Download or read book Character Matters written by Aaron Menikoff and published by Moody Publishers. This book was released on 2020-05-05 with total page 202 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Pastor, it’s time to turn down the noise and focus on what matters. Today’s pastoral world is packed with books, conferences, and seminars teaching you different techniques for being an all-star pastor, growing your church quickly, and changing the world. But the key to true success is much harder and much simpler. Pastors are called to be faithful, to have exemplary character, and to love Jesus. Without faithfulness, their ministry ends up harming others rather than helping them. Churches need pastors with sound doctrine and a sound life. Character Matters was written to help you slow down, cut through the noise and distractions, and focus on what matters—the fruit of the Spirit. Each chapter is a guided, biblical meditation on one aspect of each piece of the fruit of the Spirit. As you reflect and focus on the simple things that matter, you’ll see your heart change and your ministry follow, slowly, surely, and by the power of the Spirit.
Download or read book Love One Another My Friends written by Saint Augustine and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 2009-01-02 with total page 128 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Augustine's interpretation is spiritual--his were not scholarly or academic concerns--and John Leinenweber's translation is fresh and accessible, capturing the clarity, brilliance, and inspired passion of the original. "John has said many things," stated Augustine, "and almost all of them concern love." The first six of the ten homilies were delivered on the days of the Easter octave. This period proved too short for Augustine to cover the whole of the letter, and he preached four additional homilies later in the spring. In his Confessions, Augustine spoke of his great longing as a youth "to love and be loved"--a topic that appealed greatly to his listeners. During the course of delivering these homilies, he was interrupted time and again by applause and shouts of enthusiasm. The ten homilies are broken up into twenty-four short chapters, for example: The Commandment of Love, Two Loves (of God and of the World), Christ and Antichrists, Unanswered Prayer, God is Love, God Has Loved Us First, Love Casts Out Fear. His are in large part moral teachings, dealing with such topics as prayer, our enemies, fear of God, the church, the world (so important in Saint John's writings). What does one actually do to love God and others? What are the pitfalls of loving? How can one learn to love more? Throughout the homilies, Augustine's great desire "to love and be loved" and to live eternally with God are eloquently expressed. Believing himself ignorant of Scripture, he had initially considered himself ill-prepared for the priesthood. Augustine's subsequent tireless studies unleashed a stream of biblical commentaries that led him to be ranked with Thomas Aquinas as one of the greatest teachers the Western Church has ever produced, and one of its greatest Fathers. His towering intellect molded the thought of Western Christianity, and his ideas dominated the thinking of the Western world for a thousand years after his death. Augustine wrote profusely, explaining and defending the faith. Called Doctor of Grace, his best known works are his Confessions, one of the greatest spiritual classics of all time, and City of God, an exposition of a Christian philosophy of history.
Download or read book Made for Friendship written by Drew Hunter and published by Crossway. This book was released on 2018-09-20 with total page 156 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: God made you for friendship. Friendship is one of the deepest pleasures of life. But in our busy, fast-paced, mobile world, we've lost this rich view of friendship and instead settled for shallow acquaintances based on little more than similar tastes or shared interests. Helping us recapture a vision of true friendship, pastor Drew Hunter explores God's design for friendship and what it really looks like in practice—giving us practical advice to cultivate the kinds of true friendships that lead to true and life-giving joy.
Download or read book The Four Loves written by Clive Staples Lewis and published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. This book was released on 1991 with total page 166 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Analyzes the feelings and problems involved in different types of human love, including familial affection, friendship, passion, and charity.
