The number one predictor of a person's spiritual health is the regular practice of personal Bible reading. But this is precisely the point where many Christians stumble. Why? For many reasons, but one of them is simply that reading the Bible can be challenging. Even when we set aside the time and space, we don't always know where to begin, understand what we're reading, or know how one part connects to the next. Wouldn't it be helpful to have a guide for reading the Bible better? A Short Guide to Reading the Bible Better is an accessible handbook to help you better read God’s Word, whether you are new to the Bible or have been reading it faithfully for decades. This book was designed to be read together by an entire church, studied by a small group, or engaged by an individual looking to sharpen his or her Bible reading skill. A clear and concise roadmap for reading God’s Word well, this book will equip you to open God’s Word with intention, purpose, and context every time, so that you may see God transform your hearts and minds as you read.

Every Christian wants to grow into the person God made him to be. Every Christian has a healthier, more spiritually mature version of herself in mind. Every Christian looks upon the future's horizon and imagines a relationship with God ever-increasing in vibrancy and strength. But how does a Christian get there? How does a sapling with good intentions actually become an oak of righteousness? You might think the answer is "regularly read the Bible, pray often, and share the gospel consistently." And those practices are certainly part of it. But in this book, Mason King expands your thinking beyond basic spiritual practices (which typically emphasize what you must do) into a more holistic picture of what a full and flourishing life with God can look like when it is cultivated well (focusing instead on who you might become). In these pages, learn how you can become a vibrant, healthy Christian by regularly offering to God three main dimensions of your life—your attention, your emotions, and your limits—for when you are disciplined in cultivating these environments at the root, you will grow into the right kind of tree.

We live in a possession and money obsessed culture. The normal American has far more than they need, yet still feel incredibly insecure, needing to grasp it all tightly and continue to gain more. This isn’t just true with our acquisition of things, but also in the way we approach all resources that God has given to us: our time, gifts and talents, our families, and our lives themselves. What is the solution to this problem? Throughout Gospel Generosity you will see how the answer to our obsession with possessions is turning to the Gospel. It's only in the Gospel can we find the type of life transformation that enables us to turn our focus from ourselves to others, to give generously, and follow the way of Christ. God has modeled generosity throughout redemptive history, culminating in the gift of His Son, and this sacrificial generosity is the basis of true gospel generosity. Readers of this book will be called to consider all of their resources and gifts from God that are to be held loosely, ready to be used for God’s purposes. Everything is His anyway. Gospel generosity is simply giving that is rooted in the saving work of Jesus Christ. It is the Christian’s joyful awareness of what Christ has done for them and how they are privileged to participate in proclaiming that work through giving and advancing the Gospel. Generosity sprouts from the Gospel and bears fruit for the Gospel. In Gospel Generosity you will explore topics such as: Giving is an issue of our heart, health, and service to God Tithing is not a required practice of New Testament believers The Kingdom of God calls Christians to humility, selflessness, and fidelity in giving Called by Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, Christians give generously as an act of Grace to others until Jesus returns

A common claim in modern American Christianity is that you don’t have to go to church to be a Christian. The writers of the New Testament, however, would find a Christian faith separate from the church to be unrecognizable. Dean Inserra has often said to his congregation, “There is more to being a Christian than going to church, but there certainly isn’t less.” Belonging to a local church is not something made up by a Christian subculture. The local church was God’s design. It is his grand idea to display his glory and provide the avenue for his people to flourish as his missionaries to the world. When one begins to see the church as God’s plan, the mindset shifts from going to church in order to claim Christianity to seeing oneself as a participant in what God has given his people as a gift. There is a purpose, design, and reason for why the church functions in the manner she does. Consistent practices that may seem as merely tradition upon first glance, are prescribed by God for his people to practice together until Christ returns. The local church, congregated together, is the Lord’s primary plan for discipleship, fellowship, and mission for the Christian life. A Short Guide to Church is not a technical treatment of ecclesiology, but rather a book to put in the hands of every prospective and current church member, to help the body of Christ, expressed locally, to see the purposes and plan of the local church for their life of faith, and why it truly is the best thing going.

