Wednesday, August 15, 2018

Book: Gospel Speech

We all have a different relationship with speech. Some of us love it, some of us... not so much. For some it depends a lot on the context: speaking on the phone with a friend is perfectly enjoyable; speaking publicly in front of an audience is our worst nightmare. Some of us speak at a million miles an hour, while some of us have a slow and measured pace, choosing every word carefully. In many ways, speech really is a reflection of who we are as individuals.

But if our speech really is a reflection of who we are, and if being a Christian is a fundamental and even primary way we describe ourselves, should we expect gospel speech to be on our lips?

In this refreshingly different look at what the Bible has to say about evangelism and our speech patterns as Christians, Lionel Windsor shows the connection between faith and speech, and encourages us to confess the Lord Jesus with our lips.

Lionel Windsor is a lecturer at Moore Theological College in Sydney.   

Contents
Are all Christians commanded to evangelize?
Shut your mouth
God puts the words right in your mouth
Saved by the mouth
Do you feel the need for speech?
Speech is in your DNA
insiders and outsiders
Learning how to talk



Thursday, August 09, 2018

A story of forgiveness

Recently in an AFL game West Coast Eagles player Andrew Gaff hit a Fremantle  Dockers player Andrew Brayshaw in the mouth, behind the play, breaking his jaw. 
The issue caused some controversy in the media and amongst football followers. 
A few days later Andrew Brayshaw's father publicly stated he forgives Andrew Gaff and asks others to do the same, read the full story here
https://wwos.nine.com.au/2018/08/08/06/41/andrew-brayshaws-dad-pleads-for-forgiveness-for-andrew-gaff-over-punch

Pictures - for free

A picture tells a thousand words, so the saying goes.   
Using pictures for ministry can be very helpful in communicating or emphasising a point or the message.

Fortunately there are a number of sites offering quality pictures that are not only copyright/royalty free but also at no cost.

These include:
Free Bible Images
Freely Photos - primarily for churches
Good Free Photos
Good Stock Photos
Pixabay
Pexels
Stockified
Unsplash

If you are aware of any other sites offering free pictures feel free to post them in the comments section below.

Wednesday, August 08, 2018

Book: Growing up: In, with and under Jesus

This is a little book about Christian maturity. All of us have growing up to do. It's called maturing, and it's good for us.
But, how exactly do you grow up in your faith?
What does a mature Christian look like?
Are there any habits that mature Christians tend to practice?
This book answers these questions. Each chapter dives into a different aspect of the Christian life and examines what a mature Christian life looks like in that area: God's Word, Prayer, Church and Worship, Evangelism, and Daily Holiness. While we are called to grow up in, with, and under Jesus, we never grow out of Him. Actually, the more we mature, the more we realize just how much we need our Savior Jesus.
Readers who enjoy authors such as Acuff, Chan, Goff, Peterson, and Tchividjian will similarly be blessed by Peter Berauer’s words.


Book: The Resilient Pastor: Ten principles for developing pastoral resilience

Ministry is challenging, complex, and costly. Too many pastors and church leaders are getting spread thin, burned out, and walking away! In an ever-changing church culture that includes social media, blurred denominational lines, and an increased demand for relational ministry, many pastors are feeling overwhelmed, becoming discouraged, and dropping out of leadership roles. You may be one of them--but you are not ready to give up. The Resilient Pastor will help you to focus on character development and spiritual formation as a Christian leader, engaging the challenges of ministry with passion and perseverance. You will explore ten principles for developing pastoral resilience and consider biblical examples as well as testimonies from contemporary leaders as you lay the foundation for becoming a resilient leader. This journey through The Resilient Pastor will be worth your time as an individual leader or in a small group context with other pastors.

