Download or read book The Spiritual Danger of Doing Good written by Peter Greer and published by Baker Books. This book was released on 2013-08-01 with total page 187 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Charity and Service Have a Dark Side You want to live out the Gospel by serving others, and you're willing to sacrifice your time, money, and perhaps even your safety. But do you realize the spiritual dangers you face as you serve? Peter Greer, the CEO of a Christian nonprofit, found that serving others and seeking justice actually did him harm. He shares how something that started with the noblest of intentions got off track--and how he got back on course. His story is a compassionate warning for anyone who works in ministry or charitable nonprofits, from CEOs to weekend volunteers. "Doing good can take its toll on our lives if we aren't careful. The Spiritual Danger of Doing Good is an honest look at the dangers we all need to avoid as we seek to make a difference."--Craig Groeschel, senior pastor, LifeChurch.tv "Peter Greer is a friend and a brother. His newest book is a brilliant reminder that what we do is not nearly as important as who we are--and how much we give is not nearly as important as how much love is in the giving."--Shane Claiborne, author, activist, and lover of Jesus "In this extremely timely and important book, Peter Greer applies the apostle Paul's teaching to the twenty-first century leader. Readable, humorous, and keenly insightful."--Brian Fikkert, author of When Helping Hurts "This book is a needed message for all leaders interested in social justice, ministry, or simply loving their neighbors as themselves. It is timely and welcomed. So get ready for a challenge. Peter is a thought leader who is changing the world. Read this book!"--Brad Lomenick, president and lead visionary, Catalyst "If you're ready to take an honest look at your leadership then read this work with a continual prayer on your lips: 'Lord, show me how this might be true in my life.' Too often Christian leaders gloss over these issues at their own peril. Read it, take heed, and become liberated from the hero who must die in order to live--you."--Dr. Scott C. Todd, senior vice president, Compassion International "Anchored in personal, gut-honest experience, The Spiritual Danger of Doing Good is a clarion call to all of us. Peter and Anna discuss how to change the world without sacrificing what is most important. I deeply resonate with the principles found in this book.."--Stephan Bauman, president and CEO, World Relief "Peter has nailed it. He has uncovered unique signs and situations we overlook as leaders that cause serious harm to ourselves and to others--particularly those we love most. Want to be a great leader? This is a must read."--David Spickard, president & CEO, Jobs for Life " Peter helps us in practical ways to serve Jesus with a pure heart, pure love and no applause necessary. I believe this book will get you in your gut and you'll be forever changed."--Anne Beiler, founder of Auntie Anne's, Inc. "I wish I could have read The Spiritual Danger of Doing Good as a young pastor. My idealism has often been my greatest strength and my most catastrophic weakness. Peter understands this, and his stories and insights would have saved me from heartache and major mistakes.."--Chris Seay, pastor, Ecclesia Houston "Provides a powerful wake-up call for Christians. The discussion questions and suggested videos on a variety of topics make this excellent for group studies. The Spiritual Danger of Doing Good should be required reading for all Christians whether they are involved in overseas missions or work in their own neighborhoods."--Congregational Libraries Today "Greer outlines many of the dangers that go along with serving others, including an inflated ego, a judgmental heart, and serving the poor at the neglect of one's spouse and family. He offers insight and points readers to the God who asks us to love others, and to do it with a heart that is open to Him. This book is a great resource for anyone who serves others, whether as a pastor, nonprofit leader or volunteer at the local food bank."--Youthworker Journal

