Even theologians have had different ideas about the theology of atonement; how are the rest of supposed to understand it? This book is a good place to start. Crysdale, whose background in both psychology and theology gives her a unique perspective, presents an overview of the history of the theology of atonement, addressing clearly the difficulties around this concept, and bringing us with her to a contemporary understanding.

“Equipping the body of Christ for personal ministry has been Bob’s life work. This practical, step-by-step manual is the mature fruit of that lifelong commitment.” —Paul David Tripp, author of Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hand Behind every spiritually fit church are leaders in the constant process of preparing other members to become counselors who nurture “one-another ministry.” But the success of this mission requires a practical, results-driven process for training the next generation to serve. In Equipping Biblical Counselors, pastor and counselor Bob Kellemen shares a proven strategy for envisioning, enlisting, equipping, and empowering new Christian counselors—a practical four-step process he has spent decades refining. With this book, Dr. Kellemen humbly comes alongside church leaders to help them assess their congregation’s strengths and weaknesses shepherd new leaders with confidence and wisdom encourage the consistent spiritual growth God longs to see in his followers Invest where it matters most! Equipping Biblical Counselors reveals the steps ministry leaders can take to fulfill the calling in Ephesians 4:11-16 to embolden the body of Christ to continue changing lives with his unchanging truth.

An introduction to the Old Testament Book of Isaiah is followed by a verse-by-verse commentary on the text written from a Christian perspective.

Christian Socialism is a movement that arose in England in the mid-nineteenth century and continues into the twenty-first century. This form of socialism was aimed, in the first instance, not at institutional reform or the nationalization of the means of production but at what its proponents viewed as the moral rot that lay at the foundation of first industrial and then digital society. They opposed what we call neoliberalism and what was then known as political economy because supporters of these ideologies believed that moral convictions had no proper place in the operation of markets. This conviction rested upon the false belief that people are essentially selfish, competitive individuals seeking personal happiness. The aim of Christian Socialists was to replace this "rotten" moral foundation with another based on the view that people are social and cooperative by nature rather than competitive. Their goal was nothing less than a new society built not upon selfishness and aggression but upon social virtues such as equality, fellowship, cooperation, service, and justice. They did not deny the presence of selfishness; however, they believed that the social nature of humankind lies deeper than egotism and conflict, and they sought a society built upon this belief.

Fame, wealth, power and fleeting pleasures are transient and have no eternal value. Doing the will of God is enduring and is what really count forever. We are all presently on a journey through life that will end in death. But we can make it a journey from death to life abundant by living it with Yahweh God and in Him. Jesus Christ, the only perfect man, has made this possible in reconciling us to God by dying in our place and cleansing us. This makes it possible for God to dwell in us by His Spirit to help us to overcome sin and live life pleasing to Him. Jesus always does the things that are pleasing to the Father (Jn 8: 29). He loves the Father and does exactly what the Father has commanded him (Jn 14: 31). Jesus secret is not to seek to do his own will but the will of God (Jn 5: 30). God wants us to be like Jesus and be conformed to his likeness (Rom 8: 29) and to live with Gods self-giving love. This is a way of life or mentality that does nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility counts others more important than ourselves (Phil 2: 3) through Gods enabling. It is in this way that there will be real peace and righteousness. This is what this book is about. We are on probation on earth to point others to God by our words and our life.

The church. What has it become? What was it meant to be? Does it pave the way or get in the way? Are we suspicious of the institutionalization of church bureaucracy? Or thrilled with the relevant impact of its presence? Robert J. Suderman writes about the church as a practitioner. His inspiration emerges out of the crossroads of biblical vision and human sincerity always tempered with frailty. Years of ministry, never a stranger to complexity, only serve to sharpen the vision of possibility. His imagination of what can be is never divorced from the realities of what is. He does not bow to the common assumption that "you can't get there from here." "Here" is the only possible point of origin for us. In his succinct, easy to understand writing style, Suderman provides insightful and thought-provoking perspectives to what it means to be the church. To be a people "called out" to participate together in God's activity in the world, and to create programs and structures needed for effective ministry are two sides of the same coin. This book is for dreamers and bureaucrats alike; indeed, it assumes that the two are indispensable pieces of God's coming presence. Introduction by: Tom Yoder Neufeld

Matthew Gorkos begins The Storied Church with this compelling statement: "I believe in the church--in the power of faithful people serving a good and gracious God--and I believe in the power of a good story. Moreover, I believe, as this book will argue, that church and story--harnessed together--could be an even more powerful force for goodness in our world." Neuroscientists, anthropologists, archeologists, and psychologists all agree. Story is how our brains and our communities make sense of things. Storytelling helps us cope with change and loss. Storytelling helps us transmit lessons and life-skills to the next generation. As human beings, it seems we can't do without story. This book--indeed, this whole idea of story-centered church renewal--was born of a suspicion that the restorative, transformative, life-giving function that stories have for us as individuals may serve communities of faithful people as well. If stories help us survive as human creatures, why can't they help churches survive? The problem that story-centered renewal seeks to remedy has only become more prevalent and urgent in the age of Covid-19. Our churches need hope now more than ever. Writing from a pastor's perspective, Gorkos hopes to encourage and empower other pastors and lay leaders with both the hope and the tools they need to effect revitalizing change in their faith communities. Each chapter includes questions for reflection to help readers listen to and tell the stories that will lead to renewal and transformation.

The first Christians turned the world upside down in the space of a generation. How can we learn from them today? In this book Michael Green opens up the gripping story of Acts, highlighting the volcanic eruption of faith described there and contrasting it with the often halfhearted Christianity of the modern Western world. Green explores the life and faith of the Christians of Acts, answering such questions as, What kind of people were they? How did they live? And how did they organize and practice as members of the new church? Besides describing life in the early church, Green discusses how we today can apply the first Christians’ dynamic efforts at church planting, pastoral care, social concern, gospel proclamation, and prayer. Combining trusted scholarship with a popular, enjoyable writing style, Thirty Years That Changed the World is an ideal book for church, group, or personal study.

This book is a multichapter introduction to spiritual formation within the Christian tradition. Corneliu C. Simuț discusses spiritual formation from the views of several Christian thinkers, with a chapter devoted to each thinker. The concluding chapter notes common themes shared by each thinker. The author presents some key Patristic, Medieval, Early Modern, Modern, and Contemporary theologians in a way that is characterized by brevity, concision, and clarity. Thus, this small book is a useful introduction to spiritual formation from a Christian perspective. It would be helpful for a college student or young adult who seeks to be educated on the subject. The conciseness of the book is a benefit. Yet the book raises interesting questions for further pursuit. A very succinct – but comprehensive – historical presentation of sanctification through the lens of spiritual formation, a concept which has been revived in the past two decades, especially in Evangelical circles, this text is useful for a college course in spiritual formation or religion.