Book: Spirit filled: Normal Christian Living

Being filled with God’s Spirit is not a special blessing locked up for the select few, but the normal experience God has planned for all Christians.

Spirit Filled is written in plain language for ordinary Christians. While it is perfectly designed for group use, it can be equally enjoyed as a book in its own right.

The authors Steen Olsen and Noel Due are experienced Lutheran pastors and church leaders who know the difficulties and demands of everyday life. Every chapter is filled with encouragement, and the whole book is a breath of fresh air to weary hearts.

Chapters
Meeting the Holy Spirit in the Bible
Meeting the Holy Spirit in person
Meeting the Holy Spirit as the people of faith
Meeting the Holy Spirit:  God's ultimate gift
Being filled with the Spirit
The Holy Spirit:  the giving gift
Participating in the Spirit's gifts
Enjoying the fruit of the Spirit
The Spirit teaches us to cry 'Jesus is Lord'
The Spirit teaches us to cry 'Come'
The Spirit and your future.

Endorsements:
If you are worried whether the Holy Spirit is active in your life, if your Christian faith is a bit wobbly, your love has cooled, and your hope become uncertain, this is just the book for you – and anyone you know who is in the same situation. This wonderful study doesn’t tell you what you have to do to get back on track in your spiritual life, but what God has done for you and is still doing. Here is the gospel of the Holy Spirit who implants us into Christ who leads us to the heavenly Father.
Noel Due and Steen Olsen present profound theology in simple, non-technical language.
What I love most is the way in which they don’t refer to the scriptures in order to find proof texts, but let the Spirit-inspired Word be the first and most important voice. Communal listening to the sacred text and sacramental celebration have priority over individual experience. The twelve chapters reflect familiarity with debate on the person and work of the Holy Spirit, but without being confrontational or argumentative.
That being Spirit-filled is the normal thing in being a believer is a breath of fresh air. If you sense that I’m excited about this book you are not wrong. Please read and share it.
Revd Dr Vic Pfitzner emeritus Lecturer and former Principal of Luther Seminary/Australian Lutheran College, Adelaide South Australia

A strong, loving, and wise book designed for use in ordinary local churches and small groups within the church community. Strong theology, indeed, very strong theology that is well exposited for a lay audience. Loving, the authors clearly love their Lord, His Church, and the life of the Holy Spirit in everyday life. Wise, they have lived with these sentences and state their lessons from experience with careful, reflective, responsible clear thoughts and proposed actions.
Revd Dr Patrick Keifert Professor emeritus of Systematic Theology, Luther Seminary, St Paul MN, USA

Book: On Justification through Faith - Theological Commonplaces

Originally published in 1613, On Justification through Faith presents Johann Gerhard’s classic voice on this crucial doctrine. While his theology is, in many respects, nothing new beyond what other Lutherans such as Martin Chemnitz said before him, his perspective is distinctively helpful to modern readers, especially in his dealing of topics not dealt with by previous theologians.

Gerhard’s basic position is that justification is a judicial term, and thus the appropriation of God’s grace through faith alone (justification) is not the transfer of divinity—of the essence of the God-man—or of any qualities (created or divine) from God to the believer, but instead it is a change of status before God. For Gerhard, justification is unthinkable without the real person of Christ being apprehended through faith.

Table of Contents
Commonplace XIX: On Justification through Faith
Chapter I: On the efficient cause of justification
Chapter II: The meritorious cause of justification
Chapter III: On the instrumental cause of justification
       Section I: On justifying faith and its parts. 
       Section II: On the various divisions of faith.
       Section III: The principal efficient cause of faith is the Holy Spirit, 
       Section V: The effect of faith, which is justification.
       Section VI: On the properties of justifying faith, that is, Whether they can be separated from love and the other virtues.
Chapter IV: On the formal cause of justification. 
Chapter V: On the final cause of justification. 
Chapter VI: On the use of the doctrine of justification and on its definition.

Resource: Lay Person Upfront

Lay person upfront is a resource developed by Pastor Rob Edwards when he was pastor Calvary Rockhampton Lutheran Church.

The resources assists lay people who have the task of leading worship, lay leading, or lay preaching in a Lutheran context

You can download Lay person up front here.

Children's Book: The Day when God made the church

Children love birthday parties. This is a book – a first if its kind – to help kids understand and celebrate the birthday of the Church. The Day When God Made the Church is the story of Pentecost and how the Holy Spirit shaped, and continues to shape, who we are as God’s Church. Children will learn the story of Pentecost: the sights, sounds, and events of that miraculous day described in the Book of Acts. They will also discover who the Holy Spirit is and how God calls each of us to follow Jesus. At the end, parents, educators, ministers will discover fresh ways to celebrate Pentecost with children in their own churches and families.

