How to Choose a Translation for All It's Worth

It seems like there is a new version of the Bible every year. When I was growing up, there were about a half a dozen, but the only major players I knew about were the NIV, KJV, and NASB. Now it seems you could throw together 3-4 different letters and you would come up with an acronym for a Bible version.
I have gone through stages, myself. I was solidly NIV growing up. I went to a school which was KJV only, and I rebelled hard against that. I have heavily favored one or the other translation or version over the years, but it seems that I always land on the NIV, which is my translation of choice now. I appreciate The Message, the ESV, and have always had a fondness for the NASB.
In this book, How to Choose a Translation for All Its Worth, Gordon Fee teams with Mark Strauss and looks at all the ins and outs of various Bible translations. This is the third book in Dr. Fee's "How to...for All Its Worth" Series (Also, How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth and How to Read the Bible Book by Book). This book does not only shed light on how to choose a translation for yourself, but also a little into the purpose for using multiple translations and understanding why there are so many different translations.
The authors also delve into different issues that translators face in the translation process - issues of gender and culture - as well as how to word idioms, and metaphors and poetry. The final chapter is quite helpful as the authors classify and review contemporary versions.
This is a book also which can be helpful to read either straight through or bit by bit as you encounter of face new questions in regards to Bible translations. Whether you are trying to find your first Bible or you have a copy of each translation and wish to understand the background of them, this book will be very approachable for you.

The Way I See It #230

This morning I stopped at my favorite place - Starbucks. As I was sipping my vente Anniversary blend, I noticed the submitted "way I see it" blurb on the side of the cup. This one came from Joel Stein who is a columnist for the LA Times:

Heaven is totally overrated. It seems boring. Clouds, listening to people play the harp. It should be somewhere you can't wait to go, like a luxury hotel. Maybe blue skies and soft music were enough to keep people in line in the 17th century, but Heaven has to step it up a bit. They're basically getting by because they only have to be better than Hell.

There are a couple of issues I have in reading this blurb. First, Mr Stein implies that heaven has need of new marketing. That the heaven PR machine has rested on it's laurels for a couple of centuries., and needs to merely step it up a bit. Also, Mr Stein seems to be placated quite easily. A luxury hotel? Like CS Lewis says, "We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased." If heaven were only about someplace nice to go, than it would not be heaven. Last, about heaven "getting by", it seems Mr Stein believes that Peter and Judas as in competition with one another trying to sell the more tickets for their respective eternal residences and that hell has just received some bad consumer recommendations.

In reading both John Eldrege and Randy Alcorn, I agree that Christians are, in part, to blame for the misconception that in heaven we will be sitting on a cloud with a harp singing forever. We will not, as Mr Eldrege says, be going to the eternal church service in the sky. Mr Alcorn believes that Christians are to blame for the misconceptions of heaven because we have failed to explore the extraordinary images of heaven presented in Scripture.

While I obviously do not know exactly what heaven will be like, I think we get a good picture from Jesus. Jesus came to make all things new (not change things, but restore then to their created order - an order in which we worked, had relationships and were surrounded by beauty, both created and God). Jesus also came to give us life as it was meant to be, so we could live to the full. There is not one person I know that would consider a full life sitting on a cloud, playing a harp, endlessly singing. Heaven is somewhere I can't wait to go - because of a number of reasons, but mainly,

• because Jesus will be there
• because evil and suffering will be no more
  
• because I will receive a new body
• because Jesus will be there

I encourage you to do a couple of things. First, log onto www.starbucks.com/wayiseeit and write a comment about Mr Stein's contribution. Second, if you wish to read more about heaven, in addition to Scripture, check out a good biblical overview in Randy Alcorn's book, Heaven. Mr Alcorn's website, Eternal Perspectives, is also a good informative site. Another place to go is the writings of John Eldrege, and his Ransomed Heart podcast.

LIQUID - Live at Five and Mirror Image

A couple weeks ago I reviewed the Old Testament episodes of Liquid, a new small group DVD curriculum from Thomas Nelson, done by the pastors at Mariner's Church.
I have recently viewed the two New Testament offerings from Liquid - tackling the book of James (Live at Five) and some of Jesus' parables (Mirror Image). From turning off the very first episode to giving the series a second chance, I now have come to really enjoy the series. Basically the format is each DVD contains 5 episodes which cover different portions of the book or subject covered (James and the Parables in this instance) and share the principles through five different but interlocking stories intertwined with teaching from the pastors at Mariner's.
These NT based sessions are quite good and I found them both entertaining, engaging and thought-provoking. This series is an excellent resource for small groups ministry. They are like a hybrid of Nooma and H2O. They are short and stand alone like each of the Nooma studies (however, they do offer much more in the way of study questions and a leader's guide), but they intertwine teaching and story in an engaging fashion, much like H2O.
Here is a trailer they have made for the series:

Prayer DVD

Last winter, I reviewed Philip Yancey's latest book, Prayer. This past month, Zondervan has released a 6 session small group curriculum based on the book and taught by Philip Yancey. While the book delves deeper into more issues regarding prayer, the small group curriculum is a great primer which will get groups talking about a portion of their lives which most everyone wishes was stronger.

