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BOOK HIGHLIGHT — Equipping Counselors for Your Church by Robert W. Kellemen

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Equipping Counselors for Your Church: The 4E Ministry Training Strategy by Robert W. Kellemen

448 pages | Direct Price: $24.99 $18.50 | Paperback | SAMPLE CHAPTER

Summary

WANT TO CHANGE LIVES?

Leaders know that the ministries most effective at changing lives must train their members to become leaders themselves. After all, God’s people want to change lives too—but we are all tired of approaches that promise much and deliver little. We are ready for an equipping ministry that is Christ-centered, comprehensive, easy to implement, and relationship-oriented; not program-focused.

The 4E Ministry Training Strategy, tested in hundreds of churches, is a best-practice tool for empowering God’s people to make disciples. Launch a revolution in one-another disciple-making, and equip your church to become a place not simply with biblical counseling, but of biblical counseling.

Endorsements

“This is a must-read book. . . . A masterful job at helping us all think about how to be truly effective in the culture in which Christ has placed us.”

—Steve Viars, Senior Pastor, Faith Baptist Church, Lafayette, Indiana; Author of Putting Your Past In Its Place

“An excellent resource for both individual leaders and also group discussion. This is the book for you if you want to launch a biblical counseling ministry.”

—Randy Patten, Executive Director, National Association of Nouthetic Counselors

“This is a resource that will revolutionize the way your church does ministry and will give you the resources you need to offer practical help from a many-membered body serving one another and their community.”

—Elyse Fitzpatrick, Author of Counsel from the Cross

“Bob Kellemen—trainer and coach extraordinaire—has a simple goal: he wants to see your church’s one-to-one ministry transformed. The way he does that is by giving clear, practical instruction along with a huge package of supplies and tools.”

—Ed Welch, Faculty Member, CCEF; Author of When People Are Big and God Is Small

About the Author

Robert W. Kellemen, through his three pastoral ministries, seminary teaching, and RPM Ministries, has equipped hundreds of people as biblical counselors and spiritual friends. Bob is executive director of the Biblical Counseling Coalition and executive director of the Center for Church Equipping at the Association for Biblical Counselors.

Excerpt taken from The Heart of Prayer by Jerram Barrs

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Here is an excerpt taken from The Heart of Prayer: What Jesus Teaches Us by Jerram Barrs.

The Lord’s Answer

And he said to them, “When you pray, say:

“Father, hallowed be your name.

Your kingdom come.

Give us each day our daily bread,

and forgive us our sins,

for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us.

And lead us not into temptation.” (Luke 11:2–4)

In reply to their request, Jesus teaches his disciples the Lord’s Prayer. All through the centuries, this prayer has been regarded by the church both as a prayer for believers to pray and as a pattern for Christian prayer, a model for all our praying, whether public or private. What do we discover when we look at this model prayer?

A Short Prayer

We notice first that the Lord’s Prayer is a short prayer. If we time ourselves when we repeat the words that Jesus teaches us in Luke chapter 11, we will discover that it takes about fifteen seconds to say the Lord’s Prayer. On the other occasion when Jesus teaches this prayer, he reminds us that God does not hear us better when we pray long prayers (Matt. 6:7). Pagans, says Jesus, pray long prayers because they think that doing so will “make God listen better.” Jesus assures us that this is not the case. A prayer does not have to be long to be “spiritual.” It does not have to be long for God to hear it favorably. A prayer is just as powerful, just as effective, just as pleasing to the Lord if it is a short prayer.

Jesus gives another clear example of this principle in a story he tells about the prayers of a Pharisee and a tax collector (Luke 18:9–14). Jesus represents the tax collector’s prayer as very brief: “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” (v. 13). This prayer takes just a couple of seconds, yet Jesus tells us that this man went home justified. His brief cry is a prayer that God delights to answer. Or we might think of Jesus’ prayer in the garden of Gethsemane: “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will” (Matt. 26:39); or consider his prayers from the cross: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mark 15:34); “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34); and “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” (Luke 23:46).

God the Father was clearly pleased with these brief prayers of his Son—the Son who had dwelt close to his heart through all eternity. In just the same way, our prayers do not have to be long for God to be pleased to hear them. In fact, if our prayers are long, we might need to ask ourselves, “Why am I praying a long prayer?”