Reviews
A great addition to your Pentecost shelves: This book is a wonderful telling of the story of Pentecost: the sights, the sounds and the people that began the community of the Church. We recommend placing this book on the bottom shelf of your Pentecost shelves.
—The Rev. Cheryl V. Minor, Ph.D.
Co-Rector, All Saints' Church, Belmont, MA
Director of the Center for the Theology of Childhood
The Godly Play Foundation

"Readers and listeners of all ages will discover much to stimulate their understanding of Pentecost through this theologically grounded book. Its engaging qualities and vivid images rhythmically connects children to the movement of The Holy Spirit, and the birth of the Church. Rebekah seamlessly helps children understand this sometimes difficult celebration in the liturgical year." —Melanie C. Gordon, Director of Ministry with Children, Discipleship Ministries of the United Methodist Church

“This is a delightful and powerful telling of the birth of the church. Your child will love this book. The Day When God Made Church invites the parent, teacher, and child to engage in conversation about God, love, and the church. This is the book we have been waiting for….”
—The Rev. Mark Bozzuti-Jones award winning author of God Created and Jesus, the Word

Good children’s storybooks about Pentecost are few and far between. So when a new one appears it is worth sharing. "The Day When God Made Church: A Child’s First Book about Pentecost," by Rebekah McLeod Hutto, is a good addition to a church’s resources for children’s classes and libraries. Though it is rather long (5 minutes to read aloud), it could also be read in worship. Read it just before or after reading the biblical text to add color and detail to the story. If you are lucky enough to have a small number of children, read it with them seated around you so they can follow the wonderful illustrations. Savor the TALL words in the text and pause to reflect on the details in the pictures.
If you observe Ascension of the Lord on the Sunday before Pentecost, read only the first three pages about WAITING just before the benediction of that service and invite worshipers back the following week for the story and party that come next.
I mention this book now so that you have time to order it as you plan for Pentecost on May 15.—Carolyn C. Brown, author of Forbid Them Not, and Gateways to Heaven, worshipingwithchildren.blogspot.com

The Day When God Made Church immediately draws readers of all ages into the Acts 2 story of Pentecost. Haig’s illustrations give deep meaning to Hutto’s child-like words that tell how the disciples wait…wait…WAIT in the Upper Room. At first, the reader sees men, women, children, and animals portrayed plainly in solid colors. The first inkling of the Holy Spirit comes visually with a bright blue spark, and the patterned orange flame of an ancient lamp. One turn of the page makes the reader gasp in awe at the Holy Spirit’s presence: joyful patterns of bright colors fill the pages, swirling around the people, dog, cow, and dove!
The story continues as colors visually represent the Holy Spirit’s wind and fire, warming the disciples’ hearts. Blue swirls turn into drops of rain filled with words from a host of different languages, eliciting sounds like drumbeats and whispers. Young readers will love to interact with these pages as their imaginations, curiosity, and enthusiasm are engaged by a sense of wonder.
The story draws readers into the disciples’ questions: Who is the Holy Spirit? …  What is happening? … Why do we feel so different? … Why do we hear so many languages?
These questions beautifully set the scene for remembering Jesus, as well as for Peter’s definition of the church: We are a family that shares, eats, and worships together. The story ends with a jubilant “Alleluia!” and a visual invitation to the Lord’s table, evoking the famous Holy Trinity icon.—Alexis Kruza, Building Faith

The story of Pentecost is so familiar that a summary is not necessary.  This, however, is a first person narrative which invites us to be participants.  This is a more comprehensive telling of Acts 2 than is usual for children.  It includes Joel’s prophesy, (without identifying it), Peter’s sermon, a reference to baptism, and the shared life of the new community as well as the gift of the Spirit and varied languages.  Some of the story is omitted but the essential outline of Pentecost is here, enriched by metaphors and highlighted by feelings. The story is told in simple, direct sentences with print variation and color contributing to the excitement.  But without pictures or print, it’s easy to hear this story as an aural experience.  The art adds details about this being an intergenerational group and animals are present. The author makes a number of suggestions about how to celebrate Pentecost on the concluding page. Pentecost is relatively free from the cultural takeover of Christmas and Easter.
“Finally a story for young children about Pentecost! … Children will enjoy reading about the birthday of their church, and they—along with the adults who love them—will be better able to wrap their hearts and minds around this curious celebration called Pentecost. Alleluia!”
 —Rev. Matt Matthews, author of the novel Mercy Creek and Pastor, St. Giles Presbyterian Church, Greenville, SC.

