Discover Jesus' character through the "I Am" statements in Jesus Revealed by pastor and author Matt Rawle. Light. Bread. Shepherd. Life. The Gospel of John uses these and other symbols to paint a picture of who Jesus is. Through the I Am statements Jesus describes himself with rich images, showing us that he is both fully human and fully divine and calling us as his followers. In Jesus Revealed: The I Am Statements in the Gospel of John, author Matt Rawle explores the "I Am" statements in John as works of art that resonate throughout the Gospel and all of Scripture. He shows how these words point beyond themselves to the deep mystery of Jesus Christ. Join Matt on this journey and experience the profound truth at the heart of the "I Am" statements: that Jesus is light and life, and he calls us to himself and offers us the hope of resurrection. Chapter topics include: 1. I am the bread of life (John 6:48) 2. I am the light of the world (John 8:12) 3. I am the good shepherd (John 10:11) 4. I am the resurrection and the life (John 11:25) 5. I am the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6) 6. I am the true vine (John 15:1) The Leader Guide contains everything needed to guide a group through the six-week study including session plans, activities, and discussion questions, as well as multiple format options. Praise for Jesus Revealed "Matt Rawle, the master of discerning connections between Christ and culture, turns now to explore with us how Jesus pioneered how to know the heart of God via the most basic icons of his own culture. Symbols in stories matter, and Matt guides us into Jesus' with aplomb, wisdom, and joy." - James Howell, Senior Pastor, Myers Park United Methodist Church "Reading Jesus' "I Am" statements in the Gospel of John can be mystifying, yet much like the gospel writer himself author Matt Rawle is able uncover a deeper meaning from these powerful metaphors. Jesus Revealed invites the reader to step into the ordinary work of God's extraordinary creation. Calling out the artist within, readers will find their own stories inside these powerful declarations - illuminating a Jesus we've always known but perhaps never fully embraced. Jesus Revealed is a must-read for anyone ready to discover the inexhaustible experience of God's profound love." - Rachel Billups, Pastor and Author of Be Bold: Finding Your Fierce
James White's classic Christian worship text, revised and updated. The book students of worship have read and re-read is now revised and updated for the first time in more than twenty years. Author Ed Phillips, one of White's graduate students, is joined by practitioners and teachers from emerging generations, who contribute timely and well-researched material from their own areas of expertise. This new content brings the original up to date, filling significant gaps since the original publication on topics like technology, arts, embodiment in and of worship, pluralism and multiculturalism, denominational changes, and changes in the spaces and forms of worship, including worship in the age of pandemics. This new edition will take its place on the shelf of every student, pastor, and leader of Christian worship.
The Leader Guide contains thirteen step-by-step session guides that are easy for volunteers to teach. Each session includes Bible verses, games, art, science, worship, prayers and other creative ways to involve children in the Bible story through a variety of learning styles. Ages: 3-7
When pain is real, why is God silent? This brand new collection is the best of acclaimed author Frederick Buechner's essays on pain, loss, and the healing power of memories that explores God's tender grace and how to be stewards of the pain in our lives.Here now are the best of Buechner's writings on pain and loss, covering such topics as the power of hidden secrets, loss of a dearly beloved, letting go, resurrection from the ruins, peace, and listening for the quiet voice of God. And he reveals that pain and sorrow can be a treasure--an amazing grace.The Leader Guide contains everything needed to guide a group through the four-week study including session plans, activities, and discussion questions, as well as multiple format options.
Just turning on the news lets us know we are living in uncertain times. Economic instabilities, eruption of violence, and natural catastrophes can alter the lives and landscapes of entire communities. Our individual lives are often just as unsteady: relationships can break, plans can falter, and confidence can fail. Uncertainty can definitely be uncomfortable. Many of us prefer stability and a predictable future to an unknown fate. We are wired to want to control our destiny. The reality is that in our fast-changing, unpredictable world there are few guarantees in life. It's those who are willing to embrace uncertainty and make the risky decision to follow Jesus despite the many "unknowns" who will reap the greatest rewards. Embracing the Uncertain invites readers this Lent to engage and wrestle with life's uncertainties, not ignore them. This 40-day devotional journey is the perfect companion piece to the book and includes Scripture, reflections, and prayers for each day to help you renew your heart during Lent.
