Why should you join a church?
Becoming a member of a church is an important, and often neglected, part of the Christian life. Yet the trend these days is one of shunning the practice of organized religion and showing a distaste or fear of commitment, especially of institutions.
Jonathan Leeman addresses these issues with a straightforward explanation of what church membership is and why it's important. Giving the local church its proper due, Leeman has built a compelling case for committing to the local body.
Church discipline is essential to building a healthy church. So how exactly do we practice church discipline?
Jonathan Leeman helps us face the endless variety of circumstances and sins for which no scriptural case study exists, sins that don't show up on any list and need a biblical framework to be corrected appropriately in love.
Here is a contemporary and concise how-to guide that provides a theological framework for understanding and implementing disciplinary measures in the local church, along with several examples of real-life situations and the corresponding responses.
Accessible Guide from 9Marks Equips Believers to Steward Their God-Given Authority
In every position of power--from executives and world leaders to church elders and parents--lies the potential for life-giving leadership or destructive corruption. Driven by sinful pride or opportunism, many people abuse their God-given authority, harming the ones they're called to lead and contributing to a skeptical attitude toward leadership. The answer to bad authority, however, is not no authority, but good authority--the kind that, according to Scripture, causes those under it to flourish.
In this compelling guide from 9Marks, Jonathan Leeman shows that authority, done biblically, is not only good, but is essential to human flourishing. Through Scripture and many first-hand stories, he presents 5 attributes of positive authority and warns against sinfulness that corrupts leadership. Pointing to Jesus as the ultimate model of good authority, Leeman equips readers to pursue godly influence in their personal and professional lives.
How can the church move forward in unity amid such political strife and cultural contention?
As Christians, we've felt pushed to the outskirts of national public life, yet even within our congregations we are divided about how to respond. Some want to strengthen the evangelical voting bloc. Others focus on social justice causes, and still others would abandon the public square altogether. What do we do when brothers and sisters in Christ sit next to each other in the pews but feel divided and angry? Is there a way forward?
In How the Nations Rage, political theology scholar and pastor Jonathan Leeman challenges Christians from across the spectrum to hit the restart button by
When we identify with Christ more than a political party or social grouping, we can return to the church's unchanging political task: to become the salt and light Jesus calls us to be and offer the hope of his kingdom to the nations.
I eagerly commend this series.
--R. Albert Mohler Jr., President, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
Election seasons can cause division on a variety of issues. But what happens when you disagree with someone in your local church community? Authors Jonathan Leeman and Andy Naselli propose that Christians should learn how to disagree on such issues with a spirit of gracious understanding by recognizing the importance of what binds us together as a local church body--the gospel of Jesus Christ.
I eagerly commend this series.
--R. Albert Mohler Jr., President, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
Does the phrase church discipline sound like an oxymoron? Many people believe that the church's message is centered around grace, and discipline seems contrary to this message. In this booklet, Jonathan Leeman presents biblical answers to questions about the nature and application of church discipline, illustrating how Scripture presents it as loving and necessary for yielding life, health, holiness, and growth in the local church body.
How Can We Know What the Church Is Supposed to Do?
Jesus commissioned the local church to carry out a mission. Yet local churches often disagree over exactly what Jesus commanded them to do, leading them to align their mission with current political or economic trends. So what does the Bible have to say?
In this short book, Jonathan Leeman argues from Scripture that the mission of the church is first and foremost to make disciples--the task that each local assembly is called to do collectively--and to be disciples--the task for each individual Christian. He equips readers to obey this disciple-making mission both inside and outside the local church as they seek to follow Christ's call and make God's glory known in all the world.
A Companion Study Guide to Rediscover Church, Great for Small Groups, Sunday School Classes, and Entire Congregations
With the COVID-19 pandemic, changing priorities, and polarizing political and social issues, many people are now choosing to worship online--or quit church altogether. Some are asking, Does God care whether I attend church at home or in person--or at all?
Over the course of 9 lessons, this companion to the book Rediscover Church emphasizes the significance of face-to-face fellowship with the family of Christ. Through guided study, Bible passages, and discussion questions, readers will find help to reengage with their local church.
Published in partnership with the Gospel Coalition and 9Marks.