Download or read book The Spiritual Danger of Donald Trump written by Ronald J. Sider and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 2020-06-01 with total page 250 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What should Christians think about Donald Trump? His policies, his style, his personal life? Thirty evangelical Christians (listed below) wrestle with these tough questions. They are Republicans, Democrats, and Independents. They don't all agree, but they seek to let Christ be the Lord of their political views. They seek to apply biblical standards to difficult debates about our current political situation. Vast numbers of white evangelicals enthusiastically support Donald Trump. Do biblical standards on truth, justice, life, freedom, and personal integrity warrant or challenge that support? How does that support of President Trump affect the image of Christianity in the larger culture? Around the world? Many younger evangelicals today are rejecting evangelical Christianity, even Christianity itself. To what extent is that because of widespread evangelical support for Donald Trump? Don't read this book to find support for your views. Read it to be challenged--with facts, reason, and biblical principles. With contributions from: Michael W. Austin Randall Balmer Vicki Courtney Daniel Deitrich Samuel Escobar John Fea Irene Fowler Mark Galli J. Colin Harris Stephen R. Haynes Matt Henderson Christopher A. Hutchinson Bandy X. Lee David S. Lim David C. Ludden Ryan McAnnally-Linz Steven Meyer Napp Nazworth D. Zac Niringiye Christopher Pieper Reid Ribble Ronald J. Sider Edward G. Simmons James R. Skillen James W. Skillen Julia K. Stronks Chris Thurman Miroslav Volf Peter Wehner George Yancey

Download or read book Doing Business by the Good Book written by David L. Steward and published by Hachette Books. This book was released on 2012-04-24 with total page 223 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An indispensable volume that shows how to succeed in business by using the Bible and its lessons as a source of inspiration and guidance n 1990, David L. Steward founded his company, Worldwide Technology, Inc., on a shoestring budget and borrowed money, well aware of the high-risk nature of the venture he was undertaking. Despite the fact that he was a novice entrepreneur, he was certain he would succeed. Steward believed intensely that God wouldn't let him down. Doing Business by the Good Book shares the inspiring lessons culled straight from the Bible, that Steward used to build his privately held billion-dollar company into a global information technology enterprise.

Download or read book Rooting for Rivals written by Peter Greer and published by Baker Books. This book was released on 2018-07-03 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Discover how to expand your ministry by teaming up with so-called rival organizations rather than vying for donations. With a countercultural message, a Christlike model, and real-world examples, Greer and Horst reveal the key to revitalizing your ministry, sharing how you can multiply its impact by collaborating rather than competing with others.

Download or read book The Healing Power of Doing Good written by Allan Luks and published by iUniverse. This book was released on 2001 with total page 406 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Conventional wisdom has always held that when we help others, some of the good we do flows back to us. That satisfaction has always been thought to be largely emotional—feeling good when you do good. Now important, widely discussed research shows that helping others regularly produces significant health benefits as well—in fact, it has effects similar to those many of us experience when we exercise. It is almost impossible to read this book without wanting to do good. Both for those who are already volunteering and for those who are considering it, this valuable personal guide tells you how to choose an activity that’s right for you, how to maximize the health benefits, and how to overcome the main obstacle to getting started: lack of time. The Healing Power of Doing Good reaffirms and explains that when we care for others we care for ourselves. It is an important book for those suffering from chronic health problems as well as the health conscious, anyone interested in how our mind affects our body, and people in the helping professions. And it reminds us that never has there been such a need for caring as there is today.

Download or read book The Hole in Our Holiness written by Kevin DeYoung and published by Crossway. This book was released on 2014-01-31 with total page 162 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The hole in our holiness is that we don't care much about holiness. Or, at the very least, we don't understand it. And we all have our reasons too: Maybe the pursuit of holiness seems legalistic. Maybe it feels like one more thing to worry about in your already overwhelming life. Maybe the emphasis on effort in the Christian life appears unspiritual. Or maybe you've been trying really hard to be holy and it's just not working! Whatever the case, the problem is clear: too few Christians look like Christ and too many don't seem all that concerned about it. This is a book for those of us who are ready to take holiness seriously, ready to be more like Jesus, ready to live in light of the grace that produces godliness. This is a book about God's power to help us grow in personal holiness and to enjoy the process of transformation.

Download or read book Experiencing God 2008 Edition written by Henry T. Blackaby and published by B&H Publishing Group. This book was released on 2008 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A modern classic--revised with more than 70 percent new material--is based on seven Scriptural realities that teach Christians how to develop a true relationship with the Creator.

