InterVarsity Press, LLC – förlag

Heaven: Why It Matters Here and NowHave we forgotten heaven?Bestselling author and pastor Brian Zahnd invites us to remember heaven, to experience and embrace the divine mystery of the spiritual realm in this lifetime. This slow and steady progression of a deeper Christian faith that draws us nearer to God—a "pilgrimage of the soul"—fosters in us a love for both the heavenly and the earthly.For too long, the conversation about heaven has been caught between two extremes. On one hand, there is the shallow "escapist" theology that reduces salvation to a reservation for the afterlife, unconcerned with God''s good earth or issues of justice in the world.On the other hand, manyof us have overcorrected, hyperfocusing on the here and now and losing sight of the spiritual reality beyond—a fatal mistake if our Christianity is to have a compelling message in the twenty-first century. Our faith must once again speak confidentlyand humbly about the reality of the spiritual world—the reality of unseen existences.In Unseen Existences, you''ll find- a fresh way of looking at heaven that pushes back against extremes,- a vision for life as a pilgrimage to our true home in heaven and union with God, and- encouragement to persevere through the injustices of this world with hope.Unseen Existences will help you renew your faith, expandyour perspective, and re-embrace the divine mystery of heaven. Though life can be uncertain and unjust, our pilgrimage is preparing us for the world to come, where we will see Christ face-to-face. With the company of our Helper, Advocate, and Comforter, we press on, trusting he will lead us home.

"Caregiving is the holy act of the literal laying of hands on another to help and to heal. It requires strength, courage, and commitment to serve another intimately with dignity, respect, and love. The giving of such care, however, gives the one who cares a glimpse into God''s priceless kenotic gift to humanity. This beautiful and important devotional based on Nouwen''s magnanimous wisdom offers encouragement to those entrusted with caregiving by reminding them that what they are doing plants roots in the eternal—even in the hidden or lonely recesses of servitude, caregivers are seen, they matter, and they are upheld by the right hand of God!" — Carolyn Weber, caregiver, professor of literature, and author of Surprised by OxfordHenri Nouwen''s timeless wisdom reminds us once again of the transformation that love brings, both when we allow ourselves to give love with abandon and when we allow ourselves to receive love.Caregivingtoo often is reduced to a list of tasks—doing the things that another individual cannot do independently. In six weeks of daily devotions inspired by the words of Henri Nouwen and intertwined with Scripture and prayer, Hope for Caregivers summons us away from our lists for a few moments each day and draws us to a fresh framework for the experience of giving care.

Throughout the Bible, we see that God entrusts each of us with authority as his image bearers, even as we remain vulnerable to loss and pain. To truly flourish, Andy Crouch argues, we must follow the way of Jesus. He perfectly blended authority and vulnerability and used his power for the liberation of others.In these six easy-to-use studies written by spiritual formation author Jan Johnson, you will encounter what Scripture says about power, vulnerability, humble leadership, and flourishing communities.As companions to the IVP Signature Collection, IVP Signature Bible Studies help individuals and groups explore and apply biblical truths found in classic books. Each session features quotations from Strong and Weak matched with Scripture passages, reflection questions, and application ideas that will equip readers to connect the text to their own lives. A leader''s guide and list of suggested resources are also included.

"Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind . . . "Julian of Eclanum (c. 386–455) was the bishop of Eclanum, located in modern-day Italy. In this volume in IVP''s Ancient Christian Texts series, Thomas Scheck provides anew translation of Julian''s commentaries on the biblical books of Job and those of three Minor Prophets: Hosea, Joel, and Amos. Here, readers will gain insight into how early Christians read texts such as God''s speech to Job, Hosea''s symbolic representation of God''s unending love for a faithless Israel, Joel''s anticipation of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and Amos''s call for social justice.While Julian was a well-known leader among the Pelagians, whose theology was famously opposedby Augustine of Hippo and ultimately determined to be outside the bounds of the church''s orthodoxy, the Pelagian movement was a significant element within the early church. And although Julian''s Pelagianism does not fundamentally affect the commentaries presented in this volume, Christians can gain insight into the truths of Scripture by reading the text alongside others, even when—or perhaps especially when—we might disagree with other aspects of their beliefs.Ancient Christian Texts arenew English translations of full-length commentaries or sermon series from ancient Christian authors that allow you to study key writings of the early church fathers in a fresh way.

Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Finalist - Science and TechnologyNo one is really Christian on their own. But often the religious life is seen as individual, private, and internal—resulting in a truncated, consumeristic faith. And what if that kind of individualistic Christianity is built on a fundamental misunderstanding of human nature?According to psychologists Brad Strawn and Warren Brown, it''s time to rethink the Christian life in light of current research on the human mind, particularly with a deeper understanding of the process called "extended cognition." Using insights from neuroscience, psychology, and philosophy, they argue in Enhancing Christian Life that persons must be understood as not only embodied and embedded within particular contexts, but also extended beyond the body to encompass aspects of the physical and social world. Embracing a vision of the Christian life as extended into interactions with a local network of believers, they help us discover a fuller, more effective way to be Christian.After exploring the psychological dynamics of extended cognition, including how the mind is "supersized" by the incorporation of physical tools and social networks, Strawn and Brown consider implications for spiritual practices, congregational life, and religious language and traditions, which they describe as mental "wikis." The formation of robust Christian life, they show, is a process that takes place within a larger mesh of embodiment and mind—broader, deeper, and richer than we could ever be on our own.

Caring for the mental health of children and their families is complex and challenging—and meaningful. For Christian clinicians who work with childhood disorders, however, few resources exist to address such treatment from a research-based Christian integration perspective.Treatment of Childhood Disorders fills this gap by combining biblical and theological understanding with current psychological literature on empirically supported treatments for children. Sarah E. Hall and Kelly S. Flanagan present an integrated approach based in developmental psychopathology, which offers a dynamic, multifaceted framework from which to understand the processes that affect children''s development.In this unique textbook, Hall and Flanagan consider a variety of disorders commonly diagnosed in children and adolescents, including anxiety, depression, ADHD, and autism spectrum disorder. After discussing prevalence, risk and causal factors, patterns throughout development, and assessment, they focus on evidence-based practices that have been found to be effective in treating the disorders. Each chapter also features ideas for Christian integration in treatment and an extended case study that brings the content to life.Christian Association for Psychological Studies (CAPS) Books explore how Christianity relates to mental health and behavioral sciences including psychology, counseling, social work, and marriage and family therapy in order to equip Christian clinicians to support the well-being of their clients.

"Some theories of [psychology] are based largely on the behavior of sick and anxious people or upon the antics of captive and desperate rats. Fewer theories have been derived from the study of healthy human beings, those who strive not so much to preserve life as to make it worth living. Thus we find . . . many studies of criminals, few of law-abiders; many of fear, few of courage; more on hostility than on affiliation; much on the blindness in man, little on his vision; much on his past, little on his outreaching into the future." —Gordon Allport, 1955Originally the field of psychology had a threefold mission: to cure mental illness, yes, but also to find ways to make life fulfilling for all and to maximize talent. Over the last century, a focus on mental illness has often been prioritized over studies of health, to the point that many people assume "psychologist" is just another way of saying "psychotherapist." This book is about one attempt to restore the discipline''s larger mission.Positive psychology attends to what philosophers call "the good life." It is about fostering strength and living well—about how to do a good job at being human. Some of that will involve cheerful emotions, and some of it will not. There are vital roles to be played by archetypal challenges such as those involving self-control, guilt, and grit, and even the terror of death enters into positive psychology''s vision of human flourishing.Charles Hackney connects this still-new movement to foundational concepts in philosophy and Christian theology. He then explores topics such as subjective states, cognitive processes, and the roles of personality, relationships, and environment, also considering relevantpractices in spheres from the workplace to the church and even the martial arts dojo. Hackney takes seriously the range of critiques positive psychology has faced as he frames a constructive future for Christian contributions to the field.Christian Association for Psychological Studies (CAPS) Books explore how Christianity relates to mental health and behavioral sciences including psychology, counseling, social work, and marriage and family therapy in order to equip Christian cliniciansto support the well-being of their clients.

