Devotional Life in the Wesleyan Tradition


Book Description

This workbook describes major features in John Wesley's devotional life, and it illustrates how you can apply his ministry to your own life. Structured around Wesley’s "Means of Grace," the 7-week study covers prayer, scripture, the Lord’s Supper, fasting, Christian conferencing, and providential means of grace. Developed for individual or group study, the workbook also offers suggestions for organizing an initial group meeting and developing a successful group study. Also available in Spanish as La Vida de Devoción en la Tradición Wesleyana.




Calvin vs. Wesley


Book Description

Congregations are made up of people with all sorts of theologies. Pastor Mike Slaughter even says that these can stand in the way of the church’s mission of social and personal holiness. But most people do not adopt a theology on purpose, mostly they merely breathe in the prevailing cultural air. The theology "de jour" seems to be Calvinist, with its emphasis on “the elect” and “other worldly salvation.” In fact, there is so much Calvinism saturating the culture, that some do not even know there is an alternative way of thinking about their faith. They don’t know where to go to find a viable option; they don’t even know the key words to search Google. So people are left thinking like Calvinists but living with a desire to change the world, offering grace and hope to hurting people in mission and ministry—loving the least, the last, and the lost. In other words, they are living like Wesleyans. This book shows what Calvinist and Wesleyans actually believe about human responsibility, salvation, the universality of God’s grace, holy living through service, and the benefits of small group accountability--and how that connects to how people can live. Calvinists and Wesleyans are different, and by knowing the difference, people will not only see the other benefits of Wesleyan theology but will be inspired to learn more. By knowing who they are as faithful people of God, they will be motivated to reach out in mission with renewed vigor. And they won’t be obstacles to grace and holiness, but they can be better disciples and advocates for Christ through service in this world.




The Absolute Basics of the Wesleyan Way


Book Description

"A 12-session study packed with dynamic illustrations and compelling analogies that explore the key elements of the Wesleyan movement. The lessons work through three primary sections: John Wesley's life, his core theological message, and the legacy of Wesley's leadership on the Methodist church. Like its predecessor, The Absolute Basics of the Christian Faith, this book can be studied individually, but is designed for group use. The accompanying videos are perfect for new member or confirmation classes, and for small-group or youth group settings. Rich in both history and faith-building, this study walks readers of all ages through a fundamental understanding of the value of scripture, prayer, communion, spiritual relationships, and the power of salvation, as evidenced in the life and teachings of John Wesley."--Publisher




The Way to Heaven


Book Description

Is There a Way to Heaven? The great evangelist John Wesley believed there is, and he developed his theology to help people make the journey from sin to salvation. In Wesley’s “order of salvation,” God’s grace is the keynote from start to finish.The Way to Heaven is a twentieth-anniversary revision of John Wesley’s Message for Today. Dr. Steve Harper presents Wesley’s writings and the ideas of Wesley scholars in language that is clear and accessible but never simplistic. Written in the spirit of Wesley, here are “plain words for plain people.”The heart of this book is a thoughtful and inspiring look at Wesley’s theology of grace and its power to transform. Included are two new chapters. “Vision and Means” explores Wesley’s mission and methods, and “To Serve the Present Age” considers the impact and relevance of his message today. In addition, an updated reading list facilitates further study, and questions at the end of each chapter stimulate personal reflection and small group discussion.Ideal as a textbook or for personal study and reflection, this book will advance your knowledge and piety as you travel “the way to heaven.”




Prayer and Devotional Life of United Methodists


Book Description

This volume in the United Methodist Studies series challenges United Methodists to engage in life-transforming practices. The author explains a theme and underscores major emphases within the United Methodist denomination. This adult study is divided into four sections with suggestions for group discussion, and can be completed in 4 to 8 sessions. No leader’s guide is needed. The sections are: 1 - Living from the Heart - This chapter examines the essence of prayer and devotional life for United Methodists: holiness of heart and life. The chapter is divided into two sections to enable this examination: Cimmunion (heart) and Compassion (life). 2 - Read and Pray Daily - Exploring these two central disciplines in Christian formation and the Wesleyan Tradition guides readers into practical expressions of what it means to read devotionally (lection divina) and pray continually (the life of prayer). 3 - Get Connected! - The idea of "connectionalism" is a significant part of our tradition. This chapter examines this idea from two vantage points of classic formation principles and the concrete structures Wesley used in early-Methodism, which still contain implications for today. 4 - Go On! - The cultivation of prayer and devotional life in United Methodism is not about "attainment" but rather about "journey." This chapter examines the pilgrimage motif through the two lenses of the biblical doctrine of Christian perfection, and the practical development of that message through an action/reflection model of Christian formation.




Remembering Our Baptism


Book Description

Drawing on the roots of early Methodists, Philip Meadows urges readers to use the act of "remembering their baptism" to connect themselves to their own discipleship and mission. This will result in the daily shaping of their Christian lives by personal and corporate spiritual discipline, which is itself decidedly baptismal in character. When church communities of every size remember their baptism, they hold one another accountable for the life of disciplined discipleship and everyday witness. A great resource for small group study and clergy.




Class Leaders


Book Description

In 1988, The General Conference of the United Methodist Church restored class leaders and class meetings to the Book of Discipline after an absence of fifty years. In this volume, David Lowes Watson explains what the recovery of this tradition can mean for congregations, and offers some guidelines for the revitalized office of class leader. Adapting the later Methodist class meeting as a pastoral subdivision of the congregation, Watson shows how class leaders, under the supervision of the pastor, can nurture the discipline of other church members in light of a ÒGeneral Rule of DisciplineÓ derived from the early Methodist societies: ÒTo witness to Jesus Christ in the world, and to follow his teachings through acts of compassion, justice, worship, and devotion, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.Ó This volume is the second in a trilogy : Covenant Discipleship, Class Leaders, and Forming Christian Disciples.




Recapturing the Wesleys' Vision


Book Description

Paul Wesley Chilcote introduces the dynamic faith of John and Charles Wesley, showing how they were able to balance faith and works, Word and Spirit, the personal and the social, head and heart, mission and service.




John Wesley's Theology Today


Book Description

Issues of vital importance and interest to contemporary Christians are covered in this complete plcture of Wesleyan theology. Colin Williams examines the main beliefs of John Wesley -- authority and experience, salvation, original sin, repentance and justification, atonement, the work of the Holy Spirit, doctrine of the church, Christian perfection, and eschatology -- in a search for insights which Methodism should share with other Christians concerning issues that divide the churches.




The Sin Nature


Book Description

The fall of man resulted in Adam and Eve losing all consciousness of God. They woke up to self and found themselves imprisoned by a completely new nature—the sin nature—which would poison the entire human race for all time. From then until now, the troubles of the world—wars, man’s inhumanity to man, his dependency on cruel vices, and the habits of hell—are all caused by the sin nature which rules every person. Of course the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ broke the hold of this deadly yoke and repositioned the believer in Christ. So why do Christians struggle so hard to live for God? In this revelatory book, Evangelist Jimmy Swaggart explains how the sin nature, which remains in Christians, can be reactivated, and how victory over the world, the flesh, and the Devil can only be maintained through faith in the Cross of Christ.




Recent Books