Download or read book Being Disciples written by Rowan Williams and published by SPCK. This book was released on 2016-07-21 with total page 79 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "If discipleship is a journey, this book belongs in the rucksack. . . Like the scriptures on which it is based, it deserves repeated reading." Stephen Cherry, Dean of Kings College, Cambridge This fresh and inspiring look at the meaning of discipleship covers the essentials of the christian life, including: faith, hope and love; forgiveness; holiness; social action; life in the Spirit. Written for the general reader by one of our greatest living theologians, this book will help you to see more clearly, love more dearly and follow more nearly the way of Jesus Christ.
Download or read book Why I Am a United Methodist written by Bishop William H. Willimon and published by Abingdon Press. This book was released on 2010-09-01 with total page 137 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In seven chapters, Willimon examines United Methodism and the ways it has made and continues to make a difference in his life. In an inspiring and enlightening way, he writes of his pride in being part of a church that has grown from one man's experience to a worldwide movement covering the globe with its message. A learning guide for groups and individuals is included. Chapter titles: Because Religion Is of the Heart Because the Bible Is Our Book Because Religion Is Practical Because Christians Are to Witness Because Christians Are to Grow Because Religion Is Not a Private Affair
Download or read book Living Grace written by Dr. Manfred Marquardt and published by Abingdon Press. This book was released on 2002-01-01 with total page 860 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Living Grace is the most comprehensive expression of systematic theology for United Methodism to appear in the 1990's. Its authors, Bishop Walter Klaiber and Dr. Manfred Marquardt, are leading theologians of continental European United Methodism. Their work meets the long-felt need to provide partners in ecumenical dialog a clearer exposition of Methodism's theology, as founded upon biblical witness, apostolic heritage, the Protestant Reformation, and the Wesleyan Revival. The authors concede that Methodists are often regarded more as specialists in evangelization, ecclesial organization, or social engagement, than as representatives of a cogently articulated theology. Further, United Methodists today are frequently at the forefront of facilitating interchurch cooperation in worship and social outreach. It is the authors' hope that a clearer exposition of our common understanding could offer a foundation upon which the "vital Wesleyan accent" could better direct the Christian witness we are offering in the world. Their response to the challenge has produced a thoughtful attempt to find a solid theological basis for our identity as a church that will not only accent our distinctiveness but will also assist other faith communities to articulate their profiles of faith. In this first English edition, the work has been adapted for the American historical and social milieu. As such, it becomes a pathbreaking effort to articulate for our American constituency the global dimensions of a United Methodist theology, in which the American church is increasingly called to participate. Four emphases of the book are: Responsible Proclamation, Basics of a UMC theology; Universal Salvation; Personal Faith; and, Fullness of Christian Life and the Reality of Love.
Download or read book Stolen Grace written by Rev Errol E. Leslie and published by Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.. This book was released on 2023-02-09 with total page 504 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: If we look closely at the people God used in the Old Testament, we will notice that many of them failed God at some point. They messed up badly, and God still used them. Even in the New Testament, there are people who messed up, and God used them to build His kingdom and church. God has used and will continue to use aEURoemessed-up people,aEUR and many such are found in the genealogy of Jesus and also referenced in Hebrews 11, who were broken and really messed up. The Bible is filled with stories of people that have struggled, stumbled, and simply failed God. God stopped Saul (Paul) on the road to Damascus, and his life would be changed and transformed forever. Paul easily became the greatest apostle of all time. In scriptures, there are so many other persons whom God used, even though they were broken. People like Moses, David, Solomon, and Rahab show us how God is still willing to use us after we have messed up. No matter what broken state weaEUR(tm)re in, we are never beyond GodaEUR(tm)s reach. We are never so far gone that God canaEUR(tm)t make us effective for His purposes. It is us as human beings who judge each other by our own personal standards and write people off as being unacceptable. I messed up badly during my ministry, but I am convinced that God still has a purpose for me and wants to continue to use me in ministry. He has already been demonstrating this to me in a clear, strong, and meaningful way When we are broken or feel that we have messed up, that is not the time to worry about what others may do or say since other humans can make us feel worse. Equally, it is not the time to give up and turn away from God. Rather, it is the time to draw nearer to God. That is when we should seek God all the more for direction, clarity, help, and strength. ItaEUR(tm)s the time when we should, like David, ask God to create a clean heart and renew a steadfast spirit within us and restore us into the joy of His salvation.
