Kindle Deals: For The City: Proclaiming and Living Out the Gospel by @DarrinPatrick (84% Off)

For The City: Proclaiming and Living Out the Gospel

Authors: Darrin Patrick & Matt Carter

Publisher: Zondervan

Price: $2.99 (USA)

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Within ten years, nine out of ten people will claim ‘no religious affiliation.’ Many of these people will live in urban areas. Church leaders must learn how to effectively engage in ministry with this urban core, a group that includes both the poor and marginalized as well as the wealthy and influential. This book will guide you in developing a philosophy of ministry that can lead to restoration and renewal in your city. Matt Carter and Darrin Patrick explain the biblical, theological, and historical foundations of ministry within the urban core, and how to plant churches where the gospel is not only faithfully preached and shared but also brings substantial benefits to those living in the community. For the City relates the wisdom gleaned from years of serving their cities for the sake of God’s kingdom. Carter and Patrick practically equip church leaders and Christians to look at their city as a mission field where individuals and churches can faithfully proclaim the gospel and live out the reality of a community changed and transformed by its message.

 

Lent WEEK 6: March 25-31 - THE COST OF RICHES

WEEK 6:

THE COST OF RICHES

March 25-31 / Weekly Fast: Shopping for Non-Essentials

Reading

And a ruler asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.’ ” And he said, “All these I have kept from my youth.” When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. Jesus, seeing that he had become sad, said, “How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”

Those who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?” But he said, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” And Peter said, “See, we have left our homes and followed you.” And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life.”

And taking the twelve, he said to them, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. For he will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise.” But they understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said. LUKE 18:18–34

Supplemental Passages to Consider Throughout the Week

Matthew 13:44-46, Hebrews 13:5-6, 1 Timothy 6:6-12, Matthew 6:19-24

 

O Changeless God,

Under the conviction of thy Spirit I learn that 

the more I do, the worse I am,

the more I know, the less I know,

the more holiness I have, the more sinful I am,

the more I love, the more there is to love.

O wretched man that I am!

O Lord, 

I have a wild heart, 

and cannot stand before thee;

I am like a bird before a man.

How little I love thy truth and ways!

I neglect prayer, 

by thinking I have prayed enough and earnestly, 

by knowing thou hast saved my soul.

Of all hypocrites, grant that I may not be 

an evangelical hypocrite, 

who sins more safely because grace abounds, 

who tells his lusts that Christ’s blood cleanseth them, 

who reasons that God cannot cast him into hell, 

for he is saved, 

who loves evangelical preaching, churches, Christians, 

but lives unholily.

My mind is a bucket without a bottom, 

with no spiritual understanding, 

no desire for the Lord’s Day, 

ever learning but never reaching the truth, 

always at the gospel-well but never holding water.

My conscience is without conviction or contrition, 

with nothing to repent of.

My will is without power of decision or resolution.

My heart is without affection, and full of leaks.

My memory has no retention, 

so I forget easily the lessons learned, 

and thy truths seep away.

Give me a broken heart that yet carries home the water of grace.

PRAYER FROM “THE VALLEY OF VISION”

This is taken from the Seasons of Lent Guide from The Village Church.

Lent WEEK 5: March 18-24 - HUMILITY AND JUSTIFICATION

WEEK 5:

HUMILITY AND JUSTIFICATION

March 18-24 / Weekly Fast: Radio and Music

Reading

He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Now they were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them. And when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. But Jesus called them to him, saying, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” LUKE 18:9–17

Supplemental Passages to Consider Throughout the Week

James 4:1-10, 1 Peter 5:5-8, Philippians 2:1-13, Matthew 5:3-12

 

Sovereign Lord,

When clouds of darkness, atheism, and unbelief come to me,

I see thy purpose of love 

in withdrawing the Spirit that I might prize him more, 

in chastening me for my confidence in 

past successes, that my wound of secret godlessness might be cured.

Help me to humble myself before thee 

by seeing the vanity of honour 

as a conceit of men’s minds, 

as standing between me and thee; 

by seeing that thy will must alone be done, 

as much in denying as in giving spiritual enjoyments; 

by seeing that my heart is nothing but evil, 

mind, mouth, life void of thee; 

by seeing that sin and Satan are allowed power 

in me that I might know my sin, be humbled, and gain 

strength thereby; 

by seeing that unbelief shuts thee from me, 

so that I sense not thy majesty, power, mercy, or love.

Then possess me, for thou only art good and worthy.

Thou does not play in convincing me of sin,

Satan did not play in tempting me to it,

I do not play when I sink in deep mire, 

for sin is no game, no toy, no bauble;

Let me never forget that the heinousness of sin lies 

not so much in the nature of the sin committed, 

as in the greatness of the Person sinned against.

