- Table View
- List View
Happy Days: The Guided Path from Trauma to Profound Freedom and Inner Peace
by Gabrielle BernsteinA ** NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER! ** IF YOU WERE FREE FROM FEAR, WHO WOULD YOU HAVE THE FREEDOM TO BE? In Happy Days, #1 New York Times best-selling author Gabrielle Bernstein charts a clear path to releasing inner child wounds, unlearning fear, and remembering love so you can enjoy inner peace every day.What if you could wake up every day without anxiety? View your past with purpose, not regret? Live happy, peaceful, and free from fear? You can be the happiest person you know—and Gabrielle Bernstein will show you how.Gabby has long been loved as a spiritual teacher speaking to tens of thousands in sold-out venues throughout the world, and catalyst for profound inner change. Happy Days presents her most powerful teaching yet: a plan for transforming the pain of your past traumas, whatever that may be, into newfound strength and freedom.In this empowering book for releasing trauma, you&’ll learn: Why most people feel frozen in mental health patterns that make them unhappy—and what to do about it9 transformational, yet untapped, techniques for peace and genuine happiness—from &“reparenting&” yourself to bodywork practices that work for freeing the stuck energy of past unprocessed trauma from your bodyThe mindset shift that can do more for you than decades of personal workHow to speak the unspeakable and go into the places that scare you—and come away with peace of mind and freer than ever before!"This book is a game-changer filled with honesty and openness. The vulnerability Gabby offers within the pages of Happy Days will make you feel less alone." -Dr. Shefali TsabaryNew York Times bestselling author and clinical psychologistChapter Titles Include: Willing to Become Free Become Brave Enough to Wonder Why We Run Hiding behind the BodySpeaking the UnspeakableDon't Call Me CrazyLove Every PartFreeing What's FrozenReparenting YourselfHappy Days Ahead &“This book is my gift to you,&” Gabby writes. &“It will answer your questions about why you feel blocked, scared, anxious, depressed, or alone, and it will liberate you from the belief system that has kept you small for so long. . . . By taking this path you will become the best version of yourself. You will become new.&”No matter what you've been through in life, you can have a future filled with freedom, inner peace and happy days.
Trust Your Vibes (Revised Edition): Live an Extraordinary Life by Using Your Intuitive Intelligence
by Sonia ChoquetteAwaken your intuition, trust your vibes, and create your best life with this revised and updated edition of the self-help classic by spiritual teacher Sonia Choquette.If you want an easier, more energetically uplifting, and satisfying way of life-it all comes down to trusting your vibes.Originally published in 2004, best-selling author, speaker, and spiritual teacher Sonia Choquette has updated the book to share new stories and tools used by those who learned to tap in to their intuition and positively change their lives.Your intuition supports your creativity, helps heal your emotional wounds, and calms your anxious and uncertain heart. It brings you peace of mind and shows you how to live in a higher, more harmonious way. To fully enjoy your life and to access the innate sense of security, confidence, and courage you deserve, trust your vibes."Trust your vibes and read this book! The straightforward, practical advice will show you how to use your most valuable asset-your sixth sense."- Cheryl Richardson, the New York Times best-selling author of The Art of Extreme Self-Care
Genesis to Revelation: A Comprehensive Verse-by-Verse Exploration of the Bible (Genesis to Revelation series)
by Walter HarrelsonWhat does the Bible say? What does it mean? How does it relate to my life? Genesis to Revelation, a comprehensive, verse-by-verse, book-by-book study of the Bible, will strengthen your understanding and appreciation of the Scripture by helping you engage on these three levels. Newly revised, these Abingdon Press classics are based on the NIV translation and are presented in an easy-to-read format. Each of the volumes includes thirteen sessions and a separate Leader Guide.This study of the entire Book of Genesis begins with the creation story and ends with Jacob and his family reuniting. Some of the major ideas explored in this Book of the Bible are: personal relationship with God, the mystery of God, God's unconditional love, courage to face the unknown, and turning evil into good. The meaning of the selected passages is made clear by considering such aspects as ancient customs, locations of places, and the meanings of words. The simple format makes the study easy to use. Includes maps and glossary with key pronunciation helps.
