Pastoral Helps
Showing 201–250 of 2389 results
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Pastoral Ethics : Moral Formation As Life In The Trinity
$29.99Add to cartEthics is freedom in Christ to pursue the good, true, and beautiful.
Pastors regularly face concrete ethical questions. And they, too, pursue a moral life. In the busyness of ministry, it can be tempting to think pragmatically or derive one’s ethics from the latest cultural concerns. But standard approaches to ethics, whether deontological, utilitarian, or virtue–ethical, all fall short of being distinctly Christian. Ethics ought to be grounded in the gospel and in our triune God.
In Pastoral Ethics, W. Ross Hastings provides pastors an evangelical and trinitarian framework for moral formation and ethical discernment. For Hastings, ethics must be reclaimed as theological. Theology without ethics becomes gnosticism. Ethics without theology leads to legalism and death. Christian ethics participates in God’s life and God’s work. This communion with God leads to obedience to his commands as summed up in the Decalogue, and over several chapters Hastings provides a rich exposition for pastoral formation. Pastors find their identity in God, and this inspires right thinking and acting with regard to authority, life and death, sexuality, work and rest, speech, and desires.
An approach to ethics that prompts faith, hope, and love, Pastoral Ethics is an essential guide for Christians in all ministry contexts.
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Jesus And Women Bible Study Book With Video Access
$24.99Add to cartImagine walking the dusty roads of Galilee with Jesus of Nazareth-braving jostling crowds just to touch the edge of His cloak and hear Him say, “Take heart, daughter, your faith has healed you.”
Those words, once meant to comfort a hurting woman’s soul thousands of years ago, were also meant for you.
Join biblical culturalist Kristi McLelland on those dusty roads as she transports you back to Jesus’ world, following in the footsteps of the women who came face-to-face with the Living God. Over 7 sessions, examine the historical and cultural climate of first-century Middle Eastern society to not only understand Jesus more deeply but to fuel your worship of Him today.
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Standard Lesson Commentary KJV 2022-2023
$22.99Add to cartFor over twenty years, Standard Lesson Commentary (SLC) has been the most popular and trusted annual Bible commentary in the world. This nondenominational series provides 52 weeks of verse-by-verse commentary of Scripture, drawing you closer every day to God and His Word. With timely themes for your life, Standard Lesson Commentary 2022-2023 will help you study the Bible like never before.
Key features include:
*Printed Scripture
*Detailed lesson context
*Expert verse-by-verse commentary of the Bible text
*Pronunciation guide for difficult words
*Thoughtful discussion starters
*A review quiz for each quarterAvailable in the King James Version ( KJV) and New International Version(R) ( NIV) Bible translations, the SLC is based on the popular Uniform Series. This series, developed by scholars from numerous church fellowships, outlines an in-depth study of the Bible over a six-year period.
The four main themes of the 2022-2023 study are:
*God’s Exceptional Choice–Genesis, Exodus, Deuteronomy, Judges, 1 Samuel, Ephesians
*From Darkness to Light–2 Chronicles, Isaiah, Joel, Luke, 1 Corinthians, 2 Timothy, James, 1 Peter
*Jesus Calls Us–Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts
*The Righteous Reign of God–Isaiah, Ezekiel, Zephaniah, Zechariah, Matthew, Romans, Galatians, 1 Corinthians
The SLC is perfect as the primary resource for an adult Sunday School class, for personal study, or as a supplemental resource for any curriculum that follows the ISSL/Uniform Series. Nearly two dozen ministers, teachers, and Christian education specialists contribute their expertise to SLC.
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Overcoming When You Feel Overwhelmed Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$14.99Add to cartIn Overcoming When You Feel Overwhelmed, Jentezen Franklin offers five life-giving keys–look within, look to him, look ahead, look out, and look up, to enable you to get up, get out, and get free. He pulls back the curtain on the enemy’s tactics attempting to hinder your spiritual growth, distract your attention, and keep you from living to your fullest potential during this critical season of prophetic history, and guides you to walk into the destiny God has prepared for you.
If you find that every battle you’re fighting has gotten more difficult to conquer–if you are paralyzed and don’t know which way to go–remember God doesn’t call you just a survivor. He calls you an overcomer.
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My Body Is Not A Prayer Request
$19.99Add to cartThe church has forgotten that we worship a disabled God whose wounds survived resurrection, says Amy Kenny. It is time for the church to start treating disabled people as full members of the body of Christ who have much more to offer than a miraculous cure narrative and to learn from their embodied experiences.
Written by a disabled Christian, this book shows that the church is missing out on the prophetic witness and blessing of disability. Kenny reflects on her experiences inside the church to expose unintentional ableism and cast a new vision for Christian communities to engage disability justice. She shows that until we cultivate church spaces where people with disabilities can fully belong, flourish, and lead, we are not valuing the diverse members of the body of Christ.
Offering a unique blend of personal storytelling, fresh and compelling writing, biblical exegesis, and practical application, this book invites readers to participate in disability justice and create a more inclusive community in church and parachurch spaces. Engaging content such as reflection questions and top-ten lists are included.
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My Body Is Not A Prayer Request
$39.99Add to cartThe church has forgotten that we worship a disabled God whose wounds survived resurrection, says Amy Kenny. It is time for the church to start treating disabled people as full members of the body of Christ who have much more to offer than a miraculous cure narrative and to learn from their embodied experiences.
Written by a disabled Christian, this book shows that the church is missing out on the prophetic witness and blessing of disability. Kenny reflects on her experiences inside the church to expose unintentional ableism and cast a new vision for Christian communities to engage disability justice. She shows that until we cultivate church spaces where people with disabilities can fully belong, flourish, and lead, we are not valuing the diverse members of the body of Christ.
Offering a unique blend of personal storytelling, fresh and compelling writing, biblical exegesis, and practical application, this book invites readers to participate in disability justice and create a more inclusive community in church and parachurch spaces. Engaging content such as reflection questions and top-ten lists are included.
