Southwestern Journal of Theology 2021 Book Award (Honorable Mention, Preaching/Ministry/Leadership)



A veteran pastor with thirty years of experience guides readers through a ten-step process to preaching Old Testament narratives from text selection to delivery. The first edition received a Christianity Today award of merit and a Preaching magazine Book of the Year award. This edition, now updated and revised throughout for a new generation, includes a new chapter on how to preach Christ from the Old Testament and an exemplary sample sermon from Mathewson. Foreword by Haddon W. Robinson.

Over 100,000 Copies Sold Worldwide!

Learning to Lead Through 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. In Canoeing the Mountains, he offers:

illuminating insights gleaned from decades of experience,

practical tools to help you reimagine what effective leadership looks like in our rapidly changing world, and

an expanded study guide to set you on the right course.

If you're going to scale the mountains of ministry, you need to leave behind canoes and find new navigational tools to give you the confidence and courage to lead in places you never expected to find yourself.

These days "getting religion" is generally considered a rather quaint thing of the past. "Getting spirituality," on the other hand, is the hottest thing on the market. In fact, corporate-sponsored spiritual salve is becoming the most popular prescription for the overworked and soul-weary employee. But for many Christians, this antidote has become its own epidemic. How is this epidemic infecting the church? How should the church respond as a community of believers?According to authors Michael Budde and Robert Brimlow, the church must resist becoming the "chaplain to capitalism." In their new book, Christianity Incorporated: How Big Business Is Buying the Church, they remind us that Christ-centered discipleship is fundamentally at odds with consumer capitalist priorities. The church must have a mission and a voice in society that is distinct from, rather than in chorus with, watered-down corporate spirituality. Finally, they turn to the Sermon on the Mount as a reminder of Jesus' attitude toward wealth and spiritual wholeness.Christianity Incorporated is a wake-up call for all Christians. Courageous, current, and accessible, this book will attract the attention of business people, pastors, and lay members of the church.Anyone concerned with pursuing Christian discipleship in a consumer culture will find guidance and insight here.

When You Talk, Are People Changed?

Whether you speak from the pulpit, podium, or the front of a classroom, you don't need much more than blank stares and faraway looks to tell you you're not connecting. Take heart before your audience takes leave! You can convey your message in the powerful, life-changing way it deserves to be told. An insightful, entertaining parable that's an excellent guide for any speaker, Communicating for a Change takes a simple approach to delivering effectively. Join Pastor Ray as he discovers that the secrets to successful speaking are parallel to the lessons a trucker learns on the road. By knowing your destination before you leave (identifying the one basic premise of your message), using your blinkers (making transitions obvious), and implementing five other practical points, you'll drive your message home every time!

"Long ago, in a galaxy far, far away..."

"Once upon a time..."

"In the beginning..."

Great stories capture and hold an audience's attention from start to finish. Why should it be any different when you stand up to speak?

In Communicating for a Change, Andy Stanley and Lane Jones offer a unique strategy for communicators seeking to deliver captivating and practical messages. In this highly creative presentation, the authors unpack seven concepts that will empower you to engage and impact your audience in a way that leaves them wanting more.

"Whether you are a senior pastor with weekly teaching responsibilities or a student pastor who has bern charged with engaging the hearts and minds of high school students, this book is a must-read."
-Bill Hybels, Senior pastor, Willow Creak Community Church

"A very practical resource for every biblical communicator who wants to go from good to great."
-Ed Young, Senior pastor, Fellowship Church, Grapevine, Texas

"To communicate effectively, you have to connect. Andy has been connecting with people for years, and now he's sharing his insights with the rest of us."
-Jeff Foxworthy, Comedian

Story Behind the Book

Andy Stanley and Lane Jones are on staff at one of America 's largest churches, North Point Community. Leaders of thousands of people, they regularly speak in front of large groups. They also listen to numerous speakers and know the disastrous effects of a poorly delivered message. This book is the result of their efforts to make public speaking--one of the most common fear-inducing activities known to mankind--simple, easy, and even enjoyable, so that God's messages will readily produce the life-changing results they should.