Pastoral Helps
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Systematic Theology Second Edition
$59.99Add to cartThe most widely-used text of the last 25 years in its discipline, Systematic Theology by Wayne Grudem has been thoroughly revised and expanded (all 57 chapters) for the first time while retaining the features that have made it the standard in its field: clear explanations, an emphasis on each doctrine’s scriptural basis, and practical applications to daily life.
With several hundred pages of new content, this new edition now includes the following distinctive features.
*Updated, fuller analysis of several recent controversies within evangelicalism, including the eternal relationship between the Father and the Son in the Trinity, the question of God’s atemporal eternity, the role of women in the church, “seeker-sensitive” churches, miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit, and contemporary worship music.
*New, thoughtful critiques of open theism, the “new perspective on Paul,” Molinism (or “middle knowledge”), “Free Grace” theology, and the preterist view of Christ’s second coming
*Completely revised, stronger chapter on the clarity of Scripture
*Completely revised, stronger chapter on creation and evolution (including a longer critique of theistic evolution)
*New discussion of how biblical inerrancy applies to some specific “problem verses” in the Gospels
*Additional material respectfully explaining evangelical Protestant differences with Roman Catholicism, Protestant liberalism, and Mormonism.
*Completely updated bibliographies
*All Scripture quotations updated from RSV to ESV
*An explanation of why monogenes in John 3:16 and elsewhere should be translated as “only begotten” rather than merely “only” (this is a change from the first edition)
*A contemporary worship song added at the end of each chapter (while retaining the traditional hymns as well)
*Numerous other updates and corrections
Part of the brilliance of Systematic Theology over the years has been its simplicity and ease of use. Each chapter follows the same structure. First, there is discussion of the doctrine being considered, such as justification or the Trinity or the deity of Christ. An explanation of where that doctrine is supported in the Bible and possible objections follow. Personal application and key terms to know for personal growth are then provided. Chapters also include a scripture memory passage, references to other literature on the topic, and suggested hymns and worship songs.
If you are someone who thinks theology is hard to understand or
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Saving Grace Clergy Workbook (Workbook)
$22.99Add to cartLearn to create a healthy relationship with your money and possessions
Saving Grace: A Guide to Financial Health is a program to help people of faith create healthy relationships with money and possessions. Participants will move through six sessions covering such topics as saving, earning, giving, spending, and debt, along with helpful strategies for achieving a sustainable financial life. Adapted from the best-selling Freed Up Financial Living from the Good Sense Movement, this study is based on Wesleyan values and provides text and tools to help participants address life concerns and reach personal financial goals.
A special clergy module addresses financial issues unique to pastors. This three-week study brings together faith and vocation while attending to the unique financial details of living as a pastor and being employed by the church. The clergy workbook contains worksheets and downloadable planners.
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Forward Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$13.99Add to cartIn this six-session video Bible study (DVD/digital downloads sold separately), bestselling author Dr. David Jeremiah reminds us that the Christian life is to be lived looking forward and with our eyes fixed on the race in front of us-not looking back over at our shoulder at the other runners or the past. In the Bible, the apostle said as much when he wrote, “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:12-14 (NKJV).
Dr. Jeremiah draws on this key verse to show that while it is good at times to look back, we need to make sure that we don’t go back and allow the past to dictate our future. We need to celebrate our good memories but also celebrate our bad memories with finality-thanking God for the lessons that He has taught us through the experience and committing to use those lesson to make positive changes in our lives. We then need to allow our past memories to cultivate our dreams-boldly stepping into the mission God has for us and allowing Him to continually transform us to be more like Christ.
Now is the time to step past our comfort and our failure. Now is the time to move forward in following God.
Designed for use with the Forward Video Study (sold separately).
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Saving Grace Participant Workbook (Workbook)
$22.99Add to cartLearn to create a healthy relationship with your money and possessions
Saving Grace: A Guide to Financial Health is a program to help people of faith create healthy relationships with money and possessions. Participants will move through six sessions covering such topics as saving, earning, giving, spending, and debt, along with helpful strategies for achieving a sustainable financial life. Adapted from the best-selling Freed Up Financial Living from the Good Sense Movement, this study is based on Wesleyan values and provides text and tools to help participants address life concerns and reach personal financial goals.
Additional components for a six-week study include a DVD, Clergy Workbook, Leader Guide, and a 40-day devotional.
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From Burned Out To Beloved
$18.99Add to cartAs a social worker, jail chaplain, and justice advocate, Bethany Dearborn Hiser pushed herself to the brink of burnout-only to discover that she needed the very soul care she was providing to others. Tackling the effects of secondary trauma and burnout, this is a trauma-informed soul care guide for Christians working in high-stress, helping professions.
As a social worker, jail chaplain, and justice advocate, Bethany Dearborn Hiser pushed herself to the brink of burnout-and then kept going. Stress, despair, and compassion fatigue overwhelmed her ability to function. She was called to serve the abused, addicted, and homeless people in her community. Yet she was emotionally and spiritually exhausted. Something needed to change. Searching for answers, Hiser learned that trauma affects everyone who is exposed to it-not only those experiencing firsthand violence, homelessness, and addiction, but also the social workers, therapists, pastors, relief workers, teachers, and community development workers who are trying to help. Psychologists call it “secondary trauma.” Hiser discovered that she needed the very soul care that she was providing to others. From Burned Out to Beloved is Hiser’s story of burnout, self-discovery, and spiritual renewal. But more than that, it’s a trauma-informed soul care guide for Christians working in high-stress, helping professions. There are many resources on secondary trauma and spiritual disciplines, but few bring these areas together. From Burned Out to Beloved equips readers to confess their limitations, embrace their identities as beloved children of God, and flourish in the ministries where God has called them.
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Bobbie Baker And Kingdom Core Values Volume 1
$59.99Add to cartA Full Interactive Children’s Curriculum Experience
Bobbie Baker is a klutzy, goofy, messy baker, with a beautiful heart, and his mission is to reflect Jesus to the children in your classroom! The Bobbie Baker and Kingdom Core Values curriculum offers a holistic solution for a supernatural children’s ministry that is grounded in core, biblical truth.
