The Church

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.)

Desperately needed by the church, this high-energy, story-driven book will inspire and motivate Christians to enter into the unexpected adventure of interacting with others about Jesus.

This book will open your eyes to the needs, frustrations, dreams, and potential of your church’s greatest resource—the 60 percent of its members who provide far more than 60 percent of what keeps it going. The women of your church think the world of you, pastor. But they deeply wish you understood a few things about them that can make an enormous difference to their well-being and that of your church.

Authors Dave and Jon Ferguson communicate a simple strategy that will engage millions of Christ followers and challenge every church leader to become a reproducing follower and leader.

This audio version of the popular book is read by the author and will provide a vision for turning every church -- new or old -- into a contagious church that is a powerful magnet for attracting and influencing unchurched people.

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.

When it comes to sharing our faith, we can make things more complex than they need to be. Simple Evangelism offers practical ways to connect people to God’s amazing love. With three decades of outreach leadership, Kevin Harney provides tools that free you to set fear aside and walk boldly into the adventure of evangelism.

You can serve God and his people for a lifetime and do it with passion and joy. You do not have to become another casualty in the growing number of leaders who have compromised their integrity, character, and ministry because they failed to lead an examined and accountable life.

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?”

Enjoy sharing your faith naturally and consistently by making small adjustments in just the right places, you can set off a chain reaction that will redefine the landscape of your life. Dreams really do come true when you learn how to take little steps that make a big difference.

Based on Jesus’ encouragement to Peter in Luke 22 to keep his faith and minister to others in his weakness, Wayne Cordeiro shares the difficulties and hardships of planting and leading new churches while providing wisdom and inspiration for the journey.

True Discipleship Integrates Emotional and Spiritual Health. New Life Fellowship in Queens, New York, had it all: powerful teaching, dynamic ministries, an impressive growth rate, and a vision to do great works for God. Things looked good-but beneath the surface, circumstances were more than just brewing. They were about to boil over, forcing Peter Scazzero to confront needs in his church and himself that went deeper than he'd ever imagined. What he learned about the vital link between emotional health, relational depth, and spiritual maturity can shed new light on painful problems in your own church. Here are refreshing new insights, and a different and challenging slant on what it takes to lead your congregation to wholeness and maturity in Christ. Our churches are in trouble, says Scazzero. They are filled with people who are ·unsure how to biblically integrate anger, sadness, and other emotions ·defensive, incapable of revealing their weaknesses ·threatened by or intolerant of different viewpoints ·zealous about ministering at church but blind to their spouses' loneliness at home ·so involved in "serving" that they fail to take care of themselves ·prone to withdraw from conflict rather than resolve it Sharing from New Life Fellowship's painful but liberating journey, Scazzero reveals exactly how the truth can and does make people free-not just superficially, but deep down. After offering a new vision of discipleship and a revealing, guided self-assessment of your own spiritual and emotional maturity, The Emotionally Healthy Church takes you through six principles that can make a profound difference in your church. You'll acquire knowledge and tools that can help you and others · look beneath the surface of problems · break the power of past wounds, failures, sins, and circumstances · live a life of brokenness and vulnerability · recognize and honor personal limitations and boundaries · embrace grief and loss · make incarnation your model to love others. Written in a personal and passionate style, The Emotionally Healthy Church includes hands-on tools, discussion questions, spotlights on key points, and story after story of people at New Life whose lives have been changed by the concepts in this book. Open these pages, and find out how your church can turn a new corner on the road to spiritual maturity.

Ace Collins helps you uncover the background of 32 favorite Christmas songs. Learn the surprising tale of how each song was created. Explore specific times and places that gave birth to each message. Hear these familiar melodies with new understanding as their stories find their way into your heart.

This practical guide to the biblical art of sharing your faith offers refreshing insight into the many ways, spoken and silent.