Resource: Fan God's gifts into flame (Pastor Personal Growth)

Fan God’s Gifts into Flame assists pastors in thinking through some of the “whys” and “hows” of planning for growth in all their God-given callings (pastor, husband, father, colleague in ministry, etc.). Since each pastor is a uniquely gifted child of God, and since each place where God calls him to serve is a unique gathering of God’s people, it can be wise for a pastor to take time to consider how he can make the most of his unique God-given strengths in his unique God-given place of service. The goal is to help pastors make such planning an annual part of how they grow in all their callings.

The resource includes:

• An essay giving you the theological rationale and some practical directions for developing an annual spiritual and professional growth plan.
• A Workbook giving you tools to consider your strengths and the specific strengths that God has given to you as a unique individual.
• A Toolbox will giving  you some tools you can use as you pursue personal, spiritual, and professional growth.

The resources is available at https://www.wls.wels.net/grow-in-grace/fan-gods-gifts-into-flame-2/

EBook: Renew 52

Renew 52: 50+ Ideas to Revitalize Your Congregation from Leaders under 50 is a free ebook that features 52 short essays from 54 Christian leaders in 15 different traditions. In this 2012 collection, edited by David J. Lose (former Vibrant Congregations Project grant director and Luther Seminary faculty member), authors were guided by the conviction that congregations are the primary place where the Spirit is at work for the renewal of the church.

From the introduction by David J. Lose:
The Spirit is moving in exciting ways. We are on the cusp of exciting, if unpredictable, renewal. In spite of the well-documented story of mainline decline, there is a lot of growth, a lot of potential, and a lot of hope in our congregations as well.

Each of the authors in this ebook has had her or his share of challenges and setbacks, but each has also learned from those and continues to dream, work, plan, and lead. And this book pulls together more than fifty of their best ideas for congregational renewal.

To download the book visit https://www.luthersem.edu/vcp/renew52/default.aspx?m=6411 

Resource: Encouraging the faith of your grandchildren

Lutheran Church of Australia's Grow Ministries has developed a handout to assist grandparent in assisting their grandchildren to connect with and remain connected with Jesus.  
The resource is available free of charge from Grow Ministries 

Lutheran Sermons - videos

The following congregations offer video sermons.   
The links should take you to their video channel.

Australian Lutheran Churches
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Toowoomba

Ipswich Lutheran Church 

St Michaels Hahndorf

St Paul's Sydney Lutheran Church 


USA Lutheran Churches
Calvary Lutheran Church 

Faith Lutheran Church 

Concordia Lutheran Church 

Gloria Dei Lutheran Church 

Good View Trinity Lutheran Church 

Hosanna Lutheran Church 

King of Kings Omaha Lutheran Church

Lutheran Church of Hope

Lutheran Church of the Master

Northgate Lutheran Church

Pathfinder Lutheran Church

Peace Lutheran Church Hurst Texas 

St Andrews Lutheran Church 

St Johns LCMS Hubbard Iowa 

St Lorenz Lutheran Church 

St Philip the Deacon Lutheran Church 

Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church

Popular Lutheran Church Missouri Synod videos

If you have a suggestion of other Lutheran Churches who provide videos of their sermons please suggest them in the comments below.

Book: Reading the bible with Rabbi Jesus

What would it be like for modern readers to sit down beside Jesus as he explained the Bible to them? What life-changing insights might emerge from such a transformative encounter? 
Lois Tverberg knows the treasures that await readers willing to learn how to read the Bible through Jewish eyes. By helping them understand the Bible as Jesus and his first-century listeners would have, she bridges the gaps of time and culture in order to open the Bible to readers today. 
Combining careful research with engaging prose, Tverberg leads us on a journey back in time to shed light on how this Middle Eastern people approached life, God, and each other. She explains age-old imagery that we often misinterpret, allowing us to approach God and the stories and teachings of Scripture with new eyes. By helping readers grasp the perspective of its original audience, she equips them to read the Bible in ways that will enrich their lives and deepen their understanding.

