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Behold Jesus

The hope we are seeking in this life, and in the life which is to come, is found in Jesus, yet despite the profoundly simple plan, we become distracted by our flesh, the enemy of men’s souls, and the world around us. We are prone to seek to be satisfied by all the obstacles that can obscure Jesus, and we fail to experience rest for our souls. However, a soul that rests in Christ helps to produce a mind, body, and heart that also rest. Then we experience shalom a contentment and satisfaction that only God can provide, and that He wants you to know.

Both And

Juxtaposition (noun): an act or instance of placing close together or side by side, especially for comparison or contrast.

The Bible is filled with juxtaposition: the sovereignty of God and man’s will, Jesus’ deity and humanity, man’s labor and God’s work, grace and truth, Mary and Martha, the prodigal son and his older brother, to name a few. Sometimes we approach these contrasting tensions as a dichotomy such that the two things are or are represented as being opposed or entirely different. When viewed as a dichotomy, we may tend to choose one and neglect the other. What if the Bible provides juxtaposition for us to learn the benefit of “both and” rather than “either or”? When we carelessly create a false dichotomy, when God did not intend to create a dichotomy, we choose “either or” and lose the benefits of “both and.” Let’s discover what’s so great about “both and” together.

Prayer

As the disciples watched Jesus pray, they saw intimate communication with God. Who wouldn’t want to speak with God as Jesus did? So the disciples urgently asked Jesus to teach them to pray. There is no record of them asking Jesus to teach them to preach, teach, or evangelize. But they wanted to learn to speak with God as Jesus did. In response to their request, Jesus gave them a model prayer, “Our Father.” We need to learn how to pray, and who better to teach us than Jesus? As we consider the model prayer, we will discover how our lives can be transformed by intimate communication with God.

Worship

Fruitful worship begins when we desire to place God in the first position in our lives. God desires to take barren wanderers, and teach and enable us to be fruitful worshippers. We cannot truly worship God until we learn how to worship. Similarly, we cannot give God His proper place in our lives until we apprehend the importance of worship.

Marriage

This study is intended to be a resource like a tool belt that will give us easy access for tools to build, restore and, maintain a fruitful marriage. Ideally, we will learn to identify the right tool and how to use it. It doesn’t help to have a screwdriver when you need a saw. Similarly, a saw only really helps when you know how to use it.

Gospel of John

This book will help your family study together through the Gospel of John. Learning through a book of the Bible is a great way to learn about God, because it provides a context for your family devotions. John’s gospel, in particular, is a great book to study. John wrote to show us why we should believe in Jesus, and how to experience the Christian life: “These are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” [John 20:31].

70 Bible Studies from Anger to Zeal

As parents, the greatest challenge we face is to help our children know God and His ways, so that our children and their children can follow after Him. The responsibility to teach our children about God cannot be delegated to the church or Christian schools. This responsibility, privilege, and blessing, rests with parents. The purpose of this book is to assist parents in teaching their children, daily, how to love God with all of their heart, soul, mind, and strength [Deuteronomy 6:4-­‐9, Matthew 22:37].

Reaching the Lost

The purpose of “Reaching the Lost” (and the companion resources, “Developing Leaders” and “Making Disciples”) is to create a Biblical and practical tool to help church leaders more effectively do those things. This resource is a tool to help you to actually do what you, and every other spiritual leader, are called to do.

Making Disciples

The purpose of “Making Disciples” (and the companion resources, “Reaching the Lost” and “Developing Leaders”) is to create a Biblical and practical tool to help church leaders more effectively do those things. This resource is a tool to help you to actually do what you, and every other spiritual leader, are called to do.

Called to Be

The Church needs effective leaders. Many good and godly resources help us to understand what we should do as leaders. What we must do is critical, but it may be distinct from  the more important issue: what should a Christian leader be? Have you ever wondered, “What do I want to be in ministry?” There are abundant answers to that question, and some of them are likely more God-honoring than others. So it is an essential inquiry to ponder, because what you want to be is often what you become. The more important issue to contemplate is what has God called you to be?

