The Abiding Church: Creating, Cultivating, and Stewarding a Culture of Discipleship

Are you ready to move past acting like a Christian to abiding in Christ? Jesus invites you into a new and better way of life, but it’s a paradoxical realm that turns human logic upside down. It’s a life where sorrow leads to joy, brokenness to health, and suffering to glory. If you are ready to trade in the exhausting pursuit of an easy life for the soul rest found in an abiding life, begin listening to Abiding at the Feet of Jesus today and discover the power that launched the gospel and established the church - the power of abiding in Christ.

But, really, who are you? Are you ready to let that question shake you to your core - as you peel away layers of false identity built on shifting and ephemeral factors and learn to embrace your true self found in Jesus Christ alone? No job, no family relationship, no personality type, nationality, or accomplishment can offer you what Christ does: an abiding identity of righteousness in him.

Small Church Essentials is for leaders of smaller congregations. It encourages them to steward their role well, debunking myths about small churches while offering principles for leading a dynamic, healthy small church. Based on the popular six-hour lecture that Karl Vaters delivers to church leaders across the country, Small Church Essentials will affirm small church leaders and show them how to identify what they do well and how to do it even better.

Most Christians already believe they should be telling others about Jesus, but traditional methods are no longer as effective in today's post-Christian world. Thus, we may become frustrated, blame ourselves, or simply give up. Evangelism in a Skeptical World: Audio Lectures equips Christians with the principles and skills needed to tell the unbelievable news about Jesus to friends in a skeptical world. 

Over the last 30 years, many influential church leaders and church planters in America have adopted various models for reaching unchurched people. An “attractional” model will seek to attract people to a local church. Younger leaders may advocate a more “missional” approach, in which believers live and work among unchurched people and intentionally seek to serve like Christ. While each of these approaches have merit, something is still missing, something even more fundamental to the mission of the church: discipleship.

As many have said, the church must always be reforming. It must continually move closer to a truer, more faithful expression of the gospel. The risen Christ’s powerful letters to the seven churches in Revelation are a guide to just that. Based on John MacArthur’s exposition of these letters, Christ’s Call to Reform the Church is a plea to the modern church to heed these divine warnings, to reform before it succumbs to the kinds of compromise and error that invite God’s judgment.

One day, my life changed forever. What was the turning point? I realized the importance and power of discipleship. Two men took the time to invest in my life (David Platt - author of Radical and Follow Me, as well as the foreword of my book - and Tim Lafleur). Since then, I have read nearly every book on discipleship, searching for answers to my questions. Now, I want to share my findings with you. Growing Up takes the guesswork out of growing closer to the Lord and equipping others to do the same. This book has the potential to change your life!

The author of Radical takes listeners on a soul-searching journey through impoverished villages in the Himalayan mountains, daring them to make a difference in a world of urgent need, starting right where they live.

For most of us, fear is something we try to avoid. And fearing God hardly sounds like an occasion for joy. But Jerry Bridges shows how the fear of the Lord is actually the key that opens the door to a life of true knowledge, wisdom, blessing, and joy. We all want a deeper, more intimate relationship with God - one that's characterized by joy. But how does fearing God lead to joy? After all, aren't we supposed to love him and live in intimate relationship with him?

Based on case studies of 400 American churches, authors Thom Rainer and Eric Geiger prove that the process for making disciples has quite often become too complex. Simple churches are thriving, and they are doing so by taking these four ideas to heart: Clarity. Movement. Alignment. Focus. Each idea is examined here, simply showing why it is time to simplify.

Once upon a time there was a version of our faith that was practically...irresistible. But that was then. Today we preach, teach, write, and communicate as if nothing has changed. As if “The Bible says it” still settles it. It’s time to hit pause on much of what we’re doing and consider the faith modeled by our first-century brothers and sisters who had no official Bible, no status, and humanly speaking, little chance of survival. What did they know that we don’t? What made their faith so compelling, so defensible, so irresistible? Buckle up...you’re about to find out.

Author and pastor Jared C. Wilson shows how to lead a culture shift in a church from a focus on numerical success to the metrics of grace. Leading a church culture to shift from numerical success to the metrics of grace can be costly, but leaders who have conviction, courage, and commitment can lead while avoiding some of the land mines that often destroy churches.

Perhaps no one else has ever faced as much hardship, opposition, or relentless suffering as the apostle Paul. And yet, through it all, Paul stood firm in Christ and remained faithful - to the very end. The power of Paul's example has captivated veteran Pastor John MacArthur for years, and here, he outlines nine unwavering convictions that contributed to this remarkable perseverance.

What if every Christian discovered that his or her favorite teacher in church history had blind spots and held to some false - and even shocking - views? Best-selling author Frank Viola argues that this simple awareness will soften Christians when they interact with each other in the face of theological disagreements.

What does effective church leadership look like? In this conversational book, pastor Jeramie Rinne sets forth an easy-to-understand "job description" for elders, drawn from the Bible's teaching on church leadership. Offering practical guidance for new elders and helping church members better understand and support their spiritual leaders, this succinct volume will encourage elders to embrace their calling with grace, wisdom, and clarity of vision.