Download or read book Preaching a Disturbing Gospel written by Julie A. Slous and published by Governing Council of the Salvation Army in Canada. This book was released on 2012-10-01 with total page 210 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: John Wesley was once asked why so many people came to hear him preach. His response was, "When you set yourself on fire, people love to come and see you burn . While the question pushed to understand why the masses were so intrigued with Wesley's pulpit, we might well ask today, what is really happening in our pulpits to capture the interest and the attention of today's listener? If we were to survey local congregations, perhaps we would be surprised to learn how many people would like to see a little more fire burning in the pulpit on a Sunday morning! It presses us to ask what preaching is accomplishing in today's contemporary world. Is preaching waking people up or is it painfully lulling them to sleep? Is preaching inspiring, motivating and reaching people where they are, or has the relevancy of this time-honored tradition within the Christian Church lost esteem and effectiveness? Using these initial questions as a launching pad, the pages that follow seek to put the reality of the contemporary pulpit in conversation with a place in history where homiletical fires burned with notable intensity. Drawing from the richness of The Salvation Army's story, we reach back into the Victorian and Edwardian eras (1819-1930) to encounter the aggressive proclamation of a disturbing gospel....Is there still a place for confrontational preaching in the contemporary pulpit? Does this approach to preaching help to address some of the very real challenges we are facing in engaging today's listener?

Download or read book Surviving Religion 101 written by Michael J. Kruger and published by Crossway. This book was released on 2021-03-22 with total page 251 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "I can't imagine a college student—skeptic, doubter, Christian, struggler—who wouldn't benefit from this book." —Kevin DeYoung For many young adults, the college years are an exciting period of selfdiscovery full of new relationships, new independence, and new experiences. Yet college can also be a time of personal testing and intense questioning— especially for Christian students confronted with various challenges to Christianity and the Bible for the first time. Drawing on years of experience as a biblical scholar, Michael Kruger addresses common objections to the Christian faith—the exclusivity of Christianity, Christian intolerance, homosexuality, hell, the problem of evil, science, miracles, and the reliability of the Bible. If you're a student dealing with doubt or wrestling with objections to Christianity from fellow students and professors alike, this book will equip you to engage secular challenges with intellectual honesty, compassion, and confidence—and ultimately graduate college with your faith intact.

Download or read book Convictions Matter written by Ray Harris and published by . This book was released on 2014-04 with total page 236 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Salvation Army has been shaped by its core convictions, called doctrines. But what difference do they make to the life of Salvationists in the 21st century? This book explores the relevance and contribution of these historic doctrines for the present age. It argues that each doctrine has something vital to contribute to the Army's understanding and practice of holiness. These convictions matter!

Download or read book Without Apology written by Stanley Hauerwas and published by Church Publishing, Inc.. This book was released on 2013-08 with total page 211 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Sermons from one of the country’s best-known theologians. Stanley Hauerwas was named “Best Theologian” by Time magazine in 2001. His writings are controversial and well-read, including Hannah’s Child, a memoir that ends about the time he became an Episcopalian. This collection includes 17 sermons, from “Saints” and “Letting Go,” to “Recognizing Jesus/Seeing Salvation” and “Clothe Your Ministers in Righteousness.” There are two bonus presentations on “Leadership” and “An Open Letter to Christians Beginning College” in the appendix.

Download or read book Jesus Christ Disciplemaker written by Bill Hull and published by Baker Books. This book was released on 2004-02-01 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Thomas doubted. Peter denied. Matthew had a shady past. And most of Jesus' disciples had trouble understanding his true message and mission at times. How did Jesus take lowly fishermen and tax collectors and turn them into some of the most influential men that ever lived? And how can modern church leaders empower regular church members to meet their potential as servants of God? In Jesus Christ, Disciplemaker, Hull outlines Christ's methods in training his twelve disciples and presents a biblical pattern that emulates Christ's model for reaching the lost. By taking readers through four growth phases-evangelizing, establishing, equipping, and leading-Hull shows how these principles can be adapted for any discipler. Jesus Christ, Disciplemaker is the perfect resource for pastors and church leaders who want to learn how to help others grow in God's service.

