Book picks similar to
Firm Foundations: Creation to Christ by T. McLlwain
discipleship
non-fiction
a2
church-planting
Deep and Wide: Creating Churches Unchurched People Love to Attend
Andy Stanley - 2012
Andy writes, “Our goal is to create weekend experiences so compelling and helpful that even the most skeptical individuals in our community would walk away with every intention of returning the following week…with a friend!”Later he says, “I want people to fall in love with the Author of Scripture. And while we can’t make anyone fall in love, we can certainly arrange a date.” For the first time, Andy explains his strategy for preaching and programming to “dual audiences”: mature believers and cynical unbelievers. He argues that preaching to dual audiences doesn’t require communicators to “dumb down” the content. According to Stanley, it’s all in the approach.You’ll be introduced to North Point's spiritual formation model: The Five Faith Catalysts. Leaders responsible for ministry programing and production will no doubt love Andy’s discussion of the three essential ingredients for creating irresistible environments. For pastors willing to tackle the challenge of transitioning a local congregation, Andy includes a section entitled: Becoming Deep and Wide.If your team is more concerned with who you are reaching than who you are keeping, Deep & Wide will be more than a book you read; it will be a resource you come back to over and over!“Couldn't be prouder of my son, Andy. And I couldn't be more excited about the content of this book. I wish a resource like this existed when I was starting out in ministry.”- Dr. Charles Stanley, Founder, In Touch Ministries“Deep and Wide pulls back the curtain for all of us to see what is required behind the scenes to build a prevailing church. I was both challenged and inspired by this book.”- Bill Hybels, author of Just Walk Across the Room“The most common question I get from pastors is, ‘How do I get the people in my church to be open to change?’ From now on my answer will be, ‘Read Deep and Wide by Andy Stanley’. Thanks Andy. Great book!”- Craig Groeschel, Pastor, LifeChurch.TV, author, It: How Churches and Leaders Can Get It and Keep It“No one has given me more practical handles for establishing a focused vision than Andy Stanley. Deep and Wide is a rich resource to help all of us stay intentional about the main thing - building a church that reaches people who are far from God.”- Steven Furtick, Lead Pastor, Elevation Church
Dangerous Love: A True Story of Tragedy, Faith, and Forgiveness in the Muslim World
Ray Norman - 2015
After their recoveries the family made the extraordinary decision to stay in Mauritania, to maintain their commitment to the poor in their community, and to forgive the man who had hurt them. Dangerous Love demonstrates how God can use ordinary people, care for them in times of tragedy and heartbreak, and fulfill his own purposes in remarkable ways.
Missionaries Are Real People: Surviving transitions, navigating relationships, overcoming burnout and depression, and finding joy in God.
Ellen Rosenberger - 2016
Ellen Rosenberger grapples with the real problems, needs, and emotions that missionaries experience. She brings to light the struggles that are not talked about but are very real. She writes openly about depression and burnout, exploring the difficulties of transitions and overcoming conflict. Ellen addresses abuse, struggles with faith, and grief. By talking about these normally overlooked issues, Missionaries Are Real People aims to bring clarity and healing to silent hurts. Maybe you are a missionary who longs for someone to understand your struggles and name your issues. You think, I can’t let anyone know I am struggling with this, especially because I’m a missionary! Perhaps you feel debilitated by the stereotype that “missionaries are perfect” as you are living in the reality of your own brokenness and imperfection. You might feel as though you cannot express the under-the-surface issues that you are facing on the mission field. Having grown up on the mission field and having spent most of her adult life there, Ellen knows what it’s like to have struggled to live under the pressure to be perfect. She’s felt the pain of hidden struggles and masked-over issues. And she’s experienced freedom and healing in being vulnerable about her imperfections as a missionary. This book is not about methodology or theory, but about real life stories and experiences. It’s about the multi-faceted dynamics of missionary relationships with all their joys and struggles. Missionaries Are Real People unveils the unspoken realities of missionary life. Not for the sake of shaming but for the purpose of restoring. The time is now to break down stereotypes, to speak up for what is really going on, and to seek solutions. Let’s not delay another day. There might be a missionary’s life that depends on it.
