In one of his most famous parables, he sets up as a model of Christian behavior a man who, unlike some religious folks, actually gets down off his donkey and helps a person in dire need.With energy and enthusiasm, Reggie McNeal calls believers to dismount, get down and dirty, and live a life that makes a difference. He shows readers how to recalibrate their spiritual efforts to move from church-centric service to greater community engagement in order to do their essential part in creating a world worth living in. McNeal also shows readers that helping others actually helps the one doing the service just as much as the one being served. In fact, serving is the very best way to learn about yourself and grow spiritually. Anyone who longs to have the impact on the world that Jesus did will love this provocative and inspirational message.

    Is there a way for them to combine forces, drawing on both their strengths, in ways that also increase their missional impact? Church merger consultant Jim Tomberlin, with co-writer Warren Bird, makes the case that mergers today work best not with two struggling churches but with a vital, momentum-filled lead church partnering with a joining church. In this new book, they provide a complete, practical, hands-on guide for church leaders of both struggling and vibrant churches so that they can understand the issues, develop strategies, and execute a variety of forms of merger for church expansion and renewal to reinvigorate declining churches and give them a second life.

    Regardless of the age in which we live, certain instruction carries no expiration on its relevance. Pastor, author, and leadership consultant, Larry Osborne has discovered this to be the case with instruction on how to be a good leader. The best, most practical advice comes from the Bible, and in particular, 1 Peter 5:1-4. It's in this short passage where leaders are exhorted to shepherd the flock among them.Unfortunately, most modern leaders have precious little experience tending sheep, and many of the implications that were well understood when Peter penned these words are lost on today's reader. Osborne finds the parallels to be numerous, well-worth reviewing and understanding anew.A shepherd leads them to water even when they fear it. A shepherd never allows one sick lamb to destroy the flock. A shepherd lays down his life for his sheep . . .When leaders truly understand Peter's words of exhortation to lead like a shepherd, then they will begin to see the path that leads them to Leading Well.

    It is that simple. For over 10 years, Henry Evans has worked with hundreds of organizations around the world, teaching and building accountability. This book offers that same guidance to you, your colleagues and your team to reach new levels of excellence and success. In Winning with Accountability, Henry offers a step-by-step guide to help any organization improve performance by creating a culture of accountability. The strategies in this book are simple, easy to implement...and the results are immediate! It should be required reading for every member of every team. Read, enjoy, and win with accountability!

    The foundational truths in this book will show the way. In this book Larry Stockstill challenges readers with principles for turning our nation around to integrity and commitment and precluding the judgment of God. There is a new breed of pastors and laypeople who are asking the tough questions: * Where has the glory of God gone in the American church? * When did the simple, pure gospel of the Savior become about "me," "my," and "mine"? * What happened to the transparency and integrity that marked the church for centuries? To each reader God is saying, "I want to start with you." Allow this book to shake you to the core and reorganize your family, your ministry, and your future.

    Moving from a critique of inadequate models for ministry -- from community organizer to T. V. evangelist -- Oden develops a more classical model, rich in its references to the past and compatible both with Christian faith and theology through the ages and with current needs.Reconciling classical tradition with practice, Pastoral Theology will be a standard resource and reference in the field. Oden distills the best ideas of the two millennia of ecumenical Christian thinking concerning what pastors are and do. Pastoral Theology provides the foundational knowledge of the pastoral office requisite to the practice of ministry. It will be of interest to persons preparing for ordination in its review of key issues; at the same time, Pastoral Theology will appeal to all those who have considered entering the ministry, those who want to know more about what clergy do and why, and those ministers who want to review their ongoing work in the light of a systematic reflection on the pastoral gifts and tasks.

    Timothy Keller is known for his insightful, down-to-earth sermons and talks that help people understand themselves, encounter Jesus, and apply the Bible to their lives. In this accessible guide for pastors and laypeople alike, Keller helps readers learn to present the Christian message of grace in a more engaging, passionate, and compassionate way.

    So where should full-time ministry begin?In The Path to Being a Pastor, Bobby Jamieson explains why it's better to emphasize "aspiration" over "calling" as men pursue the office of elder and encourages readers to make sure they are pastorally gifted before considering the role. He shares from his own eleven-year experience preparing to be a pastor by walking potential leaders through different stages of ministry training, from practical steps--such as cultivating godly ambition and leadership, observing healthy churches, and mastering Scripture--to personal advice on building a strong family and succeeding in seminary. Emphasizing the importance of prayer, godly counsel, and immersion in the local church, Jamieson encourages men to ask Am I qualified? instead of Am I called? when considering a life in ministry.

