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1 Corinthians is one of the most gripping books in the Bible. In this letter, Paul, the complicated, layered apostle,…
writes to the people trying a wild new social experiment known as a Christian community. Not unlike the church today, this community dealt with factions, sexual immorality, gender issues, money issues, theological questions, lawsuits, problems in worship, and problems in leadership.In 1 Corinthians: Searching the Depths of God, Jaime Clark-Soles explores these topics and the awe inspiring, breathtaking world of the first-century church. Examining the teachings of Paul, she addresses church history, the logic of the cross, spiritual gifts, death, afterlife and the resurrection, human sexuality, and the joys and challenges of living in community. Participants will learn to look at 1 Corinthians from a variety of viewpoints and apply its lessons to their own faith.Additional components for a six-week study include a DVD featuring Jaime Clark-Soles and a comprehensive Leader Guide.
PREACHINGPowell provides a startling study of how differently the pastor and the congregation interpret Scripture, how this difference affects what…
the congregation hears in the sermon, and how to bridge this gap with equally startling practical steps.This remarkably fascinating book reveals how significant social location—such as age, gender, nationality, race, and education—is when interpreting the Bible. Illustrated with two studies, Mark Allan Powell demonstrates how this plays out most dramatically in the gulf, often quite wide, between the preacher and the congregation.Every preacher who reads this book will appreciate as never before the significance of social differences in the reception of his or her sermon, will see the unmistakable need to bridge this gap, and will receive clear instruction on how to do just that.
Will Willimon is widely acclaimed as one of the top ten preachers in the world. For each Sunday of the…
Christian year, Will provides just what you need to begin the journey toward a sermon. This guide will stoke, fund, and fuel your imagination while leaving plenty of room to insert your own illustrations, make connections within your congregational context, and speak the Word in your distinctive voice. Guidance from Will Willimon is like sitting down with a trusted clergy friend and asking, "What will you preach next Sunday?" Year C Part 1 is part of a six-volume set that includes years A, B, and C (2 volumes per year) in the Revised Common Lectionary.Each week of sermon resources includes:1. Readings 2. Theme title3. Introduction to the Readings4. Encountering the Text5. Proclaiming the Text6. Relating the Text
Luke Timothy Johnson begins his study of the practical issue of how decisions are made in the church by admitting…
to a bias: that there ought to be a connection between what the church claims to be, and how it does things. Because the church claims to be a community of faith, it does not reach decisions simply on the basis of good management policy, or the analysis of market trends, or efficiency, or even ideological consistency, but in response to God's activity in the world that presses upon us and urges us to decision. Faced with how to respond to God's leading, the church decides what to do on the basis of two realities: Scripture and discernment. Because it calls the church into being Scripture is the fundamental authority in the church's life. Yet it is not enough for a congregation simply to turn to the Bible when a decision must be reached, for Scripture does not directly address all issues which face the church today, and those it does often reflect greatly differing historical and social contexts than our own. Thus, added to the authority of Scripture in the church's decision making is a process of discernment, in which the members of the community--under the guidance of the Holy Spirit--recall how God has worked in their lives as individuals and as a community and discern together God's direction for the future. Johnson argues that this very pattern of decision making can be found in Scripture itself, notably in one of the central events of the book of Acts. Beginning with the conversion of Cornelius and culminating in the Apostolic Council of Acts 15, we see how a string of smaller narratives combine to tell the story of God's movement within their midst, and how this narrative became the basis for the reinterpretation of Scripture and the inclusion of Gentiles into the fellowship of the church. Looking at a number of thorny issues facing the contemporary church, Johnson demonstrates how the interaction of Scripture and discernment can and must become the basis for how we respond to the decisions with which the church wrestles today.
Winter is the coldest time of the year. The days are shorter, and the nights are longer. Deciduous trees are…
bare of leaves, and some animals hibernate. Christmas is celebrated, one year comes to an end, and a new year begins. In The Stillness of Winter, nationally known journalist and author Barbara Mahany unfurls month by month the winter season exploring the natural world to find the holy within and the holy all around during this sacred season. Expanding on content from Barbara’s book Slowing Time, this beautiful two-color gift book is part almanac, scrapbook, field notes, and recipe box, showing readers how to experience the winter world around them with joy and curiosity. A spiritual guide to the winter season. Features short entries for daily reading. Hardcover gift book with 2-color interior and ribbon.
