Bad sermon jokes have lost none of their edge, and preachers know most of them. Yet those churches where preaching flourishes often grow most strongly. Simon Coupland believes that a good sermon can bring the Bible to life, speak a powerful message to people's hearts and lives, and draw them to Christ. He tackles key topics, including the balance between inspiration and effort; structure; style; opening and closing; the use of narrative; and personal integrity. "The text is liberally sprinkled with examples of preaching, jokes, quotations and illustrations," he explains. "In a book to help us be more effective communicators, I have tried to practise what I preach." All preachers, no matter how experienced, will find something to treasure in his cheerful, commonsense approah.

Based on the parallels between St. Ignatius and Bill Wilson, the co-founder of Alcoholics Anony-mous. These 52 meditations consist of sections from St. IgnatiusO Spiritual Exercises, followed by an exploration of both what it means and how it relates to 12-Step philosophy. At the end of each meditation is a short encapsulation, which Father Harbaugh whimsically calls a OSecond Prelude, to go.O Re-freshing and down to earth, this book will set you briskly along a new path and greater independence.

In Soul Keeping, John Ortberg helps Christians rediscover their soul the best connection to God there is and find out why it s hurting and why neglecting it has set so many believers so far back spiritually.

In this six-session, video-based small group Bible study, Ortberg shows that caring for your soul is necessary for your Christian life. John shows participants what your soul is, why it is important, how to assess your soul s health, and how to care for it so that we can have a meaningful and beautiful life with God and others.

When you nurture your soul your life in this world will come to make sense again; you can find your way back to God from hopelessness, depression, relationship struggles, and a lack of fulfillment. Your soul s resting place is in God, and John Ortberg wants to take participants to that home. This study guide includes discussion questions, video notes, and in-between studies and is designed for use with the Soul Keeping DVD (sold separately).

Sessions include:

• Filling the Hole in Your Soul
• Why God Made You With a Soul
• What's Soul Got To Do With It
• Finding Your Soul's True Home
• Empty Souls and Full Garages
• Why We Have a Soul, Brothers and Sisters

Who are you? The only right way to understand who you are is to see yourself from God's perspective, as described in His Word. In Discovering Your Identity, you will be led through the many layers of understanding who you are in the eyes of God. As your search God's Word, you will discover many truths about yourself-such as the fact you are a beloved child of God, you are the heir of God's inheritance, and you are a member of the Body of Christ. In short . . . you are God's masterpiece! The Charles Stanley Bible Studies are a unique approach to Bible study, incorporating biblical truth, personal insights, emotional responses, and a call to action. Each study draws on Dr. Stanley's many years of teaching on the guiding principles found in God's Word, showing how we can apply them in practical ways to every situation we face. This edition of the series has been completely revised and updated and includes two brand-new lessons from Dr. Stanley.

Joanne Rowling's great epic is forming the faith and moral vision of millions of people. If you are reading this book, forming faith is at least part or maybe all of your vocation, as teacher, pastor, parent, godparent, roommate, sibling, spouse, or friend. In baptism we vow to form our faith and the faith of others. To not use this modern epic in your sacred work is to leave on the table one of the most ubiquitous and enchanting tools of our time to awaken and baptize the imagination. Don't put this wand away.

In this groundbreaking book—available in paperback for the first time—renowned Bible scholar, Anglican bishop, and bestselling author N. T. Wright argues that Christians have not distorted the Bible’s message about heaven and what happens after we die.

For years, Christians have been asking, "If you died tonight, do you know where you would go?" It turns out that many believers have been giving the wrong answer. It is not heaven.

Wright outlines the present confusion about a Christian’s future hope and shows how it is deeply intertwined with how we live today. Wright asserts that Christianity’s most distinctive idea is bodily resurrection, and provides a magisterial defense for a literal resurrection of Jesus. Wright then explores our expectation of "new heavens and a new earth," revealing what happens to the dead until then and what will happen with the "second coming" of Jesus. For many, including many Christians, it will come as a great surprise to learn that heaven comes to earth instead of us going to heaven.

Wright convincingly argues that what we believe about life after death directly affects what we believe about life before death. For if God intends to renew the whole creation—and if this has already begun in Jesus’s resurrection—the church cannot stop at "saving souls" but must anticipate the eventual renewal by working for God’s kingdom in the wider world, bringing healing and hope in the present life.

God, the Great Storyteller, chose to communicate with us through story - in fact a great library of stories, filled with heroes, villains, sex, violence, intrigue, sacrifice and redemption. The Think Tank gives young people an opportunity to explore their world through stories, and to relate it to the incredible story of the Bible - perhaps for the first time. Here are 100 stories designed to provoke discussion, followed by penetrating questions which relate the stories to biblical bedrock. The stories are in four parts: WOULD YOU BELIEVE IT? - Unbelievable stories, all absolutely true! INSPIRING INDIVIDUALS - Stories of celebrities, public figures and other people of note making a positive difference. WHAT WOULD YOU DO? - Ethics explored through stories, many based on real events. TALKING MOVIES - A major bonus: 25 movie clips that pack a punch with young people, and all the background and questions you'll need to facilitate discussion around them. This updated edition brings refreshed material that will speak to today's young people.

In Developing Prophetic Culture, Phil Wilthew articulates Gods heart for creating vibrant Churches and Christians who know how to hear Gods voice with great clarity. Using more than two decades of experience, Phil unlocks some of the keys to building environments that develop prophets and prophetic people in a healthy, Bible honouring and Jesus-centred way. If you have a desire to grow in the prophetic, train and release prophetic people or develop radical Kingdom culture in the Church, reading this book is an absolute must. God is raising up a prophetic people who will carry the Gospel of the Kingdom to the ends of the earth and in this book Phil inspires us to take our place in His purposes as we embrace the call to build healthy cultures that hear God's voice.