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Pursuing Gods Will Together
$27.00Add to cartChurch boards and other Christian leadership teams have long relied on models adapted from the business world. Ruth Haley Barton, president of the Transforming Center, helps teams transition to a much more fitting model–the spiritual community that practices discernment together.
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Consecration Sunday Stewardship Team Member Manual (Revised)
$12.99Add to cartTeaching Stewardship from a Spiritual Perspective-Consecration Sunday Team Guide, Revised and Updated Edition.
Consecration Sunday approaches financing the ministries of your congregation by teaching stewardship from a spiritual perspective rather than a fundraising perspective. It focuses on the question, “What is God calling me to do?” rather than, “What does the church need in order to pay its bills?”
This revised edition offers updated language, references, and statistics while keeping everything that has resonated with the program for more than 25 years intact. Digital materials available with the Program Guide are now available via Internet download, are updated and include social media posts in additional to letters and other proven communications tools.
The Consecration Sunday Stewardship Program is a proven winner; it has helped thousands of congregations increase financial giving by 15% to 30%.
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Inalienable : How Marginalized Kingdom Voices Can Help Save The American Ch
$18.00Add to cartWith our witness compromised, numbers down, and reputation sullied, the American church is at a critical crossroads. In order for the church to return to health, we must decenter ourselves from our American idols and be guided by global Christians and the poor, who offer hope from the margins, and the ancient church, refocusing on the kingdom, image, Word, and mission of God.
The American church is at a critical crossroads. Our witness has been compromised, our numbers are down, and our reputation has been sullied, due largely to our own faults and fears. The church’s ethnocentrism, consumerism, and syncretism have blurred the lines between discipleship and partisanship. Pastor Eric Costanzo, missiologist Daniel Yang, and nonprofit leader Matthew Soerens find that for the church to return to health, we must decenter ourselves from our American idols and recenter on the undeniable, inalienable core reality of the global, transcultural kingdom of God. Our guides in this process are global Christians and the poor, who offer hope from the margins, and the ancient church, which survived through the ages amid temptations of power and corruption. Their witness points us to refocus on the kingdom of God, the image of God, the Word of God, and the mission of God. The path to the future takes us away from ourselves in unlikely directions. By learning from the global church and marginalized voices, we can return to our roots of being kingdom-focused, loving our neighbor, and giving of ourselves in missional service to the world.
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Agents Of Flourishing
$26.00Add to cartGod calls Christians to participate in his redemptive mission in every sphere of life.
Every corner, every square inch of society can flourish as God intends, and Christians of any vocation can become agents of that flourishing. Amy Sherman offers a multifaceted, biblically grounded framework for enacting God’s call to seek the shalom of our communities in six arenas of civilizational life (The Good, The True, The Beautiful, The Just, The Prosperous, and The Sustainable). Because we believe in what is good and true, we strengthen social ethics and contribute to human knowledge and learning. Because we value beauty, we invest in creative arts. Because we are committed to a just society, we work toward restorative justice and a well-ordered civic life. And our desire to see society prosper sustainably means that our business practices seek the economic good of the community while protecting the physical health of our environment. This comprehensive volume showcases historical and contemporary models of faithful and transformational cultural engagement, with case studies of all kinds of churches advancing human flourishing. It provides a roadmap for leaders wanting to participate in Christ’s mission of holistic renewal. Discover how being God’s agents of flourishing can change our communities for the better and offer a winsome witness to a watching world.
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Gender Identity And Faith
$28.00Add to cartHelping people navigate gender identity questions today is complex and often polarized work.
For clients and families who are also informed by their faith, some mental health approaches raise more questions than answers. Clinicians need a client-centered, open-ended approach that makes room for gender exploration while respecting religious identity.
Gender Identity and Faith carves out clinical space for mental health professionals to help people who wish to take seriously their gender identity, their religious identity, and the relationship between the two. Drawing from their extensive research and experience with clients, Mark Yarhouse and Julia Sadusky provide a timely, practical resource for practitioners. This book:*emphasizes respect for clients’ journeys, without a single fixed outcome, toward congruence between their gender identity and faith
*describes effective clinical postures, assessment and therapeutic tools, and numerous case studies
*covers needs and characteristics of children, youth, and adult clients
*includes worksheets and prompts for clients and family members
“Integrating personhood and values is no easy feat, especially in our current cultural landscape,” the authors write. Those navigating this intersection need clinicians who seek to understand their unique context and journey with them with empathy. This book helps point the way.
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Speaking By The Numbers
$24.00Add to cartIt’s not just what you say, but how you say it.
Good communicators know this, but it’s often easier said than done. Teachers, leaders, and speakers are often left bewildered, wondering why the content that was so carefully planned and delivered seems to fall flat with the audience. The art of communication requires more than the transfer of information; it both connects with and engages the hearer. To communicate well, speakers must understand both their audience and themselves. Speaking by the Numbers offers a strategy that combines communication principles with Enneagram wisdom to help leaders, pastors, and teachers understand how to convey content in ways that both inspire and connect with their audiences. Using the Enneagram wisdom of triads and stances, communicators can learn insight into the ways that various Enneagram numbers receive and process information. Sean Palmer draws from his extensive experience as a public speaker to develop communication strategies that lead to connection, transformation, and mobilization of audiences. Providing real examples of speeches and messages he has given, Palmer shows how he uses the Enneagram to craft a message that connects with his audience. A healthy marriage of Enneagram wisdom and communication skill can help us speak with clarity into the heart of where people live, love, and experience life.
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Teamwork Cross Culturally
$22.00Add to cartFollowing Sherwood Lingenfelter’s successful books on ministering, teaching, and leading cross-culturally (with combined sales of over 200,000 copies), Teamwork Cross-Culturally casts a vision for how teams made up of diverse peoples can serve in unity as the body of Christ despite the complicated problems that arise. The book equips leaders to respond to divisive issues so that multinational mission teams can do the work of ministry in ways that honor God. Real-life examples of teamwork challenges from around the world demonstrate that “in Christ” responses are achievable.
