Download or read book Being Conformed to Christ in Community written by James G. Samra and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2008-09-15 with total page 278 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This work explores Paul's conception of maturity, paying special attention to the maturation process and the role of the local church in facilitating this process. Although central to Paul's theology, maturity is often overlooked in Pauline studies. An exegetical-theological study of the seven generally accepted epistles, this work makes heuristic use of three studies for the purpose of illuminating Paul's thoughts regarding maturity: a survey of modern psychology, and analyses of the communities of Qumran and of the Therapeutae. Samra argues that Paul understood his apostolic commission to involve delivering mature believers on the day of Christ. Samra suggests that the central motif of Pauline maturity is conformity of believers to the image of Christ and that believers' attitudes and actions become aligned with those exhibited by Christ, who provides the defining standard of maturity for Paul. For Paul there are five means used by the Spirit to conform believers to the image of Christ, which Samra presents and analyzes as components of the maturation process, namely: identifying with Christ, enduring suffering, experiencing the presence of God, receiving and living out wisdom from God, and imitating a godly example. Samra concludes by arguing that Paul expected the local church to facilitate maturation so that believers' participation in a local assembly would result in their being conformed to Christ. The church does this by facilitating the five components of the maturation process.
Download or read book The Church according to Paul written by James W. Thompson and published by Baker Academic. This book was released on 2014-09-09 with total page 311 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Amid conflicting ideas about what the church should be and do in a post-Christian climate, the missing voice is that of Paul. The New Testament's most prolific church planter, Paul faced diverse challenges as he worked to form congregations. Leading biblical scholar James Thompson examines Paul's ministry of planting and nurturing churches in the pre-Christian world to offer guidance for the contemporary church. The church today, as then, must define itself and its mission among people who have been shaped by other experiences of community. Thompson shows that Paul offers an unprecedented vision of the community that is being conformed to the image of Christ. He also addresses contemporary (mis)understandings of words like missional, megachurch, and formation.
Download or read book Spiritual Formation as if the Church Mattered written by James C. Wilhoit and published by Baker Academic. This book was released on 2022-03-29 with total page 270 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Most books on spiritual formation focus on the individual. But spiritual formation is at the heart of the church's whole purpose for existence. It must be a central task for the church to carry out Christ's mission in the world. This book offers an introduction to spiritual formation set squarely in the local church. The first edition has been well received and widely used as a textbook. The second edition has been updated throughout, incorporates findings from positive psychology, and reflects an Augustinian formation perspective. Foreword by Dallas Willard.
Download or read book Unleashed written by Eric Mason and published by B&H Publishing Group. This book was released on 2015-08-15 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: You're a Christian, now what? God not only saved you from something, but for something. Pastor Eric Mason is passionate about helping Christians unleash the transformative power of God in their lives as they learn to be faithful disciples of Jesus. Being conformed to the image of Christ is a lifelong journey for every Christian. Mason understands that spiritual transformation doesn't occur overnight. Unleashed outlines the process of spiritual growth from the first moments of faith to the last. Readers discover their potential in Christ in an age that is so often marked by suffering, grief, and defeat. Join countless others who are learning what it means to unleash God's power in their lives.
Download or read book Above All written by J. D. Greear and published by B&H Publishing Group. This book was released on 2019-06-01 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Is gospel Christianity dead? Pundits are writing the obituary of historic, orthodox Christianity, but pastor and author J. D. Greear (Gospel, Stop Asking Jesus into Your Heart) believes the postmortems are premature. Jesus promised to build his church. He said that the gates of hell would not prevail against it. The church is not going away. Along with this promise, Jesus gave clear instructions for how the church would prevail. He promised to build it on the rock of the gospel. The most pressing need for Christianity today is not a new strategy. It is not an updated message. It is a return to keeping the gospel above all.
Download or read book Pastor Paul Theological Explorations for the Church Catholic written by Scot McKnight and published by Brazos Press. This book was released on 2019-09-03 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Being a pastor is a complicated calling. Pastors are often pulled in multiple directions and must "become all things to all people" (1 Cor. 9:22). What does the New Testament say (or not say) about the pastoral calling? And what can we learn about it from the apostle Paul? According to popular New Testament scholar Scot McKnight, pastoring must begin first and foremost with spiritual formation, which plays a vital role in the life and ministry of the pastor. As leaders, pastors both create and nurture culture in a church. The biblical vision for that culture is Christoformity, or Christlikeness. Grounding pastoral ministry in the pastoral praxis of the apostle Paul, McKnight shows that nurturing Christoformity was at the heart of the Pauline mission. The pastor's central calling, then, is to mediate Christ in everything. McKnight explores seven dimensions that illustrate this concept--friendship, siblings, generosity, storytelling, witness, subverting the world, and wisdom--as he calls pastors to be conformed to Christ and to nurture a culture of Christoformity in their churches.