When I am afraid of evils to come, comfort me, by showing me 

that in myself I am a dying, condemned wretch, 

but that in Christ I am reconciled, made alive, and satisfied; 

that I am feeble and unable to do any good, 

but that in him I can do all things; 

that what I now have in Christ is mine in part, 

but that shortly I shall have it perfectly in heaven.

PRAYER FROM “THE VALLEY OF VISION”

This is taken from the Seasons of Lent Guide from The Village Church.

 

Kindle Deals: Christians at the Border: Immigration, the Church, and the Bible (FREE March 16 Only)

Christians at the Border: Immigration, the Church, and the Bible

Author: M. Daniel Carroll R.

Publisher: Baker Books

Price: FREE (March 16 Only)

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Product Description

Immigration is one of the most pressing issues on the national agenda. This accessible book provides biblical and ethical guidance for readers who are looking for a Christian perspective on the immigration issue. As both a Guatemalan and an American, the author has immersed himself in this issue and is uniquely qualified to write about it. Drawing on key biblical ideas, he speaks to both the immigrant culture and the host culture, arguing that both sides have much to learn about the debate. This timely, clear, and compassionate resource will benefit all Christians who are thinking through the immigration issue.

From the Back Cover

"With a foot in both cultures and a sensitivity to the arguments of all sides, Carroll presents Christians at the Border to sort through the complicated and confusing immigration debate with nuance. Read and learn."--Darrell Bock, Dallas Theological Seminary

"Immigration issues grip American politics and opinions. But what does the Bible say? What is at the heart of the Christian view on immigration? Danny Carroll's voice on this issue is like no other."--Leith Anderson, National Association of Evangelicals

"Danny Carroll's goal of providing Christians with a biblical and theological framework to participate in the US immigration debate as Christians is met brilliantly in Christians at the Border. It provides Christians of various political perspectives a framework from which to begin a conversation together."--Juan Francisco Martínez, Fuller Theological Seminary

"Carroll's grasp of the problems presented by immigration--political, economic, and familial--is balanced, restrained, and profound. Protestants and Catholics of all political leanings need to pay attention to this book.--William M. Shea, College of the Holy Cross

"A timely, must-read book for the church in the United States. This book helps us think through this complex issue clearly and soberly by presenting a well-documented historical and biblical perspective on immigration and people movements."--Dennis J. Rivera, Central Latin American District Council of the Assemblies of God, Denver, Colorado

"Combining prophetic zeal with a tender, pastoral tone, Carroll calls on Christians to adopt a distinctively Christian disposition to the issue of undocumented immigrants."--Daniel I. Block, Wheaton College

"With the skill of a biblical scholar, the heart of a prophet, and the rich background of a Guatemalan-American, Carroll speaks Solomonesque wisdom that will help us all."--Don Sweeting, Cherry Creek Presbyterian Church, Greenwood Village, Colorado

M. Daniel Carroll R. (Rodas) is Distinguished Professor of Old Testament at Denver Seminary and is adjunct professor at El Seminario Teológico Centroamericano in Guatemala City, Guatemala. He received his PhD from the University of Sheffield. He is the author or editor of several books, is a contributing editor to Prism, and founded IDEAL, a Spanish-language training program at Denver Seminary.

 

Kindle Deals: Prayer by Philip Yancey (77% Off)

Prayer

Author(s): Philip Yancey

Publisher: Zondervan

List Price $16.99

Price: $3.99

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In his most powerful message since What's So Amazing About Grace? and The Jesus I Never Knew, Philip Yancey explores the intimate place where God and humans meet in this Prayer Ebook. Polls reveal that 90 percent of people pray. Yet prayer, which should be the most nourishing and uplifting time of the believer's day, can also be frustrating, confusing, and fraught with mystery. Yancey probes such questions as: *Is God listening? *Why should God care about me? *If God knows everything, what's the point of prayer? *Why do answers to prayer seem so inconsistent? *Why does God sometimes seem close and sometimes seem far away? *How can I make prayer more satisfying? Yancey tackles the tough questions and in the process comes up with a fresh new approach to this timeless topic. 'I have learned to pray as a privilege, not a duty,' he says, and he invites you to join him on this all-important journey.

