Ministries Of Mercy

Why would someone risk his safety, upend his schedule, deplete his bank balance, and become dirty and bloody to help a person of another race and social class? And why would Jesus tell us, "Go and do likewise"? The Good Samaritan didn't ignore the battered man on the Jericho road. Like him, we're aware of people in need around us-the widow next door, the family strapped with medical bills, the homeless man outside our church. God calls us to help them, whether they need shelter, assistance, medical care, or just friendship. Tim Keller shows that caring for these people is the job of every believer, as fundamental to Christian living as evangelism, discipleship, and worship. But he doesn't stop there. He shows how we can carry out this vital ministry as individuals, families, and churches. Join Keller as he explores the biblical way to participate in compassion ministries. In this retypeset edition, he deals perceptively with thorny issues, such as balancing the cost of meeting needs with the limits of time and resources, giving material aid versus teaching responsibility, meeting needs within the church versus outside the church, and more. Book jacket.

Some lay blame for poverty and need on oppression; others on laziness. Pastor Keller demonstrates that the biblical viewpoint is far more sophisticated than either extreme. He sets forth scriptural principles for mercy ministries, suggests practical steps to begin and persevere in active caring, and deals perceptively with thorny issues. Balanced and informative! Includes discussion questions.

"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your mind and all your strength." This, Jesus tells us, is the greatest commandment. Implicit in it is the message that propels us out to the ends of the earth, news as simple as it is good: God so loves the world that he gave his only Son as a sacrifice for our sins, and he invites us into a saving relationship with him. "The second commandment," Jesus goes on, "is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself." If the first commandment is simple, the second one gets a little tricky. Sometimes it seems like we're loving our neighbor in our random acts of kindness, but in reality we're making things worse for them. And sometimes we lose sight of what's distinctly Christian about our ministries of mercy; our acts of love move our neighbors no closer to the loving God who calls them to repentance. In Reforming Mercy Ministry Ted Rivera identifies thirty-three ways we can engage the world with Christian compassion. And he offers fresh insight into our impulse to help, so that we do more good than harm. All the while he keeps the second great commandment close to the first: we love our neighbors, Rivera reminds us, because God first loved us—and because God loves our neighbors more than we do.

Recounts the author's work with juvenile delinquent girls and investigating abuse cases, sharing the princples that have made Mercy Ministries--her organization that helps women break free from life-controlling issues--successful.

Without a doubt, the quest to attain sexual purity is the No. 1 battle Christian men face in the 21st Century. The message of Gallagher's timely book is that men need not settle for a fear-driven form of freedom. As children of God, the bountiful life of victory in Christ is theirs for the taking. Win the battle for sexual purity.

When Jesus asked us to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, and visit the imprisoned, he didn’t mean it literally, right? Kerry Weber, a modern, young, single woman in New York City sets out to see if she can practice the Corporal Works of Mercy in an authentic, personal, meaningful manner while maintaining a full, robust, regular life. Weber, a lay Catholic, explores the Works of Mercy in the real world, with a gut-level honesty and transparency that people of urban, country, and suburban locales alike can relate to. Mercy in the City is for anyone who is struggling to live in a meaningful, merciful way amid the pressures of “real life.” For those who feel they are already overscheduled and too busy, for those who assume that they are not “religious enough” to practice the Works of Mercy, for those who worry that they are alone in their efforts to live an authentic life, Mercy in the City proves that by living as people for others, we learn to connect as people of faith.

The office of deacon is God's gift to His church, but today it is often undervalued, misunderstood, and perceived to be of little importance. In The Deacon , the author considers the Old Testament background for this calling, the deacon in New Testament times and in church history, and the current function of the office. You will rediscover the high and privileged calling of deacons and come to a better understanding of what God requires of them. Table of Contents: Part 1--The Old Testament Background 1. The Poor in Israel 2. Providing for the Poor Part 2--New Testament Times 3. Christ's Teaching on the Poor and Needy 4. Ministering to the Poor in Acts 6 5. The Office of Deacon 6. Female Deacon? Part 3--The Office of Deacon in the History of the Church 7. The Testimony of the Early Church and the Heritage of the Reformation 8. Women and the Diaconate Part 4--The Current Functioning of the Office 9. The Official Position of the Deacon Today 10. Enabling and Prioritizing 11. The Diaconal Ministry within the Congregation 12. The Diaconal Ministry outside the Congregation 13. The Blessing of the Poor

In this motivational and highly practical book, Timothy Keller shows how caring for those in need is the duty of every believer – as fundamental to Christian living as evangelism, discipleship and worship. But he doesn’t stop there. He sets out an array of tried-and-tested measures that will encourage and equip Christians of all persuasions to become more committed and more effective in carrying out this vital ministry. Contents Prologue: The One Who Showed Mercy PART 1: PRINCIPLES 1. The Call to Mercy 2. The Character of Mercy 3. The Motivation for Mercy 4. Giving and Keeping: A Balanced Lifestyle 5. Church and World: A Balanced Focus 6. Conditional and Unconditional: A Balanced Judgment 7. Word and Deed: A Balanced Testimony PART 2: PRACTICE 8. Getting Started 9. Preparing the Church 10. Mobilizing the Church 11. Expanding Your Vision 12. Managing Your Ministry 13. Mercy Ministry and Church Growth 14. Meeting Needs