In this fourteen-week adventure, children ages 5-10 will encounter truths that Bobbie Baker shares from his recipe book – the Bible. Each week, kids will explore a Biblical principle with Bobbie, discovering practical values like joy, God’s presence, healing, and more. Along the way, they will discover the Holy Spirit, grow in spiritual gifts, and get to know Jesus on a deeper level.
Lessons include:
*God is Good
*Salvation Creates Joyful Identity
*Jesus Empowers Supernatural Ministry
*God is Still Speaking
*Free and Responsible
*Generous Like My Father
*and so much more!Each lesson contains fun and thought-provoking activities – skits with Bobbie Baker, weekly Bible memorization games, step-by-step prophetic activations, and pre-planned, small-to-large group games.
The concepts unpacked in each lesson are easy to understand and will empower children as they learn. This curriculum is your key to building a culture that emphasizes intimacy with Father God and supernatural ministry through fun and simple activities!Look for more adventures with Bobbie and his friends coming soon!
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God And Me Volume 1 Jesus And Me
$59.99Add to cartA Full Interactive Children’s Curriculum Experience
There is no Junior Holy Spirit!
Children’s ministry is meant to be an active, dynamic experience that extends far beyond “babysitting” on Sundays. God and Me: Volume 1 empowers the youngest of children (0-5 yrs) to begin to walk in their God-given identity and do the things Jesus did!
Take your children on an anointed journey through twelve weeks of age-appropriate, customizable lessons that will help them learn to:
*hear from God
*pray for healing and breakthrough
*worship God
*make powerful declarationsThis fun, interactive curriculum provides the perfect starting point for a holistic, supernatural children’s ministry, grounded in core biblical truth. Each lesson has been intentionally crafted to model biblical principles, including activities and tools that will give every child a deep foundation in Scripture and a strong connection to the heart of God.
So, what are you waiting for? Give the youngest children in your ministry an exciting start to the most important adventure of their lives – an adventure with God!
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Connection Year B 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. This nine-volume series offers creative commentary on each 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 other readings and to the congregation’s experience of worship.
Connections is published in partnership with Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary.
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Ruth For You
$16.99Add to cartApplied expository guide on the book of Ruth: a story of redemption that points us to Jesus.
The book of Ruth is a love story. Like all love stories it has twists and turns, tension and resolution, and a happy ending.But it’s far more than that because it reveals to us a God who is deeply committed to caring for his people. In Boaz, God provides Ruth with a loving husband to free and provide for her, pointing us to the Bible’s grand story of redemption and David’s greatest son, Jesus.
Tony Merida’s compelling story-telling and Christ-centered insights make this both an accessible and absorbing expository guide to the book of Ruth. It can be used for personal devotions, or for leading small-group studies, or for sermon preparation.
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Preaching Hope In Darkness
$23.99Add to cartHow can a preacher best address suicide from the pulpit?
Pastors face many challenges. Suicide in a congregation is amongst the most heart-rending and intimidating. However, the preacher has a unique capacity to engender gospel hope for preparing the congregation and comforting the bereaved. To do so, preachers need help understanding the challenges and opportunities presented by addressing suicide from the pulpit.
In Preaching Hope in Darkness, two practitioners in fields that do not typically interact–homiletics (Scott M. Gibson) and psychology (Karen Mason)–work together to support the preacher in this difficult task. Gibson and Mason offer wise advice on a range of topics such as suicide prevention, post-crisis care, and funeral sermon preparation. With an appendix of sample sermons and a sample funeral liturgy, Preaching Hope in Darkness is an essential go-to guide for this difficult topic.
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Insider Church : Ekklesia And The Insider Paradigm
$19.99Add to cartInsider Movements = Church-planting Movements?
?In the last few decades, the Church has witnessed a growing harvest of Muslim-background believers coming to Christ. However, a divide remains over whether the “insider” paradigm contributes to the flourishing and multiplication of healthy, biblical churches among Muslims.
S. T. Antonio advances this conversation beyond the old arguments through a fresh analysis of the insider paradigm by asking the question, What is church? Starting with the identity-shaping narrative of the people of God, Antonio digs deep into the nature of biblical ekklesia from multiple angles-local and universal, visible and invisible, the classical “marks” of the church, and missional identity. Combining a robust, biblical vision with a nuanced contextualization framework, and informed by firsthand ministry among Muslims, Antonio uncovers the roots and contours of the ecclesial vision of the insider paradigm. Insider Church provides an innovative diagnosis of a paradigm that has been surrounded by controversy, challenging it with constructive analysis for multiplying biblical churches among Muslims.
This integrative study draws together biblical, theological, and missiological scholarship in service of Christ’s mission. Insider Church helps guide mission practitioners, leaders, and students toward a wise assessment of insider movements and a vision for church multiplication that is both fruitful and faithful to the Lord of the harvest.
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Purpose Pattern And Character Of Worship
$40.99Add to cartWithin the broad range of Christianity we find diverse understandings of what makes for “good worship.” This book develops a typology of Christian worship to provide a method of assessing the decisions of congregations and leaders in forming and changing the orders of their worship.
Among contemporary western Protestants, we find at least six discrete characteristics of worship:
-the Revival,
-the Sunday School,
-the Aesthetic Revival,
-the Pentecostal/holiness movement,
-the Prayer Meeting,
-and the twentieth-century Catholic Liturgical Renewal.These patterns find contemporary expression as:
-Seeker Worship,
-Creative Worship,
-Traditional Worship,
-Praise Worship,
-House Church Worship,
-and Word and Table Worship.Absent an overall authority for the structure of worship (such as the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer), many Protestant congregations have developed a “conflation of patterns,” which often creates incoherent worship. This book helps leaders define the purpose, character, and pattern of their community’s worship.