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WayMaker Study Guide Plus Streaming Video (Student/Study Guide)
$22.99Add to cartWe can trust that God, the WayMaker, is always at work creating the life of our dreams, through ways we never would have dreamed for ourselves.
In a disorienting world, with obstacle after obstacle, and the landscape of our lives shifting in ways we never expected, we can trust that as we look to our Maker, the WayMaker, our road will lead us to arrive exactly where we always hoped it would, though maybe not at all in the way we imagined. And those dreams for our lives? They can still happen-in ways only He perfectly dreamed of.
It is true: heartache, grief, suffering, obstacles, they all come in waves. There is no controlling life’s storms; there is only learning the way to walk through the waves. In this video Bible study (DVD/digital video downloads sold separately), bestselling author Ann Voskamp hands us a map that makes meaning of life, that shows the way through to the places we’ve only dreamed of reaching, by a way we never expected.
Voskamp reveals how God is present in the totality of our lives, making a way:
*for the marriage that seems impossible
*for the woman who longs for a child of her own
*for the parents who ache for the return of their prodigal
*for the sojourner caught between a rock and a hard place
*for the wayfarer who feels as though there is no way through to her dreamsWe can encounter the WayMaker in surprising ways and begin to see Him not only making poetry out of pain but working in every miraculous detail of our lives. Even now, the Way is making the way to walk through waves and into a life more deeply fulfilling than our wildest dreams.
Designed for use with the WayMaker Video Study (sold separately).
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Bible In A Year Bible Study Book (Student/Study Guide)
$16.99Add to cartWe live in a day and age when the demands on a woman’s time are great, and our hearts are pulled in countless directions. It’s no surprise that many of us struggle to implement daily Bible reading as a practice. But it doesn’t have to be that way! Like Mary who “made the right choice” (Luke 10:42) when she stepped back from the busyness of life to sit at the feet of Jesus and listen to His teaching, God wants you to experience the life change that happens when you prioritize spending time with Him.
In this one-year journey from Genesis through Revelation, walk through key passages of the Bible at a manageable, five-days-per-week pace. Based on the 260-day Foundations Bible reading plan, you’ll engage with daily devotional content, interactive questions, and Scripture memorization challenges, all designed to grow your relationship with God and your knowledge of Him. By using the H.E.A.R.T. journaling method, you’ll learn to highlight, explain, apply, respond to passages, and record the truths you find in Scripture, allowing for practical application throughout the year-long plan.
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Concise Guide For Congregational Care
$14.99Add to cartAn essential resource for pastors, care ministers, chaplains, and anyone else who provides spiritual care for people in hospital, hospice, or home settings.
A key feature of The Concise Guide for Congregational Care is its rich assortment of prayers, scripture passages, and other brief readings for spiritual caregivers to use on-the-spot. These are arranged topically, so that caregivers can quickly find the right words to share in each situation. The book also includes important procedures and protocols for providing spiritual care, talking points for particularly challenging circumstances, and links to other helpful resources.
The Concise Guide is based on resources developed at Abingdon Press for use in congregations as part of a comprehensive congregational care ministry. Those resources equip pastors and others to develop, launch, and sustain a congregational care ministry, and to train volunteer care ministers. (See The Congregational Care Ministry: Implementation Guide, and The Congregational Care Ministry: Care Minister’s Manual, by Karen Lampe and Melissa Gepford, and www.thecaringcongregation.com.) The Concise Guide is a take-along resource for care ministers of all types to use while they are providing care. It supplies the essential information and words needed for a variety of care situations, in a format that is easy and appropriate to pull from a bag or pocket at the bedside or other intimate setting.
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Ending Human Trafficking
$25.00Add to cartHuman trafficking is one of the most pressing social justice issues of our time, and in recent years there has been renewed interest among Christians, as many have been stirred up to take their part in the ongoing battle.
This is a wonderful thing–and yet misinformed and misguided efforts can do more harm than good. Ending Human Trafficking is a handbook designed to educate churches and parachurch organizations for truly effective work. In collaboration with the Humanitarian Disaster Institute at Wheaton College Graduate School and The Global Center for Women and Justice at Vanguard University, Ending Human Trafficking is an accessible and compelling resource for Christian leaders, written by seasoned leaders in the struggle against modern slavery. Grounded in a theological response to the issue and filled with stories, up-to-date data, and practical tools and tips, it promises to be an invaluable resource for years to come.
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Anxiety Field Guide
$18.00Add to cartAnxiety is one of the most pressing mental health issues of our day.
Millions of people in our society suffer from anxiety, often unbeknownst to those around them. The pressures of modern life seem specially designed to cause anxiety, and anxiety is on the rise in recent years. The good news is that anxiety is very treatable. Pastor Jason Cusick tells the story of his own history with anxiety and offers expertise, practical guidance, and empathy. The book is intentionally designed for the reader to be an easy entry point with short, easily digestible chapters and simple step-by-step instructions for developing healthy habits for long-term progress. Cusick presents clinical data alongside pastoral wisdom and care, addressing both the psychological and spiritual aspects of anxiety. Filled with practical advice and the hope of Christ, The Anxiety Field Guide is a rich resource for both those who suffer from anxiety and those in a position to help them.
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Speaking Across Generations
$18.00Add to cartDifferent generations communicate differently.
If you are speaking across generations, you need to understand how different generations hear. Pastor Darrell Hall (a millennial) harnesses the insights of generational science to explore how generations are distinct people groups with their own cultures and languages. With fresh research from the Barna Group on how generations communicate, Hall sheds light on how each generation receives verbal messages, from boomers and Xers to millennials and Gen Z and those not yet named. Discover how generational science can equip you to communicate effectively. Bridge the communication gap between speaker and listener so people of all generations can hear clearly.