Table of Contents

1 Opening the Bible with Jesus :   Emmaus Is Still There

Part 1 Repacking Our Mental Bags:  Tools for the Journey
2 Learning to Be There:  A Clash of Cultures
3 What Does "Christ" Mean, Anyway?:  A Perplexing Word
4 Painting in Hebrew:  Bold Colors, Broad Brushstrokes

Part 2 How the Bible Thinks
Big Picture Ideas That You Need to Understand
5 Greek Brain, Hebrew Brain:  Cows, Creeds, and Concrete Metaphors
6 Why Jesus Needs Those Boring "Begats":  Knowing the Family Rules
7 Reading the Bible as a "We":  Insights from a Communal Perspective
8 Like Grasshoppers in Our Own Eyes:  Learning to "Think Small"

Part 3 Reading about the Messiah
Seeing Him through Hebrew Eyes
9 Memory Is Critical:  Hinting at the Scriptures
10 Moses and the Prophets Have Spoken:  Finding Promises in the Synagogue
11 Reading in the Third Dimension:  Listening for Echoes in the Text
12 Jesus' Bold Messianic Claims:  Very Subtle, Very Jewish
13 When the Words Catch Fire:  What We Miss in Isaiah

Appendix A Books of the Tanakh
Appendix B Thirty Useful Hebrew Words for Bible Study
Appendix C Bible Translations for Word Study

Book: Rewiring your preaching

What preachers preach is not necessarily what hearers hear. Have you ever wondered why some hearers are affected by a sermon but not others? The issue may not necessarily be the content or delivery of the message. It may be how your hearers' brains process what you say. Modern neuroscience illuminates how our brains understand and hear sermons. Verbal stimuli can be accepted or rejected depending on the context of how they are received. The brain processes new information differently than information that reinforces already-held beliefs. To have long-term effect, new information must connect with previous memory. Psychologist, physician and preacher Richard Cox shows that better understanding of the brain can help preachers be more effective in their preaching. Intentional, purposeful preaching can actually produce new neural pathways that change how the brain thinks and how its owner acts. Our brains are intimately connected with how our bodies work, especially in how brain stimuli produce behavioral responses and how people experience comfort and healing in times of pain. God is at work in our brains to enable his people to hear him. Preach with the brain in mind, and help your hearers grow in mental, physical and spiritual health.

Contents
1. Brainstorm vs. Short Circuit
2. Linking Brain and Sermon
3. The Brain Sees Preaching As Unique
4. The Brain Uses Preaching For Healing
5. The Core Process of Preaching is Brain Work
6. Preaching Provides Brain Energy
7. Brain Stimuli Produce Behavioral Responses
8. Preaching and Pastoring Are Different
9. Getting To the Brain with Theology
10. Preaching and the Brain in Pain
11. Brain Healing and the Soul
12. Brain Healing and the Mind
13. Brain Healing and the Body
14. Brain Healing and the Community

Resources: Caring for your pastor

Pastoral for many pastors is challenging, what helps pastors cope with these challenges, live healthy lives (physically and mentally) is when they are cared for.  Following are some resources to help congregations and fellow Christians care for their pastors.    If you are aware of any others please add them to the comments.  

Biblical Study

Textual Study on caring for Pastors 

Articles 

Article:  The cost of not caring for your pastor (includes suggestions on how to care for your pastor)
Article:  How to care for your pastor
Article:  Gospel Coalition - 7 ways to care for your pastor 
Article: Support and care for the pastor - a critical role of the board
Article;  50 ways to love your pastor

Blog - Pastoral Meanderings - who cares for the Pastor?

Handout:  Who cares for the Pastor?

Books

Free pdf Book - Who cares for the Pastor?

Videos

Bible Study: Lutheran Spirituality - Witness

Spirituality is a common term today, but what does it mean? To find the right answer, Lutheran Spirituality directs adult Bible study participants to God's Word. Lutheran Spirituality explores the Bible, Luther's Small Catechism, and the Lutheran hymnal as integral resources for living out our faith in a spiritually confused-and sometimes confusing-world.

As Lutherans, we affirm that sharing our faith with others is an integral part of our Christian existence in this world. This activity remains with us even as the Church enlists certain individuals for outreach projects close to home or overseas. In this study, we hope to encourage among Lutherans a broader commitment to share their faith in whatever calling, the Lord has placed them.

Session 1: Salvation to the Ends of the Earth
Session 2: Rooted in Christ's Ministry
Session 3: Follow Me
Session 4: Witness Boldly
Session 5: Go Where?
Session 6: The Hub of Christian Life and Witness

This is a downloadable study available from CPH

Mission bulletin sentences based on the Lectionary

The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod - Texas District Witness and Outreach has developed some Mission Sentences based on the Lectionary Reading for the week...
They are available at:  
Year A
Year B
Year C

Evangelism Tool: HIS coin

His Coin is an evangelism tool developed by Kevin H. Park to help you discuss and help people remember two key gifts from God, Grace and Mercy. 
Kevin sees them as two sides of the same coin.  

