Download or read book Dirty Word written by Jim Parker Walker and published by Upper Room Books. This book was released on 2008 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Jesus said he came to heal the sick, not the well. And yet some churches have a feeling about them that is vaguely antiseptic, where there seems to be an unspoken pressure to censor any unpleasantness. Jim Walker wanted to build a church that was honest, that lived out its mission down in the muck of life where Jesus calls us to get our hands dirty. In the rough and often unpleasant neighborhoods of the South Side of Pittsburgh, Jim began finding people who wanted to live in a new way--passionate, committed, and totally devoted to God. The worshiping community they built together, now known as Hot Metal Bridge Church, is a place of harsh honesty and tender caring, of deep pain and great joy. In Dirty Word you''ll meet a street person named Fetus who has an encounter with Jesus at the communion table that leads him to change his name to Feed Us. You''ll visit the weekly Bible Fight Club where guys with plenty of tattoos take their Bible study very seriously, and find a new perspective on how the kingdom of God really looks, sounds and smells. Be forewarned: Some of the stories and descriptions in Dirty Word might offend you, or run afoul of your expectations of the clergy. But if you are equally offended by watered-down theology and pallid discipleship, Dirty Word offers a bracing challenge and a fresh evocation of hope. Dirty Word is a raw, uncensored look at an unapologetic way of being the church. From chapter 8 One Sunday, after worship Amanda and Eric approached me. Amanda is a twenty something with a mix of blond and black and red hair. Eric has the black and blue tint to his hair that I''ve always wanted and have never had the nerve to get. Both Eric and Amanda are eccentric and artsy, love old monster movies and rock n roll. "Pastor Jim", Amanda started, "We want to get involved in a Bible study. Is this church going to have any Bible studies?" I quickly got defensive. That''s what we pastors do when it is insinuated that we''re not providing the right products. "We already have Bible studies going on right now," I replied, "We have a study on Monday night, a study about Ephesians on Wednesday, and a study on Romans on Saturday nights at the coffee shop." Eric looked at me, politely, but pained, and said to me very gently and kindly "Yeah, we went to those...." "It''s just not what we''re looking for, Pastor Jim", Amanda said. "Well, what is it you''re looking for? Maybe we can get something new going." That''s when Amanda got bold. I braced myself. "To be honest, Pastor Jim, I don''t like those other studies because it''s just a bunch of people sitting around nodding at one other. I mean, everyone is just agreeing with each other. I feel like we''re being brain-washed or something." "What are you suggesting?" I replied, kind of confused. "I don''t know. We want to be part of a Bible study where no one agrees." "No one agrees?" "Sure, why don''t we have a study where everyone comes and we fight?" When we started Bible Fight Club, the purpose wasn''t, and still isn''t, discipleship. The club isn''t meant to be a place where we grow in our faith, per se. The point to the gathering is not to worship, and it''s not to study scripture and it''s not to fellowship. The point to Bible Fight Club is to fight. It is a time for debate, a time for wrestling, and for doubting and questioning the things that we sometimes we hold as gospel. Sometimes this even means the Gospel. For our church it has been a place where atheists, agnostics, believers, ''non-believers'', and believers of other faiths can come and toss in their two cents. To make sure that the argument is valued and that people are valued as well, we made the following rules: Bible Fight Club Rules 1. Respect: we love and respect each other, but not necessarily each other''s opinions. We respect the argument by being good listeners. 2. Say Anything: no judging and no holding grudges. The tattoo shop basement is a safe place where anything can be said. 3. Fight: all those in attendance must participate. No one is allowed to come and observe in silence. (Observers and silent onlookers skew the argument by inadvertently becoming a kind of jury that people try to convince.) 4. Get to the point: no speeches. "Make your point and shut up"--so others can speak. 5. Honor the Argument: phrases like ''Well, it''s all just a mystery'' or ''we''ll never know the answer, so why bother arguing'' do not honor the argument. Take a side and fight, no matter how ''mysterious'' you think the subject is. 6. Admit when you''ve been hit: At the end of the evening we take time to talk about the argument. Everyone must share something that was said that made them think. Sometimes this might mean having some humility. But that''s the point.
