"In More than a Sermon, Douglas D. Webster highlights the prophetic and pastoral challenge of preaching today. The task is both harder and easier than we imagine, as we are called to proclaim the biblical text in a way that convicts a hostile world while encouraging our congregations to rest in Christ's love. We need preaching that both swings the hammer that breaks hard hearts yet does not break the bruised reeds in our care. Offering practical insights and examples, Webster explores what...

 When we as Christians open our homes to friends and strangers, set the table, put on a meal, and break bread together, we invite God's blessing. This pattern of hospitality is at the heart of the gospel. Food for the body and food for the soul can and does belong together. Table fellowship fits into the New Testament narrative so unobtrusively that we can almost miss it. Jesus used simple hospitality and meal time conversations to share some of the most profound truths of the gospel. Our Fai...

A comprehensive study of Jesus's parables that emphasizes personal reflection and applicationJesus's parables used familiar situations to convey deep spiritual truths in ways that are provocative and subversive of the status quo. Prayerfulness was pictured by a persistent widow. The joy of salvation in the homecoming of a lost son. Love of neighbor by a marginalized Samaritan. If we're not careful, we can easily miss details in the parables that reveal their subtle...

A comprehensive study of Jesus' parables that emphasizes personal reflection and applicationJesus' parables used familiar situations to convey deep spiritual truths in ways that are provocative and subversive of the status quo. Prayerfulness was pictured by a persistent widow. The joy of salvation in the homecoming of a lost son. Love of neighbor by a marginalized Samaritan. If we're not careful, we can easily miss details in the parables that reveal their subtle me...

Provides step-by-step guidance on implementing and using a value-based management system within the governmentCountless books on proposed management practices have been written and published over the past century. Some of these have focused on specific management practices for government. In more recent decades, the topics of strategic planning, performance management, cost management and risk management have been extensively covered. However, little has been offer...

Advances in the material sciences, 3D printing technology, functional electrical stimulation, smart devices and apps, FES technology, sensors and microprocessor technologies, and more have lately transformed the field of orthotics, making the prescription of these devices more complex than ever before. Atlas of Orthoses and Assistive Devices, 5th Edition, brings you completely up to date with these changes, helping physiatrists, orthopaedic surgeons, prosthetists, orthotists, and other reh...

Discover analytical tools and practices to help improve the quality of risk management in government organizationsFederal agencies increasingly recognize the importance of active risk management to help ensure that they can carry out their missions. High impact events, once thought to occur only rarely, now occur with surprising frequency. Managing Risk in Government Agencies and Programs provides insight into the increasingly critical role of effective ri...

The Christ Letter is a conversation partner for pastors and students of the Bible who want to wrestle with the meaning of the biblical text for Christian living today. Scholarly commentaries perform an essential task, but they often leave today's believers on their own when it comes to making Paul's letter come alive. Doug Webster weaves together deep biblical insights, penetrating cultural perspectives, and stories of transformation into a pastoral commentary that promises to release the ...

Webster calls pastors to reject "Christendom" approaches to church leadership that require the pastor to exert control over the church's direction and ministry. Such models differ fundamentally from the New Testament "household of faith" vision of pastoral ministry, which affirms the disciple-making responsibility of the whole community, the priesthood of all believers, and the shared gifts of the Spirit. Rather than perpetuate pastoral leadership based on individual initiative, institutio...

The God Who Kneels is a meditative journey in John 13. The Apostle John opens the door and invites us into the upper room to relive the words and actions of Jesus. He writes us into the scene and gives us a seat at the table. On Thursday night, Jesus gave his followers two simple object lessons during the evening meal. He washed their feet and he broke bread. These two enduring acts go a long way in defining the mission of God and the body of Christ. They merge real hospitality and deep sa...

The God Who Prays is a spiritual reading of Jesus' farewell prayers. Jesus began his upper room discipleship sermon on his knees, washing the disciples' feet, and he ended it with his eyes raised to heaven, consecrating himself and his disciples to the will of the Father. For Jesus the line between communion with his Father and conversation with his disciples is very thin. Dialogue and devotion go hand in hand. His Glory prayer and his Gethsemane prayer, along with his prayers from the cro...

The God Who Comforts is a spiritual reading of Jesus' upper room discipleship sermon. What started out as a Passover meal became an inspiring and spiraling manifesto of comfort and challenge. Jesus propels the conversation forward into our hearts and minds. When Jesus got up off his knees and resumed his place of authority, he framed this strategic discourse in the Truth that cannot be packaged as a consumer product or programmed to fit the secular mind. Four distinct comings shape Jesus' ...