Bücher veröffentlicht von Abingdon Press

Study the whole Bible in a year with J. Ellsworth Kalas. The Grand Sweep: 365 Days from Genesis through Revelation guides adults to read through the Bible in a year, reading three to four chapters daily. The Psalms and Proverbs are scattered throughout the reading as devotional elements. Because the plan moves through the Bible in biblical sequence, readers grasp the grand weep of the Scriptures--something missed in most Bible studies that take up only a certain book or section of the Bible. Also, daily readings are manageable; someone who is just beginning a serious devotional life need not feel threatened or inadequate. By the time readers finish their year of reading, they will have a grasp of the biblical story from beginning to end. And with it, because of the daily discipline, a stronger devotional life. Kalas also provides a faithful daily summary of each day's reading, but with a devotional quality to encourage warmth of spirit as well as knowledge of mind. Congregations, study groups, and individuals can begin The Grand Sweep at any time during the year with this study. Allow at least 30 minutes daily when using this resource. Includes selected quotations from Kalas's 35 books. The book includes: Questions or directions and daily devotional summary/commentary for Days 1-7 each week call for written response to the assigned Scripture and provide a devotional element. "Prayer Time" suggests a focus for daily and weekly praying and invites you to identify persons and concerns for prayer. "How the Drama Develops" summarizes the week's Scripture and situates it in the ongoing biblical story. "Seeing Life Through Scripture" invites you to view life through the lens of Scripture in order to draw guidance and insights for living. Think of yourself in conversation with Scripture. "The Sum of It All" in a verse or verses, sums up the week's Scripture. Over the course of fifty-two weeks, the verses become a synopsis of the biblical story. The Grand Sweep is designed for personal use. The added component of a Leader Guide enables congregations and study groups to share the experience. It provides an overview of how to use the book as a study, along with specific content for weekly, monthly, or occasional group meetings.

Jesus demonstrated the presence and power of God by performing miracles. He turned water into wine, healed the sick, calmed the storm, opened blind eyes, and raised the dead. While these beloved stories draw our attention to divine power, they also have something else in common: human desperation. Every time we see Jesus performing a miracle, we also get a glimpse into the gift of desperation, a gift that opens us to the dramatic power of God through our desperate need for him. In this six-week Bible study, Jessica LaGrone leads us in a captivating exploration of the miracles of Jesus, helping us to see that our weakness is an invitation for God to work powerfully in our lives and reminding us that we need God on our best days just as much as we do on our worst. Themes and miracle stories include: the gift of desperation (turning water into wine and other signs of God's response of fullness in our times of emptiness) the miracle of abundance (feeding the 5,000 and other abundance stories) miracles on the water (calming the storm, walking on water, the abundant catch) Jesus our healer (5 stories of healing) death and resurrection (Lazarus, Jairus' daughter) the miracle we all receive (the Incarnation) The Leader Guide contains six session plan outlines, complete with discussion points and questions, activities, prayers, and moreplus leader helps for facilitating a group.Other components for the Bible study, available separately, include a Participant Workbook, DVD with six 20-25 minute sessions, and boxed Leader Kit.

Confirm Your Faith. Your Commitment. God's Call. Too often confirmation has been downgraded to the role of a checkpoint along the faith journey. The Confirm family of resources reclaims confirmation as the first step on a journey that leads to a mature, adult faith. Confirm treats confirmation as more than a decision. Instead, it is the beginning of a conversation about what it means to be a Christian, living out your faith, your commitment, and God's call. Confirm is an easy-to-follow and fully customizable confirmation program that can be used virtually any church setting and with a wide variety of schedules. You have the option to schedule your lesson choices and the tools to organize your own confirmation program over the course of a school year, a 3-year span, or in any other way that meets your needs without having to purchase additional customizable content. With flexible and easy-to-understand materials, Confirm provides students with the basic beliefs of a theologically sound, United Methodist faith while engaging them in creative and thought-provoking activities to help them internalize what they've learned. Confirm also embraces the importance of community in the journey of faith development, and provides materials to encourage cooperation with parents and mentors in the confirmation process and beyond. The fully customizable teaching book includes easy-to-follow lesson plans for 39 confirmation class sessions, along with lesson recommendations to choose from for a variety of time frame options. Lesson planning, individual lesson templates, tools, and supplemental content will also be provided for ease of customization. The sessions are organized around the following content categories: - Theology - History - Belonging in the Community of Faith - Making a Faith Commitment - Understanding God's Call

How a small church can have a big impact on a teen's faith journey.

