Book picks similar to
Handbook for Deacons by J.D. O'Donnell


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Live Not by Lies: A Manual for Christian Dissidents


Rod Dreher - 2020
    Identity politics are beginning to encroach on every aspect of life. Civil liberties are increasingly seen as a threat to "safety". Progressives marginalize conservative, traditional Christians, and other dissenters. Technology and consumerism hasten the possibility of a corporate surveillance state. And the pandemic, having put millions out of work, leaves our country especially vulnerable to demagogic manipulation.In Live Not By Lies, Dreher amplifies the alarm sounded by the brave men and women who fought totalitarianism. He explains how the totalitarianism facing us today is based less on overt violence and more on psychological manipulation. He tells the stories of modern-day dissidents--clergy, laity, martyrs, and confessors from the Soviet Union and the captive nations of Europe--who offer practical advice for how to identify and resist totalitarianism in our time. Following the model offered by a prophetic World War II-era pastor who prepared believers in his Eastern European to endure the coming of communism, Live Not By Lies teaches American Christians a method for resistance: - SEE: Acknowledge the reality of the situation. - JUDGE: Assess reality in the light of what we as Christians know to be true. - ACT: Take action to protect truth.Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn famously said that one of the biggest mistakes people make is assuming totalitarianism can't happen in their country. Many American Christians are making that mistake today, sleepwalking through the erosion of our freedoms. Live Not By Lies will wake them and equip them for the long resistance.

High Challenge, Low Threat: How the Best Leaders Find the Balance


Mary Myatt - 2016
    It is the quality of these, whatever the size of the organisation, which make the difference between organisations which thrive, and those which stagnate.This is not to argue for soft, easy and comfortable options. Instead it considers how top leaders manage to walk the line between the impossible and the possible, between the undoable and the doable, and to create conditions for productive work which transcend the difficulties which come towards us every day. Instead of dodging them, they embrace them. And by navigating high challenge, low threat, they show how others how to do the same.

Seeing the Unseen


Joe Beam - 1998
    Based on Biblical principles, Seeing the Unseen helps you fight back against the enemy. In today’s world, Satan seems to be everywhere, and he seems to have the advantage. But the enemy is not of this world, and the war is in the spiritual world. Satan is trying to attack you and destroy your faith, and the only way to defeat him is to fight back. In this newly revised and updated bestseller, Joe Beam reveal Satan's powerful weaponry—his lies, deceptions, and manipulations—and unmasks his strategy to destroy your life and those you care for. This book will show you his plans and tactics, and teach you where he is likely to strike next and how to fight him. Based on a dedicated study of God’s word, this book is filled with stories of tragedy and triumph and will give you the tools you need to defeat the enemy.

Birds of Pray: The Story of the Philadelphia Eagles’ Faith, Brotherhood, and Super Bowl Victory


Rob Maaddi - 2018
    1 seed in NFL history to enter the playoffs as an underdog. Their star quarterback was out with a season-ending knee injury. Five-time Super Bowl champions the New England Patriots towered over them. But public opinion didn't matter to the Philadelphia Eagles. They believed in each other. The band of Christian brothers on the team believed in the God of the impossible, and they played for an audience of One.The most extensive book to explore the Christian faith shared by many of the team's players, Birds of Pray details the incredible inside story behind the Eagles' capture of the biggest prize in professional sports: the Vince Lombardi Trophy. Through exclusive interviews with the players, never-before-seen photos, and insider accounts of the miracle season's most memorable moments, Philly native and Associated Press sportswriter Rob Maaddi reveals a side of the team the world has yet to fully witness.From an impromptu baptism in the team's cold tub to weekly Bible studies and pre-game prayers, to the unique friendship between star quarterback Carson Wentz and back-up-then-MVP Nick Foles - the Eagles excel in the unexpected. Birds of Pray follows the deep faith shared among players, the high stakes they faced together, and their relentless reliance on Christ who gives all strength in moments of crisis and celebration alike. The result is a boldly inspiring, entertaining read that will challenge readers to go deeper in their faith, dream bigger, and live with renewed courage for whatever odds life stacks against them.

When and How to Use Mental Health Resources : A Guide for Stephen Ministers, Stephen Leaders and Church Staff


Kenneth C. Haugk - 2000
    This clearly shows "What, When & How" to use all your resources.

Hearers and Doers: A Pastor's Guide to Growing Disciples Through Scripture and Doctrine


Kevin J. Vanhoozer - 2019
    While it can be dry and dull, when it flows from the story of Scripture, it can be full of life and love. This kind of doctrine, steeped in Scripture, is critical for disciple-making. And it's often overlooked by modern pastors.In Hearers and Doers, Kevin Vanhoozer makes the case that pastors, as pastor-theologians, ought to interpret Scripture theologically to articulate doctrine and help cultivate disciples. scriptural doctrine is vital to the life of the church, and local pastor-theologians should be the ones delivering it to their communities.With arresting prose and striking metaphors, Vanhoozer addresses the most pressing problems in the modern church with one answer: teach sound, scriptural doctrine to make disciples.

