- Table View
- List View
Being United Methodist Christians: Living a Life of Grace and Hope
by Andy Langford Sally Langford Ann Langford DuncanLearn what it means to be a United Methodist Christian.How may we describe United Methodists? Where do we come from? What do we believe? How do United Methodists act? What are our distinctive characteristics? What is required to be a member of our denomination? How do we grow as disciples of Jesus Christ within this great communion?In this resource, we offer answers to these questions and others in broad strokes as we describe our United Methodist Church. We will introduce you to how United Methodists live and think as followers of Jesus Christ.The United Methodist Church possesses the characteristics of many other Christian traditions but has its own distinctive profile. Our denomination combines knowledge and vital piety, believing that serious theological reflection and spiritual practices are both part of the Christian life. United Methodists link personal and social holiness, expecting high personal integrity and deep concern for social justice. We are both evangelical and sacramental, showing concern for people who have not yet accepted Jesus Christ as Savior and honoring the transforming power of Baptism and Holy Communion. We welcome people with many different theological perspectives. Finally, United Methodists are both local and connectional, expressing our faith in local congregations, regional associations, and global missions, so that we might do more together than any of us could do separately.This book will help readers:· hear and claim for themselves the story of God’s love, God’s redemption, and God’s ongoing presence and power through Jesus Christ.· explore and claim for themselves the unique beliefs and emphases of United Methodist Christians.· identify ways to live day by day as United Methodist Christians as individuals and in community with other Christians.We invite you to claim for yourself the continuing story of God’s mighty acts of creation, redemption, and power through Jesus Christ within our great denomination. As you begin or continue to see yourself within this living, dynamic part of the universal body of Jesus Christ, we invite you to live, be, and grow as a United Methodist Christian.The book includes reflection questions. Supplementary resources include a downloadable Sermon, Worship, and Study Series outline.
For Justice and Enduring Peace: One Hundred Years of Social Witness
by Jessica Mitchell SmithA look at the Methodist tradition of social witness.Since the beginning of the Methodist movement, “Methodists” have spoken to the issues of the day as an expression of the Wesleyan commitment to social holiness. The General Board of Church and Society upholds the Wesleyan commitment to social holiness through witnessing to just social policies and practices. This 100-year commemorative book will utilize archival materials from the agency’s historic publications to tell the story.
Wrestling with Doubt, Finding Faith
by Adam HamiltonDoes your faith make room for questions?Everyone has doubts. Where is God when bad things happen? Does God hear our prayers? Is there a heaven? How can we know? Often, we treat such questions as the enemy of faith. But uncertainty doesn’t mean our belief is lacking. Doubt can be a path to a deeper, richer encounter with God. In Wrestling with Doubt, Finding Faith, join best-selling author and pastor Adam Hamilton as he discusses some of our most significant sources of doubt and shows how a steady trust in God can emerge from them. You will delve into questions like: “Does God exist? How can I know?” “Is the Bible true?” “Why do prayers go unanswered?” Hamilton approaches these sources of doubt with honesty and insight, drawing on the rich wisdom of the Bible, Christian tradition, and his experience walking with thousands of people on their spiritual journeys. Whether you’re a longtime Christian or someone brand new to faith, this book will lead you to a trust in God that gives you the courage to ask tough questions. Though you may wrestle with doubt, you’ll discover a faith that—rather than providing simple answers—includes belief and trust as well as uncertainty and mystery. The book can be used anytime throughout the year and can be read alone, used by small groups, or as an outreach gift for visitors. Components include a comprehensive Leader Guide, a six-session DVD featuring Adam Hamilton (with closed captioning), and a digital worship and sermon series, making this perfect as a group study and churchwide program done throughout the year.
