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The Surge: Churches Catching the Wave of Christ's Love for the Nations (Leadership Network Innovation Series)
by Pete BriscoeWhen Jesus left the planet, he left a simple directive in his apprentice’s ears: take me to the world, bring them into the family, and teach them to obey me… and don’t worry I’ll be with you every step of the way. So the system was turned on its ear. Instead of “Bring the people to me” Jesus said, “Take me to the people”. This book highlights the imperative need for the Church of Jesus Christ to be a sending culture, taking Jesus to the people who desperately need him. It focuses specifically on the awesome responsibility the blessed church of the West has in this regard to reach out globally. When Pete Briscoe arrived at Bent Tree they had “prophecy conferences.” Desiring to focus on the part of the puzzle that we can actually do something about (the great commission) they immediately shifted the emphasis to a Mission Festival. At that time they were investing just $36,000 per year in world missions, and all but one of their missionaries was on American soil. They implemented Faith Promise giving, gave opportunities for mission partners to make compelling presentations, included mission moments in their worship services, brought in mission experts to speak at a mission festival, increased giving to over $1 million annually, gave 10% of expansion giving ($2.6 million) to the world church, adopted the world’s largest unreached people group and have a desire to see a church planted in every one of the 200,000 villages in the region, and much more… This book is necessary because the American church has forgotten this simple truth: “the church of Jesus Christ exists primarily for the benefit of its non-members.” The Seeker Movement helped to remind Evangelicals of the need to reach out to Seekers, but the model was a replica of the “Bring to” Model of the Old Testament. Pete Briscoe realized early in his pastorate that people in his church viewed evangelism as, “bring them to church to hear Pete.” While obviously there are times when this is a healthy strategy to reach the lost, we are missing the mark if it becomes the dominant method. Add to this, the minimal concern for the vast regions of the world that still have yet to hear of the gospel, and the burgeoning numbers of church leaders around the planet that have little or no theological training, and you start to get a feel for the angst and concern that drives this project. There is an imperative need for an awakening in the Western church to see beyond the boundaries not only of our Church Building, but of our Community as well. We have turned a “blind eye” in attempting to reach our communities. The author would like to encourage us to turn a “kind eye” to those outside our sphere of influence who are inside our ability to touch. This is a call from a Pastor to the Church to “Lift up their eyes (again) to see the harvest.” Here’s what readers can receive from the book: * Examples of a church that has kept mission at the front and seen God do amazing things as a result. * Detailed and simple processes to help church leaders implement some simple strategies to change the culture in their church. * Help to create a paradigm shift in fund raising for missions. * Opened eyes to the enormous need and incredible potential impact the American church has. * Demonstration of how to grow children and youth with a heart for the world. * A workable model from Acts 1:8. Acts 1:8 providing a good framework for strategic expansion. Many churches today are focusing on the Jerusalem piece and the Judea part is covered with the new multi-site phenomenon. But what does a Samaria strategy look like and how do we impact the ends of the earth? Acts 1:8 keeps all four spheres before us. * Sharing of the personal journey of a pastor who leads a mission minded church. * Practical and usable tools such as a grid for evaluation potential missionaries, an evaluation process for current mission partners, mobilization techniques for keeping a church connected to her m
Surge of Piety: Norman Vincent Peale and the Remaking of American Religious Life
by Christopher LaneThe dramatic untold story of how Norman Vincent Peale and a handful of conservative allies fueled the massive rise of religiosity in the United States during the 1950s Near the height of Cold War hysteria, when the threat of all-out nuclear war felt real and perilous, Presbyterian minister Norman Vincent Peale published The Power of Positive Thinking. Selling millions of copies worldwide, the book offered a gospel of self-assurance in an age of mass anxiety. Despite Peale's success and his ties to powerful conservatives such as Dwight D. Eisenhower, J. Edgar Hoover, and Joseph McCarthy, the full story of his movement has never been told. Christopher Lane shows how the famed minister's brand of Christian psychology inflamed the nation's religious revival by promoting the concept that belief in God was essential to the health and harmony of all Americans. We learn in vivid detail how Peale and his powerful supporters orchestrated major changes in a nation newly defined as living "under God. " This blurring of the lines between religion and medicine would reshape religion as we know it in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.
A Surgeon for Susan
by Helen SheltonAdam was very persuasiveDr. Susan Wheelan was appalled to discover her sister had set her up with a blind date! The only consolation, after being pressured into turning up, was the discovery that orthopedic surgeon Adam Hargraves had been equally set up, by his sister. Adam was so gorgeous, Susan couldn't understand why anyone should think he needed help in finding a woman-it just wouldn't be her! But Adam had other ideas....