Contents 
Develop intimacy with God
Invest in Mentoring Relationships
Pursue Your calling daily
Focus on Core Values
Recognise Your Strengths
Accept Your limitators
Maintain boundaries
Maintain emotional stability 
Reject erroneous messages
Embrace Grace



Tuesday, August 07, 2018

Book: Canoeing the mountains - Christian leadership in uncharted territory

Explorers Lewis and Clark had to adapt. While they had prepared to find a waterway to the Pacific Ocean, instead they found themselves in the Rocky Mountains. You too may feel that you are leading in a cultural context you were not expecting. You may even feel that your training holds you back more often than it carries you along. Drawing from his extensive experience as a pastor and consultant, Tod Bolsinger brings decades of expertise in guiding churches and organizations through uncharted territory. He offers a combination of illuminating insights and practical tools to help you reimagine what effective leadership looks like in our rapidly changing world. If you're going to scale the mountains of ministry, you need to leave behind canoes and find new navigational tools. Now expanded with a study guide, this book will set you on the right course to lead with confidence and courage

Contents
Part One:  Understanding uncharted territory: The world in front of you is nothing like the world behind you.  (Seminary can't prepare you for this)
Part Two;   The on-the-map skill set: No one is going to follow you off the map unless they trust you on the map.
Part Three:  Leading off the map: In uncharted territory, adaptation is everything.
Part Four:   Relationships and resistance: You can’t go alone, but you haven’t succeeded until you’ve survived the sabotage.
Part Five:   Transformation: Everybody will be changed (especially the leader).



Book: Church in Motion: The History of the Evangelical Lutheran Mission in Bavaria (Missional Church, Public Theology, World Christianity)

"Mission is nothing but the one church of God in motion." With these words the famous German Lutheran theologian Wilhelm Loehe described the essence of missionary work. Mission moves the church and crosses boundaries to form the one universal church. In 1842, Loehe started missionary work in the small Bavarian town of Neuendettelsau in southern Germany, as he sent two young men as "emergency helpers" to North America. He supported the formation of Lutheran congregations that later joined together to become the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS). Together with Friedrich Bauer he founded a mission seminary that sent, until 1985, nearly 900 graduates as pastors and missionaries not only to the USA, but also to Australia, Papua New Guinea, Brazil, Africa, Eastern Europe, and Palestine. From this the present center Mission One World of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria developed, which maintains partnership relations to churches in Africa, Asia/Pacific, and Latin America. This book describes the history of this missionary movement up to the present time and puts the Bavarian missionary work into the context of mission theology and strategies in the twentieth century.

Contents:
Section 1:   History of the Protestant Mission in Bavaria
Section 2:  History of co-operation Bavarian Mission Society with overseas churches 
Section 3:  Promotion and development of Bavarian Missionary Work in 20th Century



Book: The Lutheran Pastor (Free download)

The Lutheran Pastor was originally published in 1902 authored by George Henry Gerberding.

Contents
The Pastors Office
The Pastors Call - The Inner or Pre
The External or Official Call
Ordination And the Call from One Field
In His Personal Character and in Society
In His Study
In His Closet
Taking the Oversight  - As Head of
Catechising and Confirming
Conducting the Service Preparatory
Administering the Holy Communion
Performing the Marriage Ceremony
Ministering to the Bereaved Burying
SignificancePrinciples and Import
The Pastor Visiting
Visiting Special Classes
Guarding the Good Name and the Altar
In the Pulpit-Preaching the Word
At the AltarLeading the Worship
Baptizing
Visiting the Sick
Vacation 
Conclusion
Reward

Free download of the book is available at  https://archive.org/details/lutheranpastor00gerb


Saturday, August 04, 2018

Hymn of the month: Rise thou light of gentile nations

Lyrics - Traditional
1. Rise, Thou Light of Gentile nations,
Jesus, bright and Morning Star;
Let Thy Word, the gladsome tidings,
Ring out loudly near and far,
Bringing freedom to the captives,
Peace and comfort to the slave,
That the heathen, free from bondage,
May proclaim Thy pow'r to save.

2. See the blindness of the heathen,
Strangers to Thy glorious light,
Straying hopeless till they find Thee,
Wand'ring aimless in the night.
See their pitiful condition;
Lo, gross darkness covers all,
And no ray of hope refreshes
Nor dispels the dreadful pall.

3. If Thou, merciful Redeemer,
Hadst not saved us from this plight,
In like darkness we should languish
Hopeless, helpless, in sin's night.
Lovingly Thou, Lord, didst seek us
In the beauty of Thy grace;
Now with joy we freely serve Thee,
We, Thy blessed, chosen race.