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Feathers Of Hope Study Guide
$12.00Add to cartIn a season of loss and change, Wren Crawford and her great-aunt, Katherine Rhodes, share the journey as companions in sorrow and hope.
As Katherine prepares to retire as the director of the New Hope Retreat Center, she faces both personal and professional challenges. How might disruption become a gift that opens the way to new growth? Wren’s world is shifting and expanding as she presses forward in recovery from a period of deep depression. How might art continue to provide a pathway for deepening her awareness of God’s presence with her? In Feathers of Hope, the sequel to Shades of Light and Remember Me, fans of the Sensible Shoes series will not only be able to attend Katherine’s final retreat sessions at New Hope but also encounter old and new friends along the way. This accompanying eight-week study guide provides guidance for individuals or groups participating in a discussion around the book.
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Person In Psychology And Christianity
$30.00Add to cartIntegral to a Christian worldview and to psychology are foundational questions about personhood: What characteristics are essential? What is our purpose? Do we naturally incline toward good or bad? Are we accountable for self and responsible for others?
In The Person in Psychology and Christianity, developmental psychologist Marjorie Gunnoe demonstrates how the integration of theological and psychological perspectives offers a more comprehensive understanding of personhood than either approach alone. Gunnoe opens with a brief summary of biblical and theological perspectives on four organizing themes (human essence, purpose, moral tendency, and accountability). She then examines the intersection of this faith-based depiction with five theories of social development proposed by:
*Erik Erikson
*John Bowlby
*B. F. Skinner
*Albert Bandura
*Evolutionary PsychologyFor each, Gunnoe includes a biography, a summary of the theorist’s broad perspective on personhood, and an analysis of the theorist’s stance on the four specific themes. This book is written for a general audience and suitable for undergraduate and graduate instruction.
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Ministry Survival Guide
$19.99Add to cartA Ministry Survival Guide: Straight from the Heart explores the joys and challenges of life in the spotlight of ministry. Relatable stories, survival tips, biblical mentors, and a Bible study guide provide a valuable resource for pastors’ wives, women in ministry, and anyone who desires to thrive, not just survive in the Christian life. This book will help you, live a public-private life, fortify your marriage, balance family and ministry, prevent burnout, navigate transitions, manage painful relationships, grow through personal challenges, build a godly support system, discover blessings beneath burdens, nurture your soul.
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Experiencing God Bible Study Book With Video Access
$21.99Add to cartExperiencing God Bible Study Book includes revised printed content for 12 sessions, personal study between group sessions, and applicable Scripture. Also, each Book contains unique codes that enable you to access teaching videos for each session.
Over the years, God has used the truths of Experiencing God to awaken believers to a radically God-centered way of life. As a result, millions have come to know God intimately, to recognize His voice, and to understand His will for their lives. This new edition is revised, updated, and ready to help you again-or for the very first time-experience your Creator.
God is inviting you into an intimate love relationship through which He reveals to you His will, His ways, and His work. When you recognize where God is working, you can join Him in what He is doing. Carefully listening to His voice will anchor you in His plan and set you free to live it with boldness and freedom. Then you will experience God doing through you what only He can do.
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Preaching Life Changing Sermons
$16.99Add to cartA how-to guide for preparing and delivering Spiritfilled, biblical messages that make an impact
Being called to preach is a tremendous commission. In Preaching Life-Changing Sermons, Jesse L. Nelson shares a simple process for effective expository sermon preparation and delivery, flavored with insights from his life in ministry and academic work. Those with teaching and preaching responsibilities with little to no seminary training will learn practical steps they can use today in their ministry.
Nelson outlines the six foundations of life-changing preaching and shows how each looks in the everyday life of a pastor:
*Seek the Spirit
*Select the Scripture
*Study the Scripture
*Structure the Sermon
*Speak in the Spirit
*Share the SaviorHandling God’s Word rightly through prayer, sermon preparation, and sermon delivery sets the stage for people to absorb the message. When the Spirit moves as Scripture speaks, souls are changed–and the call to preach becomes an exciting, transformative adventure.
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Armor Of God Bible Study Book With Video Access
$24.99Add to cartAll day, every day, an invisible war rages around you – unseen, unheard, yet felt throughout every aspect of your life. A devoted, devilish enemy seeks to wreak havoc on everything that matters to you: your heart, your mind, your marriage, your children, your relationships, your resilience, your dreams, your destiny.
But his battle plan depends on catching you unaware and unarmed. If you’re tired of being pushed around and caught with your guard down, this study is for you.
The enemy always fails miserably when he meets a woman dressed for the occasion. The Armor of God, more than merely a biblical description of the believer’s inventory, is an action plan for putting it on and developing a personalized strategy to secure victory.
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Seamless Bible Study Book With Video Access (Student/Study Guide)
$19.99Add to cartIn 7 sessions, Seamless covers the people, places, and promises of the Bible, tying them together into the greater story of Scripture. You’ll gain an overarching understanding of the fundamental layout and meaning of God’s Word.
Seamless will help replace the insecurity that holds you back with clarity and helping you move forward with confidence in their understanding of Scripture. Each week of study features key information that ties all of Scripture together into the seamless truth of the gospel message and is accompanied by maps, general Bible facts, and word studies.
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Connections Worship Companion Year C Volume 2
$32.00Add to cartThis volume offers complete liturgies- from the call to worship to the closing charge, with prayers and litanies for every need in between-for all worshiping occasions for the season after Pentecost of Year C. Part of the Connections commentary series, these worship resources help congregations illuminate the connections between Scripture and liturgical rhythms. A “Making Connections” essay precedes each liturgical season’s resources, providing context for worship within the themes and purpose of the season.
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Who Moved My Neighborhood
$18.00Add to cartNeighborhoods are moving.
