Kirjahaku

True discipleship is not easy. Often a person's response to tough times and hard teachings reveals their actual motives in following Christ. Christian history is littered with those who could not or would not stay true to the end. But before we cast judgment on them we better take a long, hard look in the mirror and recognize the grace of God that stares back at us. It is only in his strength that we can stand firm. But stand firm we must, for God's glory and for the good of our world. While we become new creatures in Christ by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, following Jesus day in and day out is hard. That's why Jesus said we must first count the cost before we begin our pilgrimage with him. This is an expositional study of key texts of Jesus' teachings that remind us of what it truly means to follow him. This study is ideal for Bible studies, small groups, one-to-one discipleship, or personal use.

This book offers short devotional chapters covering key principles for men who desire to walk the right path of godly manhood. A godly man knows Christ, has a Christian worldview, lives under the Lordship of Jesus Christ, is aware of the temptations in his life and fights hard against them, desires to grow in his faith, exercises biblical wisdom and discernment, and follows his Lord wherever he may lead. These are the themes that run throughout these devotions. Before making it to this book, these chapters were sent out as devotional emails over the course of a year to encourage and equip men to walk the path of godly manhood. Each of these 52 chapters contains a devotional based on Scripture, questions for reflection and next steps, a prayer, and prayer prompts to help guide you in your prayer life for that week. This devotional can be used for personal time spent with God, as well as a resource for discipling other men, or to use in your small group.

This booklet is the fourth in a series on basic discipleship principles for men. In this booklet, we will look at what it means to bear witness for Christ in every sphere of life. If Jesus is Lord of heaven and earth, then we, as his ambassadors, will follow him wherever he leads us. We will want to represent him in the varied areas of our lives. In so doing, we will make an impact for him in our homes, workplaces, churches, neighborhoods, cities, and even our wider culture and world. This resource can be used for your personal devotional time with God. I hope, however, that you will also use it to disciple other men. It will also be helpful to use in your small group. It is my prayer God will use this booklet to equip and encourage you to faithfully represent our gracious Lord and extend his Kingdom into every sphere of your life.

This booklet is the last in a series on basic discipleship principles for men.This fifth and last booklet emphasizes that the journey of godly manhood is a community project. God does not call us to know, love, and follow him in seclusion. Instead, we grow as we regularly meet together with other men, studying God's Word, praying for and encouraging one another, in loving and accountable relationships.This resource can be used for your personal devotional time with God. I hope, however, that you will also use it to disciple other men. It will also be helpful to use in your small group.It is my prayer that God will use this booklet to equip and encourage you to meet with other men for the purpose of digging into God's Word together and watching over one another in love.

Embark on a 12-month journey of spiritual growth with this comprehensive self-inventory program. Designed for Christian men seeking to deepen their faith and become the individuals God has called them to be, this guide facilitates monthly meetings spanning 60-90 minutes. Whether one-on-one or in small groups, participants will engage in honest self-examination, covering topics such as relationship with God, doctrinal understanding, character development, and personal struggles. Grounded in Scripture, offering encouragement, and fostering accountability, this program offers a safe space for men to address unique challenges, from personal temptations to family leadership. Through intentional reflection and brotherly support, you'll track your spiritual progress, identify areas for growth, and seek to align your life more closely with God's will. Join your brothers in Christ in this spiritual journey, sharpening one another as you strive to grow in the likeness of Jesus Christ. Dale Tedder is a pastor in Jacksonville, Florida.

What a joy it was to write this book I grew spiritually as I learned more and more about God's providential grace and love, and the hope we have in the advents of our Lord, Jesus Christ. It was a worshipful experience for me as I reflected upon God's Word and wrote these words to honor our Lord and this season we refer to as Advent. I hope you too will discover an atmosphere of worship in these pages; I pray God will use this devotional to draw you closer to himself. Each day's devotion provides a Scripture lesson, opening prayer, quotation from an early Church Father, a prayer of confession, and a brief reflection on God's Word. In addition to offering what I hope will be a worshipful experience for you, my desire is that this resource will also equip you in putting the deeps truths of Scripture into practice in your daily life. Thus, each day's devotion concludes with questions for reflection and action steps, that I call, Walking Points. These are designed to encourage and help you walk more faithfully with Christ, not only during the Advent season, but for the whole year. May this devotional increase our desire for Christ's return, even as we celebrate and live in light of his first advent, in which he took on human flesh and dwelt among us in grace and truth. Let us give thanks for that baby born in a manger, who was named Jesus, for he would save his people from their sins. And let us declare with the Apostle John, "Come, Lord Jesus " Dale Tedder is a pastor at Southside Methodist Church in Jacksonville, Florida.

