Download or read book Proclaiming the Christmas Gospel written by John D. Witvliet and published by . This book was released on 2004 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Classic Christmas sermons from John Calvin, Augustine, Jerome, Martin Luther, and many more for use as a devotional or preaching resource.
Download or read book Martin Luther s Christmas Book written by Martin Luther and published by Augsburg Books. This book was released on with total page 84 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Martin Luther's conception of the Nativity found expression in sermon, song, and art. This beautiful gift edition of a classic collection combines all three.
Download or read book The Soul Winner written by C.H. Spurgeon and published by Gideon House Books. This book was released on 2016-12-30 with total page 203 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Winning souls is the greatest joy and highest calling of a Christian, but to so many of us it feels like a dreaded necessity or feared obligation. In a day when evangelism has become a confusing jumble of methodology, Spurgeon’s crystal clear explanation of what true evangelism is meant to be is life-giving. Spurgeon’s own great faith in God to win souls that shines through on every page of this book is inspirational and moves us to action. Claimed by many as one of the best books ever written on the topic of evangelism, this book will not only ignite a passion for soul winning within you; it will draw you closer in love to the very heart of God.
Download or read book The Light of Christmas Pack Of 25 written by Good News Publishers and published by . This book was released on 1997-10-31 with total page 6 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life." John 8:12 If there is one truth that leaps out at us from the pages of Scripture at Christmas, it is this: Jesus came to be the Light of the world! Light came into this dark world when Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Christmas is about light! We love to sing the Christmas carol, "Silent Night." But this great hymn is not about night or darkness. It's about the Light. The third stanza of "Silent Night" says, "Son of God, love's pure light. Radiant beams from Thy holy face, with the dawn of redeeming grace." We sing another Christmas carol, "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing." The last stanza invites us to "Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace! Hail the Son of righteousness! Light and life to all He brings, risen with healing in His wings." We sing at Christmas because we have something to sing about! Light has come into the world, and we don't ever need to walk in darkness again! Are you walking in spiritual darkness today? Recognize that you are a sinner, that you can do nothing to save yourself, and ask Jesus, the Light of the World, to come and be Lord and Savior of your life. The good news is that if you look to Him, He will shine His light into your heart! The Babe of Bethlehem is the Light of the world. He will remove your spiritual darkness with the glory of His wonderful presence if you will only ask Him. Pray something like this: Dear God, I know I am a sinner and desperately in need of Your forgiveness of my sins. I need the light of Your love to shine through my spiritual darkness. I understand that I can only receive this forgiveness through the Babe of Bethlehem, your Son, Jesus Christ, who died for my sins and rose from the dead that I might spend all of eternity with You in heaven. Right now I ask Jesus into my life to be my Savior and Lord. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. About the Painting Thomas Kinkade, the "Painter of Light," is a committed Christian and uses his art to point to the Author of Light-Jesus Christ. In his painting Stonehearth Hutch Kinkade uses the familiar symbols of wreath and tree to herald the coming of Christmas Day. He also uses other symbols to express the spirit of the season. The lone, rough-hewn stone cottage represents the rock of faith. Outside there is only the solitude of the woods-with no carriage track or footprint to hint at human comfort. But inside is a golden light, suggesting the hope of Christmas. The odd little path, winding and slippery, leads to the cottage door. Kinkade's prayer is that "Stonehearth Hutch will communicate to many, in a language as universal as Christmas wreaths, yet as deeply as faith." Art: Stonehearth Hutch (c) Thomas Kinkade, Media Arts Group, Inc., San Jose, CA. For more information about the artist call 1-800-366-3733. Text adapted from the book Family Christmas Treasury by Adrian Rogers (c) 1997 by Crossway Books.
