The fundamentals of preaching are central to the life of the church. Revisit them in this crucial guide for beginner and veteran preachers alike.

When a preacher stands in the pulpit or at the lectern, he aims to help God's people understand what God has said and how it applies to their lives so that they grow in their knowledge of God and are equipped to live for his glory. It's a job with eternal significance, so the process of getting to that point is crucial.

Jonathon Woodyard and Chase Sears encourage us to go back to the basics. Returning to the fundamentals of preaching from time to time, reminding ourselves of our basic undertaking, is a wise strategy for faithfulness and helpful to both veteran and novice.

Preaching flows from a man who has seen great things in the Bible, has savored what he has seen, and is eager to stand before God's people to say what he saw. This is the pattern we follow in The Simplicity of Preaching.

The authors highlight some strategies you can employ to see what the text says; ways you can help yourself savor the glorious truths of the Bible; and good homiletical practices that inform how you can most effectively say things from the pulpit.

This short book is helpfully divided into five sections:

1. What is Preaching and Why Do We Need It?

2. The Role of the Spirit in Preparing to Preach

3. Seeing: How We See Before We Say

4. Savoring What We See

5. How We Say What We Have Savored

A book every person in ministry should read. --Daniel L. Akin, President, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary

After traveling the globe and speaking to thousands of churches worldwide, Paul David Tripp has discovered a serious problem within pastoral culture.

Dangerous Calling reveals the truth that the culture surrounding our pastors is spiritually unhealthy--an environment that actively undermines the well-being and effectiveness of our church leaders and thus the entire church body.

Here is a book that both diagnoses and offers cures for issues that impact every member and church leader, and gives solid strategies for fighting the all-important war that rages in our churches today.

Cancer. Suicide. The death of a child. As much as we wish we could avoid tragedies like these, eventually they will strike your church community. When they do, pastors must be ready to offer help by communicating the life-changing message of the gospel in a way that offers hope, truth, and encouragement during these difficult circumstances. Those asked to preach in the midst of tragedy know the anxiety of trying to say appropriate things from God's Word that will comfort and strengthen God's people when emotions and faith are stretched thin.

This indispensable resource helps pastors prepare sermons in the face of tragedies by providing suggestions for how to approach different kinds of tragedy, as well as insight into how to handle the theological challenges of human suffering. Each topic provides a specific description of the context of the tragedy, the key concerns that need to be addressed in the message, and an outline of the approach taken in the sample sermon that follows. Topics addressed include: abortion; abuse; responding to national and community tragedies; the death of a child; death due to cancer and prolonged sickness; death due to drunk driving; drug abuse; and suicide.

Bryan Chapell, author of Christ-Centered Preaching, has gathered together messages from some of today's most trusted Christian leaders including: John Piper, Tim Keller, Michael Horton, Jack Collins, Dan Doriani, Jerram Barrs, Mike Khandjian, Robert Rayburn, Wilson Benton, Bob Flayhart, and George Robertson. Each chapter provides you with the resources you need to communicate the life-giving hope of the gospel in the midst of tragedy. In addition, the appendices provide further suggestions of biblical texts for addressing various subjects as well as guidance for conducting funerals.

A Helpful Guide to Mentoring Relationships

Melissa Kruger helps both the mentor and the mentee know where to start, what to cover, and how to make it work so that the mentoring relationship is a source of joy and growth for everyone involved.
--Nancy Guthrie, Bible teacher; author, Even Better than Eden: Nine Ways the Bible's Story Changes Everything about Your Story

We need one another. Yet we don't always know how to develop relationships that help us grow in the Christian life. Spiritual mentoring offers a way for younger believers and more mature Christians to grow together through intentional discipleship and accountability. If you're looking for a place to start, Melissa Kruger presents a guide for discipleship conversations that span a variety of topics for spiritual growth. Each lesson encourages both mentor and mentee to focus on the hope of the gospel as they learn together from the truth of God's word.

