The Church

One contemporary scholar and authority on Spurgeon says of this work: 'Next to Mr. Spurgeon's great literary work, The Treasury of David, we consider (these) Lectures to My Students his greatest single contribution to the Christian world. There is more practical wisdom, common sense and sage advice packed within these pages than with any other book of similar size, or content.' This complete and unabridged edition of Spurgeon's great work will make it possible for today's generation to appreciate Spurgeon's combination of discerning wit and refreshingly practical advice. Included in the twenty-eight chapters of this classic volume are lectures such as: - The Call to Ministry - The Preacher's Private Prayer - On the Choice of a Text - On the Voice - The Holy Spirit in Connection with Our Ministry - The Blind Eye and the Deaf Ear - On Conversion as Our Aim - Illustrations in Preaching As were all of Spurgeon's messages to his people, each of these lectures is Scripture-saturated and Christ-honoring. They move swiftly and are fascinating in their content and sage counsel.

The purpose of studying the Old Testament is to understand God and his redemptive work more fully. However, this goal is complicated by the fact that it was transmitted through a very different language and culture from our own. A Survey of the Old Testament provides an indispensable guide for undergraduate students and other listeners by exploring the literary, historical, and theological issues behind the Old Testament and its various books. For each Old Testament book, the Survey addresses background information, purpose, message, structure, and major themes. Chapters introducing each major section of the Old Testament are included, as are chapters dealing with issues of interpretation, geography, archaeology, history, formation of the Old Testament canon, and the Old Testament’s relationship to the New Testament. (This product is an audio lecture by the authors recorded before a live audience, and is based on the text of the book A Survey of the Old Testament.)

Most historical theology texts follow Christian beliefs chronologically, discussing notable doctrinal developments for all areas of theology according to their historical appearance. And while this may be good history, it can make for confusing theology, with the classic theological loci scattered throughout various time periods, movements, and controversies. In Historical Theology, Gregg Allison offers students the opportunity to study the historical development of theology according to a topical-chronological arrangement, setting out the history of Christian doctrine one theological element at a time. Such an approach allows readers to concentrate on one tenet of Christianity and its formulation in the early church, through the Middle Ages, Reformation, and post-Reformation era, and into the modern period. Includes a generous mix of primary source material as well, citing the words of Cyprian, Augustine, Aquinas, Luther, Calvin, Barth, and others. Allison references the most accessible editions of these notable theologians’ work so that students can continue their study of historical theology through Christian history’s most important contributors. Historical Theology is a superb resource for those familiar with Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology or interested in understanding the development of Christian theology.

The Zondervan Biblical and Theological Lectures series provides a unique audio learning experience. Unlike a traditional audiobook's direct narration of a book's text,A Theology of Biblical Counseling: Audio Lectures includes high quality live-recordings of college-level lectures that cover the important points from each subject as well as relevant material from other sources. For over four decades, biblical theology has been at the core of the biblical counseling movement. Leaders in biblical counseling have emphasized a commitment to teaching doctrine in their counseling courses out of the conviction that good theology leads to good counseling and bad theology leads to bad counseling. In A Theology of Biblical Counseling: Audio Lectures Heath Lambert unpacks the core convictions that underlie sound counseling and gives practical wisdom for our counseling practices today. These audio lectures show how biblical counseling is rooted in the Scriptures while illustrating the real challenges counselors face today. A Theology of Biblical Counseling: Audio Lectures is accessible for working biblical counselors and for counselors-in-training at colleges and seminaries. In each lesson, doctrine comes to life in real ministry to real people, dramatically demonstrating how theology intersects with the lives of actual counselees.

Many pastors struggle to translate their theological beliefs into fruitful ministry in the places they are called to reach. It’s not enough to simply know what to believe (theology) or, on the other hand, how to do ministry (methodology)—they need something in between. They need help thinking about ministry in a culture that no longer believes Christianity is a force for good, let alone the source of ultimate revealed truth in the person of Christ.