Download or read book Redeeming Productivity written by Reagan Rose and published by Moody Publishers. This book was released on 2022-10-04 with total page 134 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Feeling overwhelmed and unproductive? The answer isn’t to do more. What image forms in your mind when you think of productivity? An assembly line? Spreadsheets? Business suits or workplace uniforms? In the ancient world, productivity didn't conjure images like these. Instead, it referred to crop yield and fruit bearing. This agrarian imagery helps us understand productivity through a biblical lens. Jesus taught, By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit (John 15:8). Who doesn’t want to have a truly productive life—to bear much fruit? But how does this happen in the places we hold dear—the home, workplace, and in our communities? We often feel overworked and overrun, defeated and discouraged. The world says be productive so that you can get all you can out of this life. The Bible says be productive so you can gain more of the next life. In Redeeming Productivity, author Reagan Rose explores how God’s glory is the purpose for which He planted us. And he shows how productivity must be firmly rooted in the gospel. Only through our connection to Christ—the True Vine—are we empowered to produce good fruit. This book shows how we can maintain the vitality of that connection through simple, life-giving disciplines. Readers will discover manageable applications like giving God the first fruits of our days. Additionally, Reagan discusses how our perspective on suffering is transformed as we see trials as God’s pruning for greater productivity.
Download or read book Dirty God written by Johnnie Moore and published by Thomas Nelson Inc. This book was released on 2012-12-31 with total page 226 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Moore draws on both Scripture and his extensive experience with other cultures and religions to show how the God of the Bible is unique in his willingness to be near us in all of our messiness.
Download or read book Faith Vs Faithfulness written by Justin Perdue and published by . This book was released on 2019-08-28 with total page 52 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Many Christians evaluate their lives and ask the same questions: Am I doing enough? Have I shown enough discipline, enough dedication, or enough effort? Would praying and reading my Bible more help meovercome . . . remove . . . have . . .? You may feel that you put so much effort into improving your Christian life with no apparent fruit. Sins you thought would have been easier to overcome are still plaguing your daily life.You are not alone, and you are not crazy! Many Christians today live on this sort of performance-based treadmill, running fast and getting nowhere. Trying harder and doing more haven't produced assurance or victory over sin. You're exhausted. You feel empty and fake inside. You feel guilty for merely wanting to just coast, to give in, to stop trying. The foundation of Christianity is faith. And the foundation of the Christian faith, we will argue in this primer, is rest. In this book, Jon Moffitt, Jimmy Buehler, and Justin Perdue explain how weary pilgrims can find rest in Jesus Christ. To learn more about Theocast, please visit Theocast.org
Download or read book How To Receive God s Blessing and Find Happiness written by Missionary Bill and published by Lulu.com. This book was released on 2012-05-22 with total page 36 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: If there is one specific thing that I would want my readers to learn is the fact that God is not just some Higher Power or the figment of the imagination of a bunch of religious Kool Aid drinkers. He is a real and personal God that loves people, sent his only Son to die for their sins and wants to make the lives of everyone who seeks Him better and more fulfilling. If you're life is empty and you're trying to fill it with the fleeting things of this world, you're fighting a losing battle. Only God can sooth your longing for happiness and unlike those who often abandon or disappoint us, He will remain at our side forever and always be ready to help us at a moment's notice.
Download or read book Dirty Glory written by Pete Greig and published by NavPress. This book was released on 2016-10-18 with total page 369 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: U. K. Book of the Year 2017! For many Christians, prayer is an obligation that has little bearing on everyday life. The story of the 24/7 prayer movement demonstrates in gripping detail how prayer is far more than an obligation and how God is far more interested in prayer than we are. Continuing to chronicle the life and extraordinary ministry of the 24/7 prayer movement for a readership anxiously awaiting this title, Pete Greig tells story after story of God’s faithful interaction with human prayer to change lives and cultures.
Download or read book Fundamentalism and the Word of God written by J. I. Packer and published by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. This book was released on 1958-12-01 with total page 196 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This modern classic by the author of Knowing God provides a comprehensive statement of the doctrine of Scripture from an evangelical perspective. J. I. Packer explores the meaning of the word "fundamentalism" and offers a clear and well-reasoned argument for the authority of the Bible and its proper role in the Christian life.
Download or read book God Is Not Great written by Christopher Hitchens and published by McClelland & Stewart. This book was released on 2008-11-19 with total page 322 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Christopher Hitchens, described in the London Observer as “one of the most prolific, as well as brilliant, journalists of our time” takes on his biggest subject yet–the increasingly dangerous role of religion in the world. In the tradition of Bertrand Russell’s Why I Am Not a Christian and Sam Harris’s recent bestseller, The End Of Faith, Christopher Hitchens makes the ultimate case against religion. With a close and erudite reading of the major religious texts, he documents the ways in which religion is a man-made wish, a cause of dangerous sexual repression, and a distortion of our origins in the cosmos. With eloquent clarity, Hitchens frames the argument for a more secular life based on science and reason, in which hell is replaced by the Hubble Telescope’s awesome view of the universe, and Moses and the burning bush give way to the beauty and symmetry of the double helix.
