Pastoral Helps
Showing 51–100 of 329 results
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Heaven And Earth (Student/Study Guide)
$17.99Add to cartWatch out. God is on the way.
It’s not within our own power to make a fresh start. If we’re to have a future different from the past, it must come as a gift, something not of our devising. What we need is a God who refuses to be trapped in eternity, a God who not only cares about us but is willing to show up among us and do something with us, here, now.
In Heaven and Earth: Advent and the Incarnation, Will Willimon introduces you to the God who does just that, bringing heaven to earth and changing everything. In Advent we celebrate and anticipate the earth-shaking, life-transforming good news that God is coming to us. Watch out. Get ready. God is on the way.
Additional components to use the book as a four-week small group study include a leader guide and DVD/Video Sessions featuring Will Willimon.
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Unlikely Advent : Extraordinary People Of The Christmas Story (Student/Study Gui
$17.99Add to cartExpect the unexpected this Christmas.
This four-week Advent study focuses on the experiences of four sets of often overlooked characters in the Nativity story. During this Advent season, Rachel Billups guides readers through the themes of hope, love, joy, and peace by sharing the stories of Elizabeth and Zechariah, Herod, the Magi, and the shepherds. Each set of unexpected characters has something to teach about living faithfully on the journey to Christmas.
Additional components to use the book as a four-week small group study include a leader guide and DVD/Video Sessions featuring Rachel Billups.
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Restoring Hope : A Integrative Approach To Marital Therapy
$34.99Add to cartServing more than ten thousand couples over a span of more than twenty years, Hope Restored is the comprehensive model for Christian marriage counselors, therapists, and others seeking to help marriages in distress.
The clinical team at the Focus Marriage Institute who developed the remarkably successful program Hope Restored: A Marriage Intensive Experience has created this guide, which provides a replicable model for working with couples in marital crisis. This professional resource contains numerous intervention and therapeutic strategies that you can apply to your personal therapy style, the unique individuals you serve, and the specific relational circumstances.
*Section 1 examines the key concepts, principles, and skills presented, along with their potential application.
*Section 2 dives deeper into the process of therapy and application, considering goals and objectives, the therapeutic relationship, the role of psychoeducation, sequencing, marriage dynamics, and more.
*Section 3 considers theological and psychological assumptions as well as foundations of the model and marital therapy research context.
Designed for the Christian marriage counselor or therapist; others, including pastors and lay leaders with a heart for marriage restoration, will find this proven model to be a valuable resource that stands the test of time.
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Money In The Light Of Eternity
$16.99Add to cartYou Are Created for More.
Our hearts are filled with all types of longings-yearnings for contentment, satisfaction, and happiness. We all want to be part of something greater than ourselves. Yet our biggest temptation is to try to satisfy those longings by seeking after more money and more stuff. That is junk food for our souls, full of quickly fading pleasure that leaves us unhealthier than we were before.
We deeply desire God and the good gifts that come from him alone. It’s the way we’re wired.
Does your heart long to be a part of something greater than yourself?
God’s most ambitious mission is ready for you to join. When was the last time you used money in a way that brought about deep, refreshing happiness and satisfaction for yourself and for others?
Money in Light of Eternity helps you see money the way God views it. When you follow God’s design for your life, you will find what no large bank account, big house, or fast car could ever provide. You will find your true heart.
You were created for so much more.
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Pivot : The Priorities, Practices, And Powers That Can Transform Your Churc
$22.99Add to cartA practical guide to help you build a culture in your church or organization that resists abuse and cultivates goodness.
After the release of their groundbreaking book, A Church Called Tov, which recorded the stories of abuse and toxic church cultures at some of the most prominent churches in the United States, New Testament scholar and blogger for Christianity Today Scot McKnight and Laura Barringer heard from a flood of people who had experienced similar instances of abuse. After all they’ve seen and heard, they still believe it’s possible for church cultures to be transformed from toxic to tov-from oppressive to good.
In Pivot, Scot and Laura help churches to implement practices,establish priorities, and cultivate the Kingdom Gospel-centered qualities that form goodness cultures. Readers will find answers to the four most common questions people have about culture transformation:
How can I transform the culture in my church or organization to make it tov?
I believe my workplace has unhealthy values. How do I initiate change?
How do I unleash a culture of goodness in my ministry?
I’m not in a position of church leadership. What are some red flags that indicate a toxic culture, and what can I do if I see them?
Pivot also includes the following practical features:
*The “Tov tool,” a survey to help you discern your organization’s culture and to promote spiritual conversations
*A “getting to work” section at the end of each chapter with questions and next steps for application
Transformation is never easy. But for the sake of the next generation, we must do it.
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Advent Bible Study Book (Student/Study Guide)
$16.99Add to cartExperience the Christmas season anew this year with this 5-session study on Advent, why we celebrate it, and how it fuels our worship of Jesus. Understand the anticipation and waiting the Old Testament world endured. And experience the joy of new life signaled by the coming of Christ, and the way Advent points to the glory of God still to come. First released in 2019, this study is expanded with tools for Scripture memory to help you savor this Advent season.
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Emotionally Healthy Relationships Expanded Edition Workbook Plus Streaming (Expa
$22.99Add to cartAs Part 2 of the Emotionally Healthy Discipleship Course, Pete and Geri Scazzero developed Emotionally Healthy (EH) Relationships over a 27-year period to directly address core biblical principles to guide you and others into an experience of discipleship that will deeply change your life. In EH Relationships Expanded Edition, everyone will learn 8 practical relationship skills to develop mature, loving relationships with others such as:
*Stop Mind Reading and Clarify Expectations
*Incarnational Listening
*Climb the Ladder of Integrity
*Clean FightingAnd since loving others and loving God cannot be separated, each person will also grow in their personal, first-hand relationship with Jesus by incorporating stillness, silence, and Scripture as daily life rhythms. Part 2 of the Emotionally Healthy Discipleship Course also includes the newly filmed Emotionally Healthy Relationships video and the Emotionally Healthy Relationships Day by Day devotional.