Pathway to Freedom: How God's Law Guides Our Lives
Alistair Begg - 2003
There is:A general listlessness and lawlessness in the lives of professing Christians.An absence of the fear of God in public worship and private living.A growing confidence in ourselves and an accompanying loss of confidence in God and His Word.Amidst this moral crisis, the message of the Ten Commandments can give us order, direction, and hope.With dynamic implications for how each of us lives every day, Pathway to Freedom will challenge you to think long and hard about the significance of God's Law. "We have entered into a time of moral crisis in our culture and in the church as well. Stories about divorce, adultery, and the individualized picking and choosing of doctrines abound. Pathway to Freedom is forthright and necessary teaching that today's church cannot afford to ignore. How now shall we live? The beginning of the answer must be in obedience to God's moral law summarized in the Ten Commandments." -CHARLES COLSON, PRISON FELLOWSHIP MINISTRIES, WASHINGTON, D.C.
McGraw-Hill's GED: The Most Complete and Reliable Study Program for the GED Tests
Patricia Mulcrone - 2001
It offers targeted assessment, easy-to-follow instruction, hundreds of reinforcement activities, and simulated GED tests for all five GED subject areas: Test 1 Language Arts, Writing; Test 2 Social Studies; Test 3 Science; Test 4 Language Arts, Reading; Test 5 Mathematics. A half-length Pretest for each subject helps pinpoint strengths and weaknesses for targeting study. Clear instruction, followed by hundred of practice questions in official GED format help to build confidence. A Posttest for each subject is followed by a second Practice Test in official GED format to determine readiness for the actual test.
Becoming a Parish of Intentional Disciples
Sherry A. Weddell - 2015
We know that with Jesus life becomes richer."-Pope Francis, The Joy of the GospelIn her first book, Forming Intentional Disciples: The Path to Knowing and Following Jesus, Sherry Weddell, cofounder of the Catherine of Siena Institute, captured the attention of Catholics across the globe as she uncovered the life-changing power that accompanies the conscious decision to follow Jesus as his disciple.Now, in the groundbreaking Becoming a Parish of Intentional Disciples, she has gathered together experienced leaders and collaborators whose exceptional field-tested wisdom and enthusiasm for transforming Catholic parishes into centers of discipleship and apostolic outreach is both inspiring and practical.The authors consider:
The role of intercessory prayer in parish transformation
How "fireside chats" can help a pastor connect with his parishioners and call them to personal discipleship and mission
The co-responsibility of lay people andpastors in the work of making disciples
The revolutionary impact of a discipleship approach to youth ministry
How one parish successfully fostered a culture of intentional discipleship, and much more
As Sherry asks in her own chapter, "Are we willing to answer the call and pay the price necessary to become a new generation of saints through which God can do extraordinary things in our time?"
Announcing the Kingdom: The Story of God's Mission in the Bible
Arthur F. Glasser - 2003
It investigates the development of the kingdom of God theme in the Old Testament, describing what the concept tells us about God's mission in creation, the flood, and the covenant with Abraham. It then describes God's mission through the nation of Israel during the exodus, at Mt. Sinai, and through the kings of Israel. The book then examines God's mission as Israel is sent into exile and the stage is set for the Messiah's coming. Finally, the book considers the fulfillment of the kingdom of God through Jesus Christ and the church. It examines Jesus' parables and ministry, his proclamation of God's kingdom among the nations, and the work of the Holy Spirit through the church. Announcing the Kingdom is the product of Arthur Glasser's more than thirty years of teaching and has been used by thousands of students at Fuller Theological Seminary. Now revised by Glasser's colleagues, this study provides mission workers and students with a new understanding of their calling and its biblical foundation.
A Loving Life: In a World of Broken Relationships
Paul E. Miller - 2014
Drawing from the book of Ruth, A Loving Life offers the help we need to embrace relationship, endure rejection, cultivate community, and reach out to even the most unlovable around us as we discover the power to live a loving life.