Published in partnership with the Gospel Coalition.

In Setting the Captives Free, Pastor Bev Tucker offers a comprehensive and user-friendly guide to deliverance, grounded firmly in Scripture. This manual is designed to keep all aspects of the process decent and orderly, emphasizing the importance of allowing the Holy Spirit to lead. Deliverance, Pastor Bev asserts, is achieved by the power of the Holy Spirit and in Jesus' name, requiring the active willingness and pursuit of the person seeking freedom.

Pastor Bev provides clear instructions for those involved in deliverance ministry, highlighting the necessity of humility, scriptural integrity, and avoidance of pride. She stresses that deliverance is not a power trip but a service to God, aimed at setting captives free.

A crucial part of the deliverance process, as detailed in the manual, is identifying and addressing doorways or entry points granted to evil spirits in an individual's life. These entry points often involve sin, generational curses, traumatic events, occult activities, wrongful beliefs, and more. Renouncing and repenting these legal rights is essential for successful deliverance.

Pastor Bev's manual also outlines the prerequisites for a deliverance minister. These include being born again, Spirit-filled, living a holy life, maintaining confidentiality, being non-judgmental, compassionate, under church authority, and submitting to God's Word. She advises ministers to always pray with another person and follow specific guidelines for ministering to men and women.

The book underscores the importance of not engaging in conversations with demons, as they are liars, and such interactions are forbidden.

Throughout Setting the Captives Free, Pastor Bev provides prayers and practical steps to break legal rights and ensure long-lasting deliverance. The manual serves as a vital resource for anyone involved in deliverance ministry, always pointing back to Jesus as the ultimate source of freedom and healing.

2020 Christianity Today Book Award Winner for Church/Pastoral Leadership
2019 TGC Ministry Book of the Year Winner
2020 ECPA Christian Book Award Winner for Ministry Resources.

Drawing on a lifetime of pastoral experience, The Care of Souls is a beautifully written treasury of proven wisdom which pastors will find themselves turning to again and again.

Harold Senkbeil helps remind pastors of the essential calling of the ministry: preaching and living out the Word of God while orienting others in the same direction. And he offers practical and fruitful advice--born out of his five decades as a pastor--that will benefit both new pastors and those with years in the pulpit.

In a time when many churches have lost sight of the real purpose of the church, The Care of Souls invites a new generation of pastors to form the godly habits and practical wisdom needed to minister to the hearts and souls of those committed to their care.

With relatable stories and disarming grace, popular podcaster and author Sophie Hudson cuts through the confusing, differing stances on Christian women in leadership and offers a resource that empowers women to embrace their roles as leaders. Drawing from the book of Exodus, and using her trademark humor, Sophie skillfully helps you

- identify the leadership traits you already possess
- serve with boldness inside and outside the church
- lead faithfully and consistently

This is your invitation to embrace leadership with confidence and to find joy in understanding how God sees you. Prepare to be inspired, encouraged, and equipped to embrace the truth that you are uniquely made to lead.

What does effective church leadership look like?

In this conversational book, pastor Jeramie Rinne sets forth an easy-to-understand job description for elders drawn from the Bible's teaching on church leadership.

Offering practical guidance for new elders and helping church members better understand and support their spiritual leaders, this succinct volume will encourage elders to embrace their calling with grace, wisdom, and clarity of vision.

Part of the 9Marks: Building Healthy Churches series.

Crises are inevitable, but your response to them can shape your legacy.

In a world where crises seem to be the new normal, leadership that adapts is more vital than ever. In his new book How Not to Waste a Crisis bestselling Tod Bolsinger offers a refreshing perspective on turning chaos into opportunity. Unlike a typical leadership book, How Not to Waste a Crisis is an invitation to rethink and redefine your approach to leadership in times of upheaval. What sets How Not to Waste a Crisis apart is its vibrant storytelling, engaging illustrations, and practical exercises. Each chapter brings to life real-world examples and transforms complex concepts into digestible insights.

