Yet studies have shown that 65% of churches in America are either declining or plateauing in attendance. Many of those who tell you they attend church aren't actually showing up.Many today are actively searching for a church experience, but they are doing their search digitally. Long before they set foot in your building, they've "experienced" your digital presence online. Most churches see social media as a means of getting people to attend programs and services, for getting "butts in the seats." But Nona Jones, who facilitates Facebook's relationships with faith-based non-profits, believes there is far more untapped potential for churches to utilize social media, transforming it into social ministry. Social media focuses on driving people to a building for one to two hours of interaction each week. Social ministry focuses on helping people mature in Christ the other 168 hours of the week. And while social media is about marketing and attracting people to your church, social ministry is about life-long discipleship in a digital age.

    For some women, the issue is as simple as not really thinking through what they’re looking for or should be looking for in a man. Others feel they’d rather be with someone (and pretty much anyone will do) than be alone, while still others are unconsciously replicating patterns of bad relationships they learned in childhood or from traumatic experiences and don’t know how to stop the cycle. Deepak Reju, writing from his years of experience as a pastor and a counselor, shares with women his perspective on how to assess a relationship’s strengths from the beginning, how to identity possible pitfalls, and how to have the courage to not just “settle” but to wait for a relationship that will be a blessing to both of you.

    In addition to updated demographic information, Clendenin examines at length a particular aspect of Orthodoxy's intersection with Protestantism—its growing exchange with evangelicalism.

    Many believers are contemplating in a fresh way what it means to take the Great Commission seriously. Rediscovering Discipleship takes the guesswork out of Christian maturity.Based on insights gained from a decade of personally making disciples, author and pastor Robby Gallaty tackles the two hindrances that keep believers from getting involved in making disciples: ignorance and uncertainty. Since many believers have never been personally disciple, they have no model to guide them in discipling others. Their ignorance of the process fuels their uncertainty, which leaves them crippled from the start. With simple principles that are easy to apply, Rediscovering Discipleship provides readers with the tools to follow the Great Commission—to go and actually make disciples who multiply and make disciples.Gallaty begins with a brief historical overview of the discipleship ministries of influential theologians, preachers, and pastors from years past, and then identifies roadblocks that hinder believers from becoming disciples before offering a step-by-step process for readers to immediately get started on the path to effective disciple making.

    But God can become present to us in surprising ways through our everyday routines. Framed around one ordinary day, this book explores daily life through the lens of liturgy, small practices and habits that form us. Each chapter looks at something making the bed, brushing her teeth, losing her keys that the author does in the day. Drawing from the diversity of her life as a campus minister, Anglican priest, friend, wife, and mother, Tish Harrison Warren opens up a practical theology of the everyday. Each activity is related to a spiritual practice as well as an aspect of our Sunday worship. Come and discover the holiness of your every day."

    A collection of three dramatic stories of love and difficult choices set in the Alaskan frontier from bestselling author Tracie Peterson.

    Have you ever seen a cross section of the rings of a giant sequoia tree? Each ring of the tree reveals its developmental history. For example, one ring might represent a year of terrible drought while another ring shows signs of being struck by lightning. Some rings will probably show normal years of growth, but you may discover that a forest fire almost destroyed the tree. That's the way our lives are. Just below the protective bark--the concealing, protective mask--are the recorded rings of our lives. In the rings of our thoughts and emotions, memories are recorded that deeply affect our concepts, our rings of our thoughts and emotions, memories are recorded that deeply affect our concepts, our feelings, our relationships. They affect the way we look at life and God, at others and ourselves. Healing for Damaged Emotions Workbook provides you with the tools to examine the rings of your life and find healing for the painful scars that cripple your emotions. In this Workbook you'll find: � Entire text of Healing for Damaged Emotions � Scripture meditation and memorization � Prayer exercises � Journaling exercises � Small Group Guide � Recovery resources Healing for Damaged Emotions, first published in 1981 and since translated into 15 languages, has helped hundreds of thousands of readers worldwide deal honestly and successfully with their inner hurts. Through David Seamands' realistic, scriptural approach, you too can find healing and then become an agent of healing for fellow strugglers. David A. Seamands was writing about Christians in recovery long before recovery terminology was even popular. Former missionary and pastor, he is now Professor of Pastoral Ministries at Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky. His other books include Putting Away Childish Things, Healing of Memories, Freedom from the Performance Trap, and Living with Your Dreams (all Victor). Beth Funk was been involved with recovery groups and small group ministry for four years. She is now Director of Recovery Groups and Singles Ministry at Ocean Hills Community Church in San Juan Capistrano, California.