The curriculum covers six topics from the book -
The View from Above - the fact that God has everyone in mind and ultimately his glory in mind, whereas we are mainly concerned about our our needs and wants.
Why Pray? - this session touches on the subtitle of the book and DVD - does it make any difference? Yancey talks about the fact that God knows what we are going to pray about, so why should we go through the motions?
Keeping Company with God - this session speaks to Paul assertion to "pray without ceasing". How is that possible? What does it look like in practice? Yancey speaks of keeping a running inner dialogue with God.
How to Pray - while there is no formula to prayer, there are things that each of us can do to make prayer a daily, regular practice. Each of us need to find our own way to pray, not someone else's.
Prayer Problems - the book tackles this issue both more deeply and more broadly, but the DVD
covers the biggest problem for most people - unanswered prayer. Yancey looks to our expectations as well as potential road blocks we have put up ourselves.
Does Prayer Change Anything? - Something that C.S. Lewis said has always stuck with me - I pray not so much to change God, but to change myself. Yancey picks up on that and talks about how prayer changes us.

This is an excellent group study and one that will enhance people's communication and communion with God. I believe that prayer is something that many people struggle with and that once people get in a group setting and share struggles and issues they have, they will see that they are not alone. The study will also bring to light helps to those issues.

Decide for Yourself

Today, an oldie but a goodie. I picked up Decide for Yourself about ten years ago, and I can not tell you how helpful I have found it. What this book does is go through many of the major doctrines of our faith and explains some of the varying opinions people hold and/or have held over the years. Then, the author lists out the Scripture references associated with each of the various positions asking questions intended to provoke discussion and insight into that topic, so each person can "decide for themselves" what they believe the Bible to be teaching about these doctrines.
I have used this book in personal study as well as in group study situations, for groups of teens and groups of adults. This book has been a valuable resource for me.
Some of the doctrinal subjects Decide for Yourself covers are the atonement, what is God like, the inspiration of Scripture, the person and work of the Spirit, and what happens after death.
What the book does is open each of the 24 chapters with the background of what the belief is and means, states what the problem is or has been, lists the procedure for "deciding for yourself" by asking questions and listing Scripture to dig into, then encourages readers to write down their own conclusion tot he matter and then offers some follow up questions to the study.
For instance, chapter 8 looks into the will and providence of God. The author lists the differing opinions from Deists, Pantheists (and some liberals), religious existentialists and neo-orthodox theologians, and finally orthodox Christians. Then the problem is stated - How should we think of God's relation to the world of nature and human history? Which views merit your assent. Next questions are qsked and paired with Scripture to draw out insight. Does God overrule evil to accomplish good? (Ge, 45.5; Ps. 76.10; Rom. 8.28; etc.). How does God's providential agency relate to the evil acts of men? (1 Cor. 4.7; Phil. 4.13; Jas. 1.17, etc.). Readers are then encouraged to memorize Ephesians 1.11 and write out their own conclusion. Last, readers look at the significance and answer some questions, including "Why do you think this teaching so often seems offensive rather than comforting?"
Overall, whether you work for a church, lead a ministry in the church or just have questions about faith, ths is an extremely helpful book.

Lessons for Faith Communities

Since I update the website for NextStep Resources, all the new books that arrive pass by my desk, so they can be entered on the website. Early last week four books came across - The Covenant, by James Garlow, When Life Doesn't Turn Out the Way You Expect, by Lawrence Wilson and Jerry Brecheisen, Answers for Chicken Little, by Dan Boone, and Why Me?, by Lawrence Wilson. Many times, I'll hold books back that lokk interesting and that I wish to look further into before they go out into the store. These did not fit that bill. I barely took note of them as I put them up on the web. Then, later last week, four DVD studies came in, by the same titles. Always on the lookout for new DVD Bible study curriculum and resources, these did catch my interest.
I was disappointed, however, once I viewed them. The studies themselves are little more than book discussions, with about a half dozen talks on each DVD by the author about the topic. The author is talking in front on a green screen background and gives anecdotes and a general overview of portions of his book. They last around 5-8 minutes long and provide no real discussion questions or added insight.
As I mentioned, none of the books interested me personally, so I would not really wish to do a book study or discussion on those books. Even if these had been done with books of interest, however, even then, I think it would be a stretch to use these in a study group setting. I remember a few years ago being in a small group which did the 40 days of purpose. Each week we met, I was one of two people who had read any portion of the book. Even this past year, I led a small group through Andy Stanley's little book, Fields of Gold - a book on stewardship, but a very good one, and a very short one - and only my wife and I had ever done any of the readings. The people were interested in the topic, and we had decent discussions, but I could not get them to read for the life of me.
I guess all that to say, offering a book discussion study on books of meager interest (the topics are somewhat interesting, but I would rather read people I know and trust on these subjects), is not something I get too excited about.
Check them out for yourself and prove me wrong, though. The DVD studies are titled the same as the books:
Answers for Chicken Little (a study on Revelation)
Why Me? (a look at suffering and a Good God)
The Covenant (how God's love changes our lives)
When Life Doesn't Yurn Out the Way You Expect (moving past disappoint ment)