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Wisdom From Babylon
$25.99Add to cartWhat does it mean to provide leadership for the church in an increasingly secular context? When religion is privatized and secularism reigns in the public square, Christians are often drawn toward either individualist escapism or constant cultural warfare. But might this context instead offer a fresh invitation for the church to adapt and thrive? Gordon Smith is passionate about the need for capable, mature leaders to navigate and respond to a changing society. In this book, he draws on his extensive experience as a university president, pastor, and international speaker to open a multidisciplinary conversation about the competencies and capacities essential for today’s leaders. After analyzing the phenomenon of secularization in the West and charting common Christian responses, Smith introduces four sources of wisdom to help guide us through this new terrain: the people and prophets of Judah during the Babylonian exile, the early church in its pagan environment, contemporary churches across the Global South, and Christian thinkers in post-Christian Europe. From these resources he identifies practices and strategies-from liturgy and catechesis to mission and hospitality-that can give shape to faithful, alternate communities in such a time as this. In cultures fraught with fear and division, Smith calls for leaders who can effect change from the margins, promote unity and maturity among Christians, and provide a non-anxious presence grounded in the presence of Christ. Educators, church leaders, and anyone seeking to understand the times will find this book to be an indispensable resource for cultivating distinctively Christian leadership.
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Bigger Table Expanded Edition With Study Guide (Expanded)
$22.00Add to cartThis new edition includes a small-group study guide complete with ideas for exploring A Bigger Table in a congregation-wide sermon series and program along with a new foreword by Jacqui Lewis and new afterword by the author to explore the challenges of living out the bigger table when voices of hate and exclusion seem stronger and louder than ever.
A Bigger Table invites readers to envision a church that is big enough for everyone, by holding up a mirror to the modern church and speaking clearly on issues at the heart of the Christian community: LGBT inclusion, gender equality, racial tensions, global concerns, and theological shifts. John Pavlovitz shares moving personal stories, his careful observations as a pastor, and his understanding of the ancient stories of Jesus to set the table for a new, positive, more loving conversation on these and other important matters of faith. Though there are many who would remove chairs and whittle down the guest list, we can build the bigger table Jesus imagined, practicing radical hospitality, total authenticity, messy diversity, and agenda-free community.
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Uncommon Church : Community Transformation For The Common Good
$20.99Add to cartHow can the people of God develop churches in ways that help and don’t hurt poor neighborhoods? In urban ministry, Christians too often treat the poor as goodwill projects instead of people. Because of this mindset, many remain unchurched. Healthy, local, urban churches are needed because they combine personal empowerment and community transformation. Every poor neighborhood needs uncommon churches that will seek the common good of their communities. Alvin Sanders engages hard truths about these neighborhoods and provides a model for how to do ministry in difficult conditions. The local, urban church is the key to community transformation, as it plays three crucial roles of empowering, partnering, and reaching. Pastors and church planters interested in Christian community development will find here practical insights into the power of the local church, which is often underrated. Churches can serve their communities and improve the quality of life of every facet of the neighborhood.
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Honor Shame And The Gospel
$17.99Add to cartAn Honorific Gospel: Biblically Faithful & Culturally Relevant
Christians engaged in communicating the gospel navigate a challenging tension: faithfulness to God’s ancient, revealed Word-and relevance to the local, current social context. What if there was a lens or paradigm offering both? Understanding the Bible-particularly the gospel-through the ancient cultural “language” of honor-shame offers believers this double blessing.
In Honor, Shame, and the Gospel, over a dozen practitioners and scholars from diverse contexts and fields add to the ongoing conversation around the theological and missiological implications of an honorific gospel. Eight illuminating case studies explore ways to make disciples in a diversity of social contexts-for example, East Asian rural, Middle Eastern refugee, African tribal, and Western secular urban.
Honor, Shame, and the Gospel provides valuable resources to impact the ministry efforts of the church, locally and globally. Linked with its ancient honor-shame cultural roots, the gospel, paradoxically, is ever new-offering fresh wisdom to Christian leaders and optimism to the church for our quest to expand Christ’s kingdom and serve the worldwide mission of God.
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Esperanza Hoy – (Spanish)
$16.99Add to cartTe has topado con la pared? Aprende a derrumbar esa pared para que Dios pueda trabajar a traves de ti y satisfacer las necesidades de los demas.
Existe un muro entre el satisfacer las necesidades practicas de las personas y las necesidades espirituales? Puedes satisfacer solo una de las dos? En Esperanza hoy, el Dr. Albert L. Reyes derriba cualquier muro existente que separe el llamado biblico colectivo de satisfacer las necesidades espirituales y practicas de las personas. Aprende como estas necesidades son dos caras de la misma moneda, y como satisfacer ambas, no solo es factible, sino que menester. Esperanza hoy ofrece aliento para un ministerio holistico, mostrando como y por que el evangelismo puede y debe combinarse con el ministerio social y los esfuerzos de justicia social. Perfecto para trabajadores sociales y aquellos que trabajan con adultos mayores, huerfanos y ninos en riesgo, Esperanza hoy les recuerda a los creyentes que estan acercando el reino de Cristo cuando satisfacen las necesidades fisicas y espirituales de los demas.
Basado en anos de experiencia y servicio pastoral, el Dr. Reyes sabe de primera mano como estan conectadas las necesidades espirituales y practicas de las personas. Como sexto presidente y Director Ejecutivo de Buckner International desde que se fundo como un hogar para ninos huerfanos luego de la guerra civil en Texas, Reyes dirige Buckner International, un ministerio que se ha dedicado por mas de cien anos a transformar las vidas de huerfanos, ninos vulnerables, familias y adultos mayores.
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Making Room : The Purpose And Practice Of Youth Ministry
$19.99Add to cartIn Making Room, Michael A. Kipp contends that the primary purpose of youth ministry is to integrate young people into the body and mission of Christ. A lifelong youth ministry practitioner and researcher, Kipp shares the narrative of his and others’ experiences in order to help the church embrace and understand youth ministry more fully in practice, not just in theory.
