Download or read book Relationship Goals written by Michael Todd and published by WaterBrook. This book was released on 2020-04-28 with total page 210 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A candid, inspiring guide to finding lasting love and sustaining a healthy relationship by getting real about your goals—based on the viral, multi-million-view sermon series about dating, marriage, and sex “No matter where you are and no matter what stage of life you are in, Relationship Goals will be a game changer.”—Levi Lusko NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY COSMOPOLITAN You scroll through photo after photo of happy couples and think, I want a relationship like that! The thing is, those intimate relationships are a mirage—the closer you get to them, the more you realize they aren’t real at all. So what does a real relationship look like? And how do you get there? In Relationship Goals, Pastor Michael Todd digs deep to give you good news and real-life ideas for making the most of your most important relationships. Take a look at • what it means to choose intentional dating over recreational dating • how to move on from mistakes you’ve made in the past • why love gets stronger after marriage • what the Bible has to say about sex (hot take: it’s more sizzling than you think) • why the best friendships have God at the center Whether you are married, single, or it’s complicated, aiming for the right targets will make all the difference in finding true satisfaction. As it turns out, God’s got the best relationship goals of all for your life. Why settle for less?

Download or read book Crazy Faith written by Michael Todd and published by WaterBrook. This book was released on 2023-09-19 with total page 241 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the author of Relationship Goals . . . Will you be remembered as a person who claimed to follow God but liked to play it safe? Or as a person who lived your life out on the limb and trusted God enough to live in crazy faith? Noah looked crazy when he started building the ark . . . until it started raining. It was crazy for Moses to lead a nation of people into the desert away from Egypt . . . until the Red Sea parted. It was crazy to believe that a fourteen-year-old virgin would give birth to the Son of God . . . until Mary held Jesus in her arms. There are many things that seem normal or average today that at one point in time seemed absolutely crazy. Smartphones, Wi-Fi, and even the electric light bulb were all groundbreaking, history-making inventions that started out as crazy ideas. Our see-it-to-believe-it generation tends to have a hard time exercising true faith—one that steps out, takes action, and sees mountain-moving results. Many of us would rather play it safe and stand on the sidelines, but it’s crazy faith that helps us see God move and reveals His promises. In Crazy Faith, Pastor Michael Todd shows us how to step out in faith and dive into the purposeful life of trusting God for the impossible. Even if you have to start with baby faith or maybe faith, you can become empowered to let go of your lazy faith, trust God through your hazy faith, and learn to live a lifestyle of crazy faith. With powerful stories of modern-day faith warriors who take their cues from biblical heroes, Michael Todd equips you to • believe for the impossible • choose hope over fear • be alert to the voice of God • cope with loss and doubt • develop a deeper level of trust in God • speak faith-filled declarations • inspire crazy faith in others God’s not looking for somebody to give Him all the reasons why His plans can’t happen. He’s looking for somebody to believe they will happen. In fact, He has so much He wants to do through you. The question is, Are you crazy enough to believe it?

Download or read book Preaching for Church Transformation written by Bill Easum and published by Abingdon Press. This book was released on 2011-12-01 with total page 167 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Before he was one of the best-known church consultants in the country, Bill Easum served a lengthy pastorate in San Antonio, Texas. When he arrived at the church it was in serious decline, with the possibility of having to close its doors beginning to loom over it. By the time he left it was the most vibrant, fastest-growing congregation in its city and region. Shortly after he arrived, Easum preached a series of sermons on the book of Acts that challenged the congregation to become an authentic New Testament church. He called on parishioners to step out of their comfort zones, stop expecting their pastor to be a personal chaplain, and join together to reach their city with the message of Jesus. Preaching for Church Transformation provides updated versions of the sermons Easum preached as he issued this challenge to the congregation shortly after his arrival. Interspersed with the sermons is commentary telling the reader how to adapt them for her or his own situation. Anyone wanting to lead a congregation from the status quo to growth and faithful witness will find Preaching for Church Transformation an indispensable resource.

