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The Sermon on the Mount in the Light of the Temple (Society For Old Testament Study Ser.)
by John W. WelchNo religious text has influenced the world more than has the New Testament's Sermon on the Mount, and yet this crucial text still begs to be more clearly understood. Why was it written? What unifying theme or purpose holds it all together? Should it be called a sermon? Or is it some other kind of composition? How would its earliest listeners have heard its encoded allusions and systematic program? This book offers new insights into the Sermon on the Mount by seeing it in the shadow of the all-pervasive Temple in Jerusalem, which dominated the religious landscape of the world of Jesus and his earliest disciples. Analyzing Matthew 5-7 in light of biblical and Jewish backgrounds, ritual studies, and oral performances in early Christian worship, this reading coherently integrates every line in the Sermon. It positions the Sermon as the premier Christian mystery.
Sermon on the Mount Leader Guide: A Beginner's Guide to the Kingdom of Heaven (Sermon on the Mount)
by Amy-Jill LevineHow is the follower of Jesus to understand the words of the Old Testament? How are those words relevant to the New Covenant he is establishing? What might the words of the Lord’s Prayer have conveyed to his initial followers, and why is that historical information essential to the prayer two millennia later? In Sermon on the Mount, Dr. Amy-Jill Levine takes a detailed and colorful overview of Matthew 5-7, collectively known as Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. Through Dr. Levine’s engaging method of biblical interpretation, readers will come away with a solid understanding of the Sermon on the Mount in its historical and theological context. Chapters include: The Beatitudes The Extensions Practicing Piety Our Father Finding Your Treasure Living into the Kingdom Explore the major topics in the most popular sermon ever delivered and unpack how Jesus makes his points using a solid knowledge of Hebrew Scriptures and moral teachings. The Leader Guide includes session outline for each group meeting with Scripture, prayer, opening activity, discussion questions, activity, and ending call to action.
The Sermon on the Mount through the Centuries
by Stephen R. Spencer Jeffrey P. Greenman Timothy LarsenThe Sermon on the Mount through the Centuries offers an engaging approach to the study of historical theology and biblical exegesis. Stellar contributing scholars examine various interpretative approaches to the Sermon on the Mount, providing glimpses into historical perspectives on a passage that distills the very essence of the teaching of Jesus.
Sermon Seeds: 40 Creative Sermon Starters
by Dottie Escobedo-FrankNote: This is the eBook version, and does not contain the DVD nor the DVD contents that the print version contains. If you preach, you are looking for ways to create worship experiences that keep people on the edge of their seats, straining to hear every word. Sermon Seeds helps pastors who want to approach the job of preaching more creatively by suggesting out-of-the-box surprises that bring about deeper understanding of God's message. Creative, multifaceted sermons can happen without extensive technology, money, or staff. Sermon Seeds stirs creative juices by providing ideas that can easily be adapted for use in a variety of settings. Contains forty creative sermon starters, each complete with the Scripture passage, message theme and elements, background information, creative avenue, and suggested ending. Themes include: Passing the Mantle, The Bread-Maker God--Holy Communion, and Grace: Breaking Through the Barriers.
Sermon Sparks: 122 Ideas to Ignite Your Preaching
by Thomas H. TroegerA working pastor is always looking for fresh preaching perspectives. This hands-on resource from the author of a long-standing column in the journal Lectionary Homiletics covers the entire three-year lectionary cycle with brief reflections designed to generate fresh and timely sermon ideas. Each reflection is limited to two pages and provides an interpretation of one or more lections for every month of the year. While some focus on a single lection, others draw forth a theological/pastoral theme that stretches across several lections, suggesting how to approach an entire month homiletically.