The Zondervan Biblical and Theological Lectures series provides a unique audio learning experience. Unlike a traditional audiobook's direct narration of a book's text, Church History, Volume Two: Audio Lectures includes high quality live-recordings of college-level lectures that cover the important points from each subject as well as relevant material from other sources. Church History, Volume Two: Audio Lectures features and offers a unique contextual view of how the Christian church spread and developed from Reformation times to the present. It did so not in a vacuum, but in a setting of times, cultures, and events that both influenced and were influenced by the church. These lectures help explore the integral link between the history of the world and that of the church. This lecture features the authors recounting the ups and downs, the triumphs and struggles, of the Christian movement. Primary attention is given to the history of Christianity in the West, but developments in Africa, Eastern Europe, Asia, and Latin America are also covered. Useful for traditional students, students in distance and online courses, and independent learners alike, these lectures provide a full introduction to church history from the period just prior to the Reformation through the next five hundred-plus years.

The Zondervan Biblical and Theological Lectures series provides a unique audio learning experience. Unlike a traditional audiobook's direct narration of a book's text, Church History, Volume One: Audio Lectures includes high-quality live recordings of college-level lectures that cover the important points from each subject as well as relevant material from other sources. Church History, Volume One: Audio Lectures offers a unique contextual view of how the Christian church spread and developed from the days of Jesus to the years prior to the Reformation. The church did so not in a vacuum, but in a setting of times, cultures, and events that both influenced and were influenced by it. These lectures help explore the integral link between the history of the world and that of the church. These lectures feature the author teaching through each chapter in the book. Useful for traditional students, students in distance and online courses, and independent learners alike, these lectures provide a full introduction to church history from the time of Christ to the pre-Reformation.

Every church is driven by some controlling force: tradition, finances, programs, events, personalities, or even the building itself. But author and pastor Dr. Rick Warren, the founder of Saddleback Valley Community Church in California, believes that a church can only be truly healthy if it becomes "purpose-driven": built around the five goals Jesus stated in the New Testament. Dr. Warren's illuminating work outlines a proven five-part strategy that will enable your church to become warmer through fellowship, deeper through discipleship, stronger through worship, broader through ministry, and larger through evangelism. By shifting the focus away from church-building programs, Dr. Warren emphasizes a people-building, inclusive process that will allow your church to grow without compromising its message and mission.

Every church is driven by some controlling force: tradition, finances, programs, events, personalities, or even the building itself. But author and pastor Dr. Rick Warren, the founder of Saddleback Valley Community Church in California, believes that a church can only be truly healthy if it becomes "purpose-driven," built around the 5 goals Jesus stated in the New Testament. Dr. Warren's illuminating work outlines a proven 5-part strategy that will enable your church to become warmer through fellowship, deeper through discipleship, stronger through worship, broader through ministry, and larger through evangelism. By shifting the focus away from church-building programs, Dr. Warren emphasizes a people-building, inclusive process that will allow your church to grow without compromising its message and mission.

Amid the pluralism and secularism of Western culture, Christian apologetics has experienced a renewal of interest. In Apologetics at the Cross, Joshua D. Chatraw and Mark D. Allen provide an introduction to the field, acquainting students and lay learners with the rich history, biblical foundation, and ongoing relevance of apologetics. Unique in its approach, Apologetics at the Cross presents the biblical and historical foundations for apologetics, explores various contemporary methods for approaching apologetics, and gives practical guidance in "how to" chapters that feature many real-life illustrations. With their respectful approach, which pays special attention to the attitude and posture of the apologist, Chatraw and Allen equip Christians to engage skeptics with the heart as well as the mind. Conversational in tone and balanced in approach, Apologetics at the Cross provides a listenable introduction to the field of apologetics. Listeners will be informed and equipped for engaging a wide range of contemporary challenges with the best in Christian thought.

