November 30, 2021
Arizona Prison Ministry Making Global Impact
Roger Munchian used to traffic marijuana. Tons of it. Today, as founder of the prison ministry Rescued Not Arrested, Munchian traffics something else—Bibles.
Articles for tag: Zondervan
November 22, 2015
Leading the Church to Look Like Heaven
Review by Dick Alexander Leading a Healthy Multi-Ethnic Church: Seven Common Challenges and How to Overcome Them Mark DeYmaz and Harry Li Zondervan 2013 Why would a person be interested in a book titled Leading a Healthy Multi-Ethnic Church? Most likely for the same reason Mark DeYmaz got interested in the subject””a growing burden, born of a prompting of the Holy Spirit, that the church on earth should look more like the church in Heaven. If that”s you, and if you”re seeking answers to complex questions and direction for the journey, DeYmaz can help. Biblical Principles, Practical Strategies Leading a Healthy
March 24, 2015
Bookin” It
By Mark A. Taylor I remember a conversation 30 years or more ago about book publishing by writers in the Christian church and church of Christ. “Evangelical publishers won”t publish books by Christian church writers,” a Standard Publishing salesman said. “And if Standard Publishing publishes books by Christian church writers, Christian bookstores won”t sell them.” I don”t know if that was true then, but I can promise you it”s not true today. Last year we published essays about book writing by Mark Atteberry, Arron Chambers, Dave Ferguson, Anne Milam, Daniel Overdorf, and Jamie Snyder. Each of them is a leader among Restoration Movement churches.
October 25, 2014
Books for Bible Students: Reading the Bible for All Its Worth
By Mark Matson If I had to choose just one Bible handbook to accompany solid Bible study, it would be How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth (Zondervan) by Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart, both well-known and respected biblical scholars. This book, now in its third edition, has proven itself over three decades. The first edition, which came out in 1981, is still valuable, and the latest edition is a real treat. I use this book for college and seminary classes, and I also recommend it to my church. Fee and Stuart”s book is not a handbook, as
October 24, 2014
Books for Bible Students: Your Bible Dictionary . . . a Good Foundation
By Joe Harvey A Bible dictionary is one of the foundational tools for personal Bible study. After we”ve read the biblical text and carefully observed who is interacting with whom, why, where, and when, turning to a Bible dictionary is a next logical step. We want to make sure we have an informed understanding of the people, places, things, and key terms of a passage with regard to their overall presence and function in the Scriptures. That is what a Bible dictionary is designed to do. The Zondervan Illustrated Bible Dictionary (ZIBD) is one of a number of fine resources
October 19, 2014
So You Want to Write a Book: Three Essential Ingredients
By Dave Ferguson Since I had never written a book, I was flattered when I received an e-mail from a representative of a big publisher asking to meet me. I agreed to meet, and over coffee, we talked about me authoring a book. I was very excited about the possibilities! However, within minutes I could tell this rep had made a huge mistake. He thought he was meeting with Dr. David Ferguson, the counselor and Oxford scholar. Instead he was meeting with Dave Ferguson, the church planter. Oops! We had a good laugh, finished our coffee, and I left thinking,
March 7, 2014
The God Who Hung on a Cross
By Kay Moll In 1999 an evangelist visited a village in the northern part of Cambodia that for many years had been under the control of the Khmer Rouge. Christianity was seemingly unheard of. If people professed any kind of faith, it was in Buddha or their ancestral spirits. But when the evangelist came to this particular village, he was surprised at the people”s eagerness to hear and respond to the gospel. He said it seemed to him as though they had been waiting for him. One old woman told him they had been waiting . . . waiting for
February 14, 2014
“˜Let Us Tell You Our Story’
By Shelley Leith Christian church leaders share what happened when they committed to this plan for showing readers how the Bible fits together. What is the most biblically illiterate city in America? For one of the largest churches in the country, Christ”s Church of the Valley in Peoria, Arizona, the answer was a wake-up call. Executive pastor Ashley Wooldridge explains: “Here at CCV, we have a very keen and sobering understanding that we live in a completely biblically illiterate age. This especially came home to us when a recent Barna study ranked Phoenix as almost the most biblically illiterate city
February 13, 2014
Southeast Christian Church Tells ‘The Story’
By Brent Adams When one of the largest megachurches in America wanted to celebrate its 50th anniversary, leaders decided there was no better way than to point people to the message of the Bible. In summer 2011, the elders and staff at Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky, started planning for the church”s 50th anniversary celebration, to be held the following year. They wanted to come up with something that would deflect attention away from the rapidly growing congregation and focus, instead, on the God who has blessed the church since its humble beginnings in the basement of a tiny
December 7, 2012
Knowing Jesus and Why He Matters
By Jennifer Johnson For the past few years I”ve become concerned about the huge lack of biblical knowledge among many people professing to be Christians. Some of this is the fault of the individual, of course; we”re each called to learn and study for ourselves. But the church is also responsible for helping believers to grow, and our current approach to programming has resulted in several generations of biblical illiteracy. (As just one example, a 2005 Barna survey reported that 25 percent of Christians rated themselves as “immature” in their knowledge of the Bible.) Instead of equipping adults to understand
October 9, 2012
An Aid to Cultural Context: Find This Book and Read It! (Part 5)
By Beth Guckenberger  Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus Ann Spangler and Lois Tverberg Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2009 This book came across my path several months after I returned from a trip to Israel. I had been talking nonstop about the insights I had gained while there and was fascinated by the cultural context I hadn”t understood before my visit. I read Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus in two days, taking notes on my laptop, thinking of all the people I wanted to read it. The book outlines Jewish culture and historical context for the lay
March 23, 2012
To End, to Follow, to Believe
By LeRoy Lawson Necessary Endings: The Employees, Businesses, and Relationships that All of Us Have to Give Up in Order to Move Forward Henry Cloud New York: Harper Business, 2010 Not a Fan: Becoming a Completely Committed Follower of Jesus Kyle Idleman Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2011 Hannah”s Child: A Theologian”s Memoir Stanley Hauerwas Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 2010 Not long ago a friend urged me to read Henry Cloud”s Necessary Endings. It has inspired and instructed him, he said, because as he leads his megachurch into its next phase of growth, he knows he faces some very difficult decisions.