Kindle Deals: Christian Beliefs: Twenty Basics Every Christian Should Know (69% Off)

Christian Beliefs: Twenty Basics Every Christian Should Know

Author(s): Wayne Grudem & Elliot Grudem

Publisher: Zondervan

List Price $12.99

Price: $3.99

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Christian Essentials Made Plain and Simple God doesn't call every Christian to go off to seminary, but there are certain matters of doctrine---that is, the church's teaching---that every Christian simply must know. Theology is important because what we believe affects how we live. If you're a relatively new believer in Jesus, or if you're a more mature Christian looking for a quick brush-up on basics of the faith, Christian Beliefs is for you. This readable guide to twenty basic Christian beliefs is a condensation of Wayne Grudem's award-winning book on systematic theology, prized by pastors and teachers everywhere. He and his son, Elliot, have boiled down the essentials of Christian theology for the average layperson and made them both clear and applicable to life. You will learn about the Bible, the characteristics of God, what it means that we are created in the image of God, what God has done for us in Christ, the purpose of the church, and much more. Each chapter includes questions for personal review or group discussion. These truly are twenty basic beliefs that every Christian should know. Wayne Grudem is a master teacher with the ability to explain profound truths in simple language. He is a man of deep conviction and theological passion---and those who read this book will be both educated and encouraged in the faith. R. Albert Mohler Jr., President, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky Based on Systematic Theology, this summary will certainly help beginners with Christ to get the hang of their faith. J. I. Packer, Regent College, Vancouver, British Columbia As Wayne Grudem's Systematic Theology contracts into a compact book, I do not lose my enthusiasm for the truth he loves and the clarity of his words. John Piper, Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota

 

Kindle Deals: An Introduction to the New Testament by D.A. Carson & Douglas J. Moo (90% Off)

An Introduction to the New Testament: Second Edition

Author(s): D. A. Carson & Douglas J. Moo

Publisher: Zondervan

List Price $39.99

Price: $3.99 (USA) / $4.60 (CDN)

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An Introduction to the New Testament focuses on 'special introduction' that is historical questions dealing with authorship, date, sources, purpose, destination, and so forth. This approach stands in contrast to recent texts that concentrate more on literary form, rhetorical criticism, and historical parallels---topics the authors don't minimize, but instead think are better given extended treatment in exegesis courses. By refocusing on the essentials, An Introduction to the New Testament ensures that the New Testament books will be accurately understood within historical settings.For each New Testament document, the authors also provide a substantial summary of that book's content, discuss the book's theological contribution to the overall canon, and give an account of current studies on that book, including recent literary and social-science approaches to interpretation.This second edition reflects significant revision and expansion from the original, making this highly acclaimed text even more valuable.* A new chapter provides a historical survey examining Bible study method through the ages.* The chapter on Paul has been expanded to include an analysis of debates on the 'new perspective.'* The discussion of New Testament epistles has been expanded to form a new chapter. This new edition will help a new generation of students better grasp the message of the New Testament.

 

Lent WEEK 4: March 11-17 - LEARNING TO PRAY

WEEK 4:

LEARNING TO PRAY

March 11-17 / Weekly Fast: Caffeine and Sweets

Reading

Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” And he said to them, “When you pray, say: “Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.” And he said to them, “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; and he will answer from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything’? I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs. And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” LUKE 11:1–13

Supplemental Passages to Consider Throughout the Week

Ephesians 3:14-21, Philippians 4:4-7, Matthew 5:25-34, James 5:13-18

 

Eternal Father,

Thou are good beyond all thought,

But I am vile, wretched, miserable, blind;

My lips are ready to confess, 

but my heart is slow to feel, 

and my ways reluctant to amend.

I bring my soul to thee; 

break it, wound it, bend it, mould it.

Unmask to me sin’s deformity, 

that I may hate it, abhor it, flee from it.

My faculties have been a weapon of revolt against thee; 

as a rebel I have misused my strength, 

and served the foul adversary of thine kingdom.

Give me grace to bewail my insensate folly,

Grant me to know that the way of transgressors is hard, 

that evil paths are wretched paths, 

that to depart from thee is to lose all good.

I have seen the purity and beauty of thy perfect law, 

the happiness of those in whose heart it reigns, 

the calm dignity of the walk to which it calls, 

yet I violate and contemn its precepts.

Thy loving Spirit strives within me, 

brings me Scripture warnings, 

speaks in startling providences, 

allures by secret whispers, 

yet I choose devices and desires to my own hurt, 

impiously resent, grieve, and provoke him to abandon me.

All these sins I mourn, lament, and for them cry pardon.

Work in me more profound and abiding repentance;

Give me the fullness of a godly grief 

that trembles and fears, 

yet ever trusts and loves, 

which is ever powerful, and ever confident;

Grant that through the tears of repentance 

I may see more clearly the brightness and glories of the 

saving cross.

PRAYER FROM “THE VALLEY OF VISION”

This is taken from the Seasons of Lent Guide from The Village Church.

 

Lent WEEK 3: March 4-10 - CONFESSION AND COST

WEEK 3:

CONFESSION AND COST

March 4-10 / Weekly Fast: Social Networking and Internet

Reading

Now it happened that as he was praying alone, the disciples were with him. And he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” And they answered, “John the Baptist. But others say, Elijah, and others, that one of the prophets of old has risen.” Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” And Peter answered, “The Christ of God.”