Context: Putting Scripture in Its Place
by Josh ScottExploring the Chapter Behind the Verse. Context looks at verses we know by heart but may not know the people, places, and times that give them meaning. Josh Scott delves into these well-known Scripture verses, exploring their true meanings by examining them in their original biblical context. Through this process, he unveils fresh and enlightening interpretations that are often missed when these Scriptures are taken out of context. The book can be read alone or used by small groups anytime throughout the year. Components include video teaching sessions featuring Josh Scott and a comprehensive Leader Guide, making this perfect as a six-week group study.
The Angels of Christmas: Hearing God's Voice in Advent
by Susan RobbExplore the four angelic visits surrounding the birth of Jesus with Susan Robb in The Angels of Christmas, a four-week Advent study. The Angels of Christmas: Hearing God’s Voice in Advent, a four-week Advent study by Susan Robb, explores the four angelic visits surrounding the birth of Jesus with Zechariah, Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds. In this study, the reader will explore the visits and dive deep into the history of the angel Gabriel–and other angels–in the Old Testament. The Angels of Christmas uses these four angelic appearances to discuss God’s presence in history and our lives today. The messages of the angels hold meaning for listeners both then and now.
The Abingdon Preaching Annual 2025: Planning Sermons for Every Sunday of the Year
by Charley ReebThe local pastor’s go-to resource for weekly sermon planning.The Abingdon Preaching Annual 2025 is Lectionary-based and follows the calendar year (January - December). It includes special days like Maundy Thursday and Ash Wednesday, and indexes for Scriptures and themes, to assist preachers with non-Lectionary sermons.Each entry begins with a preacher-to-preacher prayer for preparation, then moves to the key feature: a commentary on one or more texts for the week, exploring themes and storylines, theological reflections, and thoughts about how the text and topic relate to our lives today. Also included are ideas for bringing the text to life--stories, illustrations, ideas for further reading, questions the preacher might pose to the congregation, and suggestions for a ‘call to action’ in response to the message.Finally, for the preacher’s ongoing enrichment, the Annual includes excerpts from new books on preaching and homiletics. This helpful resource is written by every-week preachers who aim to come alongside you, offering a reliable starting point for your sermonic planning, writing, and delivery.
An Unlikely Advent: Extraordinary People of the Christmas Story
by Rachel BillupsExpect 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.
On Purpose Leader Guide: Finding God's Voice in Your Passion
by Magrey deVega Sam McGlothlin Jevon Caldwell-Gross Susan RobbBe part of something more.We are hungry for a sense of purpose, direction, and calling in our lives. That’s as basic an ingredient to the human experience as they come. We want to be part of something bigger than ourselves. We want to participate in something that has eternal merit and lasting impact. We do not want to live a shallow, hollow existence. We yearn for deeper meaning, for deeper purpose within our lives. We want to be more than we are.In On Purpose: Finding God’s Voice in Your Passion, authors Magrey deVega, Sam McGlothlin, Jevon Caldwell-Gross, and Susan Robb help us see God's purpose for our lives, how to open ourselves to God's voice, and how to take the first or next step to follow God's call. As you read this book and explore your life alongside others, you’ll learn how to channel your passions, hear God’s voice, and live the life you were meant to live.The Leader Guide contains everything needed to guide a group through the four-week study, including session plans, activities, discussion questions, and multiple format options.Additional components for the four-week small group study include the book and DVD/Video Sessions featuring the authors.