Download or read book Friends with Everyone written by Meg Bucher and published by . This book was released on 2018-10-22 with total page 247 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Why can it be so hard to find good friends? How can we become better friends? What happens when conflict threatens to derail friendship?"Friending" is so easy on the surface level, but how do we really know who are friends are? God litters our lives with people who come alongside us. Not every friendship looks the same, feels the same, or lasts forever. Do we love the people He has placed in our lives? When we recognize Christ's love in our reflection, it begin flows through us and into our relationships. By tuning into His voice above all others, we are free to embrace the broad scope of people God has brought into our lives. Jesus lofted love above all else in His friendships, and I believe He challenges us to do the same. "Friends with Everyone" challenges us to see and love people as He does, and to embrace friendship with fresh perspective. When we love each other for who we are, the genuine and authentic friendships we crave enrich our lives with a renewed sense of community.
Download or read book Politics and Piety written by Aaron Menikoff and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 2014-05-29 with total page 245 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Historians have painted a picture of nineteenth-century Baptists huddled in clapboard meetinghouses preaching sermons and singing hymns, seemingly unaware of the wider world. According to this view, Baptists were "so heavenly-minded, they were of no earthly good." Overlooked are the illustrative stories of Baptists fighting poverty, promoting abolition, petitioning Congress, and debating tax policy. Politics and Piety is a careful look at antebellum Baptist life. It is seen in figures such as John Broadus, whose first sermon promoted temperance, David Barrow, who formed an anti-slavery association in Kentucky, and in a Savannah church that started a ministry to the homeless. Not only did Baptists promote piety for the good of their churches, but they did so for the betterment of society at large. Though they aimed to change America one soul at a time, that is only part of the story. They also engaged the political arena, forcefully and directly. Simply put, Baptists were social reformers. Relying on the ideas of rank-and-file Baptists found in the minutes of local churches and associations, as well as the popular, parochial newspapers of the day, Politics and Piety uncovers a theologically minded and controversial movement to improve the nation. Understanding where these Baptists united and divided is a key to unlocking the differences in evangelical political engagement today.
Download or read book Spiritual Friendship written by Saint Aelred (of Rievaulx) and published by . This book was released on 1974 with total page 160 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Doctrines of Grace written by Charles H. Spurgeon and published by Lulu.com. This book was released on 2008-12-05 with total page 246 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: My own private opinion is that there is no such thing as preaching Christ and him crucified, unless you preach what now-a-days is called Calvinism. It is a nickname to call it Calvinism; Calvinism is the gospel, and nothing else. I do not believe we can preach the gospel, if we do not preach justification by faith, without works; nor unless we preach the sovereignty of God in his dispensation of grace; nor unless we exalt the electing, unchangeable, eternal, immutable, conquering, love of Jehovah: nor do I think we can preach the gospel, unless we base it upon the peculiar redemption which Christ made for his elect and chosen people; nor can I comprehend a gospel which lets saints fall away after they are called, and suffers the children of God to be burned in the fires of damnation after having believed. Such a gospel I abhor. The gospel of the Bible is not such a gospel. We preach Christ crucified in a different fashion, and to all gainsayers we reply. "We have not so learned Christ." (Charles Spurgeon)
Download or read book True Love Dates written by Debra K. Fileta and published by Zondervan. This book was released on 2013-10-08 with total page 239 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It is possible to find true love through dating. In True Love Dates, Debra Fileta encourages singles not to "kiss dating goodbye" but instead to experience a season of dating as a way to find real love. Through powerful, real-life stories and Fileta's personal journey, this book offers profound insights from the expertise of a professional counselor. Christians are looking for answers to finding true love. They are disillusioned with the church that has provided little practical application in the area of love and relationships. They're bombarded by Christian books that shun dating, idolize courting, fixate on spirituality, and in the end, offer little real relationship help. True Love Dates provides honest help for dating by providing a guide into vital relationship essentials. Debra is a professional Christian counselor who reaches millions with her popular blog, Truelovedates.com, and her book offers sound advice grounded in Christian spirituality. She delivers insight, direction, and counsel when it comes to entering the world of dating and learning to do it right the first time around. Drawing on the stories and struggles of hundreds of young men and women who have pursued the search for true love, Fileta helps readers bypass unnecessary pain while focusing on the things that really matter in the world of dating.