Download or read book Essential Works of Charles Spurgeon written by Charles Spurgeon and published by Barbour Publishing. This book was released on 2009-06-01 with total page 1215 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Here's strong Bible teaching that's fun to read! This 1,400-page collection of the best of Charles Spurgeon provides a wonderful overview to the man called "The Prince of Preachers." The Baptist minister spoke to thousands each week in nineteenth-century London, and his sermons and books still have a fresh, encouraging, and challenging power. Featuring scores of Spurgeon's sermons, plus complete books like All of Grace and John Ploughman's Talks, The Essential Works of Charles Spurgeon has been lightly updated for ease of reading. This beautiful hardback is a must-have for under $25.
Download or read book Knowing the Bible 101 written by Bruce Bickel and published by Harvest House Publishers. This book was released on 2003-07-01 with total page 338 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With extensive biblical knowledge and a fresh, contemporary perspective, Bruce Bickel and Stan Jantz provide an easy-to-understand approach to God's written message as they: provide a user-friendly overview of the origin, themes, and context of the Bible pack in maps, references, learning aids, and useful details reveal God's love and plan of salvation for humankind encourage study with a personal three month plan This is a must-have resource for readers who have been planning to get serious about Bible study—longtime believers, new Christians, Bible study leaders, and even seekers who want to read the Bible for the first time. Formerly titled Bruce & Stan's® Guide to the Bible.
Download or read book Dirty Faith written by David Z. Nowell and published by Baker Books. This book was released on 2014-07-29 with total page 167 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Put Your Faith Into Action Do you ever feel like something in your faith is missing, that going to church, studying the Bible, and tithing just aren't enough? There has to be more, right? What would it look like to truly follow Christ and not just believe in him? David Nowell asked the very same questions, and was led to minister to the "least of these," whom God loves deeply. In Dirty Faith, Nowell shares powerful stories of faith in action, and encourages us to move with him from the sidelines to the front line, to get our hands dirty helping the hopeless, the disenfranchised, and the poor. Loving as God loves is central to the gospel, whether that means taking in foster children, ministering to inmates at the local jail, or something else God has in mind just for you. Let this inspiring book help you find what's been missing in your faith. "David Nowell has challenged not only our view of the church's responsibility in light of the worldwide plague of violence on children--from poverty to homelessness to prostitution--he has challenged our view of Jesus Christ. Nowell's Jesus has dirt under his fingernails and calluses on his hands. The Word becoming flesh is not just incarnation, it is a holiness that is willing to be stained by the brokenness of a world that would abuse an innocent child. I want my staff to read this book. It will challenge them to do what is required of them, and then some." --Dr. Walter Crouch, President/CEO, Appalachia Service Project "Filled with unforgettable stories from the field, Nowell's writing will both break your heart and lift your vision. Dirty Faith is a must-read for those who want to put their faith into action by serving others." --Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer, senior pastor, The Moody Church
Download or read book Live Original written by Sadie Robertson and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2015-07-28 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The television personality and member of the Duck Commander family shares the list of principles that lead her to personal and spiritual growth and help her live the way God says to live.
Download or read book Sex before Marriage What s the harm written by Daniele Luciano Moskal and published by Lulu.com. This book was released on 2014-12-13 with total page 65 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: God is a holy God who feels very strongly about SEX before marriage and has listed it in the Holy Bible as one of His most serious offenses we can commit. He has made a strong moral statement on how He feels about unmarried people and sex relations which is found in the Book of 1 Corinthians, chapter 6, verses 9-10. ""Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God."" Many people know that in marriage adultery is wrong, but don't realize that God considers pre-marital sex (fornication) just as serious. God definitely says ""NO"" to any sex before marriage. In this book the author tackles this everyday question using the very Word of God to teach the reader in an easy-to-comprehend style the reasons why, 'Sex before Marriage is very harmful!!'
