Spiritual formation occurs primarily in the context of community. But as the modern cultural norm of what social scientists call “radical American individualism” extends itself, many Christians grow lax in their relational accountability to the church. Faith threatens to become an “I” not “us,” a “my God” not “our God” concern.When the Church Was a Family calls believers back to the wisdom of the first century, examining the early Christian church from a sociohistorical pe...

Many of us long to experience the fullness of God and his purpose for our lives. Not a whole lot of us ever do. The reason is that we have departed in some significant ways from the biblical view of Christian life and growth. The New Testament highlights the communal, missional, and eschatological aspects of our walk with God. We grow in our faith as individual Christians to the degree that we are (a) deeply rooted relationally in a local church community that is (b) passionately playing i...

The Exegetical Guide to the Greek New Testament (EGGNT) closes the gap between the Greek text and the available lexical and grammatical tools, providing all the necessary information for greater understanding of the text. The series makes interpreting any given New Testament book easier, especially for those who are hard pressed for time but want to preach or teach with accuracy and authority.Each volume begins with a brief introduction to the particular New Testament book, a basic...

Healthy church leadership based on the model of shared ministry in the early church Social historian and pastor Joe Hellerman addresses issues of power and authority in the church—in the New Testament and in the church today—in a fresh, culturally nuanced way. The local church, Hellerman maintains, should be led and taught by a community of leaders who relate to one another first as brothers and sisters in Christ, and who function only secondarily—and only within the parameters of that pri...

Practical and Gospel-centered thoughts on how to have a fruitful ministry by one of America's leading and most beloved pastor.Many church leaders are struggling to adapt to a culture that values individuality above loyalty to a group or institution. There have been so many "church growth" and "effective ministry" books in the past few decades that it's hard to know where to start or which ones will provide useful and honest insight.Based on over twenty year...

Reach for almost any commentary or other Bible study text and sooner or later (probably sooner!) you’re bound to stumble over a word you don’t know. Unfortunately, the dictionary doesn’t shed much light on terms such as agraphon, deutero-Isaiah, pretribulationism, synonymous parallelism, Transjordan, or zugoth. Even words you are able to look up can have specific nuances and applications in biblical and theological study. What you need is a study book to help you understand the study books...

In After You Believe, award-winning author and esteemed spiritual leader Bishop N.T. Wright (Simply Christian, Surprised by Hope) addresses the often neglected question of what happens after you believe, exploring how the development of Christian character is the key to a vibrant faith. Newsweek calls Bishop Wright "the world’s leading New Testament scholar," and After You Believe is an essential work of spiritual formation for fans of C.S. Lewis's M...

This eBook on the Holy Spirit is the outgrowth of lectures on the topic given in Dr. Walvoord's classes at Dallas Theological Seminary. Over the years, this book has aroused considerable interest and gone through 23 printings in hardcover before prompting this new paperback edition. The Holy Spirit is an extensive treatment of the entire doctrine of pneumatology, using some 1500 Scripture citations, and is designed for theological students and pastors as well as for laypeople desiring to g...

Over 150,000 Copies Sold Worldwide!Understand Scripture on Its Own TermsWhat was clear to the original readers of Scripture is not always clear to us. Because of the cultural distance between the biblical world and our contemporary setting, we often bring modern Western biases to the text. For example:When Western readers hear Paul exhorting women to "dress modestly," we automatically think in terms of sexual modesty. But most...

Find academic sophistication, pastoral sensitivity, and accessibility in the award-winning BECNT seriesRespected New Testament scholar Darrell L. Bock provides a substantive yet highly accessible commentary on Acts in this latest addition to the acclaimed BECNT series.Bock leads readers through all aspects of the book of Acts--sociological, historical, and theological. The result is a guide that clearly and meaningfully brings this important New Testament b...

As they examine each familiar phrase of the Lord's Prayer, readers will uncover a profound framework for spiritual growth. In a reader-friendly, memorable style, David Timms points to Jesus's teaching on community, love for the broken and isolated, holiness in an age of profanity, dealing with the evil within, resisting temptations, and much more. This critically acclaimed book will appeal to all who desire to go deeper into spiritual formation, helping them taste the life-giving water tha...

For those who yearn for a deeper walk in faith, their journey can begin here. Dr. Sproul takes theology down off of the dusty shelves of theological libraries and expounds in clear and simple terms over one hundred major Christian doctrines. He offers readers a basic understanding of the Christian faith that will kindle a lifelong love for truth, which is foundational to maturity in Christ. Here are theologically sound explanations of the biblical concepts every Christian should know, writ...