Whether you're leading a church, nonprofit, or any mission-driven organization, How Not to Waste a Crisis provides:

• Wisdom for Navigating Crises: Learn to lead with adaptability, not sheer effort.
• Practical Advice: Enjoy insights from bestselling leadership author Tod Bolsinger.
• Engaging and Digestible Chapters: Experience storytelling at its best.
• Exercises and Case Studies: Apply what you learn immediately with team exercises and real-life examples.

Discover how to turn challenges into opportunities for growth. Don't just read about leadership--experience transformation through the pages of How Not to Waste a Crisis.

Confession Is Good for the Soul . . . and for Your Leadership

Why are so many Christian leaders burning out, losing faith, and abusing power? Rather than relying on our self-sufficiency and toughing our way through the tension, Mandy Smith invites us to confess it. As a pastor who also equips and encourages other pastors, Mandy feels the pain. Instead of offering more strategies to fix our problems, she reminds us of the call that first captured our imagination, directing our passions back to God and God's people. In her book you will:

• experience the surprising freedom of grappling with a loving God
• be released from illusions of control into a lifestyle of healing hope
• rediscover your passion for ministry and your love for God and God's people.

Confessions of an Amateur Saint is a different kind of leadership book for a different kind of leader. And different is what we need these days--spiritual leadership refined by fire rather than burned out by it, a leadership unencumbered by unrealistic expectations, a leadership reconnected to the God who receives our confession with love and restores our soul for the task ahead.

In a time where all Christian leaders are required to be pioneers, let Mandy skillfully guide you to a fresh, spiritually-fueled integrity, not weighted by false expectations but leading your people as your faith is increasingly shaped like Christ.

The Care Revolution has helped pastors across the world understand that congregational care isn't a calling they should handle alone. It's a ministry that must be member-run, ensuring that all believers in a church are equipped for works of service and be involved in caring for God's people.

But knowing this is just the first step. Now, with the Care Revolution Handbook for Participants, you can discover exactly how, as church members, to serve in the Care Ministry Network. Discover this proven system of congregational care that provides a safety net for churches to prevent people from falling through the cracks (or slipping out the backdoor).

Developed by Dr. John Bosman, this comprehensive companion handbook is a practical guide that's grounded on intensive Scriptural references.

Join the church care revolution today

Written to be accessible to all persons regardless of previous education or experience, this guidebook, rooted in neurobiology, trauma studies, and current research, is for spiritually integrated communities and persons who are interested and/or endeavoring to provide trauma-informed care.

Consisting of three parts: Meeting in the Middle, Healing & Recovery, Justice & Reconciliation. Each section builds upon the prior and sets a trajectory for recovery.

In the past few decades, the church has experienced rapid and distressing change. Hard-working pastors and leaders often know they need to embrace diversity, creatively engage younger generations, and equip their people to love their neighbors. But since they don't know how to make the changes needed, they feel stuck and wonder, What do I do now? What steps can I take to lead our church purposefully and prayerfully into a more hopeful future?

For these dedicated yet drained church leaders, this research-informed resource from the team at the Fuller Youth Institute offers a clear roadmap to faithfully and effectively navigate change that will revitalize your church. Through extensive research, interviews, and case studies, you will learn how to see the big picture, activate a transformation team, know your why, discern where God is leading, communicate a compelling vision, maintain disciplined attention, and experiment toward a more fruitful, faithful, and lasting future.

This hope-filled guide for building tomorrow's church today is the resource your church has been waiting for.

This is a wise and needed book.
--Russell Moore, President, The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention

In theology, just as in battle, some hills are worth dying on and others are not. But how do we know which ones? When should doctrine divide, and when should unity prevail? Just as a medic on a battlefield treats the severely wounded first and then moves on to the less serious injuries, we must prioritize doctrine in order of importance. Pastor Gavin Ortlund implores us to cultivate humility as we prioritize doctrine into four ranks--essential, urgent, important, and unimportant--so that we will be as effective as possible at advancing the gospel in our time.