How do we help women at every stage of life and spiritual maturity grow to know God, be changed by him, and develop and use their talents and gifts? In too many of our Christian contexts, leadership training and ministry opportunities for women are inadequate or totally absent. This short guide puts foundational principles and practical plans—grounded in biblical truth—at your fingertips so, whether you’re in a leadership role at your church or hoping to impact a few friends or neighbors, you will discover insights, wisdom, and impactful “how-to’s” to lead women. Within A Short Guide to Women’s Ministry, you will find: how to choose, train, and keep volunteers how to train theologically grounded teachers how to plan the women’s ministry calendar how to equip women to read their Bibles well how to equip women to grow in their relationship with God and with one another

How can we love and understand our Islamic neighbors well? Beth Peltola grew up in Southern Africa, and then moved to London to begin her career in missions serving a Turkish-speaking church for refugees and immigrants. She has spent her life training Christians in the tenets of Islam and Christian mission to Muslims. This accessible book will help Christians understand the beliefs of their Muslim neighbors so that they may love them and engage them in gospel conversations. In this biblical response to Islam, you will learn: The primary tenets of the Islamic faith The common misunderstandings Westerners hold about Islam How Christians can best respond and engage their Muslim neighbors The world has moved into our neighborhoods. We have a great opportunity to love our Muslim neighbors like Jesus does.

We are made for community. Deep within the heart of people is a longing to both know others and be known by them, and groups ministry has the opportunity to meet these needs in every church. Groups are an art, not a science. There's no one-size-fits-all formula for designing transformational groups that God uses to mold people into the image of Christ together. There are dozens of variables and unknowns in the work of groups, but we believe the following is true: There is no lasting transformation in a person without another person or persons. The less relational your church is, the less transformational your church will be. The people in your group are a partial inheritance from the Lord right now. Groups exist for community with God and one another. So goes groups, so goes the church. So goes the church, so goes groups. Groups, at their core, embody the call to love one another found sixty times throughout the New Testament. This book is for people who love the possibilities of groups. And for those who want to.

• Bible-reading program that transforms lives and the church experience • Develops the power of a daily disciplined spiritual practice Despite the fact that Episcopalians are among the best-educated Christian groups in the United States, they also rank among the least biblically literate denomination. The author maintains “we can do Bible better” and shows why it is absolutely critical to do so. How can this weakness become a strength and source of spiritual growth for Episcopalians, their churches, and dioceses? As an evangelist for biblical literacy and spiritual nourishment, Zabriskie shows the way forward for the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion.

LIFE'S SIMPLE GUIDE TO GOD gives readers exactly what they need: a clear plan for getting to know the Creator of the universe. Relying on the Bible for direction, the book will offer an A-to-Z guide to help people who need a review of God's truth, those who want to find out more, or those who want to know how best to tell others about Him. Filled with practical tips and a clear process for moving closer to the Lord, this book will offer inspiration and encouragement to everyone who picks it up.

In a society always seeking the new and novel, Christians can become more grounded and mature through a retrieval of our common tradition. Alex Sosler sets forth the "transcendentals" of truth, goodness, and beauty--along with community--to help readers follow the way of Jesus. Weaving together church history, theology, and devotional practice, Sosler offers a holistic introduction to spiritual formation, encompassing biblical truth, the pursuit of the good life, the contemplation of God, and communal belonging. Each section includes a biblical and historical precedent for the tradition and highlights an exemplar from church history: Augustine on truth, Dorothy Day on goodness, Teresa of Ávila on beauty, and Dietrich Bonhoeffer on church commitment and community. This accessible book provides avenues for a broader and deeper spirituality that can shape the complexity of our souls. It is ideal for undergraduate students and as a formation primer for church adult education classes, classical schools, and homeschooling communities.