Where Once We Feared Enemies
$21.18
Whether we are conscious of it or not, we fear difference. That often unwarranted fear leads us to create enemies in our hearts and minds – and fear was no stranger to Oakhurst Presbyterian Church, as confessed by Pastor Nibs Stroupe: “We have listened to one another’s stories here, and we have discovered that the people we feared, those monsters we thought would destroy us – because of different skin colors, different genders, different sexual orientations, different economic categories – they are really our sisters and brothers, the folks for whom our hearts long.”
In the 1960s the Oakhurst congregation was 900 members strong, but by the time Nibs Stroupe arrived in 1983, “white flight” had left less than 100 on the church’s dwindling membership rolls. Since then, Oakhurst has undergone an extraordinary transformation, re-inventing itself as a growing community that welcomes everyone. The congregation has attracted national attention for its radically inclusive and egalitarian diversity, which extends beyond racial integration to class, gender, sexual orientation, and theological perspective. How have people from such dissimilar backgrounds come together to create a harmonious and thriving whole? In what biblical vision is it rooted and shaped? By what theological resources is it fed and sustained? The heart of the answer to these questions lies in the exceptional sermons of Nibs Stroupe.
Growing out of the experience of a multi-cultural congregation in which diversity is both valued and feared, these messages offer an uncompromising prophetic vision of the American church’s identity and mission. Stroupe firmly grounds a liberal social viewpoint within the biblical and theological traditions of the church, and he calls us to hear God’s claim on us in our place and in our time. Underlying his powerful sermons is the fundamental conviction that the barriers which separate us from our neighbors have been brought down in Jesus Christ. Where Once We Feared Enemies will be an indispensable addition to any pastor’s library. It is also inspiring and enlightening reading for anyone interested in the future of the American church, as well as its role in the continuing stories of race relations, civil rights, and peace and justice issues.
in stock within 3-5 days of online purchase
SKU (ISBN): 9780788023514
ISBN10: 0788023519
Nibs Stroupe
Binding: Trade Paper
Published: April 2005
Publisher: CSS Publishing
Print On Demand Product
Related products
-
Screwtape Letters
$17.99Wormwood, a demon apprentice, must secure the damnation of a young man who’s just become a Christian. He seeks the advice of an experienced devil, his uncle Screwtape. Their correspondence offers invaluable—and often humorous—insights on temptation, pride, and the ultimate victory of faith over evil forces. Paperback with French flaps and deckled page edges.
Add to cartin stock within 3-5 days of online purchase
-
Act 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/digital downloads sold separately), pastor and author Randy Frazee explains there is a difference between simply believing something in our heads and allowing those beliefs to shape our actions and behaviors. It is not enough to think like Jesus . . . we must also act like Jesus. For this reason, once we understand what we believe, we need to yield to the direction of the Holy Spirit and allow him to lead us to those biblical practices that will bring about spiritual transformation in our lives. As we do this, the Holy Spirit will lead us to make these resolutions:
*I will worship God for who he is and for what he has done for me.
*I will pray to God to know him, find direction for my life, and to lay my requests before him.
*I will study the Bible to know God and his truth and find direction for my daily life.
*I will dedicate my life to God’s purposes.
*I will fellowship with Christians to accomplish God’s purposes in my life and in the world.
*I will seek to understand my spiritual gifts so I can use them to fulfill God’s purposes.
*I will give my resources to fulfill God’s purposes.
*I will share my faith with others to fulfill God’s purposes.Grounded in carefully selected scripture, Act Like Jesus is a churchwide discipleship program that will take you on a journey to become more like Jesus in your behaviors. This revised study, adapted from Part 2 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:
1. Worship
2. Prayer
3. Bible Study
4. Total Surrender
5. Biblical Community
6. Spiritual Gifts
7. Giving My Resources
8. Sharing My FaithDesigned for use with the Act Like Jesus Video Study (sold separately).
Add to cart6 in stock (additional units can be purchased)
-
Jesus Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$12.99In 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).
Add to cartin stock within 3-5 days of online purchase
-
Life Lessons From Genesis
$10.99A beginning. An origin. Knowing where you came from says much about where you are going. Perhaps that is why the first book of the Bible is a book of beginnings.God wants us to know from where we came. Learning that will teach us much about the place we are going.
This study highlights the themes of sin and its consequences as Lucado brings us back to the beginning of the Bible. This study reminds us that Gods promises are ever present even in difficult times. Each lesson has a Scripture passage, as inspirational reading, questions to answer, space for journaling, and a prayer.
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 includes an opening reflection, background information, an excerpt of the text (from the New International and New King James versions), exploration questions, inspirational thoughts from Max, and a closing takeaway for further reflection.
The Life Lessons 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
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.