CORE (Connect, Own, Reveal, Empower(R)) is a resource designed to help teenagers discover their true identity, value and worth as God's children and empower them to reach their potential in faithfully following Christ with others. Dig In is a four session study for groups of all sizes that takes teens on the journey of addressing the obstacles they've experienced in understanding who they are in Christ toward connecting with God and others in new and healthy ways. Identity Theft Delete the Spam Connect with God Connect with Others The student journal is a resource for the journey providing the opportunity for teens to explore what they are learning on a personal level.
In Three Simple Rules, Rueben Job offers an interpretation of John Wesley's General Rules for today's readers. For individual reading or group study, this insightful work calls us to mutual respect, unity and a deeper daily relationship with God. This simple but challenging look at three commands, "first do no harm, do all the good you can, and stay in love with God," contrasts the simplicity of the phrases with the sharp, counter-cultural nature of Wesley's rules. Table of Contents: Introduction - The World In Which We Live - First Do No Harm - Do All the Good You Can - Stay in Love with God. Excerpt from the book: There are three simple rules that have the power to change the world. While they are ancient, they have seldom been fully put to the test. But when and where practiced, the world of things as they were was shaken until a new formation, a new world was formed. This new creation has happened in the past when these three simple rules were adopted as a way of living. We live in such a fast paced, frenzied and complex world that it is easy to believe we are all trapped into being someone we do not wish to be and living a life we do not desire to live. We long for some way to cut through the complexities, and turbulence of every day life. We search for a way to overcome the divisiveness that separates, disparages, disrespects, diminishes and leaves us wounded and incomplete. We know deep within that the path we are on is not healthy or morally right and that it cannot lead to a positive ending. We fear that there is no way out. This way of living was given to John Wesley in a time much like our own. He took this blue print, fleshed it out, taught it and practiced it. And he has passed it on to us. Now it is up to us to see if we will take it, teach it and practice it until it becomes our natural way of living. A way of living that will mark our life together and our lives as individual Christians. Some already practice this way of living and I believe many more are ready to try it. I invite you to read the following pages to see if you are ready for this radical change of direction that is marked by these three simple rules: DO NO HARM DO GOOD STAY IN LOVE WITH GOD
Journey inside the pages of Scripture to meet a personal God who enters individual lives and begins a creative work from the inside out. Shaped with the individual in mind, Immersion encourages simultaneous engagement both with the Word of God and with the God of the Word to become a new creation in Christ. Immersion, inspired by a fresh translation--the Common English Bible--stands firmly on Scripture and helps readers explore the emotional, spiritual, and intellectual needs of their personal faith. More importantly, they'll be able to discover God's revelation through readings and reflections.
Journey inside the pages of Scripture to meet a personal God who enters individual lives and begins a creative work from the inside out. Shaped with the individual in mind, Immersion encourages simultaneous engagement both with the Word of God and with the God of the Word to become a new creation in Christ. Immersion, inspired by a fresh translation--the Common English Bible--stands firmly on Scripture and helps readers explore the emotional, spiritual, and intellectual needs of their personal faith. More importantly, they'll be able to discover God's revelation through readings and reflections.
The Common English Bible Dictionary is an easy-to-understand, one-volume portabledictionary of the Bible based on the best contemporary scholarship. It includes allnames, places, and events of the Bible that are significant for Bible study. Thereare more than 3,600 entries.