Multiplying Love: A Vision of United Methodist Life Together
by Paul W. ChilcoteA Vision of United Methodist Life Together.Our world needs love during these desperate days of radical polarization and division. Our United Methodist churches yearn to embrace love more completely because God first loved us. Our “faith” (including doctrine) is important; Christian “hope” (including renewal) is important; “love” of God and neighbor is more important. Multiplying Love underscores what matters most and stands in contrast to divisive misreadings of essential Methodist teachings. Chilcote helps us embrace anew the Wesleyan vision of love of Jesus as central to what we believe and how we live.When I finished Multiplying Love, I found myself jumping up and down shouting, “Yes, yes, yes! Gosh, do we need this!” We are at a remaking moment in the church. Dr. Chilcote beautifully articulates the deeper theological vision that beckons and sustains us. Multiplying Love helped me more thoroughly embrace the kind of loving people we are hoping to become. That’s what it’s all about to me, and this book nails it!—Rev. Christy Allen Holden, co-creator of The Channel UMC, a new hybrid community of faith (@christyallenholden)Every United Methodist pastor would do well to invite their church council to read Paul Chilcote’s brief and powerful Multiplying Love. It recalls the power of the Wesleyan approach to the gospel and makes a compelling case for the future of The United Methodist Church. I loved this book!—Rev. Adam Hamilton, Kansas pastor and author of Wrestling with Doubt, Finding Faith
Heaven and Earth Leader Guide: Advent and the Incarnation
by William H. WillimonWatch 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.The Leader Guide contains everything needed to guide a group through the four-week study, including session plans, activities, discussion questions, and multiple format options.Additional components for the four-week small group study include the book and DVD/Video Sessions featuring Will Willimon.
Adult Bible Studies Spring 2024 Teacher/Commentary Kit: Spring 2024 Teacher/Commentary Kit
by Stan PurdumGrow your faith. Transform your life.Cultivate a deeper relationship with God through Adult Bible Studies. This resource, endorsed by the Curriculum Resources Committee of The United Methodist Church, offers a year-round, weekly Bible study plan for Sunday school classes and other small groups.Each weekly lesson offers background and focal Scriptures, key verses, and doctrinally sound and relevant biblical interpretation and application in a readable font size. Annual plans provide comprehensive coverage of the Bible, special lessons during the church seasons of Advent/Christmas and Lent/Easter, and suggestions for developing spiritual practices such as prayer, worship, community, and service, among many others. Adult Bible Studies is a reliable companion and guide for learning and growing in Christian faith.The Kit includes a teacher’s book and a Concise Commentary that are supplementary and complementary to the Adult Bible Studies student book.The teacher’s book provides biblical background, exposition, and suggestions for leading weekly group discussions and nurturing spiritual practices among class members. Small group leaders, teachers, and facilitators—both seasoned and just starting out—love the easy-to-use format and the wealth of information provided to prepare for each week’s discussion. Based on the trusted Abingdon Basic Bible Commentary, the Concise Commentary provides expert biblical Commentary for the focal Bible passages used in Adult Bible Studies. The Commentary includes each Sunday’s focal Bible passages, unit introductions, and expert Commentary on each passage. Plus, you can pronounce everything correctly with the included pronunciation guide for Bible names and places.Don’t miss out on the opportunity to enhance your preparation and teaching with the help of the Adult Bible Studies Teacher Book and Concise Commentary!Spring 2024 Theme: Encounters in Prayer and LoveThis spring, our Bible lessons follow the theme “Encounters in Prayer and Love.” Because Lent falls during this quarter, the first unit has five lessons and ends with Easter Sunday. The second unit has eight lessons. The teacher book writer is Stan PurdumVisit AdultBibleStudies.com and sign up for the weekly newsletter to automatically receive the FREE Current Events Supplement and other information about these resources and more!
Pursued - Women's Bible Study Leader Guide: Gods Relentless Love for YOU (Pursued)
by Jennifer CowartDiscover how God is pursuing you as you explore.We all want to be loved. We long to be desired, pursued—whether by a special someone, our friends, or others in our lives. This longing for love and acceptance is the underlying story of many of our lives, and it's the overarching story we see throughout the Scriptures. Although the Bible tells many stories, the main theme is God’s relentless love for us.In Pursued, a six-week Bible study by Jennifer Cowart, we will explore God’s great love for us from Genesis to Revelation. We will see that God passionately pursues people who do not deserve His love, and we are those people! Like Cain, Abraham, Sarah, Rebekah, David, the woman caught in adultery, Peter, and so many others, we are the ones who have broken relationship with God. But He runs after us anyway to bring us home. In this study, we will explore God’s love as evidenced in the stories of creation, the patriarchs, the judges and prophets, Jesus, and the early church. Together we will dive into a great love story and discover that it is our story!Through this study women will:- See the big picture of God’s love for them throughout the Scriptures- Discover that God wants a personal relationship with them- Experience God’s relentless love for them individually- Realize that God never stops pursuing themComponents for this six-week Bible study, each available separately, include a Participant Workbook, a Leader Guide, and video sessions with six 25-minute segments (with closed captioning).
