Today the church is awakening to the truth that ministry is not just the domain of clergy, but belongs to the entire body of Christ. God is moving her to complete her unfinished business of placing the ministry back in the hands of the people. Unfinished Business has played a pivotal part in helping the church reclaim ministry at the grassroots level. First published in 1990 as The New Reformation, it has become a classic resource for church life. Expanding on and updating the original material with fresh examples and references to eight key important movements, this new edition lays foundations for the church to move from: · Passive to active · Maintenance to mission · Clergy to people of God · Teacher/caregiver to equipping enabler Pointing us back to the church as an organism, not an institution, author Greg Ogden shows how each of us is called to help finish the Reformation’s unfinished business: expressing the priesthood of every believer practically in the church, the world, and all avenues of life.

    Through chapters that examine key behaviors and decisions Jesus made during His life on earth, Jill brings those lessons right down to the tiring, laundry-filled, sticky-fingered days every mother knows.Between the chapters are interactive vignettes that provide brief, refreshing glimpses into real, messy, busy lives. In Real Moms . . . Real Jesus, Jill continually reminds the reader that Jesus is not an unattainable deity, but a Friend who truly understands.A Leader's Guide is available for mom's or small group study.

    But we cannot compromise. More than ever before, it is imperative that Christians understand and embrace the biblical pattern for the church. Philip Graham Ryken knows that the changing face of America makes the need for the church to remain steadfast even more important. City on a Hill will provide readers with a deeper understanding of how to live for Christ in the twenty-first century: go back to the model set out in the first century. Sure to be an encouragement and challenge to anyone concerned about the effectiveness of the church today.

    The title says it all! A missionary needs care in at least six areas: Moral Support, Logistics Support, Financial Support, Prayer Support, Communication Support, and Reentry Support. This book gives scores of practical ideas in how a team can provide the necessary care for a missionary. Chapter One tells "when" and "why" a missionary needs care. Chapters Two through Seven deal with each of the six areas of care. Chapter Eight brings it back to the individual's involvement in care giving. A Study Guide for groups is included.

    With the help of charts and creative learning exercises, Chapell shows how expository preaching can reveal the redemptive aims of Scripture and offers a comprehensive approach to the theory and practice of preaching. He also provides help for special preaching situations.The second edition contains updates and clarifications, allowing this classic to continue to serve the needs of budding preachers. Numerous appendixes address many practical issues.

    Jones believes that the reason most Christians don't tell their friends about Jesus has nothing to do with not knowing how--it's because they don't think they need to. As Jones writes, the first four years he was a pastor, he didn't believe in hell himself. Today, he shares his story of discovering the truth that hell exists--and why many Christians are afraid to believe in it. "Hell Is Real "motivates Christians who have grown complacent in their view of hell. Drawing on the teachings of Jesus, Jones leads readers into a head-on collision with apocalyptic urgency--the all-consuming, inspiring conviction that will overcome readers when they realize that hell is real and they can help save people from going there.

    Packer shows in this classic study how both of these attitudes are false. In a careful review of the biblical evidence, he shows how a right understanding of God's sovereignty is not so much a barrier to evangelism as an incentive and powerful support for it.

    Prayer is simple. Prayer seems like it should be so simple. Yet when it comes to actually praying, it often feels awkward and complicated.I mean, what should you actually pray about? What do you say? Is there anything you should or shouldn't say? Do you have to speak out loud? Where do you even start?To make matters worse, we've heard about prayer for so long that we feel awkward asking about it. It's like having to ask a person's name after knowing them for years. We're embarrassed to ask because we really should know their name by now.Then comes the reality and craziness of life. Between work, parenting, walking the dog, a full inbox, keeping up on social media--who has time to pray?The truth is, prayer is simple. It's like talking; talking with a good friend. Here's the best part: No matter where we are in life, God can't wait to talk with us.What does it look like to pray in the midst of your life? What do you say when you don't know how to pray? I'm asking the same questions. Let's talk.

    Addressing mission, evangelism and social justice, two pastors draw readers to the Bible's teaching on some contentious matters.   Readers in all spheres of ministry will grow in their understanding of the mission of the church and gain a renewed sense of urgency for Jesus' call to preach the Word and make disciples.