Genesis to Revelation: A Comprehensive Verse-by-Verse Exploration of the Bible (Genesis to Revelation series)
by Charles R. BrittStudy the books of First and Second Kings and First and Second Chronicles, beginning with Solomon and ending with Hezekiah and Josiah. Some of the major ideas explored are: Solomon's accomplishments, Elijah and Elisha, the decline of Israel, David the great king, the ark of the covenant, the temple and its rituals, the divided kingdom, and Judah’s kings.More than 3.5 million copies of the series have been sold.This revision of the Abingdon classic Genesis to Revelation Series is a comprehensive, verse-by-verse, book-by-book study of the Bible based on the NIV. These studies help readers strengthen their understanding and appreciation of the Bible by enabling them to engage the Scripture on three levels: What does the Bible say? Questions to consider while reading the passage for each session. What does the passage mean? Unpacks key verses in the selected passage. How does the Scripture relate to my life? Provides three major ideas that have meaning for our lives today. The meaning of the selected passages are made clear by considering such aspects as ancient customs, locations of places, and the meanings of words. The simple format makes the study easy to use.Updates will include: New cover designs. New interior designs. Leader Guide per matching Participant Book (rather than multiple volumes in one book). Updated to 2011 revision of the New International Version Translation (NIV). Updated references to New Interpreters Dictionary of the Bible. Include biblical chapters on the contents page beside session lesson titles for at-a-glance overview of biblical structure.The simple format makes the study easy to use. Each volume is 13 sessions and has a separate leader guide.
The Grace of Les Miserables Leader Guide (The Grace of Le Miserables)
by Matt RawleVictor Hugo’s Les Misérables is a truly epic story. Whether you’ve tackled the 1,400-page 19thcentury novel, witnessed the Broadway musical (and memorized its soundtrack), or seen the several screen adaptations of it, you already know the power of its story.In the six-week Lenten study The Grace of Les Misérables, author and pastor Matt Rawle dives into six ideals found in the story—grace, justice, poverty, revolution, love, and hope—each represented by a character in Hugo’s story. As these imperfect and relatable characters interact, we can see how these ideals work together (perhaps even in spite of each other) out in the world.In keeping with his previous works, Matt Rawle brings us to the intersection of Church and Pop Culture by drawing parallels between the iconic story and musical and our Christian calling, inspiring us to both understand our faith and live it out in the world.The Leader Guide contains everything needed to guide a group through the six-week study including session plans, activities, and discussion questions, as well as multiple format options.
The Best of J. Ellsworth Kalas: Telling the Greatest Story Ever Told Like It's Never Been Told Before
by J. Ellsworth KalasTake the best preacher you’ve ever heard; add in the teacher who first opened your eyes to the excitement and meaning of your favorite subject in school; combine these with that member of the family to whom you could always turn for the best advice; stir them all together, and you’ll get a flavor of the writing of Ellsworth Kalas. And now the very best thoughts and reflections of this wise teacher and guide are available together in one volume. Across his career Ellsworth Kalas has worn many hats: pastor, professor, seminary president. Through all of them, however, he has remained first and foremost an interpreter of God’s Word. His most potent skill is to open up new insights and meanings in even the most familiar biblical stories. Gathered here are some Kalas’s most humorous, touching, and enlightening writings, drawn from his own experience of finding God in Scripture.
The Go-To Church: Post MegaChurch Growth
by Bryan CollierEvery church can grow. Gone may be the days when churches could simply sit on the corner and attract passers-by, but people still long for the peace and confidence faith in God provides. So what do we do? We take the church to the people. We become a "Go-To Church" rather than a "Come-Here Church." Jesus’ followers didn’t wait for nonbelievers to find them. The disciples didn’t stay in the Upper Room or sit around waiting after Pentecost and Peter’s great sermon recorded in Acts. No, they struck out and went where God led—throughout the world to all people. How? Through creating multi-sites. Using the strategies and guidance of this book, you can customize the mission and ministry of your church to connect with people where they are. You will not only grow your church, but enhance God's Kingdom and accomplish the mission of the Great Commandment.
