVD/digital downloads sold separately), bestselling author Max Lucado looks at several “one another” statements in the Bible that reveal how the happiest people on earth aren’t those who have the most but those who are willing to give the most away. While everyone craves happiness, and everyone benefits from it, the sad reality is that fewer people today are finding it. We have more possessions than ever before, better access to education, and greater advancements in technology and medicine. Yet the majority of us can’t find an adequate reason to check the “yes” box on a happiness questionnaire.
Our culture tries to convince us there is one way to happiness: aspire, acquire, desire, retire. Happiness depends on what we hang in our closet, park in our garage, and deposit in our bank account. It’s a path that always fails to deliver. Instead, Jesus provides a better way: “It is better to give than receive” (Acts 22:35 nkjv). Intentional, altruistic acts of service are the most reliable sources of well-being. It is a principle Jesus lived out in his own life. While he was accused of much, he was never described as being grumpy or perpetually somber. Rather, he said, “I came to give life with joy and abundance” (John 10:10 vce).God wants to bring joy to the people of this generation, and in his Word, he has given us practical and applicable ways to quarry that joy by giving it away. In this study, group members will look at several key “one another” statements given in the New Testament and discover how to make happiness happen in their lives. They will discover that while the world can be a lonely and disappointing place, they can be God’s representatives to bring about a cascade of kindness. While we cannot solve every problem, we can bring a few smiles to a few faces. In this way, we might even initiate a quiet revolution of joy.
This study guide is designed for use with the How Happiness Happens Video Study (sold separately).
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Preachers Guide To Lectionary Sermon Series Volume 2
$47.00Add to cartBoth lectionary preachers and topical preachers will enjoy the best of both worlds with this second volume of sermon series ideas designed to frame consecutive weeks of lectionary texts into seasonal and short-term series. With contributors from seven denominations, this comprehensive resource offers new perspectives and fresh ideas for diving deep into biblical themes in ways that make congregants eager to come back for the next sermon and to invite others as well. Twenty-eight series plans include thematic overviews, sermon starters, and ideas for worship and outreach, honoring holy days and seasons and addressing typical patterns of church attendance to maximize visitor retention and member engagement.
Contributors include: Amy K. Butler, Kyle E. Brooks, Carol Cavin-Dillon, Magrey R. deVega, Brian Erickson, Mihee Kim-Kort, Jasper Peters, Tuhina Verma Rasche, Bruce Reyes-Chow, Brandan J. Robertson, Martha K. Spong, and Anthony J. Tang.
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Preachers Bible Handbook
$47.00Add to cartWhen it comes to understanding a passage in the Bible, context is everything. What historical events surround a book’s composition? What larger literary unit is a given passage part of? What central themes explored by the book touch on the verses in question? If we don’t know the answer to questions like these, we are ill-prepared to speak to-and especially preach about-a passage’s meaning. The Preacher’s Bible Handbook aims to meet this need for extra help in preparing the sermon. Essays on each of the biblical books introduce the most relevant historical, literary, and theological facts about the book. Each is designed to aid the preacher in setting the stage for a sermon on any passage in the Bible.
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Connections Year A Volume 1 Advent Through Epiphany
$55.00Add to cartDesigned to empower preachers as they lead congregations to connect their lives to Scripture, Connections features a broad set of interpretive tools that provide commentary and worship aids on the Revised Common Lectionary.
This nine-volume series offers creative commentary on each reading in the three-year lectionary cycle by viewing that reading through the lens of its connections to the rest of Scripture and then seeing the reading through the lenses of culture, film, fiction, ethics, and other aspects of contemporary life. Commentaries on the Psalms make connections to the other readings and to the congregation’s experience of worship.
Connections is published in partnership with Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary.
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Story Of Reality Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$14.99Add to cartBiblical Christianity is more than just another private religious view. It’s more than just a personal relationship with God or a source of moral teaching.
Christianity is a picture of reality. It explains why the world is the way it is. When the pieces of this puzzle are properly assembled, we see the big picture clearly. Christianity is a true story of how the world began, why the world is the way it is, what role humans play in the drama, and how all the plotlines of the story are resolved in the end.