On Demand Bible Studies

Bob Russell is the Senior pastor at Southeast Christian Church and has teamed with Standard publishing to produced a DVD Bible study series called On Demand Bible Studies. The first four available go through the book of Genesis and are geared toward new believers. Each 2 disc DVD has six lessons and are about 25 to 30 minutes each of video time. The individual studies themselves are designed to last anywhere from 60 to 75 minutes, with videos and discussion time.
Pastor Russell takes the passages verse-by-verse hoping to make them easily understandable for those who do not know the Bible yet. He sets out as one of his goals to help participants more familiar with handling the Scriptures.
Included in the DVD case is a insert which has discussion questions for each session on it, and the questions also come up on screen at the appropriate time in the session, with a pause for discussion. The questions are meant to spark discussion and delve into participants thoughts and personal interest, rather than focusing on their Bible knowledge (or lack thereof for many young Christians).
The teaching time is basic and not flashy, but quality and biblical. Pastor Russell is sitting in a study-type room talking very conversationally and has his son read the appropriate Scriptures aloud (the words are not on screen, in hopes of getting participants to bring their own copy of the Bible and become familiar with it).
This is a good option for small groups, Sunday School or ABF's. There is little to no prep time necessary and the facilitator need not be a teacher, only comfortable enough to guide comments during the discussion time.
Participant guides are only available from his ministry website here. But if it were me using this study, I would not get them.

LIQUID - Crossing and Fork in the Road

Mariner's Church has recently partnered with Thomas Nelson and published 4 DVD Bible Study curricula. Each DVD has five episodes which go through a segment of Scripture. Crossing has five episodes on the book of Joshua, and Fork in the Road presents five episodes on the life of David.

The booklet which comes with every DVD has study questions for each episode as well as a leader's guide. The introduction describes Liquid this way:

"For too long, we have looked at God's Word and wondered how it could possibly impact our lives. It's one thing to simply read the Bible. It's something different altogether to understand it. Far too often we read these stories about people in an ancient land, and we're left feeling flat. 'What's this got to do with me?' We know in our hearts that what we're reading is true, right, and good, but we can't see any real way to apply it. That's where LIQUID comes in. LIQUID presents true-to-life stories of characters with real problems. Because what's the point in putting together a study of God's Word that doesn't deal with any of the issues we actually face? Along with each chapter in this book is a film, filled with characters that live in our world - the real world. Yet their problems and struggles mirror the same struggles found in the stories in the Bible."

It seems as if this is a version of nooma, only shorter, with an actual Bible study guide, and more expository. The episodes are about 5-7 minutes long and present dual stories of the teacher (one of 4 or 5 pastors at Mariners) and a related story which corresponds to the Bible passage the Mariners pastor is speaking to.

I was quite disappointed with the first episode I saw, but thought that I should watch more to get a fair idea about it. The Crossing DVD (the story of Joshua) I felt was much less dynamic and intertwined than Fork in the Road (the life of David). I would say that this series is a good resource to have around, and one especially suited for people in their twenties and thirties.

Faith Cafe

I've noticed in a few books and resources that I have perused that the authors and publishers feel that only women care about personal spiritual growth, parenting, marriage and church. Many of the books on parenting I have read include one chapter for fathers - the one on sex after baby arrives. And the books on marriage try to dumb down concepts and treat men like dense large children. Even a few Bible studies and small group materials geared toward either or both genders could only really be interesting to women.
Do not take me for some kind of macho kind of guy. I like Mark Driscoll and all, but I am not into ultimate fighting, football and beer. But maybe one of the reasons "Why Men Hate Going to Church", is that much of the material produced is way to effeminate.
This is what I found with Standard Publishing's Faith Cafe. It is quite feeling oriented. After participants "welcome God to the 'cafe' of their inner lives, the very first exercise of the first lesson is to write down your inner desires for only God to see. Practices for the week after the meeting are to "email someone who feels alone, look yourself in the mirror and tell yourself that God loves you. Repeat the phrase seven times."
The curriculum has 13 episodes which divide up into topics of ourselves, God and our world. 10 of the 13 episodes have corresponding video segments, which frankly are mediocre at best. They showcase musicians, interviews and a one man skit show.
I would maybe use this for a women's Bible study, but even so, it seems pretty self-help-ish. Don't get me wrong, there is much interaction with Scripture, but the sessions all seem to try to inspire the participants more than help them dig deeper into the Bible to apply it.