Embrace: Showing and Sharing the Love of Jesus
by The Reverend ReismanEmbrace: Showing and Sharing the Love of Jesus is a faith-sharing resource to help you share your faith with boldness, confidence and grace. Embrace explores six values that comprise the essence of authentic faith sharing: · Humility · Clarity· Prayer · Integrity · Worship· UrgencyThis workbook is designed for use by individuals and small groups. Divided into six sessions – an introductory session followed by five sessions focusing on the essential values of faith sharing – it includes guidelines and activities for each weekly personal reading as well as for weekly gatherings with others.
Ready-to-Go School's Out: Youth Ministry Ideas for School Breaks and Summer Vacation
by Todd OutcaltOne of the biggest challenges in youth ministry is finding effective ways to minister to teenagers during school breaks and summer vacations—those times when the usual routines of education and structure aren’t there. Families are vacationing. Youth groups get smaller. And very often youth ministry takes a noticeable dip in attendance and excitement.Ready-to-Go School’s Out!: Youth Ministry Ideas for School Breaks and Summer Vacation by Todd Outcalt is a book that can help. Here youth workers can find support and practical ideas that can help them minister to teens during the “down times” such as:· Fall & Spring Breaks· Summer Vacation· Christmas Break· Special Days such as Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Memorial Day, and Thanksgiving· New Years EveReady-to-Go School’s Out! will be a welcome addition to the youth leader’s arsenal of resources. It includes learning activities, outings, games, worship services, and suggestions for the busy youth worker—in addition to renewal activities for tired youth leaders—all collected in one resource.
The Gratitude Path: Leading Your Church to Generosity
by Kent MillardThe Gratitude Path is a five-session study designed for use by churches, leadership teams, and small groups. This step-by-step guide helps congregations grow in generosity by focusing on gratitude for God’s blessings. Chapters conclude with questions for personal reflection and devotion. The book includes a 12-step plan for pastors and other leaders to successfully conduct their own Gratitude Campaign in a church of any size or denomination. If you have ever cringed at the thought of the annual giving campaign, this is the book for you. With practical instruction for conducting a gratitude campaign, it will not only bring about positive stewardship but may very well shift the culture of your community to walk and live that path of gratitude.--Carolyn Scanlan-Holmes, Senior Minister, Avon Christian Church, Avon, INThis is a practical and accessible tool for developing generous givers, and an invitation into relationship with our bounteous God. --Bruce R. Ough, Bishop of the Minnesota Conference, UMCKent Millard has helped countless other pastors and congregations conduct ‘Gratitude Campaigns’ with spectacular results. With this book his plan is now available to everyone. I hope many church leaders read and follow this pathway to improved stewardship.--Michael J. Coyner, Bishop of the Indiana Conference, UMCThis wonderful resource helps us move stewardship from fundraising to an experience of God's transforming grace. --Rob Fuquay, Senior Pastor, St Lukes UMC, Indianapolis, INThe first five chapters of The Gratitude Path are spiritually energizing, personal, and thoughtfully devotional. Pastors could preach sermons based on each one of them. Chapter six is a pivotal organizational chapter for pastors and lay leaders. Here, Millard outlines his Gratitude Campaign step by step. This is a resource that we are happy to recommend to congregations.--Bill Enright, Senior Fellow, Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, Indiana UniversityThis book demonstrates how to develop an attitude of gratitude in each facet of the local church. Every leader in our church will read this book.--Jacob Williams, Jr., Senior Pastor, First Valparaiso UMC, Valparaiso, IN
When the World Takes the Wind Out of Your Sails
by James W. MooreIn the words of author James W. Moore:When the world takes the wind out of our sails and we feel down and out, we want someone to help us, to reassure us, to encourage us, to deliver us, to save us. We want some word of “good news.” We want someone with love and strength to hold us up and see us through. That is precisely where the Christian faith comes in, and that is precisely what the Christian faith is about. Sometimes in this life, the world is going to take the wind out of our sails and knock us flat. But even then, we can be courageous because we know that God is always with us and will see us through. As Christians, we have the sure confidence that nothing, not even death, can separate us from God’s presence, God’s care, God’s strength, God’s love, and God’s victory!So as we deal with the troubles of this world, may God help us to know the courage and faith and blessed assurance that come only from trust in our Lord and Savior, the One who has overcome the world.This book contains 12 chapters and a discussion guide.
