Church Theology

The viral upswing of the "spiritual but not religious" trend has cast religion as going rapidly out of style. Yet even in his own desert of deconstruction, Zach couldn't shake his desire for a spiritual home. His search ultimately led him to look behind the statistics, where Zach found an astonishing undercurrent subversively at work.

In this six-session Bible study, Kat offers a fresh perspective of encouragement that aligns with scripture from beginning to end: “Don’t be afraid. Give me your everything.” She urges women to wholeheartedly love the lord beyond our heart and soul, as well as with our mind and strength. If you have ever felt challenged or insecure following your dreams, or in your career, or in your personal pursuit of God, this is your study. Dare to answer his invitation to show up daily, holding nothing back.

John Locke's theory of toleration is generally seen as advocating the privatization of religion. This interpretation has become conventional wisdom: secularization is widely understood as entailing the privatization of religion, and the separation of religion from power. This audiobook turns that conventional wisdom on its head and argues that Locke secularizes religion, that is, makes it worldly, public, and political. In the name of diverse citizenship, Locke reconstructs religion as persuasion, speech, and fashion.

In this book, Tony Merida highlights how in-person Sunday gatherings are central to God’s plans and to our faith and joy. He reminds believers of their privileges as citizens of heaven, members of God’s family, and stones in God’s temple.

The Monkey and the Fish decodes profound shifts and events taking place in the world today due to globalism, multiculturalism and technology, and introduces an original approach to ministry, church, and leadership known as The Third Culture. The book title refers to an Eastern parable that will challenge you to reexamine fundamental assumptions of the evangelical movement, including erroneous interpretations that have made the church increasingly irrelevant in North America and the global village.

An inside snapshot view of the innovative Seattle church called Mars Hill and its Acts 29 network. This audiobook provides - with a touch of sarcasm and humor - both principles and practices shared from the people actually doing missional church ministry with people often untouched by todays traditional and contemporary churches.

The Sunday collection in every Catholic church throughout the world is as familiar a part of the Mass as the homily and even Communion. There is no doubt that historically the Catholic Church has been one of the great engines of charity in history. But once a dollar is dropped in that basket, where does it go? How are weekly cash contributions that can amount to tens of thousands of dollars accounted for? Where does the money go when a diocese sells a church property for tens of millions of dollars?

Inside the Mind of Unchurched Harry and Mary isn’t a book of theory. It’s an action plan to help you relate the message of Christ to the people you work around, live with, and call your friends. Using personal experiences, humor, compelling stories, biblical illustrations, and the latest research, Lee Strobel helps you to understand non-Christians and what motivates them.

This introduction to the roots of many Catholic beliefs and practices provides a sense of connection to our brothers and sisters who have gone before us and helped shape the faith. Mike Aquilina makes it clear that as far as the essentials are concerned, a time-travel trip back to the beginning of the church would reveal a church familiar to Catholics today. Just as an acorn grows into a tree and yet remains the same plant, the Catholic church is a living organism that has grown from the faith of the earliest Christians into the Body of Christ we know today.

All throughout the modern period, there has been a steady campaign for people to "think for themselves" without tradition's distorting restraint. As a result, many Christians now blindly sip a watered-down faith, marketed as "no creed but the Bible." But, as Leonard Allen shows, we are always traditioning—even if one doesn't believe in tradition. And in this time of theological uncertainty and confusion, that process calls for new intentionality and seriousness. I

It is no secret that our world desperately needs change. Politicians know this and use it to collect votes. Journalists exploit it to sell newspapers and magazines. Advertisers, to sell everything else. Each of these groups (and countless others) spend their lives working to convince others that they hold the key to a better country, a better life, a better future. But what exactly is this change we all long for? And how can it ever come about?

Ben Lindsay offers eye-opening insights into the black religious experience, challenging the status quo in white majority churches. Filled with examples from real-life stories, including his own, and insightful questions, this book offers a comprehensive analysis of race relations in the Church in the UK and shows us how we can work together to create a truly inclusive church community.

The news of the world has us all in disarray—struggling with stress, pain, and despair. With pastoral compassion, author Grace Ji-Sun Kim provokes us to live on hope and to work together. "Hope in Disarray" is a collection of 30 essays at the intersections of faith, race, gender, creation, and culture.

When Satan claimed to have authority over the kingdoms of the world and said he could give them to whomever he chose, why did Jesus not contradict him? Why instead did Jesus go on to describe Satan as the "god of this world?" If Satan is the spiritual head over the world's governments, can there be such a thing as a Christian nation? In Fight the Powers, Cody Cook compiles the relevant biblical data which draws connections between political power and spiritual forces, seeking to answer the question of how Christians ought to relate to the state in light of these connections.

And this species of the divine patience indeed being, as it were, at a distance, may perhaps be esteemed as among “things too high for us”; but what is that which, in a certain way, has been grasped by hand among men openly on the Earth? God suffers himself to be conceived in a mother’s womb, and awaits the time for birth; and, when born, bears the delay of growing up; and, when grown up, is not eager to be recognized, but is furthermore contumelious to himself, and is baptized by his own servant; and repels with words alone the assaults of the tempter.

Ever since Jesus' commission to make disciples in his name, Christianity has transformed lives and the world at large. To those watching, it must have looked like an upstart religion led by a group of men, most of whom were martyred for their beliefs. The voice of secular culture today is no louder and no more indulgent than it was in those days. And yet much of the Western church has settled for becoming just another mass media market that's adding to the noise, instead of a movement that continues to turn the world upside down.

Based on a national study, this book shows how churches can move both new and old members into ministry by implementing effective new members classes.

Did you know that God isn't expecting you to clean up your life? Shocking right? God's goal for you goes so much deeper than your actions, his goal is to give you something most people dream of...new life. All of us have things in our past that we are not proud of. We probably have some things in our present we aren't too fond of either. What if God's plan for you was to let the past be the past...literally count the old you who messed up as dead, and let a new, better you be reborn. Well, that is his plan! This book holds the best news I have ever heard.

This audiobook is about a journey. You are invited to go on a mission with Jesus to help heal the world. This is what Jesus invited his original apprentices into. What if you gave your life to the mission like the first apprentices of Jesus did? What would change in your world? What would change in you? Do you want to find out? This audiobook has 40 one day sections - five readings per week for eight weeks. A big idea, question, and think about Jesus’ words are included at the end of each section.

Why Are You Here? Answers to the Most Important Questions of Your Life is a practical, insightful book that will empower you, educate you, and assist you. It contains relevant quotes from various versions of the Bible to reinforce the concepts presented. It will help you understand how you can live a fulfilling life of peace and purpose.