The Sermon Sucking Black Hole: Why You Can't Remember on Monday What Your Minister Preached on Sunday (Morgan James Faith Ser.)
by David R. MainsVery little communication takes place between most pastors/priests and their congregants regarding the weekly sermon/homily. This lack of constructive dialogue has resulted in Sunday messages that are not only out-of-touch with where parishioners are living, but for the most part what&’s said isn&’t remembered much beyond the church parking lot. Dr. Mains contends that people in the pew can best judge when a sermon is helpful to them and when it isn&’t. So why not include them in the process of both preparing and evaluating sermons? Not preaching the sermons. . . . .but again, preparing and evaluating them. He makes these changes sound so simple and practical that you can&’t help but wonder, &“Why weren&’t these ideas implemented years ago?&”Most people in the pew don&’t realize how integral they are to finding a solution to this problem. But the pulpit/pew combination can be an incredibly powerful team, so let&’s begin to work together to help solve this mystery of what&’s happening to sermons.This is not a negative book or one that only points out problems. Instead, it&’s a positive, practical and encouraging read that should fill you with hope for not only your local congregation, but churches everywhere.
Sermon Treks: Trailways to Creative Preaching
by Ronald J. AllenThe lectionary is a helpful homiletical tool. But there are times when lectionary preaching does not meet a congregation's needs. Sermon Treks offers preachers and students an invigorating selection of new sermon-planning trails, for use as sermon series or for single sermons. The options presented here are practical and theologically responsible. Some are rooted in ancient forms of proclamation; others are new. All provide clear but creative guidance for the preacher, and a path that will lead to more effective sermons.
The Sermon without End: A Conversational Approach to Preaching
by Ronald J. Allen O. Wesley Allen Jr.A New Model for Post-Apologetic Preaching in a Pluralistic World. The relationship between preaching and the public sphere has long been debated. Three different theological approaches tend to dominate the discussion. In different ways, these approaches take into account the movement from the modern mindset of the mid-to-late 20th century to the emerging postmodern worldview. In The Sermon without End, authors Allen & Allen thoughtfully offer a fourth option, one that in their view has not received much attention, but which offers a distinct and especially helpful perspective. It is a new and dynamic conversational model, reaching beyond the earlier work of Tillich and Tracy. In this homiletical framework, conversation takes place in multiple directions between the text or tradition and the world today. It is preaching in conversation, not just toward but with voices from the public sphere. The book provides a solid foundation for understanding this post-apologetic approach, but it importantly goes on to offer practical, real-pulpit guidance for implementation in a preaching ministry. It is a book for both scholars and practicing preachers who wish to reach people in meaningful and significant ways, and in ways that make sense for today.
A Sermon Workbook: Exercises in the Art and Craft of Preaching
by Thomas H. Troeger Leonora Tubbs TisdaleBoth experienced and novice preachers need a new approach for sermon development skill-building. A Sermon Workbook offers a unique and flexible resource that is instantly accessible and useful for anyone tasked with the proclamation of the Word. The workbook format can be used in a linear fashion, beginning to end. Or readers can pick and choose the chapters to tailor-fit their own needs. In either case, readers build skill upon skill, working through inventive and engaging exercises first developed and taught at Yale Divinity School. The book addresses the skills and arts that are essential for effective preaching in our multi-tasking, multi-ethnic, sound-byte society. It offers theological clarity about why we preach, and what matters most. The creative, collaborative, and charming authors present the principles as they do in their classroom: in two voices--one male and one female--with the two complementing and supporting one another.
Sermones que transforman vidas
by Daniel OverdorfCuando Erwin Lutzer, pastor de la Iglesia Moody, y su esposa, Rebecca, se dieron cuenta de que hoy día prácticamente nadie memoriza las Escrituras, decidieron crear este recurso práctico y relevante, repleto de versículos poderosos y explicaciones interesantes, para ayudar a estimular un hambre espiritual en la vida de los lectores. Con más de 35 temas y preguntas para la reflexión y el estudio, los lectores podrán descubrir cómo la Palabra de Dios... Estos versículos especialmente seleccionados proporcionan una base de sabiduría y esperanza para mostrar a los lectores quién es Dios y lo que Él ha hecho por ellos, así como quiénes son ellos y cómo pueden vivir con éxito la vida cristiana. After Erwin Lutzer, senior pastor of the Moody Church, and his wife, Rebecca, realized that memorizing Scripture has nearly become a lost pursuit today, they decided to create this practical, relevant resource filled with powerful verses and insightful explanations to help stimulate a spiritual hunger in readers' own lives. With more than thirty-five topics and questions for reflection and further study, readers will discover how God's Word will... These handpicked verses provide a foundation of wisdom and hope to show readers who God is and what He has done for them, as well as who they are and how they can successfully live the Christian life.
