Go Preach!


Book Description

Go Preach! connects the apocalyptic message of Mark's Gospel to principles and programs of socio-cultural transformation in the life of the Black church today. Brian Blount begins his study of Mark by examining the social significance of Jesus' proclamation of the coming Kingdom of God. This was a future event that was at the same time breaking through in the present. Through Jesus, "God's future power invaded and transformed the human present." This experience of the Kingdom empowered the disciples to "Go preach" the Kingdom message in word and deed, to finish the story that Marks narration about Jesus began. Blount goes on to show that the Black church occupies a situation analogous to that in which the Gospel arose, and explores the implications of apocalyptic theology for the pastoral mission of the Black church today. Go Preach! makes an important contribution to understanding the meaning of the Kingdom of God. At the same time it also demonstrates the value of a sociolinguistic approach to scripture, both in interpreting the text in its original context and in unpacking its meaning for today. It is required reading for biblical scholars, students, and clergy.




Go Preach!


Book Description

Go Preach!: A Primer for Beginning Preachers is a basic handbook for those who are called to preach on occasion but who may not be formally trained as preachers. Those people may be lay speakers, local pastors, or student pastors who are taking on for the first time the responsibilities of delivering the sermon as a part of the service of worship. Others who will find this book useful include those people who for a variety of reasons are called on to preach in their pastor's absence. Go Preach! may also be read by ordained preachers, both those who have recently graduated from seminary and are serving their first appointment and those who have a great deal of preaching experience but who want a refresher to help them continue speaking the good news of Jesus Christ in ways that are engaging and relevant to today's listeners. Go Preach! is written simply and directly, with an emphasis on practical tips and with just enough theory to support the practice. In the back of this book is a list of suggested resources for the beginning preacher's library. Also included is a bibliography that makes specific suggestions about what to read next to explore preaching in more depth. Book jacket.




Preaching


Book Description

Pastor, preacher, and New York Times bestselling author of The Prodigal Prophet Timothy Keller shares his wisdom on communicating the Christian faith from the pulpit as well as from the coffee shop. Most Christians—including pastors—struggle to talk about their faith in a way that applies the power of the Christian gospel to change people’s lives. Timothy Keller is known for his insightful, down-to-earth sermons and talks that help people understand themselves, encounter Jesus, and apply the Bible to their lives. In this accessible guide for pastors and laypeople alike, Keller helps readers learn to present the Christian message of grace in a more engaging, passionate, and compassionate way.




Go Preach!


Book Description

Go Preach! connects the apocalyptic message of Mark's Gospel to principles and programs of socio-cultural transformation in the life of the Black church today. Brian Blount begins his study of Mark by examining the social significance of Jesus' proclamation of the coming Kingdom of God. This was a future event that was at the same time breaking through in the present. Through Jesus, "God's future power invaded and transformed the human present." This experience of the Kingdom empowered the disciples to "Go preach" the Kingdom message in word and deed, to finish the story that Marks narration about Jesus began.Blount goes on to show that the Black church occupies a situation analogous to that in which the Gospel arose, and explores the implications of apocalyptic theology for the pastoral mission of the Black church today. Go Preach! makes an important contribution to understanding the meaning of the Kingdom of God. At the same time it also demonstrates the value of a sociolinguistic approach to scripture, both in interpreting the text in its original context and in unpacking its meaning for today. It is required reading for biblical scholars, students, and clergy.




Let It Go


Book Description

Shares uplifting advice about the virtues of forgiveness, offering strategic and biblically based advice on how to achieve peace and personal fulfillment by letting go of past wrongs.




Go and Preach


Book Description

Jesus has called all His followers to participate in two great assignments: to preach the Gospel (evangelism) and to teach the nations (discipleship and maturity). In this book, the author points out that Christians often emphasize one or the other, but Christ wants us to be about the business of both. Practical instruction is given on how to be a better witness for Jesus, and an onward vision to maturity is humbly presented. A need for evangelism and the truths of eternal judgment are presented with great balance, clarity, and empathy. “If you have a love for God and a love for people, this book will help to equip you to serve our Lord Jesus Christ in this generation. You will be challenged, strengthened, and blessed as you read it.” (Rev. John Heyer from the Foreword).




