Building on a string of Haberer family harrowing encounters, Swimming with the Sharks presents a framework for addressing the sharks among us: those on the other side of the divide in American church life. What is characterized as the separation between blue progressives and red conservatives is shown to be a sellout to a political model and a false witness about the facts and faith on the ground. Believers do see things differently but not in simplistic, binary parties--rather in an overl...

“In this easy-to-read book, pastor Jack Haberer helps you seek God's will for your life. You'll move from deep theological considerations to street-level, daily-life practicalitiesâ€"and you'll learn to chart a course through life's complexities, guided by the Scriptures, in the company of the church. My only complaint is that it wasn't available thirty years ago!â€�â€"Brian D. McLaren, author, speaker, and activistJack Haberer's It's Complicated helps Christians...

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...

From the beloved author of When Bad Things Happen to Good People, deeply moving and illuminating reflections on what it means to live a good life.As a congregational rabbi for half a century and the best-selling author of twelve books on faith, ethics, and how to apply the timeless wisdom of religious thought to everyday challenges, Rabbi Harold S. Kushner has demonstrated time and again his understanding of the human spirit. In this compassionate new work, his most person...

Radical. Crazy. Transformative and restless. Every word we read these days seems to suggest there’s a “next-best-thing,” if only we would change our comfortable, compromising lives. In fact, the greatest fear most Christians have is boredom—the sense that they are missing out on the radical life Jesus promised. One thing is certain. No one wants to be “ordinary.”Yet pastor and author Michael Horton believes that our attempts to measure our spiritual growth by our experiences, const...

In this compelling book about diversity and community, McKnight shares his personal experiences and his study of the Apostle Paul to answer this significant question: What is the church supposed to be?Local churches matter far more than we often know because they determine what Christian life looks like for you. The church McKnight grew up in was a fellowship of sames and likes. Mostly white, same beliefs about everything, same tastes in music and worship ...

How can pastors become resilient in a rapidly changing world? Is it possible to love well and lead faithfully? In the wake of crises that have exposed and accelerated massive cultural shifts, we see more clearly the seismic shifts of post-Christendom, the surging storms of a new paganism and pluralism, and the scattered debris of the cultural aftermath.Drawing on new research from the Barna Group, Scripture, and church history, pastor, theologian, and researcher Glenn Packiam addre...

Jonathan Leeman addresses the commonly asked (and often unanswered) question of, "Why should I join a church?" in a time when many are shunning the practice of organized religion. By offering a brief, straightforward explanation of what church membership is and why it's important, Leeman gives the local church its proper due and builds a case for committing to the local body. Church Membership is a useful tool for churches to distribute en masse to new and potential membe...

A generation of young Christians are weary of the political legacy they've inherited and hungry for a better approach.They're tired of seeing their faith tied to political battles they didn't start, and they're frustrated by the failures of leaders they thought they could trust. Kaitlyn Schiess grew up in this landscape, and understands it from the inside.Spiritual formation, and particularly a focus on formative practices, are experiencing a renaissance in...

It has recently become acceptable, and even fashionable, to refer to one's church as "missional." But many churches misunderstand the concept, thinking of "going missional" as simply being a necessary add-on to church-as-usual. This domestication of what is actually a very bold paradigm shift makes missional nothing more than one more trick to see church growth.With a light hand and a pastoral spirit, Michael Frost points out how church practitioners are not quite there yet. He ree...

Christians are too often guilty of pledging their allegiance tothe influential principalities and powers of this age rather thanto Christ alone. In Holy Subversion, Trevin Wax challengessuch behavior by urging a return to the subversive lifestyle of theearliest Christians. Their proclamation and demonstration that"Jesus is Lord" directly opposed the Caesar worship of theirday.Today, Christians in the West must choose between Jesus and our"Caesars": self, success, money, le...

No one was more dangerous than the Lord Jesus.From the moment He arrived on the scene, Jesus posed a threat to the unjust, a threat to the oppressors, and a threat to every semblance of authority wielded by the kingdom of darkness. He invaded the world with love for the forgotten, hope for the hopeless, and freedom for the bound. His ideas were disruptive, subversive, and scandalous to the world around Him.Jesus was so dangerous, the powers that be killed H...