Guidance, inspiration, and practical tools to deepen your relationship with God. To increase your faith, love, and commitment to God,…
you must: know your own story, pray deeply, simplify your desires, face your challenges, and expand your understanding through learning and service to others. Practicing these five steps, as described by John Savage, will help you face difficult times and find meaning in your life journey.In this book, Dr. John Savage also provides reproducible pages to help you develop your personal spiritual development plan.
God Is With Us, originally published in 2016, invites you to explore your longing for God's presence through a study…
of the lectionary Bible readings for Advent and Christmas. The hope of Advent is the fulfillment of that longing; we await the coming of Jesus as Immanuel, God With Us. Each week's Scriptures call us to praise God as we actively await the coming of Christ and prepare our hearts and lives for his arrival. Through the readings, we hear the invitation to claim and celebrate the new hope we have in Jesus Christ.The season of Advent offers opportunities to prepare for God’s coming in human form in the infant Jesus and for the fulfillment of God’s kingdom with the second coming of Christ. Hope is the focus of Advent worship, study, and prayer. We will discover the light that began in the manger, which continues as we look forward with hope to Christ's return.God Is With Us is based on the Revised Common Lectionary Scriptures for church year A, the first of a three-year cycle of Bible readings. The study includes commentary and reflection on readings from the Old Testament, the Gospels, and the Epistles. It offers the opportunity to explore these Bible readings in a five-session study. It will help participants understand, appreciate, and engage in meaningful and joyous celebrations of Advent and Christmas and to live each day in God's hope through Jesus Christ.
For anyone who’s ever felt put down, unsure, underestimated, or overlooked, these biblical stories encourage you to recognize your own…
power and potential to be bold.From the "thin slice of life" where she grew up with her family in Appalachia to success as pastor of a large church, Rachel Billups’s life stories show strength and grace even in the midst of doubt and wondering. With her brand of fierce she worked through years of school to become an accomplished pastor and mother of four. She took nothing lying down and found that being bold was the only way to be alive. In Be Bold, she weaves her stories into the lives of biblical characters. You will find redemption and insight in Sarah’s story, inspiration in Mary’s call, and ministry and community in Paul’s letter to Timothy. For anyone who hopes to find the fierce in their own lives, Billups’s work leads the way. In both her personal experience and her telling of Bible stories, Billups shows how being bold can bring you closer to God and God’s plan for your life.Product Features: Readers will learn to identify their own personal sources of strength. Offers key insights into biblical stories of strength through the author’s stories of growth and hope.
re:MIX: Transitioning Your Church to Living Color is a practical guidefor pastors, denominational leaders, and lay leaders who are seeking…
totransition their monoethnic congregations into healthy multiethnicchurches of Christ-centered faith. The book is theologically sound,cross-culturally relevant, and based on field research. It providestransferrable lessons and practices that are applicable in a variety oflocal church and denominational contexts. Authors Mark DeYmazand Bob Whitesel demonstrate that such transitions are not just timelyor optional. Indeed, these biblically grounded transitions are necessaryfor churches pursuing growth and health in an increasingly diversesociety. By becoming a church of living color, existing or decliningchurches present a more credible witness of God’s love for all peopleand can achieve renewed significance and sustainability.re:MIXis full of instructive, immediately useful information in a clear andeasy-to-use format and includes sidebar stories from church leaders in avariety of denominations who have transitioned their congregations toliving color."Wow! Thisis the practical tool for the church that I have been waiting for.Pentecost didn’t occur until the diversity of ‘every nation underheaven’ was present. This book will become recommended reading for allof my seminary students."—Mike Slaughter, pastor, author, speaker, and activist
Engaging worship and intentional follow-up processes are important, but what compels guests to return to our churches is the warmth…
of our welcome and hospitality that goes beyond their expectations.The Art of Hospitality, a new comprehensive program developed by hospitality experts from the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection, promises to guide a local church in exactly what the program’s title implies: the artform of creating radical hospitality that infiltrates the heart and culture of the entire church. Complete with techniques and strategic planning throughout, The Art of Hospitality will effectively change how you do church, leaving guests surprised, delighted, and eager to return.Loaded with key principles and methods honed by hospitality experts Debi Nixon and Yvonne Gentile in their work at The Church of the Resurrection, this guide is designed to engage staff across all ministry areas in creating a common language around the ministry of welcome.Additional components purchased separately include:The Art of Hospitality: Implementation Guide: Includes step-by-step implementation strategies for leadership teams tasked with developing and leading hospitality ministry.The Art of Hospitality: Implementation DVD: A supplemental DVD to accompany Implementation with visual training in all areas of hospitality.The Art of Hospitality: Companion Book: Three-chapter book for the congregation as a whole or small groups to coincide with a sermon series in order to prepare the hearts and minds of the people in the pews.This compelling and practical program has been created by two hospitality leaders with credentials to claim their expertise: Debi Nixon is the Executive Director of ShareChurch, and Yvonne Gentile is the Senior Director of Guest Connections at The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection—the largest United Methodist Church in the United States with more than 22,000 members and 13,000 average weekly attendees across its campuses.