RZIM Critical Questions Discussion Guides

"There are so many answers out there and a question to every answer. To ask them is to engage with information. To ask questions about life ultimate questions is to be in the pursuit of God. That's what this series is about: to take you to the heart and mind of God., which is the right destination."
- Ravi Zacharias, Series Editor, RZIM Critical Questions Series

This series is a Bible study series that dives deep into the important questions of life. It will help you shape and/or hone your worldview more in tune with Scripture. Everyday, we see answers to the questions asked in this series:
Who Was Jesus?
Can I Trust the Bible?
What is Truth?
Is God Real?

Television, movies, music and people all relay their answers to these questions. We are able to filter some of what the world tells us, but unless we are spending more time with Truth than with the lie, our values will falter. This series is one way to interact and be engaged with Scriptural teaching on these important worldview questions.
Scot McKnight discusses who Jesus was (and is) by looking at Jesus himself and those closest to him. Darrell Bock believes that we can take a journey back into seemingly foreign, ancient times and see more clearly who we are and who we were created to be, by trusting Scripture. Why is truth objective and relativism unlivable? Paul Copan and Mark Linville explore that in What is Truth? Examine a number of reasons why we can confidently believe that God exists and that he is knowable in William Lane Craig & Charles Taliaferro's, Is God Real?
I think that this series will be one of great help to those in the church struggling with conflicting answers to these questions as well as people who are in contact with friends, family and co-workers with no sense of direction and being blown like chaff in the wind.

Sacred Rhythms

This book, Sacred Rhythms, came across my desk a couple of months ago. It grabbed my attention immediately. The subtitle offers advice for "Arranging Our Lives for Spiritual Transformation." I think like many people, I feel I lack in spiritual discipline - or at the very least, could be more disciplined. However, even with this in mind, it took me a while to finally open the book.
I have to say that I appreciate the practices and thoughts that Ruth Haley Barton pens, yet I could not connect, nor get past the emotion she shared all throughout. I was not put off by her emotion, I just do not share the same level of sensitivity, I guess. This distracted me as I read. I am fully ready to accept the blame myself for this shortcoming. Maybe I am not as in tune with the Spirit as I could or should be, or that my emotions are tapped into the wrong things. Whatever it may be, I was off during the reading.
The book offers good practices and thoughts too. From chapters on Lectio Divinia, solitude, sabbath, and self-examination, the disciplines Ms. Barton explores are well thought-out and she does a good job explaining the premise behind the disciplines as well as some ways to practice each one.

Other books you may wish to reference:

Spiritual Direction, by Henri Nouwen
Spiritual Classics, ed. by Richard Foster and Emilie Griffin
Fasting, Lynne Baab
Pursuing Spiritual Transformation Study Series, John Ortberg
Dissident Discipleship, David Augsburger
Keeping the Sabbath Wholly, Marva Dawn

The Justice Mission (Curriculum Kit)

"This is the story that Youth Specialties has rendered so powerfully and well in The Justice Mission. Through the youth leaders who use it, this promises to be the broadest and most powerful introduction to the biblical God of Justice that the American church has ever experienced. And it does so by bringing the call of justice to the young people who will form the future of the most powerful nation on earth. The God of history is on the move, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."
- Gary Haugen, President of International Justice Mission (from the forward of the leader's guide)

I first heard about International Justice Mission (IJM) at Saddleback Church. I had attended the Purpose-Driven Youth Ministry Conference & my wife and I stayed for a weekend service. Mr. Haugen spoke that weekend and told about the work that he does with IJM. In a nutshell, IJM works through legal channels to stop injustice in the poorest of countries, whether by closing down teenage and prepubescent brothels, helping peasants pay of loans (some as low as $3) which have forced them and their children into years of forced manual labor, or other such injustices.
We picked up his book after the service, The Good News About Injustce, (which I have previously reviewed) and I found it tragic yet hopeful - because even in the darkness of such pain and perversion, God cares and God is not silent. This curriculum helps teens see that there is injustice, where it stems from, and what they can do about it.
This is not a lecture driven or teacher-centered curriculum. It is based on short, thought-provoking videos, brainstorming, ideas, surveys, and questions. There are reproducible worksheets that students can put their thoughts on and reproducible journal pages which help students dig deeper into Scripture and their own thoughts on the topics.