Download or read book The Grave Robber written by Mark Batterson and published by Baker Books. This book was released on 2015-02-24 with total page 166 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Do we believe that God still does miracles? Considering how difficult it is for many of us adults to trust in the miraculous power of God, how much more difficult can it be for a young person in the midst of struggles about identity and purpose in life? With the help of his son Parker, bestselling author Mark Batterson now brings the exciting message of a God who longs to do miracles in our lives to a teen audience. Together they show young readers that God is intimately involved in their lives and wants them to experience the miraculous. With poignant examples from the lives of real teens, The Grave Robber, Student Edition brings to life not only the seven miracles from John's Gospel but the countless miracles we witness every day--if only we have eyes to see.
Download or read book Grace to Lead written by Carder Kenneth and published by Foundery Books. This book was released on 2016-12-01 with total page 160 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Wesleyan leadership is about character. This book is designed specifically for Christian leaders and teachers. The revised edition expands includes more illustrations and models of leadership. Greater attention is given to congregations and institutions.
Download or read book Gospel Discipleship Congregation Guide written by Michelle J. Morris and published by Abingdon Press. This book was released on 2020-03-31 with total page 142 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Each congregation has a unique mission field. Several tools for developing disciples and for engaging in discipleship are available to churches; however, the resources assume that the churches using them are similar to the church that created them. With Gospel Discipleship, individuals and churches learn how to engage in self-reflection, which then defines a path that fits their context. The discipleship path for each individual disciple is assessed and determined through the Gospel Discipleship Participant Guide while this Gospel Discipleship Congregation Guide guides the implemntation of the program and assesses the discipleship path for the congregation as a whole. Therefore, the program leader(s) needs the congregation guide while individual particpants need their own participant guide. With Gospel Discipleship, churches can identify a pathway for discipleship applied from one of the four Gospel storytellers: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Each had a distinct approach to discipleship which can be applied to a given church's identity, vision, and mission. As disciples are encouraged by the church to step beyond the door and engage the needs of people, they can be sent forth confidently with an awareness of personal, unique gifts, and insights into the actual mission field where they participate with God in changing the world.
Download or read book Grace Will Lead Us Home written by Jennifer Berry Hawes and published by St. Martin's Press. This book was released on 2019-06-04 with total page 260 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK OF 2019 * BARNES & NOBLE DISCOVER GREAT NEW WRITERS PICK * OPRAH MAGAZINE SUMMER 2019 READING LIST SELECTION * NEW YORK TIMES EDITOR'S CHOICE “A soul-shaking chronicle of the 2015 Charleston massacre and its aftermath... [Hawes is] a writer with the exceedingly rare ability to observe sympathetically both particular events and the horizon against which they take place without sentimentalizing her subjects. Hawes is so admirably steadfast in her commitment to bearing witness that one is compelled to consider the story she tells from every possible angle.” —The New York Times Book Review A deeply moving work of narrative nonfiction on the tragic shootings at the Mother Emanuel AME church in Charleston, South Carolina from Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Jennifer Berry Hawes. On June 17, 2015, twelve members of the historically black Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina welcomed a young white man to their evening Bible study. He arrived with a pistol, 88 bullets, and hopes of starting a race war. Dylann Roof’s massacre of nine innocents during their closing prayer horrified the nation. Two days later, some relatives of the dead stood at Roof’s hearing and said, “I forgive you.” That grace offered the country a hopeful ending to an awful story. But for the survivors and victims’ families, the journey had just begun. In Grace Will Lead Us Home, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Jennifer Berry Hawes provides a definitive account of the tragedy’s aftermath. With unprecedented access to the grieving families and other key figures, Hawes offers a nuanced and moving portrait of the events and emotions that emerged in the massacre’s wake. The two adult survivors of the shooting begin to make sense of their lives again. Rifts form between some of the victims’ families and the church. A group of relatives fights to end gun violence, capturing the attention of President Obama. And a city in the Deep South must confront its racist past. This is the story of how, beyond the headlines, a community of people begins to heal. An unforgettable and deeply human portrait of grief, faith, and forgiveness, Grace Will Lead Us Home is destined to be a classic in the finest tradition of journalism.