While neighborhood changes can mean exciting and fresh opportunities for some, the experience can be vastly different for long-time residents. The rapid movement of people means changes in employment, economics, landscape, demographics, and the feel of a community. Churches often experience the painful impact of these shifts. Depending on how a church navigates through these changes determines if it will either live, die, or be reduced to a tragic existence on life support. Mark Strong knows the obstacles connected with gentrification and the challenges it brings. As a pastor, he led his church through its own moved neighborhood in Portland. Strong shares the frustrations, surprises, and joys that his church experienced as their neighborhood shifted, and he provides the roadmap that his own church used to navigate the change. Who Moved My Neighborhood? gives insight to churches that need to heal from the wounds of gentrification and economic change, and revamp their mission amidst an uncertain future. Using the discussion guide included in the book, churches can discuss their own moved neighborhood and explore the unique next steps that God has for their community. There is hope and a future for congregations that face a moved neighborhood.
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Gods Word To Pastors Revised And Updated (Revised)
$26.99Add to cartA Handbook of Questions and Answers for Pastors
This quick-read handbook, packed with biblical wisdom and practical guidance from the pastoral trenches will equip and encourage you in the midst of ministry.
Bob Yandian, a veteran pastor of more than 30 years, provides answers to common questions relating to your everyday pastoral duties and personal life.
In God’s Word to Pastor’s Revised and Expanded, Bob covers topics such as…
*The first pastors conference in Acts 20
*Passion vs. calling
*Daily schedules
*Living a balanced life
*Wolves after your sheep
*The glorious church
*Pastors need pastors
*Whose flock do you pastor?
*Spiritual workaholics
*Family before ministry
*The pastor’s heart
*The bond of peaceBob will help you apply timeless biblical wisdom to the issues and dynamics of today’s pastoral ministry.
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How To Thrive As A Pastors Wife
$29.99Add to cartEvery pastor’s wife is a faithful servant and leader in her own right. She has great influence on her church, her community, her family, and her husband, and she finds joy in seeing God move in the lives of others. Yet she also faces unique challenges that too often go unnoticed and unaddressed. At times, a pastor’s wife may feel she can’t talk about her struggles even with those who are closest to her, which can leave her feeling alone, depleted, and misunderstood. She may settle for this way of living, but that’s not God’s desire for her.
Christine Hoover knows firsthand the unique struggles and opportunities afforded a pastor’s wife–she’s been filling that role for more than 20 years. Coming alongside as an understanding friend, she offers encouragement and guidance to the struggling pastor’s wife, showing her how to make meaningful personal relationships with God, her husband, her children, her church community, and other women–relationships that will sustain her and help her thrive.
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Professional Christian : Being Fully Yourself In The Spotlight Of Public Mi
$25.00Add to cartAs church leaders, we live our lives within the spotlight of professional ministry. To best love and serve God and our neighbors, we aim to be the fullest, truest versions of ourselves. However, we often struggle to do so with integrity. What if our preaching or singing feels like a performance? Are we supposed to hide our imperfections and let people see only the shiniest parts of our lives? If you have ever felt like you’re working under a microscope or that you’ve been put on a pedestal you don’t want or deserve, know that you are not alone.
Professional Christian gathers the wisdom from fifty church leaders in a variety of roles (including Sandhya Jha, Jacqueline J. Lewis, Bruce Reyes-Chow, Nikki Toyama-Szeto, and Will Willimon) on topics such as authenticity, privacy, boundaries, doubt, self-care, and the challenges of being held to a higher standard. The stories, advice, and wisdom from these leaders help to show us that thriving in ministry should not have to come at the expense of our identity and relationships. Written by a church musician with over twenty years of experience in ministry, Professional Christian helps church leaders learn to flourish as an integrated person of faith living out their call to vocational ministry.
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Theology For Psychology And Counseling
$39.99Add to cartThis book explores the significance of theology and the Christian faith for the practice of psychology. The authors demonstrate how psychology and the Christian faith can be brought together in a mutually enriching lived practice, helping students engage in psychology in a theologically informed way. Each chapter includes introductory takeaways, individual and group reflection questions, and resources for further study and reading.
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End Of The Age Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$18.99Add to cartThere seems to be a particular urgency in the prophetic doom-saying of our modern world . . . a greater sense of somberness. Perhaps this is because end-of-the-world scenarios have gone from Hollywood fodder to real life. Rather than feeling farfetched, the end of the world now seems almost a given for most people. A matter of when rather than if.
In The End of the Age, New York Times bestselling author and pastor John Hagee uses Scripture as a guide to count down the prophetic events that must occur before that moment when every person must face God on Judgment Day. The pages of God’s Word offer a window into the end of history–what Scripture calls the end of the age (Matthew 13:49).
The goal of this study is to look through that window together–not necessarily to make specific predictions about people and places, but to gain wisdom and perspective from the Author of history. In the process, we will see what God has in store for the future so that we can remain ready, speak boldly, and live faithfully to the end.
Lessons:
1. 11:50 PM: The End of the Age
2. 11:51 PM: Messiah the Prince Enters Jerusalem
3. 11:52 PM: And Knowledge Shall Increase
4. 11:53 PM: The Great Escape
5. 11:54 PM: Russia Invades Israel
6. 11:55 PM: The Time of Tribulation Begins
7. 11:56 PM: For Then Shall Come Great Tribulation
8. 11:57 PM: Inching Toward Armageddon
9. 11:58 PM: The Millennium Dawns
10. 11:59 PM: The Earth’s Final Conflict
11. MIDNIGHT: Great White Throne
12. ETERNITY: Heaven and Earth Reborn! -
3:16 Study Guide Plus Streaming Video Updated Edition (Student/Study Guide)
$19.99Add to cartThis study guide includes:
*Individual access to 5 streaming video sessions
*Discussion and reflection questions with video notes
*Personal study for between sessions
*Leader’s GuideIn this updated classic, bestselling author and pastor Max Lucado unpacks the meaning behind John 3:16, one of the best-known and most-beloved passages in the Bible. This simple verse came out of an unusual conversation that Jesus had under the cover of night with a Pharisee named Nicodemus. From the start, Nicodemus made it clear he inhabited a land of good efforts, sincere gestures, and hard work. Give God your best, his philosophy said, and God does the rest. Jesus’ response? Your best won’t do. Your works don’t work. Unless you are born again, you can’t even see what God is doing.