If our answer to this question is that we feel that the length of time we pray will make God more likely to listen to us, then we are wrong in a truly deep way. God hears us because of his love for us in Christ, not because we pray prayers that someone else may regard as “spiritual” because of their length. Jesus assures us that his Father is satisfied with a prayer that lasts only half a minute, or even a fleeting instant. If we answer that it is a good spiritual discipline for us to spend a good long time at our prayers, we need to ask ourselves the question: “What is prayer? Is prayer about disciplining myself to pray long prayers, or is it about talking to the Lord?” We will come back to this question later.

We may want to respond: “Aren’t prayers occasionally very long? Isn’t it true that some of the prayers recorded in the Bible would take a much greater time to pray than the Lord’s Prayer?” We can think about some biblical examples—for instance, if we read aloud the prayer of confession that Daniel prays (Dan. 9:4–19), we will discover that it would take us perhaps five minutes to say this prayer. Or we might think of the longest of the psalms, Psalm 119, which might take twenty or thirty minutes to say aloud.

We can acknowledge that sometimes our prayers might be longer than the Lord’s Prayer; we will address the issue of length, of extended prayer times and periods of fasting, at a later place in our study. But the point we need to grasp now is this: brief prayers are pleasing to the Lord; brief prayers are heard and answered by him readily and gladly. Length is not what makes a prayer acceptable to God.

Excerpt taken from pages 15-18 of The Heart of Prayer: What Jesus Teaches Us by Jerram Barrs, copyright 2008 by P&R Publishing.

AUTHOR HIGHLIGHT — Bryan Chapell

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Bryan Chapell (MDiv, Covenant Theological Seminary; PhD, Southern Illinois University) is senior pastor of Grace Presbyterian Church, president emeritus of Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis, and general editor of The ESV Gospel Transformation Bible. He is the author of two P&R books and has contributed to two additional P&R books.

 

1. Why Do We Baptize Infants?

32 pages | $4.99 | Booklet | Basics of the Faith series

Summary — Biblical and pastoral, simple and accessible, this booklet explains in a nontechnical style why we should baptize the infants of believing parents. Chapell also shows pastors how to administer the sacrament in ways that are meaningful and helpful for their churches.

2. Ephesians

400 pages | $29.99 | Hardcover | Reformed Expository Commentary series

Summary — A redemptive-historical, homiletical commentary that unfolds Paul’s glorious description of the ultimate triumph of the church, how it will occur, and what our roles are in Christ’s ultimate victory.

 

3. The Triune God

352 pages | $14.99 | Paperback | Best of Philadelphia Conference on Reformed Theology series

Summary — The persons of the Trinity appear throughout Scripture, and knowing them helps enrich our love for our triune God. Here leading pastors and preachers examine each member’s qualities and roles.

Bryan Chapell has two chapters in this book. The first is titled “The Greatness of God” and the second is “The Love of God”.

 4. The God We Worship: Adoring the One Who Pursues, Redeems, and Changes His People

184 pages | $14.99 | Paperback | Best of Philadelphia Conference on Reformed Theology series

Summary — It’s possible to go to church without ever going to God. What makes the difference? God does. Noted pastor-scholars show how God pursues, redeems, and profoundly changes his worshipers.

Bryan wrote one chapter in this book and it is titled “God’s Glory Revealed”.

Recap of April and May 2016 New Releases

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1. Severe Compassion: The Gospel According to Nahum by Gregory D. Cook

256 pages | $14.99 | Paperback | Gospel According to the Old Testament series | SAMPLE CHAPTER

SUMMARY

With dramatic, vivid detail, the poetic masterpiece of Nahum shows that God refuses to abandon his rebellious people when they stray into destructive paths—instead responding to spiritual adultery with love and power. The application to our own lives may hit close to home, but there is also abundant gospel hope: Jesus’ severe compassion leads him to relentlessly pursue his people for their salvation.

As he explores the prophet’s message, Gregory Cook aids our understanding of Nahum with historical background on its cultural references, literary allusions, and poetic devices, making this book a useful resource for pastors and Bible study leaders as well as laypeople.

ENDORSEMENTS

“Greg . . . has done the hard work of digging into the Hebrew text; he has gleaned insights from scholars and learned about the world and time in which Nahum wrote; he has sat with and listened carefully and humbly to the text; he has seen and appreciated how it speaks about and points to Jesus.”