This workbook includes:
*Individual access to eight streaming video sessions
*Session introductions, group discussion questions, and personal action steps
*Between-sessions personal study
*Leader’s Guide and valuable appendicesJoin us for a powerful journey that will walk you through a door that will change forever the way you love God, others, and yourself.
*Streaming video access code included. Access code subject to expiration after 12/31/2028. Code may be redeemed only by the recipient of this package. Code may not be transferred or sold separately from this package. Internet connection required. Void where prohibited, taxed, or restricted by law. Additional offer details inside.
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Sinners : Experiencing Jesus’?? Compassion In The Middle Of Your Sin, Strug
$16.99Add to cartDiscover the storyline of Scripture as you follow people, places, or things in the Bible. Maybe you are practiced in dissecting a passage and pulling things out of the text to apply to your life. But now you may feel as though your faith is fragmented. The Storyline Bible Studies help you put the pieces back together. You’ll discover cohesive, thematic storylines with literary elements and appreciate the Bible as the literary masterpiece that it is.
In Sinners, we will discover God’s tender compassion on anyone regardless of their social status, troubled past, or the labels placed upon them. And we are going to notice the counterintuitive ways “sinful” people respond to Jesus in righteous acts of faith. You’ll start to see a theme unfold: The people considered sinful often act with greater faith than the most religious people of Jesus’ day. In the Sinners Bible study, we will explore:
*Luke 7: the sinful woman who anointed Jesus with the perfume from her alabaster jar and whose faith saved her;
*Luke 7: the Roman centurion who advocated for his sick servant and whose faith saved the servant’s life;
*Matthew 9: the former tax collector and disciple named Matthew who had left his tollbooth to follow Jesus and whose faith confused the religious;
*Matthew 15: the Canaanite mom who begged Jesus to heal her demon-possessed daughter and whose faith led to her daughter’s healing; and
*John 4: the Samaritan woman at the well who was approached by Jesus and whose faith started revival in her town.
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Mastering Ministry : Key Principles For Every Pastor
$12.99Add to cartIt seems nothing completely prepares you to be a pastor. Education and training certainly help, but some things you simply must learn through the trial and error of personal experience. Or do you?
Gleaned from real-world experiences, Mastering Ministry was written with today’s pastorates in mind. Within its pages you will:
*Discover seven ministry-defining values to move from floundering to flourishing;
*Learn practical time management strategies to flatten the frenzied pace; and
*Explore over 30 ministry-related topics to face difficult issues with finesse.While most traditional pastoral resources assume a one-pastor- one-church model, Mastering Ministry recognizes pastors today are often responsible for multiple congregations and includes pointers from the author’s book The Multi-Church Pastor: A Manual for Training Leadership in a Multi- Church Setting.
Whether you are a new or seasoned pastor of a single congregation or several, you will find Mastering Ministry to be a valuable resource as you impact your community for Christ.
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Christmas Promise Sunday School Lessons
$14.99Add to cartThis three-session Sunday School curriculum is based on the best-selling storybook The Christmas Promise and shows children what God promised centuries before the first Christmas: a unique forever rescuing King (King Jesus) and joy for all who live under his loving rule.
Featuring age-differentiated lesson plans for 3-5s, 5-8s, and 8-12s, this flexible resource will work for any size of kids’ group and is easy to use for any leader. Also perfect for Homeschool Co-ops.
Includes activity, craft, and game ideas, along with an exclusive link and password for free downloadable resources.
There is also an outline plan for a family service that can be used during Advent or at Christmas.
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Hymns We Love Leaders Kit (Teacher’s Guide)
$34.99Add to cartOlder adults are the fastest-growing age demographic across the Western world, and yet there are few materials to support churches who want to help this older generation hear about God’s love.
Hymns We Love aims to fill that gap. It is a gentle which uses well-loved hymns to share the good news of Jesus and key truths about God’s character in an accessible way. Many in this generation have grown up singing these hymns at school, church or Sunday school, and they have therefore proved to be a non-threatening and accessible way to connect with seniors and help them to engage with the gospel.
The series comprises five video sessions. Each one tells the story of the hymn writer, how the hymn came to be, and the Christian message behind it. Across the five sessions, Hymns We Love will help bring the core truths of the Christian story alive in a way that is gentle, warm and clear.
The video sessions also feature beautiful renditions of the hymns, filmed in a historic English village church, along with testimonies and prayers.
There are also three introductory sessions: for Christmas and for Easter and a third which can be used at any time of the year.
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Hymns We Love Songbook
$4.99Add to cartOlder adults are the fastest-growing age demographic across the Western world, and yet there are few materials to support churches who want to help this older generation hear about God’s love.
Hymns We Love aims to fill that gap. It is a gentle which uses well-loved hymns to share the good news of Jesus and key truths about God’s character in an accessible way. Many in this generation have grown up singing these hymns at school, church or Sunday school, and they have therefore proved to be a non-threatening and accessible way to connect with seniors and help them to engage with the gospel.
The series comprises five video sessions. Each one tells the story of the hymn writer, how the hymn came to be, and the Christian message behind it. Across the five sessions, Hymns We Love will help bring the core truths of the Christian story alive in a way that is gentle, warm and clear.
