Leaders administrate the new program, and members go on a raid. But picture a church where evangelism is just part of the culture. Leaders share their faith consistently and openly. Members follow, encouraging one another to make evangelism an ongoing way of life.Such is the way of evangelism presented by this brief and compelling book. No program here. Instead, it just might give your church a new way to live and share the gospel together.

    Part of the 9Marks Building Healthy Churches series.

    But this message also creates human beauty--beautiful relationships in our churches, making the glory of Christ visible in the world today.In this timely book, Pastor Ray Ortlund makes the case that gospel doctrine creates a gospel culture. In too many of our churches, it is the beauty of a gospel culture that is the missing piece of the puzzle. But when the gospel is allowed to exert its full power, a church becomes radiant with the glory of Christ.

    What makes for good preaching?In this accessible volume--written for preachers and preachers in training--pastor David Helm outlines what must be believed and accomplished to become a faithful expositor of God's Word.In addition to offering practical, step-by-step guidance for preachers, this short book will equip all of us to recognize good preaching when we hear it.

    In the culture of today’s church, successful leadership is often judged by what works, while persistent faithfulness takes a back seat. If a ministry doesn’t produce results, it is dropped. If people don’t respond, we move on. This pursuit of “greatness” exerts a crushing pressure on the local church and creates a consuming anxiety in its leaders. In their pursuit of this warped vision of greatness, church leaders end up embracing a leadership narrative that runs counter to the sacrificial call of the gospel story.When church leaders focus on faithfulness to God and the gospel, however, it’s always a kingdom-win—regardless of the visible results of their ministry. John the Baptist modeled this kind of leadership. As John’s disciples crossed the Jordan River to follow after Jesus, John freely released them to a greater calling than following him. Speaking of Jesus, John said: “He must increase, but I must decrease.” Joyfully satisfied to have been faithful to his calling, John knew that the size and scope of his ministry would be determined by the will of the Father, not his own will. Following the example of John the Baptist and with a careful look at the teaching of Scripture, Tim Suttle dares church leaders to risk failure by chasing the vision God has given them—no matter how small it might seem—instead of pursuing the broad path of pragmatism that leads to fame and numerical success.

    Walking through the official Catechism of the Catholic Church, Allison summarizes and assesses Catholic doctrine from the perspective of both Scripture and evangelical theology.Noting prominent similarities without glossing over key differences, this book will equip Christians on both sides of the ecclesiastical divide to fruitfully engage in honest dialogue with one another.

    Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892), while only twenty-one years old, edited his Baptist Catechism for his own congregation and introduced it during a sermon entitled, "A Glorious Habitation." This book contains his 82 questions and answers, as well as the sermon which launched his timeless catechism.

    In this book, trusted Dallas Seminary professors present a concise systematic theology that distills the essential spiritual truths in a way that makes sense to readers--students, lay people, and pastors. Here are introductions, overviews, and reviews of key tenets of orthodox protestant evangelical doctrines. The book also includes an annotated list of key applicable Bible texts, a quick-paced story of doctrine throughout church history, heresies or distortions to be aware of, and more.Exploring Christian Theology is useful for discipleship, catechism, membership training, preview or review of doctrine, or quick personal reference. It can also be used by ministry training programs, Bible colleges, or seminaries as an introductory primer to orient students in preparation for a more in-depth study of theology.

    But if you think that Jesus might have something to say to today’s world, which Jesus comes to mind? Is he “gentle Jesus, meek and mild,” offering individual salvation but with no message for a suffering world? Is he to be remembered as a Zealot fighting for a hopeless cause or as an outstanding rabbi? Was he a prophet in the long series of Israel’s prophets or a religious founder like Muhammad or Gautama? Or was Jesus unique, a man utterly consumed by zeal for the reign of God, by the “fierce urgency of now,” the leader of a movement dedicated to God’s cause but committed to nonviolence and living for others? If we seek him, can we find him in the churches? In No Irrelevant Jesus, Gerhard Lohfink, author of the acclaimed Jesus of Nazareth, explores these questions and offers a resounding yes to the relevance of Jesus today.

    These are very down to earth questions that concern power and the collective frameworks of belief and action governing our daily lives.This book is an introduction to the history, theory, and application of Christian metaphysics. Yet this book is not just an introduction, it is also a passionately argued call for a profound change in the contemporary Christian mind. Paul Tyson argues that as Western culture's Christian Platonist understanding of reality was replaced by modern pragmatic realism, we turned not just from one outlook on reality to another, but away from reality itself. This book seeks to show that if we can recover this ancient Christian outlook on reality, reframed for our day, then we will be able to recover a way of life that is in harmony with human and divine truth.