Download or read book The Gift of Disillusionment written by Peter Greer and published by Baker Books. This book was released on 2022-04-12 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Hope for Leaders Facing Burnout and Discouragement Around the world, discouragement erodes the vitality of organizations. Visionaries often succumb to cynicism. Zealous advocates give up. Leaders coast as their passion for the cause grows cold. Grounded in research, this book is an invitation for followers of Jesus to sustain hope in long-term service. It's about moving past the false hope of idealism and the faint hope of disillusionment to discover true Christian hope. You will gain encouragement through the study of the book of Jeremiah woven throughout as the authors explore how the Lord prophetically met and sustained Jeremiah during his lifetime of faithfulness despite literally nothing going as he'd hoped. Glean further inspiration by reading the stories of Christian leaders from around the globe: Zimbabwe, Haiti, Guatemala, Poland, Palestine, the Philippines, India, Zambia, and Lebanon. For this is a moment when we need the global Church's perspective and influence. Don't give up and don't check out. These are confounding and perilous days, yet God's sustaining presence can bring joy, hope, and encouragement even amid heartache and disappointment.

Download or read book From Here to There written by Dennis Lee and published by Xulon Press. This book was released on 2015-07-28 with total page 195 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When you look in the mirror, what do you see: a person who truly believes he/she is on the right path, or one struggling daily to find a sense of identity? More importantly, how do you see God as you seek the purpose for your life: as your back pocket Lord, or as your personal guide? For some, they may feel they are on the right path but have drifted away from discerning and understanding God’s will for them. This inspired pastor and author Dennis Lee to establish a meaningful resource for readers wanting to grow in their relationship with God, in his new Christian discipleship book; From Here to There: A Journey to Spiritual Transformation, part of his Spiritual Formation series. As an “A through Z roadmap on discipleship,” Dennis offers readers a biblically-sound guide to familiarize readers to biblical principles of what it’s like to be a follower of Jesus Christ, being found in His likeness. Each chapter clarifies this developing relationship with God, established when you accept Jesus as your Savior and Lord, and furthered through changing how you approach living this life in Christ. Pastor Lee takes the reader along this narrow road described by Jesus, looking at a Christian’s true identity when pursuing God’s presence and becoming aligned with His will. To make sure his readers’ stay upon this path, Lee looks at Satan’s potholes that damages a person’s spiritual transformation, as well as God’s speed bumps to help believers slow down and not miss God’s promises for their lives. It’s a journey to the ultimate destination of Heaven with God, and this guide will help you make the necessary changes and take the required steps to stay upon God’s path.

Download or read book Boundaries written by Henry Cloud and published by Zondervan. This book was released on 2002-03-18 with total page 324 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When to say yes, when to say no to take control of your life.

Download or read book The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse written by David Johnson and published by Baker Books. This book was released on 2005-10-01 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In a breakthrough book first published in 1991, the authors address the dynamics in churches that can ensnare people in legalism, guilt, and begrudging service, keeping them from the grace and joy of God's kingdom.Written for both those who feel abused and those who may be causing it, The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse shows how people get hooked into abusive systems, the impact of controlling leadership on a congregation, and how the abused believer can find rest and recovery.

Download or read book You Are What You Love written by James K. A. Smith and published by Brazos Press. This book was released on 2016-03-29 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: You are what you love. But you might not love what you think. In this book, award-winning author James K. A. Smith shows that who and what we worship fundamentally shape our hearts. And while we desire to shape culture, we are not often aware of how culture shapes us. We might not realize the ways our hearts are being taught to love rival gods instead of the One for whom we were made. Smith helps readers recognize the formative power of culture and the transformative possibilities of Christian practices. He explains that worship is the "imagination station" that incubates our loves and longings so that our cultural endeavors are indexed toward God and his kingdom. This is why the church and worshiping in a local community of believers should be the hub and heart of Christian formation and discipleship. Following the publication of his influential work Desiring the Kingdom, Smith received numerous requests from pastors and leaders for a more accessible version of that book's content. No mere abridgment, this new book draws on years of Smith's popular presentations on the ideas in Desiring the Kingdom to offer a fresh, bottom-up rearticulation. The author creatively uses film, literature, and music illustrations to engage readers and includes new material on marriage, family, youth ministry, and faith and work. He also suggests individual and communal practices for shaping the Christian life.