An Unlikely Advent Leader Guide: Extraordinary People of the Christmas Story
by Rachel BillupsExpect 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.The Leader Guide contains everything needed to guide a group through the four-week study, including session plans, activities, discussion questions, and multiple format options. Additional components for the four-week small group study include the book and DVD/Video Sessions featuring Rachel Billups.
Pastoral Care in the Small Membership Church
by James L. Killen JR.An introduction to pastoral care for pastors of small membership churches.“If you spend your whole life serving small membership churches and doing it well, yours will have been a life well spent.” Small membership churches have a real advantage when it comes to incorporating people into a fellowship where they are known and where their needs are met. These churches and their pastors have an opportunity for excellence in this area, and should make the most of it. Good pastoral care can be the key to effectiveness in all of the other ministries of the church.From getting acquainted with your congregation, weddings and funerals, picking up on subtle cues in a conversation to not-so-subtle conflicts, Killen shares insights from years of ministry in a small membership church setting.James L. Killen, Jr. is a retired elder of the Texas Conference, contributor to Circuit Rider, and author of Who Do You Say That I Am? A Personal Reader.
Toward the Cross: Heart-Shaping Lessons for Lent and Easter
by Taylor W. Mills Gary Thompson Michelle J. MorrisLet Jesus, not the world, set the priorities of your heart in this Lenten season.Toward the Cross challenges each of us to answer the question that lies at the heart of discipleship, at the heart of our priorities: Is following Jesus the most important thing to you? Is it your priority? When you follow Jesus, how does it change the way you think, speak, and act?Jesus told would-be followers to count the cost. The chapters and daily readings in this book help you do that by developing a disciple’s perspective on yourself, others, and things. They encourage you to let go of the past, guilt, and things that weigh you down and cling tightly to Christ in genuine discipleship.This seven-week study guides you through Lent and Easter, helping you explore qualities and characteristics of Christian discipleship that lead you to claim Jesus as your highest priority. Each week includes a group session based on the traditional Gospel texts with supporting daily readings for Ash Wednesday through Easter Monday. Group Sessions have questions to spark discussion as you strengthen your commitment to making Jesus your priority during the Lenten season, Easter, and beyond.
Prepare the Way for the Lord: Advent and the Message of John the Baptist
by Adam HamiltonPrepare to receive Christ this Advent with the message of John the Baptist and best-selling author and pastor Adam Hamilton in Prepare the Way for the Lord. For centuries, Christians have turned to the story and message of John the Baptist in the weeks leading up to Christmas. In Prepare the Way for the Lord: Advent and the Message of John the Baptist, best-selling author and pastor Adam Hamilton explores the Advent themes of John’s life and ministry, and how John calls all followers of Jesus to prepare our hearts for his coming. In each of the Gospels, the story of Jesus is intertwined with that of his cousin John, the one whom the prophets foretold would come to “prepare the way of the Lord.” When we hear the message of John the Baptist, it makes us and our world ready to receive Christ. Chapter topics include:1. A People Prepared for the Lord 2. God Is Gracious 3. The Fruit of Repentance 4. Witnesses Testifying to the LightTo use Prepare the Way for the Lord as a four-week Advent study, additional components include a comprehensive Leader Guide and DVD/Video sessions featuring Adam Hamilton.The book includes a link to free downloadable teaching resources for children and youth.