—Elizabeth Groves, Lecturer in Old Testament, Westminster Theological Seminary

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Gregory D. Cook (PhD, Westminster Theological Seminary) has been the pastor of Providence Presbyterian Church (PCA) in West Virginia and the youth and college pastor at Evangelical Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Delaware.

2. Unshakable: Standing Firm in a Shifting Culture by K. Scott Oliphint & Rod Mays

160 pages | $12.99 | Paperback

SUMMARY

How do we love those who are suffering or speak to the overwhelmed? Do we show tenderness and compassion to others? We have a hope to hold on to and to hold out to others—how do we explain it?

In today’s society, truth claims are suspect, and many stand on the shaky ground of relativistic postmodernism. Yet Christians cling to a lasting treasure that cannot fade or disappoint. Rod Mays and K. Scott Oliphint delve into John Newton’s great hymn “Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken”—and into the gospel truth of Scripture behind it—in search of timeless, biblical answers to questions and issues that daily press us in our Christian walk: What should guide us? What do we need in life? How do we engage with others, or even with technology? What does faith in Christ look like as we struggle with sin? Includes discussion questions. Previously published by Crossway as Things That Cannot Be Shaken.

ENDORSEMENT

“Full of things that we today need urgently to take to heart.”

—J. I. Packer

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

K. Scott Oliphint is professor of apologetics and systematic theology at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia. He is the author of The Battle Belongs to the Lord and Reasons for Faith, among other works.

Rod Mays is executive pastor at Mitchell Road Presbyterian Church in Greenville and serves as an adjunct professor of practical theology at Reformed Theological Seminary, Charlotte. He was previously the national coordinator of Reformed University Fellowship (RUF).

3. Song of Songs by Iain M. Duguid

216 pages | $22.99 | Hardcover | Reformed Expository Commentary series

SUMMARY

Although the presence of the Song of Songs in the Bible may sometimes puzzle us, its place in Scripture means that it is God-breathed and useful to instruct all Christians—no matter their relationship status or time of life.

Pastor-scholar Iain Duguid steers a middle way between allegorical and literal approaches to the Song of Songs, showing that this book’s celebration of the love between a man and woman can not only shape our thinking about human relationships but also give us profound insight into the love that Christ has for his bride, the church.

ENDORSEMENTS

“Here Iain Duguid is the expositor, the biblical theologian, the pastor, the counselor, and—quite often!—the surgeon. This exposition is vintage Duguid—sneakingly convicting and awash in grace. He lures me to oversimplify: if someone asks me how best to prepare for marriage, I will be tempted to say, ‘Study the Song of Songs and read Duguid’s commentary.’ ”

—Dale Ralph Davis, Minister in Residence, The First Presbyterian Church of Columbia, South Carolina

“Perhaps we’ve been as insecure about tackling the allegorical and literal interpretations in this song as we may be in our own relationships. Not anymore! This commentary will prove that of all the songs written to explore the age-old questions of love, the Song of Songs is the one that we cannot and do not want to get out of our heads.”

—Aimee Byrd, Author, Housewife Theologian and Theological Fitness

“So is the Song of Songs really about sex or Jesus? Iain Duguid steers a wise and pastoral path between those simplistic choices. He demonstrates how this poetic book on the excellencies of human love is not merely a practical marriage guide nor an allegorical representation of the coming Christ. Rather, this book . . . provides divinely inspired insights into the blessings and weaknesses of human love in order to point us toward the goodness and necessity of the grace of God, whose love is perfected in Christ alone.”

—Bryan Chapell, Pastor, Grace Presbyterian Church, Peoria, Illinois

“Duguid’s Song of Songs is not your typical commentary. Though based on solid scholarship, it is completely pastoral in tone, easy to read, and rich with insights. Dr. Duguid’s pastoral experience anticipates the modern reader’s experiences and concerns. . . . Song of Songs teaches us to appreciate the beauty of married sexual love, while at the very same time enriching our understanding of God’s love for us.”

—Winston T. Smith, Faculty and Counselor, Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation, Glenside, Pennsylvania

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Iain M. Duguid (PhD, University of Cambridge) is professor of Old Testament at Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia. He has written numerous works of biblical exposition, including Esther & Ruth in the Reformed Expository Commentary series, Ezekiel in the NIV Application Commentary series, and Numbers in the Preaching the Word series.