Born again. The word born, by definition, implies a passive act. The enwombed child contributes nothing to the delivery. Postpartum celebrations applaud the work of the mother who does the delivery. And the Greek term that Jesus used for again implies that the one who did the work the first time will repeat it. In other words, the original Creator will re-create his creation! Born: God exerts the effort. Again: God restores the beauty. We don’t try again. We need, not the muscle of self, but a miracle of God.
The thought bewildered Nicodemus. “How can this be?” he asked. Jesus answered by leading him to the Hope diamond of the Bible: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” A twenty-six-word parade of hope: beginning with God, ending with life, and urging us to do the same. A verse brief enough to write on a napkin or memorize in a moment . . . yet solid enough to weather 2,000 years of storms and questions. As this study will reveal, the heart of the human problem is the heart of the human. And God’s treatment for the human heart is prescribed in John 3:16: “He loves. He gave. We believe. We live.”
The five sessions include:
1. The Most Famous Conversation in the Bible
2. Hope for the Hard Heart
3. The Heart He Offers
4. Heaven’s “Whoever” Policy
5. The Last Word on LifeDesigned for use with 3:16 Video Study, Updated Edition (sold separately).
*Access code subject to expiration after 12/31/2026. Code may be redeemed only by the recipient of this package. Code may not be transferred or sold separately from this package. Internet connection required. Eligible only on retail
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Garden The Curtain And The Cross Sunday School Lessons
$14.99Add to cartThis six-session Sunday School curriculum is based on the bestselling storybook The Garden, the Curtain and the Cross and takes kids on a journey through the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, thrilling them with God’s loving determination for his people to enjoy life with him.
Featuring age-differentiated lesson plans for 2-4s, 5-8s, and 9-12s, this flexible resource will work for any size of kids’ group and is easy to use for any leader.
Includes activity, craft, game and music ideas, along with an exclusive link and password for free downloadable resources.
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God And The Transgender Debate
$16.99Add to cartIn the West, more and more Christians are coming across the topic of gender identity in their everyday lives. Legislative changes are impacting more and more areas of life, including education, employment and state funding, with consequences for religious liberty, free speech and freedom of conscience that affect everyone. So it’s a crucial moment to consider how to engage lovingly, thoughtfully and biblically with one of the most explosive cultural discussions of our day.
This warm, faithful and compassionate book that helps Christians understand what the Bible says about gender identity has been updated and expanded throughout, and now includes a section on pronoun usage and a new chapter challenging some of the claims of the transgender activist movement.
Andrew T. Walker also answers questions such as: What is transgender and gender fluidity? How should churches respond? What does God’s word actually say about these issues?
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Contemporary Hanbook For Weddings And Funerals And Other Occasions (Revised)
$23.99Add to cartGuidance, advice, and ready-to-use sermons and services for the busy pastor
Weddings and funerals are some of the most meaningful events in people’s lives, and also some of the most challenging for the pastor to perform. Written with the needs of the busy pastor in mind, this popular and newly updated handbook includes everything necessary to conduct a variety of weddings and funerals, along with other common events such as Communion, baptisms, dedications, and ordinations.
Helpful aids for weddings include services, vow renewals, messages, prayers, guidelines for vows, information on marriage laws, and, new in this edition, a service and message for second marriages. Guidance for funerals covers orders of service, quotations and reflections, and eulogies for a variety of circumstances, incorporating those with evangelistic appeal, untimely deaths, and suicide. New to this edition are funerals for service members, victims of violence, accidental deaths, cancer, and community tragedies.
Additional new resources include blessing services for a home or special event and guidance for speaking at fraternal organizations.
Pastors of all denominations will benefit from the services, advice, and resources in this sought-after handbook.
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Find Your People Study Guide Plus Streaming Video (Student/Study Guide)
$22.99Add to cartThis Study Guide includes:
*Individual access to 7 streaming video sessions
*Discussion and reflection questions with video notes
*Personal study between sessions
*Leader’s GuideNever in the history of civilization have we been more connected and felt more alone. We are all so lonely. What if fundamentally the ways we have set up our lives is broken? We’ve withdrawn rather than moved through it. We want supper clubs and friends, instead of war partners. We have a wrong view of community.
This 7-session video Bible study begins with a look at the original community in Genesis, the Trinity, and the creation of people to see what God had planned for us all along. We will also discover throughout the study the five life patterns required to build deep, connected relationships:
*Proximity
*Shared Mission
*Transparency
*Accountability
*ConsistencyThe seven sessions include:
*Week 1: Introduction / God’s Plan It is not good for man to be alone. (Creation)
*Week 2: Shame / The Disruption of Community Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. (Shame)
*Week 3: Sitting Around the Fire / Proximity I will make My dwelling among you. (God’s Presence)
*Week 4: Working Together / Shared Mission Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others. (Jesus and the Disciples)
*Week 5: Open Doors / Transparency And all who believed were together and had all things in common. (Acts)
*Week 6: Tribal Elders / Accountability Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. (The Church Grows)
*Week 7: Meals Together / Consistency Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples. (The Kingdom of God / New Heavens)
Designed for use with the following items, each sold separately:
Find Your People Video Study
Find Your People Conversation Card Deck*Access code subject to expiration after 12/31/2026. Code may be redeemed only by the recipient of this package. Code may not be transferred or sold separately from this package. Internet connection required. Eligible only on retail purchases inside the United States. Void where prohibited, taxed, or restricted by law. Additional offer details inside.
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How Not To Read The Bible Study Guide Plus Streaming Video (Student/Study Guide)
$19.99Add to cartThis study guide includes:
*Individual access to 6 streaming video sessions
*Discussion and reflection questions with video notes
*Personal study for between sessions
*Leader’s GuideFor centuries, the Bible was called “the Good Book,” a moral and religious text that guides us into a relationship with God and shows us the right way to live. Today, however, some people argue the Bible is outdated and harmful, with many Christians unaware of some of the odd and disturbing things the Bible says.
