Swindoll Leadership Library – serie

"A great deal of confusion exists today as to what pastors are to be," Lawrence writes. "Are they chaplains, CEO's, preachers, managers, or counselors? Paul gave us the answer long ago: They are to be equippers, disciple-makers." Just as the great artist Michelangelo took a chipped and flawed piece of marble and transformed it into a masterful sculpture of David, so does a pastor with his flock. "This is pastoring", writes Lawrence, "serving as sculptors of souls."

Paul Cedar explores prayer through three primary concepts, showing us how to consider, cultivate and continue a lifestyle of prayer. This volume of the Swindoll Leadership Library helps readers recognize the unlimited potential and the awesome purpose of prayer.

In his preface to this challenging book Jeff Watson describes biblical counseling as "a noble adjective married to a nervous noun."Believers are wise to be skeptical of much that is done in the name of counseling in secular settings. Even under the umbrella of "Christian counseling," one has heard horror stories of cases where God's Word has been misused. But Jeff Watson makes a strong case in this volume for the legitimacy of marrying "biblical" and "counseling."Christian counselors, says Watson, need to cultivate three fundamental skills in their patients:How to tell their stories;How to choose their goals wisely; andHow to practice changes in their lives.Watson helps counselors achieve these goals by drawing on the interactions of Christ, the commands of Scripture, and the actions of the apostles and prophets. Thus he marries counseling and biblical principles.To those of us who are called on to counsel on any level, Charles Swindoll says, "This book will become an invaluable tool for you. I urge you to let it become your manual for proper counseling."

There is nothing traditional about the typical family of the twenty-first century, and so it follows that ministering to today's families presents an assortment of new challenges. Rainey believes that the resources needed by the church to confront and combat family problems do exist, and Ministering to Twenty-First Century Families is a user-friendly guide to combating the destruction of the family unit. Offering practical solutions and encouraging action, Rainey calls for a "roll-up-your-sleeves" approach to healing weary families.

Effective Church Growth Strategies outlines the biblical foundations necessary for raising healthy churches. Dr. Joseph Wall and Dr. Gene Getz examine the groundwork essential for church growth, qualities of biblically healthy churches, methods for planting a new church, and steps for numerical and spiritual growth. The authors' study of Scripture, history, and culture will spark a new vision for today's church leaders.

John Witmer presents the almighty Son of God as a living, breathing, incarnate man. He shows us a full picture of the Christ in four distinct phases: the Son of God before he became man, the divine suffering man on Earth, the glorified and ascended Christ, and the coming King.

In The Holy Spirit, Robert Gromacki examines the personality, deity, symbols and gifts of the Holy Spirit, while tracing the ministry of the Spirit throughout the Old Testament, the Gospel Era, the life of Christ, the books of Acts and the lives of modern believers.

God's ultimate gift to His children is salvation. In this volume Earl Radmacher offers an in-depth look at the most fundamental element of the Christian faith. From defining the essentials of salvation to explaining the result of Christ's sacrifice, this book walks readers through the spiritual meaning, motives, application, and eternal result of God's work of salvation in our lives.

Although often controversial, worship is an essential and enduring element of the Christian faith. This three-part study examines the issues surrounding the corporate worship of God, including biblical models and the current revolution in evangelical worship. At a time of radical change in the church, Allen's logical-yet-passionate approach is timely and brings much-needed harmony to the many facets of worship.