God's Potters


Book Description

Pastoral ministry is an occupation in flux. In this comprehensive study Jackson Carroll considers the many factors changing roles among clergy and laypeople, the opening of ordination to women, an increasing shortage of clergy, and more that are shaping congregations and ministers today. Building on Paul s image of Christians as clay jars, Carroll paints a portrait of God s potters pastors whose calling is to form their congregational jars so that they reveal rather than hide God s treasure. A veteran clergy watcher, Carroll uses data from what is likely the most representative survey of Protestant and Catholic clergy ever undertaken, as well as focus group interviews and congregational responses, to take a hard look at who is doing ministry today, what it involves, and how pastors are faring in leading their congregations. Significantly, his study covers clergy from a broad range of traditions Catholic, mainline Protestant, conservative Protestant, and historic black churches. Replete with pertinent tables and figures, God s Potters culminates with specific strategies for strengthening pastoral leadership and nurturing excellence in ministry.




Looking for God in Harry Potter


Book Description

Provides a Christian interpretation of the first six books, arguing that the series supports biblical teaching as opposed to the practice of the occult, and offers insights into character names, imagery, and themes.




God, the Devil, and Harry Potter


Book Description

A Presbyterian minister defends the Harry Potter series from conservatives who denounce the books as paganism, demonstrating how they promote the values of faith and morality, and profiling the main character as a Christ figure.




God's Pottery


Book Description

Guilt says, 'I made a mistake.' Shame says, 'I am a mistake.' Shame affects both our identity and destiny in Christ. So it's no coincidence that, in Hebrew, guilt and shame are related to the very thing that defines our true identity: our own name. Name covenants and threshold covenants are meant to usher us into the hidden place in Christ where He is our shield and inheritance. Instead shame, disappointment and fear drive us into complicity with the enemy of our souls. When the door into our calling opens but we experience constriction and wasting, not full and abundant life, then it's time to uncover just what has gone wrong.




The Potter's Hands: A 366-Day Journey to Knowing God


Book Description

The day Jason Lawson’s stress reached a tipping point, he found himself shaking so badly he couldn’t even pour orange juice into a blender for his family’s breakfast. He felt like his world was falling around him, and he was afraid of losing his family, his job, and his mind. But that was the day Jason met the Potter. Not the cartoon God on nursery walls, or the religious God preached about in many churches. That day, Jason began a journey with the Potter to learn Who He really is and why He created man, and this journey is compiled in his new devotional The Potter’s Hands: A 366-Day Journey to Knowing God. The Potter’s Hands tackles questions such as: If the Potter is so good, then why did He create me to hurt and struggle? Why am I so cracked and flawed? Why does He fill me with so much pain? …and many more. The answer Jason found was simple—He is the Potter and we are the clay. He formed us for His glory, not our comfort. He decides our size and shape, He chooses what to pour into us, and He is the One Who determines where He places us. Our role in this is to trust Him as the Potter, the Savior, the Counselor, the Servant, the Commander, the Spirit, the Creator, the Father, the Rabbi, the Redeemer, the Healer, and the Shepherd. The heartbeat of The Potter’s Hands is to remind readers that the clay can do nothing apart from the Potter’s hands, but in the Potter’s hands, He can create a masterpiece for His glory. What more could we ask for? Come along for one year and walk with Him. Let the Potter reveal to you Who He really is.




Pastoral Leadership Is...


Book Description

Dozens of brief yet powerful entries for pastors about what it really means to be on-mission, spiritual warriors who lead the local church from a biblical point of view instead of a modern traditional one.




I Am Number 8


Book Description

If God can take David -- the invisible eighth son of a forgotten family -- and turn him into a king, just imagine what magnificent plans He has for redeeming your life. David was born a number 8 -- a hidden gem, often overlooked and undervalued by everyone except for God. For David, being a number 8 seemed like a curse until the day God transformed him from the unknown eighth son of Jesse into the much-honored king of Israel. When God sends out an invitation to greatness, His directions don't always make sense to us. You may feel like the most invisible, broken number 8 out there, but God sees your hidden value and is growing you for better things. David didn't know it, but his time as a simple shepherd with a dull future did not go unnoticed by God. In David's darkest moments, he was cultivating the kind of gifts, wisdom, and leadership he would need to become a king. Even when you're an underdog in the eyes of the world, God is working behind the scenes to develop you into a king or queen.




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.




The Potter's Promise


Book Description

"In The Potter's Promise, Dr. Leighton Flowers reveals, by means of a refreshingly clear and persuasive writing style, the theological and philosophical arguments that compelled him to abandon his previously held Calvinistic convictions. While some Traditionalists have a tendency to avoid certain Bible verses, Dr. Flowers tackles them fearlessly, placing them in their proper context in a manner consistent with the entirety of God's Word. Calvinists have sometimes been known to object to Traditional writers and thinkers by making the claim, 'You just don't understand Calvinism.' Any such charge leveled against Dr. Flowers rings hollow. Having heard all the arguments Calvinism has to offer, he nevertheless disaffirms it. Every Calvinist needs to read this book to challenge their thinking and consider the other side. Every Traditionalist needs to read this book to become better equipped in defending their own view of salvation doctrine."--Dr. Rick Patrick, Executive Director of Connect 316 and Senior Pastor.




God the Worker


Book Description

Here is an invitation to embark on a journey of discovery that marshals our imagination and emotions, our intellect and will. God the Workerseeks to answer the ultimate questions: - What is God really like? - Can we know God intimately? - Where do we fit into the overall scheme of things? In his quest for answers, Robert Banks opens up the world of the Bible and everyday life as he explores dynamic images of God at work: as composer and performer, as metalworker and potter, as garmentmaker and dresser, as gardener and orchardist, as farmer and winemaker, as shepherd and pastoralist, as tentmaker and camper, as builder and architect. He shows how, through the language and idea of work, the divine hand is revealed. This book offers us the opportunity to encounter God in a way that is mind-expanding, life-changing, work-transforming--taking us to the very edges of human understanding. The author sees the Bible as a guidebook and source of insight that is completely fresh, but paradoxically as old as the book itself.