In The Story of Reality Study Guide, together with the accompanying Story of Reality and Story of Reality Video Study, bestselling author and host of Stand to Reason Gregory Koukl explains the words that form the narrative backbone of the Christian story. Each session identifies the most important things that happen in the story in the order they take place, beginning with an examination of reality, and God, and moving though man, Jesus, the cross, and resurrection.
If you are already a Christian, do you know and understand the biblical story? For those still seeking answers to the questions of life, this is an invitation to join a story that explains the world in a way nothing else will. Be a part of the story that can change your life forever.
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Mining For Gold
$14.99Add to cartThe stresses and burdens of Christian leadership leave many church leaders feeling discouraged, inadequate and broken. The expectations placed on them by the church, their congregations and by themselves can lead to ineffectiveness and burn out. The hierarchical, top-down form leadership paradigm that has been prevalent in culture and the church is now failing us. This needs to change. There is a global need for empowered and thriving leaders. There are many Christian leadership books, most of them emphasize a particular perspective or skill needed to be an effective leader. However, few leadership books tie together the foundation of identity with calling and empowerment. This book outlines a process and model that leaders can use to draw together identity, purpose, character and calling to become a healthy leader and to develop leaders around them. The book ties together biblical principles, God-given identity and ministry tools of coaching and mentoring to offer a fresh contribution and perspective for developing more and better leaders. As such this book will be especially helpful to the leader who feels stuck or lacks clarity, yet still longs to make a significant impact in their lives.
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Neighboring : Spiritual Practices For Building A Life Of Faith
$14.99Add to cart“While physical training has some value, training in holy living is useful for everything. It has promise for this life now and the life to come.” ~ 1 Timothy 4:8
Christians crave a deeper, more intimate relationship with God. Spiritual disciplines are activities and practices that guide you in your daily walk through life bringing you closer to Christ. They also help you to make a difference in our world. Practicing these spiritual disciplines opens you to God’s transforming love and help you experience Holy Living.Both the Old and New Testaments call the people of God to love God completely as well as love our neighbors as we love ourselves. Jesus gave his followers this commandment as well. What if by loving your neighbor, Jesus literally meant the precious people who live in your neighborhoods? What if by loving your neighbors Jesus meant all your neighbors regardless of age, socioeconomics, education or any other potentially divisive status? This book first defines what is meant by “neighboring”; and then looks at some ways that you live into and out of that spiritual practice. It further helps you cultivate the habit of being neighboring Christ-followers and suggests ways your church can be neighboring churches.
This is one of series of eight books. Each book in this series introduces a spiritual practice, suggests way of living the practice daily, and provides opportunities to grow personally and in a faith community with others who engage with the practice. Each book consists of an introduction and four chapters and includes questions for personal reflection and group discussion.
Other disciplines studied: Celebration, Confession, Discernment, Neighboring, Simplicity, Study, and Worship.
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Prayer : Spiritual Practices For Building A Life Of Faith
$14.99Add to cart“While physical training has some value, training in holy living is useful for everything. It has promise for this life now and the life to come.” ~ 1 Timothy 4:8
Christians crave a deeper, more intimate relationship with God. Spiritual disciplines are activities and practices that guide you in your daily walk through life bringing you closer to Christ. They also help you to make a difference in our world. Practicing these spiritual disciplines opens you to God’s transforming love and help you experience Holy Living.
We know we should pray, and for many people prayer is as natural as breathing. Yet however comfortable you feel with prayer, it can always take you deeper into your lives with God. This book explores the purpose of prayer, why you need to pray, the nature of prayer, and the results of prayer. It leads you to be open to the transformations prayer can bring in your life, and helps you better understand how to pray both individually and with others.
This is one of series of eight books. Each book in this series introduces a spiritual practice, suggests way of living the practice daily, and provides opportunities to grow personally and in a faith community with others who engage with the practice. Each book consists of an introduction and four chapters and includes questions for personal reflection and group discussion.
Other disciplines studied: Celebration, Confession, Discernment, Neighboring, Simplicity, Study, and Worship.
