Alex Duke

The Bible is one story told through dozens of people over thousands of years. As Christians, we know we're supposed to believe this - and so we do. But when we pick up our Bibles, if we're honest, we sometimes lose the thread, especially with some of the strange and obscure happenings in Genesis.We can't help but wonder, What's this all about?!Who - or what - are the Nephilim? What about this mysterious Melchizedek who seems to appear out of nowhere? Why are there so many genealogies? Why do Abraham and a Hittite haggle for so long about the price of a rinky-dink cave? Hang on, are we supposed to be comfortable with Abraham sacrificing his son? Or with Lot's, um, unseemly family dynamics? Or with Jacob's multiple wives? Why do the book's heroes so often act like villains?And, of course, what does all this have to with Jesus and the gospel?Careful readers of the Bible have many questions about Genesis. In From Eden to Egypt, Alex Duke will give everyday Christians a guided tour of these wonderful stories so that they'll see - perhaps for the first time - that it's all there for a reason."Alex has gifted the church with an accessible and faithful guide through the book of Genesis." —KIRK COUSINS, NFL Quarterback"With engaging storytelling and culturally relevant illustrations, Duke helps us see where God’s people have been and where they’re headed." —HUNTER BELESS, host of Journeywomen and author of Read it, See it, Say it, Sing it: Knowing and Loving the Bible

What adjectives would you use to describe the Bible? Inspired. Amazing. Unique. Authoritative. Perfect. Pure. Life-changing. Those descriptions are all deserved. Your pastors and parents and Sunday School teachers were right. There's no book like God's Book. Here's another adjective: confusing. The Bible can be confusing, especially certain parts of the Old Testament. Moments after coming across something inspiring and encouraging, you'll read something that makes you wonder, What is even happening right now!? The book of Exodus is no exception. This sequel to Genesis begins with God's surprising silence. What a stark contrast to Genesis, where God's words set everything in motion. It then tells the story of God's miraculous liberation of his people, complete with frogs falling from the sky and life-saving blood being painted over doorways. Finally, for the last half of the book, the action slows down as the people of God gather at the mountain of God to receive the Law of God in order to engage in the worship of God. From silence to Sinai, that's the story of Exodus. To understand it all, most of us will need a guide. We'll need some help. That's what From Silence to Sinai is for. Alex Duke walks readers through the book of Exodus to show that nothing in God's story is wasted--not the silence, not the ten signs, and not even the confusing parts. In Exodus, God is not absent, random, or unclear. He is revealing himself, redeeming his people, and teaching them how to live in his presence.

Did you ever feel a little bit out of place--like you don't quite belong? Most of us have, and for good reason. The world we live in is not our true home. Just like our fellow travelers throughout the Bible, we are wandering, trying to find our way home. Once we find Jesus and let him be our guide, we can find the proper path for our long journey home.Learning to live as a pilgrim in this world will help you to make sense of what's hard and teach you to depend on Jesus when you are feeling displaced and alone. Through Nomad, you will discover how your individual story has fit into God's big story all along.

Discuss the Bible’s Teaching on Missions with This 9Marks Healthy Church Study Guide While the word “missions” is not in the Bible, taking the gospel to unreached people is an essential outpouring of the Christian faith. This short study guide explores a biblical understanding and practice of missions and covers topics such as sending and supporting missionaries. Using questions at the end of each chapter, groups will work through guided discussions together as they learn the Bible’s teaching on missions. 9Marks Healthy Church Study Guides is a series of twelve 6–7 week studies covering the 9 distinctives of a healthy church as laid out in Nine Marks of a Healthy Church 4th ed. by Mark Dever. This series explores the biblical foundations of key aspects of the church, helping Christians live out those realities as members of a local body. Conveniently packaged and accessibly written, the format of this series is guided, inductive discussion of Scripture passages and is ideal for use in Sunday school, church-wide studies, or small-group contexts. Part of the 9Marks Healthy Church Study Guides Series: A series of twelve 6–7 week Bible studies covering 9 distinctives of a healthy church Perfect for Group or Individual Study: Includes guided, inductive discussion of Scripture with discussion questions at the end of each chapter Based off of Nine Marks of a Healthy Church ?4th ed. by Mark Dever

Explore the Centrality of Prayer in the Christian Life with This 9Marks Healthy Church Study Guide Talking to God in prayer is one of the most foundational elements to the Christian faith but is often surrounded by a lot of uncertainty and questions: Is there a right way to pray? How does it really work? Does God hear all prayers? In this short study guide, groups will work through guided discussions together as they learn about the centrality of prayer in the Christian life and the church community. 9Marks Healthy Church Study Guides is a series of 6–7 week studies covering the 9 distinctives of a healthy church as laid out in Nine Marks of a Healthy Church 4th ed. by Mark Dever. This series explores the biblical foundations of key aspects of the church, helping Christians live out those realities as members of a local body. Conveniently packaged and accessibly written, the format of this series is guided, inductive discussion of Scripture passages and is ideal for use in Sunday school, church-wide studies, or small-group contexts. Part of the 9Marks Healthy Church Study Guides Series: A series of 6–7 week Bible studies covering 9 distinctives of a healthy church Perfect for Group Study: Includes guided discussion of Scripture with questions at the end of each chapter, which is ideal for Sunday school, small groups, and moreBased off of Nine Marks of a Healthy Church 4th ed. by Mark Dever

