The Surprising Good News of the Fear of the Lord "Let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God." -2 Corinthians 7:1 We all have experienced fear at some point. And if we are honest, we don't usually think of fear as a good thing. So why does the Bible call us to fear the Lord? In this book, Michael Reeves explains that the fear of God is not a gloomy fear marked by anxiety but...

Many new believers have questions about what it means to live as a Christian in the context of a local church, and pastors are looking for resources to pass along to their congregations to help them think biblically about the Christian life. 9Marks Church Questions is a new series that seeks to provide ordinary Christians with sound and accessible biblical teaching by answering common questions Christians have about church life. Each volume offers...

Though most church leaders crave authenticity in their congregations, most also know it is an elusive goal. People by nature are self-protective. And although the gospel message that we are all sinners saved by grace ought to make people more real, the truth is many of our churches are plagued by fakeness. This inauthenticity hinders spiritual and emotional health and maturity. So what's a church leader to do? The key, says Elaine Hamilton, is to...

Reject Pride of Ownership in Pursuit of a Higher Mission Christian organizations have come to be known mostly for what we're against. And all too often, that includes being against each other. But amid growing distrust of religious institutions, Christ-centered nonprofits have a unique opportunity to link arms and collectively pursue a calling higher than any one organization's agenda. Rooting for Rivals reveals how your ministry can multiply its...

Many new believers have questions about what it means to live as a Christian in the context of a local church, and pastors are looking for resources to pass along to their congregations to help them think biblically about the Christian life. 9Marks Church Questions is a new series that seeks to provide ordinary Christians with sound and accessible biblical teaching by answering common questions Christians have about church life. Each volume offers...

1001 Conversation Starters for Any Occasion. Most of us realize that raising questions is a powerful way to get interesting dialogue. But asking good ones can be another matter-they're not always that easy to think up! That's where The Complete Book of Questions comes in. This book is one big compilation of questions-1001 of them you can use to launch great conversations in almost any context. And many of these questions are likely to trigger other...

4 Practical Ways to Serve the Local Church Church Questions is a series that seeks to provide ordinary Christians with sound and accessible biblical teaching by answering common questions about church life. Each volume offers biblical answers and practical applications with the goal of nurturing healthy church practice and commitment. Believers display the greatness of God's kingdom to a hostile world when we selflessly serve each other and those...

Pastors' wives are in a privileged-yet often difficult-position. Various challenges make it is easy for ministry wives to feel discouraged about their relationship with God, lose their wonder at the mystery of the church, and forget the joy of serving alongside their husband. In this encouraging and humorous book, Gloria Furman offers pastors' wives a breath of fresh air, reminding readers that Christ stands ready to help regardless of the circumstance-whether...

Promiseland is Willow Creek's highly successful children's ministry. Using examples from Promiseland and churches of all sizes around the country, this book provides step by step guidance and creative application exercises to help churches develop a thriving children's ministry-one that strives to be the best hour of every kid's week. Included are Scripture-based principles and practical resources for church staff members and volunteers who agree...

According to a study by George Barna, a person is most likely to become a Christian between the ages of four and fourteen. Yet the majority of evangelism training is designed to reach adults, not children. Leading Kids to Jesus equips children's ministry leaders with proven principles to help them have life-changing discussions with kids. The focus is exclusively on personal interactions, not corporate presentations or prop-driven illustrations. Readers...