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Getting a Live Tree Out of a Dead Stump
Church Revitalization: 101
Between Ichabod and Anathema
This book (Getting a Live Tree Out of a Dead Stump: (Church Revitalization: 101) Between Ichabod and Anathema) is written as a resource (guidebook) for pastors and other leaders involved in church revitalization. As a veteran pastor/career revitalist, who devoted his life to working the “soft underbelly” of Christendom and who cares deeply about revitalization ministries, this book is designed to “walk you through” what “you are going through” in your church revitalization experience. Going “Bible book by Bible book” and “Scripture text by Scripture text,” notice this please: Because there is nothing new under the sun, we have much to learn from God’s Word and from God’s people. What they experienced, you may experience. I have! What they felt, you may feel. I do! So, as you read this book., allow its words – as applied from Scripture– to give you encouragement and hope as God works through you to restore health and vitality to His church.
How to Raise an Abel When the World is Raising Cain
(Parenting by the Book)
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Breaking Out of Life’s Spiritual Prisons: Content Book
Breaking Out of Life’s Spiritual Prisons: Small Group Guide
Has there ever been a time when someone placed so many restrictions and restraints upon you that you felt as if you were living in a “box” or “comfort zone” of someone else’s making? Has that ever happened in a church or in some other spiritual setting? If it has, you are not alone.
When Paul wrote the Book of Galatians, he was in prison physically. His crime was refusing to live in the “box” of legalistic, pride-filled, works-oriented, performance-based religion established by people who wanted everyone they met to live in the all-restraining “box” of their personal “comfort zones.” Paul’s spiritual “comfort zone” was Jesus. Because Paul’s faith system was based on a relationship with God through Jesus and went beyond adherence to ritualistic, “self-righteous” religion, Paul’s soul was free in Christ.
In today’s society and culture, spiritual prisons abound. Some are self-made, due to sin. Other prisons are made by others who create systems of performance-based, works-oriented religions that incarcerate their followers behind walls of rules, regulations, and man-made demands. For Paul, it was time to “break out” and live beyond those walls.
How can believers and others break out of life’s spiritual prisons and live lives set free by Jesus? God’s Apostle Paul answered this and other questions in his New Testament book: Galatians. Breaking Out of Life’s Spiritual Prisons is a content book explaining Paul’s teachings in Galatians. It presents a balanced approach to spiritual freedoms. Geared toward use in small group Bible studies and in other study venues, this content book features “break out” sessions that include Bible study questions and practical exercises to help believers grow and “live free” in Jesus – outside of and apart from the “boxes” and “religious comfort zones” established by others. In addition to this content book, the author has produced, by God’s grace, a companion Bible Study book for use in personal and group studies. All answers in the smaller Bible Study book (Breaking Out of Life’s Spiritual Prisons: A Bible Study Guide) are keyed to/found in the larger content book.
To aid in personal or group Bible studies, here is a recommended guide: If in a group, start from the beginning and read the book’s content out loud and then answer the questions or discuss the statements related to the content. If alone, read the content and then answer the questions or reflect upon the related statements.[i] If, in a group Bible study, here is a recommended sequence (the twenty sessions can be divided easily into four sessions of five studies or two sessions of ten studies):
Welcome
Opening Prayer
Open the Bible
Do the Bible Study, with discussion
Prayer Requests
Closing Prayer – for the requests and for any food that is served
Food
Fellowship
People return to their homes/go to the worship service
May each who participate in these “break-out sessions” experience the spiritual freedom provided by God, through His Son, to live “outside the box/comfort zones/man-made restraints/religious systems/shackles” of other people’s making. May each experience the freedom of living a life that pleases one Person only: Jesus Christ! In doing so, may each allow God’s Holy Spirit to “set at liberty” a life set free by Jesus.
As He promised and for His glory, may God bless the study of His Word.
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Breaking Out of Life’s Spiritual Prisons Study Guide
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New Convert Follow-up
Spiritual Lessons for New Believers
Spiritual Lessons for New Believers is a four-session study guide designed to help new believers grow in Christ. As the new believer’s first phase of follow-up, Spiritual Lessons for New Believers introduces the new convert to the ‘basics’ of Christianity. The four sessions include the reading content of instructive opening paragraphs, fill-in-the-blank questions, matching, some memorization, and some writing. All answers are included in the back of the text. The minimal qualifications needed to use the follow-up materials, as a discipler, are as follows: the discipler must himself be a believer and the discipler must be able to read.
