Divine Callings


Book Description

One of the unique aspects of the religious profession is the high percentage of those who claim to be “called by God” to do their work. This call is particularly important within African American Christian traditions. Divine Callings offers a rare sociological examination of this markedly understudied phenomenon within black ministry. Richard N. Pitt draws on over 100 in-depth interviews with Black Pentecostal ministers in the Church of God in Christ—both those ordained and licensed and those aspiring—to examine how these men and women experience and pursue “the call.” Viewing divine calling as much as a social process as it is a spiritual one, Pitt delves into the personal stories of these individuals to explore their work as active agents in the process of fulfilling their calling. In some cases, those called cannot find pastoral work due to gender discrimination, lack of clergy positions, and educational deficiencies. Pitt looks specifically at how those who have not obtained clergy positions understand their call, exploring the influences of psychological experience, the congregational acceptance of their call, and their response to the training process. He emphasizes how those called reconceptualize clericalism in terms of who can be called, how that call has to be certified, and what those called are meant to do, offering insight into how social actors adjust to structural constraints.




Live Your Calling


Book Description

An action-plan for self-fulfillment that helps people find their true calling in life This practical and inspirational guide helps Christian men and women of all ages identify and use their God-given gifts to find purpose, direction, and joy in their life and work. Based on their years of counseling and experience, Kevin and Kay Marie Brennfleck offer action-oriented tools and a proven methodology to help readers develop the decision-making skills they need to discover and live the life that God intended, maximizing the synergies between ministry, work, and spiritual gifts. Kevin and Kay Marie Brennfleck (Pasadena, CA) are nationally recognized experts in career counseling, work satisfaction, and productivity. Their Web site, www.ChristianCareerCenter.com, is the most visited Christian career site on the Internet.




Callings


Book Description

How do we know if we're following our true callings? How do we sharpen our senses to cut through the distractions of everyday reality and hear the calls that are beckoning us? is the first book to examine the many kinds of calls we receive and the great variety of channels through which they come to us. A calling may be to do something (change careers, go back to school, have a child) or to be something (more creative, less judgmental, more loving). While honoring a calling's essential mystery, this book also guides readers to ask and answer the fundamental questions that arise from any calling: How do we recognize it? How do we distinguish the true call from the siren song? How do we handle our resistance to a call? What happens when we say yes? What happens when we say no? Drawing on the hard-won wisdom and powerful stories of people who have followed their own calls, Gregg Levoy shows us the many ways to translate a calling into action. In a style that is poetic, exuberant, and keenly insightful, he presents an illuminating and ultimately practical inquiry into how we listen and respond to our calls, whether at work or at home, in our relationships or in service. Callings is a compassionate guide to discovering your own callings and negotiating the tight passages to personal power and authenticity.




Jesus Calling My First Bible Storybook


Book Description

Jesus Calling® Bible stories with Jesus Calling devotions are now available for toddlers! Jesus Calling My First Bible Storybook includes simple Bible stories accompanied by short messages of Jesus’ love for children. Delightful art makes this a perfect companion to Jesus Calling for Little Ones. You already know and love the Jesus Calling® brand, and the new Jesus Calling My First Bible Storybook is the perfect way to introduce your littlest ones to the Bible and to Jesus and His love. You and your family will enjoy this Bible storybook night after night.




Understanding Divine Calls


Book Description

God is not irrational in his steps and dealings. God operates on divine principles in all his dealings with men. This too is reflected in the way he calls people into ministry. This book will help you understand the various characteristics of divine calls so as to enable you make the best use of Gods grace upon your life.




The Gifts and Calling of God


Book Description

Gain a better understanding of the different gifts and callings and the degrees of God's anointing.




Jesus Calling: The Story of Christmas


Book Description

Jesus Calling® The Story of Christmas shares the Christmas story with your children by starting at creation and showing that Jesus has always been present and that God has always had a plan for Christmas. Each page features Bible verses and Jesus Calling devotions as it explores the true meaning of the nativity story. This faith-focused picture book is perfect for children ages 4 to 8 years old; features a beautifully embellished dust jacket with foil and glitter; makes a great Christmas, Advent, or holiday gift; is the perfect introduction to the story of Jesus for young children; and is written by New York Times bestselling author Sarah Young. From the beginning of time, God had a plan to save his children. That plan was Jesus! Curl up with your family around the Christmas tree and experience God’s great gift with Jesus Calling® The Story of Christmas.




Just Do Something


Book Description

Hyper-spiritual approaches to finding God's will don't work. It's time to try something new: Give up. Pastor and author Kevin DeYoung counsels Christians to settle down, make choices, and do the hard work of seeing those choices through. Too often, he writes, God's people tinker around with churches, jobs, and relationships, worrying that they haven't found God's perfect will for their lives. Or-even worse-they do absolutely nothing, stuck in a frustrated state of paralyzed indecision, waiting...waiting...waiting for clear, direct, unmistakable direction. But God doesn't need to tell us what to do at each fork in the road. He's already revealed his plan for our lives: to love him with our whole hearts, to obey His Word, and after that, to do what we like. No need for hocus-pocus. No reason to be directionally challenged. Just do something.




Children of the Calling


Book Description

This volume of essays, dedicated to Stan and Ruth Burgess, has been written by their colleagues and students to honor them as they retire after many years of distinguished service to Evangel University, Southwest Missouri State University, and Regent University. Several meanings can be subsumed under the title Children of the Calling. Stan and Ruth grew up in India, children of Pentecostal missionaries who felt they had "divine callings." They were influenced not only by the religious callings of their parents, but also by the cultural milieu of India. Though they did not personally take on board the specific missionary calling of their parents, they charted life maps that benefitted from the cross-cultural proficiencies developed in their childhoods in India, which to a large extent colored the influence they would have on their children, academic colleagues, and students, some of whom have submitted essays for this Festschrift. The diversity of subjects in this volume attests to the breadth of the scholarly work of Stan and Ruth Burgess. The first section narrates the major highlights of Stan and Ruth's academic biographies, the second presents pioneering studies of biblical studies and church history, and the third offers application-based research and personal reminiscences.




God Calling


Book Description