The Surgeon's Marriage
by Maggie KingsleyDoctors Tom and Helen Brooke have a great marriage-when they can find the time to see each other amidst the pressures of work at the Belfield Infirmary and the demands of their adorable twins. Despite feeling overworked and underappreciated, Helen knows that she and Tom have something very special. So when Tom’s handsome friend becomes their new colleague and makes a play for Helen, she might be flattered but she’s not going to stray.Then a series of misunderstandings makes her think maybe Tom doesn’t care. Except he does, passionately, and now he’s faced with the fight of his life-the fight to save his marriage....
A Surplus of Memory: Chronicle of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
by Yitzhak ("Antek") ZuckermanIn 1943, against utterly hopeless odds, the Jews of the Warsaw Ghetto rose up to defy the Nazi horror machine that had set out to exterminate them. One of the leaders of the Jewish Fighting Organization, which led the uprisings, was Yitzhak Zuckerman, known by his underground pseudonym, Antek. Decades later, living in Israel, Antek dictated his memoirs. The Hebrew publication of Those Seven Years: 1939-1946 was a major event in the historiography of the Holocaust, and now Antek's memoirs are available in English.Unlike Holocaust books that focus on the annihilation of European Jews, Antek's account is of the daily struggle to maintain human dignity under the most dreadful conditions. His passionate, involved testimony, which combines detail, authenticity, and gripping immediacy, has unique historical importance. The memoirs situate the ghetto and the resistance in the social and political context that preceded them, when prewar Zionist and Socialist youth movements were gradually forged into what became the first significant armed resistance against the Nazis in all of occupied Europe. Antek also describes the activities of the resistance after the destruction of the ghetto, when 20,000 Jews hid in "Aryan" Warsaw and then participated in illegal immigration to Palestine after the war.The only extensive document by any Jewish resistance leader in Europe, Antek's book is central to understanding ghetto life and underground activities, Jewish resistance under the Nazis, and Polish-Jewish relations during and after the war. This extraordinary work is a fitting monument to the heroism of a people.
Surprise Child: Finding Hope in Unexpected Pregnancy
by Leslie Leyland FieldsUnplanned pregnancies happen to women in every season of life: the newly married, the never-married, the empty-nester, the teenager, the overworked mother, the career woman. Yet we rarely talk about how lonely and confusing this experience can be. InSurprise Child,Leslie Leyland Fields, who experienced two unplanned pregnancies in her forties, lyrically weaves her own story with the stories of other women who understand the isolation you face as expectations and plans are turned upside down to make room for a child. “Each year, more than three million women discover themselves pregnant–at a hard time, the wrong time, at a difficult place in their lives. I am one of those women. …” Together, these women walk with you month-by-month through the physical and emotional stages of pregnancy, voicing with startling honesty their own anxieties and struggles. Here you will find the companionship and hope you need to journey toward new life.
Surprise Christmas Family: A Winter Romance (Thunder Ridge #1)
by Renee RyanCan a very merry mistake lead to a perfect holiday?He isn’t the man she’s searching for…but he could be the one she needs.Hope Jeffries is determined to gain full custody of her twin nieces from their absentee dad. But when she finally confronts Dr. Walker Evans, Hope discovers she has the wrong man—this handsome Colorado widower is the girls’ uncle! While Hope and Walker try to locate his brother, can they also give their nieces a perfect family Christmas?From Harlequin Love Inspired: Uplifting stories of faith, forgiveness and hope.Thunder RidgeBook 1: Surprise Christmas Family
Surprise Double Delivery
by Therese Beharrie Karin BaineOne life-changing night…Her Twin Baby Secret by Therese Beharrie Alexa Moore is the definition of empowered and independent. She runs her own successful business and she&’s decided to start the family she&’s always wanted—by herself! But after business rival Benjamin Foster comes to her rescue and pretends to be her boyfriend for a night, their earth-shattering kiss sparks Alexa&’s desire to share much more with him… Can she find her happily-ever-after with this unexpected love? Their One-Night Twin Surprise by Karin Baine With her dreams of a longed-for family in tatters, air ambulance paramedic Izzy Fitzpatrick shares one night of comfort in the arms of best friend and colleague Dr. Cal Armstrong. One night that awakens a fierce yet undiscovered attraction…and leaves Izzy pregnant with twins! Heartbreakingly, Cal&’s already lost the chance of being a father once…but can Izzy convince him to embrace a second chance at family? Previously published as Her Twin Baby Secret and Their One-Night Twin Surprise
The Surprise Factor: Gospel Strategies for Changing the Game at Your Church
by Kim Shockley Paul NixonPrinciples for church leadership are important, but just as important is knowing when and how to implement them. This is strategy and it can make or break a leader's work. Those who have been in ministry for a while may have a bag of leadership tricks. But what are the results? Nixon and Shockley explore eight key leadership behaviors that will help a church move successfully through its first season of transformation, putting it well on its way to becoming a dynamic, growing body of Christ. They report that ninety percent of existing churches never make it out of the first season of transformation and give guidance on how to turn around a stagnant or dying church.