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Hopeful Neighborhood : What Happens When Christians Pursue The Common Good
$18.99Add to cartWhen Christians join together to pursue the common good of our neighborhoods, we bring hope to the world, credibility to the church, and glory to God. Filled with original research from the Barna Group and Lutheran Hour Ministries, this book from Don Everts offers constructive, practical ways that Christians and churches can bless our local communities.
Are you tired of hearing people dismiss the church as an irrelevant relic? (Do you secretly wonder if they are right?) Don Everts explores an exciting reality that is revealed in Scripture, shown throughout history, and confirmed in the latest research: when Christians pursue the common good of the neighborhood, the world stands up and notices. It turns out this is exactly what we’re called to do. When Christians make good things, we bring blessings and hope to our local community. With original research from the Barna Group and Lutheran Hour Ministries on how Christians relate to our neighborhoods, this book is filled with constructive, practical ways that Christians and churches bless those around us. As Christians join together for the common good, we bring hope to the world, credibility to the church, and glory to God.
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Womens Lectionary : Preaching The Women Of The Bible Throughout The Year
$47.00Add to cartIn A Weary World, Escobar provides twenty-eight daily reflections paired with Scripture and prayer to tackle this difficult season. Weekly resources make this Advent devotional suitable for group study as well.
During the holidays, so many of us can suffer for all kinds of reasons. The magnitude of our weary world weighs on our hearts and minds. We wrestle with chronic pain, broken relationships, shattered dreams, fragile faith, and unexpected losses. Our grief and sorrow feel particularly acute when compared to the festivity and joy everyone else seems to be feeling. More and more churches are acknowledging this fact with “Blue Christmas” services (also called “Longest Night” services) and offering resources to give particular support and comfort to those struggling during the “most wonderful time of the year.”
Kathy Escobar has been leading Blue Christmas experiences at her church for nearly a decade and just experienced her bluest season of all following the sudden death of her son. In A Weary World, Escobar provides twenty-eight daily reflections paired with prayers and practices to honor our struggles during the holidays. Weekly resources make this Advent devotional suitable for group study as well.
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Connection Year B Volume 1 Advent Through Epiphany
$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.
Designed 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. This nine-volume series offers creative commentary on each 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 other readings and to the congregation’s experience of worship.
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Lose Control Womens Bible Study Participant Workbook (Student/Study Guide)
$17.99Add to cartLearn to live in total dependence on God through a study of 1 Samuel.
Have you ever thought you had life under control-until you didn’t? Perhaps thinking “God is in control” but living as if you are. It’s like walking around with a hot cup of coffee, afraid that with one wrong move it will spill and be a burning hot mess. Then you realize what little control you have and how dependent on God you truly are.
In Lose Control, Mary Shannon Hoffpauir takes you on a six-week journey through the Book of First Samuel, which is an epic story about a fight for control. Despite God’s warnings through the prophet Samuel, the nation of Israel was determined to take control by having their own king. As you dig into the saga of King Saul and David, who would become the next anointed king of Israel, you will discover that no plan or purpose of God can be thwarted by human beings. Even the worst of circumstances can be used by God to accomplish His purposes in your life.
In her no-nonsense, authentic teaching style that endears her to women of all ages, Mary Shannon encourages you to lose control so that you can find your soul through a trusting relationship with your faithful God.
Components for this six-week Bible study, each available separately, include a Participant Workbook, a Leader Guide, and a DVD with six 25-minute segments (with closed captioning).
*An in-depth six-week exploration of the entire Book of 1 Samuel.
*Study includes five days of homework for each week.
*Encourages women to exchange their desire for control for God’s gift of faith.
*Helps women gain a deeper love and grace for others.
*DVD features dynamic, engaging teaching in six 25-minute segments. -
Names Of God Womens Bible Study Leader Guide (Teacher’s Guide)
$15.99Add to cartKnow God better through a study of His names.
Today’s culture and others’ views, even those of other Christians, can present a distorted view of God. Some suggest God exudes qualities He does not possess such as being unloving or apathetic toward His creation. In a world where we find people creating God in their own image, studying God’s names can remind us that we are created in His. In fact, one of the best ways to know God’s true character and grow closer to Him is to study His names.
In The Names of God, Melissa Spoelstra leads women on an exploration of the many names of our triune God-from El and Elohim to Yahweh and its many combinations to names such as Abba, Jesus, and Holy Spirit…and many others.
As women study the names of God, their ideas about God will become more grounded in what His names tell them, and thus more personal, allowing a greater trust in Him to share the details of their lives. Whether having walked with God for many years or just starting out in a relationship with Him, by the end of this study women will not only know more about God but will know Him better-because through the discovery of God’s names, they will discover Him!
Components for this six-week Bible study, each available separately, include a Participant Workbook, a Leader Guide, DVD with six 25-minute segments (with closed captioning), and a boxed Leader Kit containing one of each component.
*A six-week study of the names of God.
*Inspires women to have a more personal and trusting relationship with God.
*DVD features dynamic, engaging teaching in six 25-minute segments.
*Strong, solid Bible study from popular Bible teacher and speaker Melissa Spoelstra. -
Conformed To His Image Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$24.99Add to cartA Hands-On Guide to Spiritual Growth.
What does a real relationship with God look like? What does the biblical vision of true spiritual life look like? How do we grow in spiritual maturity? How we answer these questions influence the health, potency, and witness of Christians in an increasingly complex and hostile world.
Intended for use alongside the Conformed to His Image textbook by Ken Boa, the Conformed to His Image Study Guide is a practical tool to help readers grapple with these important questions and guide them toward spiritual growth. Designed for use in college and seminary courses, church settings, or for independent learners, this study guide helps readers build their lives on a fully biblical perspective by carefully walking them through questions to help them explore and internalize the twelve facets of authentic Christian spirituality, which include:
*Relational Spirituality: Loving God Completely, Ourselves Correctly, and Other Compassionately
*Paradigm Spirituality: Cultivating an Eternal versus a Temporal Perspective
*Disciplined Spirituality: Engaging in the Historical Disciplines
*Exchanged Life Spirituality: Grasping Our True Identity in Christ
*Motivated Spirituality: A Set of Biblical Incentives
*Devotional Spirituality: Falling in Love with God
*Holistic Spirituality: Every Component of Life under the Lordship of Christ
*Process Spirituality: Process versus Product, Being versus Doing
*Spirit-Filled Spirituality: Walking in the Power of the Spirit
*Warfare Spirituality: The World, the Flesh, and the Devil
*Nurturing Spirituality: A Lifestyle of Evangelism and Discipleship
*Corporate Spirituality: Encouragement, Accountability, and WorshipThe Conformed to His Image Study Guide in an invaluable tool for anyone who desires to follow Christ more closely.