Experiencing Christmas: Christ in the Sights and Sounds of Advent
by Matt RawleDiscover how everything changed when God was born. Everything seems different at the end of the year. We put lights on our houses to dispel the growing darkness, Christmas music floods local radio stations, apple cider and cranberry sauce are again on the menu, and wrapping paper and tape are always ready. Things just look, smell, and taste differently during the Advent and Christmas season, and these differences are a sign to us that God is about to do something radical and different. Christmas is when God surrounded the divine with senses of his own. That first noel was when God had eyes to see suffering, ears to hear our cries, and hands to hold those in need, and all of these senses were bundled in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. “This will be a sign to you,” the angel told the shepherds, and they traveled to Bethlehem and found a child. What signs do you see during the Advent and Christmas season that point you to the divine?Additional components to use the book as a four-week small group study include a leader guide and DVD/Video Sessions featuring Matt Rawle. This book also includes a link to free downloadable teaching resources for children and youth.
Pursued - Women's Bible Study Participant Workbook: Gods Relentless Love for YOU (Pursued)
by Jennifer CowartDiscover how God is pursuing you.We all want to be loved. We long to be desired, pursued—whether by a special someone, our friends, or others in our lives. This longing for love and acceptance is the underlying story of many of our lives, and it's the overarching story we see throughout the Scriptures. Although the Bible tells many stories, the main theme is God’s relentless love for us.In Pursued, a six-week Bible study by Jennifer Cowart, we will explore God’s great love for us from Genesis to Revelation. We will see that God passionately pursues people who do not deserve His love, and we are those people! Like Cain, Abraham, Sarah, Rebekah, David, the woman caught in adultery, Peter, and so many others, we are the ones who have broken relationship with God. But He runs after us anyway to bring us home. In this study, we will explore God’s love as evidenced in the stories of creation, the patriarchs, the judges and prophets, Jesus, and the early church. Together we will dive into a great love story and discover that it is our story!Through this study women will:- See the big picture of God’s love for them throughout the Scriptures- Discover that God wants a personal relationship with them- Experience God’s relentless love for them individually- Realize that God never stops pursuing themComponents for this six-week Bible study, each available separately, include a Participant Workbook, a Leader Guide, and video sessions with six 25-minute segments (with closed captioning).
Heaven and Earth: Advent and the Incarnation
by William H. WillimonWatch 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.
Remember: God's Covenants and the Cross
by Susan RobbRemember the God who remembers us.God’s covenants throughout the Old Testament show the character of God’s promises to the people of Israel. In this book, Susan Robb leads readers through the covenants with Noah, Abraham, Moses, and David, followed by the new covenant established on Maundy Thursday. The Lenten story culminates with an examination of the cross as another example of God’s promise for a new world.Susan Robb teaches readers the basic lessons of the covenants through a mixture of biblical history and personal stories. Her pastoral character and warm tone provide a basis for understanding God’s promises through history and the role of Jesus’s passion and crucifixion in the history of the covenants.Remember can be read alone or used for a six-week group study and church wide Lenten program. Components include a comprehensive Leader Guide and video teaching sessions featuring Susan (with closed captioning).
The Methodist Book of Daily Prayer
by Matt MiofskyDaily prayer the Wesleyan wayPrayer is a spiritual practice, and daily prayer uses the repetition of forms and words to cultivate a deep, meaningful ritual, drawing the individual into an ever-closer relationship with God. This book is organized by liturgical season, but is undated, so the individual is free to begin using it at any point during the year. The book is concise and easy to use and includes the words of scripture and other necessary text. It is a simple, frictionless tool for spiritual health. The Methodist Book of Daily Prayer provides complete texts for Morning Prayers and Evening Prayers, with a new set of texts for each week of the year. Each week is anchored in its liturgical season: Advent, Christmastide, Epiphany, Lent, Holy Week, Eastertide, Pentecost, Sow & Rest (Ordinary Time), and Harvest & Create (Ordinary Time).Each set of prayers centers on a scripture passage, with an emphasis on the Psalms. The prayers draw from familiar historic, classic, and ancient Christian texts, and from Methodism’s rich hymnody. They also feature fresh, original words from new writers. This book facilitates deep daily connection with God--a method for spiritual sustenance.