To order discover more about this story and to order the coins visit http://www.hiscoin.com/

Book: The apologetics of Jesus

Apologetics books abound, but how did Jesus defend the faith? The Apologetics of Jesus presents the Savior at his convincing best. The most tentative Christian--or belligerent skeptic--will find meaty arguments for the godhead of Christ through his parables, prophecies, and more. This hard-hitting resource shows how Christ led the curious to commitment.

In this original book, readers will find a new way of looking at the message and miracles of Christ and will be revived by the example of Christ's caring approach to dealing with doubters. Recommended for both laypeople and ministry leaders alike.

Contents
 1. Jesus’s Apologetic Use of Testimony 
 2. Jesus’s Apologetic Use of Miracles 
 3. Jesus’s Apologetic Use of the Resurrection 
 4. Jesus’s Apologetic Use of Reason 
 5. Jesus’s Apologetic Use of Parables 
 6. Jesus’s Apologetic Use of Discourse 
 7. Jesus’s Apologetic Use of Prophecy 
 8. Jesus’s Apologetic Use of Arguments for God
 9. Jesus’s Alleged Anti-Apologetic Passages 
 10. Jesus’s Life as an Apologetic 
 11. Jesus and the Role of the Holy Spirit in Apologetics 
 12. Jesus’s Apologetic Method 

E Book: What happened to our churches? - Regaining Spiritual energy

“What Happened to Our Churches?” is a free eBook from David S. Luecke.

What happened to our churches is a Collection of 52 blogs About Regaining Spiritual Energy.

The Apostle Paul was an organizational genius and a world-class entrepreneur. He was also a high-level analyst who could spot what wasn’t working in churches he oversaw and figure out what to do about it. His letters to churches were his report along with an explanation for God’s empowering presence that would bring the intended results.

How would the Apostle Paul assess what is happening with the current steep decline of mainline Protestant churches in America, after serving so well and faithfully for centuries?

With a Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior, Dr. David Luecke fills the role of Analyst in his latest book release. This collection of blogs is Dr. Luecke’s analysis of what’s happening in mainline churches that are in steep decline. They are losing their spiritual energy and the only way to regain it is to take the Holy Spirit’s empowering presence more seriously in church life and ministries.

Contents
Chapter 1: Six Perspectives on Regaining Spiritual Energy
Chapter 2: Motivated by the Spirit
Chapter 3: Recognizing the Spirit
Chapter 4: Discipled by the Spirit
Chapter 5: Waiting on the Spirit
Chapter 6: Culturally Shaped Experiences of the Spirit
Chapter 7: Organizing the Spirit’s Fellowships

About the Dr Luecke
There was a time in Dr. Luecke’s professional career when he had the title “Analyst.” His Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior was great preparation for a consultant as well as a professor. For six years, Dr. Luecke taught the M.B.A. Organizational Behavior course at Washington University in St. Louis. For ten years he taught the Doctor of Ministry course on Church Management at Fuller Seminary, where he was an administrator and associate professor. He also taught Strategic Management as a professor at Valparaiso University.
These 52 blogs address what Dr. Luecke sees has gone wrong with traditional mainline churches that, fifty years ago, were healthy but are now in steep decline. Luecke thinks Lutheran, as well as Presbyterian, Reformed, Episcopalian, Methodist, and United Church of Christ churches, have lost their basic spiritual energy. The only way to regain it back is to pay much more attention to who the Holy Spirit is and how he works today — that is, to recover the emphasis in Paul’s theology that Dr. Luecke gained from Gordon Fee’s detailed exegetical study God’s Empowering Presence (1994).
In 1990, Dr. Luecke received a call to plant a new Lutheran church in a suburb of his hometown of Cleveland, Ohio. He saw it as a great opportunity to practice what he had been teaching. That church just moved into its large new sanctuary in a choice location in Broadview Heights. From their, Dr. Luecke moved on to become the Administrative Pastor at Royal Redeemer Lutheran Church in the neighboring suburb of North Royalton, where he still serves as a semi-retired Missions Pastor. Dr. Luecke was ordained 50 years ago and has a multitude of experience with what works and what doesn’t in congregations.