    Violence. Confusion. Anxiety. How do we know what’s true when there are so many differing voices telling us what to do? After traveling the world for 23 years in a rock band, John L. Cooper has noticed one consistent issue: people are desperately confused. Awake and Alive To Truth tackles the reigning philosophies of our day of post-modernism, relativism, and the popular view of the goodness of man-and combats these viewpoints by standing on the absolute truth of the Word of God. Awake and Alive To Truth answers some of the most asked questions in modern culture. We will go on a journey through some of the author’s personal stories, the doctrine of original sin, the authority of Scripture, the danger of trusting your emotions, and end with the greatest news possible: God wants to rescue you from the chaos and the darkness and bring you into His glorious light. (from the website)

    All the while, prosperity preachers exploit the poor and needy to stockpile their riches. What can followers of the true gospel do to combat the deception?Through a remarkable and fascinating journey, Costi Hinn went from a next-generation prosperity preacher to the first to abandon the family faith and share the true gospel. Nephew of the world-famous televangelist, Benny Hinn, Costi had a front-row seat to the inner workings and theology of the prosperity gospel. But as Costi's faith deepened, so did his questions about prosperity teaching. As the deceptions in his past were exposed, Costi came face to face with the hypocrisy and devastation caused by his belief system, and the overwhelming truth about the real Jesus Christ.This captivating look into the daily lives of one of the world's leading prosperity dynasties offers a thoughtful perspective on the perils of greed, the power of the true gospel, and hope for the future of the global church. Through real-life stories, Costi challenges and equips readers to be living lights pointing the way to the true gospel and the saving grace of Christ. God, Greed, and the (Prosperity) Gospel will bolster your faith and encourage your own journey toward the Truth.Spanish edition also available.

    The authors, two seasoned educators with over sixty combined years of experience in the classroom, offer guidance on adopting an inductive posture and provide step-by-step instructions on how to do inductive Bible study. They engage in conversation with current hermeneutical issues, setting forth well-grounded principles and processes for biblical interpretation and appropriation. The process they present incorporates various methods of biblical study to help readers hear the message of the Bible on its own terms.

    We love reading stories―and we love hearing the personal stories of others. We need stories, or narratives, to make sense of our world. And those stories shape our lives. What is the story you have been told about the gospel? About God? About the Christian life? About Jesus? About the cross? About yourself? About heaven?Your answers to these questions will form a story that will determine how your life will go. The answers reveal your ability to trust, to love, to hope―and even your capacity for joy. Any story worth giving the power to shape our lives must pass a simple test: is it beautiful, good, and true? If it is, then it is a Magnificent Story―and that is where transformation takes place. From James Bryan Smith, author of the bestselling book Good and Beautiful God, comes this spiritual formation resource meant to help both individuals and groups understand the Magnificent Story of Christ in their lives. Soon to be followed by The Magnificent Journey: Living Deep in the Kingdom (Fall 2018) and The Magnificent Mission: Called and Sent by the Storyteller (Fall 2019), the field-tested material within includes spiritual practices at the end of each chapter and a group discussion guide. Uncover the true story of beauty, goodness, and truth that will satisfy the ultimate longings of your heart.

