Bücher veröffentlicht von IVP

Defending the Christian faith is a multidimensional task. But central to that task must be the presentation and example of the uniqueness of Christian love. Author and apologist Art Lindsley explores the persuasive and illuminating power of Christlike love expressed in commitment, conscience, community and courage.

"Ask any ten people what makes a person a Christian and you'll get ten different answers." So begins Paul E. Little's exploration of a central question of Christianity: can we know God?

In clear, concise prose, Timothy Paul Jones takes on Bart Ehrman's misleading conclusions about how we got the New Testament, how the New Testament documents have been transmitted and what kind of diversity existed among early Christians.

Following Jesus, says John White, is not cheap. The cost is substantial. But the benefits, rewards and joys that come with our commitment to him are well worth it. Here is a classic work on what it means to be a follower of Christ in all its suffering and glory.

Alex Gee tells a very personal story about dealing with pain and loss. After his wife had several miscarriages, Alex lost two children at birth. This book reveals how he processed these experiences with God. He examines how we ask and answer the hard questions of pain and suffering, and how our view of God may change as a result.

We live in a cynical age. Cynicism is in the air we breathe; it is a cultural norm; it is the default setting and lens through which many of us view the world. In this book, Dick Keyes explores cynicism in all its manifestations and then looks beyond to alternatives that speak honestly about suspicion, trust and hope.

Mike King proposes a youth ministry centered in the presence of God. Here, young people encounter Christ not in the flash and pop of arena ministry, but in the sacred shadow of his presence. This book gives shape to such ministry through the classic disciplines and potent symbols and practices that have sustained the church over the centuries.

Albert Hsu unpacks the spiritual significance of suburbia and explores how suburban culture shapes how we live and practice our faith. With broad historical background and sociological analysis, Hsu offers guidance and hope for all who would seek the welfare of the suburbs.

Do you dream of making a difference for God but wonder how to begin? Pam Farrel shares what she has learned about disciple making, discovering a personal ministry and staying focused on your goals. And she shows how you can be a faithful servant of God in all of those relationships and circumstances.

Pastors Efrem Smith and Phil Jackson show the urgency of connecting hip-hop culture and church to reach a generation with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Volume editors Peter Cha, Steve Kang and Helen Lee, with a team of veteran Asian American pastors and church leaders, offer eight key values for healthy Asian American churches. Growing Healthy Asian American Churchesdraws on years of expertise and is filled with practical examples from landmark churches like Evergreen Baptist Church of Los Angeles, NewSong Church and Lighthouse Christian Church and with insights from pioneering leaders like Ken Fong, David Gibbons, Grace May, Wayne Ogimachi and Soong-Chan Rah. It is an essential guide for Asian American church leaders wanting to help their congregations achieve health and growth.

Today's pluralistic society is filled with religious alternatives and options, and the choices for faith commitment have never been more numerous. Many of these new religious movements are growing at a far faster pace than most traditional Christian denominations. Why are they so appealing?Sociologist Ronald Enroth and a team of expert contributors provide an accessible handle on the key religious movements of our day, from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the Jehovah's Witnesses to contemporary versions of Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam. They assess what each movement believes, why they are attractive to so many, and how Christians can respond with grace and truth.

For all those who have ever felt useless to God, J. I. Packer and Carolyn Nystrom offer this encouraging look at characters from Scripture who all failed, but who God used for his glory. Includes study questions, prayer suggestions and journaling ideas.

Ben Witherington III confronts the claims of The Da Vinci Code with the sure-footedness of a New Testament scholar, yet in the plain language that any interested reader can follow.

Discover how to relate to others with the honesty and authenticity God intended in this book by counselor Russell Willingham. He identifies the relational masks that keep us from relating freely to others and God. When you are able to remove those relational masks, you'll find the relational freedom and satisfaction you?ve been yearning for.

Abuse is ugly. It is always wrong. It is never part of God?s design for healthy family living. It distorts relationships and shatters dreams. It creates pain and despair. It never produces hope.You know this all too well--that's why you've picked up this book.Nancy Nason-Clark and Catherine Clark Kroeger know the pain of women who have been abused, especially the unique pain of Christian women who thought it couldn't happen to them. In this straightforward, practical book they supply the answer to the questions you face: How do I know I need help? How much of my story should I tell? Where do I find spiritual support as a victim of abuse? What help can I find in the community? How do I get started on the healing journey? What key steps will I need to take to get on with my life? How can I understand what help my abuser needs? How do I learn to trust God again?Their advice is solid, backed up by Nason-Clark's professional expertise as a sociologist and Kroeger's as a biblical scholar. Together they supply both here-and-now, step-by-step advice you need to start the healing journey and biblical insights to nourish your soul and sustain you on the path to wholeness.

