Download or read book A Hunger for God written by John Piper and published by Inter-Varsity Press. This book was released on 2013-04-23 with total page 216 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There is an appetite for God. And it can be awakened. I invite you to turn from the dulling effects of food and the dangers of idolatry, and to say with some simple fast: "This much, O God, I want you." Our appetites dictate the direction of our lives - whether it be the cravings of our stomachs, the passionate desire for possessions or power, or the longings of our spirits for God. But for the Christian, the hunger for anything besides God can be an arch-enemy. While our hunger for God - and Him alone - is the only thing that will bring victory. Do you have that hunger for Him? As John Piper puts it: "If we don't feel strong desires for the manifestation of the glory of God, it is not because you have drunk deeply and are satisfied. It is because we have nibbled so long at the table of the world. Our soul is stuffed with small things, and there is no room for the great." If we are full of what the world offers, then perhaps a fast might express, or even increase, our soul's appetite for God. Between the dangers of self-denial and self-indulgence is this path of pleasant pain called fasting. It is the path John Piper invites you to travel in this book. For when God is the supreme hunger of your heart, He will be supreme in everything. And when you are most satisfied in Him, He will be most glorified in you.

Download or read book Remaining Faithful in Ministry written by John MacArthur and published by Crossway. This book was released on 2019-03-14 with total page 68 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Perhaps no one else has ever faced as much hardship, opposition, or relentless suffering as the apostle Paul. And yet, through it all, Paul stood firm in Christ and remained faithful—to the very end. The power of Paul's example has captivated veteran pastor John MacArthur for years, and here he outlines nine unwavering convictions that contributed to this remarkable perseverance. In an age when pastoral failure and burnout are increasingly common, this book is a call to endurance in ministry, encouraging pastors to stand strong in their role and not lose heart, regardless of what God sends their way.

Download or read book Liberating Ministry from the Success Syndrome written by R. Kent Hughes and published by Crossway. This book was released on 2008-01-07 with total page 202 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Every year thousands of God's servants leave the ministry convinced they are failures. Years ago, in the midst of a crisis of faith, Kent Hughes almost became one of them. But instead he and his wife Barbara turned to God's Word, determined to learn what God had to say about success and to evaluate their ministry from a biblical point of view. This book describes their journey and their liberation from the "success syndrome"-the misguided belief that success in ministry means increased numbers. In today's world it is easy to be seduced by the secular thinking that places a number on everything. But the authors teach that true success in ministry lies not in numbers but in several key areas: faithfulness, serving, loving, believing, prayer, holiness, and a Christlike attitude. Their thoughts will encourage readers who grapple with feelings of failure and lead them to a deeper, fuller understanding of success in Christian ministry. This book was originally published by Tyndale in 1987 and includes a new preface.

Download or read book The Christ Centered Expositor written by Tony Merida and published by B&H Publishing Group. This book was released on 2016-10-01 with total page 190 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Christ-Centered Expositor by pastor and preaching professor Tony Merida provides a comprehensive overview of effective expository preaching that begins with the inner life of the expositor, and then moves to the essential elements of sermon preparation and delivery. Ideal for pastors, teachers, and students, The Christ-Centered Expositor will equip you for greater faithfulness to God, his Word, and his mission.

Download or read book Discerning Your Call to Ministry written by Jason K. Allen and published by Moody Publishers. This book was released on 2016-08-19 with total page 170 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “The church has needed this book for a long time.” — Russell Moore If you are considering the ministry, there are two mistakes to avoid. The first is taking up a calling that isn’t yours. The second is neglecting one that is. Discerning Your Call to Ministry will help you know the difference. A tool for seminary students, pastors-in-training, and even current pastors, it serves to confirm or prompt deep thought about the calling to ministry through 10 probing questions, including: Do you desire the ministry? Does your church affirm your calling? Do you love the people of God? Are you willing to surrender? Pastoral dropout rates are high, and seminary admission rates are declining—signs that many of us don’t quite know what we’re signing ourselves up for. Author Jason Allen, a former pastor and the president of North America’s fastest growing seminary, gives readers a better picture of the calling. Presenting a series of diagnostic questions informed by Scripture, church history, and his own experience, he helps those seeking ordination or ministry positions make confident decisions about their service to God, one way or the other.