Sermons: Biblical Wisdom For Daily Living
by Peter J. GomesThe man Time magazine hailed as one of America's finest preachers presents a collection of forty timeless addresses to guide us through the year. With his characteristic eloquence and compassion, quoting from scripture as well as from T.S. Eliot and Woody Allen, Gomes offers us the tools we need to understand the wisdom of the Bible and the joy and inspiration it can bring to everyday life.
Sermons by the Devil
by William Shuler HarrisThe part that Satan plays in the drama of a human life is often larger than a person will admit. Each one of us is not only acting, but we are constantly acted upon by one or the other of two great influences. The Good Spirit endeavors to lead us to the skies, and its angels are ever willing to minister to our real needs. The Evil Spirit, either openly or under cover, seeks to destroy our mind with the untruth by preaching to us his black sermons of death. Some of these sermons are short, others are longer, and at times they are delivered to us in the language of an angel with all the dignity that good scholarship might command.This volume was commenced with the purpose of tearing off his Satanic mask so that people might see more clearly the real source of these dark sermons. There are many people who, after yielding to temptation, will declare that they have acted independent of any evil influence. Satan is pleased to see a person rest in the shadow of such a delusion, but it is better for each one of us to know that either the good or evil spirit is seeking to be the guest of our thoughts, and it depends upon our attitude who will be entertained.We aimed to keep the book clean throughout, even though we tried to bring out the real character of the unclean Spirit. We have advanced only such arguments of Satan as he uses continually in his practical dealings with people. We were particular that none of the chapters should be a source of temptation, but that they might give Satan his proper setting more clearly in the minds of the reader, and thereby destroy the edge of his sword as much as possible.
Sermons from Duke Chapel: Voices from "A Great Towering Church"
by William H. WillimonMany of America's greatest Protestant preachers--Paul Tillich, William Sloane Coffin, Barbara Brown Taylor, Fleming Rutledge, Peter J. Gomes, Billy Graham, and others--have spoken powerfully from the pulpit of the "great towering church" that is the spiritual and architectural center of Duke University. This collection of fifty-eight of the most notable sermons proclaimed from that pulpit commemorates the seventy-fifth anniversary of the groundbreaking for Duke Chapel. It is a sweeping panorama of sermons selected and edited by Bishop William H. Willimon, Dean of the Chapel for twenty years and one of the most widely read writers on preaching in America. Opening with the sermon preached in June 1935 at the dedication of the Chapel and closing with one by Willimon delivered at the beginning of the 2003-4 school year, this volume presents Protestant Christianity at its most eloquent and prophetic. Some sermons are pure meditations on biblical texts; others are period pieces in the best sense of the term, reflecting on such contemporary concerns as civil rights, the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy, and the wars in Europe, Vietnam, and Iraq. Willimon provides a brief introduction to each sermon, commenting on the work and thought of the preacher. Diverse in subject and style, the sermons collected in this volume are a treasure for those who love fine preaching, a resource for those studying the history of homiletics, and a light to rekindle the memories of those who have worshiped in the Chapel over the years.
The Sermons of Charles F. Parham (Routledge Library Editions: 19th Century Religion #16)
by Charles F. ParhamThis collection originally published in 1985. This volume contains two of Charles F. Parham’s influential works; A Voice Crying in the Wilderness and Everlasting Gospel. Charles F. Parham was an American preacher and evangelist, and was one of the two central figures in the development of the early spread of Pentecostalism. He was also the first preacher to articulate Pentecostalism's distinctive doctrine of evidential tongues. This title will be of interest to students of nineteenth-century religious and social history.