Wood, Waterfalls and Stars is a collection of essays which takes as its central focus, the challenge of Catholic education in the new millennium. The essays are rooted in the Catholic tradition and in the lived experience of Catholic students and teachers. Fred Herron builds upon the insights of authors such as Thomas Groome, William O'Malley and Andrew Greeley. Herron takes their insights and applies them to the world of Catholic education and the lives of Catholic educators, parents and students.

It is no longer possible to regard the heterogeneous disciplines of theology in terms of a unitary and dominant thematic dictum. Nevertheless, a common perspective is essential if theological research and studies are to develop an integrated body of knowledge rather than disparate islands of understanding. Using a critical application of Schleiermacher s approach, this volume offers an encyclopedic view of the sub-disciplines of theology."

A valuable resource for enhancing liturgical understanding. What is the point of the Lectionary? What are the problems and opportunities that it presents to those who use it? What are its strengths and weaknesses as an aid to worship? How can it be used and communicated most effectively today? These are among the key questions Thomas O'Loughlin addresses in this stimulating and much needed liturgical guide to the design, history, theology, and purposes of the Lectionary.

This volume in the new Big Theology for Little Hearts series, a board-book series for toddlers that presents broad theological principles in simple, easy-to-understand terms, helps children understand who Jesus Christ is and what he did for us on the cross.

Best-selling author Kathleen Norris provides a unique viewpoint of what matters most, including: Belief Matters: Why does belief matter? To what do we give our hearts? What is the core message of what we believe creeds or commitment? To what extent is to believe also to belove ? The Bible Matters: The Bible is our collective story. How is that story reflected in our daily lives? What is it about the Bible that always seems to address our present moment? Community Matters: In community, individualism and imperfection meet grace and acceptance. What is our part in the Body of Christ? Place Matters: In what ways is faith set within the physical space of home, church, land and people? We Matter: What it means to remain in God s image and to counter our selfishness by embracing the world and its needs? Ideal for adult and young-adult small groups, Christian educators, clergy, chaplains and campus ministries. SOLD SEPARATELY. Also available is the Embracing a Life of Meaning Small-Group DVD.Each of the five DVD sessions begins with a 10-15 minute video presentation by Kathleen Norris followed by filmed interaction with a diverse small group of adults. This "Participant s Workbook" then helps your own local small group join the conversation. This book includes all study materials need by participants and those who lead. Each participant will need one copy."

The canon for Catholic social teaching spreads to six hundred pages,yet fewer than two pages are devoted to Catholic social learning or pedagogy. In this long-needed book, Roger Bergman begins to correct that gross imbalance. He asks: How do we educate ("lead out") the faith that does justice? How is commitment to social justice provoked and sustained over a lifetime? To address these questions, Bergman weaves what he has learned from thirty years as a faith-that-does-justice educator with the best of current scholarship and historical authorities. He reflects on personal experience; the experience of Church leaders, lay activists, and university students; and the few words the tradition itself has to say about a pedagogy for justice. Catholic Social Learning explores the foundations of this pedagogy, demonstrates its practical applications, and illuminates why and how it is fundamental to Catholic higher education. Part I identifies personal encounters with the poor and marginalized as key to stimulating a hunger and thirst for justice. Part II presents three applications of Catholic social learning: cross-cultural immersion as illustrated by Creighton University's Semestre Dominicano program; community-based service learning; and the teaching of moral exemplars such as Dorothy Day, Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., and Archbishop Oscar Romero. Part III then elucidates how a pedagogy for justice applies to the traditional liberal educational mission of the Catholic university, and how it can be put into action. Catholic Social Learning is both a valuable, practical resource for Christian educators and an important step forward in the development of a transformative pedagogy.

* Follow-up to popular first volume * 32 new stories with lesson plans * Can be used at home or Sunday school Building (no pun intended) upon the success of Building Faith Brick by Brick, Emily Slichter Given has created more lesson plans to tell Bible stories in a relevant, hands-on way for a broad range of audiences. Children of all ages have reached into the stories of God while also digging deep into enormous bins of little plastic blocks and miniature people. This second book offers the original methods, discoveries since the first volume was published, and thirty-two new stories with lesson plans based on Jesus' parables. Christian educators, parents, grandparents, godparents--anyone who desires to engage in sharing faith with children and families--will enjoy the creativity and grace of this interactive approach.

Sticky Faith delivers positive and practical ideas to nurture within your kids a living, loving faith that lasts a lifetime. Research indicates that almost half of high school seniors drift from their faith after graduation. Struck by this staggering statistic, and recognizing its ramifications, the Fuller Youth Institute (FYI) conducted the "College Transition Project" in an effort to identify the relationships and best practices that can set young people on a trajectory of lifelong faith and service. This easy-to-read guide presents both a compelling rationale and a powerful strategy to show parents how to actively encourage their children's spiritual growth so that it will stick with them into adulthood and empower them to develop a living, lasting faith. Written by Fuller Youth Institute Executive Director Dr. Kara E. Powell and youth expert Chap Clark--authors known for the integrity of their research and the intensity of their passion for young people--Sticky Faith is geared to spark a movement that empowers adults to develop robust and long-term faith in kids of all ages. Further engage your family and church with the Sticky Faith Guide for Your Family, Sticky Faith curriculum, and Sticky Faith youth worker edition. Sticky Faith is also available in Spanish, Como criar jovenes de fe solida.

This new book is an important history-of-traditions work in which Godly Play founder Jerome Berryman re-visions religious education as spiritual guidance and traces the history of Montessori religious education through four generations. Berryman then highlights the development of the Godly Play approach to spiritual guidance within this context and concludes with thoughts about the fifth generation and the future of the tradition."