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Worship : Spiritual Practices For Building A Life Of Faith
$14.99Add to cart“While physical training has some value, training in holy living is useful for everything. It has promise for this life now and the life to come.” ~ 1 Timothy 4:8
Christians crave a deeper, more intimate relationship with God. Spiritual disciplines are activities and practices that guide you in your daily walk through life bringing you closer to Christ. They also help you to make a difference in our world. Practicing these spiritual disciplines opens you to God’s transforming love and help you experience Holy Living.
Deepen your understanding of worship so that you can worship more fully. First by defining the practice of worship. To define it gives you clarity and richness. Along with defining worship you explore the concept of a Godward life, a life of turning toward God for guidance moment by moment, day by day. Such a life is fuel for genuine worship. Next you focus on the way worship shapes you. Look at your formation as a disciple of Jesus with Jesus’ primary focus, which was the kingdom of God. As you are being formed into Christlikeness, you point to God’s action in the world and you grow in desiring what God desires. Finally, you explore the idea that worship can happen in unexpected places. As worship breaks out, your life becomes an increasingly joyful walk with God.This is one of series of eight books. Each book in this series introduces a spiritual practice, suggests way of living the practice daily, and provides opportunities to grow personally and in a faith community with others who engage with the practice. Each book consists of an introduction and four chapters and includes questions for personal reflection and group discussion.
Other disciplines studied: Celebration, Confession, Discernment, Neighboring, Simplicity, Study, and Worship.
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Sustainable Young Adult Ministry
$22.00Add to cartYoung adult ministry scares us.
Young adults seem like the elusive Holy Grail demographic in Christian ministry. We often treat them like another species, with an inscrutable culture all their own. To have a thriving ministry to young adults, we’re told, we’ll need to be up-to-date on all the latest trends. We’ll need to change up our worship style. We’ll need to make programs. But what if young adult ministry isn’t actually as enigmatic as we’ve been led to believe? What if it actually looks an awful lot like . . . faithful Christian ministry? Scott Pontier and Mark DeVries know firsthand the challenges of young adult ministry. In Sustainable Young Adult Ministry, they explore six common mistakes churches make in their efforts to reach this demographic–mistakes they themselves have made–and offer six paradoxes that upend our presuppositions and return us to a simpler, more biblical ministry model. Full of practical advice and complete with a wealth of additional resources, this book offers a fresh perspective on young adult ministry that is grounded in long ministry experience and in the timeless gospel of Jesus.
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Drawing From The Wells 2
$9.95Add to cartToday, many young ministers feel the need to minister to thousands of individuals to be successful. In truth, most of the churches within the United States have congregations of 125 parishioners or less. In the Church of God in Christ, ninety percent of congregations are less than one hundred members. In Drawing from the Well, author Bishop Nathaniel Wells offers a self-help guide on building a strong church and mega ministry, without mass numbers and in small communities.
Through scriptural examples and personal experiences, Wells discusses the key elements-for which Jesus has provided the insight and instructions-for creating a strong church foundation. He includes the importance of relying on the word of God, empowering parishioners, and keeping the personal and spiritual connection to people.
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Preaching With All Ages
$23.99Add to cartThe all-age talk is a task guaranteed to give preachers sleepless nights! Very few people feel they have a gift for it, and most lack confidence. This reflective and practical guide addresses these concerns, and aims to build a sure theological understanding, develop skills and grow confidence.
Twelve chapters explore different kinds of engagement – with the senses, with one another, with oneself, with scripture, with liturgy, with the church, with God, with challenging situations, and more to enable preachers make real connections with their listeners, whatever the age.
Each chapter is followed by a practical case study illustrating key principles and providing down-to-earth, tried and tested wisdom for all kinds of contexts and occasions.
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Traveling Home : Tracking Your Way Through The Spiritual Wilderness
$21.95Add to cartOffers readers a way to find their place in God’s story
A creative invitation to those who are on the margins of the church Recent research in the sociology of religion indicates that around one in five Americans are religiously “liminal,” that is, they are on the fence about affiliating with a faith or a congregation. Traveling Home is an invitation to those people who are standing on the edges or just coming into the Church. It makes a case for why Christianity can make a difference by taking the reader on a spiritual journey through the story and ancient wisdom of the Bible. It shows the reader how to find a place within this great cosmic adventure. Why Christianity at all? How do we understand where we fit into a bigger picture? Anyone asking these questions, including people exploring other liturgical traditions, will find this book of interest. It is also a tool for clergy teaching newcomer/inquirer classes.