Download or read book Five Means of Grace written by Elaine A. Heath and published by Abingdon Press. This book was released on 2017-09-19 with total page 61 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: John Wesley gave the Methodist movement (and all Christians in general) a discipleship pathway to follow. Wesley began with Three Simple Rules (or “General Rules”), and followed this instruction a year later with the Five Marks of a Methodist (or “Character of a Methodist”). Wesley observed the need for continuous renewal of relationships with God and others, so he established a recurring annual process for God’s people to make One Faithful Promise: The Wesleyan Covenant for Renewal. The study by Heath turns to the practices at the center of Wesley’s understanding of spiritual growth: the means of grace. This book/study guides readers through the five means of grace that John Wesley called “instituted,” meaning these are spiritual practices in which Jesus himself participated and which he encouraged his followers to do. One of the beautiful aspects of Wesley’s theology is that spiritual practices are seamlessly integrated with practices of loving our neighbors well. This is why Wesley said there is no holiness but social holiness. A life of genuine prayer inevitably leads to a life of hospitality, mercy, and justice. Through this book/study participants will consider how each of the five means of grace help us as communities of faith to pray more deeply and live more missionally as followers of Jesus Christ. These means are the ordinary channels that God uses to draw us into a fruitful relationship. These five means or channels are: 1. Prayer 2. Searching Scripture 3. Receiving the Lord’s Supper 4. Fasting 5. Conferencing (communion, fellowship) "Surely John Wesley wanted his teachings to be presented in clear and understandable ways. Elaine Heath’s teaching on the Five Means of Grace are simple and engaging with deep truths. Your group will love it!" - Jennifer Cowart (Executive pastor at Harvest Church, a United Methodist congregation in Warner Robins, GA, near Macon. She co-preaches and directs Discipleship and Emerging Ministries at Harvest UMC.) "Elaine Heath is one of the church’s great teachers and prophets. With engaging stories and clear understanding of Scripture she invites us to experience God’s love through ancient practices that we desperately need. I will be using Five Means of Grace with my congregation as an invitation for those seeking a deeper pathway into discipleship." - Rev. Jacob Armstrong, Providence United Methodist Church, Mount Juliet TN. "Methodists are followers of Jesus who are guided by a “rule of life”, a set of common spiritual practices that put us in a place where we are more likely to experience God’s transforming grace. This brief volume is deceptively filled with guidance for those who would allow the Holy Spirit to guide them. I am grateful to Elaine Heath, who continues to lead us again to the ordinary channels where the streams of mercy, justice and righteousness flow.” - Ken Carter, Resident Bishop, Florida Area, The United Methodist Church and co-author, Fresh Expressions: A New Kind of Methodist Church for People Not in Church
Download or read book Bridges to Grace written by Elizabeth A Swanson and published by Zondervan. This book was released on 2011-07-05 with total page 253 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Discover the power of recovery ministry for your church. Churchgoers who experience painful family issues, addictions, abuse, loss, mental illnesses, and other secret sorrows begin to believe they live beyond the grip of God’s redemptive hand. Pastors often feel ill equipped to help with such problems and refer people to resources outside the church. People badly need Christ-centered counsel and encouragement, but few church leaders even know where to start. Bridges to Grace is an inspiring introduction highlighting the stories of churches across the country that are thinking systematically and organizationally about the ministry of recovery. The authors share how this ministry is bringing God’s grace to hurting individuals. They relate both success and failure, and best of all, they demonstrate how God uses recovery ministry powerfully for his kingdom purposes.
