Work. For some this word represents drudgery and the mundane. For others work is an idol to be served. If you find yourself anywhere on the spectrum from workaholic to weekend warrior, it’s time to bridge the gap between Sunday worship and Monday work. Striking a balance between theological depth and practical counsel, Tom Nelson outlines God’s purposes for work in a way that helps us to make the most of our vocation and to join God in his work in the world. Discover a new perspective on work that will transform your workday and make the majority of your waking hours matter, not only now, but for eternity.
For centuries Christians have gathered for worship and for rest on Sunday. But does that ancient practice still matter? Still deeply engrained in both the Christian and secular calendar, nonetheless, what Sunday is and why it matters is no longer clear. Why Sunday Matters explores the forgotten reasons why Sunday is essential to Christian life. It also uncovers some of the contemporary obstacles keeping people from living Sunday faithfully. From youth sports to our neglect of the poor to our addiction to technology, Why Sunday Matters takes a wide-ranging look at the importance of the Lord’s Day and why it’s urgent we recover the Christian practice of Sunday.
Describes what marriage should be according to the Bible, arguing that marriage is a tool to bring individuals closer to God, and provides meaningful instruction on how to have a successful marriage.
Do you have a nagging feeling that something's missing from your church experience? You're not alone. And it's time to discover a better way. Church-reform advocate and Bible scholar Peter DeHaan, PhD is a strong proponent of meaningful Christian community. In Jesus's Broken Church he uses Scripture to guide us into right practices and away from the off-track customs that most every church adheres to. The problem is that today's church follows an Old Testament model. We go to a building where we have professional clergy serve as our liaison between us and God. Then we pay for the whole thing with our tithes and offerings—just like Moses instructed. But Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament. Through him we are the church, we are living stones. We don't need to go to a building. As the church, we take it with us wherever we go. And we don't need paid clergy either. Each of us serves as priests to one another. Or at least we should. In Jesus's Broken Church, you'll discover: - How Jesus moves us from an Old Testament understanding to New Testament enlightenment - The early church's approach to their meetings, which we neglect to follow today - Essential New Testament practices that are more important than song and sermon - Biblical ideas to inform the activities of our spiritual communities - Seven religious concepts that require reformation If you happen to like how your church functions, then don't buy this book. It will only make you mad. But if you sometimes leave your Sunday service feeling let down, that something is lacking and there must be more, then this book can guide you into a new direction. Get your copy of Jesus's Broken Church today to discover what's missing and how to fix it.
In this accessible historical overview of Sunday, noted scholar Justo Gonz lez tells the story of how and why Christians have worshiped on Sunday from the earliest days of the church to the present. After discussing the views and practices relating to Sunday in the ancient church, Gonz lez turns to Constantine and how his policies affected Sunday observances. He then recounts the long process, beginning in the Middle Ages and culminating with Puritanism, whereby Christians came to think of and strictly observe Sunday as the Sabbath. Finally, Gonz lez looks at the current state of things, exploring especially how the explosive growth of the church in the Majority World has affected the observance of Sunday worldwide. Readers of this book will rediscover the joy and excitement of Sunday as early Christians celebrated it and will find fresh, inspiring perspectives on Sunday amid our current culture of indifference and even hostility to Christianity.
Paul David Tripp's Weekly Devotional Helps Readers Prepare Their Hearts for Church Christians understand the importance of attending church, but many find their attention being pulled away from worship because of family, schedule, work, finances, and other distractions. With so much on their minds, how can churchgoers prepare their hearts to offer God the worship he deserves? In Sunday Matters, Paul David Tripp shares 52 devotions about the beauty and significance of church, helping Christians engage in vibrant gathered worship each week. Each short, accessible meditation highlights an essential spiritual topic, including divine grace, gratitude, our identity in Christ, and dependence on the Lord. Over the course of a year, Sunday Matters will strengthen each believer's personal relationship with God and fill churches with joyful, engaged, and passionate worshipers. 52 Weekly Devotionals: Each reading includes Scripture and thought-provoking questions to prepare hearts for gathered worship Accessible: Theologically rich entries in a conversational, inspiring tone for churchgoers, pastors, and worship leaders alike Written by Bestselling Author Paul David Tripp: Author of 30+ books, including New Morning Mercies, Lead, and Parenting
This book contains reflections on the Sunday Bible Readings for Year B in the Roman Catholic Lectionary. They are intended to assist those preparing homilies or talks on the readings, as well as others whose curiosity and questions have been aroused by these readings. Reflections for Year A were published by ATF in 2010. Reflections for Year C in the liturgical cycle will be published by ATF in 2013.
Are you struggling to connect with your church community? Do you find yourself questioning the core beliefs that you once held dear? Searching for Sunday, from New York Times bestselling author Rachel Held Evans is a heartfelt ode to the past and a hopeful gaze into the future of what it means to be a part of the modern church. Like millions of her millennial peers, Rachel Held Evans didn't want to go to church anymore. The hypocrisy, the politics, the gargantuan building budgets, the scandals--to her, it was beginning to feel like church culture was too far removed from Jesus. Yet, despite her cynicism and misgivings, something kept drawing Evans back to church. Evans found herself wanting to better understand the church and find her place within it, so she set out on a new adventure. Within the pages of Searching for Sunday, Evans catalogs her journey as she loves, leaves, and finds the church once again. Evans tells the story of her faith through the lens of seven sacraments of the Catholic church--baptism, confession, holy orders, communion, confirmation, the anointing of the sick, and marriage--to teach us the essential truths about what she's learned along the way, including: Faith isn't just meant to be believed, it's meant to be lived and shared in community Christianity isn't a kingdom for the worthy--it's a kingdom for the hungry, the broken, and the imperfect The countless and beautiful ways that God shows up in the ordinary parts of our daily lives Searching for Sunday will help you unpack the messiness of community, teaching us that by overcoming our cynicism, we can all find hope, grace, love, and, somewhere in between, church.
