LITMIR.BIZ

We are in the midst of a change that is larger than any of us can understand. The church of the 21st century is more like the church of the 1st century than that of the 20th century. Like then, we live in a world that is deeply divided, strongly segregated, with different parts of society not communicating with each other. Some are very passionate about their religion, willing to die or kill for it, for others religion is irrelevant. – Dr. David Moffett-Moore Jesus' Sermon on the Mount can accurately be described as His manifesto. A teaching with life-changing wisdom in each sentence; a teaching that will not release you from your seat until you have submitted to God's way. Whether in a small group or a personal study time, The Jesus Manifesto will bring Living Water to your spirit.

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Sometimes going radical means getting to the root. Sometimes it means pulling something up by the roots. What is it that is keeping you from doing what God wants you to do? There are many books about how to do church «right.» There are programs for every imaginable thing you might want to improve in your church. There are at least as many measures by which you can determine whether your church is successful. Ditch the Building ditches that approach and asks you to look at what God is calling you to do, and how ingrained church structures are keeping you from actually following that call. Nick May doesn't claim to know what you're supposed to be doing, or even what's stopping you. What he does know from the experience of growing up in church, working in a megachurch and then pastoring a church plant, is that many of you are precisely at that point. You likely have at least the glimmering of a vision of what you believe God is calling you to do. When it comes time to start doing it, however, you find things in your way. It may be things in your own life or things in your church. Ingrained structures may be your physical building. They may be your order of worship. They may be found in your Christian education department where you are implementing innovative ideas to prepare your children and youth to live in the 90s–1890s. We often hear that God hasn't changed. This is supposed to tell us that we don't have to change either. But people and culture do change, the challenges change. We have to find God's way of responding and building God's people. If you want to live out your life comfortably, don't buy this book. If you think the church today is just fine, don't buy this book. But if you hear the call to follow wherever God leads, no matter how radical that makes you seem, then buy and read this book. We're not telling you that this book will change your life. We're hoping that after reading it, you will be empowered to let God change your life, your ministry, your church, and our world.

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Christian apologetics suffers from a reputation for loud arguments, canned answers, and a fascination with technical details. Some Christians avoid apologetics because they are either concerned about offending people, or because they are afraid they will be unable to answer technical questions. These concerns and fears are unnecessary. Elgin Hushbeck, Jr., unapologetic Christian apologist points the way toward a Christian witness that is positive, and is possible for everyone. In fact, Hushbeck maintains, all Christians testify to their faith, simply by bearing the name «Christian» and living. By emphasizing listening, respect, and most importantly, a realization that the fruit of our endeavors are God's responsibility, he invites all of us to apologetics that is centered in our own testimony and in building genuine relationships. This is a short but powerful book. It will help you approach your witness without fear or worry. Anyone can read the book quickly. It won't give you all the answers, but it will reassure you that you don't need all the answers. Nobody else has all the answers either. But what you can do is pursue conversations and depend on relationships within the church to help you. «I don't know,» is a valid answer. This is a book for every Christian, but it will be especially helpful to those who teach in the church. Have a few copies on hand, and when people ask you how they can be a witness, hand them a copy. It's a short read, but it can change forever how each person carries out the gospel commission.

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At Easter, major magazines and blogs will publish articles claiming to tell us who Jesus was. Every few weeks we see a new book making similar claims. Is it possible to know? In Who Is Jesus?, Allan Bevere addresses this question from the point of view of a person of faith who takes seriously the gospels and early Christian tradition as documentation of events and of serious theological reflection on those events. According to Bevere, Christian theology was neither an invention, nor a set of random speculations unrelated to reality. Rather, they were the response of early Christianity to the experience of Jesus and the historical pictures as presented in the canonical gospels. From a discussion of the Old Testament record piecing together the puzzle of biblical messianic prophecy through illumination of the christological controversies of the first five centuries of Christian history, and then back to the four portraits of Jesus given to us in the canonical gospels, this book provides a clear description of how orthodox Christian scholarship can bring together the varied evidence in order to present a coherent theological picture of the Jesus of history. As Bevere contends, history and theology are not easily separated, but are two threads that create an interwoven tapestry in which events have meaning. This book is good for individual reading, or could easily provide readings and an outline for a small group study.