Download or read book The Christmas Tree Effect written by Clark Dunkle and published by Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.. This book was released on 2020-02-05 with total page 64 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In June of 2011, on one of the hottest nights of the entire year in the small town of Franklin, Tennessee, God revealed to an obscure, unsuspecting itinerant minister a revelation in the form of an undecorated Christmas tree. In the hours that followed, God made clear to him this tree represented the Gospel that Jesus Christ commissioned both the original disciples and us to preach to every creature. It consists of only five powerful words, along with the star of grace to top it all off. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John each had different ways of recording this commission of our Lord Jesus. Matthew tells us to go teach, Mark tells us to preach the Gospel, Luke tells us what the Gospel is, and finally John tells us the most effective way of preaching it. Unfortunately, throughout the years, the church has decorated and thus obscured the Gospel through "ornaments" that were never intended to be placed on the tree. By preaching these ornaments, we effectively alienate and push away the very people that we hope to be saved. The Christmas tree effect is a message that is needed in these polarized times of decreasing church attendance. By returning to the simple yet majestic Gospel of Jesus Christ of two thousand years ago, sinners, as well as stagnant believers, can draw new hope in its unvarnished message of unconditional love and forgiveness, giving them the hope that they had lost so long ago.
Download or read book Reconstructing the Gospel written by Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 2018-02-26 with total page 212 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 2018 Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Award Finalists - Multicultural "I am a man torn in two. And the gospel I inherited is divided." Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove grew up in the Bible Belt in the American South as a faithful church-going Christian. But he gradually came to realize that the gospel his Christianity proclaimed was not good news for everybody. The same Christianity that sang, "Amazing grace, how sweet the sound" also perpetuated racial injustice and white supremacy in the name of Jesus. His Christianity, he discovered, was the religion of the slaveholder. Just as Reconstruction after the Civil War worked to repair a desperately broken society, our compromised Christianity requires a spiritual reconstruction that undoes the injustices of the past. Wilson-Hartgrove traces his journey from the religion of the slaveholder to the Christianity of Christ. Reconstructing the gospel requires facing the pain of the past and present, from racial blindness to systemic abuses of power. Grappling seriously with troubling history and theology, Wilson-Hartgrove recovers the subversiveness of the gospel that sustained the church through centuries of slavery and oppression, from the civil rights era to the Black Lives Matter movement and beyond. When the gospel is reconstructed, freedom rings both for individuals and for society as a whole. Discover how Jesus continues to save us from ourselves and each other, to repair the breach and heal our land.
Download or read book Praying for a Whole New World written by William G. Carter and published by CSS Publishing. This book was released on 2000 with total page 126 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A history professor told me that the earliest Protestants in America discouraged the celebration of Christmas. "It's too much fun," the Puritans reasoned, "and the Gospel of Jesus Christ requires our utmost seriousness." -- from the Introduction At a time of year which is often as stressful and exhausting as it is exhilarating, William Carter reminds us that while holiday celebrations will fade into winter gloom, Jesus Christ, the light that casts no shadow, remains at the center of our faith and lives. This collection of seventeen sermons based on the Revised Common Lectionary is for readers who wish to take the gospel seriously during a season when commercialism and social activities can be overwhelming. Carter's messages provide a wonderful interplay between the biblical text and illustrations drawn from contemporary life. He brings the sensibilities of an accomplished jazz musician to the lectionary readings, creating new melodies that arise from the established material -- some in counterpoint to the scripture, others elaborating upon the original tune. The sermons of this outstanding preacher are inspiring reading for both clergy and laypeople! Senior pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania, William G. Carter has received national recognition for his preaching and writing, with sermons and articles appearing in Journal for Preachers, Presbyterian Survey, Preaching, Lectionary Homiletics, The Christian Ministry, and Best Sermons 7. In 1999, he was selected to preach on The Protestant Hour, an international radio ministry that reaches over two million listeners each week. He frequently leads workshops for pastors on homiletical themes and practices. A graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary, Carter serves on the seminary's board of trustees. Reverend Carter is also a highly regarded jazz pianist who has studied and performed with such noted artists as Phil Woods and Bob Brookmeyer. He has traveled widely presenting contemporary worship services and frequently weaves his music into his ministry.
