In this short book, a highly respected biblical counselor and successful author offers practical guidance for all Christians--pastors and laypeople alike--who want to develop their "helping skills" when it comes to walking alongside hurting people.Written out of the conviction that friends are the best helpers, this accessible introduction to biblical counseling will equip believers to share their burdens with one another through gentle words of wisdom and kind acts of love. This book is written for those eager to see God use ordinary relationships and conversations between ordinary Christians to work extraordinary miracles in the lives of his people.

    And he offers practical and fruitful advice� "born out of his five decades as a pastor� "that will benefit both new pastors and those with years in the pulpit.In a time when many churches have lost sight of the real purpose of the church, The Care of Souls invites a new generation of pastors to form the godly habits and practical wisdom needed to minister to the hearts and souls of those committed to their care.

    If anything, email and the Internet may have intensified our quest for the quick fix. But Peterson's time-tested prescription for discipleship remains the same--a long obedience in the same direction. Tucked away in the Hebrew Psalter, Peterson discovered "an old dog-eared songbook," the Songs of Ascents that were sung by pilgrims on their way up to worship in Jerusalem. In these songs (Psalms 120-134) Peterson finds encouragement for modern pilgrims as we learn to grow in worship, service, joy, work, happiness, humility, community and blessing. This 20th anniversary edition of A Long Obedience in the Same Direction features these Psalms in Peterson's widely acclaimed paraphrase, The Message. He also includes an epilogue in which he reflects on the themes of this book and his ministry during the twenty years since its original publication.

    A. Carson's father was a pioneering church-planter and pastor in Quebec. But still, an ordinary pastor-except that he ministered during the decades that brought French Canada from the brutal challenges of persecution and imprisonment for Baptist ministers to spectacular growth and revival in the 1970s.It is a story, and an era, that few in the English-speaking world know anything about. But through Tom Carson's journals and written prayers, and the narrative and historical background supplied by his son, readers will be given a firsthand account of not only this trying time in North American church history, but of one pastor's life and times, dreams and disappointments. With words that will ring true for every person who has devoted themselves to the Lord's work, this unique book serves to remind readers that though the sacrifices of serving God are great, the sweetness of living a faithful, obedient life is greater still.

    Why did we have to shut our doors after only three years? I was at my breaking point. Then I got the news that our nine-year-old daughter had leukemia. I would have quit ministry forever, but I had no other employable skills. False accusations were made against me and my family, wrecking our reputation permanently and forcing us to leave not only the church, but move out of the area. I've served my church for the past 27 years and I've grown that church from 150 to 24 people. What do we do when we've failed? Some ministries are shipwrecked by moral failures like affairs or embezzlement. But for most of us, the sense of failure is more ordinary: disillusionment, inadequacy, declining budgets, poor decisions, opposition, depression, burnout. Many pastors are deeply broken and wounded, and we come to doubt that God has any use for us. J.R. Briggs, founder of the Epic Fail Pastors Conference, knows what failure feels like. He has listened to pastors who were busted in a prostitution sting or found themselves homeless when ejected from ministry. With candid vulnerability, Briggs explores the landscape of failure, how it devastates us and how it transforms us. Without offering pat answers or quick fixes, he challenges our cultural expectations of success and gives us permission to grieve our losses. Somehow, in the midst of our pain, we are better positioned to receive the grace of healing and restoration.

    The ingrown church is a common phenomenon. It is the "norm" for contemporary evangelical and Protestant churches. But ingrownness is a pathology. It can destroy the vital spiritual health of a church. It must, therefore, be combated with the norms of Scripture. And that is why this book was written. Outgrowing the Ingrown Church is a masterful mix of biblical principle, objective analysis, and personal experience. It traces the author's own growing awareness of the problem of ingrownness in his calling as a pastor, seminary professor, and evangelist/missionary. In his own discovery of the power and presence of God he discovered the tendency of the church to live by its own power and resources. This is a book written to help change churches by changing the individuals who read it. It offers one an unparalleled challenge to be evaluated, revitalized, and then used by God for the work of ministry. Thus it is a book not merely for pastors, but for the whole body of Christ. "I have never been as excited about any book concerning church growth as when I read this book . . . . (His biblical) principles, if followed, transform individual lives and then lead to a movement within a church to change the whole congregation," writes John Guest in the foreword.

    Fun is still allowed, by all means, but the ultimate emphasis on maturing faith is simply essential.The anecdotal comparisons are current and on-target (Starbucks’ well-publicized decision to retrain baristas in coffee making introduces the idea that youth leaders might also be wise to revisit the gospel essence of their ministry). And case study data gleaned from small to mega churches and parachurch ministries will give every youth leader a relatable reference point from which to begin the successful metamorphosis to Simple.

    In fact, prayer in the church often gets subtly pushed to the side in favor of pragmatic practices that promise tangible results. Rather than being a hallmark of churches, dependence on prayer is usually emphasized only in times of major crisis--if at all. The latest book in the 9Marks: Building Healthy Churches series focuses on the necessity of regular prayer as a central practice in the local church. Examining what Jesus taught about prayer, how the first Christians approached prayer in the early church, and what steps can be taken to prioritize prayer in churches, this book is intended to awaken readers to the need and blessing of prayer in their personal lives and in the life of their local church.

    But with many decisions, there's a certain amount of danger. One wrong decision can destroy a career or a marriage. A string of wrong decisions can derail a life. So how do we know if our decisions are wise ones?Pastor Bob Merritt has found that the best way to get it right is to cultivate godly wisdom. In Get Wise, he takes God's best wisdom as found in the book of Proverbs and applies it to the top decisions every person has to make--decisions about education, work, family, friends, sex, parenting, money, and more. Topic by topic, he shows readers how to make choices that result in long-term benefits in health, reputation, peace, and finances.

    It's an identity that is ours in Christ. An identity that shapes the whole of life so that life and mission become 'total church.' With that as their premise, they emphasize two overarching principles to govern the practice of church and mission: being gospel-centered and being community-centered. When these principles take precedence, say the authors, the truth of the Word is upheld, the mission of the gospel is carried out, and the priority of relationships is practiced in radical ways. The church becomes not just another commitment to juggle but a 24/7 lifestyle where programs, big events, and teaching from one person take a backseat to sharing lives, reaching out, and learning about God together.In Total Church, Chester and Timmis first outline the biblical case for making gospel and community central and then apply this dual focus to evangelism, social involvement, church planting, world missions, discipleship, pastoral care, spirituality, theology, apologetics, youth and children's work. As this insightful book calls the body of Christ to rethink its perspective and practice of church, it charts a middle path between the emerging church movement and conservative evangelicalism that all believers will find helpful.

    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...

    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.