Download or read book The Glory of Preaching written by Darrell W. Johnson and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 2010-01-04 with total page 279 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In these pages you will find a vision of preaching that is both illuminating and inspiring. Drawing from biblical and theological resources as well as years in the pulpit, Darrell Johnson takes us far beyond the mere mechanics of delivering sermons. He dynamically unpacks the link between the human task of speaking to a congregation and the real, gracious action and presence of the living Christ in and through our proclamation. Johnson assists preachers to profoundly engage the biblical text and then liberates them to make use of their own personality, gifts and abilities as they communicate that message. This book is for any pastor or student who wants to cultivate a deeper pulpit approach, one that participates in the transforming mystery of God working through our less-than-perfect proclamation. Here is a solid foundation for preaching the good news as if God was living, Jesus was resurrected and the Holy Spirit was faithfully at work among us.

Download or read book Transformational Church written by Ed Stetzer and published by B&H Publishing Group. This book was released on 2010 with total page 260 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It is time to take heart and rework the scorecard. --

Download or read book How Women Transform Preaching written by Leonora Tubbs Tisdale and published by Abingdon Press. This book was released on 2021-04-06 with total page 123 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Women preachers are everywhere. The pulpit, once a bastion of male presence and power, has become, in many denominations, a place where women regularly exercise their gifts, leading congregations and proclaiming God's word each week. The number of women scholars who are publishing and teaching in the field of preaching has also expanded dramatically. Leonora Tubbs Tisdale explores how the presence of women preachers and scholars of preaching has transformed the practice of homiletics this country—from the reclamation of women’s “herstory” in preaching, to the topics addressed in preaching and scholarship, to the way in which Biblical hermeneutics and theologizing are undertaken in preaching, to the imagery, illustrations, shape and embodiment of the sermons themselves. How Women Transform Preaching begins with a fascinating survey, including statistical information and historical analysis. Interviewing 16 women preachers/homileticians, Tisdale shares ‘untold stories’ of women preachers throughout history who are largely unknown but who serve as examples of both the struggle and power of women’s preaching. She then tells the stories of contemporary women preachers. Throughout, Tisdale draws practical lessons for the reader, showing what students, homileticians, and preachers can learn from extraordinary women preachers.

Download or read book Transforming Preaching written by David Heywood and published by SPCK. This book was released on 2013-05-16 with total page 190 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Rooted in a clear understanding of the indispensable authority of God's word, Transforming Preaching provides a wealth of practical wisdom and advice for anyone approaching the task of preaching for the first time. It also serves as a useful refresher for all who want to increase the effectiveness of their preaching ministry. Basing his advice on the latest research into the way people listen, learn and grow in the Christian life, David Heywood looks at ways of constructing and delivering successful sermons, while also providing a stimulating guide to the principles and benefits of interactive preaching.

Download or read book Transforming Preaching written by Ruthanna Hooke and published by Church Publishing, Inc.. This book was released on 2010-04-01 with total page 165 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: At once “travel guide” and vision for the future, the Transformation series is good news for the Episcopal Church at a time of fast and furious demographic and social change. Series contributors - recognized experts in their fields - analyze our present plight, point to the seeds of change already at work transforming the church, and outline a positive new way forward. What kinds of churches are most ready for transformation? What are the essential tools? What will give us strength, direction, and purpose to the journey? Each volume of the series will: Explain why a changed vision is essential Give robust theological and biblical foundations Offer a guide to best practices and positive trends in churches large and small. Describe the necessary tools for change Imagine how transformation will look Preaching is one of the more “transformable” aspects of the church’s life. Performance teacher Ruthanna Hooke, writing for both clergy and lay leaders, delivers the good and bad news about Episcopalians and preaching. She explains why preaching is more difficult than ever today, and provides essential models and spiritual practices in order to transform both the creators of preaching and its listeners as both participate in sermons.