Download or read book Cold Case Christianity written by J. Warner Wallace and published by David C Cook. This book was released on 2013-01-01 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Written by an L. A. County homicide detective and former atheist, Cold-Case Christianity examines the claims of the New Testament using the skills and strategies of a hard-to-convince criminal investigator. Christianity could be defined as a “cold case”: it makes a claim about an event from the distant past for which there is little forensic evidence. In Cold-Case Christianity, J. Warner Wallace uses his nationally recognized skills as a homicide detective to look at the evidence and eyewitnesses behind Christian beliefs. Including gripping stories from his career and the visual techniques he developed in the courtroom, Wallace uses illustration to examine the powerful evidence that validates the claims of Christianity. A unique apologetic that speaks to readers’ intense interest in detective stories, Cold-Case Christianity inspires readers to have confidence in Christ as it prepares them to articulate the case for Christianity.
Download or read book Five Views on Sanctification written by Melvin E. Dieter and published by Zondervan Academic. This book was released on 2011-04-19 with total page 260 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Christians generally recognize the need to live a holy, or sanctified, life. But they differ on what sanctification is and how it is achieved. How does one achieve sanctification in this life? How much success in sanctification is possible? Is a crisis experience following one's conversion normal--or necessary? If so, what kind of experience, and how is it verified? Five Views on Sanctification--part of the Counterpoints series--brings together in one easy-to-understand volume five major Protestant views on sanctification: Wesleyan View – represented by Melvin E. Dieter Reformed View – represented by Anthony A. Hoekema Pentecostal View – represented by Stanley M. Horton Keswick View – represented by J. Robertson McQuilkin Augustinian-Dispensationalism View – represented by John F. Walvoord Writing from a solid evangelical stance, each author describes and defends his own understanding of the doctrine sanctification and then responds to the views of the other authors. The Counterpoints series presents a comparison and critique of scholarly views on topics important to Christians that are both fair-minded and respectful of the biblical text. Each volume is a one-stop reference that allows readers to evaluate the different positions on a specific issue and form their own, educated opinion.
Download or read book Pursuing God s Will Together written by Ruth Haley Barton and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 2012-04-25 with total page 257 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Logos Book of the Year Meetings can sap our energy, rupture community and thoroughly demoralize us. They can go on forever with no resolution. Or they can rush along without consensus just to "get through the agenda." What if there was another way? Church boards and other Christian leadership teams have long relied on models adapted from the business world. Ruth Haley Barton, president of the Transforming Center, helps teams transition to a much more suitable model—the spiritual community that discerns God's will together. In these pages you will discover personal and group practices that will lead you into a new way of experiencing community and listening to God together.
Download or read book Conformed to His Image Revised Edition written by Kenneth D. Boa and published by Zondervan Academic. This book was released on 2020-10-06 with total page 604 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What does a real relationship with God look like? What is the biblical vision of true spiritual life? How do we grow in spiritual maturity? How we answer these questions influences the health, potency, and witness of Christians in an increasingly complex and hostile world. Conformed to His Image, Revised Edition answers these questions with clarity and insight, offering a comprehensive, balanced, and applicable guide to spiritual growth. Designed for use in college and seminary courses but also highly appropriate for any serious Christian wanting to grow, this revised edition helps readers build their lives on a fully biblical foundation. It offers a corrective to our tendency to narrow and compartmentalize spiritual growth by exploring twelve facets of authentic Christian spirituality, which include: Relational Spirituality: Loving God Completely, Ourselves Correctly, and Others Compassionately Paradigm Spirituality: Cultivating an Eternal versus a Temporal Perspective Disciplined Spirituality: Engaging in the Historical Disciplines Exchanged Life Spirituality: Grasping Our True Identity in Christ Motivated Spirituality: A Set of Biblical Incentives Devotional Spirituality: Growing in Relationship with God Holistic Spirituality: Every Component of Life under the Lordship of Christ Process Spirituality: Process versus Product, Being versus Doing Spirit-Filled Spirituality: Walking in the Power of the Spirit Warfare Spirituality: The World, the Flesh, and the Devil Nurturing Spirituality: A Lifestyle of Evangelism and Discipleship Corporate Spirituality: Encouragement, Accountability, and Worship With chapter overviews and objectives, questions for personal application, a glossary, a list of key terms, and helpful appendices, Conformed to His Image, Revised Edition provides a defining text for the student, pastor, and church leader of today and tomorrow. This revised edition includes new recommended resources throughout, more recent examples of subjects discussed, and updated wording to better reflect our postmodern context.
Download or read book The Psychology of the Fruit of the Spirit written by Zoltán Dörnyei and published by Zondervan Academic. This book was released on 2022-11-01 with total page 303 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For centuries, the fruit of the Spirit has rightfully served as a wellspring of reflection on the virtues that epitomize the Christian life and character-building. However, the notion of the fruit of the Spirit is not limited solely to forming the biblical foundation of ethical living. Psychologist and theologian Zoltán Dörnyei argues that if we understand the nine attributes collectively as a concise portrayal of the ideal Christian self, this approach places the notion of the fruit of the Spirit at the intersection of several important theological themes, such as being conformed to the divine image, the gradual advancement of the kingdom of God, and new creation. In The Psychology of the Fruit of the Spirit, Dörnyei offers a scholarly exposition of the relevant theological content associated with the fruit of the Spirit. Complementing his theological reflections with findings from the field of psychology, he brings expertise in both psychology and theology to bear on this important biblical concept. His integrated perspective helps to uncover the full meaning and theological potential of the fruit of the Spirit by helping to clarify the nature of its nine facets, defining broader psychological dimensions that underlie the fruit, and offering practical lessons for cultivating it in the Christian life.