Upward!: Wesleyan Formation in Three Movements
by Steve Harper Paul W. ChilcoteA powerful guide for new and longtime United Methodists.Upward! is a simple but brilliant course on Wesleyanism for regular people. It thoroughly and methodically guides readers through the distinctive qualities of the Wesleyan way—the theology, practices, habits, and attitudes that characterize Methodist people. Paul W. Chilcote and Steve Harper, two of Methodism’s most beloved teachers, offer this extraordinary book as an invitation to a life of wisdom and wonder in our current world. It is a book of both instruction and celebration, teaching (or reminding) us what makes the Wesleyan way most gracious and lovely. Pastors and other leaders will use Upward as their primary resource for sharing the Wesleyan approach. It can be used in a wide variety of ways and settings—as a sermon series, congregation-wide study, or for new member classes, to name a few. Individuals will use the book as a personal study, ideally in connection with others. Upward! helps leaders and readers to:- correct misconceptions about Wesleyan theology- clarify and reclaim Wesleyan theology- gain a new framework for understanding Wesleyan theology and sharing it with others
Adult Bible Studies Summer 2024 Student
by Sue MinkGrow your faith. Transform your life.Cultivate a deeper relationship with God through Adult Bible Studies. This resource, endorsed by the Curriculum Resources Committee of The United Methodist Church, offers a year-round, weekly Bible study plan for Sunday school classes and other small groups.Each weekly lesson offers background and focal Scriptures, key verses, and doctrinallysound and relevant biblical interpretation and application in a readable font size.Annual plans provide comprehensive coverage of the Bible, special lessons during the church seasons of Advent/Christmas and Lent/Easter, and suggestions for developingspiritual practices such as prayer, worship, community, and service, among manyothers. Adult Bible Studies is a reliable companion and guide for learning and growing in Christian faith.With the help of the Adult Bibles Studies Student Book, and DVD, your group will embrace that it’s not just about learning - it’s about living out biblical teachings.Summer 2024 Theme: Finding BalanceThis summer, our Bible lessons follow the theme “Finding Balance.” They look at the concepts of work, rest, and celebration from a theological and biblical perspective and challenge us to find a balance among the three. The teacher book writer is Greg Weeks.Visit AdultBibleStudies.com and sign up for the weekly newsletter to automatically receive the FREE Current Events Supplement and other information about these resources and more!
Political Psychology Perspectives on Populism (Palgrave Studies in Political Psychology)
by Gilda SensalesThis book explores the different forms of populism in European countries. Starting from a theoretical point of view, the authors outline the various psychosocial precursors of populisms that have emerged from empirical investigations. Using both mainstream and critical perspectives, the book shows how the field has driven multiple research programmes and methodologies. The authors draw on questionnaires and political communication via social media to analyse the opinions, attitudes, and representations of laypeople and populist leaders. The volume is aimed at researchers, students, and readers with expertise on the subject. It collects contributions from scholars of social psychology, proposing an innovative reading of the social-cognitive, motivational, and emotional processes that can fuel populism.
Symplectic and Contact Geometry: A Concise Introduction (Latin American Mathematics Series)
by Anahita Eslami RadThis textbook offers a concise introduction to symplectic and contact geometry, with a focus on the relationships between these subjects and other topics such as Lie theory and classical mechanics. Organized into four chapters, this work serves as a stepping stone for readers to delve into the subject, providing a succinct and motivating foundation. The content covers definitions, symplectic linear algebra, symplectic and contact manifolds, Hamiltonian systems, and more. Prerequisite knowledge includes differential geometry, manifolds, algebraic topology, de Rham cohomology, and the basics of Lie groups. Quick reviews are included where necessary, and examples and constructions are provided to foster understanding. Ideal for advanced undergraduate students and graduate students, this volume can also serve as a valuable resource for independent researchers seeking a quick yet solid understanding of symplectic and contact geometry.