Vous pourriez constater un retard dans la livraison d'articles en formats ZIP et Téléchargement direct le 26 juin de 21h30 à 22h30 HAE en raison de travaux d'entretien. Les site web demeura disponible et vos articles seront livrés dès que possible. Nous nous excusons de tout inconvénient.
Articles 1493161 à 1493180 sur 1499085
A look at what both our successes and failures in preaching can tell us about how to craft better sermons.…
Paul Wilson has long been one of the most important figures among those who seek a richer and more complete understanding of what preaching is, and how it might be made better. In this new book he draws on his broad and deep work in homiletics to show preachers how to craft a variety of types of sermons. How do you preach from the Old Testament? What are the particular needs and challenges of preaching the Good Friday, and then the Easter, sermon? What do you do when you want to address contemporary events? Recognizing that all sermons are in some ways "broken words," he includes in each chapter an illustrative sermon, some of which work well, yet others of which don't. If you stand in the pulpit long, he reminds us, you're going to preach your share of both. You would do well to learn, then, how either kind of sermon--the ones you're proud of and the ones you want to forget--can provide ample opportunities to learn how to be a more effective and faithful preacher of the gospel. Readers will learn how to vary the sources, styles, and substance of their sermons. Key Benefits: Will empower the reader to move outside their comfort zone in preaching, thus engaging the broader possibilities for preaching; Will help the reader to learn how to assess both their strong and weak sermons, and learn from each.
James W. MooreParables slip up on us. They flip our values. They turn our world upside down. They surprise us.…
This is the great thing about the parables of Jesus: They are always relevant and always personal. They speak eloquently to you and me, here and now. In this book, we will examine some of Jesus’ thought-provoking parables, parables about priorities, to see if we can find ourselves and God’s truth for us in these magnificent “truth-stories.” They are, after all, truth-stories from the mind of Jesus that can change our lives as they proclaim God’s truth for you and me.—adapted from the introductionEach of the six chapters features a key passage of Scripture and is centered on a theme from one of Jesus’ parables, includingThe Priority of LoveThe Priority of GraceThe Priority of Being PreparedThe Priority of CourageThe Priority of ForgivenessThe Priority of Strong FoundationsJAMES W. MOORE, popular speaker and preacher, is the author of Yes, Lord, I Have Sinned, but I Have Several Excellent Excuses; God Was Here and I Was Out to Lunch; When Grief Breaks Your Heart; There’s a Hole in Your Soul That Only God Can Fill; and many other books. He and his wife, June, live in Fairview, Texas.
Christian communities, with a few exceptions, consider the canon of Scripture closed. There’s no process for adding or removing books…
from our Bibles. Even so, we end up creating our own canons, whether intentionally or unintentionally. There are certain texts that come up frequently in worship or in the youth room or in the children's Sunday school wing. And there are certain texts that we never read in worship or Sunday school. Perplexing Scriptures examines some of these passages. This study may raise more questions than it answers; but as you work through each session, you will begin to see how God’s love and grace are at work, even in the most troubling texts. Converge Bible Studies is a series of topical Bible studies based on the Common English Bible. Each title in the series consists of four studies on a common topic or theme. Converge can be used by small groups, classes, or individuals. Primary Scripture passages are included for ease of study, as are questions designed to encourage both personal reflection and group conversation. The topics and Scriptures in Converge come together to transform readers’ relationships with others, themselves, and God.
This pocket sized book is a beautiful collection of Scripture verses offering comfort and hope to anyone who is experiencing…
a time of loss or discouragement. Over 150 promises from the Word of God are conveniently organized into seven categories for quick and easy searching: Assurance Comfort Encouragement Faith Hope Love Peace These encouraging Scriptures will strengthen and sustain those who have lost a loved one or suffered some other kind of loss or personal difficulty, reminding them of the steadfast love and faithfulness of God. A perfect gift for anyone who is grieving or struggling with discouragement.
Far from the conventional parenting book, Know When to Hold 'Em will encourage readers as they see parenting and fatherhood…
through a new lens--that of adventurer, risk-taker. Blase moves into new territory to invite fathers and parents to look at the risk and challenge--and great rewards of parenting--as he invites readers into his imperfect, yet loveable homeWritten with the raw prose of one who is there, smack dab in the middle of possibly the greatest challenge of a person’s life, Blase says, “What I’ve seen so far has convinced me that being a father is a lot like gambling--fatherhood is a risk-tasking ventureFeaturing an intensely personal voice and filtered through a brass-knuckled optimism, this book offers what very few books on parenting do--the real, true, raw reality and joys of fatherhood.
Music and Theology will be a volume in the Horizons in Theology series. It will offer a relatively brief but…
highly engaging essay on the major concerns and questions regarding Music as it intersects with theology—past and present. Don Saliers is a senior scholar in this field, one who is able to address in a clear and concise style the scope and contours of this question as it relates to theological inquiry and application. He will sketch the nature and significance of the subject, the history of reflection, the current lines of inquiry, and his own contribution to the discussion. The scope of the essays cannot be exhaustive and completely interdisciplinary. Instead, Saliers will open the broader lines of discussion in suggestive, evocative, and programmatic ways. The Horizons in Theology serve as supplements and secondary required texts in colleges and seminaries, as well as the interested nonspecialist reader.