Download or read book Church in Hard Places written by Mez McConnell and published by Crossway. This book was released on 2016-01-14 with total page 122 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Jesus came to seek and to save the lost, paying particular attention to the downtrodden and the poor. As followers of Jesus, Christians are called to imitate his example and reach out to those who have the least. This book offers biblical guidelines and practical strategies for reaching those on the margins of our society with the gospel of Jesus Christ. The authors—both pastors with years of experience ministering among the poor—set forth helpful “dos” and “don’ts” related to serving in the midst of less-affluent communities. Emphasizing the priority of the gospel as well as the importance of addressing issues of social justice, this volume will help pastors and other church leaders mobilize their people to plant churches and make an impact in “hard places”—in their own communities and around the world.
Download or read book Transfigured not Conformed written by Hans G. Ulrich and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2021-12-16 with total page 321 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The moral theology of Hans G. Ulrich is presented here in English for the first time. These collected essays represent the culmination of a lifetime of reflection on Christian living from this German theologian in conversation with Luther, Bonhoeffer, and contemporary philosophers and theologians. Ulrich's ethics affirm the lively presence of the living work of God in orienting the daily life of Christians. This presence enables members of the Church to live as creatures trusting in God's promises, bearing witness in political and economic spheres, and trusting in life as a gift in response to bioethical issues. Ulrich's fresh take on living out of the promise of God yields further guidance on issues in international relations, economics, parenting, disability, and more.
Download or read book The Gift of Church written by James G. Samra and published by Zondervan. This book was released on 2010-12-07 with total page 160 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: All too many people are disappointed with the church, struggle with the church, or have already left the church. For example, Josh is the father of a young family. The demands (and illnesses) that go along with little children, traveling, friends coming for weekend visits and general busyness have kept him from getting his family very involved in church. Mason is an extremely successful businessman. He thinks the church is slow and inefficient. He shows up most weeks because his wife wants him to, but he hangs out with wealthy friends from around the country. They get together on a regular basis, pay for a speaker to come and talk to them and call it good. Jerry’s is aware that he is not supposed to stop assembling together with other believers, but that is what he is doing, so what’s the big deal? Mark is a single young adult who was coming to church and was getting involved, but his girlfriend pulled him away from church and hehas no rationale for why he should fight to stay involved. He drifted away and although people told him he needed to stay connected, he didn’t see why they were so concerned. Char is a high school girl who doesn’t like the youth group at church and only comes because her parents make her. She has asked her parents why she has to go to church and they haven’t been able to give her a good answer, except that it is something that she needs to do. In each of these cases, if they might not naturally pick up this book, Josh’s brother, Mason’s son-in-law, Mark’s friend and Char’s dad can give it to them to read. Or these who have influence with them can read it themselves to have a better understanding of the absolute necessity of active participation in a local church so that they could share verbally.Pollster George Barna claims in Revolution, that millions of American Christians are moving away from the traditional local church to alternative Christian communities or to no community at all. Leadership Journal published an article that argues that people want to turn to places other than the local church for community and teaching. The Pew Report released a study showing the number of people switching churches and those with no church affiliation has grown considerably. This is a very important and issue that needs to be addressed.This book addresses the issue so that church or parachurch small groups can read together and discuss the questions at the end of chapters. The book is designed to help readers more deeply value church and what church ought to look like. Five short chapters provide a helpful overview of the case for the church, using scripture and illustrated with stories from real life.
Download or read book Humanity written by John S. Hammett and published by B&H Publishing Group. This book was released on 2023-09-01 with total page 262 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: John Hammett’s and Katie McCoy’s Humanity is built on four assumptions: that humans are creatures, that they can only be understood in light of the intentions of their Creator, that the Creator’s intentions are revealed in the pages of Scripture, and that humans enjoy a truly and fully human life only when they live in accordance with their created nature. Thus, this work seeks to offer a biblical perspective on human nature as designed by God.
Download or read book The Lausanne Covenant written by John R. W. Stott and published by . This book was released on 1975 with total page 62 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Ecologies of Faith in a Digital Age written by Stephen D. Lowe and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 2018-06-19 with total page 274 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Technological innovation has changed nearly everything about human life, including how we teach and learn. Many Christian professors and institutions have embraced new technologies, especially online education. But as followers of Jesus Christ, we face the same call to grow in our faith. So how should we think about and approach Christian education in light of new technologies? Is it possible for us to grow spiritually through our digital communities? Steve Lowe and Mary Lowe, longtime proponents of online education, trace the motif of spiritual growth through Scripture and consider how students and professors alike might foster digital ecologies in which spiritual growth—even transformation—can take place. IVP Instructor Resources available.
