Church Culture

Bread is both simple and complex. As a metaphor for a church’s culture, a loaf of bread is both a single object and the product of ingredients, processes, and time. The ingredients of a culture shaped by the good news of Jesus Christ reflect its community—its unique beliefs, attitudes, values, goals, and practices. Together, the cultures of Christian communities contribute to the church in its fullest expression, and by reflecting thoughtfully on these five elements, we can discern God’s personal call at work in our lives. Each chapter includes questions for discussion and reflection ...

While Christians generally acknowledge that the Bible is God's Word, many of us lack robust confidence in the reality of its trustworthiness. We may not be sure if we really believe what we read. But the more we understand how Scripture came to be, the more we discover its power and truth. Historian Susan Lim unpacks how the history of the Bible bolsters our faith and anchors us through the changing tides of time. The story of Scripture, while messy and complicated at times, is also the story of how God shepherded his people throughout the centuries in and through these writings.

These are troubling times. We live in a day which is marked by theological error and apostasy. Leaders are falling, truth is routinely maligned, and compromise is celebrated. A glance across the cultural milieu reveals an unfurled white flag. The white flag has been hoisted high and a diabolical deal has been struck. This flag reveals a horrifying reality which must be addressed, namely - final surrender in the church. The White Flag: When Compromise Cripples the Church diagnoses our current condition and offers biblical action steps for marching forward in a way that glorifies God. It is a...

Letters from Jesus: Studies from the Seven Churches of Revelation explores Christ’s warnings to the seven most prominent churches in Asia Minor in the book of Revelation. These letters date back to 95 AD, but they help us make a fascinating discovery about civilization: Life hasn’t changed that much over the last two millennia. Author Chris Palmer illustrates the truths contained in the Letters from Jesus using modern, everyday examples.

In feisty prose Donohue explores our nation where a college student is threatened with expulsion because she prayed on campus, a civil rights organization protests a statue of Jesus found on the ocean floor and a housewife sues a school district to stop the singing of Rudolph The Red-nosed Reindeer at a school choral production. These are just a few examples cited that demonstrate a culture descending into madness.

Renewable Wellbeing reveals how re-discovering the Jesus way of wellbeing is our best hope for a tired church in a broken world. Examining episodes from Jesus’ life as seen in John’s Gospel, Ruth Rice unpacks the five culture shifts she believes the church needs today to renew wellbeing in our churches: connecting with our identity, learning the new economy of the kingdom, getting active in community, taking notice of simplicity in our habits, and giving in renewable ways and sensing our call to serve.

According to one song, “today is only yesterday’s tomorrow” - which means that tomorrow starts today! But we aren’t going to see our future by looking at the past. Yes, we need to celebrate and honor what has brought us to where we are. However, it will not be enough to get us to what God has in store. We need to let go of the old to receive the new.

Impeccably researched, thought challenging, and leavened by wit, Getting Religion, the highly anticipated new book from Kenneth L. Woodward, is ideal for listeners looking to understand how religion came to be a contentious element in 21st-century public life. Here the award-winning author blends memoir (especially of the postwar era) with copious reporting and shrewd historical analysis to tell the story of how American religion, culture, and politics influenced each other in the second half of the 20th century.

Religious traditions in the United States are characterized by ongoing tension between assimilation to the broader culture and defiant rejection of cultural incursions. However, legal theorist and Catholic theologian Cathleen Kaveny contends there is a third possibility - a culture of engagement - that accommodates and respects tradition. It also recognizes the need to interact with culture to remain relevant and to offer critiques of social, political, legal, and economic practices.

Can Kids Bring Heaven to Earth? Yes! You can bring Heaven to earth by using the talents and gifts that God gave only to you. Your heavenly Father wants you to be the best you can be! As a child of God, you can live an exciting life of miracles and blessings beyond your imagination. As you discover who you really are through the love of Jesus, your greatest adventure will end in Heaven on earth! You are on a royal mission to find the keys to the Kingdom of God. Those keys faith and prayer will transform your heart, mind, and spirit by unlocking the riches of Heaven and shaking up your world!

