Simple Church: Returning to God's Process for Making Disciples
by Thom S. Rainer
from B&H Publishing Group
The simple revolution has begun. From the design of the iPod to the uncluttered Google home page, simple ideas are changing the world.
Simple Church clearly calls for Christians to return to the simple gospel-sharing methods of Jesus. No bells or whistles required, so to speak.
Based on case studies of four hundred American churches, authors Thom Rainer and Eric Geiger prove that the process for making disciples has quite often become too complex. Simple churches are thriving, and they are doing so by taking these four ideas to heart: Clarity. Movement. Alignment. Focus.
Each idea is examined here, simply showing why it is time to simplify.
They Like Jesus but Not the Church: Insights from Emerging Generations
by Dan Kimball
from Zondervan
An overview of the six most common objections emerging generations have with church and Christianity along with the biblical answers to these objections and examples of how churches are facing this challenge.
The Everyday Visionary: Focus Your Thoughts, Change Your Life
by Jesse Duplantis
from Touchstone
One of the world's most humorous and dynamic ministers inspires readers to realize their potential and fulfill their dreams using the power of "determined" thoughts.
Life is about dreaming, doing, and enjoying yourself in the process. Sometimes it might seem as if your dreams are just too wildly improbable, or there are too many obstacles standing in your way, or you've missed your window of opportunity. But if those dreams are divinely inspired, hope is far from lost. You just need to know how to visualize the path to your dream to make it a reality.
Born a poor Cajun boy in south Louisiana, Jesse Duplantis was a rock musician in his early years and, after a life-changing experience with God, became one of the most candid, and popular, ministers of the Gospel today. For thirty years Jesse Duplantis has demonstrated what life can be when you focus on finding your personal path and nurturing a closer relationship with God and Jesus Christ. Jesse believes God can help anyone to succeed--no matter who you are or where you come from.
Weaving visionary-style thinking with powerful life principles and stories from his own life, Jesse shares what destiny really is, how to find yours, and how to avoid letting others kill your joy. You'll also learn about the "Greatest Weaknesses" and "Destiny Killers" that have prevented people from achieving their goals.
Other key topics Jesse explores include:
• The amazing power of human imagination: God gave it to you for a reason!• The strategic power of "determined" thoughts: Learn to use them and see results.
• What to do if you feel it's too late for your dream: God-given dreams have no expiration dates.
• Why you can't have what you speak against: Use the magnetic power of words to draw in what you know is yours.
• How to overcome discouragement: It's okay to shut the door on negativity.
• The big picture: You are important to God, and your dreams and visionary-style thinking may affect future generations.
As Jesse says, "Somebody is going to succeed...why not you?" You can experience real joy, ful-fillment, and success by following God's path to your dreams!
Just Walk Across the Room: Simple Steps Pointing People to Faith
by Bill Hybels
from Zondervan
Believers universally affirm that evangelism is a vital part of what God calls them to do, but very few make a practice of doing it. They feel awkward and ill-equipped, either because they've never been trained, or because their lack of interaction with non- Christians prevents them from using and developing the skills they do have. Bill Hybels addresses these concerns and signals the next era in personal evangelism with Just Walk Across the Room. Drawing on fresh perspectives from the author's own experiences, as well as time-tested and practical illustrations, Just Walk Across the Room encourages and equips readers to routinely initiate spiritual conversations with those who don't know Christ.
The Purpose-Driven Church: Growth Without Compromising Your Message & Mission
by Rick Warren
from Zondervan
The thesis of The Purpose Driven Church is that when churches think first about their health, growth is sure to follow. "If your church is healthy," writes Rick Warren, "growth will occur naturally. Healthy, consistent growth is the result of balancing the five biblical purposes of the church." These five purposes are to "Love the Lord with all your heart," "Love your neighbor as yourself," "Go and make disciples," "[Baptize] them," and "[Teach] them to obey." And those purposes can only be accomplished, argues Warren, when church leaders stop thinking about church-building programs and shift their focus to a "people-building process" involving fellowship, discipleship, worship, and evangelism. Warren, the founder of the fastest-growing Baptist church in American history, has taught seminars to thousands of pastors from all over the world, many of whom have successfully implemented his techniques.
This groundbreaking book offers a biblical yet practical strategy that will empower churches to minister in the 21st century. After testing and refining these concepts for fifteen years, Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Church, shares the five-part growth strategy he developed. It gives a step-by-step process that will cause your church to grow warmer through ministry, and larger through evangelism.
This is a five-point strategy for attracting and spiritually maturing the unchurched, from the pastor of Saddleback Church.
Heaven Is Real: Lessons on Earthly Joy--From The Man Who Spent 90 Minutes In Heaven
by Don Piper
from Berkley Hardcover
New inspiration from the million-copy bestselling author of 90 Minutes in Heaven.
Don Piper's 90 Minutes in Heaven has sold more than a million copies and has been translated into 12 languages. Now, from "The Minister of Hope" comes the follow-up that millions of readers have been waiting for.
On January 18th, 1989, Don Piper died in a car accident. Ninety minutes later, after a preacher prayed over him, Piper came back to life with an extraordinary story. He'd been to heaven. So began the phenomenon of 90 Minutes in Heaven.
Now, for the millions who look to him for inspiration, Piper offers the hope that if he could survive his ordeal after the accident, then others can survive whatever life circumstances they're going through and grow in God's love through the experience. For Piper, heaven is a certainty-and so is God's grace. Relying on that assurance, believers can transform pain into purpose and troubles into blessings, finding joy in life even when life turns out not to be what they expected.
True Story: A Christianity Worth Believing In
by James Choung
from IVP Books
In this engaging narrative, James Choung weaves a tale of a search for a Christianity worth believing in. Disillusioned believer Caleb and hostile skeptic Anna wrestle with the plausibility of the Christian story in a world of pain and suffering. They ask each other tough questions about what Jesus really came to do and what Christianity is supposed to be about. Along the way, they have some surprising realizations that real Christianity is far bigger than anything they ever heard in church. And the conversion that comes is not one that either of them expects.
Join Caleb and Anna on their spiritual journeys as they probe Christianity from inside and out. Get past the old cliches and simplistic formulas. And discover a new way of understanding and presenting the Christian faith that really matters in a broken world.
The Secret Power of Speaking God's Word (Meyer, Joyce)
by Joyce Meyer
from FaithWords
Expecting Miracles: True Stories of God's Supernatural Power and How You Can Experience It
by Heidi and Rolland Baker
from Chosen
In 2003 readers around the world read in Always Enough about the amazing things God was doing in the poorest nation on earth. Since then Heidi and Rolland Baker's ministry has electrified the body of Christ, lay Christians and ministry leaders alike, who have witnessed it firsthand. Now readers can spend a year with the Bakers, watching God continue to work miraculously in Mozambique and learning how he longs to work similarly in our own lives. Combining extraordinary narrative with insights and teaching principles, Expecting Miracles connects believers in developed countries with those in poverty and offers priceless lessons on how God's power transforms lives.
Introducing World Missions: A Biblical, Historical, and Practical Survey (Encountering Mission)
by A. Scott Moreau
from Baker Academic
Introducing World Missions, the first volume in the Encountering Mission series, provides readers with a broad overview of the biblical, theological, and historical foundations for missions. It considers personal and practical issues involved in becoming a missionary, the process of getting to the mission field, and contemporary challenges a mission worker must face. This valuable guide is based on current research and includes numerous case studies that consider important issues, as well as sidebars, charts, and maps that provide further details on topics of interest. Altogether, this is an engaging introduction to the work of missions in the contemporary world.
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