Reclaiming Christmas
Reclaiming Christmas

Author: Ginger Jurries

Publisher: WestBowPress

Published: 2013-12-05

Total Pages: 158

ISBN-13: 1490814426

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Are you tired of the materialistic craziness of Christmas celebrations? Instead of relishing the wonder and joy of the holy holiday, we stumble through in a commercial haze, feeling exhausted and ready for it all to be mercifully finished. Is there an alternative to this commercial dilemma? Happily there is! What we need is not only permission to reclaim our sacred season, but also creative ideas for peace-filled, stress-free, and meaningful celebrations. A plethora of delightful and diverse ideas can help your family not only to anticipate the season but also to grow closer through Advent and enjoy the holy season in a more meaningful, other-centered way.

Reclaiming Christmas
Reclaiming Christmas

Author: Ginger Jurries

Publisher: WestBow Press

Published: 2013-12

Total Pages: 161

ISBN-13: 1490814418

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Are you tired of the materialistic craziness of Christmas celebrations? Instead of relishing the wonder and joy of the holy holiday, we stumble through in a commercial haze, feeling exhausted and ready for it all to be mercifully finished. Is there an alternative to this commercial dilemma? Happily there is! What we need is not only permission to reclaim our sacred season, but also creative ideas for peace-filled, stress-free, and meaningful celebrations. A plethora of delightful and diverse ideas can help your family not only to anticipate the season but also to grow closer through Advent and enjoy the holy season in a more meaningful, other-centered way.

Living the Season Well
Living the Season Well

Author: Jody Lee Collins

Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform

Published: 2017-09-11

Total Pages: 124

ISBN-13: 9781977718440

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Living the Season Well is a down-to-earth volume that encompasses the arc of Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany, introducing a new frame of mind about approaching the holidays. Readers will find practical wisdom and ways to reimagine the celebrations and reclaim the joy of Christmas. For those whose church background has not afforded them a knowledge of the Church Calendar, its feasts and practices, Living the Season Well also serves as an introduction to the holy days (holidays) with simple ways to adopt or adapt the traditions of Advent, Christmas and Epiphany. Included in this compact volume are family practices that will: *Bring readers and extended families closer to the heart of God *Infuse celebrations with the joy readers crave *Reveal the wisdom of living by the Church Calendar versus the 'calendar' of consumerism. *Promote a thankful attitude in by shifting the Christmas focus from gifts to God The Book will: *Outline the pattern of waiting for, celebrating and sharing Christ's birth *Provide specific examples of ideas for observing the entire Christmas season, including Epiphany *Provide resources and activities for children of all ages to inspire and replace current practices

Reclaiming Our Forgotten Heritage
Reclaiming Our Forgotten Heritage

Author: Curt Landry

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Published: 2019-01-15

Total Pages: 270

ISBN-13: 1400209463

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

"A timely and groundbreaking take on the roots of the Christian church and its place in the entirety of God's kingdom. . . . There is no better time than now to learn about and become firmly grounded within your spiritual heritage." —from the foreword by Perry Stone The early church was made up of Jewish and Gentile followers of Jesus, and the church's culture was rooted in Judaism and a Jewish understanding of God's relationship to His people. Over time, however, Christianity became increasingly more Roman than Jewish, and the church lost its identity. Rabbi Curt Landry's personal story is remarkably similar. Born to a Jewish mother and a Catholic father, Landry was put up for adoption, and for more than thirty years he had no understanding of his heritage, his roots, or who his parents were. But when he discovered the truth of his story, his life changed completely. The key to a life of power and purpose is understanding who you are. In this revelatory book, Curt Landry helps Christians discover their roots in Judaism, empowering them to walk in the revelation of who they really are and who they are born to be. Reclaiming Our Forgotten Heritage reveals the mysteries of the church, letting Christians grasp the power that comes from connecting with their true identity.

Gospel Discipleship Congregation Guide
Gospel Discipleship Congregation Guide

Author: Michelle J. Morris

Publisher: Abingdon Press

Published: 2020-03-31

Total Pages: 142

ISBN-13: 1501899082

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Each congregation has a unique mission field. Several tools for developing disciples and for engaging in discipleship are available to churches; however, the resources assume that the churches using them are similar to the church that created them. With Gospel Discipleship, individuals and churches learn how to engage in self-reflection, which then defines a path that fits their context. The discipleship path for each individual disciple is assessed and determined through the Gospel Discipleship Participant Guide while this Gospel Discipleship Congregation Guide guides the implemntation of the program and assesses the discipleship path for the congregation as a whole. Therefore, the program leader(s) needs the congregation guide while individual particpants need their own participant guide. With Gospel Discipleship, churches can identify a pathway for discipleship applied from one of the four Gospel storytellers: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Each had a distinct approach to discipleship which can be applied to a given church's identity, vision, and mission. As disciples are encouraged by the church to step beyond the door and engage the needs of people, they can be sent forth confidently with an awareness of personal, unique gifts, and insights into the actual mission field where they participate with God in changing the world.