Kingdom Leaders

Have you ever met a church leader who seems focused on building the local church? Of course you have. Almost all of us have a desire to equip and edify the local church. Have you ever considered how the focus on the development of the local church could potentially cause us to neglect the greater Kingdom? Over focus on the local church is an obstacle to healthy advancement of Christ’s Kingdom when resources are heavily allocated to, what is essentially our small piece of the puzzle, forgetting the big, Kingdom picture. Kingdom initiatives that seem to transcend the local church include, but are not limited to: global missions, church planting, para-­‐church ministries, engaging or reaching unreached people groups, developing leaders for Kingdom service beyond the local church and benevolence, especially beyond the local church.

Developing Leaders

As we will see in the following lessons, the church at Ephesus is arguably the most effective biblical model for reaching the lost, making disciples and developing leaders. Our hope is to learn principles from this church that can be applied in a practical way to our cultural context so that we too can be effective in what God has called us to.

Coaching

This book is for the pastor who is interested in coaching a planter, and the church planter interested in establishing a relationship with a coach. Coaching is primarily related to support. A coach doesn’t have to have all the answers, nor are they supposed to constantly tell other leaders what to do. Coaches often are most effective when they help leaders learn to listen to God for themselves. A coach’s goal is to help others succeed. The art of effective coaching can be learned, and the basic process is relatively simple. By following the basic framework and implementing the coaching skills described in this manual you can learn to coach. Think of the manual as a valuable tool to assist you along the way.

School of Discipleship

There is a great need for Christ-­‐like leaders. The school of ministry program is intended to train Christian leaders through personal discipleship, study, and practical experience. Our desire is to equip believers for the work that God has called them to [Eph. 4:11-­‐13]. Jesus spent time with the disciples and put them in situations where they had to apply what they were learning. The disciples learned from Jesus’ teaching and example, and sought to replicate His ministry as they followed Him. This is our model for ministry.

La Escuela de Ministerio – Spanish Edition

Existe una gran necesidad de líderes semejantes a Cristo. El programa de la escuela de ministerio está diseñado para entrenar a líderes cristianos a través del discipulado personal, el estudio y la experiencia práctica. Nuestro deseo es preparar a los creyentes para el trabajo que Dios les ha llamado a hacer [Ef. 4:11-13]. Jesús pasó tiempo con sus discípulos y los puso en situaciones donde tenían que aplicar lo que estaban aprendiendo. Los discípulos aprendieron de la enseñanza y el ejemplo de Jesús, y buscaron repetir Su ministerio mientras lo seguían. Éste es nuestro modelo para el ministerio.

Church Planting

One of my favorite concepts is “Kinder-­‐Garten” a Germanic term coined to describe a sunny experience that would cultivate children like plants and let them bloom like flowers – a children’s garden. Here, we want to develop the idea of an “Ekklesiaparadise” from the Greek terms ekklesia meaning assembly [church] and paradeisos meaning garden. Church planting is an epic journey that can cultivate pre-­‐believers and the unchurched; and can equip believers and help them to grow to become mature followers of Jesus; in essence, a church garden … and thus a planter’s manual and training program.

Programa de Entrenamiento – Spanish Edition

Uno de mis conceptos favoritos es el termino germánico “Kinder-Garten”, forjado para describir una experiencia calurosa que cultivaría a los niños como a plantas y les haría florecer como a flores – un jardín de niños. Por ello, queremos desarrollar la idea de una “Ekklesiaparadise” de los términos griegos ekklesia que significa asamblea [iglesia] y paradeisos que significa jardín. El plantar iglesias es una jornada épica que puede cultivar tanto a los futuros creyentes como aquellos que no asisten más a la iglesia; y equipar a los creyentes, ayudándolos a crecer para seguir con madures a Jesús; en esencia, una iglesia jardín … y por ello el manual para el plantador y el programa de entrenamiento.

What We Believe and Why

Here is a representative overview of the philosophy of ministry and theology of the Calvary Chapel movement and Calvary Nexus. In this concise work, you and others you lead will have a better understanding of the essentials of our philosophy and theology that make Calvary Chapels distinct. We have discovered how important it is for leaders and those who are following to understand these essentials.

Churches Loving Schools

“Churches Loving Schools” is a brief manuscript that explains our vision to share God’s love with our neighbors connected to public schools. This resource helps to explain the why, how, when, what and most importantly who in regard to our efforts. This will assist each of us to better understand issues and opportunities related to this incredible harvest field.