Explore the miracles of Jesus in Signs and Wonders with Amy-Jill Levine, Professor of New Testament studies and Bible study author. In Signs and Wonders: A Beginner's Guide to the Miracles of Jesus, Amy-Jill Levine explores selected miracles of Jesus in historical and theological context. For each miracle, she discusses not only how past witnesses would have understood the events, but also how today's readers can draw meaning from Jesus's words and actions. Chapter topics include: Giving sight to the blind: Metaphors of understanding (Mark 8, John 9) "Take up your pallet and walk" (the paralyzed man): On the role of caregivers A bleeding woman and a dead girl: The importance of women's bodies Walking on water and stilling the storm: Ecological readings of the Gospels The feeding of the 5,000 (or more): The centrality of bread The raising of Lazarus: Taking death seriously The Leader Guide contains everything needed to guide a group through the six-week study including session plans, activities, and discussion questions, as well as multiple format options. Praise for Signs and Wonders Amy-Jill Levine has the rare and wonderful gift of being able to offer solid exegetical work to readers with or without formal theological training as if she is sitting in your living room sharing a cup of tea. Throughout this book she calls us to the interpretive work, reminding us that the big question is not "did this happen?" but "what does it mean?" and ultimately "so what?" How can these old miracle stories speak good news to our lives in this time and place and invite our own healing and transformation along the way? - Rev. Dr. Richard Simpson, Canon to the Ordinary (Assistant to the Bishop), Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts Amy-Jill Levine is herself a sign and wonder, a sign that reading the New Testament through Jewish eyes is not just essential but revelatory, and a wonder, as she always writes with verve, wisdom, humor and rich insight. Her latest is hardly an exception, an accessible, fascinating book we welcome eagerly. - James Howell, Senior Pastor, Myers Park United Methodist Church, Charlotte, North Carolina With brilliant insight and trademark wit, Dr. Amy-Jill Levine reveals wondrous details of the most prominent miracles in the gospels. We become more than readers of these stories; we discover how to be recipients and participants in the ongoing, miraculous work of God. - Magrey R. deVega, Senior Pastor of Hyde Park United Methodist Church in Tampa, Florida, and author of The Bible Year: A Journey through Scripture in 365 Days What a rich and accessible resource for anyone who wants to grow their understanding of the Gospels and the claims they make about Jesus! AJ Levine teaches us how to learn from the miracle stories, marvel at them, worry about them, and respond to them in our own lives. - Matthew L. Skinner, Professor of New Testament, Luther Seminary Making space for the believer and skeptic alike, Levine masterfully connects the miracles of the God of Israel with the miracles of Jesus. From friends who clear the way, to a father who pleads for his daughter, to sisters who stand resolute, Levine invites the reader to cherish the helpers and the healed as much as we cherish the healer. Levine's willingness to authentically share portions of her own story reminds the reader of the ways the miraculous breaks into our own lives. -Rev. Dawn Taylor-Storm, Director of Connectional Ministry, Eastern Pennsylvania Conference, The United Methodist Church Amy-Jill Levine engages the miracles of Jesus with scholarly acumen and signature wit. Christians who have been confused by these stories will find new clarity in her comprehensive context, including corrective understandings of Judaism. Those who have been intimidated by these texts will be encouraged by her candor. Those who have been inspired by Jesus' miracles will find even deeper dimensions of meaning in the practical, pastoral, theological, and literary levels she opens and the provocative issues raised, from food insecurity to gender assumptions. Levine presses the essential "so what?" question and challenges us to be changed by these stories - and to be amazed. - The Rev. Deborah A. Block, D.Min. Pastor, Immanuel Presbyterian Church in Milwaukee
Explore the miracles of Jesus in Signs and Wonders with Amy-Jill Levine, Professor of New Testament studies and Bible study author. In Signs and Wonders: A Beginner's Guide to the Miracles of Jesus, Amy-Jill Levine explores selected miracles of Jesus in historical and theological context. For each miracle, she discusses not only how past witnesses would have understood the events, but also how today's readers can draw meaning from Jesus's words and actions. Chapter topics include: Giving sight to the blind: Metaphors of understanding (Mark 8, John 9) "Take up your pallet and walk" (the paralyzed man): On the role of caregivers A bleeding woman and a dead girl: The importance of women's bodies Walking on water and stilling the storm: Ecological readings of the Gospels The feeding of the 5,000 (or