The exodus—the story of God leading his chosen people out of slavery in Egypt—stands as a pivotal event in the Old Testament. But if you listen closely, you will hear echoes of this story of redemption all throughout God's Word.
Using music as a metaphor, the authors point us to the recurring theme of … Read more…
Every leader functions on two stages--the front stage or public world, and the back stage or private world. One cannot lead successfully front stage when one is completely depleted back stage. In a time when pastors are leaving the ministry in record numbers due to cynicism, disillusionment, weariness, and personal scandals, there is an urgent need for soul … Read more…
Throughout the history of the church, Christians have always had to contend with the influence of unbiblical teachings related to God, humanity, and salvation. One of the most important safeguards against all forms of heresy is a robust appreciation for biblical theology—reading the Bible in a way that takes into account the whole … Read more…
In this provocative tell-all, David Gushee gives an insider s look at the frictions and schisms of evangelical Christianity, based on his experiences that began with becoming a born-again Southern Baptist in 1978 to being kicked out of evangelicalism in 2014 for his stance on LGBT inclusion in the church. But Gushee s religious pilgrimage proves even broader… Read more…
Preachers communicate God’s word by fully considering their context and their congregation.Preaching by the Book is a practical handbook offering fundamental guidance for preachers beginning to explore their gifts, and fresh insights for seasoned veterans desiring to refine their craft. R. Scott Pace challenges preachers to develop their style and thei… Read more…
"These who have turned the world upside down have come here too," (Acts 17:6, NKJV). When Paul and Silas came to Thessalonica, they changed the community. How? By collaborating with God to bring his kingdom on earth. Will you collaborate on God's kingdom work in your community? If you're ready to see God move in all areas―business, education, media… Read more…
"These who have turned the world upside down have come here too." (Acts 17:6)When Paul and Silas came to Thessalonica, they changed the community. How? By collaborating with God to bring his kingdom on earth.Will you collaborate on God's kingdom work in your community? If you're ready to see God move in all areas—business, education, media, arts, h… Read more…
When it comes to interacting with guests, churches typically gravitate towards one of two camps: over-the-top, shock-and-awe, let-us-entertain-you or oh-man,-some-people-just-showed-up, underwhelming experience. Each extreme has drawbacks: on one end, people become the center of the universe. On the other, hospitality is effectively ignored in deference to t… Read more…
Church leaders want to know how to make their small groups work. Drawing from the startling success of small groups at The Journey Church, Nelson Searcy and Kerrick Thomas debunk the myths, set the record straight, and show how church leaders can implement a healthy small group ministry that gets the maximum number of people involved and solves many of the i… Read more…
What If the Church Truly Empowered People to Engage in God's Mission?Something extraordinary has been happening in Tampa, Florida. A new expression of the church has been quietly growing. It's something of an experiment, but over the last ten years the church has been validating its ideas with sustained and growing results. At The Underground, being … Read more…
Do you lead a small church? Big churches get all the love. Articles, books, conferences—they mostly feature leaders of large congregations. Yet big churches are a small part of the ecclesial landscape. In fact, more than 90 percent of churches have fewer than 200 people. That means small churches play a big part in what God is doing. Small Chu… Read more…
Jesus gave his followers seven key practices:The Lord's SupperReconciliationProclaiming the gospelBeing with the "least of these" Being with childrenFivefold ministry giftingKingdom prayer When we practice these disciplines, God becomes faithfully present to us, and we in turn become God's faithful presence to the world. Pastor and professor David Fi… Read more…