Download or read book Preaching that Matters written by Lori J. Carrell and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2013-04-11 with total page 265 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Listeners do love their pastors and they agree with the sermon content they hear,' Lori Carrell once explained to a group of pastors, 'but most sermons don't ask for change, and most listeners don't experience spiritual growth as a result of the sermon.' A participant responded: 'Let's get practical. I want my preaching to make a difference. What changes are worth making, and how do I make them?' In Preaching that Matters, Lori Carrell shares answers to that question, drawing on the experiences of thousands of people—preachers and their listeners—whose effort she has studied over many years. In each chapter of this book, she offers research revelations about high impact preaching that will encourage and challenge readers to continue to grow as preachers. She then links these principles with Reflective Practice Challenges (RPCs), exercises that honor the rich experiences of pastors while opening opportunities for self-analysis, spiritual introspection, conversation with a trusted other, or implementation of research-based preaching recommendations. The activities have been used by hundreds of other pastors, and each RPC has been carefully selected for its demonstrated contribution to the process of transforming sermon communication. A selection of the RPCs are available as a downloadable file. E-mail [email protected] for more information. As a communication expert, Carrell approaches preaching from a 'sermon communication' paradigm. She begins with the task of identifying the spiritually transformative purpose of the sermon and then explores exegeting, organizing, deepening, and delivering the sermon, as well as listening to the listeners and planning for continued transformation. Her own goal is simple: to inspire and equip clergy to make changes that will enhance the transformative power of their preaching. To connect with others reading Preaching That Matters and to find an onlne accountability partner, join the book's Google+ communities.

Download or read book Love Worth Finding 25 Pack written by Adrian Rogers and published by Crossway Books. This book was released on 2016-01-31 with total page 6 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Psychologists have long known that every person has two great longings and inward needs. The first is to be loved, and the second is to love. But when pressures and heartaches come into our lives, many give up any hope of ever finding love. The tragedy is that we often look in the wrong places to fill this deep need and longing. Some substitute lust for love. Others pursue material things or superficial relationships--all in the futile attempt to fill a God-shaped vacuum in the human heart. But there is good news! There is a love worth finding and a love worth sharing. The Bible says, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16). On the cross of Christ, God's mighty love was revealed and offered unconditionally to all who would be saved. Do you long to know this mighty love? Then I need to ask you the most important question you'll ever be asked: Do you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God loves you, that your sins are forgiven, and that you are saved and on your way to heaven? The great news is, you can know! Let me share with you how to discover the greatest love worth finding. Admit Your Sin. First, you must admit that you are a sinner. The Bible says, "None is righteous, no, not one. . . . For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:10, 23). It is our sin that separates us from God and from fulfilling our deepest needs and longings. Sin is an offense against God that carries a serious penalty. According to Romans 6:23, "The wages of sin is death [eternal separation from the love and mercy of God]." Abandon Your Efforts. Second, you must abandon any efforts to save yourself. If we could save ourselves, Jesus's death would have been unnecessary! Even "getting religion" cannot get you to heaven. The Bible says it is "not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his mercy" that we are saved (Titus 3:5). Salvation is by God's grace, "not a result of works, so that no one may boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9). Acknowledge Christ's Payment. What you cannot do for yourself, Jesus Christ has done for you! "But God shows his love toward us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). He died on the cross for you and then rose from the dead to prove that his payment was acceptable to God. But you must acknowledge and believe this fact. "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved" (Acts 16:31). Accept Christ as your Savior. Salvation is God's gift to you. "The free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23). When someone offers you a priceless gift, the wisest thing you can do is accept it! This very moment, you can receive Christ's gift of salvation by sincerely praying this simple prayer from your heart: Dear God, I know that I am a sinner. I know that you love me and want to save me. Jesus, I believe you are the Son of God, who died on the cross to pay for my sins. I believe God raised you from the dead. I now turn from my sin and, by faith, receive you as my personal Lord and Savior. Come into my heart, forgive my sins, and save me, Lord Jesus. In your name I pray. Amen.

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 Prophetic Preaching written by Leonora Tubbs Tisdale and published by Westminster John Knox Press. This book was released on 2010-08-09 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Where have all the prophets gone? And why do preachers seem to shy away from prophetic witness? Astute preacher Leonora Tisdale considers these vexing questions while providing guidance and encouragement to pastors who want to recommit themselves to the task of prophetic witness. With a keen sensitivity to pastoral contexts, Tisdale's work is full of helpful suggestions and examples to help pastors structure and preach prophetic sermons, considered by many to be one of the most difficult tasks pastors are called to undertake.

