There's a dark side to Christian discipleship church members ignore to their peril. The New Testament has much to say about why and how Christ's followers must deal with the devil. Learning to take the evil one seriously without obsessing over him is crucial to the spiritual endurance training we all need if we are to someday hear Jesus say to us: "Well done, good and faithful servant!" Specifically, pastor/theologian Gary Tyra argues in this work that key to overcoming Satan is a balanced, Spirit-empowered engagement in what he refers to as the four cardinal components of Christian discipleship. Understanding the various ways the devil attempts to derail our experiences of worship, nurture, community, and mission can serve to motivate us with respect to them! With the help of the Holy Spirit, church members can cultivate a "lifestyle spirituality" that enables them to don the "full armor of God" and engage in several critical "close-quarters combat tactics" the New Testament encourages. In the end, The Dark Side of Discipleship is a no-nonsense yet inspirational New Testament theology of spiritual warfare that can serve Christ's church as a powerful aid to the spiritual, moral, and ministry formation of contemporary Christians.

Written by a pastor and father who has walked a painful road, Hope When Life Unravels explores the encouraging, upside-down truths of the book of Job, and other key Bible passages, to remind us of the ways God is present in our pain. Why does God allow suffering? And why does God seem to go silent when we're in pain? In Hope When Life Unravels, Dr. Adam Dooley, pastor and host of the daily radio broadcast A Better Way, searches for answers to our biggest questions about suffering as he shares his son Carson's story of battling leukemia. Adam speaks openly about the gut-wrenching struggle his family endured for three years of life-threatening illness and how God met them in their hours of need--even when it wasn't in the ways they wanted. And, along with his own story, Adam takes readers through the story of Job, unpacking insights about God's character, his love, and how we can stay connected to him even during seasons of pain. Both inspiring and comforting, Hope When Life Unravels invites us to draw closer to a God who is often active in our lives in times when we have trouble seeing him the most.

The Christian world has been rocked by the number of prominent leaders, in both church and parachurch organizations, who have been compromised by moral, ethical, and theological failures. This pace-setting volume addresses this alarming problem and offers Christian leaders valuable guidance in dealing with the inherent risks of their work. Using biblical and current examples, the authors describe the characteristics of five types of leaders and the problems that are most likely to develop if their particular dysfunctions develop unrestrained. McIntosh and Rima offer a series of steps for leaders to consider so they can take control of their dark side and learn to harness its creative powers. This edition includes a new introduction, updated information throughout, a self-assessment tool, and other additional material. Includes endorsements from John Maxwell, Leighton Ford, Leith Anderson, and Rob Angel.

