Shrink : Faithful Ministry In A Church Growth Culture
$24.99
Among followers of Jesus, great is often the enemy of good. The drive to be great—to be a success by the standards of the world—often crowds out the qualities of goodness, virtue, and faithfulness that should define the central focus of Christian leadership. In the culture of today’s church, successful leadership is often judged by what works, while persistent faithfulness takes a back seat. If a ministry doesn’t produce results, it is dropped. If people don’t respond, we move on. This pursuit of ‘greatness’ exerts a crushing pressure on the local church and creates a consuming anxiety in its leaders. In their pursuit of this warped vision of greatness, church leaders end up embracing a leadership narrative that runs counter to the sacrificial call of the gospel story. When church leaders focus on faithfulness to God and the gospel, however, it’s always a kingdom-win—regardless of the visible results of their ministry. John the Baptist modeled this kind of leadership. As John’s disciples crossed the Jordan River to follow after Jesus, John freely released them to a greater calling than following him. Speaking of Jesus, John said: ‘He must increase, but I must decrease.’ Joyfully satisfied to have been faithful to his calling, John knew that the size and scope of his ministry would be determined by the will of the Father, not his own will. Following the example of John the Baptist and with a careful look at the teaching of Scripture, Tim Suttle dares church leaders to risk failure by chasing the vision God has given them—no matter how small it might seem—instead of pursuing the broad path of pragmatism that leads to fame and numerical success.
in stock within 3-5 days of online purchase
SKU (ISBN): 9780310515128
ISBN10: 0310515122
Tim Suttle
Binding: Trade Paper
Published: September 2014
Publisher: Zondervan
Print On Demand Product
Related products
-
Life Lessons From Philippians
$14.99An unexpected bill. An upcoming doctor’s appointment. A tense family visit. The list could go on. Every day struggles of all sizes creep into our lives, leaving us stressed. Frustrated. Anxious. Just plain miserable. The believers in Philippi were struggling. They were trying to grow in faith and live for Christ. Trying to deal with conflict and threats of persecution. The apostle Paul was stuck in a Roman prison when he wrote to this young church. His letter could have focused on his own troubles. Instead he wrote about living a life full of joy, peace, and contentment. He reminds us of important biblical truths and points us to Jesus as the ultimate example. Paul’s letter encourages. It inspires. His confidence reminds us of God’s wisdom and control in the difficult moments of life. His excitement challenges us in this guide to joy.
The Life Lessons with Max Lucado series brings the Bible to life in twelve lessons filled with intriguing questions, inspirational stories, and poignant reflections to take you deeper into God’s Word. Each lesson in this updated edition of the bestselling series includes an opening reflection, a description of the context in which the passage was written, an excerpt of the text (from the New International and New King James versions), exploration and reflection questions on the passage, inspirational thoughts on the theme from Max Lucado, and a closing Life Lessons takeaway and personal devotion.
The Life Lessons with Max Lucado series is ideal for use in both a small-group setting or for individual study.
Add to cartin stock within 3-5 days of online purchase
-
Confronting Injustice Without Compromising Truth
$22.99God does not suggest, he commands that we do justice.
Social justice is not optional for the Christian. All injustice affects others, so talking about justice that isn’t social is like talking about water that isn’t wet or a square with no right angles. But the Bible’s call to seek justice is not a call to superficial, kneejerk activism. We are not merely commanded to execute justice, but to “truly execute justice.” The God who commands us to seek justice is the same God who commands us to “test everything” and “hold fast to what is good.”
Drawing from a diverse range of theologians, sociologists, artists, and activists, Confronting Injustice without Compromising Truth, by Thaddeus Williams, makes the case that we must be discerning if we are to “truly execute justice” as Scripture commands. Not everything called “social justice” today is compatible with a biblical vision of a better world. The Bible offers hopeful and distinctive answers to deep questions of worship, community, salvation, and knowledge that ought to mark a uniquely Christian pursuit of justice. Topics addressed include:
Racism
Sexuality
Socialism
Culture War
Abortion
Tribalism
Critical Theory
Identity PoliticsConfronting Injustice without Compromising Truth also brings in unique voices to talk about their experiences with these various social justice issues, including:
Michelle-Lee Barnwall
Suresh Budhaprithi
Eddie Byun
Freddie Cardoza
Becket Cook
Bella Danusiar
Monique Duson
Ojo Okeye
Edwin Ramirez
Samuel Sey
Neil Shenvi
Walt SobchakIn Confronting Injustice without Compromising Truth, Thaddeus Williams transcends our religious and political tribalism and challenges readers to discover what the Bible and the example of Jesus have to teach us about justice. He presents a compelling vision of justice for all God’s image-bearers that offers hopeful answers to life’s biggest questions.
Add to cartin stock within 3-5 days of online purchase
-
Knowledge Of The Holy
$17.99Informative and inspiring, The Knowledge of the Holy illuminates God’s attributes–from wisdom, to grace, to mercy–and shows through prayerful and discussion, how we can more fully recognize and appreciate each of these divine aspects. This book will be treasured by anyone committed to the Christian faith. It bears eloquent witness to God’s majesty and shows us new ways to experience and understand the wonder and the power of God’s spirit in our daily lives.
Add to cart1 in stock (additional units can be purchased)
-
Think Like Jesus Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$13.99Original price was: $13.99.$9.97Current price is: $9.97.In this eight-session video Bible study (DVD and digital downloads sold separately), pastor and author Randy Frazee explains that when Jesus saves us and ushers us into his kingdom, he begins a process of transformation within us that starts with our thoughts. As God begins to transform our minds, we begin to think like Jesus and believe like Jesus. For this reason, it is important for us to understand the eight key beliefs of the Christian faith that-when embraced in our hearts and minds-create true change in our lives, in the church, and in the world:
*I believe the God of the Bible is the one true God-Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
*I believe God is involved in and cares about my daily life.
*I believe we come into a right relationship with God, by his grace, through faith in Jesus.
*I believe the Bible is the Word of God and has the right to command my beliefs and actions.
*I believe I am significant because of my position as a child of God.
*I believe the church is God’s primary way to accomplish his purposes on earth today.
*I believe all people are loved by God and need Jesus Christ as their Savior.
*I believe that Jesus will return to judge all people and establish his eternal kingdom.Grounded in carefully selected scripture, Think Like Jesus is a churchwide discipleship program that will take you on a journey to become more like Jesus in your beliefs. This revised study, adapted from Part 1 of the Believe churchwide study, includes an updated video study and new content and questions adapted from the existing Believe Study Guide and Think, Act, Be Like Jesus by Randy Frazee.
SESSIONS
*God
*Personal God
*Salvation
*The Bible
*Identity in Christ
*Church
*Humanity
*EternityDesigned for use with the Think Like Jesus Video Study (sold separately).
Add to cart12 in stock (additional units can be purchased)
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.