    A war to rule Heaven and Earth that dates all the way back to the Garden of Eden. In the Garden, God told Satan that one day a woman would give birth to a male child – the Messiah, who would redeem humanity and destroy him. In order to prevent this child’s birth, Satan instigated a fallen angelic rebellion. A group of angels broke off their allegiance to the Lord and entered the earthly realm to corrupt the human gene pool and prevent the Savior’s birth. These fallen angels (“sons of God”) took human wives (“daughters of men”) and had children with them. Their offspring – hybrid half-human, half-angelic beings, were superhuman giants known as the Nephilim. With human DNA corrupted and humanity hanging in the balance, The Lord unleashed a punishment against the Nephilim so severe, only Noah and his family would survive. New Discoveries From Scripture Regarding The Nephilim And Their Fallen Angelic Ancestors This is a comprehensive Biblical study of the Nephilim. Using a literal reading of Scripture, we are given a complete picture of the war between two bloodlines – the lineage of the Messiah and the seed of Satan. Exploring passages rarely connected to the giants, you will discover new revelations regarding the Nephilim including: Why did Pharaoh order all male children to be thrown in the river and Herod execute all male children in Bethlehem? The Biblical location of the heavenly portal used by angels to enter the earthly realm. How were angels able to reproduce with human women? Who was the first human woman to marry the fallen Sons of God and conceive a child? Who was the fallen angel who ruled the preflood world? The specific timing and description of God’s punishment of the rebel Sons of God and the Nephilim. How did the Nephilim return after the Flood and are there still Nephilim among us? All these questions will be answered and many, many more. Citing dozens of ancient Christian and Jewish writings from the first century AD through the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, Judgment Of The Nephilim provides a thorough side-by-side comparison of the Bible and the extra-Biblical texts on this topic. It also details the connection between Genesis 6, Plato's account of Atlantis and ancient mythology. This book is a must-read for those who want to learn more on the topic of the Nephilim giants. This is the story of God’s enduring love for all people and His promise to bring redemption through the prophesied Savior. This is the Judgment of the Nephilim.

    Richard D. Phillips digs into the early chapters of the Gospel of John to discover principles for Christian outreach that were modeled by witnesses for Jesus and by Jesus Himself. Phillips unfolds biblical principles for evangelism by examining the ministry of John the Baptist and the calling of the first of Jesus disciples. Then, through a brief study of the Lord's encounter with the Pharisee Nicodemus, he presents us with a theology of the gospel. Finally, he focuses on Jesus stirring encounter with the Samaritan woman to show exactly how Christ shared the good news. Phillips clear and concise handling of these key stories will both motivate and instruct believers in their witness on behalf of Christ.

    Some see these people as mere examples to follow or to avoid, and some have only heard about them in Sunday school stories. But their interactions with Jesus reveal much more about the person of Jesus himself and the message he has for us. Saints and Scoundrels in the Story of Jesus tells the story of 10 people or groups of people who are integral to the story of Jesus told in the Gospels. Each chapter takes a character off the Sunday school felt board and reveals them as a three-dimensional person with desires, motivations, flaws, and limitations. They are more than examples--they show us a unique angle on the grace available through Jesus for sinners. Each chapter also offers challenging applications to the lives of readers.

    The Holy Spirit is so actively involved in our lives that we can take his presence for granted. As they say, familiarity breeds contempt. Just as we take breathing for granted, we can take the Holy Spirit for granted simply because we constantly depend on him. Like the cane that soon feels like an extension of the blind man’s own body, we too easily begin to think of the Holy Spirit as an extension of ourselves.Yet the Spirit is at the center of the action in the divine drama from Genesis 1:2 all the way to Revelation 22:17. The Spirit’s work is as essential as the Father’s and the Son’s, yet the Spirit’s work is always directed to the person and work of Christ. In fact, the efficacy of the Holy Spirit’s mission is measured by the extent to which we are focused on Christ. The Holy Spirit is the person of the Trinity who brings the work of the Father, in the Son, to completion. In everything that the Triune God performs, this perfecting work is characteristic of the Spirit.In Rediscovering the Holy Spirit, author, pastor, and theologian Mike Horton introduces readers to the neglected person of the Holy Spirit, showing that the work of God’s Spirit is far more ordinary and common than we realize. Horton argues that we need to take a step back every now and again to focus on the Spirit himself—his person and work—in order to recognize him as someone other than Jesus or ourselves, much less something in creation. Through this contemplation we can gain a fresh dependence on the Holy Spirit in every area of our lives.