The video sessions also feature beautiful renditions of the hymns, filmed in a historic English village church, along with testimonies and prayers.
There are also three introductory sessions: for Christmas and for Easter and a third which can be used at any time of the year.
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Dont Burn Out Burn Bright
$17.99Add to cartBuild toward Long-Term Energy, Health, and Success as a Leader
Pastors and ministry leaders are some of the hardest-working people in the world–and they have the high rate of burnout to prove it. As a leader, if you aren’t operating at peak efficiency and taking care of yourself, it is bound to catch up with you in a big way. So few in ministry feel they have the time to take a sabbatical or tend to their own physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. But healthy rhythms of work and rest are the key to a thriving, long-term ministry.
Putting their years of experience as both leaders and consultants to work, Jason Young and Jonathan Malm show you how to fine-tune your leadership and organize your life in such a way that you can become a high-capacity leader without the exhaustion and discouragement so many feel. They teach you how to set healthy boundaries, release control, operate from your values, and much more in order to burn bright and make a lasting impact without sacrificing your health, happiness, and relationships.
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Centering Discipleship : A Pathway For Multiplying Spectators Into Mature D
$20.00Add to cartDiscipleship without mission is discipleship without Christ.
The church often lacks maturity and missional impact because discipleship is at its periphery. In order to get discipleship to the center, leaders need a locally rooted, culturally contextual discipleship pathway to tether disciples who are disciplemakers to the neighborhood or network around them.
Pastor and discipler E. K. Strawser shows that when discipleship becomes central to your leadership and community, then discipleship becomes central to congregational mission and cultural renewal. Centering Discipleship is a gutsy practice-based guidebook for leaders who are doing the hard work of re-imagining and re-structuring their churches and communities to turn spectators into missional, mature followers of Jesus.
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Offensive Church : Breaking The Cycle Of Ethnic Disunity
$22.00Add to cartCrises around race have put the church in a defensive posture, always reacting to racial conflicts in society. But Jesus wants more. He wants Christians to play offense by discipling people into a new humanity, where we push beyond mere diversity and into a biblical vision for ethnic unity.
Bryan Loritts calls Christians to proactively and intentionally live out the embodied reality of a people at one with one another. We play offense by practicing a robust gospel, preparing reliable leadership, and providing relational environments so that the church becomes the aroma of Christ to our culture and gains ground against the demonic foothold of racism in all its forms.
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Pastoral Identity : True Shepherds In The Household Of Faith
$19.99Add to cartA charge for pastors to reenvision their role in a world suspicious of Christianity
Webster calls pastors to reject “Christendom” approaches to church leadership that require the pastor to exert control over the church’s direction and ministry. Such models differ fundamentally from the New Testament “household of faith” vision of pastoral ministry, which affirms the disciple-making responsibility of the whole community, the priesthood of all believers, and the shared gifts of the Spirit.
Rather than perpetuate pastoral leadership based on individual initiative, institutional power, and personal charisma, experienced pastor and seminary professor Douglas Webster defines a New Testament model of the pastor, outlining the major features of pastoring among the household of faith, such as:
– Viewing the church as an every-member ministry
– Seeking synergy between pastoral identity and congregational identity
– Prioritizing a pastor’s daily rhythms of grace in prayer, study, and care for the body
– Supporting pastor-theologians who shepherd believers in the whole counsel of GodSuch pastoral authority and guidance require mutual submission in Christ. Pastors and laypeople alike let go of dominant cultural models of pastoring and embrace the values of Christ’s kingdom.
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1 And 2 Thessalonians For You
$17.99Add to cartWe’ve been saved by Jesus… so what’s next? How do we discern good teaching from bad, what does it look like to grow in holiness, and what should our expectations be for the future? Find answers to those questions in the warm, instructive letters Paul wrote to the Thessalonian church.
Pastor and professor Ligon Duncan unpacks these two letters verse by verse, teaching us about Christ’s future return and showing us what it means to live in the light of that, whether we’re new Christians, seasoned ministers of the gospel, or somewhere in between. Along the way we see why Scripture is so important; learn to find reasons for thankfulness; clarify our beliefs about death, judgment, and eternity; and witness Paul’s deeply pastoral attitude toward his readers.
This accessible, absorbing expository guide is less academic and more applied than a traditional commentary. This makes it a great resource for personal devotion, as well as useful for leading small-group studies or for sermon preparation.
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Encountering God Bible Study Book With Video Access (Student/Study Guide)
$22.99Add to cartSpiritual disciplines are essential to a more vibrant spiritual life and knowing God more intimately.
Join Kelly Minter in this 7-session Bible study as she unpacks the biblical foundation for these sacred habits along with approachable ways to practice disciplines like prayer, study, worship, rest, simplicity, generosity, celebration, and many more. Instead of being just one more thing on your to-do list, you’ll find that these habits of faith can actually create more margin in your life-providing peace and rest as you walk closer with Jesus.
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Tortured For Christ Group Study Kit
$49.99Add to cartGod is faithful to empower us in the midst of any challenges we may face as we witness for him and offer ourselves as living sacrifices to God. But we must ask ourselves: Will we take up our cross daily and follow Christ through the trials and this suffering world? Be inspired by the examples of Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand and other victorious persecuted Christians as you learn to love and forgive your enemies and become a bold witness for Christ. Through prayer, Bible study, and purposeful fellowship with other believers, you will begin to see opportunities for the advancement of God’s kingdom all around you — even amid your own trials and tragedies.
