Download or read book Celebration of Discipline written by Richard J. Foster and published by Zondervan. This book was released on 1988-10-05 with total page 266 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the twenty years since its publication, Celebration of Discipline has helped over a million seekers discover a richer spiritual life infused with joy, peace, and a deeper understanding of God. For this special twentieth anniversary edition, Richard J. Foster has added an introduction, in which he shares the story of how this beloved and enduring spiritual guidebook came to be. Hailed by many as the best modern book on Christian spirituality, Celebration of Discipline explores the "classic Disciplines," or central spiritual practices, of the Christian faith. Along the way, Foster shows that it is only by and through these practices that the true path to spiritual growth can be found. Dividing the Disciplines into three movements of the Spirit, Foster shows how each of these areas contribute to a balanced spiritual life. The inward Disciplines of meditation, prayer, fasting, and study, offer avenues of personal examination and change. The outward Disciplines of simplicity, solitude, submission, and service, help prepare us to make the world a better place. The corporate Disciplines of confession, worship, guidance, and celebration, bring us nearer to one another and to God. Foster provides a wealth of examples demonstrating how these Disciplines can become part of our daily activities-and how they can help us shed our superficial habits and "bring the abundance of God into our lives." He offers crucial new insights on simplicity, demonstrating how the biblical view of simplicity, properly understood and applied, brings joy and balance to our inward and outward lives and "sets us free to enjoy the provision of God as a gift that can be shared with others." The discussion of celebration, often the most neglected of the Disciplines, shows its critical importance, for it stands at the heart of the way to Christ. Celebration of Discipline will help motivate Christians everywhere to embark on a journey of prayer and spiritual growth.

Download or read book The Purpose Driven Church written by Rick Warren and published by Zondervan. This book was released on 2007-09-04 with total page 401 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The issue is church health, not church growth—if your church is healthy, growth will occur naturally. So how do we make healthy churches, driven by purpose? In order for any church to thrive, it must be built around the five New Testament purposes given to the church by Jesus Christ. In this classic of Christian church stability, pastor and bestselling author of The Purpose Driven Life Rick Warren unpacks this proven five-part strategy that will enable your church to grow: Warmer through fellowship. Deeper through discipleship. Stronger through worship. Broader through ministry. Larger through evangelism. Every church is driven by something. Tradition, finances, programs, personalities, events, seekers, and even buildings can each be the controlling force in a church. But Warren will show you how to concentrate on building people and let God build the church. In other words, healthy, consistent growth is the result of balancing the five biblical purposes of the church. And The Purpose Driven Church will show you how to do that. “The Purpose Driven Church has brought focus and direction to more pastors and church leaders than you can count. What a gift!”—John Ortberg, bestselling author.

Download or read book A Passionate Commitment written by Crawford W. Loritts and published by Moody Publishers. This book was released on 1996-07-05 with total page 90 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: We regularly attend church, know the hymns by heart, and teach our children about Jesus. We are doing the right things. So why do we feel so empty? Although Jesus promised His followers an abundant life, many Christians struggle with a lack of purpose, fulfillment, and zeal. Underneath all of their Christian activity, they feel cold and, at times, confused about the place and prominence of Jesus Christ in their inner lives. The problem, according to Crawford Loritts, is that we've lost our sense of purpose. While we may have a general sense of direction, we have assumed that somehow we can work out the details or that everything will just fall into place. While we outwardly conform to what we say we believe, we privately confess that we know God wants and deserves more from us. A Passionate Commitment will help you understand God's purpose for your life by challenging the things the world teaches you to hold dear. Crawford Loritts will help you revive your passionate commitment to the God of the universe.

Download or read book Commitment written by Robert Boyd Munger and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 1994-05-31 with total page 68 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Six studies, based on Robert Boyd Munger's classic of Christian commitment, My Heart--Christ's Home, offer an imaginative approach to help you see your life as Jesus might.

Download or read book Christian Commitment written by Edward J. Carnell and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 2007-10-01 with total page 344 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Introducing the Edward Carnell Library (Nine Titles Listed Inside) Rather than mounting a rational proof for God's existence, the author advocates here a "spiritual approach to God." This calls for an exercise not only of one's rational faculties, but also of the spiritual. The four parts of this book, originally published in 1957, treat the development and application of "knowledge by moral acceptance," the process of becoming acquainted with the person of God, and concluding inferences and problems.