more): The centrality of bread The raising of Lazarus: Taking death seriously Components for the six-week study include a book, comprehensive Leader Guide, and DVD/Video sessions featuring Amy-Jill Levine. Praise for Signs and Wonders Amy-Jill Levine has the rare and wonderful gift of being able to offer solid exegetical work to readers with or without formal theological training as if she is sitting in your living room sharing a cup of tea. Throughout this book she calls us to the interpretive work, reminding us that the big question is not "did this happen?" but "what does it mean?" and ultimately "so what?" How can these old miracle stories speak good news to our lives in this time and place and invite our own healing and transformation along the way? - Rev. Dr. Richard Simpson, Canon to the Ordinary (Assistant to the Bishop), Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts Amy-Jill Levine is herself a sign and wonder, a sign that reading the New Testament through Jewish eyes is not just essential but revelatory, and a wonder, as she always writes with verve, wisdom, humor and rich insight. Her latest is hardly an exception, an accessible, fascinating book we welcome eagerly. - James Howell, Senior Pastor, Myers Park United Methodist Church, Charlotte, North Carolina With brilliant insight and trademark wit, Dr. Amy-Jill Levine reveals wondrous details of the most prominent miracles in the gospels. We become more than readers of these stories; we discover how to be recipients and participants in the ongoing, miraculous work of God. - Magrey R. deVega, Senior Pastor of Hyde Park United Methodist Church in Tampa, Florida, and author of The Bible Year: A Journey through Scripture in 365 Days What a rich and accessible resource for anyone who wants to grow their understanding of the Gospels and the claims they make about Jesus! AJ Levine teaches us how to learn from the miracle stories, marvel at them, worry about them, and respond to them in our own lives. - Matthew L. Skinner, Professor of New Testament, Luther Seminary Making space for the believer and skeptic alike, Levine masterfully connects the miracles of the God of Israel with the miracles of Jesus. From friends who clear the way, to a father who pleads for his daughter, to sisters who stand resolute, Levine invites the reader to cherish the helpers and the healed as much as we cherish the healer. Levine's willingness to authentically share portions of her own story reminds the reader of the ways the miraculous breaks into our own lives. -Rev. Dawn Taylor-Storm, Director of Connectional Ministry, Eastern Pennsylvania Conference, The United Methodist Church Amy-Jill Levine engages the miracles of Jesus with scholarly acumen and signature wit. Christians who have been confused by these stories will find new clarity in her comprehensive context, including corrective understandings of Judaism. Those who have been intimidated by these texts will be encouraged by her candor. Those who have been inspired by Jesus' miracles will find even deeper dimensions of meaning in the practical, pastoral, theological, and literary levels she opens and the provocative issues raised, from food insecurity to gender assumptions. Levine presses the essential "so what?" question and challenges us to be changed by these stories - and to be amazed. - The Rev. Deborah A. Block, D.Min. Pastor, Immanuel Presbyterian Church in Milwaukee
Cultivate fresh expressions of church in your rural congregation with Fresh Expressions of the Rural Church by Tyler Kleeberger and Michael Beck. Congregations became the hub of rural lifefor a time. The place where people gathered not only on Sundays to hear a sermon but to help each other work the land, break bread, and form deep relationships. The rural church was the place where they found a community that could sustain them through the joys and struggles of life with the land. In many ways, a rural church expressed the essence of church in general: To be the guiding hand into the life of a place. After disruptions from agriculture, industrialization, and technology, many rural churches (like the people around them) feel forgotten. Has urbanization made life outside the urban sprawl irrelevant? Can rural congregations struggling to survive find hope and new life? If so, can healthy rural churches catalyze a different future for the world? Tyler Kleebergerand Michael Beck think so. They have served rural congregations for over a decade, Michael in North Central Florida and Tyler in Northwest Ohio. They have discovered the potential and beauty of life and faith in the rural setting. The ageing congregations they serve(in declining rural communities) found ways to cultivate "fresh expressions of church" with people who call rural simply home. They serve contexts in the often forgotten, wild places of our contemporary world. This book includes breakthrough stories from the diversity of rural contexts across the US. It lays out a fresh theology for rural life and offers principles for harnessing the potential of what some consider the forgotten spaces.