Download or read book Four Views on Hell written by John F. Walvoord and published by Zondervan Academic. This book was released on 2010-08-10 with total page 196 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Most contemporary Christians acknowledge the doctrine of hell, but they’d rather not think about how God punishes the wicked. The authors of Four Views on Hell meet this subject head-on with different views on what the Scriptures say. Is hell to be understood literally as a place of eternal smoke and flames? Or are such images simply metaphors for a real but different form of punishment? Is there such a thing as “conditional immortality,” in which God annihilates the souls of the wicked rather than punishing them endlessly? Is there a Purgatory, and if so, how does it fit into the picture? The interactive Counterpoints forum allows the reader to see the four views on hell—literal, metaphorical, conditional, and purgatorial—in interaction with each other. Each view in turn is presented, critiqued, and defended. This evenhanded approach is ideal for comparing and contrasting views in order to form a personal conclusion about one of Christianity’s key doctrines. The Counterpoints series provides a forum for comparison and critique of different views on issues important to Christians. Counterpoints books address two categories: Church Life and Bible and Theology. Complete your library with other books in the Counterpoints series.

Download or read book The Story of Narrative Preaching written by Mike Graves and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 2015-03-02 with total page 232 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Forty years ago the one thing that could be said about sermons was they were biblical. Unfortunately, they were sometimes tedious too. Narrative preaching aimed to fix that, advocating for a dynamic experience of the text over against a static lecture. Preaching could be like the parables of Jesus, intriguing and compelling. The Story of Narrative Preaching is the story of seven students who are enrolled in Professor Freeman's preaching course. Once a new trend, narrative preaching is now older than most of them. As Professor Freeman notes, two things went wrong with narrative styles: over time the church became biblically and theologically illiterate, and the promised stress on experience didn't always measure up to the weight of the gospel. Readers are invited to sit in on the class, to reflect on the expositional nature of preaching and to experience the stories of some modern storytellers--Flannery O'Connor, Alice Walker, and others--to see what they might teach us about narratives of depth. In the end we discover what may be the most important word in preaching.

Download or read book Preaching written by Timothy Keller and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2015-06-09 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Pastor, preacher, and New York Times bestselling author of The Prodigal Prophet Timothy Keller shares his wisdom on communicating the Christian faith from the pulpit as well as from the coffee shop. Most Christians—including pastors—struggle to talk about their faith in a way that applies the power of the Christian gospel to change people’s lives. Timothy Keller is known for his insightful, down-to-earth sermons and talks that help people understand themselves, encounter Jesus, and apply the Bible to their lives. In this accessible guide for pastors and laypeople alike, Keller helps readers learn to present the Christian message of grace in a more engaging, passionate, and compassionate way.

Download or read book Where All Hope Lies written by James R. Van Tholen and published by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. This book was released on 2003 with total page 326 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is a print on demand book and is therefore non- returnable. Where All Hope Lies presents fifty-six select sermons by James Van Tholen, a gifted young pastor who lost his battle with cancer in January 2001 at the age of thirty-six. Though Jim's untimely death gives a certain poignancy to this volume, these sermons are far from dark or despairing. Van Tholen's conversational style, thought-provoking insights into Scripture, and frequent interaction with such writers as Flannery O'Connor, Frederick Buechner, Kathleen Norris, and others make these sermons truly enjoyable as well as profitable to read. Through them all there runs a sense of concentrating on what really matters--trusting in God no matter what suffering or difficulties might come our way. Indeed, as demonstrated by the book's title sermon--first published in Chrisitanity Today as "Surprised by Death"--more than anything, Van Tholen preached the grace and goodness of God. Including a foreword by Neal Plantinga and a closing reflection on "the man behind the sermons" by Jim's wife, Rachel, Where All Hope Lies offers gracious, powerful, uplifting words for believers throughout the church year.

Download or read book 12 Essential Skills for Great Preaching written by Wayne McDill and published by B&H Publishing Group. This book was released on 2006 with total page 330 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this newly expanded second edition of 12 Essential Skills for Great Preaching, Dr. Wayne McDill draws on decades of experience as a preacher and homiletics professor to inspire other preachers to live up to their God-given potential. Here are twelve proven ways to pack more content and effectiveness into every sermon, covering all of the bases from general preparation to the end result of increasing each listener's faith. Recent seminary graduates and seasoned pastors alike will identify skills that need personal improvement, and McDill encourages them to strengthen such areas at their own pace and in whatever order they feel is best. Every chapter in this new edition has been revised and updated. Also included are additional worksheet helps and sermon examples.