4. Knowing Thee and Thy salvation,
Grateful love dare never cease
To proclaim Thy tender mercies,
Gracious Lord, Thy heav'nly peace.
Sound we forth the Gospel tidings
To the earth's remotest bound
That the sinner has been pardoned
And forgiveness can be found.

5. May our zeal to help the heathen
Be increased from day to day
As we plead in true compassion
And for their conversion pray.
For the many faithful heralds,
For the Gospel they proclaim,
Let us all be cheerful givers
To the glory of Thy name.

6. Savior, shine in all Thy glory
On the nations near and far;
From the highways and the byways
Call them, O Thou Morning Star.
Guide them whom Thy grace hath chosen
Out of Satan's dreadful thrall
To the mansions of Thy Father--
There is room for sinners all.

Hymn #498 
The Lutheran Hymnal
Text: Isaiah 60:1
Author: Hermann Fick, d. 1885
Titled: "Gehe auf, du Trost der Heiden"
Tune: "O du Liebe"
1st Published in: Musikalischer Christenschatz
Town: Basel, 1745

LH 232 Rise, Thou light of gentile nations
Tune: Rex Gloriae

1 Rise, O light of Gentile nations,
Jesus, bright and morning star.
Let your word, the joyful tidings,
ring out loudly near and far,
bringing freedom to the captive,
peace and comfort to the slave,
that all people, free from bondage,
may proclaim your power to save.

2 Lovingly, Lord, you have sought us,
you have saved us by your grace;
now with joy we freely serve you,
we, your blessed, chosen race.
Knowing you and your salvation,
grateful love dare never cease
to proclaim, as you have asked us,
your forgiveness and your peace.

3 Saviour, shine in all your glory
on the nations near and far.
From the highways and the byways
call them by your guiding star.
Lead the lost whom you have chosen
out of Satan's evil rule;
lead them to the Father's mansions -
there is room for sinners all.

Gehe auf, du Trost der Heiden
Hermann Fick 1822-85
Tr composite,  Lutheran Church of Australia
based on 'The Lutheran Hymnal' (St Louis), 1941

Music - sheet and midi files https://hymnary.org/text/rise_thou_light_of_gentile_nations 
Tune: O DU LIEBE MEINER LIEBE (Thommen)

Music- Sheet and midi files https://hymnary.org/tune/rex_gloriae_smart
Tune:  REX GLORIA





Song of the Month: My Lighthouse

Song of the month:  My Lighthouse by Rend Collection

Lyrics
Verse 1
In my wrestling and in my doubts
In my failures You won't walk out
Your great love will lead me through
You are the peace in my troubled sea whoa oh
You are the peace in my troubled sea

Verse 2
In the silence You won't let go
In the questions Your truth will hold
Your great love will lead me through
You are the peace in my troubled sea whoa oh
You are the peace in my troubled sea

Chorus
My Lighthouse my Lighthouse
Shining in the darkness
I will follow You oh
My Lighthouse my Lighthouse
I will trust the promise
You will carry me safe to shore
Safe to shore safe to shore safe to shore

Verse 3
I won't fear what tomorrow brings
With each morning I'll rise and sing
My God's love will lead me through
You are the peace in my troubled sea whoa oh
You are the peace in my troubled sea

Bridge
Fire before us
You're the brightest
You will lead us
Through the storms (hey)
(REPEAT 3X)


CCLI Song # 7002032

Cords:   http://www.worshiptogether.com/songs/my-lighthouse/

Thursday, August 02, 2018

Book: Theology of the cross for the 21st Century

This book is a collection of essays that explore the significance of Martin Luther's theology of the cross within the context of the various world religions and philosophies.

Each contributor describes and interprets this distinctive Lutheran understanding of grace with the worldview of a major tradition or system. The writing is scholarly, yet accessible for the discerning lay reader. Readers develop a renewed appreciation for the richness of the cross and the ways Luther's insights speak to different contexts.

Chapters highlight:

  • the theology of the cross as it relates to Paul (as a cross-cultural communicator)
  • 21st century witnessing
  • post-modernism
  • bioethics
  • post-marxism
  • eastern thought
  • Islam
  • Hinduism
  • Latino/Hispanic spirituality
  • the African American experience
  • African spirituality

The book provides a concise introduction to the impact the theology of the cross has on diverse worldviews.