Church Culture

For many pastors and church leaders, ministry is an exhausting, frustrating, and even fruitless endeavor. Driven by programs and cultural trends, churches are competing to stay relevant and effective in a hostile world. What if there were a better way - a way of rest and of power - the way of abiding?

Christ never actually told us how to "do church". Yes, he had a lot to say about the church, but what he did say was mostly unrelated to stylistic issues or contextual trends. He never spoke about its leadership hierarchies or the pros and cons of denominational fellowships or the types of music. And yet, much of our time and energy as leaders and shepherds is consumed by chasing after tips, tricks, and secrets to "grow" churches.

Using the Bible as the foundational source and guide, while also bringing contemporary sociological data to the conversation, seven biblical scholars and theologians construct a powerful dialogue about gun violence in America, concluding that guns are incompatible with the God of Christian Scripture.

John Kasich calls it like he sees it. A former long-time U.S. congressman, a respected author, and popular television host, Kasich has been around the neighborhood a few times. In his first book, Courage Is Contagious, he celebrated the under-the-radar accomplishments of ordinary people doing extraordinary things to change America. Now, in Stand for Something, he tackles head-on the erosion of long-standing, hard-earned values upon which our nation is built.

Leading Bible scholar John Dominic Crossan, the author of the pioneering work The Historical Jesus, provides new insight into the Christian culture wars which began in the New Testament and persist strongly today. For decades, Americans have been divided on how Christians should relate to government and lawmakers, a dispute that has impacted every area of society and grown more rancorous over the past forty years. But as Crossan makes clear, this debate isn’t new; it can be found in the New Testament itself, most notably in the tensions between Luke-Acts and Revelations.

The Prevailing Church: Confronting the Five Giants of Culture is a challenge to today’s American church to declare the kindness of God and call our community and culture to repentance and humility before the person and work of Jesus Christ. Dr. John Jackson believes God is calling forth a generation of spirit-filled and spirit-empowered followers of Jesus Christ to live and walk in heavenly ambassadorships where they extend the kingdom of heaven on earth. God is calling us to:

According to one song, “today is only yesterday’s tomorrow” - which means that tomorrow starts today! But we aren’t going to see our future by looking at the past. Yes, we need to celebrate and honor what has brought us to where we are. However, it will not be enough to get us to what God has in store. We need to let go of the old to receive the new.

Has God abandoned Israel? Has the Church “replaced” Israel? What does the Bible say? As we watch the world events, it is clear that Israel is following her prophetic scenario, and a new chapter is about to be written - and there may be a big surprise on our near horizon!

Each chapter focuses on roughly one century in the life of the Christian church, providing an even-handed view of Catholicism, Orthodox Christianity, and Protestant denominations. Discussion questions at the end of each chapter offer opportunities to reflect on parallels in contemporary Christian church life, considerations from a relevant Bible passage, and opportunities for application. This is an excellent text for a half-year study group.

It seems we have become a nation of people who are offended by everything but sin. What is happening to our country is simple to explain but sad to observe: We are seeing what a culture of sin can do to a country. Within the problem is the solution: Biblical morality reestablished in America by an uprising of God’s people standing for righteousness will bring God’s forgiveness and our healing.

During the last three decades of the 20th century, evangelical leaders and conservative politicians developed a political agenda that thrust "family values" onto the nation's consciousness. The family values agenda created a bond between evangelicalism and political conservatism. Family Values and the Rise of the Christian Right chronicles how the family values agenda became so powerful in American political life and why it appealed to conservative evangelical Christians.

Letters from Jesus: Studies from the Seven Churches of Revelation explores Christ’s warnings to the seven most prominent churches in Asia Minor in the book of Revelation. These letters date back to 95 AD, but they help us make a fascinating discovery about civilization: Life hasn’t changed that much over the last two millennia. Author Chris Palmer illustrates the truths contained in the Letters from Jesus using modern, everyday examples.

Popular pastor and speaker Mandy Smith invites us to detox from the deeply ingrained habits of Western culture so we can do kingdom things in kingdom ways again. She explores how we can be transformed by new postures and habits that help us see God already at work in and around us. The way forward isn't more ideas, programs, and problem-solving, but in Jesus's surprising invitation to the kingdom through childlikeness. Ultimately, rediscovering childlike habits is a way for us to remember how to be human.

The call upon God's people has always been to live as a demonstration of his gospel as well as to declare his gospel message to the world around us. A lack of understanding about walking in a culture of discipleship among God's people seriously hinders that call. It results in people self-identifying as Christians but not following Jesus or seeking to live according to his commands. Therefore, we need a revolution of discipleship among his people.

We no longer need to be confused. We know what 666 is! We know what the Beast is! We know what the second Beast is! We know which countries will rise and which countries will fall! With knowledge of this information in hand, we can sit back and watch as everything unfolds. We can know that there is really no reason for us to fear anything. God's plan is beautiful! And the end is good!

Parents, are you looking for a fun and educational way to introduce your child to the fascinating world of history? Look no further! This captivating audiobook takes young listeners on a thrilling journey through the history of Christianity, all told in easy-to-understand language. Understanding the past helps kids make sense of the world today. This audiobook offers a kid-friendly exploration of how Christianity has shaped our culture and values over the centuries.

The audioguide tells the story, describes the architecture and reports interesting facts about the church of the Transfiguration on Elia Street, one of Novgorod's most significant monuments, directly and definitely linked to the Byzantine culture of the Paleologist era. The audioguide has been made by professionals in the field of history and art.

The audioguide tells the story, describes the architecture and reports interesting facts about the church of the Transfiguration on Elia Street, one of Novgorod's most significant monuments, directly and definitely linked to the Byzantine culture of the Paleologist era. The audioguide has been made by professionals in the field of history and art.