Perspectives on the World Christian Movement: Reader
Ralph D. Winter - 1981
Writings from more than 150 mission scholars and practitioners (over 60 of them new to this edition) portray the history and anticipate the potential of the global Christian movement. Every one of the 170 articles and side bars offers practical wisdom enabling Christians to labor together in bold, biblical hope to finish the task of seeing that Christ is named and followed among all the peoples of the earth. The Fourth Edition contains over 60 articles and sidebars that are new to this edition. Many articles have been updated and revised.
The Poor Will Be Glad: Joining the Revolution to Lift the World Out of Poverty
Peter Greer - 2009
Focusing on proven initiatives such as microfinance and employment-based solutions, the authors outline specific steps we can take in leading the charge against spiritual and physical poverty. Also includes photographs by award-winning photographer Jeremy Cowart (www.jeremycowart.com).
Even Better Than Eden: Nine Ways the Bible's Story Changes Everything about Your Story
Nancy Guthrie - 2018
However, many don't realize the Bible teaches that God is preparing an even better world for his people in the future new creation. In this book, experienced Bible teacher Nancy Guthrie traces 9 themes--the tree of life, garden and wilderness, the image of God, clothing, Sabbath rest, marriage, the seed of the Serpent, the temple, and the city of Jerusalem--throughout the Bible, revealing how God's plan for the new heaven and the new earth is far better than anything we can possibly imagine. What's more, she shows how this better world is already having an impact in the world today. Combining theological depth with warmth and accessibility aimed at addressing today's needs, this book will help individuals or small groups understand the story of God's plan for the future of his people.
True Story: A Christianity Worth Believing in
James Choung - 2008
"Seriously, what has Christianity done for us—or for the world, for that matter? They're just a bunch of hypocrites, that's what I think! Are they good for anything?" "I don't know, Anna," Caleb said. "I just don't know." Caleb has been a Christian for a long time. But he realizes that he can't bring himself to share his faith with anyone because it doesn't sound like good news anymore. Christianity's truth claims come across as hollow, arrogant and intolerant. Christians have a bad track record of hating and condemning those they disagree with. Worst of all, it feels like Christianity is just about "saving souls," giving people an escape ticket to heaven while the world falls apart. Is it only about Jesus forgiving our sins? There must be more to it than that... In this engaging narrative, James Choung weaves the tale of a search for a Christianity worth believing in. Disillusioned believer Caleb and hostile skeptic Anna wrestle with the plausibility of the Christian story in a world of pain and suffering. They ask each other tough questions about what Jesus really came to do and what Christianity is supposed to be about. Along the way, they discover that real Christianity is far bigger than anything they ever heard about in church. And the conversion that comes is not one that either of them expects. Join Caleb and Anna on their spiritual journeys as they probe Christianity from inside and out. Get past the old clichés and simplistic formulas. And discover a new way of understanding and presenting the Christian faith that really matters in a broken world.
God Space: Where Spiritual Conversations Happen Naturally
Doug Pollock - 2009
But what do you say? What don’t you say? How can you bring God into the conversation without shutting it down?Welcome to God Space.Where the Holy Spirit can do amazing things through everyday conversations. Where honesty and transparency allow for discovery and deep connection. Where lives are challenged and changed.Connect with these real-life stories of how ordinary people learned how to engage others in rich spiritual conversations that open doors instead of slamming them shut. You'll find fresh insights and practical tools for connecting with others about the things that matter most.
Church Membership: How the World Knows Who Represents Jesus
Jonathan Leeman - 2012
Yet the trend these days is one of shunning the practice of organized religion and showing a distaste or fear of commitment, especially of institutions.Jonathan Leeman addresses these issues with a straightforward explanation of what church membership is and why it's important. Giving the local church its proper due, Leeman has built a compelling case for committing to the local body.
Faithful God: An Exposition of the Book of Ruth
Sinclair B. Ferguson - 2005