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EveryWORD John : Scipture – Outline – Commentary
$39.99Add to cartFrom LMW, the publishers of The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible comes everyWORD, a starting point for pastors, teachers, and students of the Bible who are seeking a better understanding of every Word of scripture. Outlined verse-by-verse in the popular ESV translation, and including a comprehensive, easy-to-understand commentary drawn from hundreds of sources, everyWORD equips you to preach your best.
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Romans Womens Bible Study Leader Guide (Teacher’s Guide)
$15.99Add to cartWe live in a world full of bad news. The media recounts stories of natural disasters, violence, and conflict. In the midst of all this heartbreak, we can’t lose sight of the fact that God has given us good news. We call it the gospel. It reminds us that God loves us and longs to redeem our suffering. He stepped out of eternity and into time to send us His one and only Son. The gospel truths shared with the early church at Rome echo into our day, reminding us that we still have good news to embrace personally and to share with others.
In this six-week study of the Book of Romans, we will be highlighting significant concepts regarding the good news about faith, grace, daily life, God’s plan, relationships, and eternity. Whatever bad news we may receive, in Romans we will find good news to encourage and transform us.
Join Melissa in taking a posture of listening and learning as we approach this powerful book packed with good news? Let’s ask God to do a mighty work in and through us as we study so that we might be inspired with a spiritual renewal that spreads to those around us!
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Romans Womens Bible Study Participant Workbook (Student/Study Guide)
$17.99Add to cartWe live in a world full of bad news. The media recounts stories of natural disasters, violence, and conflict. In the midst of all this heartbreak, we can’t lose sight of the fact that God has given us good news. We call it the gospel. It reminds us that God loves us and longs to redeem our suffering. He stepped out of eternity and into time to send us His one and only Son. The gospel truths shared with the early church at Rome echo into our day, reminding us that we still have good news to embrace personally and to share with others.
In this six-week study of the Book of Romans, we will be highlighting significant concepts regarding the good news about faith, grace, daily life, God’s plan, relationships, and eternity. Whatever bad news we may receive, in Romans we will find good news to encourage and transform us.
Join Melissa in taking a posture of listening and learning as we approach this powerful book packed with good news? Let’s ask God to do a mighty work in and through us as we study so that we might be inspired with a spiritual renewal that spreads to those around us!
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Love Talk Workbook For Women Newly Updated And Expanded (Workbook)
$12.99Add to cartWe set off to crack the code for meaningful conversation . . . a plan that would move our communication from good to great. And we found it. A deep and simple plan for everything a loving conversation has to offer. We call it Love Talk. –Drs. Les and Leslie Parrot
This women’s workbook will help you personalize the concepts you encounter in the Parrotts’ book Love Talk and put them to work in your relationships. Inside, you’ll find exercises, assessments, self-tests, tips, applications . . . all the tools and guidance you need to:
*Identify your personal communication style
*Understand how it interacts with that of your partner
*Talk your way to a healthier, stronger relationshipLove Talk is like no other communication book you’ve ever read. The fruit of years of research by two foremost relationship experts (who also happen to be husband and wife), this book forges a new path to the heart of loving conversation. You’ll begin by identifying your security need and determining your personal communication style. Then you’ll put together everything you discover to learn how the two of you can speak each other’s language like never before.
This very day, you can begin an adventure in communication that will draw the two of you closer, and closer, and closer . . . consistently, in a way that creates the depth and connection you long for in your relationship.
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Introduction To Biblical Greek
$34.99Add to cartA complete introductory grammar that builds on a classic approach to learning Greek.
In An Introduction to Biblical Greek, John D. Schwandt integrates the rigor of a classic Greek grammar with the fruit of contemporary language learning. The result is a one–stop introduction to New Testament Greek that is both scholarly sound and academically friendly.
This textbook teaches students the basics of the Greek language through 37 lessons that are supported by translation and writing exercises from the New Testament. These practical lessons and exercises will help readers grasp Greek grammar and vocabulary as they start to translate the text of the New Testament itself. Appendixes on additional grammatical topics offer students the opportunity to dive deeper into their study of the Greek language.