You may also be interested in these:

The 24/7 Experience
Revolution
Irresistible Revolution

The Gospel According to the Simpsons

Growing up, I was not allowed to watch The Simpsons. This made all the funnier the fact that my dad loves the trailer for the upcoming movie when Homer puts muddy pig prints all over the house singing, "Spider-Pig, Spider-Pig, does whatever a Spider-Pig does" to the tune of Spider-Man.
A few years ago, I read Mark Pinsky's The Gospel According to the Simpsons. I really enjoyed the book (having caught up on most of the episodes I could not watch growing up in college) and found the insights to be very well though-out and thought provoking. I even used the book when candidating for an associate pastor position in California (which I eventually was called to). I was asked to lead a college group study and we looked at the perceptions that Christians have (especially highlighted in the Simpsons) and Biblical imagery used in the show.
The book has since been expanded and a separate Leader's Guide is available for small group study. It is not only a funny book, but one which points out the moral and theological dilemmas of many people today.
Each of the chapters shows a different aspect of the Christian life - relationship with God, prayer, Scripture, heaven, hell and the devil. Mr. Pinsky also explores the Simpsons view of other religions, such as Hinduism and Judaism. The best chapter, in my estimation, is the one on Ned Fladers - The Evangelical Next Door. In this chapter, Mr. Pinsky explores the character and day-to-day qualities of evangelicalism, embodied in the Simpsons by Ned Flanders, Homer's next door neighbor. I believe, as does Mr. Pinsky, that the writers do a good job of portraying evangelicals through Ned. He has a different purpose, and tries to always put a positive spin on things. He sees all aspects of life as having a divine purpose and generally attempts to love others, even when they are intending harm for him.
This book is a great resource to have, especially with the movie coming out. It is witty, well-written and thought provoking. Here is an article from the Houston Chronicle speaking about the TV show, the movie and this book, in part. Link

Other books all these same lines:

The Gospel According to Disney
The Gospel According to The Beatles
One Step Closer
Walk On
Wizards, Wardrobes and Wookies

i love you more

My wife and I just finished going through the i love you more book and DVD curriculum by Les and Leslie Parrott. The book is a revised edition of When Bad Things Happen to Good Marriages. The premise of the book and curriculum is that problems will come into your marriage, and instead of them coming between you and your spouse, they can actually help you to grow closer to one another.
Using real life examples of other couples, (sometimes) helpful exercises in the workbook which are meant to let you access the state of your marriage, and an easy to read teaching style, the Parrotts show that love is not all you need - but that effort needs to be put in, and that spouses can tackle problems head on and come out better after them.
My favorite chapter was the one on building spiritual intimacy. In both the DVD and the book, the Parrotts discuss that you can do all the other things right, but without finding a way to be develop your relationship to God together, you will never be as close as you could be. They briefly look at Gary Thomas' book, Sacred Pathways (which I have heard nothing but good about and really need to read), and help couples find their individual "spiritual language". They also acknowledge that most couples do not share that language (at least the primary one), and my wife and I found that to be true, but also that our secondary language was the same. The Parrotts encouraged participants to find a way where you could connect with God together.
My wife and I would read a chapter, complete the appropriate exercises and then watch the corresponding teaching segment on the DVD. The teaching segment was unlike many others in that it was set up like you were observing a small group going through the material. The Parrotts had five other couples filmed with them and they went through their teaching and interacted with the other couples. There was also time where the DVD paused for viewers to discuss amongst themselves the topics.
Both my wife and I found this material helpful and hopefully will be able to incorporate it into everyday life.

1 Corinthians

After listening to Mark Driscoll's series on Ruth, I wanted to go through a book of the Bible reading in a commentary and listening to his sermons on the same passage. Mr. Driscoll has a series on 1 Corinthians which took 9 months actual times to go through. The trick was to find a good commentary that was engaging and solid. I wanted to try something different than my favorite series - the NIV Application Commentary - so I grabbed my New Testament Commentary Survey by Carson and looked up what he said. Dr. Carson writes,
"The best commentary on the Greek text of 1 Corinthians is Anthony Thiselton (NIGTC; 2000, / $80.00). The work is very impressive. Over 1,400 pages long, it could easily have been a ponderous volume of massive learning and impenetrable prose. But Thiselton has outdone himself. Every section I scanned was well written, accessible (for readers of this sort of series!), and penetrating."
I am not a reader of this sort of series. I have tried to take Greek twice (as well as German and Spanish) and am not easy learner of languages. However, Anthony Thiselton has published "A Shorter Exegetical & Pastoral Commentary" on 1 Corinthians through Eerdmans. This was much more my speed, with less linguistic emphasis, and more practical outgrowth. However, well done it is, I still found it difficult to muddle through, so I put it aside for Craig Blomberg's 1 Corinthians commentary in the NIV Application series.
This was not a good choice. I found this to be a very week volume in the series and found it to be dry and lacking engagement. Dr. Blomberg is a very good scholar of the Gospels, but I found his treatment of Paul's letter very uninspiring. However, Dr. Carson reports it to be "the best of the middle-level commentaries."
I had never read any of the works in The Bible Speaks Today series, but was always intrigued by it. Even though Dr. Carson mentions David Prior's The Message of 1 Corinthians only in passing, I picked it up and worked through it. I found Dr. Prior's perspective to be very interesting, having pastored in both South Africa and Oxford. His writing was engaging and informative, as well as giving me different takes on the passages than what I was listening to with Mark Driscoll. I found it to be a very fresh exposition.