You can download the book here

Video: Lost at sea (the church is not a pleasure boat but a life boat)

A video to encourage people to see that the church is not a pleasure boat but a life boat

Web Page: Meditations and Musings - School Chaplain Blog and resources

"Meditations & Musings" is my humble attempt to share what Tim Jarick has found useful in ministry in an Australian Lutheran School setting.
It contains:
chapels,
devotions
and other resources
Some which he has written, others he has used and adapted in his K-12 school context.
Visit Meditations and Musings

Book: Lighthouses - Christian coaching in a post Christian World

A game changer in local mission. 
There are already a number of useful resources in the Christian marketplace that teach you how to engage with people who are open to Christianity, even if only tentatively. Lighthouses: Christian Coaching in a Post-Christian World offers something fresh and different; it presents a model for engaging with people who are barely curious about the gospel or even openly resistant to it. 
Evangelist and church planter Dean Eaton has teamed up with Christian clinical psychologist Dr. Paul Whetham to propose a fresh approach to gospel-sharing based on a coaching model. 
Lighthouses: Christian Coaching in a Post-Christian World explains how to engage people in a 'wellbeing conversation' that leads naturally to an exploration of their identity in God. The book draws heavily on materials developed by Dr. Whetham for Soul Food Café (www.soulfood.cafe), an online resource centre for contemporary gospel-sharers. The basic idea is that by transforming community meeting places and church cafes into informal sacred spaces where people 'do life together', you can embark on the search for meaning and give voice to the deeper things of the soul. 
Lighthouses: Christian Coaching in a Post-Christian World is highly recommended for people looking for a fresh approach to mission and evangelism.

Contents
Reimaging the role of an evangelist - Lighthouse coach
Faith and the Search for meaning
Resilience - developing a contemplative and compassionate mind
Enriched environments 
The Mission

You can purchase Lighthouses from Amazon or if you are in Australia from ACR

Book: Sculptor Spirit - Models of Sanctification from Spirit Christology

The Holy Spirit is sculpting you.

Like the work of an artist who molds a lump of clay into its intended shape, the Spirit's sanctifying work lies in shaping people into the image of Christ.

Avoiding either a "Spirit-only" or a "Spirit-void" theology, Leopoldo Sánchez carefully crafts a Spirit Christology, which considers the role of God's Spirit in the life and mission of Jesus. This understanding then serves as the foundation to articulate five distinct models of sanctification that can help Christians discern how the Spirit is at work in our lives.

CONTENTS
Introduction
1. Sculptor Spirit: Spirit Christology and the Sanctified Life
2. Voices from the Past: Patristic Images of the Sanctifying Spirit
3. Baptized into Death and Life: The Renewal Model
4. Facing Demons Through Prayer and Meditation: The Dramatic Model
5. Sharing Life Together: The Sacrificial Model
6. Welcoming the Stranger: The Hospitality Model
7. Work, Pray, and Rest: The Devotional Model
8. I Want to Tell the Story: North American Spirituality and the Models

Conclusion

REVIEWS
"This is a book I didn't know we needed; but after reading it, I now see how much we did! Leo Sánchez provides a fresh mixture of historical summaries and constructive contributions that will prove helpful to our trinitarian discussions. A somewhat neglected focus for many, Sánchez gives particular attention to the relationship between the Spirit's work in the incarnate Christ and the Spirit's presence in our lives. Ably drawing from the patristics (especially Irenaeus) as well as leaning heavily on Luther, Sánchez seeks to outline five models for understanding life in the Spirit. Rather than imagining these in unavoidable tension, he creatively points out strengths in each, especially looking at them in light of pastoral concerns. Much in this volume can help clarify our thinking and stimulate our Spirit dependent lives."   Kelly M. Kapic, Covenant College

"In the winsome spirit we have come to expect from Sánchez, Sculptor Spirit is a gentle and timely corrective to a lot of anemic spirituality found on the market today. Using Spirit Christology as the lens through which to examine the sanctifying work of the Spirit, Sánchez puts holiness back on the agenda as he recommends five models of sanctification for Spirit-filled believers today. Listening to voices from the past, Sánchez places before the reader various complementary models on what the Christian life looks like and how we can be further conformed to the image of Christ. It wasn't too long ago that Spirit Christology was a promising area to explore; with Sculptor Spirit we have another example of how Spirit Christology is delivering on its early promises. The Spirit gives life and in this work Sánchez clearly shows how the Spirit is at work conforming people to Christ's image for the glory of God."  Myk Habets, dean of faculty and professor of theology, Carey Baptist College and Graduate School, Auckland, New Zealand

"One of the theological dangers facing the English-speaking church is its over reliance on Christology, what can be called hyperchristocentrism, which means that Christ is emphasized to such a degree that Christian trinitarianism breaks down. What is needed in response to this situation are ways to make Christology more trinitarian, and this is what Sánchez helps achieve in this work. Sculptor Spirit emphasizes a Spirit Christology for its implications related to sanctification, spirituality, and the Christian life overall. Through its models and various examples from antiquity to the present, it is a reliable guide that I hope finds resonance with students, preachers, and teachers who are passionate to offer something substantive to a hungry church."  Daniel Castelo, professor of dogmatic and constructive theology, Seattle Pacific University and Seminary