Practical Insight into Finding a Healthy Church Looking for a new church can feel overwhelming, and it’s often difficult to know what aspects to prioritize. In this addition to the Church Questions series, Alex Duke provides criteria on what to look for in a healthy local church. Using personal experiences and biblical principles, Duke identifies important elements within the church—the gospel, the Bible, and the community—as well as specific questions to ask. He also reminds believers that they should not be looking for a perfect church, but a biblical and faithful one. This booklet is perfect for those who are looking for a new church and unsure where to begin. Short, Accessible Format: Concise, biblical advice on searching for a church Part of the Church Questions Series: Helping Christians understand the centrality of the local church in Christian discipleship Practical: Provides specific questions to ask about the church’s treatment of the Bible, the gospel, and meaningful relationships

Helping Leaders to Develop Meaningful Church Membership Many new believers have questions about what it means to live as a Christian in the context of a local church, and pastors are looking for resources to pass along to their congregations to help them think biblically about the Christian life. Created in partnership with 9Marks, Church Questions is a series that seeks to provide ordinary Christians with sound and accessible biblical teaching by answering common questions Christians have about church life. Each booklet offers biblical answers and practical applications with the goal of nurturing healthy church practice and commitment. In this concise booklet, Alex Duke explains the importance of meaningful membership and discusses what church members should do about fellow members who don’t regularly attend. Duke highlights the benefits of church membership—discipleship, accountability, and fellowship—and offers advice on how all Christians can encourage faithful church membership in their congregations.

For several years now, erstwhile 9Marks editor and now full-time pastor Sam Emadi, with a wink, has summarized our ministry, "Yeah, I just tell people, 9Marks exists to tell pastors not to do weird stuff. Just do what's in the Bible."Not a bad summary.If you've not heard the term "ordinary means of grace" before, Sam has captured what many pastors today need to hear: don't do weird stuff in your church. Don't take your growth cues from a marketing team. Don't lead church services that would make P. T. Barnum or J. J. Abrams proud. Don't, in short, think you can offer something extraordinary based on your creativity or ingenuity, or that you can manufacture the extraordinary through reverse-engineering the results you want. The Spirit has already revealed everything we need for gathering and growing churches. And, yes, it's pretty ordinary stuff. You might even be tempted to call it boring and (ironically) uninspiring. Yet the uninspiring is inspired: preaching God's Word, singing God's Word, praying God's Word, reading God's Word, and declaring God's Word through the ordinances. Those ordinary-as opposed to extraordinary-practices have been ordained. The wisdom of God often sounds like foolishness, no?In many churches simple acts of worship have been encrusted over by years of accumulated traditions that mask the beautiful simplicity of the ordinary means of grace. Don't think you can offer something extraordinary based on your creativity or ingenuity, or that you can manufacture the extraordinary through reverse-engineering the results you want. The Spirit has already revealed everything we need for gathering and growing churches: preaching God's Word, singing God's Word, praying God's Word, reading God's Word, and declaring God's Word through the ordinances. Those ordinary-as opposed to extraordinary-practices have been ordained. Directing people's hearts and minds to God is the most important thing a church can do, and the singular activity around which everything else hangs. We need to remember that the visible church is a gathering of Christians in a local assembly to worship the Lord. This Journal, which focuses on the ordinary means of grace, presents the very heart of the 9Marks church program. What's our church model? Here it is. Table of Contents Editor's NoteDon't Do Weird Stuff by Sam EmadiDo Weird Stuff by Alex Duke The Why of Ordinary Means of Grace Ministry Liturgies Are the Pipes, but the Word Is the Water by Matt McCulloughWhy the Ordinary Means of Grace Must Be Central in Our Gatherings by David StrainWhy Preaching Is Primary and the Ordinances Aren't by Jonty Rhodes The How of Ordinary Means of Grace Ministry How Programs Fit into an Ordinary Means of Grace Ministry by Mike McKinleyHow A Good Desire for Church Growth Can Lead to Bad Ministry Practices by Harshit SinghGood News, Ordinary Pastor You Don't Need a Winning Personality by Dan MillerAre Buildings Essential to Building Healthy Churches? by Adam SinnettCongregational Singing: Can Musical Style Dilute This Ordinary Means of Grace? by Neal Woollard The Effects of Ordinary Means of Grace Ministry Yes, Scripture Reading Really Does Change People by Terry JohnsonYes, The Ordinances Really Do Change People by Tiago Oliveira Yes, Preaching Really Does Change People by Mike BullmoreYes, Singing Really Does Change People by Shai LinneHow I Accidentally Stumbled Across-And Then Fell in Love with-the Ordinary Means of Grace by Alex DukeNever Underestimate the Value of Ordinary, Brief, Christian Conversations by Caleb GreggsenBetween Sundays: Life in the Means of Grace by Raymond JohnsonThe Freedom that Comes from Being Boringly Biblical by Eric Bancroft"The Word Did It All" The Necessity of Preaching According to the Protestant Reformers by Shawn Wright