It seems we have become a nation of people who are offended by everything but sin. What is happening to our country is simple to explain but sad to observe: We are seeing what a culture of sin can do to a country. Within the problem is the solution: Biblical morality reestablished in America by an uprising of God’s people standing for righteousness will bring God’s forgiveness and our healing.

'If you have lost your identity along life’s journey, know that the steps leading back to destiny’s path are illuminated by the Holy Spirit’s light and love. A Beautiful Kind of Broken addresses the pain caused by abusive churches and misguided ministry communities—an experience many have known but have never dealt with in a healthy-closure way. This book confronts, discusses, and provides healing answers to crucial life issues including: • Identity. • Spiritual abuse. • Rejection. • Forgiveness. Seeking and finding your identity in Christ and welcoming the Holy Spirit as ...

Each chapter focuses on roughly one century in the life of the Christian church, providing an even-handed view of Catholicism, Orthodox Christianity, and Protestant denominations. Discussion questions at the end of each chapter offer opportunities to reflect on parallels in contemporary Christian church life, considerations from a relevant Bible passage, and opportunities for application. This is an excellent text for a half-year study group.

Pastors’ wives are human. Let's face it. Behind the welcoming smiles, gentle handshakes, and stylish dresses, they face untold challenges in their personal and church lives. Who does a first lady talk to? To whom does she tell her woes? In this inspiring and compelling book, First Lady Leisa Wynn-Johnson invites pastors' wives to engage in candid and liberating conversations about their real lives. First Ladies, Can We Talk? is an open and honest discourse on the dynamics of church culture, church politics, and the realities of relationships between church folk, pastors, and their wives. ...

Why are clocks in Germany always correct while those in Brazil are frequently wrong? Why are Singaporeans jailed for selling gum? Why do women in New Zealand have three times the sex of females worldwide? Why was the Daimler-Chrysler merger ill-fated from the start? And why does each generation of Americans give their kids weirder and weirder names?

The enemy is no longer hidden in the dark but instead operates in broad daylight. Its attacks on Americans are clear and intensifying: cancel culture, wokeness, public shaming, urban violence, “whiteness”, and critical race theory. The enemy also seeks to undermine the sacredness of human life. This enemy is called the Desecrators. In this powerfully provocative book, Deal W. Hudson and Matt Schlapp provide firsthand accounts of the Desecrators’ actions and intentions, including their angry and uncharitable treatment of President Donald Trump.

Parents, are you looking for a fun and educational way to introduce your child to the fascinating world of history? Look no further! This captivating audiobook takes young listeners on a thrilling journey through the history of Christianity, all told in easy-to-understand language. Understanding the past helps kids make sense of the world today. This audiobook offers a kid-friendly exploration of how Christianity has shaped our culture and values over the centuries.

A primary barrier to revival is the church’s reluctance to honestly analyze the dark, negative condition of our culture. It is necessary to awaken men to a sense of guilt and danger. ~Charles Finney (Lectures on Revival of Religion) There is increasing pressure from the church in our nation to reject any negative analysis or any call to reformation that reveals what is out of order yet still valued by the people. The spirit of the age is quite brilliant and crafty, and the resulting seduction is overwhelming for many a Christian. The desire for positive, happy experiences is so strong ...

THE READING CULTURE OF EARLY CHRISTIANITY provides the reader with the production process of the New Testament books, the publication process, how they were circulated, and to what extent they were used in the early Christian church. It examines the making of the New Testament books, the New Testament secretaries and the material they used, how the early Christians viewed the New Testament books, and the literacy level of the Christians in the first three centuries. It also explores how the gospels went from an oral message to a written record, the accusation that the apostles were ...

Have you ever felt like an “outcast”? This book is about being single in a married culture. The church world or the church culture is definitely and predominantly a married/family culture. This book is about coming to terms with being single, and it also discusses marriage and family. We will also discuss divorce and the single-parent. Sometimes people are single, but they are praying and waiting on God for a mate. In this book, we talk about what you can do while waiting for a mate.