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Sabina Group Study Kit
$49.99Add to cartAs biblical disciples, we are called to walk in obedience to Christ, offering ourselves as living sacrifices in the pursuit of his glory and eternal purposes at any cost. The question each of us must answer daily is, “Am I being obedient in what I know Christ has commanded?” The Sabina Group Study will inspire your class, group or family through the true story of Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand and the testimonies of seven women who, like Sabina, remained obedient to Christ at great cost.
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Sabina Participants Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$10.99Add to cartAs a young couple, Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand lived as atheists and hedonists, pursuing every pleasure afforded them and thinking little of God. But God had other plans, calling them to repentance, great suffering, and a life of faithful service. The Wurmbrand’s obedience, along with the testimonies of seven women who, like Sabina, remained obedient to Christ at great cost, will inspire group-study participants to evaluate their own faithfulness and obedience to Christ. This six-session, video-based group study features scenes from the film Sabina: Tortured for Christ, the Nazi Years. As biblical disciples, we are called to walk in obedience to Christ, offering ourselves as living sacrifices in the pursuit of God’s glory and eternal purposes at any cost. The question each of us must answer daily is, “Am I being obedient in what I know Christ has commanded?”
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Tortured For Christ Participants Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$10.99Add to cartThe Bible calls us to forgive, love, and reach our enemies for Christ. But fulfilling that call is not easy! Let the story of Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand challenge and inspire you as your group learns about their lives and studies how God helps his followers serve faithfully-and victoriously-in the face of extreme difficulty, suffering, and opposition. In this study, you will see real-life examples of the kind of biblical discipleship to which we all aspire and learn lessons from these bold, faithful lives you put into practice. God’s power is sufficient to overcome every obstacle we face, and his grace will transform us. Each of the six sessions provide lessons you can put into practice as you face hardship and opposition in your own life.
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Hymns We Love Leaders Handbook (Teacher’s Guide)
$14.99Add to cartOlder adults are the fastest-growing age demographic across the Western world, and yet there are few materials to support churches who want to help this older generation hear about God’s love.
Hymns We Love aims to fill that gap. It is a gentle which uses well-loved hymns to share the good news of Jesus and key truths about God’s character in an accessible way. Many in this generation have grown up singing these hymns at school, church or Sunday school, and they have therefore proved to be a non-threatening and accessible way to connect with seniors and help them to engage with the gospel.
The series comprises five video sessions. Each one tells the story of the hymn writer, how the hymn came to be, and the Christian message behind it. Across the five sessions, Hymns We Love will help bring the core truths of the Christian story alive in a way that is gentle, warm and clear.
The video sessions also feature beautiful renditions of the hymns, filmed in a historic English village church, along with testimonies and prayers.
There are also three introductory sessions: for Christmas and for Easter and a third which can be used at any time of the year.
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Devoted Bible Study Book (Student/Study Guide)
$23.75Add to cartSisters, daughters, friends. Queens, missionaries, mothers. From Eve in Genesis 3 to Eunice in 2 Timothy 1, the Bible mentions countless women who bear witness to the faithfulness and love of God. While each woman is unique, they all have one thing in common-a life interwoven with God’s story of redemption.
Spend 6 sessions studying more than 30 women in Scripture whose lives have inspired generations of women in their faith and devotion to God. Their stories are a reminder that you, too, are made in the image of God, and you have an important part to play in God’s story.
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Evangelism : For The Care Of Souls
$19.99Add to cartEvangelism is the heart of pastoral care.
In Evangelism: For the Care of Souls, Sean McGever reminds ministers that announcing–and reannouncing–the good news of Jesus is central to pastoral care. The gospel rightly belongs at the start of a Christian’s life, but its role does not end there. It is the balm and cure of our hearts for all of life. We must all be evangelized and re-evangelized.
Avoiding a simplistic, manipulative, or guilt-inducing message, Evangelism: For the Care of Souls presents a vision and strategy for ministers to evangelize in a way that is refreshing, biblical, and sustainable.
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When You Pray Bible Study Book With Video Access (Student/Study Guide)
$24.99Add to cartDo you have trouble thinking of words to say to God when you pray? Are you afraid some emotions are too intense to express to God? Do you reach the end of a day only to realize you haven’t prayed at all? You’re not alone. Prayer is the way we relate to God, but sometimes it’s a struggle. Throughout God’s Word, we encounter many voices who teach us how to pray.
In this 7-session study, join with six beloved Bible teachers who will help you study prayers in the Bible that can inspire your own. You’ll learn that God welcomes your praise and lament, your thanksgiving and intercession. You’ll see examples of how to pray when you’re alone and when you’re gathered with others. Above all, you’ll notice there’s no one right way to pray. As you draw near to God through prayer, you’ll find your faith strengthened and your heart united to Christ.
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Next Gen Faith
$18.99Add to cartWhen the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth? (Luke 18:8)
Jesus’s question is one that should bother all Christians. Increasing numbers of people don’t go to church. Only 4 percent of those born between 1998 and 2013 have a biblical worldview. The rest don’t believe in the Bible, absolute moral truth, or a loving, all-powerful Creator. They don’t even believe in the concept of sin.
We have failed. We have not taken to heart the biblical admonishment to pass on our faith from one generation to the next.
Yet youth pastor Jeff Grenell believes that once American teens and young adults discover that God is even more amazing than Stranger Things, “they will be hooked.”
He notes, “Our world is familiar with the supernatural, but the church is foreign to it. If this changes in the church today, we may have one of the best apologetic tools to reach this generation because the supernatural is in the DNA of the church and its message. Most American teenagers and youth culture are drawn to the spectacular and the spiritual.”