Download or read book The Scripture Way of Salvation a Sermon on Ephesians Ii 8 written by John Wesley and published by . This book was released on 1770 with total page 24 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Notes on the New Testament written by John Wesley and published by . This book was released on 1805 with total page 374 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Patterned by Grace written by Daniel T. Benedict Jr. and published by Upper Room Books. This book was released on 2007-02-01 with total page 128 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: To many, the word liturgy brings to mind juggling a hymnal, Bible and a bulletin printed with formal responsive texts as you worship in a cavernous Gothic-styled church. With great faith and affection, Benedict rescues liturgy from its stuffy associations, revealing it as a momentous occasion every Sunday, no matter the worship style. Worship is a remarkable spiritual adventure and the liturgy itself is God's playground—a pilgrimage of individuals and faith communities joining the divine purpose. Through the liturgy's daily, weekly, seasonal and annual dimensions, we experience God's power to shape our lives. We unite with Christ in heart, mind and work to participate in God's new creation. "Liturgy is more than personal piety," writes Benedict. "It is worship for the long haul… It simply goes on week by week and invites us to come along. It even carries us when our spiritual feet get tired and our energy level flags." Rather than seeing the ordered patterns of worship as a repetitive thing we do, liturgy has a cumulative effect as it transforms us to God-oriented worship and living. Benedict examines the hidden rhythms of Sunday worship Holy Communion baptism daily prayer the Christian calendar Exercises contained in the group discussion guide will awaken your imagination to the power of the liturgical life. Liturgy is where God is waiting. Your part is to include yourself in that community of open hands, hearts and minds.
Download or read book Grace Revealed written by Fred Sievert and published by BroadStreet Publishing Group LLC. This book was released on 2018-01-01 with total page 266 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Trust in the Unmerited Gift of God’s Grace You can’t escape the inevitable crises that will face you throughout your lifetime. Whether it’s health problems, emotional issues, career challenges, gut-wrenching losses, or other failures, these experiences can destroy your morale and lead you into despair. Some crises may be a result of your own choices, while others may be completely out of your control. Whatever the source, there is a lasting solution that comes to you free of charge from above: God’s amazing grace. In Grace Revealed, you will:Experience real-life stories of others who discover they are not alone and that relief is within their grasp.See how devastating afflictions can be overcome through faith in Jesus and His love, mercy, and grace.Learn how God’s grace transforms lives and leads you into enduring and rewarding Christian service.Be inspired to encourage others who are suffering but cannot seek help on their own. Read these undeniable, modern-day examples of God’s loving grace and its transformative power, and discover that God is always present in your time of need.
Download or read book Not Your Parents Offering Plate written by J. Clif Christopher and published by Abingdon Press. This book was released on 2010-09-01 with total page 120 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Hearing a young attorney speak of the faith-based reasons for which he had just made a substantial monetary gift to a community youth center, Clif Christopher asked the speaker if he would consider making a similar contribution to the congregation of which he was an active member. "Lord no, they wouldn't know what to do with it" was the answer. That, in a nutshell, describes the problem churches are facing in their stewardship efforts, says Christopher. Unlike leading nonprofit agencies and institutions, we too often fail to convince potential givers that their gifts will have impact and significance. In this book, Christopher lays out the main reasons for this failure to capture the imagination of potential givers, including our frequent failure simply to ask. Written with the needs of pastors and stewardship teams in mind, Not Your Parents’ Offering Plate provides immediate, practical guidance to all who seek to help God’s people be better stewards of their resources.
Download or read book The Character of a Methodist written by John Wesley and published by . This book was released on 1743 with total page 92 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Courage Leader Guide written by Tom Berlin and published by The Courage. This book was released on 2021-02-16 with total page 64 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Courage is the foundational virtue required for the Christian life. But often we wonder if we have what it takes to live the vital life Jesus offers his disciples. In Courage: Jesus and the Call to Brave Faith, pastor and author Tom Berlin challenges us to unlock the courage that we already possess as Christ followers. By examining the life of Christ, we will begin to understand what true courage is and how God works in the lives of Christ followers as they exhibit a brave faith. Once we have eyes to hear what Jesus is showing us, once have ears to hear, we can begin to find the remarkable life Jesus offers us. The Leader Guide includes session outline for each group meeting with Scripture, prayer, opening activity, discussion questions, activity, and ending call to action.