Download or read book More Than a Healer written by Costi W. Hinn and published by Zondervan. This book was released on 2021-09-28 with total page 193 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How does healing fit into God's will, especially when God doesn't heal? Our hearts, our bodies, and our world are desperate for healing. We all experience brokenness, and we rightfully look to Jesus for restoration. But many Christians have been taught the lie that God will heal us if our faith is strong enough, and that he is punishing us when bad things happen. Growing up in one of the world's leading faith-healing dynasties, Costi Hinn witnessed the tragedy of people chasing after healing more than the Healer. In this book he provides biblical clarity to some of the most challenging questions of the Christian faith. Does grace guarantee healing? How do we catch ourselves from slipping into the trap of seeking God for what he can do for us and not for who he really is? Beginning with the vivid memory of the night he discovered his son's cancer diagnosis—Costi unpacks the layered feelings and questions we have about God and his healing power, and he provides practical principles for growing closer to Jesus. With gentle clarity and biblical wisdom, he explains how to: Faithfully pray for healing while trusting in God's sovereignty. Navigate tough conversations about the topics of divine healing, love, and justice. Hold on to faith even in the most painful trials. More than chasing after the Jesus we want, this hopeful and encouraging book will guide you to discovering the Jesus we truly need—and the true power and hope that comes from a genuine relationship with him.

Download or read book Lessons in Belonging from a Church Going Commitment Phobe written by Erin S. Lane and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 2014-12-30 with total page 212 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Why bother with a church? An unthinkable question just a generation ago, this is now the first theological hurdle not just for millennials but for people of faith from all sectors. Erin Lane mines her own complicated relationship with the church to give fresh insight into the complexities and possibilities of a shared faith.

Download or read book Building a Healthy Multi Ethnic Church written by Mark DeYmaz and published by Fortress Press. This book was released on 2020-10-06 with total page 243 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Through personal stories, proven experience, and a thorough analysis of the biblical text, Building a Healthy Multi-Ethnic Church illustrates both the biblical mandate for the multi-ethnic church and the seven core commitments required to bring it about. Mark DeYmaz, pastor of one of the most proven multi-ethnic churches in the country, writes from both his experience and his extensive study of how to plant, grow, and encourage more ethnically diverse churches. He argues that the "homogenous unit principle" will soon become irrelevant and that the most effective way to spread the gospel in an increasingly diverse world is through strong and vital multi-ethnic churches. Apart from ethnically and economically diverse relationships, we cannot understand others different from ourselves, develop trust for others who are different than us, and/or love others different than ourselves. Apart from understanding, trust, and love, we are less likely to get involved in the plight of others different than ourselves. Without involvement, nothing changes, and the disparaging consequences of systemic racism remain entrenched in our culture. Surely, it breaks the heart of God to see so many churches segregated ethnically or economically from one another, and that little has changed in the many years since it was first observed that eleven o'clock on Sunday morning is the most segregated hour in the land.

Download or read book The Cost of Commitment written by John White and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 2006-11-30 with total page 173 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: According to White, the cost of following Jesus is not cheap. The cost is substantial, but the benefits, rewards, and joys that come with a commitment to Him are well worth it.

Download or read book Blind Spots written by Collin Hansen and published by Crossway. This book was released on 2015-04-16 with total page 96 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Christians talk a lot about church unity. Unfortunately, however, God’s people are often better known for their divisions and disagreements than for a common commitment to the gospel. At the root of this disunity are the blind spots that prevent us from seeing other points of view and reevaluating our own perspectives. In this provocative book, Collin Hansen challenges Christians from various “camps” to view their differences as opportunities to more effectively engage a needy world with the love of Christ. Highlighting the diversity of thought, experience, and personality that God has given to his people, this book lays the foundation for a new generation of Christians eager to cultivate a courageous, compassionate, and commissioned church.