Whether you are a Christian, a doubter, or someone exploring the Bible for the first time, in this six-session video study bestselling author Dan Kimball guides you step-by-step in how to make sense of the most misunderstood, difficult, and disturbing Bible passages related to women, science, violence, slavery, and world religions. Filled with stories, visual illustrations, and memes reflecting popular cultural objections, How (Not) to Read the Bible is a lifeline for individuals who are confused or discouraged with questions about the Bible. This study can be done in youth groups, single’s groups, small groups, Sunday classes, and by individuals.
Sessions include:
*Never Read a Bible Verse
*Stranger Things
*Boys’ Club Christianity
*Jesus Riding a Dinosaur
*My God Can Beat Up Your God
*Rated NC-17Designed for use with How (Not) to Read the Bible Video Study, sold separately.
*Access code subject to expiration after 12/31/2026. Code may be redeemed only by the recipient of this package. Code may not be transferred or sold separately from this package. Internet connection required. Eligible only on retail purchases inside the United States. Void where prohibited, taxed, or restricted by law. Additional offer details inside.
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40 Days To Excellence In Church Management
$16.99Add to cartThe modern church is being poorly managed but does not know it. The level of inefficiency and waste in today’s churches is staggering. 40 Days to Excellence in Church Management was written specifically for churches to convey basic business wisdom, management principles, and the best business practices. Unlike intimidating business textbooks, it includes forty short vignettes designed to be read like a daily devotional. Each chapter deals with everyday challenges and offers real-life examples derived from the author’s more than thirty years of experience. It shows how to (and sometimes how not to) handle each situation of conducting business for the church.
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God Of Freedom Bible Study Book With Video Access (Student/Study Guide)
$34.75Add to cartEvery book of the Bible tells us what is true about God. In Genesis we see Him as Creator and Covenant Maker. In Exodus we see Him as our strong Deliverer who sets us free from sin and death.
In this 10-session study of Exodus 19-40, journey through the story of how God shepherds His newly-liberated children into an understanding of what their freedom means: lives consecrated for service to God and to one another. Revisit familiar scenes of the giving of the Ten Commandments, the idolatrous worship of a golden calf, and of the intricate details of the tabernacle. And with fresh perspective, ask what these stories teach God’s children today about how to live as those set free.
In every page of the Bible, learn to see Christ through the stories of His people. And discover how the God who created you and made a covenant with you will deliver you from death to life, for His name and renown.
Additional purchase or renting of the video teaching sessions is recommended for the best experience of this Bible study book.
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Case For Classical Christian Education
$21.99Add to cartPublished almost twenty years ago, Douglas Wilson’s Case for Classical Christian Education is a call for parents and educators to do more than just teach kids how to read or to do math and science. Instead, parents and teachers need to educate children’s minds, hearts, and imaginations.
Both homeschooling parents and Christians seeking to build schools will find a lot of guidance from this book. Wilson explains the benefits of an education that is both distinctively classical and distinctively Christian, and explains what such an education might look like. He also draws on years of educating and pastoring to talk about how parents and teachers can manage schools well and train their children’s hearts.
Education is not just preparing kids for the job market, but should be about instilling discipline, character, and love for God and the world He has made.
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Centered Set Church
$24.00Add to cartChristians can be adept at drawing lines, determining what it means to be a good Christian and judging those who stray out of bounds.
Other times they erase all the lines in favor of a vague and inoffensive faith. Both impulses can come from positive intentions, but either can lead to stunted spiritual life and harmful relationships. Is there another option? The late missionary anthropologist Paul Hiebert famously drew on mathematical theory to deploy the concepts of bounded, fuzzy, and centered sets to shed light on the nature of Christian community. Now, with Centered-Set Church, Mark D. Baker provides a unique manual for understanding and applying Hiebert’s vision. Drawing on his extensive experience in church, mission, parachurch, and higher education settings, along with interviews and stories gleaned from scores of firsthand interviews, Baker delivers practical guidance for any group that seeks to be truly centered on Jesus. Baker shows how Scripture presents an alternative to either obsessing over boundaries or simply erasing them. Centered churches are able to affirm their beliefs and live out their values without such bitter fruit as gracelessness, shame, and self-righteousness on the one hand, or aimless whateverism on the other. While addressing possible concerns and barriers to the centered approach, Baker invites leaders to imagine centered alternatives in such practical areas of ministry as discipleship, church membership, leadership requirements, and evangelism. Centered-Set Church charts new paths to grow in authentic freedom and dynamic movement toward the true center: Jesus himself.
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Pastoral Ministry : How To Shepherd Biblically
$29.99Add to cartPastor John MacArthur combines his passion for the Bible with the training expertise of faculty members at The Master’s Seminary to guide seminary students and ministry leaders in developing their pastoral ministry skills.
Pastors today can easily become preoccupied with the many pitfalls of modern culture, buying into the idea of image and straying from Jesus’s call to shepherd leadership.
Pastoral Ministry: How to Shepherd Biblically presents a practical pastoral theology aimed at showing pastors and pastors-in-training the vital role God’s word plays in shaping the preparation and maintaining the priorities of pastoring.
The authors examine the biblical teaching about the high and demanding call to ministry required of any spiritual shepherd. You’ll learn how to pursue intentional growth through the stages of calling, training, and ministering to God’s church–along the way, uncovering answers to questions such as:
*How does the Bible establish a philosophy of pastoral ministry, and what is it?
*Who is personally qualified to be an undershepherd of God’s flock?
*What are the biblical preparations required of shepherd leaders?
*What priority does God’s word place on activities involved in pastoral ministry?United in affirming shepherd leadership as the biblical model for pastoral ministry, The Master’s Seminary faculty contributes a treasury of expertise alongside insights from well-known Bible teacher John MacArthur.