Integral to a Christian worldview and to psychology are foundational questions about personhood: What characteristics are essential? What is our purpose? Do we naturally incline toward good or bad? Are we accountable for self and responsible for others?In The Person in Psychology and Christianity, developmental psychologist Marjorie Gunnoe demonstrates how the integration of theological and psychological perspectives offers a more comprehensive understanding of personhood than either approach alone. Gunnoe opens with a brief summary of biblical and theological perspectives on four organizing themes (human essence, purpose, moral tendency, and accountability). She then examines the intersection of this faith-based depiction with five theories of social development proposed by- Erik Erikson- John Bowlby- B. F. Skinner- Albert Bandura- Evolutionary PsychologyFor each, Gunnoe includes a biography, a summary ofthe theorist''s broad perspective on personhood, and an analysis of the theorist''s stance on the four specific themes. This book is written for a general audience and suitable for undergraduate and graduate instruction.Christian Association forPsychological Studies (CAPS) Books explore how Christianity relates to mental health and behavioral sciences including psychology, counseling, social work, and marriage and family therapy in order to equip Christian clinicians to support the well-being of their clients.

When we encounter human suffering or personal tragedy, Christians and non-Christians alike utter the same refrain: Where is God? If God exists, then where in the world is he? Why doesn''t he show himself? And how can we tell if God is really working or not?Tim Muehlhoff gives us insight into recognizing how God is at work in the world. He unpacks the doctrine of common grace to uncover how God works in ways that we don''t always realize. If we have a limited idea of what divine action looks like—dramatic answers to prayer, healings with no medical explanation, financial needs being met unexpectedly—then we miss seeing how God acts through common grace in ordinary, everyday ways such as antibiotics, financial planners, and thoughtful friends. Muehlhoff offers dozens of illustrations from contemporary culture to help us understand and communicate how God is present and acting in the world today.Discover how God cares for our troubled world as he gives you the eyes to see.

"A gap decade isn''t a cute whim of a decision to take a pause and travel to Italy for a few months. Nah. A gap decade is a cluster of challenging, transitional years that the universe just dumps in your lap. And my lap. And prettymuch everyone''s lap. It''s that twilight zone between ''young person'' and ''full-blown adult'' that sort of washes in, bringing with it a bit of chaos, growth, and self-discovery. It is a few years of flailing around, trying to figure out what the heckis happening as you move from not old to kinda old. From young adult to adult adult."The gap decade is that sometimes difficult transitional season young adults face in their twenties and early thirties. In this quirky and honest chronicle, Katie Schnack names the awkward realities of living in that gap between adolescence and adulthood. She and her husband go on an unpredictable journey through a decade of never-ending transitions as they make multiple moves across five states, face jobinterviews and tax returns, and go through anxiety, loss, pregnancy, and countless episodes of The Office.* Along the way, Schnack explores the common experiences of these young adulting years: The uncertainty of waiting when you''re stuck and don''t know what steps to take. Learning to trust in God''s provision when you are broke like a joke. Admitting your need for help when panic attacks strike. And discovering a life full of grace and joys that can''t be ordered via two-day delivery.*Katie has binged all nine seasons of The Office—four times. Don''t do the math about how many hours of TV that is. She doesn''t want to know.

Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Award FinalistECPA Top Shelf Award WinnerTaylor Schumann never thought she''d be a victim of gun violence. But one spring day a man with a shotgun walked into her workplace and opened fire on her. While she survived, she was left with permanent wounds, both visible and invisible.In When Thoughts and Prayers Aren''t Enough, Taylor invites us to see what it means to be a survivor after the news vehicles drive away and the media moves on. Healing is slow and complicated. As she suffered through surgeries, grueling rehabilitation, and counseling to repair the physical injuries and emotional trauma, she came face to face with the deep and lasting impact of gun violence. As she began grappling with the realities, Taylor experienced another painful truth: Christians have largely been absent from this issue. Gun violence undercuts God''s vision of abundant life and community—and the silence of the church rings loudly in the ears of survivors and families of victims.Taylor weaves her own incredible story of survival and recovery into a larger conversation about gun violence in our country. With compassion and honesty, she encourages readers to reconsider their own engagement with the issue and to join her in envisioning a more hopeful, safer future for our nation. Move beyond thoughts and prayers and enter into grace-filled dialogue and action.