During the tumultuous era of World War II, the city of London shattered under unrelenting bombs dropped by Nazi Germany.…
Millions of buildings were destroyed or damaged, tens of thousands of civilians were killed, and survivors were left to ask: How can this destruction be part of God’s plan? What is God’s will in all of this?After City Temple in London was reduced to rubble, Rev. Leslie Weatherhead crafted five sermons on understanding the will of God to help his congregation endure religious doubt as their city—and church—crumbled around them. Weatherhead’s sermons were eventually published as The Will of God, a resource that has sold more than a million copies and has been a lifeline for grieving persons seeking to understand God’s purpose for their pain. This revised edition of the classic book includes background information and photos of the historical setting that inspired this book, and a new cover and layout to refresh a timeless message—both for new readers and returning fans.
Cynthia and Roger Hopson are on a mission to help newlyweds and not so newlyweds revitalize marriage as the treasure…
God intended. In each of the thirty-one reflections in I Do...Every Day, the Hopsons offer straight talk, ask questions that may cause a little blushing (don't worry, nothing X-rated), and tell stories that will touch readers where they live, inspiring them to be equal partners, friends, and lovers. It is for anyone who has ever said "I do," "I will," or "I messed up" and even those who are getting ready to walk down the aisle.
The demands of congregational ministry are many, the rewards sometimes seem few, and burnout becomes a real possibility. Small wonder,…
then, that churches become stuck in a state of arrested spiritual development. When the pastor is functioning in a survival or maintenance mode, the church's vitality is often the first casualty. Yet Wills's own experience demonstrates that churches can turn around; the wind of the Spirit can be felt anew. This happens when the congregation is infected by the vision of what God is doing in their midst--a vision which the leaders, particularly the pastor, must bring before them. In Waking to God's Dream, Richard Wills shares the spiritual disciplines and insights which he believes account for the transformation of the congregation he serves from a large church in decline to one that is growing and reaching out to its community in a variety of creative ministries. Detailing the steps and initiatives that led to this turnaround, Wills demonstrates how personal commitment on the part of the congregation's leaders and ministers have been the key to the work they have accomplished.
How do we walk with Christ—daily follow him, grow in him, and faithfully serve him?In the Gospels, Jesus modeled for…
us the Christian spiritual life. The apostles taught it in their writings. And the Church has, through the last 2,000 years, sought to pursue this Christian spiritual life. In The Walk, Adam Hamilton focuses on five essential spiritual practices that are rooted in Jesus’ own walk with God and taught throughout the New Testament. Each of these practices is intended as part of our daily walk with Christ while also being an essential part of growing together in the church.In each chapter, Hamilton explores one of these practices, its New Testament foundation, and what it looks like to pursue this practice daily in our personal life and together in the life of the church. Deepen your walk with Christ as we explore the five essential practices of worship, study, serving, giving, and bearing witness to our faith.This Youth Study Book takes the ideas presented in Adam Hamilton’s book and interprets them for young people grades 6-12.
The first months and years of motherhood can be the most challenging and disorienting of your life—and faith. When you’re…
surrounded by the happy chaos of children, how do you spend quiet time with God if the only quiet time you get is while you sleep? How can you demonstrate a solid spiritual life to your children if you don’t have time to pursue one yourself?When Julia Roller discovered that her spiritual growth had been stunted by the busyness of life with her toddler, she embarked on a yearlong journey through ten spiritual disciplines: prayer, fellowship, submission, study, simplicity, silence, worship, fasting, service, and celebration. As she focused on each discipline, she discovered practical ways to observe them—even in the chaos of her every day.Mom Seeks God offers a highly relatable story and useful advice to help new moms grow in their faith as they address life changes with grace, patience, and prayer. As readers discover ten essential faith practices, they’ll learn that motherhood, itself, is a spiritual discipline, and may be God’s most effective technique for forming a more Christ-like life.