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You Are Never Alone Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$13.99Add to cartIn this six-session video Bible study (DVD/digital downloads sold separately), bestselling author Max Lucado looks at the miracles of Jesus as recorded in the Gospel of John. As John states, he recorded many of these signs for an express purpose: “These are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:31). John chose the stories and events from Jesus’ life that he believed would give his readers strength, empower them, lift them up, and speak life into their situations.
By the time John penned the words of his Gospel, he was an old man . . . his hair silver and skin wrinkled. He was pastoring a collection of Christ followers in the distant city of Ephesus. But he still loved to tell the story-some six decades earlier and a thousand miles removed-of when Jesus first called him to lay down his net . . . and he obeyed. The others are gone now. Peter, Andrew, James. They’ve long since followed their calls and fulfilled their missions. Only John remains, and he knows that his days are coming to an end. It is with this purpose that he takes up his pen . . . to help his readers believe and have life.
John’s record of Jesus’ miracles reassure us that we are never stuck or without hope. We are never forgotten. All the forces of heaven have been marshalled to come to our aid. A rescue mission is underway! The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. A multitude of angels and the power of Scripture. The strength of prayer and the wisdom of saints. All this, and more, are continually working together to get us out and see us through. This is the message of the miracles . . . that with God you are never alone.
Designed for use the You Are Never Alone Video Study (sold separately).
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Renewed Womens Bible Study Participant Workbook With Leader Helps (Teacher’s Gui
$17.99Add to cartLessons from Naomi in the Book of Ruth.
Few things make us feel as helpless as living with a story we don’t like. Maybe one that involves the loss of a loved one, an unwanted transition, a difficult diagnosis, or a dream that fell through. At one time or another, we all deal with disappointments and feelings that life is unfair or that we are being punished.
In Renewed, a four-week study of the Book of Ruth, women glean wisdom from Naomi’s perspective, a woman who lived a story she didn’t choose or like. Forced to chart a new path as she mourned the loss of her husband and two sons, Naomi learned that the journey from bitterness to renewed hope and joy was rooted in God’s promise of redemption.
With insight from her own journey of living with a story that is not easy, Heather teaches women to flourish even as they live hard stories through a willingness to trust that God can transform them and trade their heartache for hope. They will learn to rely on God’s movement in the details of their story, even when it can’t be seen, gain confidence to act in the part of their stories that they can change, and watch expectantly for God to redeem the parts they can’t.
Components for this four-week Bible study, available separately, include a Participant Workbook with Leader Helps and a DVD with four 20 to 25-minute segments (with closed captioning).
*A four-week study of the Book of Ruth from Naomi’s perspective.
*This shorter study is ideal for in-between or busy times.
*Helps women find the courage to live with a story they don’t like and trust in God.
*Participant Workbook with Leader Helps includes group sessions guides, discussion questions, prayers, video viewer guides, and more.
*DVD features dynamic, engaging teaching in four 20 to 25-minute segments. -
1 Participant Book
$15.99Add to cartIn The One, by pastors Jim and Jen Cowart, readers will learn to respond to God’s great love for us by reaching out to the ones in our lives who are lost, not literally but spiritually-those who have not yet discovered the rich love God has for them. God sent his Son to earth on a rescue mission, “to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10)-or as the parables in Luke 15 show us, to save “the one.” And Jesus has entrusted us, his disciples, to carry on this mission until his return.
The book and the corresponding study explore Luke 15 where Jesus tells stories about rejoicing when lost things are found-specifically, a lost sheep, a lost coin, and a lost child. This passage teaches us that we’re dearly loved and sought after by God, and that we are called to join in Jesus’ mission to seek and to save “the one” with intentionality, perseverance, and joy.
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Gospel Centered Family Counseling
$30.00Add to cartPastors and counselors regularly minister to people whose marriages or families are in crisis. Tempers run high and feelings are brought low when a marriage is hurting or a family is in disarray. Pastors and counselors need practical, biblical help in order to connect their theological training to the reality of modern messy relationships. These how-to training manuals provide relevant, user-friendly equipping for pastors, counselors, lay leaders, educators, and students, enabling them to competently and compassionately relate God’s Word to marriage and family life.
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16 Bible Studies For Your Small Group
$17.99Add to cartIf you’re like most small-group leaders, you often feel overwhelmed by the task of finding study material each and every week. Former small-group pastor Ryan Lokkesmoe is here to help.
This book has all you need for 16 small-group meetings exploring the concept of biblical community. Each study includes icebreaker questions, key Scripture passages, discussion questions about the text, and a guide for leading your prayer time.
This is the perfect tool for brand-new small-group leaders or seasoned veterans looking for a turnkey approach! Let these studies draw you and your group nearer to God and each other as they enhance your understanding of his Word.
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Ministros De Jesucristo – (Spanish)
$19.99Add to cartMinistros de Jesucristo del Curso de Formacion Teologica Evangelica volumen 11 de Jose Maria Martinez, examina de manera practica y amplia el termino “ministro”.
Pensando no solo en los pastores; tambien se dirige a los ancianos, diaconos, consejeros, evangelistas, misioneros, lideres de grupos de jovenes o de mujeres y laicos; que tienen las responsabilidades de la enseanza y predicacion en la iglesia y el liderazgo Cristiano.
Este libro pertenece a la coleccion del Curso de Formacion Teologica Evangelica, dirigido a seminarios e institutos biblicos.