We live in a multicultural society. But Christians often do not know how to engage those of other faiths. As a result, many Christians hesitate to talk about Christianity with others in any kind of evangelistic way.Jay Moonand Bud Simon unpack the intercultural dynamics that Christians need to understand when encountering people from different communities and cultural backgrounds. Regarding evangelism from the perspective of four major worldviews (guilt/justice, shame/honor, fear/power, and indifference/belonging with purpose), this book demonstrates contextual evangelism approaches that are relevant, biblical, and practical. The authors draw on new research conducted with hundreds of participants that reveal concrete ways to communicate the gospel effectively across cultures.Sharing one''s faith does not require attacking other religions; rather, we can engage at the worldview level in order to address people''s deepest concerns. Greater understandingprovides us with better skills for relational connection, empathy, and effective witness.

In the wake of the 1992 Los Angeles riots, Fuller Seminary theologian William Pannell decried the sentiment among white evangelicals that racism was no longer an urgent matter. In The Coming Race Wars? he meticulously unpacked reasons why our nation—and the church—needed to come to terms with our complicity in America''s racial transgressions before we face a more dire reckoning. Pannell was among a small number of Black evangelical leaders at the time who called theevangelical church to account on issues of racial justice. Now, nearly thirty years later, his words are as timely as ever. Some would even argue that the "race war" he predicted has arrived.In The Coming Race Wars: A Cry for Justice, fromCivil Rights to Black Lives Matter, Pannell revisits his provocative book with an expanded edition that connects its message to current events. With a new introduction by bestselling historian Jemar Tisby and a new afterword by Pannell, this compelling, heartfelt plea to the church will help today''s readers take a deeper look at the complexities of institutional racism and the unjust systems that continue to confound us.This new edition of The Coming Race Wars will inspireyou to open your eyes wider, discover a more holistic view of Christ''s gospel, and become an active participant in addressing America''s racial injustices.

It''s easy to feel overwhelmed by all of the injustices that we see in the world. We don''t know what to do and might think that we don''t have anything to offer. But by using our gifts in collaboration with others, we can do more together than we ever could on our own.Activist Terence Lester knows it''s hard to change the world. But mobilizing and acting together empowers us to do what we can''t do as isolated individuals. Lester looks at the obstacles that prevent us fromgetting involved, and he offers practical ways that we can accomplish things together as groups, families, churches, and communities. He helps us find our place in the larger picture, discerning the unique ways we can contribute and make a difference. By connecting with our neighbors and discovering our own paths of service, we can drastically change how we follow Christ and see God moving in the world.Togetherness and community give visible testimony of the power of the gospel. In thisbroken world, the body of Christ can transform society—when we stand together.

Did you know that the Bible has a great deal to say about ethnicity?Through the Bible, God shapes the way we engage with ethnicity. A biblical perspective on ethnicity gives us confidence to explore our own ethnic identities.In this eight-session LifeGuide® Bible Study, Steve Tamayo takes us through passages that open us up to difficult yet important conversations about race, culture, and ethnicity. If ethnicity is a gift from God, engaging this material may deeply transform the way we interact with family, friends, and enemies.For over three decades LifeGuide Bible Studies have provided solid biblical content and raised thought-provoking questions—making for a one-of-a-kind Bible study experience for individuals and groups. This series has more than 130 titles on Old and New Testament books, character studies, and topical studies.

As a freelance filmmaker, Nikole Lim''s career allowed her to step in and out of the lives of marginalized people around the world. But when confronted with the prevalence of sexual violence in Kenyan and Zambian communities, she commits to advocating alongside the courageous survivors whose lives have intersected with hers.These women''s powerful stories inspire her to embark on a new vocation, partnering with survivors of sexual violence to launch a nonprofit organization that equips women to lead through the rewritten stories of their lives. But as Lim seeks to help her friends experience healing and liberation, her perspective is altered. Spiritually depleted, she finds herself ministered to by the women she came to serve—the once oppressed become her liberators.Illustrated with dramatic full-color photography from Lim''s own camera, Liberation Is Here transports us to forgotten corners of the world. From the slums of Nairobi, hospitals of Lusaka, killing fields of Kigali, and the back alleys of Barcelona, Lim weaves together a narrative of God''s grace and healing amid fear and trauma. Her journey proves that liberation is not just near, but it is here—in the eyes of the broken, the hearts of the oppressed, and the untold stories of our global community.