How Sermons Work


David P. Murray - 2011
    He demonstrates that behind the thirty to forty-five minutes we see and hear on a Sunday morning are many hours of mental, spiritual and practical labour. Like all pastoral labour, it involves head, heart and hand.Murray breaks up the sermon preparation process into a clear and simple stepby-step method, covering topics such as how to choose a text, how to introduce a sermon, how to explain a text, and how to apply it. It will provide an excellent refresher for experienced preachers and a reliable guide for those just starting out. It will also be extremely helpful to Bible class teachers, Bible Study leaders, or anyone who has to prepare a Bible message.Above all, however, it is the author s desire that this book will also be read by those who do not preach. He wants to give non-preachers an insider s look at sermon preparation. By taking readers behind the scenes and asking, How do they do that? Murray wants to supply answers that will increase respect for pastors and their preaching.

The Reflective Life: Becoming More Spiritually Sensitive to the Everday Moments of Life (Reflective Living Series)


Ken Gire - 1998
    How do we, like Mary, create "pauses" in our days to hear what the Savior has to say to us? How do we make time for the things that ultimately matter? Ken Gire unlocks the door to change by introducing us to a centuries-old tradition--reflective living.

The Assistant Principal 50: Critical Questions for Meaningful Leadership and Professional Growth


Baruti K. Kafele - 2020
    Whatever your status--the sole AP in your school, one of two or more APs in your school, a career AP, an AP aspiring to the principalship--yours is one of the most misunderstood and underutilized positions in education. Positioned between teachers and the principal, you are an instructional leader. However, you are not the leader of the school. Therefore, you must carefully navigate your way to ensure that you thrive in your role without "stepping on the toes" of your principal.In The Assistant Principal 50, award-winning, four-time principal Baruti Kafele presents reflective questions that encompass the breadth and depth of the assistant principalship--from finding your leadership "lane" to thriving and being an asset to your principal. Kafele infuses the book (which also includes guidance and insights for principals and aspiring assistant principals) from beginning to end with personal anecdotes and accounts of both failures and successes from his years as an assistant principal. He arms you with tools and insights that will drive you to view the assistant principalship as critical to the climate and culture of your school as well as to student achievement.You, assistant principal, play a critical role in your school's success. The questions that Kafele asks you to consider will aid you as you hone your leadership skills toward becoming an effective leader in your school.

Finishing Strong: Going the Distance for Your Family


Steve Farrar - 1995
    It doesn't matter if you've stumbled time and again, or even fallen flat on your face. What matters most in this all-important race of life is how you finish. According to Farrar, the man who hangs in there for the long haul with his wife, his kids, and his Lord is an exception these days. Finishing Strong, now in trade paperback, offers lively use of Scripture, contemporary illustrations, and study questions to equip every reader to be that exception. For the man who wants to climb the character ladder more than the corporate one, this is an essential tool.

The Restful Mind


Gyalwa Dokhampa - 2013
    The restful mind is creative and alert, relaxed and confident. The step from one to the other is all in the way we think. His Eminence Gyalwa Dokhampa has a real understanding of the pressures of modern life and how our crowded minds have left us too little space to stretch and grow. He shows us new ways to calm body and mind, become more aware, better able to deal with problems and appreciate the moment. It is with our mind that we create our world. Here's how to open it up and let the world in.

Living in God's Love: The New York Crusade


Billy Graham - 1990
    Nearly fifty years later, the Reverend Billy Graham returned to New York in June 2005 for what was likely his final Crusade, preaching the power of God's love to hundreds of thousands of people over three life-changing evenings. Living in God's Love contains all three sermons from this important event, and includes an original introduction and an afterword both written by Billy Graham specifically for this book. Living in God's Love also features black-and-white photographs from the 2005 New York Crusade, and a moving foreword by his daughter Anne Graham Lotz. Billy Graham's message of the transforming power of Christ's love is one that is needed now more than ever.

A New Apostolic Reformation?: A Biblical Response to a Worldwide Movement


R. Douglas Geivett - 2014
    As the authors state in the preface: "We write this book with two major goals in mind. First, to give people an idea of the sheer size and reach of the NAR movement. And second, to systematize its key teachings and practices and evaluate them on the basis of Scripture and careful reasoning … . In our judgment, the NAR perspective crosses these boundaries [that is, certain broad parameters, revealed in Scripture and practiced in the historical orthodox church], and it does so in part because of flawed theology rooted in a flawed understanding of Scripture. We wish to warn readers about a possible confusion: Some critics have linked the NAR movement with mainstream Pentecostalism and charismatics. We do not do this. In fact, it is our contention that the NAR movement deviates from classical Pentecostal and charismatic teachings. This movement has emerged out of independent charismatic churches and, thus, has gained a foothold in many of those churches in varying degrees."

Set Free: A Story of Peace Found Through Forgiveness


Stephen Owens - 2013
    I am her son. Please do not take this from me. There is no justice in taking her life. There is no justice in denying the healing power of forgiveness.”Stephen Owens was 12 years old in 1985 when he discovered his father at home badly beaten and near death. Evidence proved Stephen’s mom, Gaile, had hired a hit man to carry out the murder, and she was sent to death row. Stephen and Gaile did not see each other for decades, but through an amazing series of life transformations and revelations about the tragic event, God opened a door for both of them to be set free -- one from a prison of unforgiveness, the other from a literal prison cell.While the events surrounding Gaile Owens’ release made national headlines and have stirred widespread fascination, Set Free far exceeds the experience and expectations of a modern true crime story, proving to be much more about God as the loving author of true forgiveness.

The Holy Spirit And You


Dennis J. Bennett - 1971