"Sánchez's past work on the relationship of the Holy Spirit to Christ provides an effective foundation for this exploration of several views of the ways in which the Holy Spirit creates and forms the holy life of faith in those who trust in Christ. This work draws readers into a world- and church-wide conversation on how the Spirit goes about sanctifying sinners and leading them into a life of faith and obedience that exercises true humanity in the midst of our faltering world. This skillfully-constructed, aptly delivered assessment of various models for interpreting the presence and working of the Spirit in believers' lives will stimulate and guide pastors and laity into new perspectives on how to understand and practice the faith."  Robert Kolb, professor of systematic theology emeritus, Concordia Seminary, Saint Louis

"In this impressive volume, Leopoldo Sánchez provides a comprehensive and detailed account of Spirit Christology, tracing its development through the ages to offer a robust trinitarian account of Christ as one filled with the power of the Spirit. Having laid the foundation for Christ as the pattern for the Spirit-filled life, he then applies this to a practical, generative, and thought-provoking, models-based approach to sanctification, making the much-needed link between orthodox dogmatic theology and everyday life. Thus this book is a valuable contribution both to the academy and the church."  Lucy Peppiatt, principal, Westminster Theological Centre, UK

"A singular book on the Spirit combining an excellent knowledge of tradition and contemporary literature with imagination and theological creativity. It leads to a suggestive but open-ended exploration of various models for experiencing and understanding the work of the Spirit."  Justo L. González, author of The Mestizo Augustine

"With fourth-century church fathers and Luther as foundational resources, in interaction with current scholarship, Sánchez explores five models of sanctification that illumine the ministry of the Spirit of Christ in believers. This creative Latino-Lutheran scholar continues his fruitful work in Christology and pneumatology with a volume that will benefit the broader church in North America. A stellar contribution from a fresh voice, forged as a Latino within a historic tradition. Un aporte singular."  M. Daniel Carroll R., Blanchard Professor of Old Testament, Wheaton College and Graduate School

"Everyone these days wants to be spiritual. They just don't know how or what it really means to be spiritual. Leo Sánchez charts a course that anchors that yearning for spirituality on solid ground. He presents an experience of the Spirit grounded firmly in the theology and practice of the church through the centuries as he provides various models of what it means to be 'in the Spirit.' Spirituality is not so much a feeling or a yearning as it is a way of life worked out in the person of Christ and his work through and in the Spirit in and for us. Sánchez reminds us that the Spirit blows where it wills, but it never blows apart from the will of Christ and the Father. If you're looking for a theological yet pastoral approach to reach those who want to be spiritual but don't know how, this book is a great resource."  Joel C. Elowsky, professor of historical theology, Concordia Seminary, St. Louis

You can purchase Spirit Sculptor here

Web Site; Life Long faith

Lifelong offers resources and information on Christian Faith Formation ​for All Ages including Projects, Workshops, and Resources developed ​by John Roberto and LifelongFaith Associates.

Resources include:

• Book - Faith formation for the new generation 
• Resources for Child and Adolscent faith formation
• Resources for Adolscent faith formation
• Faith formation practices for Adults, children and adolescents, Digital, family, parent, Intergenerational, Lifelong and Missional faith formation
• Journal
• Books
• Workshops

Take a visit to www.lifelongfaith.com to discover more

Book: God is Good for you

At a time of crisis for Christianity in the West, God is Good for You shows just why we need faith in our world.

The Judeo-Christian tradition has created and underpinned the moral and legal fabric of Western civilisation for more than 2000 years, yet now we've reached a point in both Australia and many parts of the West where Christianity has become a minority faith rather than the mainstream belief. It's a situation that's fraught both for Christians and our wider society, where the moral certainties that were the foundation of our institutions and laws are no longer held by the majority.

At this point of crisis for faith, God is Good for You shows us why Christianity is so vital for our personal and social well-being, and how modern Christians have never worked so hard to make the world a better place at a time when their faith has never been less valued. It carries a vital torch for Christianity in a way that's closely argued, warmly human, good humoured yet passionate, and, above all, convincing.