Los libros se dividen en tres grandes areas:
1. La primera parte se enfoca en la forma mas practica de interes para el ministro, la labor de predicacion y enseanza.
2. La segunda parte se centra en la forma mas practica del trabajo pastoral y la salud de las almas, para formar al pastor como consejero y lider en la Iglesia. Detalla los problemas que suele plantear una congregacion y la respuesta pastoral que corresponde a cada caso.
3. La tercera parte, tambien de forma muy practica, se ocupa de los temas administrativos y de organizacion.
Este libro pertenece a la coleccion del Curso de Formacion Teologica Evangelica, dirigido a seminarios e institutos biblicos.
https://www.clie.es/colecciones/curso-formacion-teologica-evangelica
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Life Questions Every Student Asks
$22.99Add to cartEvery student asks questions about life beyond the classroom:
*What does it mean to be in community?
*How can I discern my vocation?
*How should I understand marriage and sex?
*How should I relate to money and power?
*What happens if I doubt my faith?
*How should I approach interfaith dialogue?To help students navigate these questions about some of life’s most pressing and difficult issues, Gary M. Burge and David Lauber, coeditors of Theology Questions Everyone Asks, have gathered insights from Christian faculty who draw on their own experiences in conversation with students during office hours and over coffee. Sometimes, the deepest learning takes place outside the classroom.
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Incarnation Youth Study Book (Student/Study Guide)
$14.99Add to cartLearn the meaning behind the names of Christ and the difference He makes in our lives this Christmas.
His parents gave him the name Jesus. But the prophets, the shepherds, the wise men, and angels addressed him by other names. They called him Lord, Messiah, Savior, Emmanuel, Light of the World, and Word Made Flesh.
In Incarnation, best-selling author Adam Hamilton explores the meaning of these titles and what they tell us about the child whose birth we celebrate at Christmas. Join him and reflect upon the significance of the Christ-child for our lives and world today!
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Making Room Leader Guide
$15.99Add to cartLearn how to make room in your heart for God and neighbor this Christmas.
Often our Advent preparations have an inward focus as we prepare for the significance of God breaking into our world through the birth of the Christ child. But in a closer examination of the Advent story, we quickly learn that the focus of the coming of the newborn king is outward.
In this book and Advent study, Dr. Ed Robb explores the warmth of welcome at Christmas following interactions with Mary and Joseph, the shepherds, and the magi. Just as Jesus made room in God’s kingdom for a host of people that society wanted to leave on the margins, beginning with the appearance of the shepherds, we too should be asking ourselves who we can make room for this Christmas.
Perhaps it is to the people in your community, or the newly immigrated family in town that doesn’t speak your language. Or maybe it’s the next-door neighbor who just settled in from yet another corporate move? The story of Christ’s birth encourages us to widen our borders and increase our sense of community-and make room for others.
The Leader Guide contains everything needed to guide a group through the four-week study including session plans, activities, and discussion questions, as well as multiple format options.
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Managing Conflict Creatively 30th Anniversary Edition (Anniversary)
$16.99Add to cartWhat does the Bible say about conflict resolution?
??Nobody likes conflict, especially when both parties are “part of the same team.” Unresolved conflict can lead to missionary attrition, but healthy conflict-resolution can be a wonderful growth opportunity, leading to problem-solving and team-building.
In Managing Conflict Creatively, Dr. Palmer first introduces the dynamics of conflict and the common styles of conflict management. After providing a Biblical background, he then identifies types of conflict and how to develop conflict management skills, specifically in cross-cultural situations. Lose your fear of conflict as you walk through case studies, engage in discussion questions, and learn to:
– Identify the stages of conflict and steps of healthy problem solving
– Encourage healthy conflict resolution in its early stages
– Identify your personal conflict style and the characteristics of an effective moderator
– Overreact less amid conflict
– Consciously choose a conflict-resolution style tailored to each situation
– Disagree well and resolve conflicts and misunderstandings without harming your witness
– Manage conflict in positive ways that foster growth and collaborationThis manual is intended to serve as a teaching tool and a study guide for cross-cultural
conflict management courses in Bible colleges, mission organizations, and churches. Thirty years after its original publication, this practical, Bible-centered approach to the dynamics of conflict and conflict management in cross-cultural situations remains relevant, both abroad and in today’s hybrid cities. -
Names Of God Womens Bible Study Participant Workbook (Student/Study Guide)
$17.99Add to cartKnow God better through a study of His names.
Today’s culture and others’ views, even those of other Christians, can present a distorted view of God. Some suggest God exudes qualities He does not possess such as being unloving or apathetic toward His creation. In a world where we find people creating God in their own image, studying God’s names can remind us that we are created in His. In fact, one of the best ways to know God’s true character and grow closer to Him is to study His names.
In The Names of God, Melissa Spoelstra leads women on an exploration of the many names of our triune God-from El and Elohim to Yahweh and its many combinations to names such as Abba, Jesus, and Holy Spirit…and many others.
As women study the names of God, their ideas about God will become more grounded in what His names tell them, and thus more personal, allowing a greater trust in Him to share the details of their lives. Whether having walked with God for many years or just starting out in a relationship with Him, by the end of this study women will not only know more about God but will know Him better-because through the discovery of God’s names, they will discover Him!
Components for this six-week Bible study, each available separately, include a Participant Workbook, a Leader Guide, DVD with six 25-minute segments (with closed captioning), and a boxed Leader Kit containing one of each component.
*A six-week study of the names of God.
*Inspires women to have a more personal and trusting relationship with God.
*DVD features dynamic, engaging teaching in six 25-minute segments.
*Strong, solid Bible study from popular Bible teacher and speaker Melissa Spoelstra. -
Volunteers : How To Get Them, How To Keep Them
$6.99Add to cartI have written this book out of my experience working in small to medium sized churches. I address the great challenges of finding, training, and keeping volunteers. There are some simple techniques that I learned to have happy and engaged volunteers who do not get burned out.
I also spend time describing how you can run a successful children’s ministry with a minimum of people and yet not overburdening any of them. I talk about ways to combine functions so that you still cover all the age levels but in an efficient and effective manner.