Filled with Scripture, the lessons in this inter-active book include training notes for the discipler and studies on the new believer’s Faith in Jesus Christ, Life in Jesus Christ, Walk with Jesus Christ, and his Fellowship with Jesus Christ and His People. Topics covered include: A review of the salvation experience, assurance, Scripture memorization, spiritual growth, prayer, the Bible, witnessing, living the Christ-life, the Lord’s return, guarding against temptation, church attendance, baptism, The Lord’s Supper, church membership, and fellowship with other believers. Also, a sample baptism class, a sample membership class, and a lesson on ‘How to Study the Bible’ are included at the end of the book.
As an introductory study guide, Spiritual Lessons for New Believers flows into two other discipleship books by Keith D. Pisani: 1). The second phase content study manual Spiritual Lessons for Growing Believers which provides two transition studies (Baptism class and Membership class), 26 ‘A to Z’ study sessions on topics from A-Assurance to Z-Zeal, and two discipler training sessions. 2). The author’s fill-in-the-blank, companion workbook Spiritual Lessons for Growing Believers Workbook which should be used with the ‘A to Z’ content manual. A fourth book in this series is Jesus Loves Me: A Follow-Up Guide for Children. All four books are published by WestBow Press.
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Spiritual Lessons for Growing Believers
Spiritual Lessons for Growing Believers is a valuable study series designed to help Christians grow into mature believers who actively serve Jesus Christ and is suitable for use in any teaching context – church services, Sunday School, small groups, Bible studies, personal and group devotions, one-on-one and group discipleship studies, Christian Schools, chapels, Christian camps, college and seminary classrooms, seminar and workshop presentations, conference break-out sessions, adult Bible fellowships, mentoring meetings, and elsewhere.
Designed as the content manual (text book) for the companion workbook of the same name, Spiritual Lessons for Growing Believers begins with four follow-up sessions for new believers, continues with two transition studies (a baptism class and a membership class), covers twenty-six topics from A to Z (from Assurance to Zeal), and includes two training sessions for disciplers.
Packed with information that leads to transformation, the studies provide answers to the questions in the companion book Spiritual Lessons for Growing Believers Workbook and include the content of the author’s follow-up book for new believers: Spiritual Lessons for New Believers.
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Spiritual Lessons for Growing Believers Workbook
Spiritual Lessons for Growing Believers Workbook begins with four follow up sessions for new believers, continues with two transition studies (a baptism class and a membership class), covers twenty-six topics from A to Z (assurance to zeal), and includes two training sessions for disciplers. Packed with information that leads to transformation, the Spiritual Lessons for Growing Believers Workbook includes the content of the author’s self published book Spiritual Lessons for New Believers and is keyed to the content of the companion book, Spiritual Lessons for Growing Believers, Spiritual Lessons for Growing Believers and Spiritual Lessons for Growing Believers Workbook are available through Westbow Press and this website.
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Jesus Loves Me: A Follow-Up Guide for Children
Jesus Loves Me: A Follow-Up Guide for Children is a four-session study guide designed to help younger believers grow in Christ. Based on the words of a popular children’s song, Jesus Loves Me is the younger believer’s first phase of follow-up and introduces the new convert to the ‘basics’ of Christianity. The four sessions include the reading content of instructive opening paragraphs, fill-in-the-blank questions, matching, some memorization, and some writing. All answers are included in the back of the text. The minimal qualifications needed to use the follow-up materials, as a discipler, are as follows: the discipler must himself be a believer and the discipler must be able to read.
Filled with Scripture, the lessons in this inter-active book include training notes for the discipler and studies on the following topics: a review of the salvation experience, sin, the gospel, assurance, Scripture memorization, spiritual growth, prayer, the Bible, witnessing, living the Christ-life, the Lord’s return, guarding against temptation, church attendance, baptism, The Lord’s Supper, church membership, and fellowship with other believers. Also, a lesson on ‘How to Study the Bible’ is included at the end of the book.
As an introductory study guide, Jesus Loves Me: A Follow-Up Guide for Children flows into two other discipleship books by Keith D. Pisani: 1). The second phase content study manual Spiritual Lessons for Growing Believers which provides two transition studies (Baptism class and Membership class), 26 ‘A to Z’ study sessions on topics from A-Assurance to Z-Zeal, and two discipler training sessions. 2). The author’s fill-in-the-blank, companion workbook Spiritual Lessons for Growing Believers Workbook which should be used with the ‘A to Z’ content manual. A fourth book in this series is Spiritual Lessons for New Believers, written for adults. All four books are published by WestBow Press.
