You are a music director. Maybe you are paid a few days a week; probably you are doing this for the love. Either way, it’s a huge job. And it’s an important job – one which requires you to have your head around both the contentious theology of worship music, and the musical and relational challenges of building a team of creative people.This book is about helping you sharpen your theology, define your role and vision, and build your team … at the same time as dealing with the day t...

Nothing is more essential than knowing how to worship the God who created us. This book focuses readers on the essentials of God-honoring worship, combining biblical foundations with practical application in a way that works in the real world. The author, a pastor and noted songwriter, skillfully instructs pastors, musicians, and church leaders so that they can root their congregational worship in unchanging scriptural principles, not divisive cultural trends. Bob Kauflin covers a variety ...

If God can take David -- the invisible eighth son of a forgotten family -- and turn him into a king, just imagine what magnificent plans He has for redeeming your life.David was born a number 8 -- a hidden gem, often overlooked and undervalued by everyone except for God. For David, being a number 8 seemed like a curse until the day God transformed him from the unknown eighth son of Jesse into the much-honored king of Israel. When God sends out an invitation to grea...

Pastor Colin Smith's four-volume masterpiece moves you past Bible stories to understand the Bible as one story--the glorious, unbroken account of Christ's work to redeem a fallen world. With this accompanying Study Guide, you'll be able to make the journey even more rewarding. The Volume Two Study Guide matches the second volume of the book series, and will help you unlock the Bible Story from Job to Malachi.Unlocking the Bible Story Study Guides will help you:Focus y...

Is it singing? A church service? All of life? Helping Christians think more theologically about the nature of true worship, Rhythms of Grace shows how the gospel is all about worship and worship is all about the gospel. Mike Cosper ultimately answers the question: What is worship?

Why do you lead worship? Often the motives are mixed. You find yourself wanting to point people to Jesus but also feeling a desire to be noticed and praised, to make yourself the center of attention. Maybe you want to make the best possible music for the most possible people but you find yourself leading a modest congregation in an unglamorous place. These mixed motivations can be difficult to unravel and can cause significant conflict, both internal and external.Stephen Miller is ...

Tell Faith-Filled Fish TalesFishing stories. We’ve all heard them. “It was this big.” “You should have seen the one that got away.” People love to tell stories of their fishing adventures. When it comes to faith, however, most people clam up. Why is it we can’t talk about what God has done in our lives as naturally as we can spin fishing tales?In this six-session companion study guide to the Go Fish DVD, Andy Stanley explores the motivation behind ...

Before ascending to heaven, Jesus instructed his followers to "make disciples of all nations." But what does this command actually entail? What does it look like for Christians to care for one another's spiritual well-being and growth? In this introduction to the basics of discipling, veteran pastor and author Mark Dever uses biblical definitions and practical examples to show how Christians can help one another become more like Christ every day. The eighth volume in the 9Marks: Building H...

In this concise and clearly written handbook, worship leaders from every denomination and musical style will find a wealth of information on how to develop their leadership skills and improve the effectiveness of corporate worship. Kevin J. Navarro explains the four basic elements that are crucial to becoming an effective worship leader: theology, discipleship, artistry, and leadership.The Complete Worship Leader provides a holistic, biblical view of worship leading as dra...

Modern society is awash in words. An auditory tidal wave cascades from our televisions, radios, media players, and the Internet. Today’s distracted worshippers often feel spiritually shortchanged when the Scriptures are spoken without passion and power. This lively and encouraging resource is the collaboration of a gifted Bible narrator and a mentor to church leaders. In it they show how churches can train their own teams of Scripture readers. These laypeople can—with enthusiasm, convictio...

"When you bless," says Peter Lord, "dramatic, miraculous changes take place."In Bless and Be Blessed, this author and pastor shares how we often neglect to bless others until after death. But it is much more useful to give a good or well-meaning word to our loved ones while they are still alive. Coworkers, children, spouses, and friends all need uplifting messages when they can hear, receive, and be transformed by them.With wisdom, personal anecdotes, and hands-on exercises...

Seminary is dangerous. Really dangerous. The hard truth is that many seminarians enter pastoral ministry feeling drained, disillusioned, and dissatisfied. But the problem isn't with the faculty or the material. Rather, the most perilous danger to the soul of the pastor-in-training is the sin residing deep within his own heart. Drawing on their years of pastoral ministry and seminary experience, David Mathis and Jonathan Parnell take a refreshingly honest look at this oft-neglected...