Ordinary Discipleship


Book Description

God wired your brain for transformation. Jesus told his followers, "Go and make disciples of every nation," but a lot of us stop before we start--because we feel like we don't have what it takes. But Jesus didn't ask spiritual superstars to make disciples. He invited ordinary people into the adventure of following Him. Jessie Cruickshank learned how to be a disciplemaker in the wilderness. When she connected her training in outdoor adventure ministry with her Harvard degree in neuroeducation, God showed her a pathway for ordinary disciples of Jesus to experience profound spiritual growth. You can help someone choose to go somewhere they have never gone before and to be brave enough to choose to change. You can model a new way of living. And you can share your own hard-fought wisdom on the journey of faith. Jessie Cruickshank will help you navigate the terrain, be inspired by the vast sky, and move toward the hope to which you are called. With Joseph Campbell's iconic hero's journey framework as a guide, you'll discover how a spirit of adventure, brain science, and passionate faith can equip you for the greatest adventure of all.




Exploring Ordinary Theology


Book Description

'Ordinary theology' characterizes the reflective God-talk of the great majority of churchgoers, and others who remain largely untouched by the assumptions, concepts and arguments that academic theology takes for granted. Astley coined the phrase in his innovative study, Ordinary Theology: Looking, Listening and Learning in Theology, arguing that 'speaking statistically ordinary theology is the theology of God's Church'. Exploring Ordinary Theology presents fresh contributions from a wide range of authors, who address the theological, empirical and practical dimensions of this central feature of ordinary Christian existence and the life of the Church.




Twelve Ordinary Men


Book Description

You don't have to be perfect to do God's work. Look no further than the twelve disciples, whose many weaknesses are forever preserved throughout the pages of the New Testament. Join bestselling author John MacArthur in Twelve Ordinary Men as he draws principles from Christ's careful, hands-on training of the original disciples for today's modern disciple, you! Jesus chose ordinary men--fishermen, tax collectors, political zealots--and turned their weakness into strength, producing greatness from people who were otherwise unremarkable. The twelve disciples weren't the stained-glass saints we imagine. On the contrary, they were truly human, all too prone to mistakes, misstatements, wrong attitudes, lapses of faith, and bitter failure. Simply put, they were flawed people, just like us. But under Jesus' teaching and touch, they became a force that forever changed the world. MacArthur takes you into the inner circle of the disciples--their selection, their training, their personalities, and their incredible impact. As MacArthur took a closer look at the lives of the twelve disciples, he found himself asking difficult questions along the way, including: Why did Jesus pick each of the twelve disciples? How did Jesus teach them everything he could in just eighteen short months? Can the lessons that Jesus taught the disciples can still influence our faith today? In Twelve Ordinary Men, you'll learn that disciples are living proof that God's strength is made perfect in weakness. As you get to know the men who walked with Jesus, you'll see that if he can accomplish his purposes through them, he can do the same through you.




Following Hard After God: Discipleship and Faithfulness In Our Day


Book Description

I am going to contend in this book that faith in Jesus is simply and profoundly faithfulness to Jesus. Faithfulness is what God wants in a follower of Christ. What I am at the end of my faith journey is what God looks at, not my moments of greatness or excitement or visionary declarations. God's measuring stick is faithfulness.




Ordinary


Book Description

Radical. Crazy. Transformative and restless. Every word we read these days seems to suggest there’s a “next-best-thing,” if only we would change our comfortable, compromising lives. In fact, the greatest fear most Christians have is boredom—the sense that they are missing out on the radical life Jesus promised. One thing is certain. No one wants to be “ordinary.” Yet pastor and author Michael Horton believes that our attempts to measure our spiritual growth by our experiences, constantly seeking after the next big breakthrough, have left many Christians disillusioned and disappointed. There’s nothing wrong with an energetic faith; the danger is that we can burn ourselves out on restless anxieties and unrealistic expectations. What’s needed is not another program or a fresh approach to spiritual growth; it’s a renewed appreciation for the commonplace. Far from a call to low expectations and passivity, Horton invites readers to recover their sense of joy in the ordinary. He provides a guide to a sustainable discipleship that happens over the long haul—not a quick fix that leaves readers empty with unfulfilled promises. Convicting and ultimately empowering, Ordinary is not a call to do less; it’s an invitation to experience the elusive joy of the ordinary Christian life.




Ordinary Servant


Book Description

"Ordinary Servant: Lessons in Loving Jesus and Serving HIS people," is a book that will train, equip, and prepare you to serve in your churches. Do you want to be someone that God can use to make a difference in this world? Are you looking for help in becoming that man or woman that God uses to impact this world? Does your heart yearn and burn to be a used by God? If you answered, "Yes," then I have good news for you. God wants to use you! Just as a diamond has many different facets that reflect varying levels of light, so servanthood also has different sides and varying levels. In this book, you will learn some of what the Bible teaches about servanthood. I pray it's one of the best times in your spiritual life...as you learn to serve and serve well.




A Long Obedience in the Same Direction


Book Description

Since Eugene Peterson first wrote this spiritual formation classic nearly forty years ago, hundreds of thousands of Christians have been inspired by Peterson's prophetic and pastoral wisdom and the call to deeper discipleship found in the Songs of Ascents (Psalms 120-134). This special commemorative edition includes a new preface taken from Leif Peterson's eulogy at his father's memorial service.




Discipling


Book Description

Before ascending to heaven, Jesus instructed his followers to "make disciples of all nations." But what does this command actually entail? What does it look like for Christians to care for one another's spiritual well-being and growth? In this introduction to the basics of discipling, veteran pastor and author Mark Dever uses biblical definitions and practical examples to show how Christians can help one another become more like Christ every day. The eighth volume in the 9Marks: Building Healthy Churches series, this short book explains how discipling should function in the context of the local church, teaching pastors and church leaders how to cultivate a culture of edification and growth in their congregations.




Disciples Together


Book Description

Discipleship is one of the key words used in the churches today and there are many initiatives in the mainstream churches to enable people to grow as disciples of Christ.