The wayward prodigal son, the weak character of Gideon - not likely role-models at first glance! But they were people who came to realise the most important fact any human can ever grasp: they realised they needed God.
Aimed at teens, but accessible to all, these two books offer easy-to-read glimpses into these fallible characters and help us unpack the ways in which their stories can inspire us in the 21st century.
Get the ebooks today at the great price of just £1 each (that's over 65% off!). Simply use code lh0614 at the checkout.
Jesus certainly isn't convenient. All that stuff about denying self, loving enemies, being sacrificially generous, forgiving those who wound us and spreading the gospel across the globe can seriously get in the way of our comfortable lives! So is the Christian life worth all the effort? It certainly is ...
In his easy to read book, Steve Timmis looks at 10 tough calls of Jesus and, in turn, humbly shows why the sacrifice they demand is completely worth it right now and always.
With Bible passages simply explained and illustrations throughout that will simultaneously make you smile and think, this book is a great spur to faithfulness. It encouraged me to take stock of my life in light of Jesus' work, pray and reorientate my priorities - in so many ways. As I went through its pages, my doodles included questions that I wanted to ask myself at a later date:... continue reading
Found this and thought we'd share.
Something to include in your notices this Sunday perhaps?
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.
2 Corinthians 1:3-5
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Disclaimer: The Good Book Company is not responsible for the content of external sites and does not necessarily agree with the content of articles listed.
For 24 years Romania was under the Ceausescu regime, with a strong communist influence the government made efforts to undermine religious teaching and faith. As a result, there is a huge lack of biblical knowledge as well as people being suspicious of the motives of evangelical churches because of the spiritual vacuum created by the Communist regime. However the people in Romania are in a continuous search of spiritual fulfilment today and the hunger for the Word of God continues, but the means to guide people towards a sound theological understanding are very poor." So reflects Dinu Moga, General Director of Faclia House Publishing - a company whose work is focused on equipping Romanian church workers to do ministry biblically and faithfully.
The situation in Romania is challenging but also full of opportunity which is why we are delighted that Faclia House have partnered with Christianity Explored and The Good Book Company in the production of Explorari in Crestinism (that's Christianity Explored in Romanian to you and me).
So far, both the Christianity Explored course handbook and leader's guide, and the book, "One life, What's it all about?" have been translated. Work on Discipleship Explored is well under way ...and Soul (the Christianity Explored course for young people) is next in line.
Please do pray with us that the launch of this new translation will bear much fruit in the Kingdom and that God's people in that land will be built up as they focus afresh on the wonderful truths set out in the Gospel of Mark.
And if you happen to have contacts in Romania, do please forward on this link, so those on the ground can browse these new and exciting products for themselves ...
What are we to do with the gospel? In Titus 3:8 Paul says: “Stress these things”. We are to stress the gospel that he’s just outlined. We can never talk about the gospel too much. We need never move on from it or move away from it. Stressing these gospel things to our own hearts and to our church family is what we and they most need.
On the other hand, we’re to avoid what is unprofitable and useless: “Foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law” (v 9). Stress and avoid—these are the two guidelines of verses 8-9. Stress the gospel and avoid controversies. We stress the gospel because it is excellent and profitable, and we avoid controversies because they are unprofitable and useless.
You would not think that was a difficult or contentious thing to say. But the reality is that all too often in church life, we stress controversy and avoid talking about the gospel. It may be true that our preaching stresses the gospel. But our conversations so often stress controversy. The letters and emails that people write stress controversy. The points that people raise stress controversy. We agree on the kindness of the Father, the renewal of the Spirit, the grace of the Son and the hope of eternal life. And these things are excellent and profitable. But we put our energy into controversies, arguments and quarrels. We do this even though Paul says such things are unprofitable and useless. In other words, they are a waste of time and energy.... continue reading
I saw an old friend recently, someone who played a big part in encouraging me to consider Christianity when I was younger. I don’t know every detail of her life, but from what I do know, this is what I perceive…
She was full of belief, commitment and conviction throughout school and university, when she started work in the city she had many Christian friends and belonged to a big church with a strong Bible-teaching ministry. She was involved, she went to meetings, she read her Bible, she prayed.
Then she met a young man, they hit it off, they started dating. He wasn’t a believer but she hoped, she prayed, she invited. Gradually he started going along to church with her, he did a course and at some point he professed faith in Jesus. They got engaged, they had a Christian wedding, they settled in a suburb and joined a good local church, they had children.
Once again, she was involved: she attended church on Sundays, the children went to Sunday School, she was at the prayer meeting, she helped out at church events. Her husband came on Sundays, if he wasn’t away with work; and if they couldn’t find a babysitter, he would stay at home to look after the children so that she could go to the prayer meeting or housegroup.
Then they moved away to an area where she didn’t know many people, and where the church situation was a little more ‘complicated’.
1. Rock Solid ebook - less than half price!
Get the ebook version of Rock Solid for just £2.49!
2. TGC 2014 National Women’s Conference Live
Watch the TGC 2014 National Women’s Conference livestream from 27th-29th June.
3. You’ll Be Shocked At How Much Time Young People Spend Reading Each Day
An interesting article (with graphics) on young people’s reading habits.
4. I’m Southern Baptist, and I Love a Man
A post from Chad Ashby at The Gospel Coalition.
5. Top 20 Christ-Centred Expository Preaching Checklist
A preaching checklist from Prince on Preaching.
6. How to Maintain Pastoral Zeal while Avoiding Pastoral Burnout
A video from Christopher Ash (Serving without Sinking recommended in video).
7. And finally...
Our video of the week, ‘Titus For You’ trailer:
Found something that you think should make it on to the On to a Good Thing round-up? Send it to: ontoagoodthing@thegoodbook.co.uk