December 12, 2011
Your Journey with the Word
By Kelly Carr Have you ever thought about how amazing it is to have daily access to the Word of God””a privilege unknown for centuries? We can have the Bible on our bookshelf, our e-book reader, our car stereo, MP3 player, computer, tablet, and our phone””all at the same time! If you”re looking for a new plan to jump-start your Bible-reading habit, this article is for you. We”ve compiled a variety of Bible reading plans, including some recommendations by Christian Standard readers. Whether you”re just beginning to read on a regular basis or you have read the Bible daily for
October 30, 2011
You Must Read This . . . Setting Limits, Taking Control
By Jennifer Taylor Boundaries: When to Say YES, When to Say NO, To Take Control of Your Life Dr. Henry Cloud & Dr. John Townsend Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1992 Think about the frustrations you”re currently experiencing in your relationships. Maybe you resent your spouse for a recurring hurt or feel exhausted from chauffeuring your kids to countless sports practices and play dates. Maybe you can”t say no to a friend despite his constant demands on your time and energy. Maybe you”re struggling with an addict, an abuser, a manipulative leader, or a selfish family member. All of us experience (and contribute
October 25, 2011
You Must Read This . . . A Priceless Discovery
By Mark Atteberry Moments with the Savior: A Devotional Life of Christ By Ken Gire Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1998Â Every summer my wife and I attend the International Christian Retail Show. We love it because we get to rub shoulders with many of our favorite authors and because we never come home with fewer than 60 or 70 brand-new, just-released books. It”s like Christmas in July. But it isn”t quite as great as it might sound. It always turns out that at least half the books we ship home aren”t worth the paper they”re printed on. For some, the problem
May 27, 2009
Simply Appealing
By Mark A. Taylor Is simplicity a biblical concept or just a cultural trend? As David Ray mentions this week, striving for simple was popular even when folks thought they could afford excess. Now, in a struggling economy, eliminating extras has often become necessary as well as trendy. All this might suggest that talk about simplicity in the church is just another fad. Time will tell, but Thom Ranier and Eric Geiger wrote Simple Church before the poor economy hit the headlines. Their book, profiled this week, says simplicity is an idea that should last. David Browning agrees in Deliberate
March 8, 2009
Understanding Four Views of Baptism
By Mark S. Krause This article is no longer available online, but all of the articles about baptism that appeared in the March 1 and 8, 2009, issues of CHRISTIAN STANDARD–plus a bonus article–are available for purchase as a single, redisigned, easy-to-read and easy-to-use downloadable resource/pdf (a fuller explanation is below).  Baptism: 7 Practical Perspectives Item 02973 “¢Â $2.99   What does the Bible teach about baptism? What does baptism symbolize and what does it accomplish? Why is there so much disagreement? Seven writers offer their insights on this controversial but fundamental topic in this 14-page resource that””with the
March 4, 2009
To Keep, to Share, to Teach
By Mark A. Taylor Many readers will want to share the baptism articles in this and last week”s issue. So we”ve colllected them in a single, convenient downloadable resource to meet that need–and we’re offering it at a special introductory rate. This is just another in a series of helpful resources we”ve made available in this format. You may remember the others: A Conversation with Skeptics. Jeff Vines helps anyone who has wondered how God can allow evil, pain, and Hell. Item number 02970. 6 pages. $2.99 Ordination. Three articles help churches decide who should be ordained, why, and how churches
February 4, 2007
No More Christians! (An Excerpt from The Big Idea)
With “Christians” everywhere, the church still struggles to live Jesus’ mission. This article argues we’re overloaded with competing “little ideas” and need one clear Big Idea—“Follow me”—that leads to action.
January 31, 2007
Interview with Dave Ferguson
Dave Ferguson reflects on Community Christian Church’s multisite growth and why he calls it a “reproducing church.” He explains alignment, leadership development, and how churches can prepare to launch new sites and plant churches.