4. Political Science by Cale Horne

48 pages | $4.99 | Booklet

SUMMARY

Many Christians think of politics in terms of daily headlines, newsfeeds, sound bites, and talking heads—or as an ideological battleground cluttered with winners and losers. Much, much more is going on. The academic field of political science is an empirically based, theoretically driven social science that addresses human endeavors of a political nature. Political scientists create hypotheses and test them using data and carefully selected research methods, and understanding their findings in light of God’s common grace will change the way we work in government, journalism, the military, and other fields. Cale Horne overviews the discipline; presents a Christian framework for approaching political science; and illustrates the potential for faithful learning in and through the study of politics.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cale Horne (MA, University of South Carolina; PhD, University of Georgia) is associate professor of political studies at Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, Georgia, where he has taught since 2011.

5. Chemistry by Daniel R. Zuidema

56 pages | $4.99 | Booklet

SUMMARY

God has given human beings many different gifts and talents. What if your talents and interests lie in the field of chemistry? As a Christian, you may feel that studies in chemistry are valid only if you are planning to use them as part of an overtly Christian career. But this view leaves a lot out of the picture.

Our creator God speaks in the language of chemistry. Recognizing this, Christian chemists bring a powerful, necessary worldview to this discipline. Step by step, Daniel Zuidema guides you in cementing this worldview as the foundation for excellent, God-glorifying work in a fascinating field of science. Engage with chemistry in a way that helps others, serves the church, and shows profound appreciation for God’s created order.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Daniel R. Zuidema (PhD, Wake Forest University) is professor of chemistry and chair of the chemistry department at Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, Georgia, where he has taught since 2005.

6. Music by Timothy H. Steele

40 pages | $4.99 | Booklet

SUMMARY

Many Christian musicians enter college without a clear understanding of the discipline of music or how it might deepen their love for God and their commitment to Christian service. In this invitation to the subject, the themes order, meaning, and function provide a biblical framework for thinking about the central questions of the discipline, pointing to ways in which Christians may faithfully and responsibly enter into its practices. For students considering a major in music or just looking for ways to increase their engagement with the discipline, this booklet not only provides a Christian perspective but promotes reflection on the call to serve as musical agents of renewal in God’s world.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Timothy H. Steele (MM, Temple University; PhD, University of Chicago) is associate professor of music and chair of the music department at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he has taught since 2007.

 

BOOK HIGHLIGHT – Bible Study: A Student’s Guide by Jon Nielson

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Bible Study: A Student’s Guide by Jon Nielson

224 pages | List Price: $12.99 | Paperback | SAMPLE CHAPTER

Summary

Have you ever been to a “Bible study” that didn’t have much “Bible” or “study” at all? Without a proper understanding of how to do it, students can be disappointed or scared away from studying the Bible. So what is Bible study—and can it work for high schoolers?

No stranger to teaching the Bible to teenagers, Jon Nielson confirms that real, meaningful Bible study is not only possible for students, but important. He takes students seriously and expects them to take their faith seriously. Unpacking five truths about the Bible—that it is God speaking, is powerful, is understandable, is literary, and is one story—he demonstrates how the Bible should be studied and how teenagers themselves can lead that study.

Endorsements

“If you are a high schooler, read this book carefully and thoughtfully, and then loan it to your parents.”

—D. A. Carson

“If you want your ministry to be healthy, God centered, and gospel driven . . . make the Bible its lifeblood. Jon Nielson’s treatment of this subject for youth and young adults alike is full of truth, relevance, and practical wisdom.”

—Jay Thomas, Lead Pastor, Chapel Hill Bible Church, Chapel Hill, North Carolina

“When so many ministries are either all entertainment focused or simply rather dull, this book shows how to engage students creatively and dynamically with the power of God’s Word.”

—Josh Moody, Senior Pastor, College Church, Wheaton

“Imagine this: teenagers getting excited about hearing God speak through his Word. If you’re excited about this prospect, read this book. You will not be disappointed!”

—Jenny Salt, Dean of Students, Sydney Missionary and Bible College, Sydney Australia

About the Author

Jon Nielson has served as pastoral resident at Holy Trinity Church in Chicago and has worked in youth and sports ministry there. He has also worked as director of training for the Charles Simeon Trust, an organization that provides training in biblical exposition. He is currently college pastor at College Church in Wheaton, Illinois.