The current trend in church leadership involves looking for a highly gifted leader who will take over, direct the future,…
cast a vision, and attract the faithful to a new mission or purpose. This desire for a leader to come to the rescue is eerily reminiscenet of the desire of the Israelites for a king, so they could "be like every other nation." In spite of Samuel's warnings, the people insisted, so God reluctantly gave them King Saul. That didn't go so well.While we always need good, new, and talented leaders, we also need leaders who know how and when to be good followers. Particularly in a culture of distrust, leadership must be granted, earned, and supported by those who are willing to follow. Leading begins with the counter-intuitive command: "Come, follow me."This imperative is far from easy. Many turned away from Jesus, unable to follow. However, one excellent model of "followership" stood out from the rest - the little-known disciple Andrew. In fact, Andrew is the model and paradigm for being a Lead Follower.Excellent Christian leadership is more about following Jesus than it is about learning the latest fads or tricks from business, the marketplace, or the academy. Being an excellent Christian leader involves first and foremost being an excellent and faithful follower of Jesus Christ.
Retrace the life of Moses from his modest birth and rescue as a baby to the courts of Pharaoh, from…
herding flocks in Midian to leading his people out of Egypt.Join Adam Hamilton as he travels from Egypt to Mt. Sinai, the Nile, the Red Sea and the wilderness exploring the sites of Moses' life. Using historical information, archaeological data, and biblical text, Hamilton guides us in the footsteps of this reluctant prophet who grew in his relationship with God and by the end of life had successfully fulfilled the role he was given.Turn your own reluctance into boldness as you examine the significant challenges facing Moses and how God shaped his character and life in powerful ways.Additional components for a six-week study include a comprehensive Leader Guide and a DVD featuring author and pastor Adam Hamilton. For a church-wide study, youth and children resources are also available.
“Those who trust in their riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf.”—Proverbs 11:28 This little-known…
Proverb holds a profound statement for living a life that matters. When the accumulation of possessions becomes our driving force, we will not thrive. Yet when we make a unique contribution to society, we will grow, both as an individual and as a community at large. Thrive offers practical principles for living that will guide you to fulfill the life God has planned for you. Like a mentor walking alongside a friend, author Lisa H. Toney helps you celebrate your unique and God-given role and then encourages you to live life to the fullest. Life should not just happen to you. Thrive provides resources to shape your life for fulfillment and contribution to our planet.
The Apostolic Fathers is a collection of early Christian writings from the late first and early second centuries, traditionally considered…
to have been written by those connected with the Apostles, and therefore reflecting authentic Apostolic teaching. These writings include 1 Clement, 2 Clement, Ignatius, Polycarp, Didache, Barnabas, Papias, Hermas, Martyrdom of Polycarp, Diognetus, and Quadratus. Considering their historical context, the Apostolic Fathers bear directly on the study of the New Testament, the development of the early Church, and the history of Christian theology.The Apostolic Fathers: An Essential Guide will explain the nature of the collected writings as they stand between the world of the New Testament and later Christian writers, focusing upon what the texts say about ancient Christian thinkers, early church developments, and the evolution of theological ideas prior to the great ecumenical councils.Chapter Outline:*Chapter 1: The Collected Writings*Chapter 2: People and Places*Chapter 3: Connections to Scripture*Chapter 4: Theological Ideas*Chapter 5: Structures of the Ancient Church *Chapter 6: Roots of the Patristic TraditionHere is a long awaited volume that treats in a concise and readable format a body of literature too often neglected, but absolutely essential to our understanding of Christian origins. Clayton Jefford brings unrivaled expertise to this task and serves as a sensitive and insightful guide to these texts, offering an introduction that will serve the needs of the beginning student and the seasoned expert alike. It is sure to be at the top of the reading list for anyone interested in this important topic. Stephen J. PattersonEden Theological SeminarySt. Louis"The author’s goal—a simple and sensible first introduction to the ideas and beliefs of the Apostolic Fathers—is fully realized as he organizes his survey of these intriguing ancient Christian writers according to topics—including scripture, theology, and church structure—of continuing contemporary interest. A reliable guide for students and study groups."Michael HolmesBethel UniversitySt. Paul, MinnesotaClayton N. Jefford is Professor of Scripture at Saint Meinrad School of Theolgy and is the Secretary-Treasurer of the North American Patristics Society. He has written and edited six volumes and is best known for his research in the fields of the Didache and the Apostolic Fathers.
Study the entire Book of John, beginning with the Good News and ending with the victory of Christ and his…
call. Some of the major ideas explored are: a new day in religion, what does it mean for me to live on the bread of life, the resurrection and the life, "My peace I give to you," and searching for Jesus. More than 3.5 million copies of the series have been sold.This revision of the Abingdon classic Genesis to Revelation Series is a comprehensive, verse-by-verse, book-by-book study of the Bible based on the NIV. These studies help readers strengthen their understanding and appreciation of the Bible by enabling them to engage the Scripture on three levels: What does the Bible say? Questions to consider while reading the passage for each session. What does the passage mean? Unpacks key verses in the selected passage. How does the Scripture relate to my life? Provides three major ideas that have meaning for our lives today. The meaning of the selected passages are made clear by considering such aspects as ancient customs, locations of places, and the meanings of words.The meaning of the selected passages are made clear by considering such aspects as ancient customs, locations of places, and the meanings of words. The simple format makes the study easy to use. Includes maps and glossary with key pronunciation helps.Updates will include: New cover designs. New interior designs. Leader Guide per matching Participant Book (rather than multiple volumes in one book). Updated to 2011 revision of the New International Version Translation (NIV). Updated references to New Interpreters Dictionary of the Bible. Include biblical chapters on the contents page beside session lesson titles for at-a-glance overview of biblical structure. Include larger divisions within the contents page to reflect macro-structure of each biblical book. Ex: Genesis 1-11; Genesis 12-50; Exodus 1-15; Exodus 16-40; Isaiah 1-39; Isaiah 40-66.The simple format makes the study easy to use. Each volume is 13 sessions and has a separate leader guide.
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