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John 1-12 For You
$17.99Add to cartJosh Moody helps those new to John to dip their toes in its waters, while also showing new depths to those more familiar with this Gospel. Jesus came to bring life to the full–and in showing us his seven signs, John pictures the fulfillment that comes from living life as a follower of the Word become flesh.
This Expository Guide takes you verse by verse through the text in an accessible and applied way. It is less academic than a traditional commentary and can be read cover-to-cover, used in personal devotions, used to lead small group studies, or used for sermon preparation. There is an accompanying Good Book Guide for small group Bible studies.
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Post Quarantine Church
$12.99Add to cartA trustworthy and respected guide for pastors and church leadership in the post-quarantine world, providing hope and vision for the future of your congregation.
From thousands of surveys of church leaders and in-person consultations, Thom Rainer and his Church Answers team have gathered the essential wisdom you will need to face the challenges and opportunities that the quarantine crisis creates for the local church, including:
New and better ways to lead the gathered churchA wide-open door for growing the digital churchA moment to rethink the facilitiesNew strategies for church growth . . . and much more!
This book is, in effect, your personal church consultant, helping you plan and prepare for the future. In the midst of heartbreak, tragedy, and struggle due to Covid-19, here’s hope, wisdom, encouragement and vision.
This book is valuable for those looking for local church and pastor resources to enhance church leadership, grow your church, and serve digital and online church communities in the post-quarantine world.
As a former pastor and founder of Church Answers, Thom S. Rainer is intimately familiar with the ever-present demands that pastors face. He has spent a lifetime committed to the growth and health of the local church.
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I Am Bible Study
$11.99Add to cartIn the Gospel of John, Jesus uses “I Am” statements that tell his listeners exactly who he is: the Bread of Life; the Light of the World; the Gate; the Good Shepherd; the Resurrection and the Life; the Way, the Truth, and the Life; and the True Vine. These claims infuriated the religious leaders and eventually led to Jesus’ crucifixion. This six-session study examines Jesus’ extraordinary claims and shows how Jesus provides, protects, guides, saves, and gives everything we need to grow in spiritual maturity.
*6-session flexible Bible study
*Optional reading plan for people with more time who want to go deeper
*Leader’s guide is contained within each study guide, so no extra book purchase is required
*Discussion questions for each session and lots of space for writingMost Bible studies on Jesus don’t include visuals. Imagine having one that does! Perfect for group and individual use, young adult study, homeschool, church library, to give to a friend, and more!
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Leading Small Groups That Thrive
$22.99Add to cartNearly every church is trying to help their congregants build relationships with others, grow as disciples, and/or engage in meaningful service through small groups. Many have argued that these small groups are the preferred vehicle for relationship building, disciple making, and membership assimilation in the local church, especially in large, multisite churches.
Leading Small Groups That Thrive shows small group leaders, step by step, how to plan for, launch, build, sustain, and multiply highly effective, transformational, healthy small group experiences where people grow spiritually together. Based on a large-scale research study of small group pastors, leaders, and members, Leading Small Groups That Thrive gives church leaders both what they want–practical, straightforward, actual small group member voices and experiences, and compelling guidance on how to build transformational groups complemented with real-life examples and data of successful small groups–and what they need–substantial, challenging insights and a data-driven model grounded in the latest research on church small groups.
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Take Back Your Life Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$13.99Add to cartIn this five-session video Bible study (DVD/digital downloads sold separately), pastor and author Levi Lusko reveals how every moment of every day, we must make the choice as to whether we will rely on ourselves to determine the reality of our situation or whether we will trust in God. In the Old Testament, we read how Gehazi, the servant of the prophet Elisha, faced this very dilemma. A bounty had been put on Elisha’s head, and an army was now surrounding them. Gehazi was frantic. “Oh no, my lord!” he cried. “What shall we do?” (2 Kings 6:15).
“Don’t be afraid,” Elisha calmly answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them” (verse 16). Gehazi must have wondered if his master had lost his mind. They had maybe five minutes before the soldiers reached them . . . yet here was Elisha practically singing the lyrics to “It’s a Small World” and pretending everything was going to be all right. But then the prophet prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see” (verse 17). And with this, Gehazi suddenly saw what his master was seeing: a glorious, greater, and far more powerful army of the Lord surrounding the enemy invaders.
When it comes to the trials and crises in our lives, we need to see the reality of our situation with the same “spiritual eyes” as Elisha possessed. What we perceive is not all that is there . . . there are unseen things, spiritual things, eternal things. As the apostle Paul put it, “So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever” (2 Corinthians 4:18 nlt). As we learn to perceive our world through the lens of faith, we gain the strength to do the impossible.
Take Back Your Life is a forty-day journey that will challenge you to see your situation with spiritual eyes, identify the roadblocks that get in the way of your faith in Christ, and ultimately take the first steps to become the difference-maker in the world that God created you to be!
Designed for use with the Take Back Your Life Video Study (sold separately).
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Emerging Gender Identities
$23.99Add to cartThis book offers a measured Christian response to the diverse gender identities that are being embraced by an increasing number of adolescents. Mark Yarhouse and Julia Sadusky offer an honest, scientifically informed, compassionate, and nuanced treatment for all readers who care about or work with gender-diverse youth: pastors, church leaders, parents, family members, youth workers, and counselors.
Yarhouse and Sadusky help readers distinguish between current mental health concerns, such as gender dysphoria, and the emerging gender identities that some young people turn to for a sense of identity and community. Based on the authors’ significant clinical and ministry experience, this book casts a vision for practically engaging and ministering to teens navigating diverse gender-identity concerns. It also equips readers to critically engage gender theory based on a Christian view of sex and gender.
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Lose Control Womens Bible Study Leader Guide (Teacher’s Guide)
$15.99Add to cartHave you ever thought you had life under control-until you didn’t? Perhaps thinking “God is in control” but living as if you are. It’s like walking around with a hot cup of coffee, afraid that with one wrong move it will spill and be a burning hot mess. Then you realize what little control you have and how dependent on God you truly are.