Nearly every professional counselor will encounter clients with a history of complex trauma. Yet many counselors are not adequately prepared to help those suffering from complex posttraumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD), including survivors of child abuse, religious cult abuse, and domestic violence. A lack of consistent terminology in the field makes finding resources difficult, but without reliable training counselors risk inadvertently retraumatizing those they are trying to help.In this second edition of Restoring the Shattered Self, Heather Davediuk Gingrich provides an essential resource for Christian counselors to help fill the gap between their training and the realities of trauma-related work. Drawing on over thirty years of experience with complex trauma survivors in the United States, Canada, and the Philippines, she ably integrates the established research on trauma therapy with insights from her own experience and an intimate understanding of the special concerns related to Christian counseling.In addition to presenting a three-phase treatment model for C-PTSD based on Judith Herman''s classic work, Gingrich addresses how to treat dissociative identity disorder clients, respond to survivors'' spiritual issues, build resilience as a counselor in this taxing work, and empower churches to help in the healing process.This new edition is updated throughout to match the DSM-5 and includes new content on how the body responds to trauma, techniques for helping clients stay within the optimal zone of nervous system arousal, and additional summary sidebars. With this thoughtful guide, counselors and pastors will be equipped to provide the long-term help that complex trauma survivors need to live more abundantly.Christian Association for Psychological Studies (CAPS) Books explore how Christianity relates to mental health and behavioral sciences including psychology, counseling, social work, and marriage and family therapy in order to equip Christian clinicians to support the well-being of their clients.

Who are you becoming? And how will you get there?Spiritual transformation is not a one-size-fits-all journey. Each of us has a particular identity, gifts, values, roles, and purpose. Thus we each need distinct spiritual rhythms that are designed to help us live out that vocation and calling.In this practical book Alastair Sterne shows how we can craft a life of more intentionality, becoming Christlike in ways that fit who we are. First we discover who God made us to be, in all our distinctiveness. Then we enter into spiritual practices that flow out of that particular sense of identity, with fourfold rhythms that point us upward to God, inward to self, withward in community, and outward in mission. Our vocation is our identity uniquely lived out before God, bringing our being and doing together.You can live a life that is more aligned with who you are meant to be. Discover spiritual rhythms that move at the pace of grace, and align you with yourunique identity and calling in Christ.

What does it take to live a meaningful life? Why are so many people in affluent nations so anxious and unhappy? What difference does believing in God really make? Does belief in the God of the Bible truly make sense today?In this revised edition of The God Question, philosopher J. P. Moreland invites us on a journey to a rich, flourishing life. He digs into the causes of our cultural crisis of unhappiness and considers how the God revealed in Jesus provides themost rational solution to our deepest needs. With special sensitivity to skeptics, seekers, and Christians who are disenchanted with their faith, he helps us see the Christian story—its reasonableness and its relevance—in fresh ways.For anyone wrestling with big questions about life and faith, Moreland provides insight from his many years of philosophical studies and his own experience as a Christian. Filled with personal stories, this book explores evidence for the existence of God, thereliability of the Gospels, essentials of a flourishing Christian life, the reality of miracles, and more. This edition features a new section on overcoming anxiety and depression. Wherever you are on your journey, The God Question will help you see anew what difference Jesus makes in a human life.

With increasing interest from donors and board members to see faith-based, missional organizations reflect the diversity of God''s kingdom, these organizations desire to have women in positions of leadership. However, this proves difficult when the organizational culture is one that silences and even penalizes the unique giftings that women bring to the table.Many organizations still lack the ability to embody a new culture–what Beth Birmingham and Eeva Simard call a belonging culture. Such a culture is one where all employees are secure and recognized, where leaders seek productivity and connectivity, and where the organization is committed to supporting a diverse community of employees.Creating Cultures of Belonging offers solutions for leadership teams, board members, and managers that reshape organizational culture in ways that invite and celebrate gender equity. With practical steps to enhance mentorship opportunities, human resources practices, and management tactics, Beth and Eeva point a way forward by identifying the changes that need to be made to create a belonging culture.

