Showing titles in Ecclesiology

Does the local church today recognize its place as the beloved bride of Christ? In this audiobook, Dustin Benge invites believers who have underestimated or become disillusioned by the church to rediscover its beauty and glory. Exploring biblical qualities including the Trinitarian relationship, selfless service, and gospel proclamation, he awakens the affections of Christ's followers for their local church home.

"Hypothetical universalism," or "unlimited atonement," states that Christ's death is sufficient for the guilt of all people yet is only effectively applied to those with faith. This tradition, typified by the French Reformer Moïse Amyraut, has continued among Anglicans and Baptists for over four centuries, yet has been underexplored in Reformed systematic theology. Unlimited Atonement fills a gap in resources on atonement theology that begin with the unlimited love of God.

Ralph Neighbour repeatedly says, “Theology must breed methodology.”Joel Comiskey has arrived at the same conclusion. Biblical truth is the only firm foundation for anything we do. Without a biblical base, we don’t have a strong under-pinning upon which we can hang our ministry and philosophy. We can plod through most anything when we know that God is stirring us to behave biblically.

The second in Joe Thorn's series on the confession, nature, and expression of the church, The Character of the Church explores what the church is fundamentally like. Useful for training in membership classes, discipleship groups, and elder boards, The Character of the Church is at once theological, practical, and experiential. Listeners will be not simply informed but led to a deeper appreciation of the church of God.

In Holy Disunity: How What Separates Us Can Save Us, Layton E. Williams proposes that our primary calling as humans is not to create unity but rather to seek authentic relationship with God, ourselves, one another, and the world around us. And that means actively engaging those with whom we disagree. Our religious, political, social, and cultural differences can create doubt and tension, but disunity also provides surprising gifts of perspective and grace.

Pastor Andrey Shapoval shares the keys to intimacy with God and uncovers what the Holy Spirit has taught him over the years while restoring him as a son and His messenger on this earth.

Neither "everything's fine" nor "burn it all down", Stringer offers a thoughtful appreciation of evangelicalism's history, identity, and strengths, but also lament for its blind spots, toxic brokenness, and complicity with injustice. From this complicated space, we can move forward with informed vision rather than resignation and with hope for our future together.

Sustainable Church is a thorough Bible-based exposition of how the ministry of every church should be organically built around all of the Spirit-gifted followers of Jesus within that local body. It critiques the shallow pragmatism and unsustainability of nonorganic churches and biblically showcases the sustainability of the organic church.

Believers know the Bible is powerful—but how so? And how does God save people and transform lives through Scripture? Author and theology professor Jeremy M. Kimble integrates an evangelical doctrine of Scripture with a robust, coherent practice of engaging with Scripture. Behold and Become contends that the Bible, which is God's self-revelation, coupled with the Spirit, works to produce salvation and growth in godliness. Believers will see how sound beliefs about Scripture correspond with practices that allow for God's transforming work.

The church today faces great challenges, from outside and from within. Popular culture tempts Christians to compromise truth in the name of relevance and to ignore sin under the guise of tolerance. At the same time, serious doctrinal errors threaten to undermine the authority of God's word, leading to all sorts of unbiblical practices. Right Thinking in a Church Gone Astray offers responses from trusted evangelical voices on 15 timely issues.

A pastor is called to be a shepherd of God’s people in the local church. The gift of a godly pastor cannot be overemphasized — but the task of finding a faithful pastor is daunting. In this audiobook, seasoned pastor Mark Dever offers clear, biblical insight to churches in search of new leadership by providing six characteristics to look for in a new pastor, along with 11 suggestions of strategies to implement during the search process.

There is a war being waged between what the Bible defines as the proper roles for the sexes and secularism’s own fluid philosophy of gender. Within the church, one battle in this war is being waged around the pulpit....

Jesus promised, “Where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them" (Matthew 18:20). Writing in a positive, friendly, engaging style, the author encourages you to claim that promise and experience that presence, and walks you through it with practical how-to advice.

Comfort and Joy? Advent season is desperate for true peace and real spiritual light. These carols are singable Psalms. They offer real comfort and joy. While all of us understand the feeling of waiting on God, these musical carols are grounded in true hope and human faith. If you enjoy Keith and Kristyn Getty's Awaken the Dawn Songbook, or their Kid's Hymnal, try singing these Psalm carols. Teachers, pastors, ministers will appreciate their audience being able to sing a Psalm passage together before it is explained. History's witnesses recorded their experiences in holy meditations and raw ...

Ecclesiology is the study of the church, which is God’s people throughout the world. God has chosen the church to be his global representative (Matt 28:19) and to glorify him throughout eternity (Eph 3:21). The church is God’s temple (1 Cor 3:16) and his family (Gal 6:10). It is Christ’s body, including various members with different spiritual gifts (1 Cor 12:12-28). It is the salt and light of the world (Matt 5:13-14). While on earth, Christ promised to build his church and that the gates of hades will not prevail against it (Matt 16:18). It is the most important institution in the ...

This short book is adapted from a chapter of “I Am Persuaded: Christian Leadership As Taught By Jesus.” Jesus said, “Call no man on earth father, for you all have one Father who is in heaven.” Yet Paul called Timothy, Titus, and Onesimus his “sons” and sometimes used “father” language when addressing the churches. Was Paul contradicting Jesus? Instead of cherry-picking scriptures, adapting extreme views, and reviling anyone who sees differently, we need to get to the heart of the issue. “Spiritual Fathers Or Brothers?” clears up the confusion and helps us to understand ...

This audiobook reveals seven facts that show you why Jesus never said he would build a church. Learn how they will strengthen and empower you.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892) was England's best-known preacher for most of the second half of the 19th century. This sermon, delivered on February 4, 1855, is based on Matthew 12:20: "A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory". The message is one of encouragement, so that believers remain firm in the faith, trusting in God for strength.

For many modern Christians, the regulative principle is a foreign concept. The question of how one is to go about the worship of God in the assembly of the saints is one that has never occurred to them. One does not have to look very far in order to notice the consequences of neglecting this subject. From the more extreme examples of preachers on trampolines to the more widely accepted practices of skits and solos, the modern church has found itself outside the boundaries of biblically prescribed worship. The Lord has given us His blueprint for His worship. He has commanded us not to add to...

The evangelical church is hemorrhaging. Over 40 million Americans have dechurched in the last 25 years alone, and multiple generations have been raised to believe the most spiritual thing they can do is follow God by following their heart—right out of the church. Yet, this shift is happening right as society is hitting record levels of loneliness, stress, and anxiety. In The Reason for Church, pastor Brad Edwards connects the dots of our current church crisis and provides compelling reasons to come back.