Download or read book I Love Jesus But I Want to Die written by Sarah J. Robinson and published by WaterBrook. This book was released on 2021-05-11 with total page 257 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A compassionate, shame-free guide for your darkest days “A one-of-a-kind book . . . to read for yourself or give to a struggling friend or loved one without the fear that depression and suicidal thoughts will be minimized, medicalized or over-spiritualized.”—Kay Warren, cofounder of Saddleback Church What happens when loving Jesus doesn’t cure you of depression, anxiety, or suicidal thoughts? You might be crushed by shame over your mental illness, only to be told by well-meaning Christians to “choose joy” and “pray more.” So you beg God to take away the pain, but nothing eases the ache inside. As darkness lingers and color drains from your world, you’re left wondering if God has abandoned you. You just want a way out. But there’s hope. In I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die, Sarah J. Robinson offers a healthy, practical, and shame-free guide for Christians struggling with mental illness. With unflinching honesty, Sarah shares her story of battling depression and fighting to stay alive despite toxic theology that made her afraid to seek help outside the church. Pairing her own story with scriptural insights, mental health research, and simple practices, Sarah helps you reconnect with the God who is present in our deepest anguish and discover that you are worth everything it takes to get better. Beautifully written and full of hard-won wisdom, I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die offers a path toward a rich, hope-filled life in Christ, even when healing doesn’t look like what you expect.
Download or read book Love Wins written by Rob Bell and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2011-03-15 with total page 162 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Millions of Christians have struggled with how to reconcile God's love and God's judgment: Has God created billions of people over thousands of years only to select a few to go to heaven and everyone else to suffer forever in hell? Is this acceptable to God? How is this "good news"? Troubling questions—so troubling that many have lost their faith because of them. Others only whisper the questions to themselves, fearing or being taught that they might lose their faith and their church if they ask them out loud. But what if these questions trouble us for good reason? What if the story of heaven and hell we have been taught is not, in fact, what the Bible teaches? What if what Jesus meant by heaven, hell, and salvation are very different from how we have come to understand them? What if it is God who wants us to face these questions? Author, pastor, and innovative teacher Rob Bell presents a deeply biblical vision for rediscovering a richer, grander, truer, and more spiritually satisfying way of understanding heaven, hell, God, Jesus, salvation, and repentance. The result is the discovery that the "good news" is much, much better than we ever imagined. Love wins.
Download or read book The Five Love Languages written by Gary Chapman and published by Moody Publishers. This book was released on 2009-12-17 with total page 209 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Marriage should be based on love, right? But does it seem as though you and your spouse are speaking two different languages? #1 New York Times bestselling author Dr. Gary Chapman guides couples in identifying, understanding, and speaking their spouse's primary love language-quality time, words of affirmation, gifts, acts of service, or physical touch. By learning the five love languages, you and your spouse will discover your unique love languages and learn practical steps in truly loving each other. Chapters are categorized by love language for easy reference, and each one ends with simple steps to express a specific language to your spouse and guide your marriage in the right direction. A newly designed love languages assessment will help you understand and strengthen your relationship. You can build a lasting, loving marriage together. Gary Chapman hosts a nationally syndicated daily radio program called A Love Language Minute that can be heard on more than 150 radio stations as well as the weekly syndicated program Building Relationships with Gary Chapman, which can both be heard on fivelovelanguages.com. The Five Love Languages is a consistent New York Times bestseller - with over 5 million copies sold and translated into 38 languages. This book is a sales phenomenon, with each year outselling the prior for 16 years running!
Download or read book Everyday Connections written by Heidi Haverkamp and published by Presbyterian Publishing Corp. This book was released on 2023-08-15 with total page 581 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume provides a full fifty-two weeks of devotional material based on the Revised Common Lectionary for Year B. Drawing from the insightful Bible commentaries in the Connections series, each week also includes scriptural and literary readings, lectio divina, spiritual practices, questions for journaling, and prayers. This resource has been crafted with mainline lectionary preachers in mind, both to supplement their planning for the week and to feed their souls in the midst of the work of ministry. Individuals and small groups will find their faith deepened through regular contemplation and devotional insight.