There's something about underdogs that makes us cheer them on. And stories about outsiders always make a good movie script or book. Maybe it's because we know how it feels to be in last place or left out. We may never win a trophy or become a hero, but as Matthew shows us, God uses people like Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Uriah's wifeand of course Maryin unexpected ways. This five-session study looks at the lives of these five women and will help you see how even underdogs and outsiders can play a pivotal role in God's purposes. You'll uncover new dimensions of familiar stories and be reminded to look for God in unanticipated places during this Advent season.Designed to be used by individuals and small groups. In addition to the main content, each chapter offers questions for reflection and discussion, a brief prayer, and a focus for the week. The weekly focus emerges from the chapter content and encourages the readers to engage a spiritual practice or do something specific that will help them grow in faith."e;Tom Fuerst is one of the most effective communicators I know. He writes as he preaches, with clarity and compassion. Rarely is one able to communicate solid scholarship with effective 'popular' writing. Tom does that exceptionally well. This book is a valuable asset for pastor and lay person alike, to make Advent rich in understanding and meaning."e; - Maxie Dunnam, author and chancellor of Asbury Theological Seminary; pastor emeritus Christ United Methodist Church - Memphis, TN; vice-chairperson World Evangelism of the World Methodist Council. "e;Tom Fuerst is one of the most talented pastors and writers with which I have had the privilege of working. His new book is not only well written but an important windows into the Advent journey."e;- Dr. Shane Stanford, Senior Pastor, Christ United Methodist Church - Memphis.

Explores what Christians believe, why they believe, and why it matters through the Apostles Creed.

Become the hands and feet of Christ this Christmas.

The mission of The United Methodist Church is to "make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world." In order to carry out this mission, The United Methodist Church has defined seven pathways of ministry: developing new churches, transforming existing congregations, ending racism through expanding racial and ethnic ministries, teaching the Wesleyan model of discipleship, strengthening clergy and lay leadership, reaching and transforming the lives of new generations, and eliminating poverty in community with the poor. The United Methodist Council on Korean Ministries/Korean Ministry Plan has a vision to strengthen small group ministries for the local church to fulfill the mission of The United Methodist Church. The Korean Ministry Plan partnered with the National Association of Korean United Methodists to develop training material for small group ministry leaders that incorporated both Wesleyan tradition and Korean spirituality. This material was developed with the purpose of leading churches to confess Jesus Christ as Lord and for individuals to realize their individual spiritual gifts so that they could serve the local church and community better. Thus, we United Methodists may be disciples of Jesus Christ who experience the power of the Holy Spirit to transform the world. We welcome you into this journey of discipleship in small group ministry. We are genuinely looking forward to meeting you. --Bishop Hee-Soo Jung, President of the Korean Ministry Plan

According to the Epistle to the Hebrews, Christians are always to be on the move. Christians are to go voluntarily into a kind of exile and to become strangers and sojourners on this earth while doing God's will "e;outside the gate"e; of the mainstream society. Inspired by Hebrews 13:12-14, Bishop Sano examines this theme and its meaning for the original audience and Christians today.This seven-chapter book can be used for individual study but is also an excellent study for Sunday school classes and small groups. Each chapter is divided into three major parts based on the original meaning of Hebrews, an application section with discussion questions, and activities for the group.

We live in a world of noise. Everywhere we go, we hear sounds that compete for our minds and hearts. Listening to God requires a deliberate choice to shut out the chaos around us and focus our thoughts.Listen, by Rueben P. Job, is a 40-day experience created to offer help to those new to prayer, those with a daily prayer routine, and those whose lives seem too busy to pray. With a focus on listening prayer and prayer as a two-way conversation, the experience will assist individuals and groups in building and deepening a personal prayer practice and spiritual discernment.As we learn to listen, we find a new depth and fulfillment in our relationship with God and a new experience of God as guide and companion in our lives. The daily prayer pattern includes an invitation, silence, Bible reading, a story, guided time for reflecting and listening, and practical help for developing six specific prayer practices.Listen is perfect for use by individuals, small groups, or congregations during Lent, Easter, or any time of year.

More and more young adults have opted out of Christianity and the church. The reason? Christians.When young adults talk about the problems they have with Christianity and the church, they often name certain attitudes and behaviors they believe are practiced too often by Christians: judging others, condemning people of other faiths, rejecting science, injecting politics into faith, and being anti-homosexual. With his familiar style, Adam Hamilton tackles these issues and addresses the how's and why's of Christians getting it right when it comes to being Christ in the world.Those who read When Christians Get It Wrong will gain a different way of understanding the issues that keep people away from Christianity and keep Christians from living a more compelling faith. Because, honestly, if we don't start getting it right, we may lose an entire generation.

This text is a classic by one of America's most widely respected New Testament scholars. It provides a clear and comprehensive introduction to the New Testament. In a straightforward and understandable style--without distortion or oversimplification--Prof. Metzger closely examines the historical background and content of the New Testament and details the role of scribes and translators in handing the Scriptures down through the centuries. Utilizing the finest modern scholarship, Dr. Metzger looks at the people, societies, and events that produced the New Testament. Palestinian Judaism, Greco-Roman paganism, sources of our knowledge of Jesus Christ, essential aspects of Christ's teaching, sources and chronology of the apostolic age, the work of Paul, the general letters, and the Book of Revelation are all clearly illuminated. The Second edition of this book added an appendix on the formation of the canon of the New Testament and the work of scribes. The third edition will represent a substantial update of the 1965 text based on the New Revised Standard Version. In addition to stylistic changes, the author updates the text regarding research on the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Nag Hammadi tractates. This edition adds a glossary, 30 graphics and photos, and is resized to a larger 6x9 page.