Download or read book The Death of Porn written by Ray Ortlund and published by Crossway. This book was released on 2021-08-19 with total page 130 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: ECPA Christian Book Award Finalist Your Battle against Porn Isn't about Porn. It's about Hope. Pornography may seem inescapable, but God can free us from its destructive power. The gospel replaces the dehumanizing lies of pornography with this surprising truth: God created us as royalty. How then can we reclaim our God-given identity to take a stand against—and ultimately starve—the predatory porn industry? In The Death of Porn, Ray Ortlund writes six personal letters, as from a father to his son. Ideal for individuals and small groups, it will give hope to men who have been misled by porn into devaluing themselves and others. Through Scripture and personal stories, Ortlund assures readers that God loves them the most tenderly in their moments of deepest shame. The Death of Porn inspires men to come together in new ways to fight the injustice of porn and build a world of nobility for every man and woman—for the sake of future generations.

Download or read book Nine Marks of a Healthy Church 3rd Edition written by Mark Dever and published by Crossway. This book was released on 2013-08-31 with total page 306 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Now in its third edition and featuring a new foreword by New York Times best-selling author David Platt, pastor Mark Dever’s classic book is not an instruction manual for church growth. Rather, it is a wise pastor’s recommendation for how to assess the health of a church using nine crucial qualities often neglected by many of today’s congregations. Church leaders and church members alike will resonate with the principles outlined here, breathing new life and health into the church at large. In this newly revised edition, fresh arguments have been added (for example on expositional preaching, about the nature of the gospel, on complementarianism), illustrations have been updated, appendices have been changed, and cover has been improved.

Download or read book The Pursuit of Glory written by Vince Ward and published by . This book was released on 2018-06-15 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book A Portrait of Paul written by Rob Ventura and published by . This book was released on 2011-01-01 with total page 207 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book The Whole Christ written by Sinclair B. Ferguson and published by Crossway. This book was released on 2016-01-14 with total page 160 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Since the days of the early church, Christians have struggled to understand the relationship between two seemingly contradictory concepts in the Bible: law and gospel. If, as the apostle Paul says, the law cannot save, what can it do? Is it merely an ancient relic from Old Testament Israel to be discarded? Or is it still valuable for Christians today? Helping modern Christians think through this complex issue, seasoned pastor and theologian Sinclair Ferguson carefully leads readers to rediscover an eighteenth-century debate that sheds light on this present-day doctrinal conundrum: the Marrow Controversy. After sketching the history of the debate, Ferguson moves on to discuss the theology itself, acting as a wise guide for walking the path between legalism (overemphasis on the law) on the one side and antinomianism (wholesale rejection of the law) on the other.

Download or read book Brothers We are Not Professionals written by John Piper and published by B&H Publishing Group. This book was released on 2013 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: John Piper pleads with fellow pastors to abandon the professionalization of the pastorate and pursue the prophetic call of the Bible for radical ministry.

Download or read book A Good Minister of Jesus Christ written by Theodore Andoseh and published by ZTF Books Online. This book was released on with total page 253 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What does a true minister of Christ look like, and what constitutes his ministry? How can we identify the life and labours of one called by God to serve in the church? A Good Minister of Jesus Christ, by Theodore Andoseh, seeks to provide answers to the above questions through a close examination of the life (worker) and ministry (work) of Timothy—a protégé of Apostle Paul. From his own steadfast, dynamic, and utterly devoted life and ministry as a messenger of the gospel, amid suffering and hardship, Apostle Paul admonished Timothy unto faithfulness in ministry, personal cultivation, commitment to the goal, submission to spiritual authority, and self-watch as an antidote to apostasy and moral bankruptcy. The author shows that Timothy's unrelenting faithfulness in the worst kinds of trials—leader of a church infiltrated by false teachers; church members looking down on him because of his youth; frequent stomach ailments; and so on—is a remarkable example to every contemporary worker in the vineyard of God. In the end, the fruit of his labours—the growth, overflow, and partnership of the churches in Macedonia—defines the faithful minister (worker) he became. As you read on, may the Lord stir in you the urge to be a good tree that will bear good and lasting fruit for His glory.

Download or read book Shrink written by Tim Suttle and published by Zondervan. This book was released on 2014-09-02 with total page 241 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Among followers of Jesus, great is often the enemy of good. The drive to be great—to be a success by the standards of the world—often crowds out the qualities of goodness, virtue, and faithfulness that should define the central focus of Christian leadership. In the culture of today’s church, successful leadership is often judged by what works, while persistent faithfulness takes a back seat. If a ministry doesn’t produce results, it is dropped. If people don’t respond, we move on. This pursuit of “greatness” exerts a crushing pressure on the local church and creates a consuming anxiety in its leaders. In their pursuit of this warped vision of greatness, church leaders end up embracing a leadership narrative that runs counter to the sacrificial call of the gospel story. When church leaders focus on faithfulness to God and the gospel, however, it’s always a kingdom-win—regardless of the visible results of their ministry. John the Baptist modeled this kind of leadership. As John’s disciples crossed the Jordan River to follow after Jesus, John freely released them to a greater calling than following him. Speaking of Jesus, John said: “He must increase, but I must decrease.” Joyfully satisfied to have been faithful to his calling, John knew that the size and scope of his ministry would be determined by the will of the Father, not his own will. Following the example of John the Baptist and with a careful look at the teaching of Scripture, Tim Suttle dares church leaders to risk failure by chasing the vision God has given them—no matter how small it might seem—instead of pursuing the broad path of pragmatism that leads to fame and numerical success.

Download or read book Set an Example written by Tim Challies and published by Cruciform Quick. This book was released on 2017-10 with total page 58 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: If you are 16 or 18 or in your 20s, in school or just moving into marriage and career, there are many ways to invest your time. But the Bible is clear that none is better than the pursuit of godliness: in your speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity. As Paul told Timothy, set an example, be an example. Make your life a beautiful work of art.

Download or read book Trading and Thriving in Godliness written by George Swinnock and published by . This book was released on 2008 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: ###############################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################

Download or read book Called to the Ministry written by Edmund P. Clowney and published by P & R Publishing. This book was released on 1976-10 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What is Christ's calling to you? You may be seeking an answer; you may be avoiding the question, but when the Lord calls, he will be answered. God's call came suddenly to Elisha; he was plowing a field when Elijah cast the prophet's mantle on him. Levi was in a toll booth, and Peter held a fishing net when Jesus called them. But how does the Lord call today? You have not been blinded by a heavenly light on the road to Damascus, but you are ready to say with Saul of Tarsus, "Lord, what wouldst thou have me to do?" How does the Lord answer that question? - Introduction.

Download or read book Palau written by Luis Palau and published by HarperChristian + ORM. This book was released on 2019-06-04 with total page 254 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Join Luis Palau, one of the world's most influential religious leaders, as he shares his legacy in this one-of-a-kind memoir packed with guiding principles that will spark in you a fiery faith to live out the good news of Jesus Christ. Tracing his faith journey from his humble beginnings on the streets of Buenos Aires, Argentina, to sharing the good news with millions and counseling world leaders, Luis's life was filled to the brim with adventure, risk, and faith. With never-before-told stories and a breathtaking sixteen-page photo insert, Luis recounts how: He cared for his mother and five siblings after losing his father at a young age As a teenager, he heard Billy Graham speak and decided to follow in his footsteps He came to find friendship and support from Mr. Graham later in life He was brought to the United States by a faith-filled pastor named Ray Stedman from Palo Alto, California The Lord blessed, challenged, and guided Luis and his team into some of the most exciting evangelistic campaigns the world has ever seen In each chapter, Luis shares a foundational lesson that influenced his life and will inspire and challenge your faith. From his mother's indomitable trust in God to the quiet heroes who touched and saved Luis's family, you'll discover the message that echoes throughout his powerful story: that the gospel of Jesus is good news shared by humble, even unseen, servants of God. Praise for Palau: "It's obvious God has used Luis in a great way to fulfill His purpose for the Kingdom. I thank him for modeling that which matters most--transforming our world by changing lives through the abundant life found in Christ." --Rick Warren, New York Times bestselling author of The Purpose Driven Life "Words cannot express the deep appreciation I have for Luis and the fine work God has called him to do. His faithfulness in proclaiming God's glorious gospel across racial, cultural, and geographical lines has been nothing short of praiseworthy." --Tony Evans, pastor, speaker, and bestselling author