The Sermons of John Wesley: A Collection for the Christian Journey
by Jason E. Vickers Kenneth J. CollinsWith an eye on serious Christian development, Kenneth Collins and Jason Vickers have arranged this collection of the sermons of John Wesley in terms of the way of salvation in general and the "ordo salutis" in particular. This book contains the sermons that John Wesley approved, in addition to the standard 52 of the North American tradition, organized to correspond to the logic of Christian discipleship and formation. The editors include an outline and short introduction to each sermon detailing its importance and context. Sermons include "Sermon on the Mount," which is key to understanding Wesley's ethics, "Free Grace," "On Working Out Our Own Salvation," and "The Danger of Riches." The book is designed to enhance the reader's understanding of Wesleyan practical theology and written in an accessible style that will be appealing to the wider Wesleyan family of churches. Also included are all of the 44 standard sermons of the British tradition.
The Sermons of Jonathan Edwards: A Reader
by Wilson H. Kimnach Kenneth P. Minkema Douglas A. SweeneyThe selection of Jonathan Edward's 15 sermons in this book reflect a life dedicated to experiencing and understanding spiritual truth, and address a wide range of occasions, situations and states.
The Sermons Of Laurence Sterne: The Text (Florida Edition Of The Works Of Laurence Sterne Series #4)
by Laurence Sterne Melvyn NewThis is a scholarly edition of Laurence Sterne's sermons. This volume contains the text of his 45 sermons.
Sermons That Sing: Music and the Practice of Preaching (Dynamics of Christian Worship)
by Noel A. SnyderPreaching and music are both regular elements of Christian worship across the theological spectrum. But they often don't interact or inform each other in meaningful ways. In this Dynamics of Christian Worship volume, theologian, pastor, and musician Noel A. Snyder considers how the church's preaching might be helpfully informed by musical theory. Just as a good musical composition employs technical elements like synchrony, repetition, and meter, the same should be said for good preaching that seeks to engage hearts and minds with the good news of Jesus Christ. By drawing upon music that lifts the soul, preachers might craft sermons that sing.
Sermons to the People: Advent, Christmas, New Year, Epiphany
by Augustine Of HippoA superb new translation brings the words of Augustine the preacher stirringly to life!When the great Saint Augustine was called from his country home to become Bishop of Hippo in the fourth century, his new responsibilities took him away from the solitude of his writing and into the glare of the public eye. The author of two of the greatest works of religious literature, Confessions and City of God, Augustine became a shepherd to the people, inspiring and enlightening them with his sermons. His skills as a speaker were as great-if not greater-than his skills as a writer. According to his friend Possidius, "Those who read what Augustine wrote on the divine topics do get something out of them. But those who saw and heard him in person-they were the ones who got heaven and Earth." Sermons to the People collects the homilies on the liturgical seasons of the Church Saint Augustine delivered over the course of his lifetime. This Image edition includes the first sermons in that vast collection: from Advent, Christmas, New Year's, and the Epiphany. Newly translated by William Griffin, they address timeless concerns, including the problems of materialism and the intellectual difficulties of faith. Griffin renders the sermons with such immediacy, it is as though he had been present when Augustine spoke to his flock.From the Trade Paperback edition.