Journey 101 Loving God is one component of Journey 101: Knowing, Loving, Serving God. Each of the three separate, interactive six-week courses utilizes a group teaching format with a leader and a video presenter combined with small group table breakouts. This Leader Guide contains six session guides on Loving God, plus leader helps for conducting a successful study.

Journey 101 Knowing God is one component of Journey 101: Knowing, Loving, Serving God. Each of the three separate, interactive six-week courses utilizes a group teaching format with a leader and a video presenter combined with small group table breakouts. This Leader Guide contains six session guides on Knowing God, plus leader helps for conducting a successful study.

Women have participated in Christian mission work since the beginning of Christianity. Few of their names are known to us; others are identified as spouses or coworkers of men in mission; and many remain completely anonymous. Putting Names with Faces addresses this disparity and attempts to do justice to at least some of the women who have contributed tremendously to the missionary endeavor in past and present times on all continents. It is an attempt to put names to these otherwise unknown faces and to honor their significant, but untold, contributions throughout the history of mission. Thoughtful, eye-opening, expansive, and humbling, Putting Names with Faces is a book you will not be able to forget.

Murphy will provide an introduction to the gospels that does justice to the full range of modern critical methods and insights. He will discuss the implications of these methods for how we understand the nature of the gospels and how we can read them today. The chapters will sketch the portrait of Jesus that emerges from each gospel, and then examine the canonical view of Jesus by comparing and contrasting these pictures, as well as the ones that emerge from the non-canonical gospels and from the modern quest for the historical Jesus.

As a result of the near-death experiences of many congregations today, denominational leaders are looking for ways to "e;revitalize"e; churches. The act of revitalization often starts with the assumption that what was once vital can be vital again, if church leaders simply do the same better. So congregations increase programs, budgets, and formulas. They look back in time, trying to recapture a period when the church's role in society was vital. A church, seeking revitalization, typically does more of the same, but faster. However, the central story of our faith is the story of both death and resurrection. Followers of Christ like to live out the resurrection part of our faith, but they often aren't very comfortable dealing with what must come before resurrection - death.The church must be willing to live out its entire story, from beginning to end. The church needs to trust that God will bring to life what God wants to. This book suggests shifting away from the language of revitalization toward the story of death and resurrection. Escobedo-Frank focuses on ten specific "e;re-"e; words to outline a strategy for dying and resurrecting again - for restarting the church:RecognizeRealizeRestoreReviewReformResensitizeReleaseReinvigorateReemphasizeRebirth

Journey inside the pages of Scripture to meet a personal God who enters individual lives and begins a creative work from the inside out. Shaped with the individual in mind, Immersion encourages simultaneous engagement both with the Word of God and with the God of the Word to become a new creation in ChristImmersion, inspired by a fresh translation--the Common English Bible--stands firmly on Scripture and helps readers explore the emotional, spiritual, and intellectual needs of their personal faith. More importantly, they'll be able to discover God's revelation through readings and reflections.

A resource full of children's messages with a "Wow!" factor

A seven session leader guide to accompany the book A Hopeful Earth. In this unique study, Bishop Sally Dyck and her niece, Sarah Erhman, asks the question who are we and why are we interested in connecting Jesus to the care of creation. The dialogue between the faith leader and the young scientist allows the play of questions about faith and science, the organized church and state of the planet and its people.

Living in Faith Korean Americans need a Bible study series that should identify those challenges and address those opportunities. This Bible study series will be a combination of both biblical information and transformational experiences. This series will aim at giving practical guidance in the journey of immigrant life as Christians. This series will basically deal with three questions: 1. Who (or whose) are we?, 2. Who is God/Jesus/The Holy Spirit?, and 3. What does God want us to do? The rubrics that will reflect these questions are 1) Bible texts, 2) Immigrant life stories, 3) Sharing, 4) Decision-making.

Living in Faith Korean Americans need a Bible study series that should identify those challenges and address those opportunities. This Bible study series will be a combination of both biblical information and transformational experiences. This series will aim at giving practical guidance in the journey of immigrant life as Christians. This series will basically deal with three questions: 1. Who (or whose) are we?, 2. Who is God/Jesus/The Holy Spirit?, and 3. What does God want us to do? The rubrics that will reflect these questions are 1) Bible texts, 2) Immigrant life stories, 3) Sharing, 4) Decision-making.

Living in Faith Korean Americans need a Bible study series that should identify those challenges and address those opportunities. This Bible study series will be a combination of both biblical information and transformational experiences. This series will aim at giving practical guidance in the journey of immigrant life as Christians. This series will basically deal with three questions: 1. Who (or whose) are we?, 2. Who is God/Jesus/The Holy Spirit?, and 3. What does God want us to do? The rubrics that will reflect these questions are 1) Bible texts, 2) Immigrant life stories, 3) Sharing, 4) Decision-making.