Jeff has written Next Gen Faith: 12 Spiritual Practices for Youth in an effort to reverse the godless trend among the next generations. Written in the vein of the classic Christian book The Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster, Next Gen Faith is designed to provide key steps for spiritual formation for both Christian adults who work with youth as well as teens and young adults themselves.
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For Eternity : Restoring The Priesthood And Our Spiritual Fatherhood
$24.95Add to cart“We have to look at the truth head-on: the priesthood seems to be failing,” explains Cardinal Robert Sarah in this book. “The priesthood, its status, its mission, and its authority have been placed at the service of the worst crimes. . . The search for worldly glory, power, honors, earthly pleasures, and money has infiltrated the hearts of priests, bishops, and cardinals. How can we tolerate such deeds without trembling, without weeping, without asking ourselves probing questions?”
In the arid desert of Western society, where man believes he is happier without God, Cardinal Sarah invites priests to become ever more clearly the signs of the presence of God in the world.
Collected here are the writings of the greatest saints to help priests rediscover the essence of their priesthood so the people of God can renew their gaze upon them. This is not a treatise of academic theology, Cardinal Sarah explains, but a theology of the saints that is contemplative and spiritual as well as practical and concrete.
“Each text will be for us like a renewed way of looking, a luminous feature to draw more accurately the spiritual portrait of the priest as Jesus Christ intended him and as we need him today,” writes Cardinal Sarah. “In light of these teachings of the Church and of the saints, together, we will examine the quality of our relations with God.”
Ultimately, he claims, priests must avoid becoming simply specialists in God and masters of the Faith. Instead, priests must allow themselves to be transformed, renewed, governed, and divinized by it. It is through a priest’s gospel-filled life and testimony that he will restore God to His place in the world.
“This book is an invitation to sit at the feet of Jesus, our High Priest,” Cardinal Sarah explains, “to allow ourselves to be renewed in our priesthood. At His feet and following in His footsteps, we learn to be priests, to let ourselves be formed in His image and likeness, and to enter fully into the Christian mysteries that we celebrate with faith.”
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Pastor Jesus Is Enough
$16.99Add to cartIn Pastor, Jesus Is Enough, Jeremy Writebol invites pastors to hear the words of the risen Jesus in the seven letters within Revelation 2-3:
*Pastors love Jesus most
*Pastors suffer
*Pastors teach and tell the truth
*Pastors become like Jesus
*Pastors abide in Jesus
*Pastors find their value in Jesus
*Pastors repentThe exhortations in Revelation 2-3 are directed to churches. But they also exhort pastors. In these letters, Jesus draws near to pastors–whether hurting or straying–and reminds them of his sufficiency. In these warnings and promises, Jesus has hard words for pastors. But they are words of life. Most of all, Jesus urges pastors to keep their focus on him.
Being enough is exhausting. But pastor, the good news is that you cannot be enough. Because only Jesus is enough.
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Luke Study Guide Plus Streaming Video (Student/Study Guide)
$24.99Add to cartLisa says, What I’m drawn to most in Luke’s account of the gospel is its humanity, the consistent theme that the Living Hope of Jesus Christ is for everyone-Jews and Greeks, men and women, rich and poor. There’s no one who exists beyond the compassionate reach of our Messiah.
Luke’s gospel account is a literary masterpiece, but it doesn’t celebrate the elite. Instead, it’s like the biblical version of Shakespeare whose main characters are paperback kind of people like lepers, prostitutes, and tax collectors who were absolutely stunned by the compassion Jesus extended toward them despite their cultural status as outcasts. This book proves that the pretense of perfection is overrated and certainly isn’t a prerequisite for a relationship with God. All twenty-four chapters present real people in real need of a real Savior. And while not everyone will be saved, Luke reminds us that anyone can be saved!
In this eight-session video Bible study, Bible teacher Lisa Harper exposes the utter humanity and compassion of Jesus shared by Luke, defined consistently and overtly in the original Greek, splagnitzomai, otherwise known as gut-level compassion. Dive deep into the well of perhaps the most common-man exposition of what a gift Jesus is in this new Beautiful Word Series study. This study guide has everything you need for a full Bible study experience, including:
*The study guide itself-with discussion and reflection questions, video notes, and a leader’s guide.
*Personal study of Scripture and context.
*Scripture memory cards and coloring pages.
*An individual access code to stream all eight video sessions online. (You don’t need to buy a DVD!)
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Is The End Near Study Guide Plus Streaming Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$14.99Add to cartWhat will be the sign of the end of the age?
After using this study guide, your understanding of the end times according to Matthew chapters 24 and 25 will be expanded so you can see Jesus’s words from a new light.
Jesus gave His longest answer to this question on the Mount of Olives. Join Dr. Michael Youssef as he takes a deep dive into the words of Matthew 24 and 25 in the sessions of this companion to Is the End Near? Intended as a four-week Bible experience, the Is the End Near? video series and study guide are designed for group settings, including small groups or Sunday school classes, as well as for individual study.Each weekly session begins with a reflective question, followed by the video message that viewers can either stream or watch on DVD. The sessions are fully adaptable to the format and flow of activities based on the size and structure of the group or to accommodate personal study. Each day’s session guides readers through:
*A scripture reading, followed by reflection questions, to help readers mine the material surveyed during the weekly session
*A review of the key verse to memorize
*A time of prayer
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Navigating Gospel Truth Bible Study Book With Video Access (Student/Study Guide)
$19.99Add to cartThe Gospels–Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John–are four accounts of one extraordinary life. Each book tells the story of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. These book aren’t fairytales, fiction, or legend; they are gospel truth. Our eternal future hinges on whether or not they are trustworthy testimonies of the events of Jesus’s life and accurate records of HIs teaching.