Contents include:

• Introduction: Is God dead?
• Christianity. Believing in God is rational, atheism is an odd religious faith and the new atheists are false prophets
• The ragged edge of justice-what Christians believe
• What did we ever get from Christianity-apart from the idea of the individual, human rights, feminism, liberalism, modernity, social justice and secular politics?
• Christianity's problems-evil, suffering, the sins of Christians
• Give the Old Testament a try-you'll be astonished
• Christians. Politicians-more Christian than you'd think
• So national leaders have souls too-who knew?
• Free radicals-Pentecostalsand monks
• Signs of new life
• Ordinary extraordinary Christian
• Death (nearly) comes for the archbishop
• Chapter twelve: Bold minority-the future for Christians and their churches.

To obtain your copy of God is Good for You visit here 

Book: Jesus > Religion: Why He Is So Much Better Than Trying Harder, Doing More, and Being Good Enough

Jefferson Bethke burst into the cultural conversation in 2012 with a passionate, provocative poem titled “Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus.” The 4-minute video literally became an overnight sensation, with 7 million YouTube views in its first 48 hours (and 23+ million in a year). The message blew up on social-media, triggering an avalanche of responses running the gamut from encouraged to enraged.

In Jesus > Religion, Bethke unpacks similar contrasts that he drew in the poem—highlighting the difference between teeth gritting and grace, law and love, performance and peace, despair and hope. With refreshing candor he delves into the motivation behind his message, beginning with the unvarnished tale of his own plunge from the pinnacle of a works-based, fake-smile existence that sapped his strength and led him down a path of destructive behavior.

Bethke is quick to acknowledge that he’s not a pastor or theologian, but simply a regular, twenty-something who cried out for a life greater than the one for which he had settled. Along his journey, Bethke discovered the real Jesus, who beckoned him beyond the props of false religion.

Content
Chapter 1 “Will the Real Jesus Please Stand Up?”
Chapter 2: “Why I Still Think Jesus Hates Religion (and You Should Too)”
Chapter 3: “Fundies, Fakes and Other So-Called Christians”
Chapter 4: “Religion Makes Enemies/Jesus Makes Friends”
Chapter 5: “With Religion, There are Good and Bad People/With Jesus, There are Only Bad People…”
Chapter 6: “Religion Is the Means to Get Things from God/If We Seek Jesus, We Get God”
Chapter 7: “With Religion, If You are Suffering, God is Punishing You/God Already Punished Jesus…”
Chapter 8: “Religion Says, “God Will Love You If…”
Chapter 9: “Religion Points to a Dim Future/Jesus Points to a Bright Future”
Chapter 10: “Why Jesus Loves the Church (and You Should Too)”

Buy Jesus>Religion here

Bible Study: The Greatest Story ever told

The Greatest Story is a new Bible study that comes with dvd resources of sand artist Joe Castillo telling the story and books, giving participants a big-picture overview of the Bible—discussing key people, places, and events in an easy-to-understand way, as they dive deeper into the story and discover their place in God's story.  

To discover more and gain a sample of The Greatest Story visit here

Bible Studies - A Pastoral look at the bible

Preface

In September of 1999, Pastor Mark Wilms began work on a pastoral commentary of the entire Bible.  A month later, he started a weekly Bible study in the church he was serving at the time, Bethlehem Lutheran (ELCA) on the south side of Chicago, using the material that he was producing.  By October of 2008 he came to the end of my journey with a complete set of Bible studies on the sixty-six commonly-accepted books of scripture.

These studies can be used individually to cover just a small piece of scripture, a whole book at a time, or a survey of the entire Bible.

The format is consistent throughout. 
Each biblical book is divided up into a series of studies covering one or more chapters (usually a group of several). 
 Each study (and sometimes a book or other kind of section) offers an introduction that attempts to be informative but also pastoral in tone, followed by a series of notes that add more information, and then one or more discussion questions. 
The historical material has been gleaned from a number of study Bibles and commentaries that are listed after this preface. 

This commentary takes a high view of scripture, but also strives to be in harmony with responsible scholarship.

The intent has been to produce a Bible study that is highly informative, true to scholarly research, but also helpful and interesting for anyone, from the person who has had little contact with the Bible but would like to know more, to someone who knows their Bible well but would like to deepen his or her knowledge.  More than that, it is my desire that these studies will help people grow in their faith in the God who brought so many people of the Bible out of bondage and gave them hope in spite of their many failures as God’s children, a hope that, in the end, could only be satisfied by God’s own action through Christ.

Bible Studies are available here

Lutheran Preaching Course online

At the 2014 Pastor's confernece of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod - Michigan District Reverend Dr David Schmitt presented 5 sessions on preaching which are available below:

Contemporary Preaching Trends

Confessional Preaching

Transformational Preaching - Narrative

Transformational Preaching

Conversational Preaching