    And the reason I came here today is so that I could pray for you."With those words, respected leader, speaker, and author John Maxwell saw his agenda replaced by God's agenda. The stranger who felt God's calling to pray for this pastor fulfilled a need in Maxwell that he didn't even know he had?and fourteen years later, the results are evident at the 5,500 member Skyline Wesleyan Church in San Diego, California.Partners in Prayer, the first book in the John Maxwell Church Resources series, shows church leaders and laypeople how to unleash the potential of prayer on behalf of themselves, one another, and the church. If your church?or private devotional life?is starving in the area of prayer and you want to tap into the power and protection prayer provides, Maxwell gives practical insight intothe fundamentals of prayerimproving personal prayer lifepraying for others, including church leadersbuilding a prayer partners ministry in the local churchencouraging prayer revival nationwideAre you missing out on God's gift and blessing of prayer?Is there someone you know who would benefit from your committed prayers on their behalf? Despite God's promise of the power of prayer to change our world, many of us never experience it. John Maxwell shows you how to strentghen your prayer life and reap the benefits awaiting those who become Partners in Prayer."I speak for thousands who will benefit from this book when I say, John Maxwell is a friend to all who dream of a growing Kingdom." ?Max Lucado From the Foreword

    One of the fiercest foes in this battle dwells within our own hearts: the enemy of indwelling sin. The Scriptures command us to put sin to death. This is what pastors and theologians of another generation called the mortificationof sin. But how do we mortify sin? And what role does the gospel play in this effort to apply lethal force against sin? How can we avoid falling into legalism while still maintaining a passion for holiness? And what kinds of strategies actually work in the daily battle? Brian Hedges answers these questions and more in this biblical and practical guide for waging war against sin in the power of the gospel and dependence on the Spirit.

    A lit lamp brilliantly illuminating the darkest room. With compelling metaphors, Jesus described the church and its impact on the world. And indeed, filled with the Holy Spirit, the early church demonstrated a spiritual energy and depth that transformed the surrounding culture. Don’t let your church settle for less! Using bridges as a metaphor for “irresistible influence”--or i2, as he calls it--Robert Lewis shows how your church can become a strong, well-traveled link between heaven and earth in your community. In this engaging and uplifting book, Lewis tells the stories and shares the experiences and lessons of Fellowship Bible Church to show * what it will take to reconnect your church with your community * the how-to’s of “incarnational bridge building” * true stories of i2 in action * how to expand the i2 effort through new partnerships and adventures * requirements of the church in the 21st century Discover how the power of incarnational bridge-building can impact your church and your community at the annual Church of Irresistible Influence conference. For information, contact Fellowship Associates: www.fellowshipassociates.com; phone (501) 975-5050.

    She served under the auspices of the China Inland Mission, later known as the Overseas Missionary Fellowship. Have We No Rights? A frank discussion of the "rights" of missionaries is her best known work. Williamson shows the difference between suffering hardships and suffering the infringement of one's rights. She believes that as Christians we must be willing to give up the right to the comforts of life, physical health and safety, the privacy in business, friends, romance, family, and home.

    Nor is it sufficient merely to critique culture or to copy culture. Most of the time, we just consume culture. But the only way to change culture is to create culture. Andy Crouch unleashes a stirring manifesto calling Christians to be culture makers. For too long, Christians have had an insufficient view of culture and have waged misguided "culture wars." But we must reclaim the cultural mandate to be the creative cultivators that God designed us to be. Culture is what we make of the world, both in creating cultural artifacts as well as in making sense of the world around us. By making chairs and omelets, languages and laws, we participate in the good work of culture making. Crouch unpacks the complexities of how culture works and gives us tools for cultivating and creating culture. He navigates the dynamics of cultural change and probes the role and efficacy of our various cultural gestures and postures. Keen biblical exposition demonstrates that creating culture is central to the whole scriptural narrative, the ministry of Jesus and the call to the church. He guards against naive assumptions about "changing the world," but points us to hopeful examples from church history and contemporary society of how culture is made and shaped. Ultimately, our culture making is done in partnership with God's own making and transforming of culture. A model of his premise, this landmark book is sure to be a rallying cry for a new generation of culturally creative Christians. Discover your calling and join the culture makers.

    But what is a disciple? And how are we to "make"them?Based on decades of experience, this book explains and illustrates the processof disciple-making that Jesus taught and modeled. First published in 1974, itspractical, biblical approach has revolutionized the ministry of hundreds ofthousands of Christians as they learned how to multiply themselves in the livesof others.Disciple-making is challenging, to be sure. But as we are faithful to Christ'sGreat Commission, we'll experience the fulfillment that comes from being faithfulto the life mission to which God has called us.