While exploring the terrain of the gospels, you’ll learn to identify and understand the different kinds of writing in these ancient texts, including narrative, poetry, parable, and more. Through this journey, your confidence in the truth of Scripture will be renewed and you’ll gain a more captivating view of the Savior. And along the way you’ll acquire skills that will help you become a better student of all of Scripture.
Features:
*Leader helps for group discussion
*7 weeks of personal study to be completed between the 8 group sessions
*Teaching videos, approximately 20-25 minutes, via redemption code printed in the Bible study bookBenefits:
*Affirm that the accounts of Jesus’s life in the Gospels are reliable and true.?
*Gain a clearer and more captivating view of Jesus’s ministry and purpose.
*Cultivate an ability to read, understand, and interpret the different types of genres in the Bible.
*Develop a desire to be a diligent and confident student of Scripture.
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Male And Female He Created Them
$14.99Add to cartThe aim of this study is to provide an accessible curriculum for the average church goer, to those looking for biblical and theological answers to the questions of gender identity in the 21st century.
Male and Female He Created Him is a new curriculum on manhood, womanhood, gender and sexuality. Curated by specialists in the area of study, Burke, Smothers and Closson present a positive vision for biblical sexuality and engage contemporary discussions around gender orientation, gender dysphoria and identity with the timeless truth of Scripture. By the completion of the study, participants will have a better grasp on the Biblical teachings around gender, sexuality and the implications around such subjects in the 21st century; thence allowing an increased scope in their ministries in church, home and work.
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Concise Guide To Canon Law Updated Edition
$17.95Add to cartPastoral ministers are faced with new questions and challenges every day, and answers aren’t always easy to find. Canon law can provide the answers to some of the most complicated questions, but busy pastoral ministers don’t always know where or how to find those answers. What’s needed is a clear, concise, easy-to-use reference guide to church law, one that puts the answers right at your fingertips.
A Concise Guide to Canon Law will do just that. This handy reference provides a compact overview of the most important canonical issues facing pastoral ministers today. Arranged by topic, it offers a thorough summary of church law–including such topics as the sacraments and church organization–and is complete with reference numbers to relevant canons in the Code of Canon Law. Helpful sections of “frequently asked questions and answers” at the end of the chapters make finding answers to the most often-asked questions even easier.
With more and more lay people becoming involved with church administration, and with members of parishes and faith communities raising more complex and complicated questions, Understanding church law is vital and A Concise Guide to Canon Law makes it easy.
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Mental Health And Your Church
$16.99Add to cartMany people are struggling with mental-health conditions, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and life in our image-conscious culture. Statistics tell us that, worldwide, one in six of us will have experienced a mental-health struggle in the past week, and serious depression is the second-leading cause of disability (Mental Health Foundation).
That means there are brothers and sisters in our church families battling with thoughts, feelings, impulses and even voices that distract, drag down and nudge them towards despair. But when it comes to helping, it can be tricky to know where to begin, especially if we have very little knowledge of mental illnesses and are afraid of making things worse by saying and doing the wrong things.
This wise, compassionate and practical book is written by Steve Midgley, psychiatrist and Executive Director of Biblical Counselling UK, and Helen Thorne, Director of Training and Resources at Biblical Counselling UK. It will help readers understand and respond with biblical wisdom to people who are struggling with their mental health.
While acknowledging the importance of liaising responsibly with medics and counsellors, this book focuses on equipping readers to play their part in making churches places where those who struggle with mental-health conditions are welcomed, understood, nurtured and supported: a foretaste of the new creation.
This is a useful book for anyone who cares for others pastorally: pastors, elders, small-group leaders and congregation members.
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Gideon Bible Study Book With Video Access
$34.75Add to cartWhen we hear the name Gideon, most of us think about his 300 soldiers or the fleece he laid out under the evening sky. But Gideon’s story is so much bigger than that-bigger than any one man and his mark on Israel’s history. Like everything else in the Bible, this is a story about God and His people. His love for them, as well as His strength operating in spite of their weakness-even through their weakness. And because God’s people includes you and me, Gideon’s story is also about us-our lives, our doubts, our struggles, and our possibilities as believers. From a state of fear, weakness, and insecurity, Gideon emerged as Israel’s hero, filled with God’s presence and His passion for deliverance. This 7-session study by Priscilla Shirer will encourage you to recognize your weakness as the key that the Lord gives you to unlock the full experience of His strength in your life. In what ways do you feel insufficient? Those places create the greatest opportunity to experience the sufficiency of God. Instead of ignoring, neglecting, or trying to escape your weaknesses, see them as the gifts that they are, given specifically and strategically by God to unlock the door of God’s strength.
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Abide Bible Study Book With Video Access
$34.75Add to cartHow can we hold onto assurance of our faith? How can we discern the truth from a lie? How can we know God loves us?
In this 10-session study of 1, 2, and 3 John, Jen Wilkin will help you discover how 2,000 years later, the apostle John’s words call to Christians in similar challenges to recall a great salvation and to abide in the truth. He reminds an early church facing division, deception, and doubt to hold fast to what they know and to live like they believe it. And he reminds us as well.
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Deacon Ministry Handbook
$14.99Add to cartIf you ask any pastor about what keeps their church moving forward, they will all likely point to the serving work of the deacon. These special men who are known for their unique leadership from the role of the servant are the foundation of healthy churches, no matter the size. They likely make visits to those that are homebound or those that are sick and often pray and care for those in need.