A meaningful encounter with Jesus and the Psalms through the season of Lent with Barb Roose. Barb Roose guides the reader through a meaningful encounter with the Psalms through the season of Lent. Combining an interpretation of the psalms with real life stories, the study moves through the familiar words of Psalm 23 toward the painful cries of Psalm 22 uttered by Jesus on the cross. The study includes reflections on the life of King David and the original context of the writings, along with connections between the psalms and the life and death of Jesus the Messiah. "The Psalms provide a perfect framework for experiencing Lent through the verses that were Jesus's own scriptures, offering both him and us strength and wisdom in a painful and redemptive season. The Book of Psalms hums with the heartbeat of our humanity with divinely inspired words that find purchase in the tenderest places in our hearts when our human words or wisdom fails us." Barb Roose The Leader Guide contains everything needed to guide a group through the six-week study, including session plans, activities, discussion questions, and multiple format options.
A spiritual practice for serious-minded (but busy) people.Everyone needs renewal, even the most committed among us. The spiritual life requires regular practice and a bit of time. Coming Alive: Daily Meditations for Spiritual Renewal offers five brief meditations each week for focused reading, reflection, and prayer. Each entry centers on a passage of scripture or spiritual writing. The meditations are deep, insightful, and beautifully simple, as readers have come to expect from Steve Harper's writing. This timeless book offers a gently challenging daily habit, which leads to renewal of spirit and mind. Coming Alive features- Brief readings, about 10 minutes per day- Undated readings, so readers can determine their own pattern of practice- Spiritual depth and wisdom from ancient and contemporary sources- Foreword by Brian McLarenFrom the Foreword:"e;Steve Harper's new book beautifully focuses in on the real core of the spiritual life: Not dogma, not rules and regulations, not duties or guilt, not pressure or obligation ... but life, life to the full, what I like to call aliveness."e;--Brian McLaren
Envision Christian discipleship as a way of life from a Wesleyan perspective.
Church renewal always happens from the margins, never from the center. Church renewal burns with fiery passion among the LatinX pueblos and barrios, and this energy in Latin America can be harnessed to reform doctrine, worship, and the core purpose of Methodists. Emil Brunner said that "the church exists by mission as fire exists by burning." At times, this fire has burned brightly and served as a light to the nations. Sometimes it has been mishandled and caused harm, and still at other times, it seems to dwindle to a few embers. The flame of church renewal burns brightly among many poor and marginalized followers of Christ. The Holy Spirit, like the wind, blows where it will, but some places are windier than others. Social peripheries are particularly windy places. This book tests whether renewal of doctrine, worship, and mission can happen by looking to the experience of Methodists in LatinX and Latin American ecclesial contexts. In true Wesleyan spirit, this renewal does not confine itself to Methodism, but the people called metodistas share in the movement's fundamental calling to reform the church universal in its mission to the world.
The controversial and doctrinal works emerging from John Wesley's debates with Moravians, with Roman Catholics, and regrading worship practices are essential for understanding Wesleyan soteriology and ecclesiology. Works of John Wesley, Volume 14 Doctrine and Controversial Treaties III is part of a series dedicated to providing a complete and accurate published collection of the Works of John Wesley. The various items included in the series constitute crucial primary texts for study of Wesley's life, his ministry, and his thoughtful impact on the broader Methodist movement in Great Britain and America
These full color leaflets contain four pages of fun age-appropriate activities for each week! They are designed to be used in the classroom and to be taken home and include weekly wondering questions about the story for parents to discuss with their kids.Ages: 3-7These full color leaflets contain four pages of fun age-appropriate activities for each week! They are designed to be used in the classroom and to be taken home and include weekly wondering questions about the story for parents to discuss with their kids.Ages: 3-7
Join Adam Hamilton in exploring the major themes of the Gospel of John.
Prenumerera på vårt nyhetsbrev för att få fantastiska erbjudanden och inspiration för din nästa läsning.
Genom att registrera dig accepterar du vår personuppgiftspolicy.