Download or read book Wild at Heart written by John Eldredge and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2011-04-17 with total page 274 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In all your boyhood dreams of growing up, did you dream of being a "nice guy"? Eldredge believes that every man longs for a battle to fight, an adventure to live, and a beauty to rescue. That is how he bears the image of God; that is what God made him to be.

Download or read book Not by Sight written by Jon Bloom and published by Crossway. This book was released on 2013-04-30 with total page 210 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Trusting Jesus is hard. It requires following the unseen into an unknown, and believing Jesus's words over and against the threats we see or the fears we feel. Through the imaginative retelling of 35 Bible stories, Not by Sight gives us glimpses of what it means to walk by faith and counsel for how to trust God's promises more than our perceptions and to find rest in the faithfulness of God.

Download or read book Things Not Seen written by Jon Bloom and published by Crossway. This book was released on 2015-07-15 with total page 146 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: True faith is hard. More than mere sentimentalism, faith often calls for a deep and resilient trust in God—especially when the going gets tough and the road is dark. In Things Not Seen, author Jon Bloom encourages readers with 35 imaginative retellings of stories from the Bible that illustrate the importance of living by faith. A follow-up to the author's previous book, Not by Sight: A Fresh Look at Old Stories of Walking by Faith, this inspiring volume explores the lives of Abraham, Moses, Saul, John the Baptist, and more—helping readers remember God's promises, rely on his grace, and follow his leading regardless of the circumstances. The book includes a foreword by popular author and blogger Ann Voskamp.

Download or read book Spiritual Rhythm written by Mark Buchanan and published by HarperChristian + ORM. This book was released on 2010-08-24 with total page 343 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Abide in me," Jesus tells us, "and you will bear much fruit." Yet too often we forget that fruit needs different seasons in order to grow. We measure our spiritual maturity by how much we do rather than how we are responding to our current spiritual season. In Spiritual Rhythm, Mark Buchanan replaces our spirituality of busyness with a spirituality of abiding. Sometimes we are busy, sometimes still, sometimes pushing with all we've got, sometimes waiting. This model of the spiritual life measures and produces growth by asking: Are we living in rhythm with the season we are in? With the lyrical writing for which he is known, Mark invites us to respond to every season of the heart, whether we are flourishing and fruitful, stark and dismal, or cool and windy. In comparing spiritual rhythms to the seasons of the year, he shows us what to expect from each season and how embracing the seasons causes our spiritual lives to prosper. As he draws on the powerful words of Scripture, Mark explores what activities are suitable or necessary in each season--and what activities are useless or even harmful in that season. Throughout the book, Mark weaves together stories of young and old, men and women, families, couples, and individuals who are in or have been through a particular season of the heart. As Mark writes, "I pray that this book meets you in whatever season you're in, and prepares you for whatever seasons await. I pray that it helps you find your voice, your stride, your rhythm, in season or out. Mostly, I pray that you, with or without my help, find Christ wherever you are. And that, even more, you discover that wherever you are, he's found you."

Download or read book The Spirit of the Disciplines Reissue written by Dallas Willard and published by Zondervan. This book was released on 1990-12-07 with total page 292 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How to Live as Jesus Lived Dallas Willard, one of today's most brilliant Christian thinkers and author of The Divine Conspiracy (Christianity Today's 1999 Book of the Year), presents a way of living that enables ordinary men and women to enjoy the fruit of the Christian life. He reveals how the key to self-transformation resides in the practice of the spiritual disciplines, and how their practice affirms human life to the fullest. The Spirit of the Disciplines is for everyone who strives to be a disciple of Jesus in thought and action as well as intention.