It''s a long way from the research carrel to the classroom. No matter your personality, your prior experience, or the specifics of your situation, the transition from graduate studies to teaching involves a set of challenges for which no one is ever fully prepared. In this practical guide Michael Kibbe, author of From Topic to Thesis, provides a helpful companion for the journey.With plenty of personal examples and tested advice, Kibbe covers preparation for teaching, best practices in the classroom, self-evaluation, and the discovery of your mission and method. He also reflects on the spiritual lives of professors, including social media practices, Sabbath, and relationships. From Research to Teaching is the concise, accessible resource every new and aspiring professor needs.

IVP Readers'' Choice AwardLamar Hardwick was thirty-six years old when he found out he was on the autism spectrum. While this revelation helped him understand and process his own experience, it also prompteda difficult re-evaluation of who he was as a person. And as a pastor, it started him on a new path of considering the way disabled people are treated in the church.Disability and the Church is a practical and theological reconsideration of the church''s responsibilities to the disabled community. Too often disabled persons are pushed away from the church or made to feel unwelcome in any number of ways. As Hardwick writes, "This should not be." He insists that the good news of Jesus affirms God''s image in all people, and he offers practical steps and strategies to build stronger, truly inclusive communities of faith.

How can the people of God develop churches in ways that help and don''t hurt poor neighborhoods? In urban ministry, Christians too often treat the poor as goodwill projects instead of people. Because of this mindset, many remain unchurched. Healthy, local, urban churches are needed because they combine personal empowerment and community transformation.Every poor neighborhood needs uncommon churches that will seek the common good of their communities. Alvin Sanders engages hard truths about these neighborhoods and provides a model for how to do ministry in difficult conditions. The local, urban church is the key to community transformation, as it plays three crucial roles of empowering, partnering, and reaching.Pastors and church planters interested in Christian community development will find here practical insights into the power of the local church, which is often underrated. Churches can serve their communities and improve the quality of life of every facet of the neighborhood.

Christian Book Award FinalistThe Kind of Leadership that Lasts in Times of ChangeWhat type of leadership is needed in a moment that demands adaptive change?Tod Bolsinger, leadership expert and author of Canoeing the Mountains, is uniquely positioned to explore the qualities of adaptive leadership in contexts ranging from churches to nonprofit organizations. In Tempered Resilience, he deftly examines both theexternal challenges we face and the internal resistance that holds us back.Bolsinger writes: "To temper describes the process of heating, holding, hammering, cooling, and reheating that adds stress to raw iron until it becomes a glistening knife blade or chisel tip." When reflection and relationships are combined into a life of deliberate practice, leaders become both stronger and more flexible. As a result, resilient leaders are able to offer greater wisdom and skill to those they serve, focusing on a vision that is beyond the profit, success, or even survival of the organization—one that is focused on the needs of real people.In Tempered Resilience, Bolsinger walks through the six-step process ofhow tempered leaders are formed:- Working: Leaders are formed in leading.- Heating: Strength is forged in self-reflection.- Holding: Vulnerable leadership requires relational security.- Hammering: Stress makes a leader.- Hewing: Resilience takes practice.- Tempering: Resilience comes through a rhythm of leading and not leading.If you''re facing resistance to the changes you know are necessary for your organization to thrive in this rapidly changing world, Tempered Resilience will give you the tools you need to remain steadfast through change and lead with strength of purpose.Also Available: Tempered Resilience Study GuideWant to get more out of the book? The Tempered Resilience Study Guide is also available for purchase. The guide is designedto lead to honest conversations for self-discovery and offers practices that leaders and their teams can take on together.

