Tim Challies

Many pastors conceive of the church budget as primarily a financial tool, but in fact it is primarily a pastoral tool. A church's philosophy of ministry is locked into its budget, and so the budget will either stifle or accelerate any attempts to move a congregation toward a biblical model of church health. As such, the church budget is a far more potent pastoral tool than many church leaders realize. Budgeting for a Healthy Church examines each section of the budget in light of Biblical principles to show how a church budget can lock in healthy approaches to ministry. Whereas most books on church budgeting are "how" books, explaining how the budgeting process should work, this is a "what" book, helping church leaders determine the pastoral implications of what they choose to fund in their budgets.

The deepest truths of the Bible accessible in a way that can be seen, understood, and experienced like never before, combining graphics and text to teach the nature and contents of the Bible in a fresh and exciting way.For a beautiful, approachable, informative presentation of the concepts and principles of Scripture--turn to any page of A Visual Theology Guide to the Bible and be instantly immersed in the visuals and teachings of God's Word.A Visual Theology Guide to the Bible is not only a wonderful introduction to the Christian life, it is a functioning guide for understanding and living out your faith.You'll see how the Bible is put together, why the authors wrote each book, and what all of it means for your life today. What's more, you'll learn why the Bible can be trusted and how to answer common criticisms of the Bible.Used in conjunction with Tim Challies and Josh Byers' bestselling book, Visual Theology, this unique resource helps you connect the truth of the Bible to your life, showing how God's eternal truth leads to life change and transformation.A Visual Theology Guide to the Bible:Is written by authors Tim Challies and Josh Byers, each of whom have a deep desire to convey the deepest truths of the Bible in a fresh, beautiful, and informative wayWill help you develop a plan to read and study the ScripturesIs a follow-up to Visual Theology and expands on the timeless, historic, biblical truths presented in that bestselling bookWill help you grow in godliness by practicing what you learnIs perfect for new believers, long-time Christians, students, small groups, pastors, church leaders, and anyone else interested in seeing the Bible afresh

Plan to Run, Train to Run...Run to WinAnyone can start a race, but it takes planning and training to finish it.A good long-distance runner knows the importance of planning his race. As he passes the starting line he is already considering how he will cross the finish line. As he takes his first easy step, he has planned how he will take his last grueling step.As a Christian man, you are already running the race of life. You are not competing against other people, but against the deadly enemies of the world, the flesh, and the devil. How do you plan to maintain your pace throughout this race? To obtain the prize, you will need to run to the very end. You will need to cross that finish line. And to do that, you will need to plan your race. You will need to plan the ways you will run today so you can continue to run in the difficult days ahead. That is what this book is all about.

Greater age brings greater sorrow but also greater joy, especially to those who are in Christ. As we grow older, the Bible instructs us to age gracefully, wisely, and resolutely to the glory of God. To do this we must age in Christ and for Christ. What does that look like? What can we be doing now to ensure we finish this race strong?

Your teens and 20s will be put to the best and highest use if you focus on your own sanctification. Even now you can make bold steps in overcoming sin and embracing righteousness. Jesus himself had to submit to his parents and grow in wisdom, stature, and favor. So be like Jesus and advance!...in wisdom, stature, and favor with God and man.

We live in a visual culture. Today, people increasingly rely upon visuals to help them understand new and difficult concepts. The rise and stunning popularity of the Internet infographic has given us a new way in which to convey data, concepts, and ideas.As teachers and lovers of sound theology, Challies and Byers have a deep desire to convey the concepts and principles of systematic theology in a fresh, beautiful, and informative way. In the bestselling Visual Theology, they have made the deepest truths of the Bible accessible in a way that can be seen and understood by a visual generation.As a companion to Visual Theology, the Visual Theology Study Guide is a ten session study designed to help you grow in godliness by practicing what you learn, and it includes application for both personal and small group study. Each chapter includes key terms, group study discussion questions, and exercises for personal reflection in God's Word.

We are all children of someone, we ought to pursue God's blessings, and we need to give prominence to God's prominent command. Thus, we can no longer ignore the forgotten Fifth Commandment: Honor your father and mother. In the home, church, and workplace, it provides a stable foundation for society, and we fail to appreciate its relevance.

Are you growing in godliness? How would you know? A good place to begin is understanding and imitating the character qualifications the Bible lays out for elders. While elders are meant to exemplify these traits, all Christians are to display them. And, with just one exception, each of them is related to our moral character.

If you are 16 or 18 or in your 20s, in school or just moving into marriage and career, there are many ways to invest your time. But the Bible is clear that none is better than the pursuit of godliness: in your speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity. As Paul told Timothy, set an example, be an example. Make your life a beautiful work of art.