A "manifesto" is often associated with fringe and/or radical political groups. That is not what this manifesto is. Instead, the purpose of this material is to communicate what I believe pastoral ministry is about and to explicate what I regard as some of the key beliefs that make up a faithful Christian world and life view. You will discover nothing new or original in these pages. Instead, I hope you will find what I have written here to be faithful to God's self-disclosure in Scripture, the faith once delivered to the saints, and part of the grand tradition of Christian orthodoxy. I think it is important to say this book is not a comprehensive systematic theology textbook. Nor it is a call to a particular action. Instead, as the definition of "manifesto" suggests, this book contains my personal views of what it means to shepherd God's people, some key beliefs and practices of the Christian faith, and the relationship between the two. In particular, my goal is to highlight what I have learned over the last 30+ years of pastoral ministry. The issues raised in these pages are the ones I have come to care about most and, on behalf of Christ and his Kingdom, desire to vigorously contend for. I hope you will read and reflect upon the material in this book and consider how God may be calling you to serve as his shepherd in your particular spheres of influence, for I firmly believe God calls each of us to serve him according to the gifts and opportunities he has graciously given us. (There are questions for reflection at the end of each chapter for individuals to reflect upon or for small groups to discuss together.) Dale Tedder is a pastor at Southside United Methodist Church in Jacksonville, Florida. He and his wife, Suzanne, have four children and cheer for the Georgia Bulldogs.

Have you ever found yourself frustrated during prayer? Maybe you start out praying for your family and then run out of things to pray about? You know there's more to prayer than this, but don't quite know how to move forward in your prayer life. This Prayer Journal is for you. Let this journal serve you as you explore greater depth in your prayer life with God. Through Scripture, prayers, and prayer prompts, this journal can help guide you in growing closer to God and encourage you to bear more fruit in your prayer life.

We need God's grace to change our hearts. We need a new way of seeing - a different perspective. God's eternal perspective. This new way of seeing comes only when we have a new heart, and we receive a new heart only when we trust in Christ alone as our Savior and Lord... only when he comes to dwell in us, by his Spirit. We need his Word to direct us and his grace to enable us to see in this new way, which, in turn, helps us cultivate the character of Christ in our lives. Each lesson in this study contains a reading and an in-depth Bible study at the end which will help you reflect more deeply on God's eternal perspective on some of the most important issues of life. This study is ideal for small groups, larger Bible studies, or for personal study and reflection.

In the end there is no end, for we were created for eternity. We are pilgrims and aliens traveling in a foreign land, longing for the City of God, not built with human hands, but eternal in the heavens. To be sure, we should not seek to hurry to the day we stand before the Lord, for each day of this life is a gift and is sacred, given us by the King of eternity to use for his glory. Yet, as 17th century pastor and author, Richard Baxter assures us, there is for those who know Christ, an indescribable rest. Can you imagine anything better, to rest in the very presence of God himself? Thus, we are called to enjoy the life God has given us here and now. Yet one day, when the Lord calls us home, let us look forward to that "far green country under a swift sunrise." I pray the reflections you read throughout this book will encourage you for living in this world, even as I pray, they will prepare you for the next. May the longing of our hearts for things unseen serve as our true north, that we might one day arrive Home. This book of devotions is ideal for personal use or as a small group discussion guide.

A Kingdom Disciple is, quite simply, a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. The phrase, Kingdom Discipleship, is my shorthand way of communicating what it means to live faithfully as his follower, under his Lordship, and in his Kingdom. This distinctive is not really mine. It's neither innovative nor original. However, my goal in emphasizing Kingdom Discipleship is to help Christians understand more fully what God has revealed in and through his Word. By using the phrase, Kingdom Discipleship, I wish to remind disciples of Jesus Christ that our call is to faithfully and obediently follow Christ in every sphere of life. I believe this is imperative because Jesus Christ is Lord over every sphere of life. It was God who granted Jesus authority over all heaven and earth (Matt. 28:18) and gave him the name above every name (Phil. 2:9). It would, therefore, run counter to the biblical witness regarding our Lord's authority, for his followers to live compartmentalized lives. Therefore, our call as his followers is to intentionally, faithfully, obediently, and joyfully extend his Kingdom - his rule, reign, will, and influence - into every sphere of our lives (in every area of responsibility, interest, relationship, and authority). Everything, what some might call the common and the uncommon, the sacred and the secular, is to be lived for God's glory (1 Corinthians 10:31) and according to his will. My prayer is for this book, along with the accompanying in-depth Bible studies, to help educate, equip, and encourage disciples of Jesus Christ to extend his Kingdom into every sphere of their lives, for God's glory and for the common good of our world. This study is ideal for personal use, small groups, and larger Bible studies.

Consider what God says about his Word throughout Scripture. It penetrates our deepest being (Heb. 4:12), judges our thoughts and attitudes (Heb. 4:12), makes us wise for salvation (2 Tim. 3:15), was breathed out by God himself (2 Tim. 3:16), is truth (John 17:17), is the means by which we are sanctified (John 17:17), is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training us in righteousness (2 Tim. 3:16), thoroughly equips us for every good work (2 Tim. 3:17), works as a mirror to show us our truest selves (James 1:23-25), endures forever (1 Peter 1:23-25), cannot be broken (John 10:35), counsels us in every sphere of our lives (Ps. 119:24), will not return to God empty but will achieve the purpose for which he sent it (Isaiah 55:11). As the sword of the Spirit (Eph. 6:17), it is our offensive weapon in our war with the world, the flesh, and the devil. Each of the five lessons of this study contains a reading and in-depth Bible study questions that help communicate biblical truth and equip students to apply it in their lives. The second half of the book contains optional readings for spiritual encouragement and guidance for those who want to think more deeply about the nature and purpose of God's Word. This study is ideal for personal use or for a small group or larger Bible study.

Joy in Christ is a study guide for the book of Philippians. It is ideal for Bible studies, small groups, one-to-one discipling relationships, and personal use.