Surprise the World: The Five Habits of Highly Missional People
by Michael FrostSharing your faith doesn't have to be complicated. Christians are called to be a witness for Christ in daily life, to surprise people around us with the good news of the gospel. Yet putting that mission into regular practice can seem overwhelming. Author Michael Frost, a renowned expert on evangelism, offers refreshingly simple tactics to make evangelism fulfilling, exciting, and effective. Surprise the World teaches clear and practical tools for making evangelism part of your daily life. This short and easy read covers the BELLS method, along with thought-provoking questions and prompts for applying each habit. You'll learn about each of the five habits: -Bless others -Eat together -Listen to the Spirit -Learn Christ Understand yourself as Sent by God into others' lives Ideal for personal use or training groups on evangelism, the inspiring lessons in this book will transform your view of evangelism in daily life.
Surprised by God: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Religion
by Danya RuttenbergAt thirteen, Danya Ruttenberg decided she was an atheist. As a young adult, she immersed herself in the rhinestone-bedazzled wonderland of late 1990s San Francisco--drinking smuggled absinthe with wealthy geeks and plotting the revolution with feminist zinemakers. But she found herself yearning for something she would eventually call God. Surprised by God is a memoir of a young woman's spiritual awakening and eventual path to the rabbinate, a story of integrating life on the edge of the twenty-first century into the discipline of traditional Judaism, without sacrificing either. It's also an unflinchingly honest guide to the kind of work that goes into developing a spiritual practice--and it shows why, perhaps, doing this in today's world requires more effort than ever. Readers, both Jewish and non-Jewish, who are building a spiritual practice or becoming more religiously committed will find this a must-read.
Surprised by God: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Religion
by Danya RuttenbergAt thirteen, Danya Ruttenberg decided that she was an atheist. Watching the sea of adults standing up and sitting down at Rosh Hashanah services, and apparently giving credence to the patently absurd truth-claims of the prayer book, she came to a conclusion: Marx was right. As a young adult, Danya immersed herself in the rhinestone-bedazzled wonderland of late-1990s San Francisco-attending Halloweens on the Castro, drinking smuggled absinthe with wealthy geeks, and plotting the revolution with feminist zinemakers. But she found herself yearning for something she would eventually call God. As she began inhaling countless stories of spiritual awakenings of Catholic saints, Buddhist nuns, medieval mystics, and Hasidic masters, she learned that taking that yearning seriously would require much of her. Surprised by God is a religious coming-of-age story, from the mosh pit to the Mission District and beyond. It's the memoir of a young woman who found, lost, and found again communities of like-minded seekers, all the while taking a winding, semi-reluctant path through traditional Jewish practice that eventually took her to the rabbinate. It's a post-dotcom, third-wave, punk-rock Seven Storey Mountain-the story of integrating life on the edge of the twenty-first century into the discipline of traditional Judaism without sacrificing either. It's also a map through the hostile territory of the inner life, an unflinchingly honest guide to the kind of work that goes into developing a spiritual practice in today's world-and why, perhaps, doing this in today's world requires more work than it ever has.
Surprised by Hope
by N. T. WrightFor years Christians have been asking, "If you died tonight, do you know where you would go?" It turns out that many believers have been giving the wrong answer. It is not heaven. Award-winning author N. T. Wright outlines the present confusion about a Christian's future hope and shows how it is deeply intertwined with how we live today. Wright, who is one of today's premier Bible scholars, asserts that Christianity's most distinctive idea is bodily resurrection. He provides a magisterial defense for a literal resurrection of Jesus and shows how this became the cornerstone for the Christian community's hope in the bodily resurrection of all people at the end of the age. Wright then explores our expectation of "new heavens and a new earth," revealing what happens to the dead until then and what will happen with the "second coming" of Jesus. For many, including many Christians, all this will come as a great surprise. Wright convincingly argues that what we believe about life after death directly affects what we believe about life before death. For if God intends to renew the whole creation-and if this has already begun in Jesus's resurrection-the church cannot stop at "saving souls" but must anticipate the eventual renewal by working for God's kingdom in the wider world, bringing healing and hope in the present life. Lively and accessible, this book will surprise and excite all who are interested in the meaning of life, not only after death but before it.