Jesus called twelve ordinary men—and turned their weaknesses into strengths, their faults into testimonies, and their doubts into faith. Who were these men who walked with Jesus? What can we learn from their lives? Find out with The Twelve Disciples Visual Bible Study. From John and Peter to Matthew and Mark, enjoy digging deeper into the lives of each of Jesus' twelve disciples and learn more about:Their personalitiesWhy Jesus called each of themHow they servedThe lessons that we can learn from their mishaps and strengthsAnd more!All-Inclusive Ready-to-Use Bible Study on the Twelve Disciples Can Be Led By Anyone! This highly visual and informative introduction to the twelve disciples shows how Jesus called the Twelve individually—and uniquely—for life with him. See how Jesus entrusted them with authority despite all their mishaps and failures. Discover how these men's lives were radically changed in the midst of Christ's life, death, and resurrection; and celebrate the global effect they had for generations to come. Features include:6-session flexible Bible studyOptional reading plan for people with more time who want to go deeperLeader's guide is contained within each study guide, so no extra book purchase is requiredDiscussion questions for each session and lots of space for writingMost Bible studies on the twelve disciples don't include visuals. Imagine having one that does! Perfect for group and individual use, young adult study, homeschool, church library, to give to a friend, and more! 112 pages, 6 x 9 inches. Paperback, ISBN 978-1-62862-809-8. 5 Key Features of The Twelve Disciples Rose Visual Bible StudyPacked with Visuals & Graphics. Unlike other studies on the twelve disciples, which are mostly text, Rose's full-color visual Bible study is packed with full-color illustrations, timelines, and charts. Plus, it gives you all the key themes and important information at a glance!Clear and Easy to Understand. It's never been easier to dig deeper and get a solid overview of how each disciple plays a key role in the New Testament.Practical Life Applications. Start this life-changing Bible study today and discover the promises and blessings the Lord has for you in his Word.Flexible & Easy-to-Use Format. Whether you want a 30-, 60-, or 90-minute study (3 plans included), this book is designed to help you dive into Scripture and retain information. The format of The Rose Visual Bible Study Series helps you focus on key takeaways, applications, and important lessons.Anyone Can Lead This. Each Bible study contains a leader guide to help anyone guide their small group or church through discussions and important lessons. No additional purchase necessary! Packed with the do's and don'ts of leadership, group guidelines, 3 Bible study plans for flexibility, and more. This simple leader guide will get you and your group up and running in no time!Enjoy Rose Visual Bible Study's Simple, Easy-to-Use Format Each of the 6 sessions in every Bible study guides you (and your group) through the following sections:Introduction: Simple overview to get started.Read It: Key Bible passages and optional reading.Know It: Discussion questions with space for writing.Explore It: Summaries of key information, easy-to-read outlines, charts, full-color illustrations, and more.Live It: Devotional reading and life application questions, a short prayer, and space for note-taking and journaling.

Two questions are braided together in Luke’s Gospel. Who is Jesus, and what does it mean to be his student and apprentice? The church has spent much of its intellectual energies on the first question, but not so much on the second. We are precise in our Christology and vague in our Discipleology (my new word!). Of the four biographies that open the New Testament, Luke is perhaps the best equipped to answer the question of what it means to follow Jesus along with others, and what we can expect in the process. Luke’s Gospel is dense with story after story about Jesus’s stumbling, goofy, persistent disciples. And his second volume—Acts—continues the tale. There is a deep continuity, as Luke teaches, between Jesus’s original disciples and the ones who later declared their allegiance to him after his resurrection. We walk in the footsteps of pioneers in this new way of living with a Jesus who is always near but just beyond sight. The aim of this book is to plunder the fruits of New Testament scholarship, especially the tools of rhetorical and narrative criticism, to highlight what an incredible adventure came with the call to follow me.

Social media has become a virtual world in which all manner of human communities are being formed, including many centered on prayer, faith, and spirituality. But with the benefits also come liabilities in terms of attentiveness vs. distraction, self-assertion, consumption, and anonymity—all enemies of healthy community. How to Be a Disciple and Digital provides a framework for an ethic of social media community to help foster the growth and stability of prayerful spiritual communities online.

Where have all the disciples gone? There is a missing force in Christianity today. It’s a critical one, and its absence has led to weak believers, disintegrating families, ineffective churches, and a decaying culture. Without it, we lack what we need to fully live as heaven’s representatives on earth. That missing force is discipleship. In Kingdom Disciples, Tony Evans outlines a simple, actionable definition of discipleship to help the church fulfill its calling. Readers will learn: What a disciple is What a disciple cares about How to be a disciple and make disciples What discipleship looks like in community What the impact of discipleship on the world can be Kingdom disciples are in short supply, and the result is a legion of powerless Christians attending powerless churches, having a powerless presence in the world. The power, authority, abundance, victory, and impact God has promised will only come about when we understand and align ourselves with His definition of discipleship. Kingdom Disciples calls believers and churches back to our primary, divinely ordained responsibility to be disciples and make disciples. Only when we take seriously this assignment will the world see heaven at work on earth. Will you accept the assignment? Kingdom Disciples isuseful as base material for a course on discipleship.