What is the nature of the church as an institution? What are the limits of the church's political reach? Drawing on covenant theology and the new institutionalism in political science, Jonathan Leeman critiques political liberalism and explores how the biblical canon informs an account of the local church as an embassy of Christ's kingdom.
It's a question hundreds of pastors ask every day: What is the best way to grow?
A lot of books give a lot of answers, but the best one comes from Scripture. Word-Centered Church brings that answer into sharp focus. Written by Jonathan Leeman, editorial director for the reputable ministry 9Marks, Word-Centered Church offers a thorough treatment of one of God's greatest concerns: growing His people and growing His church.
As simple as the concept may seem, it's one that many churches miss, and to their own detriment. Because when churches center everything they do on God's Word--when the pulpit ministry gives direction to every aspect of the church's life--growth happens God's way. God's Word is what creates the church, and it's what sustains it, too.
Theological and practical, Word-Centered Church focuses on how the church hears, responds to, discusses, implements, and is transformed by Scripture. It's not about high-octane production, superstar personalities, or postmodern entreaties, but stuff that is really old, really good, and really powerful.
Word-Centered Church is the ministry-model book that churches need, because it advances the model God designed. For anyone who wants to grow or help others grow, Word-Centered Church is indispensable.
What is the Church's mission? What does it mean to participate in God's mission personally? How do mission and culture interact and conflict?
This book articulates various evangelical views regarding the church's mission and provides a healthy, vigorous, and gracious debate on this controversial topic. In a helpful Counterpoints format, this volume demonstrates the unique theological frameworks, doctrinal convictions, and missiological conclusions that inform and distinguish the views:
Each contributor answers the same key questions based on their biblical interpretations and theological convictions:
The interactive format helps readers get a clearer picture of why different conclusions are drawn and provide a fresh starting point for discussion and debate of the church's mission.
The Counterpoints series presents a comparison and critique of scholarly views on topics important to Christians that are both fair-minded and respectful of the biblical text. Each volume is a one-stop reference that allows readers to evaluate the different positions on a specific issue and form their own, educated opinion.
God Is Love vs. Love Is God
Our culture's view of love--with no boundaries or judgments or conditions-- justifies whatever our hearts want and whatever our hearts feel, rejecting any authority that gets in the way. Falsely heralded as the only path to true selfexpression and self-realization, this kind of love diminishes--if not completely redefines--the holy love of God revealed in the Bible.
In this book, Jonathan Leeman directs us toward a biblical definition of love by answering critical questions: How is love commonly misunderstood? What is God's love like and why is it offensive? And how does all of this relate to the church? In an age of consumerism, individualism, and tribalism, Leeman demonstrates how God showcases his holy love and authority to a watching world through the lives of his people living in true community with one another as the church.
Leeman's work was influential in our church's decision to move from multiservice to a single service.
--Ryan Kelly, Pastor of Preaching, Desert Springs Church, Albuquerque, New Mexico
Maybe you have been there: you're running late to church, and you know it will be hard to find an empty seat. This is an all-too-frequent experience in a growing church. For churches experiencing this dilemma, a common solution is to add another service or location. This seems like a cost-effective fix. Besides, no one wants to turn away non-Christians. But is it the best option?
Jonathan Leeman presents a series of biblical, theological, and pastoral arguments to help reorient our minds to a scriptural definition of church. He makes the case that maintaining a single assembly best follows the Bible, fulfills the Great Commission, and furthers our partnership with other churches.
Accessible Guide from 9Marks Equips Believers to Steward Their God-Given Authority
In every position of power--from executives and world leaders to church elders and parents--lies the potential for life-giving leadership or destructive corruption. Driven by sinful pride or opportunism, many people abuse their God-given authority, harming the ones they're called to lead and contributing to a skeptical attitude toward leadership. The answer to bad authority, however, is not no authority, but good authority--the kind that, according to Scripture, causes those under it to flourish.
In this compelling guide from 9Marks, Jonathan Leeman shows that authority, done biblically, is not only good but essential to human flourishing. Through Scripture and many first-hand stories, he presents 5 attributes of positive authority and warns against sinfulness that corrupts leadership. Dozens of study questions throughout the book guide readers as they think through each chapter individually or with a group. Pointing to Jesus as the ultimate model of good authority, Leeman equips readers to pursue godly influence in their personal and professional lives.