Surprised by Hope Participant's Guide: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church
by Kevin Harney N. T. WrightGain an exciting new vision for your life on earth in light of your future in heaven. Wonderful as is the promise of heaven, a glorious hereafter is just part of what salvation is about. What about today? Jesus called his followers the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Your life here and now is of tremendous consequence, and what you believe about the future has a direct impact on how you live in the present. In six transforming, faith-inspiring sessions, premier biblical scholar N. T. Wright opens your eyes to the amazing full scope of what God's Word has to say about the world to come and the world that is. Designed for use with the video.
Surprised by Jesus Again: Reading the Bible in Communion with the Saints
by Jason ByasseeA bold, historical, robust approach to reading Scripture and encountering Jesus anewNo one expects to be surprised. Yet biblical interpretation can do exactly that. Christians expect to see Jesus as they read the Bible, but when and how Jesus actually speaks through Scripture can still surprise us!Drawing on the early church’s theological giants—Origen, Augustine, Gregory the Great, and more from the historical cloud of witnesses—author Jason Byassee models how we can recover ancient Christians’ multiple ways of reading the Bible to our benefit. As Byassee says, God himself is Jewish, Catholic, and Pentecostal—so much larger than our own little corner on the truth—and this book offers readers a refreshingly enhanced vision of the Bible and of Jesus himself.
Surprised by Jesus Again: Reading the Bible in Communion with the Saints
by Jason ByasseeA bold, historical, robust approach to reading Scripture and encountering Jesus anewNo one expects to be surprised. Yet biblical interpretation can do exactly that. Christians expect to see Jesus as they read the Bible, but when and how Jesus actually speaks through Scripture can still surprise us!Drawing on the early church&’s theological giants—Origen, Augustine, Gregory the Great, and more from the historical cloud of witnesses—author Jason Byassee models how we can recover ancient Christians&’ multiple ways of reading the Bible to our benefit. As Byassee says, God himself is Jewish, Catholic, and Pentecostal—so much larger than our own little corner on the truth—and this book offers readers a refreshingly enhanced vision of the Bible and of Jesus himself.
Surprised by Joy
by C. S. LewisIn this book Lewis tells of his search for joy, a spiritual journey that led him from the Christianity of his early youth into atheism and then back to Christianity.
Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life (C. S. Lewis Signature Classic Ser.)
by C. S. LewisA repackaged edition of the revered author’s spiritual memoir, in which he recounts the story of his divine journey and eventual conversion to Christianity.C. S. Lewis—the great British writer, scholar, lay theologian, broadcaster, Christian apologist, and bestselling author of Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, The Great Divorce, The Chronicles of Narnia, and many other beloved classics—takes readers on a spiritual journey through his early life and eventual embrace of the Christian faith. Lewis begins with his childhood in Belfast, surveys his boarding school years and his youthful atheism in England, reflects on his experience in World War I, and ends at Oxford, where he became "the most dejected and reluctant convert in all England." As he recounts his lifelong search for joy, Lewis demonstrates its role in guiding him to find God.
Surprised by Laughter: The Comic World of C.S. Lewis
by Terry LindvallAn examination of the British author’s use of levity and wit in his writing reveals the uses of joy and humor in Christianity.For C. S. Lewis, merriment was serious business, and like no book before it, Surprised by Laughter explains why. Author Terry Lindvall takes readers on a highly amusing and deeply meaningful journey through the life and letters of one of the most beloved Christian thinkers and writers. As Lindvall shows, the unique magic of Lewis’s approach was his belief that explosive and infectious joy dwells deep in the heart of Christian faith. Readers can never fully understand Lewis, his life or his legacy until they learn to laugh with him.
Surprised by Love: An Amish Family Novella
by Kathleen FullerIn a desperate move to evade her match-making mother setting her up with her childhood tormenter, Emily Shwartz announces that she’s already seeing someone: Reuban Coblentz. The trouble is, Reuban is barely even a friend. But seeing how desperate she is, Reuban plays along. But when the past sneaks up on them, will this temporary arrangement turn into everlasting love?