Download or read book Welcoming Grace Words of Love for All written by Kurt Jacobson and published by eBookIt.com. This book was released on 2016-03-18 with total page 137 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Welcoming Grace: Words of Love for All is a selection of sermons by Pastor Kurt Jacobson of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Based on biblical passages, readers will be drawn into inspiring revelations of a God who loves, accepts and renews. Discover in Welcoming Grace ways to grow in faith and find direction for many of life's challenges. This is an excellent resource for devotional time. A follow up book "Living Hope: Powerful Messages of Faith" is another work by Pastor Kurt Jacobson

Download or read book The Sermons of John Wesley written by Prof. Kenneth J. Collins and published by Abingdon Press. This book was released on 2013-08-20 with total page 695 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With an eye on serious Christian development, Kenneth Collins and Jason Vickers have arranged this collection of the sermons of John Wesley in terms of the way of salvation in general and the "ordo salutis" in particular. This book contains the sermons that John Wesley approved, in addition to the standard 52 of the North American tradition, organized to correspond to the logic of Christian discipleship and formation. The editors include an outline and short introduction to each sermon detailing its importance and context. Sermons include "Sermon on the Mount," which is key to understanding Wesley’s ethics, "Free Grace," "On Working Out Our Own Salvation," and "The Danger of Riches." The book is designed to enhance the reader’s understanding of Wesleyan practical theology and written in an accessible style that will be appealing to the wider Wesleyan family of churches. Also included are all of the 44 standard sermons of the British tradition.

Download or read book When Justice Is the Measure written by M Christine Macmillan and published by . This book was released on 2014-03 with total page 136 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: You haven't met Jesus until you've met him as a man of compassionate justice. When Justice is the Measure encourages those who follow Jesus to include the excluded, challenge cultural norms, confront corruption and advocate for those who are oppressed. Though injustice denies it, God intends human life to flourish. And God calls us to join the mission.

Download or read book Preaching the Word with John Chrysostom written by Gerald Bray and published by Lexham Press. This book was released on 2020-05-20 with total page 101 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Learn from the early church's greatest preacher. John of Antioch, later called "chrysostomos" ("golden mouth"), preached over 600 extant sermons. He was one of the most prolific authors in the early Church, surpassed only by Augustine of Hippo. His example and work has inspired countless Christians through the ages. In Preaching the Word with Chrysostom, through a combination of storytelling and theology, Gerald Bray reflects upon 1,500 year-old pastoral wisdom from one of church history's most prolific Christ-centered preachers. Chrysostom's eloquent preaching and influence on Christian teaching left a legacy that is still recognized today. The Lived Theology series explores aspects of Christian doctrine through the eyes of the men and women who practiced it. Interweaving the contributions of notable individuals alongside their overshadowed contemporaries, we gain a much deeper understanding and appreciation of their work and the broad tapestry of Christian history. These books illuminate the vital contributions made by these figures throughout the history of the church.

Download or read book Preaching written by Calvin Miller and published by Baker Books. This book was released on 2010-04-01 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Because they are speaking to a younger society more attuned to lively dialogue and visual images, pastors need a fresh wineskin for a timeless message of redemption. Calvin Miller, who has preached and equipped preachers for decades, offers a volume of helpful insights for pastors to deliver the heart of the gospel via the Jesus-endorsed vessel of compelling storytelling. For the working pastor, Miller's crash course on preaching is a welcomed study. Now available in trade paper.

Download or read book Understanding Medieval Primary Sources written by Joel T. Rosenthal and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2014-06-03 with total page 273 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Medieval society created many kinds of records and written material which differ considerably, giving us such sources as last wills, sermons, manorial accounts, or royal biographies. Primary sources are an exciting way for students to engage with the past and draw their own ideas about life in the medieval period. Understanding Medieval Primary Sources is a collection of essays that will introduce students to the key primary sources that are essential to studying medieval Europe. The sources are divided into two categories: the first part treats some of the many generic sources that have been preserved, such as wills, letters, royal and secular narratives and sermons. Chapter by chapter each expert author illustrates how they can be used to reveal details about medieval history. The second part focuses on areas of historical research that can only be fully discovered by using a combination of primary sources, covering fields such as maritime history, urban history, women’s history and medical history. Understanding Medieval Primary Sources will be an invaluable resource for any student embarking on medieval historical research.

Download or read book Sermons written by Charles Haddon Spurgeon and published by . This book was released on 1883 with total page 432 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: