Highly regarded preacher and teacher Bryan Chapell shows readers how he has prepared expository sermons according to the principles he developed in his bestselling "Christ-Centered Preaching." This companion volume provides concrete examples of how a redemptive approach to Scripture is fleshed out in various types of sermons and various genres of the Bible. The example sermons not only demonstrate different approaches but also are analyzed for pedagogical purposes, helping readers move from theory to practice. In essence, the book allows students and preachers to look over Chapell's shoulder as he prepares these messages to learn how to construct their own expository sermons that communicate grace and truth from both the Old and New Testaments.

Now you can experience Dr. Warren Wiersbe's lifetime of powerful Bible teaching in one place. Whether through his bestselling "BE Series" commentaries or his popular "Back to the Bible" radio ministry, Dr. Wiersbe has guided millions into a life-transforming encounter with God's Word. Now, in this single volume, you have access to Dr. Wiersbe's trustworthy, accessible explanations of the Bible's truths and promises, through his comprehensive system of study and application notes. Make the most of your time reading, studying, and reflecting on Scripture with The Wiersbe Study Bible.

Features include:

- Thousands of verse-by-verse notes by Dr. Wiersbe

- Hundreds of Catalyst notes which more deeply reveal important biblical themes and character issues to motivate transformation by the Holy Spirit through the Word

- Book introductions featuring Dr. Wiersbe's historical background, themes, and practical lessons for each book of the Bible

- "Be transformed" section in each book introduction specifically pointing to the life-changing impact of that particular part of Scripture

- Thousands of cross references, showing the connections throughout the Bible

- Concordance with key words for deeper word study

- Full-color maps

- Clear and readable NKJV Comfort Print®

IVP Readers' Choice Award What am I committing to when I say I want to follow Jesus? Using the Great Commission to explore the mission to make disciples as well as the core characteristics that identify us as Jesus' followers, this guide lays the foundation for a life in Christ. Following the popular and effective design of his curriculum Discipleship Essentials that sold over 250,000 copies, Greg Ogden has included the following elements in each of the eight sessions: a core truth a Bible study a reading life application Whether you are mentoring one-on-one or in a small group, this essential guide will serve as an ideal on-ramp into the discipleship journey.

The KJV Compact Reference Bible offers the literary beauty of the King James Version in a hand-sized volume that features Thomas Nelson's KJV Comfort Print, an exclusive font that was designed to be the easiest to read at any size. This edition is perfect for those who like to carry their Bibles with them throughout the day. With book introductions, extensive cross-references, a beautiful layout, and the words of Christ in red, this Bible packs a lot into a small package. Features include: END-OF-COLUMN CROSS REFERENCES - Find related passages quickly and easily SATIN RIBBON MARKER - Easily navigate and keep track of where you were reading PRESENTATION PAGE - Personalize this special gift by recording a memory or note BIBLE BOOK INTRODUCTIONS - Provide an overview and context for each book RED LETTER - Quickly identity the words of Christ printed in red BIBLE READING PLAN - Read through the Bible in a year with this simple guide CONCORDANCE - Find a word's occurrences throughout the Bible. Useful for locating passages MIRACLES and PARABLES of JESUS - Calls out important events during Jesus' earthly ministry FULL-COLOR MAPS - Have a visual representation of Israel and other biblical locations for better context Clear and readable 7-point KJV Comfort Print In 1611 the King James Bible was published and authorized by the monarch of England and Scotland. Today, more than 400 years since its initial publication, the KJV is considered one of the most influential and beautiful works of the English language and continues to be the favorite translation for millions of Christians worldwide.

Advancing strong, scholarly discussion on the Holy Spirit and the church in the context of the ecumenical movement, six theologians in five different churches offer new theological and pastoral insights into the work of the Holy Spirit in the churches of Christianity, in ecumenism, and in witness. With The Church: Towards a Common Vision (World Council of Churches) document serving as a common point of reference, a pastoral perspective is distinctive throughout. Relating theology to non-theological knowledge of the contemporary cultural context, as well as application to pastoral practice, this book draws from, and is applicable to, clergy formation, preaching, lay discipleship, church-world relations, social mission, congregational life, grass-roots ecumenical cooperation, and witness to Christ and the gospel by racial minorities.

Sex saturates the world our students are growing up in. Everywhere they look (or listen) they can hear all kinds of messages about sexuality, and most of it probably isn t helping them develop a healthy understanding of how their own sexuality fits into God s plan for their lives. In Good Sex 2.0: A Whole-Person Approach to Teenage Sexuality and God, you ll find tools to help you (and parents of teens) involve your students in understanding, enjoying, and taking responsibility for their sexuality---all without lecturing, intimidating, or moralizing. The Good Sex 2.0 curriculum gives you everything you need to help your students process and understand: * Sexual Identity * Desire * Responsibility * Sex Messaging * Intimacy * Boundaries * Do-Overs This Leader s Guide gives you tools to walk students through the seven sessions of the Good Sex 2.0 curriculum, and is organized in such a way that without much preparation you can lead it yourself or hand it off to a volunteer to use in a large or small group setting. Good Sex 2.0 also includes several appendices and other helpful resources you can consult for further teaching."

In When Words Matter Most, Cheryl Marshall and Caroline Newheiser encourage and guide women to discover that they can make a difference in the lives of those they love who are worried, weary, wayward, and weeping.

Ted Haggard presents a successful and tested model for a small group ministry here that can be implemented by a church of any size. By enabling members to embrace and capitalize on their own unique abilities, the diverse groups create an environment where people meet mentors that can disciple and guide them. This need-and interest based approach redefines the model for powerful church growth.

What if I told you that you were only one step away from unlocking new levels of maturity and growth in your church? The myth of the silver bullet still exists because we desperately want it to. We all prefer quick fixes and bandage solutions to the long, hard, slow work that produces real change. So the moment we learn about a new ministry or strategy and see its effect in another church, we run to implement it in our own. Unfortunately, this impulse is usually met by opposition, skepticism, and ultimately, rejection. What if the solution isn't a new model or a complicated strategy, but a shift in perspective? What if you could keep your church's current vision, values, and model, and simply make a few micro-shifts...leading to macro-changes? This book explores five micro-shifts that have the potential to produce macro-changes in your church. As you read, you will discover how to integrate these micro-shifts into the life of your church, starting with the way you disciple. You will finish by developing a plan to structure, communicate, and evaluate these changes to ensure that they take root and pave the way for lasting change and kingdom impact.

Once upon a time, there lived a man and a woman in the garden Paradise, where they were terrifically happy. Their names were Adam and Eve, and God made them.He made them in his image--like little mirrors to reflect his glory. And like everything else God made, he made them good. It was a wonderful time to be God's children in his wonderful world. But things didn't stay happy and wonderful for long. One terrible day, Adam and Eve sinned. They ate from the only tree in the garden that God had declared off-limits. Adam and Eve had disobeyed God's word; they believed the lie of the devilish Snake instead of the truth. God made Adam and Eve go away from the garden Paradise. It wasn't possible for people so bad to live in Paradise with a God who is so good. But God made a promise. He promised Adam and Eve that one of their children would someday crush the head ofthat nasty Snake.The Snake Crusherwould put things right. Sadly, things got a lot worse before they got better. After sin entered the world, everything fell apart. Nothing was the way it should be. The people who were born after Adam and Eve just couldn't get things right. They almost never did well at obeying God's commands. Still, God made more promises to his people about the Snake Crusher--but people never listened for long. Sin and the Snake seemed to be winning. Until suddenly--they lost. And so we come, after all those downs and not many ups, to a manger in the little town of Bethlehem. This is where we meet the Snake Crusher--born as a baby, with animals and stinky shepherds and singing angels all around. No one understood it completely at the time, but when Mary gave birth to baby Jesus, God was giving his people a new beginning, just as he promised. As Jesus grew up, there were many surprises. His miracles were remarkable. His teaching was unlike anything anyone had ever heard. But the biggest surprise was that this Chosen One of God was chosen by God to die.The One destined to crush the Serpent would first be crushed himself. When Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, died on the cross that Friday afternoon, it seemed to be a shocking evil beyond belief. It was the worst thing that's ever happened in the world. But it was also the best thing that's ever happened. Just as we would expect from God! And just as God planned it. We suffer for sin--so our Savior Jesus suffered for us. We break promises--so God was keeping his. We run from God--so he came to us. The biggest story ever is the story of God doing what we can't, to make up for our doing what we shouldn't. Jesus suffered for our sin that we might share in his sinlessness. God had kicked his people out of Paradise--then did everything it took to bring them back again. Things had fallen apart so they could come back together. As you may have heard, the Snake Crusher who died on the cross didn't stay dead. He couldn't!Death had no claim on him. So on the third day, God raised him from the dead. A whole bunch of people saw the risen Jesus, and ate with him, and told their friends (just as we should tell our friends) that Jesus is really alive. Forty days later, God lifted him up into the sky and gave him the seat of honor at his right hand. Because Jesus's work was done, he sat down. And God gave him the name above all names, so that at the name of Jesus everybody and everything would start to sing and shout and worship. The Snake Crusher is coming back again to wipe out all the bad guys and wipe away every tear. He's coming to make a new beginning and to finish what he started. He's coming to give us the home we once had and might have forgotten that we lost. So keep waiting for him. Keep believing in him. Keep trusting that the story isn't over yet. God's promises never fail and the Promised One never disappoints. One day we will see him. One day we will be with him.One day there'll be nothing but the best days--day after day after day. Forever and ever, it will be a wonderful time to be God's children in God's wonderful world. If you believe in Jesus and believe that this story is true, talk to God and say something like this: Dear God, thank you for loving me so much that you sent your Son Jesus to take away my sin. I'm sorry for the bad things I've done. Please forgive me and help me to love and trust you more every day. Amen.