In Lose Control, Mary Shannon Hoffpauir takes you on a six-week journey through the Book of First Samuel, which is an epic story about a fight for control. Despite God’s warnings through the prophet Samuel, the nation of Israel was determined to take control by having their own king. As you dig into the saga of King Saul and David, who would become the next anointed king of Israel, you will discover that no plan or purpose of God can be thwarted by human beings. Even the worst of circumstances can be used by God to accomplish His purposes in your life.
In her no-nonsense, authentic teaching style that endears her to women of all ages, Mary Shannon encourages you to lose control so that you can find your soul through a trusting relationship with your faithful God.
Components for this six-week Bible study, each available separately, include a Participant Workbook, a Leader Guide, and a DVD with six 25-minute segments (with closed captioning).
*An in-depth six-week exploration of the entire Book of 1 Samuel.
*Study includes five days of homework for each week.
*Encourages women to exchange their desire for control for God’s gift of faith.
*Helps women gain a deeper love and grace for others.
*DVD features dynamic, engaging teaching in six 25-minute segments. -
Proverbs For You
$19.99Add to cartDivine wisdom for your everyday life from the book of Proverbs.
In the Proverbs, God offers us wisdom for real life and he shows us Jesus, who was wisdom personified and exemplified.
This accessible, absorbing expository guide to Proverbs by Kathleen Nielson brings these ancient sayings to life, helping ordinary Christians to see what it can look like to enjoy living in line with God’s wisdom in the great multitude of everyday situations and decisions we face.
This book gives an expository rather than topical treatment to the book of Proverbs, so it can be read as originally intended. It also has more application than a typical commentary, making it a great resource for personal devotions, as well as useful for leading small-group studies or sermon preparation.
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Proverbs For You
$17.99Add to cartIn the Proverbs, God offers us wisdom for real life and he shows us Jesus, who was wisdom personified and exemplified.
This accessible, absorbing expository guide to Proverbs by Kathleen Nielson brings these ancient sayings to life, helping ordinary Christians to see what it can look like to enjoy living in line with God’s wisdom in the great multitude of everyday situations and decisions we face.
This book gives an expository rather than topical treatment to the book of Proverbs, so it can be read as originally intended. It also has more application than a typical commentary, making it a great resource for personal devotions, as well as useful for leading small-group studies or sermon preparation.
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Precepts For Living Regular Print 2021-2022
$19.95Add to cartPastors and educators alike praise Precepts For Living(R), UMI’s best-selling annual Bible commentary. This indispensable resource is based on the texts outlined in the International Uniform Lesson Series and provides 52 weeks of in-depth Bible studies for personal or classroom use. Unlike other Bible study lesson plans, Precepts For Living(R) highlights the cultural relevance and contributions of Africans in Bible history – a bonus for African American churches. Each easy-to-use weekly lesson explores the life-changing power of God’s Word and takes a creative approach to teaching and applying those truths today. The interactive and encouraging students are practical and clear – perfect for students and leaders. Scripture text in parallel King James Version – New Living Translation, In-depth Bible Commentary to promote insight and understanding, Teaching Tools such as illustrations, maps, charts, tips, and daily Bible readings, Instructive Bible Commentary, Proven, effective Teaching Tools, Historical, Biographical, and Geographic Insights, with Greek and Hebrew translations and pronunciation guides, “Perspective” Quarterly Essays by leading theologians and Christian educators, Heritage Profiles of notable African Americans to introduce Bible themes, offering the unique African American perspective readers anticipate from UMI. Precepts For Living(R) is an invaluable study guide for all who desire to further their knowledge, understanding, and application of biblical truths.
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Dignity : Seven Strategies For Creating Authentic Community
$14.95Add to cartDIGNITY is a transformative set of ideas to help individuals and communities identify and address barriers to authenticity. The author was inspired by a question in the Episcopal Baptismal covenant: Will you strive to respect the dignity of every human being? DIGNITY is seven actionable tenets (diversity, identity, growth, nurture, integrity, transparency, and yield) with which we can identify our purpose, articulate our aspirations, and equip ourselves and others for both the opportunities and challenges of honoring this covenant. They are prompts to be reflective about who we are and what we value. This practical guide will help the spiritual community bridge the gap between where we are, and where we want to be. For we know that “You can develop a healthy and robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor.” (James 3:17)
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Proverbs Leader Guide (Teacher’s Guide)
$14.99Add to cartThe book of Proverbs is a practical book written for people like us–parents, children, friends, and coworkers. It’s a collection of biblical sayings and wisdom that will make our modern lives run a bit more smoothly. Inside you encounter the wise and the foolish, all on a journey to find the wisdom that comes from God alone.
Proverbs: Pathways to Wisdom explores the context, language, and interpretation of this wisdom literature genre. Each chapter covers the historical context and interpretations of well-known verses and prevalent themes throughout the book. From the figure of wisdom to the Woman of Valor in Proverbs 31, Hernandez explores these verses and reveals literary and historical details that bring more meaning to familiar passages.
The Leader Guide contains everything needed to guide a group through the four-week study including session plans, activities, and discussion questions, as well as multiple format options.
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Friendship : The Heart Of Being Human
$25.00Add to cartIn this vibrant theological reflection on the meaning of friendship, experienced pastor and leading Christian ethicist Victor Lee Austin argues that friendship is the medium through which God shares grace with his creatures. Mixing personal reflection and theological commentary, Austin provides a fresh reading of classical writers and biblical texts; shows how a robust theology of friendship addresses contemporary controversies in the areas of marriage, celibacy, and homosexuality; and draws on cultural examples of the desire for real friendship. Ultimately, Austin helps readers understand the strange yet real possibility of friendship with God.
About the Series
Pastors are called to help people navigate the profound mysteries of being human, from birth to death and everything in between. This series, edited by leading pastoral theologian Jason Byassee, provides pastors and pastors-in-training with rich theological reflection on the various seasons that make up a human life, helping them minister with greater wisdom and joy.