Keith and Gladys Hunt tell the story of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship's first fifty years--from early setbacks and failed plans to creative strategies and spiritual triumphs.

Paying particular attention to the issue of God's sovereignty, Jerry L. Walls and Joseph R. Dongell critique biblical and theological weaknesses of Calvinist thought.

Phillip E. Johnson pries the lid off public debate about issues at the core of what contemporary society deems true and meaningful. He outlines the questions we ought to be asking about scientific inquiry, public education, civil liberties, moral choices and other oddly uncontested cultural assumptions.

Art Lindsley ably demonstrates that faith in Christ is necessarily opposed to and incompatible with the abuses of oppression, arrogance, intolerance, self-righteousness, closed-mindedness and defensiveness. Surprisingly, he shows that it is relativism which often harbors dangerous, inflexible absolutisms.

In Bored with God, Sean Dunn catalogs what he's seen of apathy in his ministry to youth. He offers sympathetic guidance from the Scriptures for keeping apathy from spreading and for shepherding students into spiritual hunger.

Musician and preacher Richard Allen Farmer explores the messages of twenty-five of the greatest hymns of the Christian faith.

Rebecca Osaigbovo tells women who who want to be the keys to change in their homes, churches and communities: "Stop going your own way and follow God's lead."

With clear, biblical insight, Allen Wakabayashi reveals what God is up to right now: transforming the entire world and making things right. Read this book to revolutionize how you live out your faith, how you think about your world and how you explain the good news about Jesus.

Based on a thorough exploration of Scripture and decades of real-world experience, Robert Linthicum's model of relational power provides sound, practical strategies for changing individuals, communities, structures and systems.

One of Discerning Reader's Best BooksWe are not created to worship. Nor are we created for worship. We are created worshiping.Too often Christians have only thought of worship in terms of particular musical styles or liturgical formats. But a proper view of worship is far larger than what takes place in churches on Sunday mornings. Worship is not limited to specific times, places or activities.God is by his very nature continuously outpouring himself. Because we are created in his image, we too are continually pouring ourselves in various directions, whether toward God or toward false gods. All of us, Christian or not, are always worshiping, whether or not that worship is directed toward God. We are unceasing worshipers.The fruition of a lifetime of study, reflection and experience, this volume sets forth Harold M. Best's understanding of worship and the arts. Widely respected as one of the foremost thinkers and practitioners in his field, Best explores the full scope of worship as continuous outpouring in all settings and contexts. With careful exposition and eloquent analysis, Best casts a holistic vision for worship that transcends narrow discussions of musical style or congregational preference. On this broader canvas, Best addresses popular misunderstandings about the use of music and offers correctives toward a more biblically consistent practice of artistic action.Incisive, biblical, profound and comprehensive, Best's landmark volume is one by which all other statements on worship and the arts will be measured.

Balancing sound biblical exposition with sensitive pastoral care, Stephen Seamands shows that because Jesus experienced abuse, shame and rejection, he understands the hurts we experience today. And Jesus' response to pain and suffering gives us hope that we too can experience forgiveness and new life.

We work long and hard to make our ministry the biggest, the loudest, the brightest.But look out and listen up: God is not caught up in sound and fury. And he doesn't want to see youth workers disengage--letting the momentum define their purpose.Mike Higgs, reflecting on more than two decades of work with youth, thinks the greatest need among youth workers today is a reminder of who we are. We need to set aside the distractions of an emphasis on performance and focus instead on connecting with God in his work in us, our students and other youth workers. When a renewed spirit shapes our work with youth, our ministry will become less a muddled chorus of strategies and targets, and more a symphony of purpose and practice.

Putting church leadership on an apostolic footing, Brian J. Dodd helps you to see the necessity of prayer, followership, partnership, servanthood and willingness to run against the current if you are to lead where God wants you to lead.

Alison Siewert and her team of writers offer ideas for every aspect of drama ministry-from why it?s biblical to how to direct a performance, from warm-ups for actors to how to write your own sketches. Includes 14 sketches you can reproduce in your ministry.