Outreach Resources - Curricula

As promised from yesterday, here are the best group curricula available in the area of outreach!

Just Walk Across the Room – Zondervan, Willow Creek
In Just Walk Across the Room, the complete church kit, author Bill Hybels brings personal evangelism into the twenty-first century with a natural and empowering approach modeled after Jesus himself. When Christ “walked” clear across the cosmos 2,000 years ago, he had no forced formulas—just an offer of redemption to people like us, many of whom were neck-deep in pain of our own making. This dynamic, four-week experience is designed to equip and inspire your entire church to participate in that same pattern of grace-giving by taking simple walks across rooms—leaving your circles of comfort and extending hands of care, compassion, and inclusiveness to people who might need a touch of God’s love today.

Becoming a Contagious Christian - Zondervan, WillowCreek
This Willow Creek Resources six-session evangelism course for churches and groups of all sizes is designed to equip believers for effective evangelism by showing them how they can share the gospel in a natural and powerful way while being the person God made them to be.

H2O – Standard
H2O is an evocative, DVD-driven, group-oriented journey of faith. Hosted by Kyle Idleman, the 10 episodes of high-definition video are a new way to share your faith. It's an invitation to get together, enjoy a meal, watch a DVD, have a conversation, and end with an invitation to be transformed through the living water of Jesus Christ. This kit contains all the planning tools and resources for the church, ministry, small group, or individual to lead an H2O journey.

Go Fish – Multnomah, North Point
We’ve all heard them. “It was this big.” “You should have seen the one that got away.” People love to tell stories of their fishing adventures. When it comes to faith, however, most people clam up. Why is it we can’t talk about what God has done in our life as naturally as we can spin fishing tales? This six-part DVD explores the motivation behind sharing our faith and how it can become a natural part of our lives. Its companion study guide is complete with a leader’s guide and six lessons, including conversation-starting exercises, discussion questions, and application steps.

Bullhorn – Zondervan, Mars Hill Bible
God loves everyone, so a Christian should, too. In fact, Jesus said that the most important thing in life is to love God with everything we've got and love others the same way. But it's not always easy to love everyine around us, is it? Sometimes we strongly disagree with other people's political views, religious belieifs, behaviors or something else, and it makes it hard to love them when we feel like we're right and they're very wrong. But Jesus doesn't separate loving God and loving others. So maybe that best way for us to show our love for God is actually by loving other people no matter how hard it sometimes is. Maybe it's the only way.

Life on Loan – Standard
Life On Loan is a six-week, church-wide experience that leads children, students, and adults through a study of what it means to live a life that is on loan from God - a life serving others, building relationships, and earning the right to share your faith. Life On Loan provides the curriculum and tools to plan, promote, and implement a program throughout the church. Age appropriate curriculum is provided for early childhood, elementary, teens, and adults, so the entire church studies the plan God has for our lives - lives that have the opportunity to make a real impact in our world.

Going Public with Your Faith – Zondervan, Focus on the Family
The people in your group spend hours every day in the most high-impact mission field in the world: their workplaces. A place where they are regularly in touch with people facing significant life questions. But to have an impact, they need a perspective that’s different from anything they’ve ever heard or read about evangelism. Real evangelism is a process. It’s organic—more like farming than selling. In six thought-provoking and empowering sessions, Going Public with Your Faith walks your group through a proven approach to evangelism that respects the unique relationships they have with their coworkers, clients, or customers.

Sharing Your Life Mission Everyday (Doing Life Together) – Zondervan, Saddleback
The way you’re wired is no accident! God designed your unique mix of gifts, natural abilities, personality, values, and life experiences to play an essential part in his kingdom. These six sessions will help you develop your God-given design at home, at work, at church, and in your community in a way that extends God’s love to others and enriches your own life immeasurably.

The Alpha Course – Alpha
The Alpha Course is a 10 week, 15-session practical introduction to the Christian faith. It provides an opportunity for people of all backgrounds to explore the meaning of life. Included are 15 talks dealing with essential questions of life, such as: Who is Jesus?, How can I be sure of my faith?, How does God guide us?, How can I resist evil?, What does the Holy Spirit do?, and How can I make the most of my life?

Outflow – Group
For most adults, outreach feels...well, uncomfortable. Intrusive. Contrived. That's why--in spite of Jesus' intent that we share our faith--we seldom do so. With Outflow, adult small groups experience transformed, joy-filled lives they then share with others. Outflow encourages honest outreach based on a growing relationship with God...and the sharing of God's love. This Small Group Kit gives small group leaders everything they need to lead a 5-week Outflow study.

10 Keys for Unlocking the Bible – Moody, Arlington Hts EFC
Many people--churched and unchurched desire to learn more about the Bible, and find purpose in their lives through its timeless principles. 10 KEYS FOR UNLOCKING THE BIBLE COURSE, is an ideal tool for small groups, home Bible studies and personal evangelism or discipleship. It is designed for people with limited knowledge of the Bible who want to learn about it in a non-threatening way, and seasoned believers who desire a better understanding of the Bible story from beginning to end.