It''s not just what you say, but how you say it.Good communicators know this, but it''s often easier said than done. Teachers, leaders, and speakers are often left bewildered, wondering why the content that was so carefully planned and delivered seems to fall flat with the audience. The art of communication requires more than the transfer of information; it both connects with and engages the hearer. To communicate well, speakers must understand both their audience and themselves.Speaking by the Numbers offers a strategy that combines communication principles with Enneagram wisdom to help leaders, pastors, and teachers understand how to convey content in ways that both inspire and connect with their audiences. Using the Enneagram wisdom of triads and stances, communicators can learn insight into the ways that various Enneagram numbers receive and process information. Sean Palmer draws from his extensive experience as a public speaker to develop communication strategies that lead to connection, transformation, and mobilization of audiences. Providing real examples of speeches and messages he has given, Palmer shows how he uses the Enneagram to craft a message that connects with his audience.A healthy marriage of Enneagram wisdom and communication skill can help us speak with clarity into the heart of where people live, love, and experience life.

There''s a ticking time bomb in your ministry. Is it you?The pressures of pastoring are endless, leading many to burnout and depression, sexual misconduct, or substance abuse. But moral failures can be averted and shipwrecked ministries can be repaired. Counselor Michael MacKenzie, a longtime expert in helping pastors at risk, deals with the issues beneath the issues, such as shame, fear, and pain. If we don''t address our own weakness and brokenness, we will hurt ourselves and those around us.With vivid pictures of both self-destructive patterns and reconstructive grace, MacKenzie shows how to lay the groundwork for restored identity and service. God can use those exact areas of vulnerability as a catalystto you becoming the pastor and person he intends you to be.Defuse the bomb before it goes off. Find hope for healing and recovery.

A Companion Resource to Tempered Resilience: How Leaders Are Formed in the Crucible of ChangeGo deeper into the crucible of change and forge the leadership your organization needs.Tempered Resilience Study Guide, a companion to leadership expert Tod Bolsinger''s book Tempered Resilience, is designed to transform the book''s vital lessons into lived practice for you and your team. While you explore the qualities of adaptive leadership with Tempered Resilience, this companion guide helps you grasp the hands-on tools to cultivate them.True resilience is not formed in isolation. The sessions in this guide are designed to lead to honest conversations for self-discovery as well as offering practices that leaders and their teams can take on together. Following the structure of review, reflect, relate, and practice, you will unlock honest conversations and build the relationships necessary to lead through resistance.This study guide is for leaders who are ready to move from understanding to application. Are you ready to forge the kind of leadership that is demanded in our rapidly changing world?

Spiritual formation is the key to the survival of our faith.There is an urgent need today for church services that are substantive and purposeful. Stigmatized by scandal, the church in North America and throughout Europe has been branded as useless and irrelevant. To stem the tide of nominal Christianity, we need to get serious about making disciples who can make other disciples.Rory Noland is a worship leader who has led in contexts ranging from megachurches tosmall retreat settings such as the Transforming Center with Ruth Haley Barton. Combining discipleship and worship—what Noland calls transforming worship—he offers a vision for worship as spiritual formation. We need to reclaim our worship services as a formative space, and through that we will become the light of Christ in a dark world.

"And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ''Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?''Then I said, ''Here I am! Send me.''"In his interpretation of Isaiah''s vision of God and subsequent sending, the Anabaptist reformer Menno Simons perceived a pattern for all prophets, apostles, ministers, and preachers who are called and then sent out to spread the good news: "They did not assume the honor to themselves, as do the preachers of this world; but like Aaron, they were called by God. . . . They were brought by the Spirit of God, with pious hearts, into his service; they had always esteemed themselves unfit to serve the people of God or to stand forth in such a high and responsible station. . . . No one can serve in this high and holy office, conformably to God''s will, except those whom the Lord of the vineyard has made worthy and fit by the spirit of his grace."In this volume of the Reformation Commentary on Scripture, Reformation scholar Jeff Fisher guides readers through a wealth of early-modern commentary on the first thirty-nine chapters of Isaiah. Readers will hear familiar voices and discover lesser-known figures from a diversity of theological traditions, including Lutherans, Reformed, Radicals, Anglicans, and Roman Catholics. Drawing on a variety of resources—including commentaries, sermons, treatises, and confessions—much of which appears here for the first time in English, this volume provides resources for contemporary preachers, enables scholars to better understand the depth and breadth of Reformation commentary, and seeks to help those who have been called to this task and those whom they serve.