This book will inspire any pastor dedicated to serving God’s church in the pattern of Jesus Christ.
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Counseling : How To Counsel Biblically
$29.99Add to cartGain a knowledge of counseling methods that are practical and consistent with Christian theological convictions.
What do the Scriptures say about counseling? What is the biblical basis for using Scriptures in counseling? What does it mean to think biblically about counseling-related issues?
At the root of this book is the confidence that Christ and his Word are not only sufficient for effectively handling the personal and interpersonal challenges of life but are superior to the resources found in the world. The practice of psychological counseling is a ministry and should not belong only to the realm of humanistic and secular theories of the mind.
Written to pastors, elders, deacons, seminary students, and laypeople; well-known pastor John MacArthur and contributors present a system of biblical truth that brings together people, their problems, and the living God. This kind of counseling is based on the convictions that:
*God’s Word should be our counseling authority.
*Counseling is a part of the basic discipling ministry of the local church.
*God’s people can and should be trained to counsel effectively.Counseling: How to Counsel Biblically provides biblical guidelines to counsel people who are struggling. The contributors represent some of America’s leading biblical teachers and counselors, including: Ken L. Sarles, David Powlison, Douglas Bookman, David B. Maddox, Robert Smith, William W. Goode, and Dennis M. Swanson.
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Hope Explored Picture Cards
$4.99Add to cartHope Explored is a three-session evangelistic course that invites people to discover the lasting hope, peace and purpose that Jesus offers.
This Picture Pack contains 12 images to use as an opening activity to break the ice and prompt discussion about each session’s theme. Simply spread the images in front of your group, ask the question in the Guest handbook and see where conversation leads. For the best guest experience, you’ll need one set of pictures for each small group.
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Hope Explored Leaders Kit
$29.99Add to cartThere are few emotions more powerful than hope. But these days, hope often feels hard to come by. Where can we find a hope that won’t disappoint us?
Looking at the life, death and resurrection of Jesus in Luke’s Gospel, this three-session series from Christianity Explored Ministries shows that Christianity is about real hope: a joyful expectation for the future, based on true events in the past, which changes everything about my present.
It sounds good… but is it true? Whatever people do or don’t believe, Hope Explored offers them an opportunity to explore, to discuss and to discover the hope, peace and purpose Jesus offers.
With only three sessions, Hope Explored does not require a huge time commitment from guests and is one of the easiest ways to introduce someone to Christianity. The Christianity Explored series can then be run as a follow-up course for those eager to explore the Christian faith more.
This Leader’s Kit contains everything you need to evaluate and run your course:
– a Leader’s Guide
– a guest handbook
– picture cards
– a DVD
– a code to access video downloadsThe videos are presented by Rico Tice, Founder of Christianity Explored Ministries. They introduce the concepts for each session (Hope, Peace, Purpose) and deliver compelling Bible teaching from Luke’s Gospel. The ideas are then discussed as participants look at the Bible passage together.
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Hope Explored Handbook
$3.99Add to cartThere are few emotions more powerful than hope. But these days, hope often feels hard to come by. Where can we find a hope that won’t disappoint us?
Looking at the life, death and resurrection of Jesus in Luke’s Gospel, this three-session series from Christianity Explored Ministries shows that Christianity is about real hope: a joyful expectation for the future, based on true events in the past, which changes everything about my present.
It sounds good… but is it true? Whatever people do or don’t believe, Hope Explored offers them an opportunity to explore, to discuss and to discover the hope, peace and purpose Jesus offers.
This easy-to-use guest Handbook contains everything a participant needs for Hope Explored.
With only three sessions, Hope Explored does not require a huge time commitment and is one of the easiest ways to discover more about Christianity. It can be run in person or on video-meeting technology, in small groups or .
Leaders of this series will need a Leader’s Handbook and the video sessions, which are available as downloads or on DVD.
The videos are presented by Rico Tice, Founder of Christianity Explored Ministries. They introduce the concepts for each session (Hope, Peace, Purpose) and deliver compelling Bible teaching from Luke’s Gospel. The ideas are then discussed as participants look at the Bible passage together.
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Hope Explored Leaders Handbook (Teacher’s Guide)
$9.99Add to cartThere are few emotions more powerful than hope. But these days, hope often feels hard to come by. Where can we find a hope that won’t disappoint us?
Looking at the life, death and resurrection of Jesus in Luke’s Gospel, this three-session series from Christianity Explored Ministries shows that Christianity is about real hope: a joyful expectation for the future, based on true events in the past, which changes everything about my present.
It sounds good… but is it true? Whatever people do or don’t believe, Hope Explored offers them an opportunity to explore, to discuss and to discover the hope, peace and purpose Jesus offers.
With only three sessions, Hope Explored does not require a huge time commitment from guests and is one of the easiest ways to introduce someone to Christianity. The Christianity Explored series can then be run as a follow-up course for those eager to explore the Christian faith more.
The videos are presented by Rico Tice, Founder of Christianity Explored Ministries. They introduce the concepts for each session (Hope, Peace, Purpose) and deliver compelling Bible teaching from Luke’s Gospel. The ideas are then discussed as participants look at the Bible passage together.
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2 Peter And Jude For You
$16.99Add to cartWhen friends, family members, and even respected church leaders fall away from the faith, it is deeply sad and painful. But the reality is that we are all tempted to compromise our faith in one way or another. We all need to be careful not to fall.
Peter and Jude knew that first-hand. They wrote with a sense of urgency, showing a deep concern for the believers they were addressing. Their aim? To help their readers stand firm.
Verse by verse, pastor Miguel Nuez unpacks these two short letters, showing how they are still utterly relevant to us today–warning us where we may be in danger of stumbling and equipping us to stand firm in our faith.
This expository guide is less academic than a traditional commentary and includes lots of application. It can be read from cover to cover, used in personal devotions, or referred to as a resource for leading small groups or preparing sermons.