Communicating for a Change


Book Description

When You Talk, Are People Changed? Whether you speak from the pulpit, podium, or the front of a classroom, you don’t need much more than blank stares and faraway looks to tell you you’re not connecting. Take heart before your audience takes leave! You can convey your message in the powerful, life-changing way it deserves to be told. An insightful, entertaining parable that’s an excellent guide for any speaker, Communicating for a Change takes a simple approach to delivering effectively. Join Pastor Ray as he discovers that the secrets to successful speaking are parallel to the lessons a trucker learns on the road. By knowing your destination before you leave (identifying the one basic premise of your message), using your blinkers (making transitions obvious), and implementing five other practical points, you’ll drive your message home every time! “Long ago, in a galaxy far, far away…” “Once upon a time…” “In the beginning…” Great stories capture and hold an audience’s attention from start to finish. Why should it be any different when you stand up to speak? In Communicating for a Change, Andy Stanley and Lane Jones offer a unique strategy for communicators seeking to deliver captivating and practical messages. In this highly creative presentation, the authors unpack seven concepts that will empower you to engage and impact your audience in a way that leaves them wanting more. “Whether you are a senior pastor with weekly teaching responsibilities or a student pastor who has bern charged with engaging the hearts and minds of high school students, this book is a must-read.” -Bill Hybels, Senior pastor, Willow Creak Community Church “A very practical resource for every biblical communicator who wants to go from good to great.” -Ed Young, Senior pastor, Fellowship Church, Grapevine, Texas “To communicate effectively, you have to connect. Andy has been connecting with people for years, and now he’s sharing his insights with the rest of us.” -Jeff Foxworthy, Comedian Story Behind the Book Andy Stanley and Lane Jones are on staff at one of America ’s largest churches, North Point Community. Leaders of thousands of people, they regularly speak in front of large groups. They also listen to numerous speakers and know the disastrous effects of a poorly delivered message. This book is the result of their efforts to make public speaking—one of the most common fear-inducing activities known to mankind—simple, easy, and even enjoyable, so that God’s messages will readily produce the life-changing results they should.




Sex, Dating, and Relationships


Book Description

Considering the pervasive immorality and high divorce rate of our contemporary Christian culture, we evidently need a biblically based, theologically compelling, practical understanding of sex, dating, and relationships. Pastors Gerald Hiestand and Jay Thomas counteract this problem with their paradigm-shifting view of purity and relationships—a view that challenges even the basic assumptions of evangelical subculture. Unlike most books on dating, this one cuts straight to the heart of dating relationships, asserting with confidence that the line must be drawn at "no sexual activity" whatever. Few have dared to define and apply the Bible's understanding of purity in premarital relationships to this degree, but Heistand and Thomas have done it. Furthermore, both authors are vocational pastors who communicate regularly with the target audience and have a proven ability to express biblical truth in a winsome and compelling manner. Sex, Dating, and Relationships adds a new, almost provocative voice to the conversation that, with straightforward theological insight, pleads with Christians to get serious about honoring Christ with their sexuality.




Core Christianity


Book Description

What beliefs are core to the Christian faith? This book is here to help you understand the reason for your hope as a Christian so that you can see it with fresh sight and invite others into the conversation. A lot of Christians take their story—the narratives that give rise to their beliefs—for granted. They pray, go to church, perhaps even read their Bible. But they might be stuck if a stranger asked them to explain what they believe and why they believe it. Author, pastor, and theologian Mike Horton unpacks the essential and basic beliefs that all Christians share in a way that is easy to understand and applicable to our lives today. And in a way that will make you excited to be a Christian! Core Christianity covers topics like: Jesus as both fully God and fully man. The doctrine of the Trinity. The goodness of God despite a broken world. The ways God speaks. The meaning of salvation. What is the Christian calling? Includes discussion questions for individual or group use. This introduction to the basic doctrines of Christianity is perfect for those who are new to the faith, as well as those who have an interest in deepening their understanding of what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ.




Deep Preaching


Book Description

J. Kent Edwards recalls a story that late pastor J. Vernon McGee told about seeing children in South Africa playing a game of marbles in the dust with real diamonds. The precious stones were being handled with no regard for their true worth. Edwards fears the same thing happens today when preachers offer Scriptural truth to listeners without being completely overwhelmed by its greatness themselves in the process. Deep Preaching is his call to "rethink" preaching. Edwards helps preachers learn to preach the word in ways that will powerfully change the lives of hearers. He contends that sermons "need not settle comfortably on the lives of the listeners like dust on a coffee table." He encourages preachers to join him in casting off the lines that moor their ministries to the status-quo and make every effort to steer their preaching out of the "comfortable shallows." He urges them to preach deep sermons rather than superficial ones, moving "beyond the yawn-inspiring to the awe-inspiring, from the trite to the transforming."