The Purpose Driven Church: Every Church Is Big in God's Eyes


Rick Warren - 1995
    What a gift!”—John Ortberg, bestselling author Every church is driven by something. Tradition, finances, programs, personalities, events, seekers, and even buildings can each be the controlling force in a church. But Rick Warren believes that in order for a church to be healthy it must become a purpose-driven church, built around the five New Testament purposes given to the church by Jesus. “The issue is church health, not church growth!” declares Warren. “If your church is healthy, growth will occur naturally. Healthy, consistent growth is the result of balancing the five biblical purposes of the church.” Rick Warren shares a proven five-part strategy that will enable your church to grow • warmer through fellowship • deeper through discipleship • stronger through worship • broader through ministry • larger through evangelism The Purpose Driven® Church shifts the focus away from church building programs to emphasizing a people-building process. Warren says, “If you will concentrate on building people, God will build the church.”

Be Basic (Genesis 1-11): Believing the Simple Truth of God's Word


Warren W. Wiersbe - 1998
    Every day we are confronted with cloudy moral issues that once seemed clear. When did the simple things get so complicated? But instead of wondering how we got here, maybe we should revisit how we got started. And there's no better place to start than the beginning of God's Word, the book of Genesis.Part of Dr. Warren W. Wiersbe's best-selling "BE" commentary series, Be Basic has now been updated with study questions and a new introduction by Ken Baugh. A respected pastor and Bible teacher, Dr. Wiersbe takes an insightful look at the fundamentals for a life well lived. Return to the beginning and discover life-changing truths about relationships, faith, sin, and spiritual fulfillment. Because in life, the key to a happy ending is found at the beginning.

When the Church Was a Family: Recapturing Jesus' Vision for Authentic Christian Community


Joseph H. Hellerman - 2009
    But as the modern cultural norm of what social scientists call “radical American individualism” extends itself, many Christians grow lax in their relational accountability to the church. Faith threatens to become an “I” not “us,” a “my God” not “our God” concern.When the Church Was a Family calls believers back to the wisdom of the first century, examining the early Christian church from a sociohistorical perspective and applying the findings to the evangelical church in America today. With confidence, author Joseph Hellerman writes intentionally to traditional church leaders and emerging church visionaries alike, believing what is detailed here about Jesus’ original vision for authentic Christian community will deeply satisfy the relational longings of both audiences.

The Pursuit of God: The Human Thirst for the Divine


A.W. Tozer - 1948
    Tozer, is not for a select few, but should be the experience of every follower of Christ. Here is a masterly study of the inner life by a heart thirsting after God. Here is a book for every child of God, pastor, missionary, and Christian. It deals with the deep things of God and the riches of His grace. In The Pursuit of God, Tozer sheds light on the path to a closer walk with God.

The Bruised Reed


Richard Sibbes - 1620
    In this famous exposition of Isaiah 42:3, Sibbes unfolds the tender ministry of Jesus Christ, who is 'a physician good at all diseases, especially at the binding up of the broken heart'.

Theology for Beginners


Frank Sheed - 1957
    —Our Sunday Visitor A Modern Classic "The joy and excitement of theological knowledge is like the joy and excitement of any other love." —From Chapter One Clear, precise and inspiring, Theology for Beginners has been acclaimed as one of the outstanding modern introductions to theology. More than a compendium of the central doctrines of Catholicism, however, the book is designed to equip you with the information you need to understand key doctrines and to explain them to others. Along the way, you will find yourself falling more deeply in love with your faith and more confident of your ability to bring healing and hope to what Frank Sheed called "a society that is losing contact with God." Theology for Beginners will help bring the truth to life in your soul. Doctrines discussed: The Trinity • Creation • The Nature of Man • The Fall • Sin • Redemption • The Incarnation • Grace • Christ's Death • The Resurrection • The Kingdom • Mary • The Holy Spirit • The Sacraments • The Eucharist • Baptism • The Second Coming Theology for Beginners has been acclaimed as one of the outstanding modern introductions to theology. It is a clear, precise, and inspiring compendium of the central doctrines of the Christian faith. Frank Sheed makes the profound truths of theology not only understandable but exciting reading for the Catholic layman. A Servant Book.