    In contrast, the prophet Jacob dreamed of a ladder sent down from heaven by God, with rungs—steps—that we could ascend to return to Him. In The Way Back to Heaven: The Parable of the Crystal Stairs, award-winning author S. Michael Wilcox helps us discern the "stairs of man" from the "stairs of God." Using the metaphor of a beautiful crystal stairway, he shows us the difference between a focus on "being and becoming" and "believing and doing" in our life's journey. While we may think we know the steps we'll need to take, the author suggests some unexpected—even counterintuitive—yet essential stairs each of us will encounter as we make our way back to our Father in Heaven.

    MacArthur calls for a recovery of the art of Bible exposition in the pulpits of American churches and provides direction on how to go about it.

    Starting them. Multiplying them. Changing the world through them. And in Jesus, we see this come together in practice.HOW. How do you start a Kingdom movement that can change the world. But in Jesus, through his life and taking his teachings seriously, we see how we can lead a Kingdom movement.In this book, Mike explores the key components of how to lead a Kingdom movement. Starting with Jesus, then through the lens of Paul and stories an principles seen in his own life, he offers a humble way forward in creating, growing and multiplying a Kingdom movement.

    He doesn’t get on with his wife, and a woman has turned up dead down the alley beside Halfway House. Add a prickly team member and his DS always turning up late for work, and Morgan isn’t a happy chap.Another deceased woman is found, and it’s clear the two are linked. They’re friends, but what connects them in death? A third murder is a little too close to home, and Morgan makes a decision that could cost him his job if he’s caught.A gang of kids back in the past hold the key to understanding the puzzle, plus a man just released from prison who was put away for murdering a teenager.Who killed Jacob Everson?Why are the gang members being picked off one by one?And will Morgan lose the plot when a shocking discovery comes to light?Take a walk down Mulberry Lane, a street where secrets can no longer remain buried.

    

     This Special Collection contains: Love is Patient (Never before released) Anna has been forced by her father to marry Amos, a man she does not love...or even like. Their marriage is off to a rocky start and she doesn't see how things will ever change. Soon she discovers items missing from their home-clothes from the clothesline, vegetables from the garden, and jars of jam from the cellar. She's now on a quest to find out who has been taking their items...and Amos has not interest in helping her. Find out what she discovers and how this changes the entire course of her and Amos's life. Emily's Choice Emily, an Englischer, has just lost her mother. Now she must go live with the father she never knew - an Amish man. It turns out he didn't know Emily existed either. Emily’s father and his family struggle to accept her. However, she meets Caleb, the handsome Amish employee at the restaurant her new family runs. She's drawn to Caleb and soon can’t help but to fall in love with him. Caleb has also developed feelings for Emily. But there's a problem... Amy's Divine Destiny Amy loves to draw and is quite gifted. Finding an old abandoned house one day, she sets herself up and begins to sketch. Thinking she sees someone in the upstairs window, she goes back every day to sit and see if she can see the figure again. She soon discovers that a young man about her age has been staying there and he opens up to Amy and explains his story... Amy's Divine Destiny: The Sequel Amy has now married and her husband has just received surprising news that his grandmother whom he had never met, has died and has left him an inheritance... and he is also now the guardian of his teenage half-sister, whom he has never met. Now Amy must trust God in ways she’s never had to before. The Path of His Choosing -Book 1 (Seasons of Change) This first book of the series starts out with Mary King, as a teenager, and has just approached her time for Rumspringa. She decides to move away with friends to work at a toy factory. She meets two young men who take an interest in her, but she knows that a relationship would never work with either one of them. She leaves, disheartened with this new way of life and returns home. But God uses this experience to bring her a special surprise. The Path of His Choosing -Book 2 (New Beginnings) Mary has now wed the man of her dreams. They soon find they will need extra income to see them through. Mary runs into a friend at the grocery store who suggests an idea to solve their dilemma. This may be the perfect solution, so they go ahead with the idea. See how God uses this experience to touch the lives of a family who need His loving intervention. The Path of His Choosing -Book 3 (The Journey Ahead) This third book of the series continues with Mary and Kyle starting a new venture in the hopes of bringing in a more stable income. Peter from her Rumspringa year enters her life once again much to Mary's dismay. Kyle has even invited him to stay at their home until he finds a place to live, which makes Mary all the more nervous, but God has a plan in all of this. Find out what He has in mind...