Diseñado para dos públicos, este libro contiene bosquejos y referencias en los márgenes para ayudar al estudiante y al maestro, junto con una narración continua y numerosas ilustraciones para el lector general. Ninguna institución ha cubierto más siglos y más continentes que la iglesia cristiana. Su historia dramática es de derramamiento de sangre y paz, corrupción y pobreza. Aquí el doctor Hurlbut vuelve a contar esta historia con un estilo objetivo, conciso y claro, haciendo énfasis en el espíritu de la iglesia, su crecimiento y maduración, y las causas que condujeron a los acontecimientos históricos y su influencia resultante. Preciso, al día, y presentado en forma vívida, Historia de la Iglesia Cristiana, de Hurlbut, cubre los seis períodos generales de la historia de la iglesia desde el año 30 d. C. hasta el día de hoy. En esta edición revisada después de la muerte del doctor Hurlbut, se ha añadido una sección de conclusión que abarca el período desde el fallecimiento del autor hasta la actualidad para darnos un vistazo completo y fácil de entender acerca de la iglesia cristiana. Es ideal para utilizarlo en la Escuela Dominical, ya que al final del libro se incluyen bosquejos sugeridos y preguntas de repaso para cada capítulo. Designed for two audiences, this book contains outlines and references in the margins to aid the student or teacher along with a continuous narrative and numerous illustrations for the general reader. No other institution has spanned more centuries and more continents than the Christian church. Its dramatic story is one of bloodshed and peace, corruption and poverty. Here Dr. Hurlbut retells the story in an objective, concise, and clear style, emphasizing the spirit of the church, its growth and maturity, and the causes leading to historic events and their resulting influence. Accurate, up-to-date, and vividly presented, Hurlbut's “Story of the Christian Church” traces the six general periods of church history from A.D. 30 to the present time. In this revised edition prepared after Dr. Hurlbut’s death, an additional concluding section covers the years from the time of the author’s death to the present, thus providing the reader with a comprehensive and easy to understand overview of the Christian church. Designed for two audiences, this book contains outlines and references in the margins to aid the student or teacher along with a continuous narrative and numerous illustrations for the general reader. It is ideal for use in Sunday school classes, because suggested outlines and review questions for each chapter are included at the end of the book.

Serving as a church leader can be a tough assignment. Whatever your role, odds are you’ve known your share of the frustration, conflict, and disillusionment that comes with silly turf battles, conflicting vision, and marathon meetings. No doubt, you’ve asked yourself, “How did it get this way?”

In Sticky Church, author and pastor Larry Osborne makes the case that closing the back door of your church is even more important than opening the front door wider. He offers a time-tested strategy for doing so: sermon-based small groups that dig deeper into the weekend message and tightly velcro members to the ministry. It’s a strategy that enabled Osborne’s congregation to grow from a handful of people to one of the larger churches in the nation—without any marketing or special programming.

The Church today is in the middle of a powerful storm, the intensity of which is likely to increase in the future. Many Christians are bewildered and concerned by what they see—a culture that’s become increasingly hostile to biblical Christianity and a church whose vital signs are quickly waning. In Strong through the Storm, pastor and bestselling author Jim Cymbala speaks to every Christian who is concerned about the challenges the church is facing in America today. Using powerful stories of people who have been transformed by Christ, Cymbala offers hope, helping Christians to understand that a life surrendered to Christ will not be easily defeated, even in the midst of growing hostility toward Christians. No matter how much spiritual darkness encompasses the world, the light of the gospel cannot be suppressed. Some churches are coming at the storm with harsh legalism, but Cymbala explains that the message needs to be grace. We need to understand the spiritual battle we are in and use the right weapons against it, says Cymbala. We are not struggling against the leaders of this world or the people in the battle, we are struggling against our spiritual enemy, and we need to fight with the Word of God, prayer, and the Holy Spirit. We don’t need more church growth programs to turn the church around. What’s needed is a transformation so that the gospel is preached, the Holy Spirit is allowed to lead, and lives are changed.