Joining Jesus on His Mission by Greg Finke: Are you ready to go beyond living your life for Jesus to living life with Jesus? Joining Jesus on His Mission will alter the way you see your life as a follower of Jesus. Simple, powerful and applicable insights show you how to be on mission and recognize where Jesus is already at work in your neighborhoods, workplaces and schools.
Loaded Words by Heather Choate Davis: No one wants to be part of a religion filled with old, hard, mean-sounding words Sin. Hell. Repent. Submit. Judgment. The funny thing is that at the heart of each of these "loaded words" are some of the most beautiful, gracious, life-giving truths that words can convey. Unfortunately, these words have gotten so weighed down with social, cultural and doctrinal baggage that even practicing Christians are hard-pressed to embrace or explain them. That's where Loaded Words comes in. By showing how and why these key faith terms have been misused, abused, and wholly misunderstood—both in the church and in the culture—we can "unload" them, revealing their original language and context, and re-introducing the great mercy, comfort and joy behind the teachings of Jesus. Written in a lively and highly accessible style and illuminated with contemporary aha! moments, Loaded Words opens up the wisdom of 12 foundational Bible words in a whole new way.
Man Turned in on Himself by Heather Choate Davis:The premise of this book is simple: sin is dead. Not the state of sin, of course, but the word itself, and the impact of the word, which, for the better part of human history helped individuals and communities—both pagan and religious—recognize when they were “missing the mark.” Until we can make sin understood again, and begin to restore its rightful place at the breaking point of the human condition, none of the promises of God’s saving love will ring true. Man turned in on himself is a Renaissance-era image of sin that reflects our modern day suffering— anxiety, depression, apathy, loss of purpose and community, our disordered relationship to technology—and calls it by its rightful name. Sin as “scarlet letter” has only pushed people further from grace. May sin as homo incurvatus in se help bring them back.
Leading Multicultural Teams by Evelyn and Richard Hibbert: Churches and mission agencies are increasingly characterized by cultural diversity. As a result, many Christians find themselves working as part of a multicultural team. Leading these teams is a complex challenge that requires team leaders to understand how to help multicultural teams thrive. Team leaders need to know how to help team members grow in particular qualities and acquire specific skills related to multicultural teamwork. This book integrates insights from the Bible, team theory, leadership, and intercultural studies to explain how leaders of multicultural teams can help their teams become enriching and enjoyable contexts to work in, at the same time as achieving their purpose.
Ministering in Honor-Shame Cultures by Jayson Georges and Mark Baker: Many a Westerner has had a cross-cultural experience of honor and shame. First there are those stuttering moments in the new social landscape. Then after missed cues and social bruises comes the revelation that this culture―indeed much of the world―runs on an honor-shame operating system. When Western individualism and its introspective conscience fails to engage cultural gears, how can we shift and navigate this alternate code? And might we even learn to see and speak the gospel differently if we did? In Ministering in Honor-Shame Cultures Jayson Georges and Mark Baker help us decode the cultural script of honor and shame. What's more, they assist us in reading the Bible anew through the lens of honor and shame, often with startling turns. And they offer thoughtful and practical guidance in ministry within honor-shame contexts. Apt stories, illuminating insights and ministry-tested wisdom complete this well-rounded guide to Christian ministry in honor-shame cultures.
Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes by E. Randolph Richards and Brandon J. O'Brien: Biblical scholars Brandon O'Brien and Randy Richards shed light on the ways that Western readers often misunderstand the cultural dynamics of the Bible. They identify nine key areas where modern Westerners have significantly different assumptions about what might be going on in a text. Drawing on their own crosscultural experience in global mission, O'Brien and Richards show how better self-awareness and understanding of cultural differences in language, time and social mores allow us to see the Bible in fresh and unexpected ways. Getting beyond our own cultural assumptions is increasingly important for being Christians in our interconnected and globalized world. Learn to read Scripture as a member of the global body of Christ.
Sola!: What are we fighting for? by Heather Choate Davis and Leann Luchinger: T.S. Eliot says that, “the life of Protestantism depends on the survival of that against which it protests.” If this is true, then the future of the Church depends on our recognizing what we’re fighting for, what we’re fighting against, who we’re fighting with, and maybe, above all, who we are ignoring while we’re doing all this fighting. By reclaiming the central cry of the Reformation—sola gratia! sola fide! sola scriptura!—we can grow in our shared understanding of "the good fight" of the Gospel in the 21st Century. Six tight chapters, each with its own robust discussion/study guide and answer key. Ideal for small group or all church study.
Joining Jesus: Show Me How by Greg Finke: The way Jesus disciples people is simple and results in unschooled, ordinary followers participating in the mission of the Father and discipling others to do the same. This book will help you regain the clarity and simplicity of how Jesus disciples people in the gospels so that you can disciple your children, friends, neighbors or fellow church members to get up, follow Jesus and join him on his mission, too.
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