And he strictly charged and commanded them to tell this to no one, saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.”

And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.” LUKE 9:18–27

Supplemental Passages to Consider Throughout the Week

Philippians 3:7-16, Colossians 3:1-4, 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, Hebrews 12:1-11

 

O God of grace,

Thou has imputed my sin to my substitute, 

and hast imputed his righteousness to my soul, 

clothing me with a bridegroom’s robe, 

decking me with jewels of holiness.

But in my Christian walk I am still in rags; 

my best prayers are stained with sin; 

my penitential tears are so much impurity; 

my confessions of wrong are so many aggravations of sin; 

my receiving the Spirit is tinctured with selfishness.

I need to repent of my repentance;

I need my tears to be washed;

I have no robe to bring to cover my sins, 

no loom to weave my own righteousness;

I am always standing clothed in filthy garments, 

and by grace am always receiving change of raiment, 

for thou dost always justify the ungodly;

I am always going into the far country, 

and always returning home as a prodigal, 

always saying, Father, forgive me, 

and thou art always bringing forth the best robe.

Every morning let me wear it, 

every evening return in it, 

go out to the day’s work in it, 

be married in it, 

be wound in death in it, 

stand before the great white throne in it, 

enter heaven in it shining as the sun.

Grant me never to lose sight of 

the exceeding sinfulness of sin, 

the exceeding righteousness of salvation, 

the exceeding glory of Christ, 

the exceeding beauty of holiness, 

the exceeding wonder of grace.

PRAYER FROM “THE VALLEY OF VISION”

This is taken from the Seasons of Lent Guide from The Village Church.

 

Kindle Deals: Our Triune God by Philip Ryken (86% off)

Our Triune God: Living in the Love of the Three-in-One

Author(s): Philip Ryken & Michael LeFebvre
Publisher: Crossway Books
Price: $1.79
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How are we to relate to a three-personed God? The idea of the Trinity may initially seem too abstract to understand, but the truth is that a deeper knowledge of God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit has daily importance. Convinced that many Christians “have some level of awareness that God is triune…[but] are virtually Unitarian,” the authors have written a practical and theologically robust resource to help readers grow closer to the Triune God. 

Philip Ryken and Michael LeFebvre examine the doctrine of the Trinity in four parts. They explain the roles of the Father, Son, and Spirit in salvation; answer difficult questions about the Trinity; explore the believer’s relationship to each person of the Trinity; and provide an exposition of the various Gospel narratives depicting how the three persons of the Trinity work together to accomplish the redemptive purposes of God. Their careful treatment of these central truths captures important implications for the Christian life.

 

 

Kindle Deals: Holy Subversion (80% off)

Holy Subversion: Allegiance to Christ in an Age of Rivals

Author(s): Trevin Wax

Publisher: Crossway Books
Price: $2.99
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Christians are too often guilty of pledging their allegiance to the influential principalities and powers of this age rather than to Christ alone. In Holy Subversion, Trevin Wax challenges such behavior by urging a return to the subversive lifestyle of the earliest Christians. Their proclamation and demonstration that “Jesus is Lord” directly opposed the Caesar worship of their day.

Today, Christians in the West must choose between Jesus and our “Caesars”: self, success, money, leisure, sex, power. What would it look like, asks Wax, if today’s church reclaimed the communal, subversive nature of the gospel, intentionally undermining all contenders for our devotion?

Kindle Deals: 9 Marks of a Healthy Church (75% Off)

9 Marks of a Healthy Church

Author(s): Mark Dever

Publisher: Crossway Books

Price: $3.99

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What makes for a healthy church? A large congregation? Plentiful parking? Vibrant music?

You may have read books on this topic before—but not like this one. This new expanded edition of Nine Marks of a Healthy Church is not an instruction manual for church growth. It is a pastor’s recommendation of how to assess the health of your church using nine crucial qualities that are neglected by many of today’s churches.

Whether you’re a church leader or an involved member of your congregation, you can help cultivate these elements in your church, bringing it new life and health for God’s glory.

Kindle Deals: Barefoot Church: Serving the Least in a Consumer Culture (84% Off)

Barefoot Church: Serving the Least in a Consumer Culture (Exponential Series)

Author(s): Brandon Hatmaker

Publisher: Zondervan

Price: $2.99 (USA) / $3.42 (CDN)

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People are hungry to make a difference in their community, yet most don’t know where to start. In fact, ‘serving the least’ is often one of the most neglected biblical mandates in the church. Barefoot Church shows readers how today’s church can be a catalyst for individual, collective, and social renewal in any context. Whether pastors or laypeople, readers will discover practical ideas that end up being as much about the Gospel and personal transformation as they are about serving the poor.