"With so many Bible translations available today, how can you find those that will be most useful to you? What is the difference between a translation that calls itself “literal” and one that is more “meaning-based”? And what difference does it make for you as a reader of God’s Word?How to Choose a Translation for All Its Worth brings clarity and insight to the current debate over translations and translation theories. Written by two seasoned Bible translators, here is an authoritative guide through the maze of translations issues, written in language that everyday Bible readers can understand.Learn the truth about both the word-for-word and meaning-for-meaning translations approaches. Find out what goes into the whole process of translation, and what makes a translation accurate and reliable. Discover the strengths and potential weaknesses of different contemporary English Bible versions. In the midst of the present confusion over translations, this authoritative book speaks with an objective, fair-minded, and reassuring voice to help pastors, everyday Bible readers, and students make wise, well-informed choices about which Bible translations they can depend on and which will best meet their needs."
"For those who are weary of Christian cliché and compromise crowding out what was supposed to be good news, The Naked Gospel offers the fresh take on the story of Jesus you've been waiting for.
As a university student, Andrew Farley found himself physically and emotionally addicted to street evangelism and Bible study. Yet despite his fervid behavior, he knew something was missing.
That something was an understanding of the gospel that is stripped of the churchy jargon and hypocrisies of the modern church. The Naked Gospel finds kindred spirits among those who are burned out on experience-chasing, ceremonialism, or legalism. It dismantles churchy jargon and powerless ideas and puts forth a message that is simple but life changing:
Jesus plus nothing. 100% natural. No additives.
The Naked Gospel is an invitation to dive deep into the indispensable, powerful core of the Christian faith. Are you ready?
Spanish edition also available."
"The Multiplying Church is a primer for pastors and lay leaders involved in, or wanting to learn about, the church multiplication groundswell in North America. It shows how multiplying churches should be a natural, regular function of every church to reach the 70 percent of Americans who have no meaningful church relationship.Detailing the stories and guiding principles of this dramatic growth, this guide offers insight on:• Why churches are multiplying in the East but not in the West• Keys to church multiplication• The missing link—pregnant mother churches• Antioch vs. Jerusalem: Which got it right?• What kind of churches should we start?• What is the end game of church planting?• How big does a church have to be to start multiplying churches?• Church planting movements or Jesus movements?Bob Roberts helps us return to an early-church model of multiplication where a single church sent laypeople out to plant other communities of believers."
"Find out how the Koran resembles the Bible-and the drastic ways in which it differs.
Understanding the Koran gives you an essential grasp of Islam's holy book: where it came from, what it teaches, how Muslims view it, and how the Allah of the Koran compares with the God of the Bible.
Cherished as the final, perfect revelation of God's will by 1.2 billion Muslims worldwide, the Koran has become a part of American life. What do you know about the holy book that shapes the lives and views of your neighbors and a fifth of the world's population?
Written by a pastor who was born to a Muslim father and raised in Saudi Arabia, Understanding the Koran gives you a fascinating, easy-to-understand overview that will show you:
- Why the background behind the Koran is important to understanding it.
- How the Koran came into existence.
- A summary of the main teachings of the Koran, including what it says about Jesus and the crucifixion.
- Similarities and differences between Muslim and Christian views of God.
- What the Koran teaches about Jihad and holy war.
- What the Koran teaches about heaven and hell and the final destinies of the human soul.
Giving you an essential grasp of Islam's holy book, Understanding the Koran points you to the one thing that can draw your Muslim friends to Jesus-his love, demonstrated to them through you.
Discussion questions make it possible to use this book in group studies."
"Practical help for understanding and following God's will for your life.
'God has a plan for our lives,' but what does that mean in practical terms? How do we know God's will for important life decisions, like who to marry, what job to take, what church to join? How can we be free if God has a perfect plan for us? Does suffering mean we are off track? How exactly does God speak?
Author Jerry Sittser explores these questions and offers a biblically based approach that is truly liberating. No matter what decisions we've already made, he points out that it is still possible to live out God's perfect will--even if we think we've married the wrong person, chosen the wrong career, or landed in some kind of serious trouble. This new edition includes study questions designed to help individuals or groups who are faced with decisions--large or small."
"Following Jesus is a journey none of the people in this book ever expected to take. Why did they? What difference did it make? The book you're holding is dangerous. If you read it, you'll see that God is still active in saving even the most unexpected people: An atheist woman who viewed Christians as "idiots." A married couple high in the leadership ranks of the Mormon church. An African-American man who became a Black Muslim out of hatred for white Christians. You'll be amazed, moved, and encouraged as you read their compelling stories and the stories of nine others who made The Unexpected Journey from non-Christian beliefs to faith in Jesus Christ. You'll rediscover the power of the gospel. You might even be emboldened to tell others about Christ yourself. Unexpected journeys beyond • Mormonism • Judaism • Hinduism • Atheism • Jehovah's Witness • Agnosticism • Wiccan Paganism • Buddhism • Unitarianism • Astrology • Islam • Satanism"
"Insights from Effective Churches on New Member Classes and AssimilationFindings from a national study to improve membership classes and to motivate current members into active ministry.How do churches move members—both old and new—into ministry? Many church staff and lay leaders know they need to start new member classes as a point of entry into their churches but don’t know how. This book is based on a national study of effective churches and shows how growing churches implement new member classes and motivate their members into ministry.Membership Matters is designed to be a guide for church leaders wanting to start or improve a membership class. It includes models for classes and examples of resources such as church covenants, class schedules, and lesson outlines. It also gives direction on motivating uninvolved members to participate in ministry. One chapter chronicles an ongoing discussion among pastors of growing churches that are effectively motivating members to do ministry."