The New Handbook of the Christian Year: Based on the Revised Common Lectionary (Other Music Ser.)
by Hoyt L. HickmanThe New Handbook of the Christian Year: Second Edition, by Hoyt L. Hickman, Don E. Saliers, Laurence Hull Stookey, and James F. White. Lectionary, prayers, responses, and Communion services updated for consistency with books of worship from several denominations. Includes: glossary of Christian symbols, glossary of liturgical terms, annotated bibliography, index of Scripture readings, index of Psalms, and an ecumenical service for the sacrament of the Lord's Supper.
The 66th Rebirth of Frankie Caridi #1 (The 66th Rebirth of Frankie Caridi #1)
by Johnny MarcianoNormally "back to school" means gathering supplies and buying new clothes, but Frankie Caridi has never known normal. So when her "back to school" consists of learning how to use crystals to power her mind and trapping marauding spirits, she adapts. But the secrets of magic are nothing compared to the secrets she learns about her own past."Real and otherworldly dramas collide. A twisty story with broad reader appeal...and the cliffhanger ending will leave readers hungry for more." —Kirkus Reviews"[H]umor, suspense, and a brisk pace will make for an enjoyable introduction to a promising contribution to the magical school genre." —BCCB, starred reviewFrankie is used to living in her younger brother&’s shadow. Lucie is outgoing, smart, kind, and has horns. Yes, horns. Frankie&’s life has always revolved around Lucie, so when she's told she must attend a new boarding school because Lucie has been given a full scholarship, she knows she has no other choice. But something about The Pythagorean Institute is off. The building looks like a prison, half of the students have horns like her brother, and the headmaster acts more like a cult leader than a principal. Even weirder, however, are the dreams Frankie has been having since she moved into her dorm. Dreams that sometimes seem more like… memories.Trapped in this new school with no way home, Frankie must get to the bottom of why the place unsettles her so much. But in learning about the Institute, Frankie learns more about herself--and her past--than she could ever have expected. What she discovers brings her out of her brother&’s shadow and gives her powers beyond belief, but the spotlight comes with its own set of troubles.
The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts
by Gary ChapmanOver 20 million copies sold! A perennial New York Times bestseller for over a decade!Falling in love is easy. Staying in love—that&’s the challenge. How can you keep your relationship fresh and growing amid the demands, conflicts, and just plain boredom of everyday life?In the #1 New York Times international bestseller The 5 Love Languages®, you&’ll discover the secret that has transformed millions of relationships worldwide. Whether your relationship is flourishing or failing, Dr. Gary Chapman&’s proven approach to showing and receiving love will help you experience deeper and richer levels of intimacy with your partner—starting today.The 5 Love Languages® is as practical as it is insightful. Updated to reflect the complexities of relationships today, this new edition reveals intrinsic truths and applies relevant, actionable wisdom in ways that work.Includes the Love Language assessment so you can discover your love language and that of your loved one.
Angel Prayers: Harnessing the Help of Heaven to Create Miracles
by Kyle GrayLEARN FROM KYLE GRAY - WORLD-RENOWNED ANGEL EXPERT AND BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF RAISE YOUR VIBRATION, POWERFUL PRAYERS FOR ATTRACTING MIRACLES, HAPPINESS, AND PEACEDISCOVER HOW TO CALL ON ANGELS AND ARCHANGELS WHO WILL SUPPORT YOU AND KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU NEED"Kyle Gray changes lives!" – The Sun NewspaperIf you ever feel that your prayers are going unanswered, Kyle Gray is here to change this for good. In this expanded edition of Angel Prayers, Kyle reveals how to use affirmative prayer to bring about positive change in your life.ANGEL PRAYERS SECTIONS INCLUDE:· PART I: The Miracle of Prayer - The Power of Prayer and Angel Prayer Techniques· PART II: Directory of Angels and Angelic Beings· PART III: Directory of PrayersReceive Loving Guidance to Build Your Faith and Intuition Like:· The power of prayer, demonstrated by true stories from Kyle's clients and his own personal experiences· The spiritual laws at play in the world and how your words and intentions affect your life· The Angelic Hierarchy, including the 15 major Archangels and other angelic beings who support you on your journey· Invocations and prayers to call specific Angels and Archangels, including lesser known Angels such as Faith, Hope and CharityAs well as introducing you to angelic beings you might not have heard of before, Kyle also shares powerful prayers to support you through all life events."Your angel loves you beyond your human comprehension. You are their purpose and they are dedicated to your wellbeing on all levels.&“They see you as a perfect, innocent child of the universe and they will do everything within their power to guide you on your way.&“Your guardian angel is with you right this second, waiting for your invitation to help you in all areas of your life.&“As you apply the angel prayers technique to your daily practice and acknowledge the angelic presence in your life, I know miracles will begin to take place.&“My prayer is that you will begin to feel the love your angel has for you and experience the miraculous shifts you deserve to experience. Allow angels to support you on your amazing journey.&”With love,Kyle GrayGet ready to open up to the beautiful world of angel prayers - and to see amazing results!