Aspiring deacons see the actions of these servants, forming their understanding quite well on what a deacon does, but this does not equate to understanding what a deacon is. Through this Alan Witham and other men that have served the church well for decades seek to bring clarity to the role of deacon by providing a practical guide for the role of the deacon.
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Valleys : Finding Courage, Conviction, And Confidence In Life’s Low Points
$16.99Add to cartThese studies guide you through the storyline of Scripture-each following a person, place, or thing in the Bible. Maybe you are practiced in dissecting a passage and pulling things out of the text to apply to your life. But now you may feel as though your faith is fragmented. The Storyline Bible studies help you put the pieces back together. You’ll discover cohesive, thematic storylines with literary elements and appreciate the Bible as the masterpiece that it is.
Each study is five weeks long and can be paired with its thematic partner for a seamless ten-week study to fit in a church semester. Every study features:
*Gospel presentation at the beginning of each Bible study
*Full Scripture passages included in the study so that you can mark up the text and keep your notes in one place
*Insights from female scholars and scholars of color
*Free resources for preaching and leading small groups
Valleys in the Bible have far more meaning than just as geographical markers or pins on an ancient map. In his literary genius, God repurposes valley settings throughout Scripture to signal tests of faith–and deepening of confidence in the One who is with us in the valley. In Valleys, we’re going to explore:
*Numbers 13-14: the Valley of Eshkol, where spies scouted the Promised Land
*Judges 4-5: the Valley of Kishon, where Deborah and Jael defeated the enemy
*1 Samuel 17: the Valley of Elah, where David fought Goliath
*Psalm 23: the Valley of Death, where God comforts scared people
*Ezekiel 37: the Valley of Dry Bones, where Ezekiel prophesied of Israel’s restoration -
Mountains : Rediscovering Your Vision And Restoring Your Hope In Gods Prese
$16.99Add to cartThese studies guide you through the storyline of Scripture-each following a person, place, or thing in the Bible. Maybe you are practiced in dissecting a passage and pulling things out of the text to apply to your life. But now you may feel as though your faith is fragmented. The Storyline Bible studies help you put the pieces back together. You’ll discover cohesive, thematic storylines with literary elements and appreciate the Bible as the masterpiece that it is.
Each study is five weeks long and can be paired with its thematic partner for a seamless ten-week study to fit in a church semester. Every study features:
*Gospel presentation at the beginning of each Bible study
*Full Scripture passages included in the study so that you can mark up the text and keep your notes in one place
*Insights from female scholars and scholars of color
*Free resources for preaching and leading small groups
In the ancient, symbol-driven world of the Bible, location didn’t just matter–it had meaning. The Mountains Bible study will guide you through five mountaintop Bible stories because mountains are holy ground for connecting with God. We will explore:
*Genesis 1-2: Mount of Creation, where God created the world
*Exodus 19-20: Mount Sinai, where God gives the Israelites the Mosaic law
*Matthew 5: Mount of the Sermon, where Jesus’ delivers his most famous message
*Matthew 17: Mount of Transfiguration, where Jesus revealed his glory
*Matthew 28: Mount of the Great Commission, where Jesus commissioned his disciples -
Welcome : Loving Your Church By Making Space For Everyone
$16.99Add to cartWalking into church can be intimidating, whether for the first time or after a period of absence, whether you are a non-believer or a believer. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if your church was a place where everyone received a warm welcome? A place where newcomers can quickly feel at home and where non-believers receive the welcome of God’s people alongside the welcome of Jesus?
This warm, practical book by Jen Oshman explores what the Bible says to help readers discover how to make space for others, however different they are to them, in their church and in their lives. She also gives practical advice, drawing on good practice from churches around the world in a range of situations. In a world of division, individualism and isolation, readers will see that their church can witness to Christ by being a place of welcome, community and connection.
Chapters include how Jesus welcomes us, the impact of welcoming in the early church, the effect of being siblings in Christ, how to welcome beyond Sunday, helpful systems and strategies, how our joy in Christ causes us to be outward-looking, and mirroring the glorious vision set out in Revelation.
Whether you’re a pastor looking to encourage your congregation to welcome others or a church member wanting to see unbelievers come to faith and help everyone feel part of the family, this book is for you.
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Gather : Loving Your Church As You Celebrate Christ Together
$16.99Add to cartWhy do we meet on Sundays?
Now that technology allows us to access services remotely, many see little need to meet face to face every week. Others think that because we have a personal relationship with Jesus as Christians, church is an optional add-on. For some, they know deep down that there is a reason why gathering on Sundays is important, but they are weary and don’t feel excited about it. So what is the purpose of corporate worship, and what is our role in it?
In this book, Tony Merida highlights how in-person Sunday gatherings are central to God’s plans and to our faith and joy. He reminds believers of their privileges as citizens of heaven, members of God’s family and stones in God’s temple.
Readers will see how each part of a church service (preaching, praying, singing, baptism, Lord’s Supper and building each other up in conversations) are ways to enjoy and share God’s grace, and are therefore essential for spiritual endurance. You’ll also be reminded that your presence in corporate worship matters because you have a part to play in encouraging your brothers and sisters and spurring them to love and good deeds:
“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” (Hebrews 10:24-25)
Read this book to renew your understanding and enjoyment of going to church and to be excited by the ways in which your presence can encourage others.