Download or read book The Discipline of Grace written by Jerry Bridges and published by NavPress. This book was released on 2018-04-03 with total page 353 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: God's Role and Our Role in the Pursuit of Holiness You are never beyond the reach of God's grace. Neither are you ever beyond the need of God's grace. Without grace we'd never come to Christ. But being a Christian is more than just coming to Christ, it's about growing and becoming more like Jesus. This pursuit of holiness is hard work, and as we enter into this discipline, we sometimes lose sight of grace. Jerry Bridges helps us steer clear of this disastrous distraction, offering a clear and thorough explanation of the gospel and what it means to the believer. Explore how the same grace that brings us to Christ also grows us in Christ. Includes full study guide (which was previously sold as a stand-alone discussion guide, ISBN 9781576839904).

Download or read book Handmade Cards written by Tamsin Carter and published by Search Press. This book was released on 2002 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Step by step instructions and photographs show how to create a selection of handmade cards. Suggested level: primary, intermediate.

Download or read book Total Commitment to Christ written by A. W. Tozer and published by . This book was released on 2018-01-03 with total page 26 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This booklet deals with what it means to be "crucified with Christ" in terms of Christian commitment. Are you attached to Christ exclusively, irrevocably, with no turning back? Are you attached to Christ at all? Or do you only follow him for his benefits?

Download or read book Not Yet Married written by Marshall Segal and published by Crossway. This book was released on 2017-06-20 with total page 221 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Life Is Never Mainly About Love and Marriage. So Learn to Live and Date for More. Many of you grew up assuming that marriage would meet all of your needs and unlock God's purposes for you. But God has far more planned for you than your future marriage. Not Yet Married is not about waiting quietly in the corner of the world for God to bring you "the one," but about inspiring you to live and date for more now. If you follow Jesus, the search for a spouse is no longer a pursuit of the perfect person, but a pursuit of more of God. He will likely write a love story for you different than the one you would write for yourself, but that's because he loves you and knows how to write a better story. This book was written to help you find real hope, happiness, and purpose in your not-yet-married life.

Download or read book What Is a Healthy Church Member written by Thabiti M. Anyabwile and published by Crossway. This book was released on 2008-06-09 with total page 130 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Biblically and practically instructs church members in ways they can labor for the health of their church. What Is a Healthy Church Member? takes its cue from Mark Dever's book What Is a Healthy Church?, which offered one definition of what a healthy church looks like biblically and historically. In this new work, pastor Thabiti Anyabwile attempts to answer the natural next question: "What does a healthy church member look like in the light of Scripture?" God intends for us to play an active and vital part in the body of Christ, the local church. He wants us to experience the local church as a home more profoundly wonderful and meaningful than any other place on earth. He intends for his churches to be healthy places and for the members of those churches to be healthy as well. This book explains how membership in the local church can produce spiritual growth in its members and how each member can contribute to the growth and health of the whole.

Download or read book Public Worship and Public Work written by Christian Batalden Scharen and published by Liturgical Press. This book was released on 2004 with total page 260 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Description: In a time of increasing cultural pluralism and vast religious restructuring in the United States, Christian social ethics must take account of how values and commitments shape Christian communities. In Public Worship and Public Work Christian Scharen examines theological claims about the relationship of worship and ethics by means of ethnographic study of the life, worship, and work of three vibrant congregations. Public Worship and Public Work moves beyond two caricatures of the relationship between worship and social ethics. Rather than resolute portrayals of the Church as a reflection of its culture and context and causal accounts of the Church's liturgy forming a Christian witness over and against culture, this book lifts up congregational identity as an area of dynamic interaction between worship, social ethics, and culture. Chapters in Part One are "Liturgy and Social Ethics: Characterizing a Debate," and "Sociologizing the Debate: Identity, Ritual, and Public Commitment." Chapters in Part Two: Three Case Studies in Atlanta's Old Downtown are "'People Living Church': The Catholic Shrine of the Immaculate Conception," "'Jesus Saves': Big Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, '" and "'The Church at Work': Central Presbyterian Church.'" Part Three concludes with "The World in the Church in the World."

Download or read book The Cape Town Commitment written by Rose Dowsett and published by Hendrickson Publishers. This book was released on 2012 with total page 160 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Cape Town Commitment presents a statement of shared Biblical convictions, and calls Christians from all over the world to action. This Study Edition includes additional commentary and questions for further reflection.