They Like Jesus but Not the Church (forthcoming) – Zondervan
Many in today’s emerging generation don’t like the church. Some are leaving the church; others never were a part of it. Yet they remain fascinated with Jesus. This small group curriculum will explore six of the most common objections and misunderstandings emerging generations have about the church and how the church can respond in positive ways.

Outreach Resources - Books

This week is the National Leadership Conference for the EFCA. This morning I am leading a seminar on the best resources available for outreach. I will post those resources on the blog tomorrow. But here are some of the best books available on outreach.

Just Walk Across the Room – Bill Hybels
Believers universally affirm that evangelism is a vital part of what God calls them to do, but very few make a practice of doing it. They feel awkward and ill-equipped, either because they've never been trained, or because their lack of interaction with non- Christians prevents them from using and developing the skills they do have. Bill Hybels addresses these concerns and signals the next era in personal evangelism with Just Walk Across the Room. Drawing on fresh perspectives from the author's own experiences, as well as time-tested and practical illustrations, Just Walk Across the Room encourages and equips readers to routinely initiate spiritual conversations with those who don't know Christ.

Becoming a Contagious Christian – Bill Hybels, Mark Mittelberg
Evangelism doesn't have to be frustrating or intimidating. Effectively communicating our faith in Christ should be the most natural thing in the world. We just need encouragement and direction. In Becoming a Contagious Christian, Hybels and Mittelberg articulate the central principles that have helped the believers at Willow Creek Community Church become a church known around the world for its outstanding outreach to unchurched people. Based on the words of Jesus and flowing from the firsthand experiences of the authors, Becoming a Contagious Christian is a groundbreaking, personalized approach to relational evangelism.

They Like Jesus But Not the Church – Dan Kimball
Many people today, especially among emerging generations, don’t resonate with the church and organized Christianity. Some are leaving the church and others were never part of the church in the first place. Sometimes it’s because of misperceptions about the church. Yet often they are still spiritually open and fascinated with Jesus. This is a ministry resource book exploring six of the most common objects and misunderstandings emerging generations have about the church and Christianity.

Living a Life on Loan – Rick Rusaw, Eric Swanson
As a Christian, your life is no longer about you. It is allowing God to write his story through you and your story. Explore a life where serving others provides an opportunity for your story to intersect theirs - and for lives to be forever changed! Explore a life of finding grace at the intersections.

The Radical Reformission – Mark Driscoll
Reformation is the continual reforming of the mission of the church to enhance God’s command to reach out to others in a way that acknowledges the unique times and locations of daily life. This engaging book blends the integrity of respected theoreticians with the witty and practical insights of a pastor. This basic primer on the interface between gospel and culture highlights the contrast between presentation evangelism and participation evangelism.

The Forgotten Ways – Alan Hirsch
Hirsch identifies six latent potencies in God's people that lie dormant and forgotten until something catalytic prompts the rediscovery of them. These elements are clearly seen in the church during times of phenomenal growth and impact, but he suggests that they are actually always present and can be reactivated to create apostolic movement. He describes them as the centrality and lordship of Jesus, disciple making, the missional-incarnational impulse, organic systems, apostolic environment, and communitas (a type of community formed in situations of significant ordeal and/or mission).

No Perfect People Allowed – John Burke
No Perfect People Allowed shows you how to deconstruct the five main barriers standing between emerging generations and your church by creating the right culture. From inspiring stories of real people once far from God, to practical ideas that can be applied by any local church, this book offers a refreshing vision of the potential and power of the Body of Christ to transform lives today.

Outflow – Steve Sjogren, Dave Ping
If it's all about God, why do we live as if it's all about us? This book--a cross between a manifesto and a how-to manual--inspires readers to embrace outreach as a lifestyle--a natural, everyday thing that's as normal as going to the grocery store.

Share Jesus Without Fear – William Fay
In recent years, the Share Jesus without Fear book and its growing family of ancillary products have sparked a faith-sharing movement that continues to gain momentum. It began with the jaw-dropping story of William Fay, once a money-driven businessman with Mafia ties who ran a house of prostitution until it was raided by police. Facing the threat of jail time, Fay turned to Jesus Christ for redemption and ever since has been turning others to Him as well.

City Impact – Daniel Bernard
God calls His Church to take the Gospel into the world, but what about meeting the day-to-day needs of your local neighborhood? Daniel Bernard uses practical, motivating examples from his ministry, Somebody Cares, Tampa Bay, and from Christians all over to illustrate how unity among churches and partnership with local businesses can transform communities.

The Gutter – Craig Gross
Why did an all-knowing, all-powerful God send the perfection of His kingdom? His only Son? To the earth through the gutter? Why did Jesus spend so much time, reaching out to people in their own secret, dark places? Why do His followers so often turn away from those very same situations? The Gutter chronicles the author's journey to the gutter, telling the stories and sharing the insights he gained while spending time with the people who dwell there.