Serpent in the Garden: Amish Sexuality in a Changing World
by James A. CatesThe first book to examine the complexity of sexual identity, philosophy, and behavior in Amish culture.The Amish offer a startling contrast to the postmodern view of sexuality and gender roles. After the sexual revolution of the 1960s, mainstream American culture never looked back. Meanwhile, the Amish never looked forward. In twenty-first-century Amish communities, heteronormative sexuality is still based on a unifying principle: an understanding of sexuality as emerging from a divine plan. In the eyes of the Amish, sex is squandered by those who embrace it as hedonistic or who carve out a sexual identity that moves them away from that singular, God-given purpose. But this communal emphasis on sex for procreation does not mean that the Amish do not possess a complex range of sexual identities and opinions.In Serpent in the Garden, clinical psychologist James A. Cates breaks new ground in the study of Amish sexuality by examining this shrouded, rarely discussed subject. The first book to bring Amish sexuality into primary focus, this volume argues that, because the Amish are a sexual minority, queer theory is the ideal framework from which to observe their views on sex, sexuality, and gender. The book offers a broad view of sexuality in Amish culture that includes the challenges that gays and lesbians face in the community, as well as an exploration of Amish gender roles, their views toward intimacy, their responses to cases of child sexual abuse, and the role of fetishes among the Amish. Cates draws from multiple perspectives and years of research on the Amish themselves. He also looks at pushback against alternative behaviors or identities, as well as Amish success in keeping mainstream values at bay. With this book, Cates establishes Amish sexuality as a topic worthy of professional attention. Offering readers a more sophisticated understanding of the Amish and of sexual expression among cultures, Serpent in the Garden will appeal to scholars working on gender and sexuality, the Amish, and social service professionals who serve the Amish community.
Serpent of Light: The Movement of the Earth's Kundalini and the Rise of the Female Light
by Drunvalo Melchizedek“Serpent of Light is a masterful description of the great Earth activations that are occurring during the end of the Mayan Calendar.” —Barbara Hand Clow, author of The Mayan CodeEvery 13,000 years on Earth a sacred and secret event takes place that changes everything. Mother Earth’s Kundalini energy emerges from its resting place in the planet’s core and moves like a snake across the surface of our world. Once at home in ancient Lemuria, it moved to Atlantis, then to the Himalayan mountains of India and Tibet, and with every relocation changed our idea of what spiritual means. And gender. And heart. This time, with much difficulty, the “Serpent of Light” has moved to the Andes Mountains of Chile and Peru.Multi-dimensional, multi-disciplined and multi-lived, for the first time in this book, Drunvalo begins to tell his stories of thirty-five years spent in service to Mother Earth. Follow him around the world as he follows the guidance of Ascended Masters, his two spheres of light, and his own inner growing knowledge. His story is a living string of ceremonies to help heal hearts, align energies, right ancient imbalances, and balance the living Earth’s Unity Consciousness Grid—in short, to increase our awareness of the indivisibility of life in the universe. We are all—rocks and people and interdimensional beings—one!“Life may seem to be business as usual, but it is not. We are changing fast . . . Remember this for life is going to present stranger things to you in your lifetime, and they all have meaning and purpose . . . Only Mother Earth and ancient Maya know what’s going to happen.” —from Serpent of Light
The Serpent of Paradise
by Erwin W. LutzerDr. Lutzer shows how Satan's rebellion serves God's purposes.
The Serpent's Promise
by Steve JonesA unique contribution to the God/religion debate: a scientific take on the Bible that doesn't take sides. Many of the subjects studied by physicists or by biologists are found in the texts of the world's religions: the origins of the universe, of life and of mankind; fate, sex, age and death; and the prospects of eternal life or of fiery doom. The Bible is a handbook for understanding Nature and, in its own way, it succeeds. As a factual account, of course, it is out of date, but many of its statements can be rephrased in modern terms. Distinguished geneticist Steve Jones has done that: written a rivetingly accessible work on recent advances in our understanding of ourselves, using the Bible as a framework. His narrative is structured around the Good Book's grand themes, from Genesis to Revelations, and weaves a series of unexpected facts into a coherent whole. The struggle of rationalism with its opposite has, after decades of torpor, returned to centre stage. Polemics against and in favour of religion and atheism fill the shelves. Instead of adding to that pile, Steve Jones stands back and take a fresh look at that issue in a volume that is not an attack or a defence but which explores scriptural motifs--Creation, the Garden of Eden, original sin, the Exodus, virgin birth, the Resurrection, and the Last Judgment--using the methods and results of the latest scientific research. It is a remarkably quick jump, shows Professor Jones, from Adam to astrophysics. Although some of the questions raised are beyond the capabilities of science, at least a scientist can ask them in a new way. Steve Jones shows there is a better route to understanding the universe than through doctrine.