    As you enter the sanctuary, you notice them at once. Then, as you take your seat next to a family, they are right there beside you. Throughout the ensuing service, you see them--and hear them. The presence of children in public worship is not only striking, but also increasingly strange in modern American church life. In fact, the idea of your children sitting or standing next to you during prayer, singing, or the pastor's sermon can be downright scary. This book is based in the conviction that public worship is the nursery of the Holy Spirit and that bringing children in is both beneficial and a blessing. The Nursery of the Holy Spirit offers practical advice on how to make this ideal a reality in your children's lives. ""This is a timely book. While statistics suggest that many young adults are leaving the church, Danny Hyde contends that maybe we were unwelcoming to our children in the first place. He encourages parents to consider our children's relationship with the church and questions the common practice of separating them from our worship service. This practical book challenges us to evaluate what 'children friendly' really means with solid biblical exhortation."" --Aimee Byrd, author of Housewife Theologian ""We cannot take for granted anymore that churches, both Reformed and evangelical, keep their children in the sanctuary during the worship service. Danny Hyde has provided a thoughtful pastoral book that addresses this very issue. And for those already convinced that our covenant children should remain in the sanctuary worshiping the triune God, this book will provide further food for thought on why this practice is so important and should continue if we are to be faithful to our children and God's word."" --Mark Jones, pastor, Faith Presbyterian Church, Vancouver, BC ""Danny Hyde's love for children and his concern for their spiritual welfare shines through every page of this book. He combines rich biblical instruction with helpful practical advice in his passion to see the worship of God enriched by our children and our children enriched by God's worship."" --David Murray, Professor of Old Testament and Pastoral Theology, Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary, Grand Rapids, MI ""In this slim volume, Pastor Hyde gently calls upon Christian parents and churches to place their children in 'the nursery of the Holy Spirit.' This helpful volume also offers practical ways in which moms and dads may 'parent in the pew.' I am grateful for this book and plan to get it into the hands of the parents and ministry leaders in my church."" --Todd Pruitt, lead pastor, Covenant Presbyterian Church, Harrisonburg, VA ""Many reasons are given for why children drift away from the church, but perhaps the most important--and least discussed--is the fact that parents do not teach them that church is important. And basic to that is making sure children are in the worship service and understand what is happening. Danny's little book will be a great help to parents and pastors as they reflect on how better to encourage little children to come to Christ."" --Carl R. Trueman, pastor, Cornerstone Presbyterian Church, Ambler, PA Daniel R. Hyde (ThM, Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary) is the pastor of the Oceanside United Reformed Church in Carlsbad-Oceanside, CA. He is also the author of God in Our Midst, Welcome to a Reformed Church, Why Believe in God?, and Jesus Loves the Little Children. In addition, he serves as Adjunct Instructor of Systematic Theology and Missions at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary and is a member of the Advisory Council to Word and Deed Ministries.

    The Back to Jerusalem vision is not merely a call to the Chinese church; Western believers of this age should also share a part in it." Brother Yun, the "Heavenly Man" The Chinese house church is one of the most misunderstood and controversial subjects in Christian world missions today. Many questions about it abound, such as...How did it start? How does it work? How is it led? Why does it continue to experience revival? Is it necessary, now that China has extended religious freedoms? Much of the confusion is caused by the Chinese government, which deceives journalists and foreign missionaries with promises of religious freedom that are never kept. The truth is, the house churches of China are growing at a phenomenal rate. Never in the history of the world have so many people in such a short time left one belief system for another without a hostile revolution. Lives in China are being transformed daily by the gospel of Jesus Christ and the display of His miraculous power. The Underground Church demystifies the Chinese house church movement, with real-life examples and personal testimonies from Chinese Christians. The movement's unique characteristics, both good and bad, are addressed; as well as how they have led to the church's astonishing growth. Be amazed at what God is doing in China!

    Tongues-speaking is perhaps its most recognizable and controversial feature. In this book Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr., analyzes biblical tongues-speaking by investigating four questions: (1) What was the structural form of tongues? (2) What was the specific content of tongues? (3) What was the purpose of tongues? (4) How long were tongues intended to last? The author demonstrates from Scripture that tongues were a miraculous endowment whereby the gifted recipient could speak in a human language he had never studied and that they involved inspired revelation from God. He shows that tongues were given as a temporary feature of the period of overlap between the old covenant and the new covenant and that they were a sign of the coming destruction of the old covenant temple in Jerusalem. Tongues were intended only for that first century period.

    Is this message really a set of timeless truths with universal application? Or have we injected Jesus’ message with our own values?The Suburban Captivity of the Church calls us to venture beyond the picket fence and engage with the cultural narratives around us, to see how God’s big story meets them with both challenge and hope. Whether we are reaching a new culture, or trying to bring the gospel to our own in a more biblically faithful way, this book will equip us for the task.

    The authors believe in transcendent, absolute principles of truth, goodness, and beauty; they are confident that such principles are knowable; and they are determined to align themselves and their ministries to those principles in our pursuit of the whole counsel of God. They also pledge to conserve those institutions and forms that best reflect a recognition and respect for this transcendent order.The authors offer this document out of a deep love for Christ, his gospel, his inerrant Word, and his church, and from a humble desire to help churches conserve and nourish historic, biblical Christianity by affirming the teachings of the Bible concerning truth, goodness, beauty, and rightly ordered affections in life and ministry.

    This book is a collection of texts which all demonstrate Archimandrite Sophrony's profound conviction that true life is based on true doctrine.Part 1: On the Unity of the Church in the Image of the Holy TrinityPart 2: The Principles of Orthodox AsceticismPart 3: On the Necessity of the Three Renunciations in St John Cassian and St John ClimacusPart 4: The Light of TaborIncludes an index of scriptural references.

    The author's intention is to propose an overview of this mystery in connection with the entirety of the Christian mystery. The book is divided into two major parts, the first presenting the foundations in the Bible and the tradition up to our day, and the second being an explanatory proposal introducing the reader to the Church's definition and personality and concluding with an exposition of the four properties enunciated in the Creed (one, holy, catholic, and apostolic). The value of this way of proceeding is first and foremost in the proposal of a synthesis that allows one to situate each question in its rightful place, such study being oriented toward a better overall grasp of the subject. As the title suggests, the book is an introduction that should allow the reader to apprehend the mystery in its internal coherence in order subsequently, with the aid of other texts, to be able to enter more deeply into the study of one or other specific point. While this ecclesiology treatise is written from a Catholic point of view, an ecumenical perspective is often present, either through the presentation of divergent views from other Christian confessions or through the proposal for a theological convergence.