Few biblical books so widely and deeply resonate with spiritual pilgrims as the Psalms. Rich in powerful and evocative imagery,…
reflecting timeless human emotions and experiences ranging from the depths of despair to the highest joy, these ancient writings affirm the eternal truths that God is present, God loves, God cares, and God saves. From the heartfelt cries of individuals and the story of the Israelite nation woven throughout, contemporary readers join the psalmists in seeking and finding the God of hope, comfort, strength, protection, and renewal. Following an introduction, this book guides readers on a year-long journey through the Psalms, offering a personal study/reading for each week. Each reading carefully unpacks the psalm, highlights its key insights, and closes with a reflection and a prayer.
Celebrate the 10th Anniversary of Adam Hamilton’s classic, The Journey.Since 2011, tens of thousands of churches and small groups have…
turned Adam Hamilton’s best-selling book on the birth of Christ into a classic that’s read each year. In The Journey, Adam Hamilton travels from Nazareth to Bethlehem in a fascinating look at the birth of Jesus Christ. As he did with Jesus' crucifixion in 24 Hours That Changed the World, Hamilton once again approaches a world-changing event with thoughtfulness. Using historical information, archaeological data, and a personal look at some of the stories surrounding the birth, the most amazing moment in history will become more real and heart-felt as you walk along this road.This 64-page Leader Guide contains everything needed to guide your group through the 5-session DVD study, The Journey: Walking the Road to Bethlehem. Inside you’ll find session plans, discussion questions, as well as multiple format options and suggestions of ways to make the study a meaningful experience for any group. Read The Journey on your own or, for a more in-depth study, enjoy it with a small group utilizing the Leader, DVD featuring Adam on-site in the Holy Land, and resources for youth and children.
Home for Christmas brings inspiring stories of hope and second chances into the Advent season. Author and pastor Justin Coleman…
matches real life stories of struggle and triumph to the Advent themes of hope, love, joy, and peace to show how the light of Christmas shines brightly even in hard times. Each chapter lifts up a scripture reflection alongside tales of men and women who reflect on the Advent themes with love and longing. Throughout each of the four chapters and the accompanying DVD for a small-group experience, Coleman captures the stories of formerly incarcerated men and women as they find work and opportunity through Homeboy Industries in Los Angeles, California. These men and women share their holiday memories and experiences in light of the hope and new life they’ve experienced at Homeboy. Forward by Father Gregory Boyle. Additional components for this four-week study include a comprehensive Leader Guide and a DVD featuring author and pastor Justin Coleman.
Hope is central to our identity as Christians. Just as our bodies need food, our souls need hope, and the…
supreme hope is found in a relationship with Jesus Christ. How does that relationship become real to us? In this book and 4-week study, readers are guided on a formative path of understanding who God is and who they are as God’s children. Citizens of Hope is part of The Basics Series. An invitation into a more faithful and profound understanding of Christian hope. An excellent resource for small groups, Sunday school, individual meditation, and both new and maturing disciples of Jesus. —Janice Riggle Huie, Bishop of the Texas Conference of The United Methodist Church A hope-filled description of what it means to be followers of Jesus Christ and a reminder of how God is at work in every aspect of our Christian journey. I commend this book to individuals and groups seeking to know how to walk as a citizen of hope in our Twenty-first-century world.—Amy Valdez Barker, Executive Secretary, Connectional Table of The United Methodist Church
This book is a history of Christianity from its earliest beginnings to the end of the twentieth century. The book…
provides students with an introduction to the many persons, places, movements, and events necessary for the telling of our story, the story of the Church. This history of Christianity is told in its essentials, simply and straightforwardly for students with little or no experience in the academic study of religion. It is a story told within the complex contexts of larger world events and world cultures, but defined and simplified by attention to those developments which have proven most influential for the past and present shaping of Church thought and practice. The book is a comprehensive and definitive introduction to the history of Christianity. It provides students with the necessary outline and description of the broad sweep of movements and periods in this history, but it also pauses at important points to provide details about the lives of Christians as lived at various times and in various locations. This story is told in easy-to-understand prose and with illustrative photographs, maps and charts.