Surprised by Oxford
by Carolyn Weber"Well written, often poignant and surprisingly relatable." - Kirkus Reviews "A hugely readable journey of cultural and spiritual discovery, sparkling with wit and wisdom." - Alister McGrath "Carolyn Weber's memoir reads like a fast-paced novel. I loved the humor, skillful use of language and her compelling account of her steps to finding God at Oxford. I was totally captivated from beginning to end." - Marilyn Meberg Surprised by Oxford is the memoir of a skeptical agnostic who comes to a dynamic personal faith in God during graduate studies in literature at Oxford University. Carolyn Weber arrives at Oxford a feminist from a loving but broken family, suspicious of men and intellectually hostile to all things religious. As she grapples with her God-shaped void alongside the friends, classmates, and professors she meets, she tackles big questions in search of Truth, love, and a life that matters. From issues of fatherhood, feminism, doubt, doctrine, and love, Weber explores the intricacies of coming to faith with an aching honesty and insight echoing that of the poets and writers she studied. Rich with illustration and literary references, Surprised by Oxford is at once gritty and lyrical; both humorous and spiritually perceptive. This savvy, credible account of Christian conversion and its after-effects follows the calendar year and events of the school year as it entertains, informs, and promises to engage even the most skeptical and unlikely reader. "Surprised by Oxford is a sprightly contribution to the genre of spiritual memoirs in the vein of C.S. Lewis's Surprised by Joy and Lauren F. Winner's Girl Meets God. Carolyn Weber is an unconventional thinker whose engagingly told faith journey will speak to folks who still believe that thoughtful people cannot be Christian." - Lyle W. Dorsett
Surprised by Paradox: The Promise of "And" in an Either-Or World
by Jen Pollock MichelWhat if certainty isn't the goal? In a world filled with ambiguity, many of us long for a belief system that provides straightforward answers to complex questions and clarity in the face of confusion. We want faith to act like an orderly set of truth-claims designed to solve the problems and pain that life throws at us. With signature candor and depth, Jen Pollock Michel helps readers imagine a Christian faith open to mystery. While there are certainties in Christian faith, at the heart of the Christian story is also paradox. Jesus invites us to abandon the polarities of either and or in order to embrace the difficult, wondrous dissonance of and. The incarnation—the paradox of God made human—teaches us to look for God in the and of body and spirit, heaven and earth. In the kingdom, God often hides in plain sight and announces his triumph on the back of a donkey. In the paradox of grace, we receive life eternal by actively participating in death. And lament, with its clear-eyed appraisal of suffering alongside its commitment to finding audience with God, is a paradoxical practice of faith. Each of these themes give us certainty about God while also leading us into greater curiosity about his nature and activity in the world. As Michel writes, "As soon as we think we have God figured out, we will have ceased to worship him as he is." With personal stories and reflection on Scripture, literature, and culture, Michel takes us deeper into mystery and into worship of the One who is Mystery and Love.
Surprised By Power Of Spirit: Discovering How God Speaks And Heals Today
by Jack S. DeereWhat caused a former Dallas Seminary professor to believe that the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit are being given today? What convinced someone skeptical about miracles that God still speaks and heals? A dramatic change took place in Jack Deere's life when he took a fresh look at the Scriptures. He discovered that his arguments against miraculous gifts were based more on prejudice and lack of personal experience than on the Bible. As soon as Deere became a seeker instead of a skeptic, the Holy Spirit revealed himself in new and surprising ways. In Surprised by the Power of the Spirit, Deere provides a strong biblical defense for the Spirit's speaking and healing ministries today. He also describes several reliable cases of people who were miraculously healed or who heard God speak in an unmistakable way. Finally, he gives sound advice for using spiritual gifts in the church. Written in a popular style, with the care of a scholar but the passion of personal experience, this book explores: the real reason Christians do not believe in miraculous gifts, responding to charismatic abuses, whether miracles were meant to be temporary, and why God still heals.
Surprised by Scripture: Engaging Contemporary Issues
by N. T. WrightBishop, Bible scholar, and bestselling author N. T. Wright here provides a series of case studies on how to apply the Bible to the pressing issues of today. Among the topics Wright addresses are the intersection of religion and science, why women should be allowed to be ordained, what we get wrong and how we can do better when Christians engage in politics, why the Christian belief in heaven means we should be at the forefront of the environmental movement, and many more.Wright fearlessly wades through the difficult issues facing us. Readers will find new models for understanding how to affirm the Bible in today's world as well as encouragement and renewed energy for deepening our faith and engaging with the culture around us. ts everyone Why the Christian belief in heaven means we should be at the forefront of the environmental movement And much moreHelpful, practical, and wise, Surprised by Scripture invites readers to examine their own hearts and minds and presents new models for understanding how to affirm the Bible in today's world--as well as new ideas and renewed energy for deepening our faith and engaging with the world around us.
Surprised by Sin: The Reader in Paradise Lost
by Stanley FishFirst published in the late 1960s, in an era that no longer saw the need to choose between Milton's orthodoxy and heresy. With a new preface, the author revisits his thesis and considers the challenges offered by post-structuralism, late-20th-century historicism, and political criticism.