Download or read book Preaching Death written by Lucy Bregman and published by . This book was released on 2020-11-15 with total page 263 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Christians traditionally have had something substantive and important to say about death and afterlife. Yet the language and imagery used in sermons about life and death have given way to language designed to comfort and celebrate. In Preaching Death, Lucy Bregman tracks the changes in Protestant American funerals over the last one hundred years. Early-twentieth-century natural immortality doctrinal funeral sermons transitioned to an era of silence and denial, eventually becoming expressive, biographical tributes to the deceased. The contemporary death awareness movement, with the death as a natural event perspective, has widely impacted American culture, affecting health care, education, and psychotherapy and creating new professions such as hospice nurse and grief counselor. Bregman questions whether this transition--which occurred unobserved and without conflict--was inevitable and what alternative paths could have been chosen. In tracing this unique story, she reveals how Americans' comprehension of death shifted in the last century--and why we must find ways to move beyond it.

Download or read book Expository Exultation written by John Piper and published by Crossway. This book was released on 2018-04-16 with total page 383 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “God has appointed preaching in worship as one great means of accomplishing his ultimate goal in the world.” —John Piper John Piper makes a compelling claim in these pages about the purpose of preaching: it is intended not merely as an explanation of the text but also as a means of awakening worship by being worship in and of itself. Christian preaching is a God-appointed miracle aiming to awaken the supernatural seeing, savoring, and showing of the glory of Christ. Distilling over forty years of experience in preaching and teaching, Piper shows preachers how and what to communicate from God’s Word, so that God’s purpose on earth will advance through Biblesaturated, Christ-exalting, God-centered preaching—in other words, expository exultation.

Download or read book The Purpose Driven Church written by Rick Warren and published by Zondervan. This book was released on 2007-09-04 with total page 401 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Every church is driven by something. Tradition, finances, programs, personalities, events, seekers, and even buildings can each be the controlling force in a church. But Rick Warren believers that in order for a church to be healthy if must become a purpose driven church by Jesus. Now the founding pastor of Saddleback Church shares a proven five-part strategy that will enable your church to grow. . .- Warmer through fellowship - Deeper through discipleship - Stronger through worship - Broader through ministry - Larger through evangelism. Discover the same practical insights and principles for growing a healthy church that Rick has taught in seminars to over 22,000 pastors and church leaders from sixty denominations and forty-two countries. The Purpose Driven Church® shifts the focus away from church building programs to emphasizing a people-building process. Warren says, "If you will concentrate on building people, God will build the church."

Download or read book Battles Christians Face written by Vaughan Roberts and published by Authentic Media Inc. This book was released on 2007-03-01 with total page 126 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Vaughan Roberts explores seven of the difficulties Christians may have to endure and positive ways to deal with them. The Bible warns of a mixed experience in this life. We live in a fallen world and have to fight continually against earthly temptations, but we do so as heaven's citizens, already enjoying some of salvation's great blessings. Vaughan Roberts calls us to realism. Christians will struggle with battles such as image, lust and doubt. But he also urges us to seek strength from the Bible, by the Spirit and through God's people. We are weaker than we often acknowledge, but God is far stronger than we can possibly imagine. Vaughan Roberts is Rector of St Ebbe's, Oxford. He has worked extensively with students and is a frequent speaker at university Christian Unions, and at conventions such as Word Alive.

Download or read book A Way with Words written by Adam T. Trambley and published by Church Publishing, Inc.. This book was released on 2020-04-17 with total page 169 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A vital resource for pastors who seek to transform the culture of their church A Way with Words demonstrates the power of the weekly sermon to change the culture of a congregation. Using the analogy of language learning, Adam Trambley shows how a consistent ministry focus over an eighteen-month period can help a church address areas that inhibit growth even as the pastor preaches on a diversity of subjects or uses a lectionary. The author explores how important focused preaching can be to moving church development forward and offers a long-term strategy particularly helpful for pastors looking to take full advantage of the opportunities their weekly sermons provide. Each chapter includes discussion questions and practical exercises that can be used as part of a preaching group or seminary class, or to aid the solo pastor in preparing dynamic sermons. This is a topic not generally taught in seminary, but vital for pastors who wear many hats as preachers, pastoral caregivers, and administrative leaders.