Quirky Leadership: Permission Granted
by John VoelzPastors and ministry leaders too often play the comparison game, looking to church leadership rockstars and curtailing idiosyncrasies to be like them. But it’s a losing game. Leaders end up trying vainly to lead their churches from a lack of gifts and a place of emptiness.What is the solution? Quirkiness. Leaders need permission to lead not like someone else, but as the best possible version of themselves—embracing idiosyncrasies, personalities, and personal tastes. When church leaders name their quirks, they are free to discover a unique leadership philosophy and find unique missional opportunities.Quirky Leadership raises the bar for ministry—not by jumping through more hoops or focusing on gift deficits but rather by identifying, communicating, and celebrating the individual truths about identities and for ministry environments. John Voelz is quickly becoming a source for practical leadership perspective as a voice that questions the status quo, calls out mediocrity, and gives permission to view things differently and watch crazy ideas come to fruition for the sake of God’s kingdom.
Joshua - Women's Bible Study Leader Guide: Winning the Worry Battle (Joshua)
by Barb RooseBe Victorious Over Worry in Your Life!Have you ever tried to fight worry with faith and felt you were losing the battle? Have comments like “God’s got this!” or “Just pray about it” only left you feeling more burdened? We know we shouldn’t worry, but the reality is that we all do at times. And whether it’s personal worries about loved ones and daily circumstances or broader concerns about what’s happening in the world, we long for something more than platitudes that will help us put real feet to our faith and win the worry battle.In this six-week Bible study on the Book of Joshua, we will join God’s people as they arrive on the edge of the promised land only to find themselves in hostile territory, faced with fear and uncertainty. As we dig into the story of how Joshua and the Israelites claimed God’s promised victory, we’ll discover that winning the worry battle requires more than having faith; it requires learning to fight in faith! Following their bold, courageous footprints, we’ll learn how to fight in faith as we internalize God’s promises, draw strength from God’s faithfulness, act in obedience to God’s commands, and believe what our limitless God can do. Through in-depth study of how God gave the Israelites victory over their enemies and generously blessed them, too, we’ll be equipped with biblical wisdom, encouragement, and practical tools that will enable us to overcome our daily worry struggles as well as the bigger battles of fear that we face.This comprehensive leader guide includes full session outlines featuring discussion questions, activities, prayers, leader helps, and more.Other available components, each available separately, include a Participant Workbook with five days of lessons per week, and DVD with six 20-25 minute sessions (with closed captioning).
A Living Tradition: Critical Recovery and Reconstruction of Wesleyan Heritage
by Mary Elizabeth Mullino MooreThis book engages in a critical recovery and reconstruction of the Wesleyan theological legacy in relation to current theological concepts and Christian practices with the intent to present opportunities for future directions. The contributors address urgent questions from the contexts in which people now live, particularly questions regarding social holiness and Christian practices. To that end, the authors focus on historical figures (John Wesley, Susanna Wesley, Harry Hoosier and Richard Allen); historical developments (such as the ways in which African Americans appropriated Methodism); and theological themes (such as holistic healing, work and vocation, and prophetic grace). The purpose is not to provide a comprehensive historical and theological coverage of the tradition, but to exemplify approaches to historical recovery and reconstruction that follow appropriately the mentorship of John Wesley and the living tradition that has emerged from his witness. Contributors: W. Stephen Gunter, Richard P. Heitzenrater, Diane Leclerc, William B. McClain, Randy L. Maddox, Rebekah L. Miles, Mary Elizabeth Mullino Moore, Amy G. Oden, and Elaine A. Robinson.
