Courageous Churchmen Leaders Compelling Enough To Follow

What is it that compels a group of people to follow the leadership and vision of one person? Why are the insights and pursuits of certain individuals more persuasive than those of others? This book reveals how leadership should be characterized in the church, and how biblical leadership must differ from the kind of leadership promoted in the world. It explores the dynamics of leadership, particularly the character traits that need to be built up or eradicated in leaders, the dangers that leaders face and temptations to which they are particularly prone, and the development of future leaders: how to recognize leadership potential and encourage leadership gifts in the next generation.

Women comprise at least half the world, and usually more than half the church, but so often Christian teaching to women either fails to move beyond a discussion of roles or assumes a particular economic situation or stage of life. This all but shuts women out from contributing to God’s kingdom as they were designed to do. Furthermore, the plight of women in the Majority World demands a Christian response, a holistic embrace of all that God calls women and men to be in his world. The loudest voices speaking into women’s lives in the twenty-first century thus far come from either fundamentalist Islam or radical feminism. And neither can be allowed to carry the day. The Bible contains the highest possible view of women and invests women’s lives with cosmic significance regardless of their age, stage of life, social status, or culture. Carolyn Custis James unpacks three transformative themes the Bible presents to women that raise the bar for women and calls them to join their brothers in advancing God’s gracious kingdom on earth. These new images of what can be in Christ free women to embrace the life God gives them, no matter what happens. Carolyn encourages readers with a positive, kingdom approach to the changes, challenges, and opportunities facing women throughout the world today.

Reformed theology has made a welcome return to the church. With its resurgent emphasis on justification, unfortunately, has come confusion over the biblical pattern of sanctification. Rather than turning to the plain biblical language of faith, humility, and obedience, many are turning inward and measuring genuine love and obedience by their emotional experiences. Affection for God-submissive love rooted in humble faith-is being defined almost exclusively as emotional sensations of joy. In a culture driven by feelings, obeying out of duty is derided as legalism, and striving to be holy is considered a work of the Law. Many in the church are wondering, "Am I really obeying if I don't feel like it?" None of us desire to become the hypocrites Jesus warned of in Matthew 15:8, "This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far away from Me." Influential leaders in the church today aren't helping when they challenge believers to cease all striving and simply reflect on the fact of their justification. In this book, Jerry Wragg and Paul Shirley call us back to Scripture's manifest blueprint for becoming conformed to the image of Christ. With balance and warm-hearted clarity, they demonstrate that God's grace empowers us for every good deed. They show us that our justification doesn't liberate us from being diligent in our efforts to trust and obey, but rather it gives us power to withstand temptation and walk with the Lord in victory. Because of grace, we are under obligation to the Word of God and now have resurrection power flowing through our spiritual veins, strengthening every discipline of grace and growing fruit that remains forever. Through faith-filled submission of our will to the Word of God, we "work out [our] salvation," knowing "it is God who is at work in [us], both to will and to work for His good pleasure" (Phil 2:13).

Being a Christian is not an individualistic or isolated activity. Believing also involves belonging. Being a Christian, by definition, involves belonging to the church. This is not a book full of ideas about how your church ought to change or what it needs to do in order to grow or to be successful. Rather it is about how we fit into our own church. There are hallmarks of church life that should be stamped on all our churches because they are applicable everywhere and anywhere -- New Testament values for any size of church, in any part of the world, at any time. Devoted to God's Church will serve to help new Christians understand what it is to be part of a church, and will also be a refreshing reminder to every Christian of what it should look like to belong to the family of God.

In "Letter from Birmingham Jail," Martin Luther King Jr. explains why blacks can no longer be victims of inequality.

Most sins turn us away from God, but pride is a direct attack upon God. It lifts our hearts above him and against him. Pride seeks to dethrone God and enthrone itself. How can Christians fight against this sin and develop genuine humility? In this helpful book, Wayne Mack guides readers through Scripture and shows us how we can take steps to develop humility and diminish the destructive pride in our lives. Readers will find here a resource that is practical, well illustrated, and relevant to their lives.

What is it that compels a group of people to follow the leadership and vision of one person? Why are the insights and pursuits of certain individuals more persuasive than those of others? In this book, Jerry Wragg investigates how leadership should be characterized in the church, and how biblical leadership must differ from the kind of leadership promoted in the world. He explores the dynamics of leadership, particularly the character traits that need to be built up or eradicated in leaders, the dangers that leaders face and the development of future leaders: how to recognize leadership potential and encourage leadership gifts in the next generation. Throughout, Jerry Wragg writes honestly and offers pastoral encouragement and practical guidance that will help all men placed in church leadership positions. Book jacket.