Download or read book Daily Bible Study Spring 2023 written by Cokesbury and published by Kingswood Books. This book was released on 2023-01-10 with total page 101 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Study the Bible daily for a closer relationship with God. Daily Bible Study is a great companion to the quarterly Adult Bible Studies or as a stand-alone study for those wanting to study the Bible daily. It is presented in quarterly segments. Bible-based and Christ-focused, it coordinates with the lesson themes of Adult Bible Studies. Each daily reading includes a one-page Bible study for each of the quarter, along with introductory reflection questions and commentary on the daily Scripture passage, life application and an concluding prayer. Additional information about Adult Bible Studies, Spring 2023 This spring, Daily Bible Study presents a series of readings supporting the theme “The Life of Faith.” These readings enable us to walk alongside Jesus and his disciples on Jesus’ final journey to Jerusalem. They challenge us to explore the nature of faith that calls us to follow Jesus despite our uncertainty and doubts. They also help us unpack the concept of “sabbath,” the foreshadowing of the rest that God promises at the end of our journey. Readings come from Old and New Testament texts. These daily readings, which prepare us for the lessons in Adult Bible Studies, are written by Susan Groseclose, Taylor Mills, and Greg Weeks. Unit 1 Journey to the Cross This Lenten season, we follow Jesus’ journey to the cross in Matthew’s account. Matthew’s Gospel stresses in many places that through his crucifixion, Jesus makes clear his perfect obedience to God’s will and the true nature of kingship under God’s reign. Scriptures: Matthew 16:21-28 | Matthew 20:20-28 | Matthew 21:23-27 | Matthew 22:15-22 | Matthew 22:41-46 Spiritual Practice: Simplicity | Accountability Unit 2 From Doubt to Trust We often treat doubt and wisdom as belonging in opposite categories but often, questioning our wisdom, knowledge, and certitude is a sign of wisdom. As humans, we should struggle to understand. To act with complete confidence in our power of discernment is to claim God’s power as our own. The path forward from doubt is one of trust in God. We are invited to imitate Jesus and let go of our doubt and our competition with God and to trust in God’s love and intentions. Scriptures: Matthew 26:36-46 | Matthew 28:1-15 | John 20:11-29 | 1 Corinthians 15:12-28 | 1 Peter 1:3-16 Spiritual Practice: Meditation Unit 3 Intentional Sabbath In the secular West, the concepts of holy days and sabbath have been replaced by days off work or school and vacations. We rest so that we can work harder and earn more money so that we can take vacations away from our communities. In the Bible, rest from work had a different purpose. One worked to prepare for the sabbath. On the sabbath, one participated together with the entire community, the livestock, and the land in a shared rest that signified the wellbeing and abundance that God intended for creation. No one was required to work to make another’s leisure possible. Sabbath rest is a foretaste of the rest that awaits us, and that God will provide in the fullness of time. Scriptures: Exodus 20:8-11 | Psalm 23 | Matthew 12:1-14 | Luke 4:16-21 Spiritual Practice: Self-Care
Download or read book Revelation written by and published by Canongate Books. This book was released on 1999-01-01 with total page 60 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The final book of the Bible, Revelation prophesies the ultimate judgement of mankind in a series of allegorical visions, grisly images and numerological predictions. According to these, empires will fall, the "Beast" will be destroyed and Christ will rule a new Jerusalem. With an introduction by Will Self.
Download or read book An Uncommon Conversation written by Donald W. Gieschen and published by Xlibris Corporation. This book was released on 2009-10-13 with total page 103 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: SET UP: Donald W. Gieschen is the author of this piece and, with the exception of the small talk, all of what Don says in the substantive conversations in An Uncommon Conversation is autobiographically true of the author in the sense that what Don says both accurately relates events in the author’s life and honestly expresses the authors thoughts on the subjects being talked about. The lunches are fictional. Paul is a fictional character created to be part of the conversation. Don is a self-professed atheist. The fictitious friend, Paul, is slightly younger than Don, and is a believer. They were close friends in their youth, almost like brothers, and have continued their friendship at a distance over the past years with letters and occasional visits. Paul, as he is portrayed, is rather easy going. He is married with a family and is here visiting. He is alone, staying with his son and the son’s family who have just recently moved to Phoenix, Arizona. Don lives in near-by Tempe. Paul is curious and is especially interested in other people and their lives, though not in an uncomfortable nosey way, as you will see. He graduated from the University of Michigan. From there he started up and ran a successful consulting business specializing in the field of health-care. Don and Paul both served in the U. S. Navy during World War II. We encounter them conversing over lunch at a local restaurant. Don, who does most of the talking, talks about his life and a great deal about his reasons for rejecting any form of religious faith. The conversation then takes up the question of moral values and morality in what according to Don is a Godless universe. Don’s views on faith and on ethics derive from his study and teaching of philosophy, though the areas of religion and ethics were not the areas of philosophy in which he concentrated his study and research or his teaching. The conversation between these two friends, with daily breaks, spans a five-day period.
Download or read book Contextualization in World Missions written by A. Moreau and published by Kregel Academic. This book was released on with total page 434 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Contextualization is the art of translating ideas into a particular situation, place or culture. It is fundamental to communication, which makes contextualization essential in missions. This textbook pulls together and maps the variety of evangelical approaches to contextualization. Introductory classes on contextualization and missionary preparation institutes will appreciate this valuable textbook. Contextualization in Missions will guide mission-minded Christians to an informed plan for spreading the gospel effectively. While written with a theoretical perspective, Contextualization in Missions also provides real-world examples to provoke both thought and action.