Download or read book The True Meaning of Christmas Pack Of 25 written by Good News Publishers and published by . This book was released on 1996-10-08 with total page 4 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: God Himself Has Come To Us "I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." Luke 2:10-11 God the Son Has Become Man "Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, thought it no robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." Philippians 2:5-8 God's Most Wonderful Gift To Us "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16 "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 6:23 This Christmas you can experience the true meaning of Christmas-Jesus Christ-and receive forgiveness of sins, joy beyond measure, and eternal life with God in Heaven. Won't you receive Jesus Christ, the risen Son of God, as your personal Saviour? "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name." John 1:12
Download or read book Searching for Christmas written by J.D. Greear and published by The Good Book Company. This book was released on 2020-10-01 with total page 54 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Most of us are familiar with the events of the first Christmas—the manger scene, shepherds watching sheep, angels singing their songs, and wise men arriving—but what if there’s more to the story? What if the birth of Jesus is actually the most significant event in all of history and can transform our lives? This evangelistic book goes beyond the birth of Jesus to look at what he did when he grew up and how he fulfilled the names given to him centuries beforehand by the prophet Isaiah. In a compelling, insightful, winsome and personal way, J.D. Greear shows that if we get to know the God who lies behind the Christmas story and at the heart of the Christmas story, we'll discover the joy, hope, purpose and belonging we're all searching for. Readers will see that Jesus is the Wonderful Counsellor, who can guide them in all truth; the Mighty God, who made and owns everything; the Eternal Father, who they can trust to love them for ever; and the Prince of Peace, who died in their place so that they can be forgiven and accepted eternally.
Download or read book God s New Possibility written by James L. Killen and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 137 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: We live in a God-invaded world. This simple truth is easy to forget when we peer wide-eyed into a world filled with chaos, terror, and war. But when we embrace the kingdom of God as an ever-present reality, one filled with new possibilities rooted in the good news of Christ, we become molders and shapers of human history. "God's New Possibility" offers a bold invitation to believe and proclaim that God is indeed at work, calling us to participate in His plan of transforming the world. "God's New Possibility" reflects upon the seasons of Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany, unpacking the truths of a divine hope ushered into the world through the infant Christ. In seventeen sermons, James L. Killen Jr. reminds us that we serve a living and breathing God, one who became visible through Jesus and remains tangible through His Church. This is the evidence of a heavenly kingdom manifested through God's all-consuming presence and redemptive call -- a kingdom that offers a "new possibility here for us in each present moment of our lives." The rich narratives of holy love found within the pages of Killen's sermons remain emphatic: God's love is not waiting for us at the borders of heaven; rather, He has already unleashed his redeeming love upon His world, and it is a love that calls all who proclaim His son as Lord and Savior to take an active role in spreading the good news of salvation. James L. (Jim) Killen Jr. is a retired pastor of the United Methodist Church. After a 45-year career, Jim extended his ministry into retirement through prison ministry, interim ministries, teaching, and writing. Jim taught classes in preaching and in Biblical Studies in pastor's schools. He has written several books, including three published by CSS. He is a past contributor to The Immediate Word and other parts of the CSS Publishing online pastor's resource SermonSuite (sermonsuite.com. He holds degrees from the University of Houston (B.S. History and Philosophy) and Perkin's School of Theology at S.M.U. (B.D., D.Min.).
Download or read book Christmas is for the Young Whatever Their Age written by William Powell Tuck and published by CSS Publishing. This book was released on 2007 with total page 172 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For many people, especially children, Christmas is a favorite time of year -- we're surrounded by the marvelous sights of stores and houses covered with brightly colored decorations, we hear the pleasant sounds of carols filling the air, and we gather with family and friends to enjoy gift-giving and sumptuous food. But all this is just a reminder of the greatest gift of all -- the blessed birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. In this volume, a renowned pastor and teacher shares 16 messages that proclaim with a child's wide-eyed wonder the joyous news of the coming of God's Son. William Powell Tuck helps us see the true meaning of the season by putting our holiday celebrations in the context of the unique mystery of the incarnation, leading us to a greater appreciation of the sensory delights that make Christmas "the most wonderful time of the year." This book will be a treasured sermon preparation resource for pastors, as well as a source of inspiration for personal meditation or small group studies. William Powell Tuck has had a long and distinguished career as a parish pastor and seminary professor. He has served Baptist congregations in Virginia, Louisiana, Kentucky, and North Carolina, and he currently teaches preaching at the Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond, Virginia. He was also a professor for several years at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. Tuck is the author or editor of more than a dozen books, including The Lord's Prayer Today, Authentic Evangelism: Sharing the Good News with Sense and Sensitivity, and Our Baptist Tradition.