101 Ways to Reach Your Community – Steve Sjogren
You may not be a gifted evangelist, but you do have the gift of servanthood. You can use that gift to reach out to your community with the love of God. For years Steve Sjogren has successfully used a simple approach called "servant evangelism" that allows any believer—regardless of gifting—to be involved in sharing God's love with others. One of the great things about this approach is that you don't have to do it alone. Sjogren offers 101 simple and effective ways your church or small group can demonstrate the love of God to those in your community. When people see the love of God in action, they want to know more about Him. You can share your faith successfully, and here are plenty of starting points!

Outreach Ministry in the 21^st Century – Group Publishing
This collection of 200 practical ideas turns "outreach" from an intimidating mandate into something that's actually enjoyable. Included: proven ideas for preparing your church to embrace outreach, ways to teach kids, service ideas for youth, long-term and mission ideas, ways to make your church visible in your community, and much more.

36 Parables

36 Parables are retellings of the parables of Jesus. On each DVD comes 3 different parables presented with up-to-date stories. They are between 3 and 12 minutes long and are quite visually stimulating. And although they do not come with any Bible study in the packaging, there are free studies available for download on their site, 36parables.com.
I contacted one of the creators of these short films to find out if we could carry them and make them available. He was one of two guys who started with a dream to produce films of Jesus' parables and they have been able to produce 9 of them so far.
The thing I appreciate about these films is the perspective they offer. I have heard people retell some of the parables, but only updating certain aspects - The Good Samaritan is a black man helping a klan member. There are a few like that in 36 Parables, but they also offer completely different stories to illustrate the same point.
In the film, a few weeks later, from the Cyan disc, they tell the story of the parable of the rich fool. When I first watched it, I was completely lost. I thought that I was thinking of a different parable of the rich fool. But then I went to the website and downloaded the Bible study for it. This film tells the story of the aftermath of the rich fool (literally "a few weeks later" after her life was accounted for).
I am pretty excited about these films. Below I have embedded one of the funnier ones I found on Google Videos. For more information, visit nsresources.com.

John Stott on The Bible & the Christian Life

John Stott is one of the great thinkers, writers and preachers of our era. Zondervan has packaged a DVD seminar series of Dr. Stott's in which he speaks to the authority, interpretation and use of Scripture. They bill it as groupware, which is their small group type material, but it is different for any of the other small group groupware material of theirs I have come across.
If you are familiar with the DVD studies that Dr. John Piper or Dr. Tom Wright have put out (with Multnomah and IVP respectively), then you will have an idea of what to expect, format-wise. The six sessions on this DVD are six 45-60 minute talks which Dr. Stott presented at All Souls Church. In these, Dr. Stott presents his teaching on
1 The Authority of the Bible
2 The Nature of the Bible: Double Authorship
3 The Interpretation of the Bible
4 The Problem of Culture
5 Developing a Christian Mind
6 Making an Impact on Society

The "study guide" included is an outline of the lectures and three questions offered for discussion and reflection. I do wish that this was a bit more developed. The questions are good and I think lend themselves to enhancing discussion, but I think it could be done even better.
One of the aspects of the DVD studies which Multnomah puts out from North Point Ministries is having the questions for discussion actually appear on the screen. I would like to see the questions for The Bible & the Christian Life appear on the screen at an appropriate time just after Dr. Stott has spoken about what the question refers to. With each session lasting 45-60 minutes, there is so much that can be gleaned, that if you were to take the time as his is speaking about it, I think it would enhance the comprehension, as opposed to asking all the questions at the end of the session. (This can easily be done by the leader of the study by simply pausing the DVD an injecting the questions, but it would be a nice feature if the DVD did this automatically).
The authority of Scripture and what we believe about Scripture is very important and Dr. Stott does a wonderful job in making these concepts intelligible and applicable.

My First Message

Designed to encourage parent-child interaction, My First Message is a great devotional Bible for kids. It features phenomonal artwork (drawn by former Disney animators & animators from VeggieTales), is easily understandable (from Eugene Peterson's The Message), and helps little readers think about the stories in the Bible for themselves.
I am not a little jealous that this Bible was not around when I was little. I am so excited for my child to be able to use it though (it will be a while, the age range is for kids 4-8). Of the many features I like about it, some of the great distinctions it has with other kid's Bibles I've seen are:

• It does not gloss over the crucifixion - multiple pictures of Jesus on the cross and even carrying his cross. Many others either show only his feet while on the cross while telling the redemption story
• Equal pages given to both Old and New Testaments - many others tell more of the Old Testament stories and Jesus' life, but leave the rest of the NT letters alone
• It tells the story of Jesus driving out the money-changers from the temple. I think it is good for kids not to see only a "cuddly" Jesus, but a real portrait of his life & ministry.

I am very excited about this book and highly recommend it for parents and children's workers alike.