Kindling Desire For God

While searching for a model of preaching that is apt for our postmodern moment, Kay Northcutt respectfully eschews earlier models and suggests the what of preaching should consist in spiritual formation or the practice of spiritual direction. Taking an evocative, rather than how-to, approach, Northcutt notes the gaps created by earlier models and makes a case not only for framing preaching as an attractive art but also for understanding the preachers authority as religious in nature. The author provides readers with a new paradigm for developing their own homiletical discipline.

The Bible shows many stories of people coming together in times of need, crying out to God in a spirit of unity, and seeing powerful answers to their prayers. Praying Together invites you to begin the adventure of prayer and watch God move like never before! In this engaging guide to corporate prayer, you’ll examine the practices of the early church, and discover God’s presence and power today in fresh and exciting ways. You’ll find wisdom from Scripture, tips to help you build your confidence, questions for reflection, a guide for organizing a prayer group, and more.

For centuries, people have been drawn to the Christian mystics—women and men who have known God in powerful and experiential ways. Mystic Bonfires is for students, scholars, and practitioners of ministry, theology, and spiritual formation. It explores theology and theory and shares insights for practice and prayer. Readers will encounter classical concepts about the spiritual life and how to apply these concepts to their ministries in faithful and creative ways. Mystic Bonfires includes questions for students in academic and formation settings as well as project ideas for congregations. Mystic Bonfires explores the intersection of spiritual theology and practical theology. Walter Hilton, a 14th century English mystic and a contemporary of Julian of Norwich serves as a case study for the intersection of these fields called practical spiritual theology.

This comprehensive textbook on pastoral ministry for pastors, church leaders, and students articulates a biblical model for shepherding God's people. Written by a leading psychologist and seminary professor who has served as a pastor for more than two decades, the book covers twelve major areas of pastoral ministry, highlights the essential work of the Holy Spirit, and focuses on the personal and family life of the pastor. It includes cross-cultural perspectives of special interest in our diverse world and a foreword by John Ortberg.

It has been said that the day of the sermon is over. Kate Bruce argues that the day of the poorly conceived, ill prepared, dull, disconnected, boring, irrelevant, authoritarian, yawn-inducing, patronizing, pontificating, pointless and badly delivered sermon, is indeed over. Imagination can help to engage the hearer in a sermon which seeks to evoke rather than to inform. Imagination frames how we see the world and ourselves in it. As such it has a vital role in how preachers see the preaching task itself, which in turn affects how we go about the task. A theology of imagination is presented to demonstrate the central importance of imagination in the life of faith. Allied to this is an analysis of the sacramental nature of preaching and the role of imagination in enabling the ‘aha, now I get it’ moment of sacramental ‘seeing-as’. Connected to enabling new seeing, preaching in the lyrical voice is defined and discussed along with the importance of preachers shaping sermons for the ear.

A story of a woman finding purpose through the act of dying and being open to new life.

Those in the church and ministry are familiar with the Great Commission – the call to go forth and make disciples. However, for many, it isn’t that easy in a world increasingly influenced by doubters and distractions. Many Christian leaders may talk about it, but few really do it. Making disciples isn’t a complicated program, but a simple plan that comes only from Jesus. Now a diverse group of pastors, representing urban and rural communities, secular and Christian areas, as well as diverse multicultural backgrounds, and all known for successfully making new disciples, have gathered these sermons to encourage others to be disciple makers too. Discover: How Jesus practiced the Great Commission before He ever preached it Why discipleship begins with a whole-life understanding of worship When disciple-making gets confused with church growth efforts These and countless other insights will help guide you in a faithful, deliberate effort to fulfill the Great Commission – no matter where you live or what communities in which you minister. Included in the book are: The sermon texts and their outline formats. 12 study guides, one for each sermon, that can be used in small group or one-on-one settings in the week following the preaching of the sermon. A final appendix providing a self-evaluation tool that helps each person being discipled to evaluate the progress they are making in their walk with Christ.