Christmas
Christmas

Author: Bruce David Forbes

Publisher: Univ of California Press

Published: 2007-10-10

Total Pages: 198

ISBN-13: 0520933729

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Written for everyone who loves and is simultaneously driven crazy by the holiday season, Christmas: A Candid History provides an enlightening, entertaining perspective on how the annual Yuletide celebration got to be what it is today. In a fascinating, concise tour through history, the book tells the story of Christmas—from its pre-Christian roots, through the birth of Jesus, to the holiday's spread across Europe into the Americas and beyond, and to its mind-boggling transformation through modern consumerism. Packed with intriguing stories, based on research into myriad sources, full of insights, the book explores the historical origins of traditions including Santa, the reindeer, gift giving, the Christmas tree, Christmas songs and movies, and more. The book also offers some provocative ideas for reclaiming the joy and meaning of this beloved, yet often frustrating, season amid the pressures of our fast-paced consumer culture. DID YOU KNOW For three centuries Christians did not celebrate Christmas? Puritans in England and New England made Christmas observances illegal? St. Nicholas is an elf in the famous poem "The Night Before Christmas"? President Franklin Roosevelt changed the dateof Thanksgiving in order to lengthen the Christmas shopping season? Coca-Cola helped fashion Santa Claus's look in an advertising campaign?

Simply Christmas
Simply Christmas

Author: Tama Fortner

Publisher: Ink & Willow

Published: 2021-10-26

Total Pages: 129

ISBN-13: 0593233387

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Thirty-one encouraging devotions to help busy moms pause and ponder the true miracles of the Christmas season--the wonder of a Savior who would leave heaven to save us and the love of those who share our home. Between holiday baking, hunting for the perfect tree, decorating, preparing for visiting relatives, and making sure everyone gets the ideal gift, Christmas can be anything but peaceful for a busy mom. Too often, the stress and busyness of the season make it difficult to find time to just sit and reflect on the wonder of the Savior's birth. If this sounds familiar, allow Simply Christmas to be your personal invitation to slow down and savor the beauty of the manger this year. These thirty-one devotions are not dated, so you're welcome to begin reading anytime--whether that's on December 1, Christmas Eve, the day after Thanksgiving, or the middle of July--without even a smidgen of guilt or shame. Accompanied by seasonally inspired full-color photographs, this thirty-one-day devotional brings a bit of calm to each day through a short reflection and Scripture, together with points to ponder and fun ideas for simplifying your Christmas traditions.

Christmas Unwrapped
Christmas Unwrapped

Author: Richard A. Horsley

Publisher: Trinity Press International

Published: 2001-08

Total Pages: 248

ISBN-13:

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Fascinating critique of the American Christmas from the perspectives of cultural studies, theology, & biblical studies.

Fight Forward
Fight Forward

Author: Brenda Crouch

Publisher: BroadStreet Publishing Group LLC

Published: 2019-05-07

Total Pages: 196

ISBN-13: 1424557917

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

I’m not good enough. It’s my fault. I am alone. I am worthless. The voices and lies you give power to shape who you are and attempt to hijack your identity, twisting your perspective on God, family, career, church, and other relationships. Whose voice are you listening to? You are a champion by God’s design. In Fight Forward, Brenda Crouch bravely shares her story of overcoming the abuse she suffered as a child and an adult. She offers practical solutions that will help you: - Find courage to dismantle the façade and embrace your true identity. - Break the cycle of a victim mindset and trust the power of God to set you free. - Discover the strength to say no to users and learn to recognize authentic love. - Ditch self-ambition and explore the wealth of your divine purpose. - Find your voice and help others heal. Be propelled into favor and fulfillment as you listen to God’s voice. He wants you to know the relevance of your authentic value and the unique purpose for which you were born.

The Christian's Duty to Reject Christmas
The Christian's Duty to Reject Christmas

Author: Thomas Mockett

Publisher: Puritan Publications

Published: 2015-11-09

Total Pages: 102

ISBN-13: 1626631603

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Mockett’s argument in this work is directed to well-meaning Christians who are defiling the Regulative Principle – that God alone determines the manner and time in which sinners are to approach him. Writing against the, “observation of Christ’s nativity,” Mockett shows the Christian how he is to reject, whole-heartily, adding Christ into Christmas as a religious or worship observance. Mr. Mockett is not going to deal with taking Christ out of Christmas. Instead, he is going to painstakingly demonstrate the ill-use of trying to reclaim Christ for Christmas as an unholy venture. He will show that it is a detestable, sinful practice to put Christ back into Christmas since men have no warrant from God to do so. Though they do this in pretense of honoring Christ in a day of worship, and do so with a sincere heart, as Mockett shows, “Good intentions and well meanings cannot justify any unwarrantable practice.” Mockett’s treatment of this issue is clear and well documented. The student of Scripture and historical theology cannot but come away with believing that reclaiming Christ in Christmas is truly a violation of God’s word, and a sinful practice which has harmed the church throughout its history.