Confirm Parent Guide: Your Faith. Your Commitment. Gods Call.
by CokesburyConfirmYour Faith. Your Commitment. God’s Call.Too often confirmation has been downgraded to the role of a checkpoint along the faith journey. The Confirm family of resources reclaims confirmation as the first step on a journey that leads to a mature, adult faith. Confirm treats confirmation as more than a decision. Instead, it is the beginning of a conversation about what it means to be a Christian, living out your faith, your commitment, and God’s call.Confirm is an easy-to-follow and fully customizable confirmation program that can be used virtually any church setting and with a wide variety of schedules. You have the option to schedule your lesson choices and the tools to organize your own confirmation program over the course of a school year, a 3-year span, or in any other way that meets your needs without having to purchase additional customizable content.With flexible and easy-to-understand materials, Confirm provides students with the basic beliefs of a theologically sound, United Methodist faith while engaging them in creative and thought-provoking activities to help them internalize what they’ve learned. Confirm also embraces the importance of community in the journey of faith development, and provides materials to encourage cooperation with parents and mentors in the confirmation process and beyond.The Parent Guide provides an overview of confirmation and helps the parent and family establish their role in the process. The guide includes discussion starters, activities and devotional suggestions for use at home. As teens prepare to take the vows of confirmation, they need to be surrounded by mature Christian adults who can love, guide, and nurture them. This love and nurturing begins at home, with the youth’s parent or guardian.
Christology in the New Testament (Core Biblical Studies)
by David L. BartlettNew Testament writers offer varied and persuasive pictures of Jesus that seek to draw people into faith.For David Bartlett, New Testament Christology is "not so much a set of doctrines as a variety of stories, songs and scriptural interpretations that help Christian believers and Christian churches follow the Jesus they read about, hear about, and praise." Early Christians framed and told stories, shared teachings, testified to encounters, found solutions to problems, acted out in faith and love, and sang songs about and to Jesus Christ– the resurrected one who represents and shares God’s very self to repair and redeem a broken world.Baptized by John the Baptist. Embarrassingly crucified. Teacher and interpreter of Torah. Reformer. Messiah. Proclaimer and agent of a new Kingdom era. Lord above and beyond Caesar’s empire. And most of all, a suffering, resurrected savior addressed through poetry, songs, stories, titles, and ongoing encounters with the community gathered by and in his name. Bartlett takes readers on a quick look journey through the New Testament writers’ understanding of Jesus and his saving significance. In the process, he reminds Christians and those who would understand their founding documents that these differing, context-dependent portraits of Jesus are vehicles of a practical, living faith. They don’t just say something, they do something, revealing an underlying conviction: somehow God was in Jesus Christ reconciling the world to God’s very self (2 Corinthians 5:19).
Church History: An Essential Guide (Essentials Guide Ser.)
by Justo L. GonzalezOne of the chief difficulties in studying the history of Christianity is the lack of prior exposure to the subject that students often bring with them. Struggling to keep up with the large numbers of names, dates, and places presented to them, it is easy for students to lose sight of the "big picture," the broad sweep of movement and change that instructors most wish to communicate. Justo Gonzalez has written this book to help students gain just such a quick and basic grasp of the main periods and issues in the history of Christianity. Drawing upon his own extensive experience and that of others, he contends that having been introduced to the essentials of church history in a brief and accessible form, students are far better able to understand and appreciate what they encounter in more detailed lectures and reading.Gonzalez provides a comprehensive opening chapter that summarizes major issues and concerns of each of the principal eras of church history. Subsequent chapters focus on the ancient church, the Christian empire, the Middle Ages, the Reformation, the seventeenth through nineteenth centuries, and the twentieth century and the end of modernity.
Preaching Without Notes
by Joseph M. WebbIn this important book, Webb makes two central claims. First, that effective preaching without a manuscript is not a matter of talent as much as it is a matter of preparation. Preachers can learn the practices and disciplines that make it possible to deliver articulate, thoughtfully crafted sermons, not from a written page, but as a natural, spontaneous act of oral communication. Throughout the book, the author offers specific examples including a transcript of a sermon preached without manuscript or notes. Second, that the payoff of learning to preach without a manuscript is nothing less than sermons that more effectively and engagingly give witness to the good news.
