Books

The American culture has been seeping into the church. Terms like church, evangelism, discipleship, leadership, and commitment have been redefined and compromised. The result being a country full of churches which are either stagnating or dysfunctional at best. In response to these cultural slides away from New Testament Christianity, the CCL Network has created RePOSITION. The workshop is heavy on doctrinal teaching and the hard-hitting reality of the need for the Church to repent and re-embrace the New Testament pattern. The purpose of RePOSITION is to move church memberships from consumerism to commitment. From religion to relationships in transformational communities.

Jesus’ parables can turn your life upside down . . . on purpose. Stories of whiny workers, a roadside rescue, a shocking servant, bewildered bridesmaids. From the first to the twenty-first century, people have heard Jesus’ words and had their directions reversed, perspectives altered, and lives inverted.

Unusual twists. Unexpected endings. Woven into the fabric of every narrative are pearls of wisdom waiting to be discovered—and lived out. So forget what you think you know. Find out what Jesus really said. And brace yourself— you’re about to be inverted!

How much time do you spend looking over your backyard fence? God is calling you to make a difference in others lives. Beyond Your Backyard explores relevant and simple ideas that can impact others in big and little ways. Experience stepping out to serve with a class or small group by using this book in combination with Beyond Your Backyard Member Discussion Guide.

This volume of the popular Preaching Classic Texts series blends discerning exegesis with insightful sermons to inspire and equip ministers to preach from this delightfully refreshing New Testament book. The book of James challenges readers to evaluate and deal with daily struggles in their lives as well as their attitudes toward God, prayer, sin, their own words, faith, anger, repentance, unfair treatment, the Lord’s return, healing, and spiritual restoration. James attempts to motivate people to grow in their faith so that they live it out in ways that rise above the behavior of others around them, particularly focusing on control of anger and speech, and to use their speech for the betterment of the community of believers. With specific attention to the historical background of James within Jewish wisdom writings and its connection to the teachings of Jesus, William Baker provides knowledgeable but nontechnical exegesis that clarifies contextual and lexical issues and helps readers to fully appreciate the message of the book of James. Thomas Ellsworth adds insightful and challenging sermons that include classic and contemporary illustrations.