Download or read book News of Great Joy written by Hugh Hillyard-Parker and published by Canterbury Press. This book was released on 2021-09-30 with total page 289 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Each year, the Christmas double issue of the Church Times offers a feast of seasonal reading. News of Great Joy draws together the best Christmas writing by outstanding authors and poets over twenty years to create an ideal Christmas gift and a wealth of material for all who preach or lead worship at Christmas. Its many highlights include: • the eminent biblical scholar John Barton on how to understand the Old Testament prophecies of the nativity; • Barbara Brown Taylor on the prologue of John’s Gospel which is always read on Christmas Day; • Margaret Barker on the legends that have become part of the Christmas story; • an unpublished short story by Evelyn Underhill; • a piece on the origins of the Nine Lessons and Carols; • poetry and reflections on the season’s lectionary readings, and more besides.
Download or read book Christmas Blessings to You Pack of 25 written by Good News Publishers and published by Good News Publishers. This book was released on 2009-10 with total page 4 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Jesus' birth has a direct bearing on us allHe was born to each of us as God's personal gift.
Download or read book A Journey through Christmas written by Justin Miller and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 2019-10-09 with total page 106 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Christmas season is a time to reflect on the life-altering, universe-shaking event that took place approximately 2000 years ago in a small village in Palestine. The King of glory, the eternal God the Son, entered the human race to save sinners from every tribe, tongue, and nation. Jesus in his high priestly prayer hours before his crucifixion prayed in John 17:4–5, “I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do. Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.” Jesus’ focus from his birth to his ascension was clear: To glorify God the Father, and to magnify all that God is like culminating in the cross for the salvation of God’s people. The one born of the virgin Mary lived to show the nature of God. This Christmas season we are going to look at twenty-five things concerning who and what God is. With each attribute there is an accompanying song of response and explanation behind the song. God is Holy and Glorious. This season, study who he is and see more clearly the beauty of what Christ accomplished on the cross.
Download or read book Christmas Is about Jesus written by Mukkove Johnson and published by Tate Publishing. This book was released on 2009-10 with total page 28 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Puts Christ into every symbol of Christmas, from candy canes to carols.
Download or read book Let s Preach the Christmas Story written by Dr. Joe L. Sharp and published by Xlibris Corporation. This book was released on 2014-03-03 with total page 360 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Note from Dr. Joe Sharp I pastored the same group of people for thirty-nine years. It’s difficult to come up with something new and different year after year on Christmas. I usually preached at least four different Christmas messages per year. It kept me constantly digging for fresh material. If you pastor or teach a Sunday school class, this book will give you some new ideas. I hope you will enjoy and use it.
Download or read book Little Blue Book Advent and Christmas Seasons 2014 2015 written by Ken Untener and published by Little Books. This book was released on 2014-10-06 with total page 91 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is for Christmas season 2015-2015. This Little Book will be your companion, and you can take it with you wherever you wish. The left-hand page is like a buffet table with a variety of thoughts about the Advent and Christmas seasons, the feast of the day, or various traditions and customs. The key is the right-hand page where we’ll reflect on a Gospel passage. This year, the Little Blue Book will use the Gospel passages assigned for the weekday Masses of these seasons. This will give many people a chance to reflect on and pray passages from all of the Gospels that they may have seldom heard proclaimed or preached about at liturgy.
