Ministry Preaching

Frederick Buechner has long been a kindred spirit to those who find elements of doubt as constant companions on their journey of faith. He is a passionate writer and preacher who can alter lives with a simple phrase. Reflecting Buechner's exquisite gift for storytelling and his compassionate pastor's heart, Secrets in the Dark will inspire laughter, hope, and bring great solace. Start listening and rediscover what it means to be thoughtful about faith.

Charlie Dates, Romell Williams, George Parks, Jr., Terry D. Streeter and a cast of pastors and preaching professors collaborate to demonstrate the power of exposition in the cradle of the Black pulpit. The contributors in this volume give examples of African American biblical exposition in every section of the Old Testament and New Testament. They also explain how to preach from narrative, poetical, prophetic, epistolary, and apocalyptic genres throughout the Scriptures.

Featuring interviews with preachers such as Tom Foster, Stan Gleason, T. F. Tenney, Claudette Walker, Raymond Woodward, and many more, Life Preaching "presents preaching from the human perspective based on interviews with some of the outstanding preachers of our day. The author skillfully introduces the topic with solid commentary, and then illuminates it with the experiences and accumulated wisdom of those who have lived the preacher’s life.

Originally written in 1656 and endorsed by generations of leading pastors as an essential book on the work of ministry, this abridged version of The Reformed Pastor presents the best of Richard Baxter’s timeless advice in simple, modern language that’s more accessible to a new generation of church leaders.

Create a church unchurched people absolutely love to attend. Deep and Wide provides church leaders with an in-depth look into North Point Community Church and its strategy for creating churches unchurched people absolutely love to attend. Andy Stanley shares his strategy for preaching and programming to both mature believers and cynical unbelievers, essential ingredients for creating irresistible environments, and North Point's spiritual formation model (The Five Faith Catalysts).

This volume consists of a series of messages delivered by the noted Chinese pastor-teacher Watchman Nee during a training period for workers held in Kuling, Foochow, China, in 1948.

In Effective Biblical Counseling, Gold Medallion Award-winning author Dr. Larry Crabb presents a model of counseling that can be gracefully integrated into the functioning of the local church. He asserts that counseling is simply a relationship between people who care and that its goal is to free people to better worship and serve God.

Christian preaching is a God-appointed means of transforming its hearers in both head and heart, not only in intellect but also in affections. With clear examples of specific methods, John Piper shows preachers how and what to communicate from the pulpit in a way that takes seriously the task of handling the word of God week in and week out in the context of, and as, Christian worship.

Whether you speak from the pulpit, podium, or the front of a classroom, you don't need much more than blank stares and faraway looks to tell you you’re not connecting. Take heart before your audience takes leave! You can convey your message in the powerful, life-changing way it deserves to be told. An insightful, entertaining parable that's an excellent guide for any speaker, Communicating for a Change takes a simple approach to delivering effectively.

Charles Grandison Finney (1792-1875) was a Presbyterian minister and a leader of the Second Great Awakening in the United States. He has been called “The Father of Modern Revivalism”. These powerful lectures deal with religious revival, how to encourage or promote it, and explaining how a revival experience may be maintained in the life of the Christian and in the life of the church. The author considered a religious revival as a new beginning of obedience to God.

Have you ever felt in over your head? When Eric Peterson became the pastor of a brand-new church, he quickly and wisely turned to his dad for guidance. Eugene Peterson, author of more than 30 books, including his best-selling memoir The Pastor and his groundbreaking Bible The Message, here reflects on pastoral ministry in all its complexity - from relationships to administration to the sheer audacity of leading God’s people in a particular place. This is Eugene Peterson at his best - lifelong wisdom written with deep love.

St. Alphonsus Liguori (1696 - 1787) was an Italian bishop famous for his moral teaching. He was born in Naples to a noble family who directed his life into law. After earning his degree, he led a very successful law practice until at the age of 27 he gave it up to become a priest. He was ordained at the age of 30, and then became a minister to the poor, founding a number of "evening chapels".

Grounded in both solid theology and communication theory, Devote Yourself to the Public Reading of Scripture will teach listeners how to present Scripture in a compelling way. The book's comprehensive approach includes everything from simple delivery skills to the history of public reading, how to build a culture that values public reading, group reading, and how to prepare yourself spiritually, mentally, and emotionally for public reading.

Martyn Lloyd-Jones, commonly referred to as “the Doctor,” had a successful career in medicine before abandoning it all to become a preacher in London. His sermons—displaying the life-changing power of biblical truth—diagnosed the spiritual condition of his congregation and prescribed the gospel remedy. This study of Lloyd-Jones’s life will encourage and exhort listeners to consider the role of the knowledge of God, the power of the Spirit, and the fullness of Christ in their daily lives, allowing them to discover the inseparable union of doctrine and the Christian life.

Cardinal Ratzinger compellingly shows us the biblical, historical, and theological dimensions of the Eucharist. The cardinal draws far-reaching conclusions, focusing on the importance of one's personal devotion to and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, for the personal reception of communion by the individual christian, as well as for the life of the church. For Ratzinger, any transformation of the world on the social plane grows out of the celebration of the Eucharist. He beautifully illustrates how the omnipotent God comes intimately close to us in the Holy Eucharist, the heart of life.

Almost every pastor feels the pressure to get people in the doors. Often, in their zeal for fruit and growth, pastors and church leaders adopt worldly mechanisms for church growth that end up undermining the very call God has given them. Charles Spurgeon, the Prince of Preachers, was a pastor to well over 5,000 people in a day long before "mega-churches" were the norm. In Spurgeon the Pastor, Geoff Chang shows how Spurgeon models a theological vision of ministry in preaching, baptism and the Lord's supper, meaningful church membership, biblical church leadership, and more.

Jim Cymbala—New York Times best-selling author and long-time pastor of The Brooklyn Tabernacle—has been watching the pressing need for back-to-the-basics spiritual leadership among Christians, and he's seen so many churches come to defeat because so many leaders forget this one truth: Your church is not your church. It's Christ's church. In order for his church to flourish, we have to minister his way.

As an individual, you may ask, how can I, an average person, do anything to reach the lost? Or if a pastor, you may be discouraged and feel ineffective with your congregation, much less the world. Or perhaps you don't yet have a heart for the lost. Whatever your excuse, it's time to change. Overcome yourself and learn to make a difference in your church and the world around you. It's time to become an effective soul winner for Christ.

300 Biblical Outlines to assist anyone who needs to write a sermon, teach a Sunday School class, lead a devotional or present a Scripture lesson in any format. Simple outlines with little commentary from a minister with over 25 years of sermon writing experience, these outlines are sure to inspire messages true to the Inspired Word of God, cross-denominationally. Includes messages for Christmas, Easter and funerals as well as several tested Bible-based messages to encourage believers in Christ.

This book has been written to outline the worldview, practices, and history of Islam, to help non-Muslims understand their Muslim friends and neighbors better. Topics covered include the Islamic sacred books and articles of faith, the key religious observances, and the differences to be found among Muslims. The story of Islam is traced from its beginnings in the seventh century to the present. Non-Muslims who listen to this book will gain an understanding of why Muslims think and act as they do.