The study of lived religion is an enterprise which attempts to elucidate how "ordinary" men and women in all times and places draw on religious behavior, media, and meanings to make sense of themselves and their world. Through the influence of liberation theology and postmodernism, pastoral theologians-like other scholars of religion-have begun more closely to examine the particularity of religious practice that is reflected through the rubric of lived religion.Pastoral Bearing...

Theology matters! At last it can be understood easily, thanks to this “layman's language” approach to biblical belief. Authored by J. I. Packer, one of the premier theologians of Christianity, this summary of Christian teaching covers nearly 100 major Christian beliefs from a Reformed perspective. Brief, easy-to-understand chapters offer precise descriptions without sacrificing depth. Thoughtfully arranged and refreshingly readable, this is a book that belongs on the shelf of every Christi...

One of the most volatile issues facing the Western Church is also one of the least discussed: homosexuality. Many pastors, church members, and congregations have become tired of the debate surrounding this topic but do not really understand the issues. Pulling away from this controversy doesn’t seem to help; it keeps cropping up.Ninety percent of pastors are aware of members or visitors to their churches who struggle with homosexual tendencies, and the same percentage of churchgoers know a...

We are all spread too thin, taking on more than we can handle, trying to do so much—almost as if we are afraid that if we were to take a moment of rest, we might discover that all our busyness is covering up an essential lack in our lives.But God never meant for us to be so busy. God desires for us to have rest and peace. Brady Boyd shows you how to live a life that embraces stillness and solitude, so you can find the peace that God wants for you.Brady Boyd...

An original, effective, and time-saving approach that benefits pastors overtaxed by counseling demands—fully updated and expanded.Professional counselor and pastor Dr. Charles Allen Kollar found that counseling does not need not be long-term or depend on psychological manipulation to produce dramatic results. In most cases, the solution lies with the counselees themselves.Using the tested methods found in Solution-Focused Pastoral Counseling, pasto...

The Christian life is a race. Through the gospel, God summons us to sustained and persevering effort. He empowers his children by gracefree and undeserved blessing through Christ. But he does not carry them to heaven on flowery beds of ease. Faith is a living, athletic grace. Gods mercy motivates Christians and energizes them to press on and overcome great obstacles. Christ blazed the trail before us. He now calls us to follow Him to the end (Hebrews 12:12). Looking unto Jesusthat is how we...

Every experience we have forms a ring of memory in us. Each ring affects our feelings, our relationships, and our understanding of God. But those memories don’t have to control us. In this workbook edition of the beloved classic Healing for Damaged Emotions, David Seamands helps you move beyond the perfectionism, poor self-esteem, and shame that comes from unresolved pain. Here you’ll find:• The entire text of Healing for Damaged Emotions• Suggestions for S...

The gospel of Christ is the gospel of life, and the Christian’s defining reality. Yet the shedding of innocent blood, primarily through abortion, has now marked an entire generation. Innocent Blood explores a series of questions so as to reveal vital connections between the gospel and the call to defend the unborn. These questions include:What does the Bible mean when it says that “life is in the blood”?What does the Bible say about blood-guilt? How is it t...

Secret Sin: When God's People Choose Abortion was written because abortion is one of the last great secret sins that remains "in the closet." And because the Church hasn't been aware of the magnitude of this secret sin or how it affects those it touches, the Church has done little or nothing to help these people suffering silently in their midst to find healing in Christ. This book was written to pull back the curtain giving those within the Church an inside look into the world of the post...

Trauma therapist Teresa B. Pasquale offers healing exercises, true-life examples, and life-giving discussion for anyone suffering from the very real pain of church hurt. Pasquale, a trauma survivor herself, understands the immeasurable value of our wounds once we've acknowledged them and recovered in community. That's why the wounds are "sacred," and the hope this book offers is a powerful message to anyone suffering from this widespread problem.This book explores the nature of emo...

In The Seven Habits of the Good Life, the authors highlight seven biblical gifts-self-esteem, wisdom, righteousness, love, healthy appetite, prudence, and purpose-and present each one as an alternative to one of the seven deadly sins. Each gift gives readers a chance to enrich their lives by integrating concern for themselves with a healthy concern for others rather than punishing themselves for bad behavior.Incorporating clinical case studies, the voices of real people, a...

In a time when the global and national economies seem to favor so few and harm so many, when the threats to the common good are so prevalent and so deep, how do people of faith think about these issues and act with those who are most vulnerable? Living the Catholic Social Tradition: Cases and Commentary addresses these challenges through contemporary theory and research conducted within the framework of the rich Catholic social tradition. Co-editors Kathleen Maas Weigert and Alexia Kelley ...