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Belong : Loving Your Church By Reflecting Christ To One Another
$16.99Add to cartAuthor Barnabas Piper states in the first chapter of his book:
“We are looking for something personal, something deeply meaningful, something with which we can identify. And this book is an invitation to find that in the church, because God wants us to …Part of God’s perfect strategy is offering hurting, tired, worn out, needy sinners like you and me a place to belong in … A place in which to encounter the profound, transformative, healing, restoring grace of Jesus Christ.”
This book explores how you can help to create a church where everybody feels at home: a place where fellow believers build genuine, honest, meaningful Christian relationships and enjoy deep fellowship as a community of believers.
You may be a new believer and wonder what it means to belong to a church; you may be reluctant to commit to your church because of past experiences; you may have recently relocated and want to find a church where you feel at home; or you may love your church and desire to commit to it more deeply and serve it more fully. Whatever the case, this book will help you to see that belonging to a church is a good gift from God, the outworking of our identity as brothers and sisters in Christ, and worth your time, love and commitment.
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Trustworthy Bible Study Book With Video Access (Student/Study Guide)
$22.99Add to cartWhen hard times come and it seems God is deviating from the plan we assume our life should follow, we’re much more likely to want to tame God, not trust Him. It’s then that we begin to press into our ways and our own timing. No human can carry the weight of being their own god, but so many of us try.
In this 6-session study of 1 & 2 Kings, you can join Lysa TerKeurst in Israel as she honestly reveals the places of distrust in her own heart while exploring the deeply personal applicable Scriptures that will teach us how to truly trust God.
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I Am A Christian Participants Guide (Student/Study Guide)
$12.99Add to cartWhat does it really mean to be a Christian?
In a world where everything from sports to politics, social media to podcasts, and movies to television vies for our attention, we need to get back to what is essential. I Am a Christian Participant’s Guide helps people grasp who they are in Christ and what their participation means to their local church through an eight-session workbook designed for use with the companion DVD experience (sold separately).
Based on the book I Am a Christian, by respected author and church consultant Thom Rainer, this guide is a great resource for any Christian. Designed to be used with groups or individually, I Am a Christian Participant’s Guide will:
*help you clarify your purpose and mission
*encourage you to become a committed church member
*help Christian communities become healthy places so they can make a significant impact on the world(Don’t miss the companion I Am a Christian DVD Experience!)
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Disciple : How To Create A Community That Develops Passionate And Healthy F
$16.99Add to cartCan you identify the key qualities of a committed, passionate, and healthy disciple of Jesus? Chuck Lawless, a respected professor, pastor, and church consultant, discovered that many pastors haven’t thought deeply about that question. He wrote this book to provide answers and transform churches for the better.Many church leaders know their communities well and who they are aiming to make disciples of Christ. But too often they haven’t thoroughly articulated their goals and painted a vision for what a disciple looks like within their specific communities. In this book, Dr. Chuck Lawless provides a model for church leaders to build committed disciples of Christ.In Disciple, Chuck LawlessDefines biblical discipleship and explores why church leaders sometimes neglect to teach what a faithful and committed disciple of Jesus isGuides pastors and church leaders in developing an effective discipleship model and process for their churchesExplains the potential obstacles to a thriving discipleship program and how to overcome themWhen a church is filled with passionate and healthy followers of Jesus, there’s a sense that something special is happening. Are you ready to unleash that power in your congregation?
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From Beginning To Forever Bible Study Book With Video Access
$21.99Add to cartMany Christians today are daunted by the Bible, seeing the size and scope of Scripture as intimidating and overwhelming. The result is often a fragmented understanding of parts of the Bible, which leads us to view it through the lens of our individual stories, primarily looking for different verses or passages to help us live our everyday lives. But, in our search for personal truth, we fail to see how the entirety of Scripture works together to show a bigger story-God’s work to redeem and restore the entire world.
In From Beginning to Forever, Elizabeth Woodson guides you through the story of the Bible, showing how all 66 books combine to form one unified narrative. Weaving together the rich theological truths found in Genesis through Revelation, this 8-session study shows the eternal significance of what God is doing in the world and how he invites us to be a part of it.
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Pastoral Visitation : For The Care Of Souls
$19.99Add to cartChrist comes to, and through, his people
Many consider pastoral visitation antiquated and impractical. People seem busier than ever, and technology appears to trivialize personal contact. As a result, personal visits are often reserved only for the gravest of situations.
Tyler C. Arnold argues that pastoral visitation is essential to the pastoral role. In Scripture, God visits his people to show his personal interest and concern. This is seen most clearly in the incarnation. Christ’s ministry is one of presence. But Jesus is not only an example of visitation ministry; he is the embodiment of it. And in visitation, pastors and laypeople continue Jesus’s ministry by bringing Christ to the individual in their very place of need.
Established in strong theological foundations and sensitive to contemporary concerns, Pastoral Visitation exhorts pastors to return to this classic method of individual soul-care.
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Spiritual Warfare : For The Care Of Souls
$19.99Add to cartJesus Christ is the light that no darkness can overcome.
Spiritual warfare isn’t always obvious. It’s normally not scary or spooky; it’s usually rather mundane. Yet it’s real and always miraculous.
In Spiritual Warfare, Harold Ristau shows how faithful spiritual warfare isn’t about secret methods and rituals. Rather, for the care of souls, pastors already have all they need in God’s word. The Spirit’s gifts equip Christians for whatever challenges await them in ministry–even fighting against the wiles of the devil. Spiritual Warfare helps pastors inform, prepare, and equip the saints for the battle. The good fight is fought in prayer and worship. As the church preaches the forgiveness of sins, the darkness is pierced with the light of Christ and those in bondage are freed.
