Showing results by narrator "Marcus Jackman" in All Categories

Does the phrase church discipline sound like an oxymoron? The church’s message is about grace, we reason, while discipline feels like the opposite of grace. In fact, Jesus taught his disciples to practice church discipline because it’s one way congregations grow in holiness and imitate God’s own love. In this audiobook, Jonathan Leeman presents biblical answers to questions about the nature and application of church discipline, conveying that Scripture presents church discipline as both loving and necessary.

Many of us have questions about what it means to live as a Christian in the context of a local church. You may even catch yourself asking: If I believe in Jesus, why do I need to join a church? To put it simply, when you are saved from your sin, you are saved into a community characterized by fellowship and accountability.

When you became a Christian, you recognized your need to be forgiven of sin and freed from sin’s reign over your life. As a result, your life has been changed forever — you are now a follower of Jesus. But what does the Bible say it means to follow Jesus? Sam Emadi offers eight simple steps you should take once you become a Christian, as you set out in newness of life to thrive as a disciple of Jesus.

One reason Christians don’t share the gospel is because we feel like we’re not good at it. We clam up; we fear what people might think; we feel bad; and the cycle repeats. But what if there was hope for our timid evangelism? Isaac Adams encourages disheartened evangelists to find hope in God, not their efforts.

If you are a Christian, then you know that prayer is important. Like eating your vegetables, you know it’s good to do — but what about times when you simply don’t want to pray? John Onwuchekwa encourages Christians to talk with their heavenly Father even when it’s hard. This short treatment on prayer will help you understand the basics of why, what, and how to pray as you worship and serve in the local church body.

Election seasons can cause division on a variety of issues. But what happens when you disagree with someone in your local church community? Authors Jonathan Leeman and Andy Naselli propose that Christians should learn how to disagree on such issues with a spirit of gracious understanding by recognizing the importance of what binds us together as a local church body — the gospel of Jesus Christ.

For centuries, the Westminster Shorter Catechism has helped Christians young and old to know their "chief end." Now, authors William Boekestein, Jonathan Landry Cruse, and Andrew J. Miller value this venerable catechism and winsomely introduce a new generation to its powerful message. Dividing the catechism into 52 brief devotions, they explain and apply each question and answer in a year's worth of Lord's Days. This valuable new resource is great for individual and family use for all who desire to "glorify and enjoy God forever."

Sweetly Set on God introduces listeners to the life and journal writings of David Brainerd (1718-1747), best remembered for his missionary work among the American Indians. Dustin Benge begins by presenting the events of Brainerd's short life and the intense personal spiritual piety that undergirded his pioneering missionary work. Then, in fifty-one excerpts drawn from Brainerd's journal, listeners will discover his evangelical humiliation, his understanding that God had altered his sinful human nature, his sensitivity to sin, and his holiness of life.

God calls us to be "devoted to one another in love" (Romans 12:10). What does this look like for us today? How can we be the kind of church member who makes a real difference? This timely and engaging book by Tony Merida explores what church is, why being part of it is exciting, and why it’s worthy of our love and commitment. He sets out eight privileges and responsibilities of a church member: to belong, to welcome, to gather, to care, to serve, to honor, to witness and to send.

If the fear of the Lord is "the beginning of wisdom," then it must be the starting point for fruitful Christian leadership. David Cook and Shane Parker offer an accessible volume focused on Christian leadership philosophy and practice from the foundational viewpoint of the fear of the Lord. This unique approach will enable developing and seasoned leaders to grow in godliness for the sake of the gospel and the church.