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What God Expects in God’s Church
What is a church? Who started the church? When did the church begin? Why does the church exist? What does the One Who started the church expect in the church He started?
A church is a called-out assembly of born-again believers meeting together to observe the ordinances and worship Jesus Christ.[1] Started by Jesus in Matthew 16:18, the first church met in Acts 1-2 for the purpose of evangelism (Acts 1:8), discipleship (Matthew 28:19), worship (Revelation 4-5), fellowship (Hebrews 10:25), service (Ephesians 4:11-13), giving (1 Corinthians 16:1-2), missions (Acts 13:1-2), prayer (Philippians 4:6-7), mutual support (Galatians 6:10), unity (Ephesians 4:1-3), and, according to Christ when He first announced His plan to build His church, to attack the gates of Hell (Matthew 16:18).
Since she is Christ’s church, what does God expect in His church?
The purpose of this book is to seek the mind of Christ concerning His church. He started the church (Matthew 16:18). To a church, He said, “Let this mind be in you as it was in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5). And to another church, He added, “put on the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16). Although post-Acts 1 Scripture describes many churches, there is one extended passage of Scripture where the Founder of the Church reveals His expectations for His church: Revelation 2-3.
To the Founder of His Church, we offer this prayer: “O God, may your church be everything You intended Your church to be.”
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People of Faith
Since the Bible is written in terms of personalities, like which personality are you? As we set out on this biblical adventure (in printed form), we will examine both Old Testament and New Testament biblical characters of faith. Each will have their positives. Most will have negatives. Yet, all were loved and used by God. Beginning with those mentioned in the New Testament’s Hebrews Hall of Faith (Hebrews 11), we will then examine the lives of both Old Testament and New Testament people of faith. It is my prayer that you might find yourself among them.
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The Road To Calvary
Did you ever wonder what it would have been like to travel with Jesus, be with Jesus, walk and talk with Jesus, and be there with Christ on His road to Calvary? Imagine no longer. You will not physically go back in time and take a journey with Jesus but you will be able to vicariously experience and “get a sense” of many of the events that took place between Christ’s birth, His crucifixion at Calvary, and His resurrection form the grave.
The structure of this book has twenty-one (21). One chapter looks at the Pre-existence (He was before He was born). Then, since the longest period of time (greatest number of Sundays including Christmas and Easter) on the Western calendar between Christ’s birth (at Christmas) and His resurrection (at Easter) is nineteen (19) Sundays (beginning at Christmas or within the six (6) days prior to Christmas if Christmas is not on a Sunday and ending at the latest date for Easter on April 25), this book contains one (1) study on the pre-existence of Jesus that is best observed the second week prior to the “first” or our nineteen (19) “cradle to the cross” life of Christ/Journey with Jesus “Road to Calvary” studies, nineteen (19) studies that take the reader from Bethlehem to Christ’s empty tomb, and one additional study (for after Easter) highlighting the post-resurrection experience of Jesus. This gives us twenty-one (21) studies for a maximum of nineteen weeks (19) from Christmas to Easter.
What happens if the length of time between Christmas and Easter is less than nineteen (19) weeks, as due to the Equinox this does happen? If you are using these studies for personal study, for small group Bible studies, for Life Groups at church, or in the pulpit, one-two-three-or-four of these studies can be eliminated from the “Bible study group” calendar of presentations. If one or more of the studies is not to your liking, I have included five (5) additional studies that you can insert as “replacement studies” into the order of events on Christ’s Road to Calvary. As you read this book, I pray that you will grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savor Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18). Peter did as He walked with Jesus. So can we.
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A Lamb’s Eye View of the Lion’s Return
Have you ever looked around, scratched your head, and wondered if this world will survive another day? What is next on God’s prophetic calendar? Will we survive? Will anyone survive. Does anything “have to happen” prior to the rapture, the tribulation, the second coming, the millennium, or the establishment of heaven on earth?
Giving us a glimpse into the future, this book “A Lamb’s Eye View of the Lion’s Return” gives us a sequential glimpse into the coming prophetic events. Each event, described in Scripture, is explained using Bible passages to ex[pose us to what happens next, after next, and even after that.
As the approach is to let the Bible speak for itself, you will need a copy of God’s Word to follow along. In closing, I say: “If not here, Up there!” As we read this book, we may be enlightened as to how soon or not soon the next event(s) may happen that result in us getting a new home in heaven. Perhaps Today!