Don't try to do it all. Do more good. Better...in this brand new edition for students.This is a short, fast-paced, practical guide to productivity. If you are a student, it will tell you what you need to know about getting things done in today's digital world. It will help you learn to structure your life to do the most good to the glory of God.The consistent focus of this book is one core concept: Productivity is effectively stewarding your gifts, talents, time, energy, and enthusiasm for the good of others and the glory of God. Productivity calls you to direct your whole life at this great goal of bringing glory to God by doing good for others. Indeed, there is no better plan and no higher ideal. So, ultimately, here is what productivity is all about and, therefore, what this book is all about: doing good to others.In Do More Better -- Student Editon, you will learn: Common obstacles to productivity The great purpose behind productivity 3 essential tools for getting things done The power of daily and weekly routines How to balance, school, family, church, and the rest of life And much more, including bonus material on taming your email and embracing the inevitable messiness of productivity It really is possible to live a calm and orderly life, sure of your responsibilities and confident in your progress. You can do more better. And I would love to help you get there. -Tim Challies TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction One: Know Your Purpose Two: Answer the Call Three: Define Your Responsibilities Four: State Your Mission Five: Select Your Tools Six: Collect Your Tasks Seven: Plan Your Calendar Eight: Gather Your Information Nine: Live the System Ten: Maintain It Consistently Bonus: Tame Your Email Bonus: 20 Tips to Increase Your Productivity Selected quotes: This kind of true, biblical productivity calls you to action in all of life... Jesus calls you to let your light shine before others, and this light is more like a dimmer switch than a simple on and off button. You can reflect more or less of that light to shine before men. The more you let your light shine, the more others will see of your good deeds, and the more they will glorify God....This truth means that productivity is not just about what you do in the workplace. It is not just about your success in the one task that consumes the greatest part of your time and attention each week. It is about all of life. It is about your personal life, your family life, your church life, and everything else. Make no mistake: It is not easy to live in this world. We human beings are finite creatures who face infinite demands. There are so many things we could do in our lives and in any given moment, but so few we actually can do. There are fewer still we can do with excellence. So much of life involves attempting to strike the right balance between competing demands...all of them are competing for the same 168 hours we are given each week. Though time is so limited, the possibilities for using that time are unlimited. Productivity depends upon brokering peace between each of the different tasks we could prioritize in any given period of time.

A visual introduction to systematic theology.We live in a visual culture, increasingly relying upon infographics and other visuals to help us understand new and difficult concepts. But the visual portrayal of truth is not a novel idea. God himself communicated his truth visually though the tabernacle, the sacraments, and even the cross.In Visual Theology, Tim Challies and Josh Byers use a combination of words and illustrations to convey the concepts and principles of systematic theology in a fresh, beautiful, and informative way. They have made the deepest truths of the Bible accessible in a way that can be seen and understood by a visual generation, focusing on four foundational disciplines: Growing close to ChristUnderstanding the work of ChristBecoming like ChristLiving for ChristThis unique resource is an inviting and artful way to learn theology, comprehend difficult Bible concepts, and grow in your faith.

Even the least technical among us are being pressed from all sides by advances in digital technology. We rely upon computers, cell phones, and the Internet for communication, commerce, and entertainment. Yet even though we live in this “instant message” culture, many of us feel disconnected, and we question if all this technology is really good for our souls. In a manner that’s accessible, thoughtful, and biblical, author Tim Challies addresses questions such as:• How has life—and faith—changed now that everyone is available all the time through mobile phones?• How does our constant connection to these digital devices affect our families and our church communities? • What does it mean that almost two billion humans are connected by the Internet … with hundreds of millions more coming online each year?Providing the reader with a framework they can apply to any technology, Tim Challies explains how and why our society has become reliant on digital technology, what it means for our lives, and how it impacts the Christian faith.

Spiritual discernment is good for more than just making monumental decisions according to God's will. It is an essential, day-to-day activity that allows thoughtful Christians to separate the truth of God from error and to distinguish right from wrong in all kinds of settings and situations. It is also a skill-something that any person can develop and improve, especially with the guidance in this book. Written by a leading evangelical blogger, The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment is an uplifting, scripturally grounded work that explains the need for discernment, its challenges, and the steps that will cultivate it. Author Tim Challies does not do the discerning for readers; he simply shows them how to practically apply scriptural tools, principles, and wisdom so that their conclusions about everything-people, teachings, decisions, media, and organizations-will be consistent with God's Word.