Download or read book The Art of Being a Good Friend written by Hugh Black and published by Sophia Institute Press. This book was released on 1999 with total page 160 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: These pages show readers how to transform superficial friendships into soul-nourishing relationships, bringing them from shallowness and frivolity to a deep communion of mind and heart -- a communion that will become, for those who read this book and for their friends, a means for emotional and spiritual growth. Married couples will find here new ways to appreciate the gift God has given to them in their spouse. Best of all, readers will learn how to achieve friendship with God. As they enjoy this divine friendship and enrich their human friendships, they'll come to see how truly author Hugh Black speaks when he says that no one would care to live without friends, even if he had all other good things.
Download or read book Sacra Pagina The Gospel of John written by Francis J. Moloney, SDB and published by Liturgical Press. This book was released on 2023-06-13 with total page 626 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: No other book of the New Testament has attracted as much attention from commentators as the Fourth Gospel. It has stirred minds, hearts, and imaginations from Christianity's earliest days. In The Gospel of John, Francis Moloney unfolds the identifiable "point of view" of this unique Gospel narrative and offers readers, heirs to its rich and widely varied interpretative traditions, relevance for their lives today. The Gospel of John's significance for Christianity has been obvious from the time of Irenaeus. It was also fundamental in the emergence of Christian theology, especially in the trinitarian and christological debates that produced the great ecumenical Councils, from Nicaea to Chalcedon. What sets this commentary on the Fourth Gospel apart from others is Moloney's particular attention to the narrative design of the Gospel story. He traces the impact the Johannine form of the Jesus story has made on readers and explicates the way in which the author has told the story of Jesus. Through this he demonstrates how the Gospel story articulates a coherent theology, christology, and ecclesiology.
Download or read book 30 Rituals and Prayer Services for Catechist and Teacher Meetings written by Alison J. Berger and published by Twenty-Third Publications. This book was released on 2003 with total page 78 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Prayer, especially prayer as a faith community, is essential to any kind of ministry. This is perhaps even more true for catechists and religion teachers, who are called to be ministers of the word. 30 Rituals and Prayer Services for Catechist and Teacher Meetings provides deeply moving and meaningful ways for catechists and teachers to celebrate their ministry. These beautifully prepared rituals and services, rich in Scripture and liturgy, can lead participants into a profound encounter with God and with one another. Themes include liturgical seasons, aspects of the catechetical ministry, the beatitudes, the sacraments, and more. One form of prayer used in these services is lectio divina, an ancient method for praying the Scriptures. Also unique to this book are rituals based on the rites of the liturgy, including those used in the RCIA process. These services can easily be adapted to the needs of your group. Each service is a complete prayer experience suitable for meetings as well as for days of prayer and reflection. For catechetical leaders, Catholic school principals, catechists, and religion teachers, 30 Rituals and Prayer Services for Catechist and Teacher Meetings is a must-have resource. Book jacket.
Download or read book KJV Standard Lesson Commentary 2016 2017 written by Standard Publishing and published by David C Cook. This book was released on 2016-06-01 with total page 1229 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As the nation's most popular annual Bible commentary for more than two decades, the Standard Lesson Commentary provides 52 weeks of study in a single volume and combines thorough Bible study with relevant examples and questions. The KJV SLC is perfect as the primary resource for an adult Sunday school class and personal study or as a supplemental resource for any curriculum that follows the ISSL/Uniform Series. Nearly two dozen ministers, teachers, and Christian education specialists provide the Bible commentary, lesson plans, discussion questions, and other features that make the Standard Lesson Commentary the most popular annual Bible commentary available. The Standard Lesson Commentary is based on the popular Uniform Series, also called the International Sunday School Lessons. This series, developed by scholars from several church fellowships, provides an orderly study of the Bible in a 6-year period.