Our goal as Christians is never simply to build our own tribe. Instead, we seek the peace and prosperity of the city or community in which we live through a gospel movement led by the Holy Spirit, a movement united by the gospel of Jesus Christ, a common mission to reach and serve others, and a commitment to be gracious and generous to those who disagree with you. In Serving a Movement, best-selling author and pastor Timothy Keller looks at the nature of the church's mission and its relationship to the work of individual Christians in the world. He examines what it means to be a "missional" church today and how churches can practically equip people for missional living. Churches need to intentionally cultivate an integrative ministry that connects people to God, to one another, to the needs of the city, and to the culture around us. Finally, he highlights the need for intentional movements of churches planting new churches that faithfully proclaim God's truth and serve their communities. This new edition contains the third section of Center Church in an easy-to-read format with new reflections and additional essays from Timothy Keller and several other contributors.

A marriage needs something sturdier than romance. Popular author and pastor Paul David Tripp encourages readers to make 6 gospel-centered commitments with the aim of making Jesus Christ the foundation of their marriages.

What does it mean to provide leadership for the church in an increasingly secular context? When religion is privatized and secularism reigns in the public square, Christians are often drawn toward either individualist escapism or constant cultural warfare. But might this context instead offer a fresh invitation for the church to adapt and thrive? Gordon Smith is passionate about the need for capable, mature leaders to navigate and respond to a changing society. In this book, he draws on his extensive experience as a university president, pastor, and international speaker to open a multidisciplinary conversation about the competencies and capacities essential for today's leaders. After analyzing the phenomenon of secularization in the West and charting common Christian responses, Smith introduces four sources of wisdom to help guide us through this new terrain: the people and prophets of Judah during the Babylonian exile, the early church in its pagan environment, contemporary churches across the Global South, and Christian thinkers in post-Christian Europe. From these resources he identifies practices and strategies-from liturgy and catechesis to mission and hospitality-that can give shape to faithful, alternative communities in such a time as this. In cultures fraught with fear and division, Smith calls for leaders who can effect change from the margins, promote unity and maturity among Christians, and provide a non-anxious presence grounded in the presence of Christ. Educators, church leaders, and those seeking to understand the times will find this book to be an indispensable resource for cultivating distinctively Christian leadership.

In this book, Michael Reeves calls believers to see God as the object of their fear-a fear marked not by anxiety but by reverence and awe.

Through this 10-week study, Lydia Brownback explores the theme of suffering in Peter's letters, displaying how God uses hope, humility, and holiness to prepare believers for their final home in heaven. Part of the Flourish Bible Study series.

Pastors face two temptations when they consider church leadership: one, common in more culturally conservative churches, is simply to preach faithfully and assume that that alone is adequate Christian leadership; the other, common in more culturally contemporary churches, is to apply secular business wisdom, but uncritically. The books published mirror the two camps. Both drive a wedge between the Bible and leadership. What if the gift of leadership was a clear outworking of biblical teaching? What if there is in the Bible a consistent pattern of human communities flourishing under the good rule of God's Word. Drawing on years of teaching and ministry, Chris Green shows us how, as Mike Ovey put it, Christian leaders can be God's best possible gift to flourishing communities.

Today, traditional forms of preaching are being scrutinized and challenged. The biblical sermon is not immune to the pressure to evolve or even fall by the wayside, leaving pastors and seminary students confused over how best to communicate to today s listeners. In this forward-looking textbook, Kenton Anderson delivers a strong call to current and future ministers to indeed choose to preach biblical sermons, despite the obstacles to doing so. While preaching itself is non-negotiable, the exact form it takes can be much more flexible, allowing people to hear from God as they hear his Word preached. Rather than presenting one model or process for preparing a sermon, Anderson explains several available options. As you discern your message from the Bible, will you begin with the text (deductive) or with the listener (inductive)? Will you focus on the idea (cognitive) or the image (affective)? The choices you make lead to five possible sermon structures: * DECLARATIVE---make an argument * PRAGMATIC---solve a mystery * NARRATIVE---tell a story * VISIONARY---paint a picture * INTEGRATIVE---sing a song Each model is described in detail and related to well-known contemporary preachers, including John MacArthur, Rick Warren, Eugene Lowry, and Rob Bell. This book equips you with a variety of tools for your preaching tool kit."

Like the Freedom in Christ workbook, this product is purchased mainly in packs of five