"We’ve read all the hot books on evangelism, we’ve attended scores of seminars—and still we’re not reaching the unchurched. Eighty to ninety percent of churchless Americans will never darken our culturally relevant, seeker-sensitive doors. What are we missing?Maybe we’ve been asking the wrong people. Instead of consulting the unchurched masses, it’s time we heard what the small but important minority who have recently begun attending a church have to say. What made the difference for them? What critical factors helped spark their faith in Jesus and drew them into the community of believers?Thom S. Rainer, dean of the Billy Graham School of Missions, Evangelism and Church Growth, shares the results and conclusions of his school’s groundbreaking survey of the formerly unchurched. At last, here are proven insights into what evangelistically effective churches are doing right. Flying in the face of much contemporary wisdom, the answers will surprise you.This is truly one of the most valuable resources you can own as a church leader. Filled with charts, graphs, and other visual aids, plus an abundance of true-life accounts, this book explodes common myths about the unchurched. You’ll discoverWhy pastors and doctrinal preaching are criticalThe enormous influence of family and relationships Which things matter more than we’d thought, and which matter lessWhat causes visitors to returnThe traits of unchurched-reaching leadersHow to preach effectively to the unchurchedHow to become a church for the unchurchedAnd much, much moreThis eye-opening compendium of information includes reproducible appendices that can help you fine-tune or even restructure your church. From one of the nations foremost authorities on evangelism and church growth, here are insights and tools that will change the way you think of and deal with--and win--unchurched men and women who long to connect with God.Photocopyable material includesUnchurched-Reaching Readiness InventoryChurch Health Survey"
"Breakout Churches Can Your Church Become One?This is the story of thirteen churches and the leaders who moved them from stagnancy to growth and from mediocrity to greatness. Drawing on one of the most comprehensive studies ever on the church, this book reveals the process of becoming a “breakout” church and the factors that lead to this spiritual metamorphosis. Eighty percent of the approximately 400,000 churches in the United States are either declining or at a plateau. Is there hope for the American church? Breakout Churches offers a resounding “yes!” and offers specific examples and principles to help you and your church become more effective."
"If You Invite Them, They Will Come.It’s true. In a national survey done by author Thom Rainer and his staff, eight out of ten unchurched men and women said they would come to church—if only someone would invite them. When and how is the next big question. Rainer helps you figure out where your neighbors, friends, and coworkers are in their spiritual quest, and how you can know who among the unchurched people in your life are receptive to Christ.In this fascinating book, Rainer identifies five “faith stages”—levels of responsiveness, prefixed with a “U” for “Unchurched”—that represent your running buddy, your sister-in-law, or your hairdresser:U1 Highly receptive to hearing and believing the Good NewsU2 Receptive to the gospel and churchU3 Neutral, with no clear signs of being interested yet perhaps being open to discussionU4 Resistant to the gospel, but with no antagonistic attitudeU5 Highly antagonistic and even hostile to the gospel“A discovery we made is that reaching lost and unchurched people is not always best accomplished with some cookie-cutter strategy,” Rainer writes. “The unchurched are different in how they respond to the gospel.” How different? You’ll be amazed at the variables that exist when it comes to how open people are to the Christian message. Once you've recognized which stage your unchurched friends and family are, you can much more effectively connect them with Christ. Open this book, and open your mind and heart to the powerful new possibilities of reaching The Unchurched Next Door."
"Within our hearts is a longing--a profound cry of the soul for something our theologies can only point us to, never replace. Intimacy with God. Something that has no human or earthly substitute. Yet, if we pause to listen, we will discover how often God speaks to us through human and earthly means. He stands at the windows of the easily overlooked and the unlikely, tapping at the pane. He beckons us to places of encounter where we learn how well he understands the language of our hearts. At unexpected windows of the soul, we hear the voice of God. Windows of the Soul is a rare book, resounding with the cry for communion that is both ours and God’s. With passion, honesty, and beauty, Ken Gire calls us to a fresh sensitivity to God’s voice speaking through the unexpected parables that surround us: a child’s need for significance . . . the misunderstood sadness of a van Gogh masterpiece . . . the eloquence of sunlight dancing on water . . . Gire points to a world infused with the voice of the One who can transform our backyard shrubs into burning bushes lit by his presence. His voice penetrates the raw material of our daily lives, speaking through Scripture and prayer, a painting or a poem, the remark of a friend or a night sky filled with stars. Windows of the Soul will open your eyes to a fresh way of seeing, hearing, and enjoying the presence of God in your life."