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How can I get started with Bible study? This booklet is a very short introductory guide for someone with little or no background in Bible study. It provides a basic approach taken from the participatory Bible study method that is the basis of the Participatory Study Series from Energion Publications. This booklet includes a list of some of the basic resources that can provide the new Bible student with basic information. It is targeted broadly at a Christian audience, but not at a particular tradition. Tools are included from scholars ranging from a conservative evangelical to a progressive orientation.

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Passing our faith from generation to generation is difficult. It has been this way from the time that Cain killed his brother, through Israel's call for a king because Samuel's sons were not like him, up to the present day when children reject their parents' faith. Prolific author (37 books and counting ) William Powell Tuck wants to «tell to the next generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, his might, and the wonderful things he has done» (Psalm 78:4). In this book, he does so by answering serious questions from his grandchildren, many of whom are college age. He's not afraid to address the controversial questions with them, including current issues of politics, climate change, and human sexuality. But all of these questions are addressed from a foundation of informed Christian faith, honed through years of preaching, teaching and writing. At the same time, he addresses questions from the younger grandchildren in simpler terms. With an accessible, question and answer layout, the reader can find direction in addressing these topics during their own family discussions, or in teaching them in small groups, Sunday School, or even from the pulpit. Every generation can benefit from this book, but those who teach will find it especially helpful. Shouldn't that be every Christian?

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Except for Fornication is a brief study, less than 80 pages, of statements in the Gospels relating to divorce and remarriage. Dr. Parunak examines the background and context of the statements of Jesus regarding divorce, and relates them to the Old Testament commands on which Jesus was commenting. This historical depth and detailed linguistic analysis will prove useful to Bible students, whether or not they ultimately agree with the author's conclusions. This is investigation is laid out as a mystery, with each aspect examined carefully in the light of historical and contextual clues. The author examines texts in the original languages and discusses the use of key words in the relevant literature. Pastors and lay readers alike will benefit from this thorough study.

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The church is in disarray. Theologians and commentators speak of the demise of evangelicalism. Are they alarmists? Is Christianity as we know it in the process of dying? Writer, scholar, teacher, and missionary Dr. David Alan Black thinks that the answer does not lie in the politics of the left or the right. In fact, he doesn't think that Jesus tells us what our politics should be. He doesn't see answers in Christian nationalism. But even further, he sees serious flaws in the very structure of our churches and denominations that prevent us from truly being obedient to the gospel. The solution lies, not in renewal, revival, or even in reformation, but rather in restoration-a restoration of the church organized as Jesus intended it and according to the example provided by the earliest church sources in the New Testament. To make the church and its members true servants of Jesus Christ again, we need to change our entire paradigm-to The Jesus Paradigm .

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Do you feel like your prayers are not heard? Prayer has often been described simply as communicating with God. How many of us talk to God daily? If we did not speak to our spouse daily, how much would we know about her/him? Dr William Powell Tuck brings not only years of studying the Scripture but perhaps more importantly his own prayer experience and his time as a pastor, counseling and teaching others. «I have often been embarrassed to admit that praying has not come so easily or naturally to me,» he confesses in this book. This frank and open attitude gives us all a renewed hope, makes us eager to see what Dr Tuck has to say about prayer, and try his suggestions.

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Speak. Don't speak. Proclaim your faith. A private faith. Be wise as serpents. Be innocent as doves. Yes, Jesus' teachings can often be seen as an excellent example of a paradox. Author David Cartwright shares his life long study of the gospels from elementary school through seminary and as a pastor. … the question, «What would Jesus do?» goes back to a more basic one, «What did Jesus mean?» And that question further back to an even more basic one, «What did Jesus say?» What I can claim to have discerned from all this discussion is that it has made me dive deeper into my study of the New Testament, and at the same time gain a deeper appreciation for the variety and diversity of its authors. With that said, as primarily a «Sunday-in and Sunday-out» preacher, I have an ongoing commitment to the Canon as it has been preserved and transmitted to us. While there may be many different sounding teachings, there is finally only one Jesus who said them. – David Cartwright

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