The Servant King: The Bible's Portrait Of The Messiah
by T. Desmond AlexanderWe need to know who Jesus is. But where can we turn to find out? Many people look only to the New Testament for answers. But reader of The Servant King will find that the Old Testament, beginning with its very first pages, paints a portrait of the Messiah, the Saviour of the world: where he will come from, what he will be like and what he will do. By the time we reach the New Testament, much of the portrait has emerged, so that the Jesus we encounter is not a stranger. We are able to see, like the first disciples, that he is the Messiah already promised, the Servant King. With great skill, Desmond Alexander helps us see the portrait's first brush-strokes being laid down in Genesis and more being added as the Old Testament story unfolds. Then, as he guides us through the New Testament, we discover how the portrait is completed revealing Jesus in all his glory. This book brings the whole picture into view. It helps us see who Jesus was, where he stood in the plans of God and what he was sent to do. If we read with care and faith, The Servant King will help us enter the richness of God's Word, and we will understand better, not just who Jesus was, but who he is today. "The Servant King is written with the sort of authority only a leading Old Testament specialist can command; but its deep learning is not allowed to intrude and the book has all the charm and helpfulness of a piece of enthusiastic Bible study, presented with freshness and accuracy." -Alec Motyer, Trinity College, Bristol T. D. Alexander (PhD, Queen's University, Belfast) is director of the Magee Institute for Christian Training at Union Theological College in Belfast, Northern Ireland. He is also the author of Paradise to the Promised Land.
The Servant Leader: How to Build a Creative Team, Develop Great Morale and Improve Bottom-line Performance
by James A. AutryServant leadership is leadership the right way--a better way of being a manager and part of organizational life. Servant leadership will produce fulfilling emotional, psychological, and spiritual rewards for everyone involved. It will enhance productivity, encourage creativity, and benefit the bottom line. In The Servant Leader,top-selling author, former Fortune 500 executive, and business consultant James A. Autry shows you how to remain true to the servant leadership model when handling day-to-day and long-term management situations. You'll learn how to manage with respect and honesty and how to empower employees to achieve new levels of satisfaction. Plus, you'll learn why servant leadership can be the guiding light to becoming the kind of leader and person you want to be. You'll discover how to: Maintain your spiritual focus while dealing with such challenging issues as firing, harassment, substance abuse, and performance problems; Provide guidance during conflict and crisis; Assure your continued growth and progress as a leader; Train managers in the principles of servant leadership; Transform a company with morale problems into a great place to work; And more. Real leadership begins on the inside with your own commitment to inspire the best in others. But it's one thing to make the commitment; it's quite another to develop the skills to make that happen. If you are an executive, a manager, or someone who aspires to be in a leadership role, you will find the servant leadership philosophy to be a valuable, refreshing, and rewarding approach to leading others and to business life. "This is an awesome book. James Autry's gift is that he brings lofty ideals down to earth with general illustrations that make them easy to understand and apply. I highly recommend it!" --Jack Canfield, coauthor,Chicken Soup for the Soul at Work. "The Servant Leader illuminates a clear path to personal, spiritual, and material actualization, which, in return,creates an infinite circle of prosperity." --Tom Gould, retired chairman and CEO, Younkers, Inc. "Quite simply, this is an extraordinary book. It is a classic already and the first truly great leadership book of the new century." --John Noble, director, Greenleaf Center, UK. "The Servant Leader is really the best field guide I've seen for helping managers transform themselves into true leaders." --Doug Greene,CEO, New Hope Group. "Servant leadership is key to surviving and thriving in the twenty-first century. Let both Jim Autry and his book, The Servant Leader, be your guide." --Ken Blanchard, coauthor, The One Minute Manager.