Published in partnership with the Gospel Coalition.

If marriage shows us the shape of the gospel, singleness shows us its sufficiency.

Much of what we commonly assume about singleness--that it is primarily about the absence of good things like intimacy, family, or meaningful ministry--is either flat-out untrue or, at the very least, shouldn't be true. To be single, we often think, is to be alone and spiritually hindered.

But the Bible paints a very different picture of singleness: it is a positive gift and blessing from God. This book seeks to help Christians--married and unmarried alike--value singleness as a gift from God so that we can all encourage singles to take hold of the unique opportunities their singleness affords and see their role in the flourishing of the church as a whole.

Before God works THROUGH a man, He works IN a man, because the work that we do is the outgrowth of the life that we live. Little wonder that Alexander Whyte told a group of theological students, A congregation is awaiting you, to be made by you, after you are made by God. Whatever call a man may pretend to have, if he has not been called to holiness, he certainly has not been called to the ministry. The pastor's priority is to live obediently before the Lord. Dr. Clarence Macartney wrote it well: The better the man, the better the preacher. When he kneels by the bed of the dying or when he mounts the pulpit stairs, then every self-denial he has made, every Christian forbearance he has shown, every resistance to sin and temptation, will come back to him to strengthen his arm and give conviction to his voice. Likewise every evasion of duty, every indulgence of self, every compromise with evil, every unworthy thought, word, or deed, will be there at the head of the pulpit stairs to meet the minister on Sunday morning, to take the light from his eye, the power from his blow, the ring from his voice, and the joy from his heart. Keith Knauss provides the insight and means of becoming the kind of man that the Lord wants us all to be--HOLY. May the gracious Holy Spirit be pleased to take this presentation of thought gathered from holy men of God and capture their heartbeat for us. May He see fit to stir the fires within our hearts and renew our determination to magnify our office, to give ourselves up to God's work, to labor in season and out, to do good, and give no offense that both the ministry and ourselves be lifted up above all faultfinding of fair-minded men.

Many are asking what's next for the church while leaders search for fresh ways to revitalize old structures. In this revised edition of Catch the Wind of the Spirit Carolyn Tennant shares five essential keys to church transformation which provide a pathway for focusing, impacting, and invigorating the body of Christ.

Based on the five ministry gifts described in Ephesians 4 (apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, and teacher), Dr. Tennant is emphatic that God has provided these gifts for all believers to engage-not just a few superstars.

After selling out every last book of her first run of thousands, Catch the Wind of the Spirit remains highly sought after for study, teaching, and personal growth. With its easy-to-understand but revelatory style, the book is also popular with small groups who utilize the chapter discussion questions to apply the content. The deep implications of strengthening your church team and involving more people in using their gifts will have everybody talking and thinking.

Discover how to experience congregational work as an integrated element in a fully rounded spiritual life. Written for both those in the more typically recognized leadership roles-such as board members and committee chairs-as well as for those who lead while serving on a committee, teaching in religious education or helping to pull together the Holiday Fair. Makes a useful addition to a congregation's leadership development programs

Rad-i-cal: Of or relating to the origin or root. New and different from what is traditional or ordinary. Of change or action, relating to or affecting the fundamental nature of something; far-reaching or thorough.

Gone are the days when men walked into church and shook under the convicting power of God's presence. Instead, our dull, dry-eyed preaching tends to comfort the sinner and condone his sin. We need a return to the original New Testament type of praying and preaching. The early Church moved heaven and earth by their prayers; they changed hearts by their preaching. Peter's message on the day of Pentecost pierced his listeners to the heart. This word pierced is the same used when the soldier drove his spear into the side of Jesus, on the cross. Following the day of Pentecost, the disciples prayed for confidence and the place where they were gathered was shaken. They were filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the Word of God boldly. If you want to find out how, then read RADICAL.