Then the Whisper Put On Flesh: New Testament Ethics in an African American Context
by Brian K. BlountDevastating circumstances still enslave most African Americans in American society today, especially in urban environments. They struggle with economic devastation, family disintegration, black-on-black crime, unemployment, political and social injustice, as well as the structural racism that fuels all of these. In the midst of this horrible din, there is a whisper from the Lord, a faith statement upon which there can be established an ethic of transformation for an oppressed African American Christian community. The whispers of faith, hope, and ethical direction that flow out of the New Testament materials have always taken their fleshly shape in light of the context in which African Americans have found themselves. Blount studies selected New Testament texts and evaluates them in light of their first-century contexts, primarily from a socio-linguistic perspective, and then reads them through the eyes of the contemporary African American Christian. This study analyzes the differences between the first century context, which prompted the biblical writers to reflect ethically upon their faith statements as they did, and the present reality of African Americans in the United States, which motivates their Christian leaders to reflect upon these same statements in such radically different ways. An example of a twentieth-century ethical situation is Martin Luther King, Jr.'s campaign of civil disobedience which appeared to be in direct contradiction to the ethical prescriptions in Romans 113 and 1 Peter 2:13-17, which mandate unqualified Christian obedience of government. Blount urges African American Christians to continually reevaluate the ethical principles established for first-century biblical communities in light of the novel circumstances that prevail today. In so doing, African Americans will be giving flesh to the inspirational whisper of the New Testament.
The Faith of a Mockingbird Leader Guide: A Small Group Study Connecting Christ and Culture (The Faith of a Mockingbird)
by Matt RawlePastor and author Matt Rawle is on a mission. He sees Christ all aroundhim-in books, movies, TV shows, rock music-and he wants to share what hesees. As Matt says, "God offers the raw ingredients, and 'culture' iswhatever we cook up."In The Faith of a Mockingbird, based on Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird,pastor and author Matt Rawle uses Lee's beloved characters to exploreChristian faith, theology, and ethics. Join Scout, Atticus Finch, BooRadley, and Tom Robinson in this four-week study considering God's worldand what it all means.This Leader Guide contains everythingneeded to guide a group through the workbook and DVD. It includessession plans and discussion questions, as well as multiple formatoptions.The Faith of a Mockingbird is part of The Popin Culture Series of Bible studies in which Matt Rawle stirs up a tastygumbo of insight, humor, and inspiration based on some of your favoritepop culture classics. A Participant Book, a DVD featuring four sessionswith the author, and a Worship Resources Flash Drive also are availablefor group study.
The Names of God - Women's Bible Study Participant Workbook: His Character Revealed (The Names of God)
by Melissa SpoelstraKnow God better through a study of His names.Today’s culture and others’ views, even those of other Christians, can present a distorted view of God. Some suggest God exudes qualities He does not possess such as being unloving or apathetic toward His creation. In a world where we find people creating God in their own image, studying God’s names can remind us that we are created in His. In fact, one of the best ways to know God’s true character and grow closer to Him is to study His names.In The Names of God, Melissa Spoelstra leads women on an exploration of the many names of our triune God—from El and Elohim to Yahweh and its many combinations to names such as Abba, Jesus, and Holy Spirit…and many others.As women study the names of God, their ideas about God will become more grounded in what His names tell them, and thus more personal, allowing a greater trust in Him to share the details of their lives. Whether having walked with God for many years or just starting out in a relationship with Him, by the end of this study women will not only know more about God but will know Him better—because through the discovery of God’s names, they will discover Him!Components for this six-week Bible study, each available separately, include a Participant Workbook, a Leader Guide, DVD with six 25-minute segments (with closed captioning), and a boxed Leader Kit containing one of each component.This Bible Study Includes:- A six-week study of the names of God.- Inspires women to have a more personal and trusting relationship with God.- DVD features dynamic, engaging teaching in six 25-minute segments.- Strong, solid Bible study from popular Bible teacher and speaker Melissa Spoelstra.