Bøger udgivet af Smyth & Helwys Publishing, Incorporated

Early in the scriptural record, Adam and Eve find themselves cast out through the gates at the Garden of Eden. In the Book of Revelation, Christians are promised entry through the gates into the New Jerusalem. Chuck Poole's many readers know him to be one who speaks to the truth of grace-filled living through the struggles of this world. As with Beyond the Broken Lights and Don't Cry Past Tuesday, Between the Gates will both challenge and comfort as you consider this journey we travel "between the gates."

Because it is sometimes challenging for today's Christians to move from the frenetic pace and noisy world of today's society and enter into the silence and stillness of contemplative praying, Jeanie Miley provides a way of using the psalms as a doorway into prayer. Reading the psalm indicated for each day's meditation and then reflecting on the day's reading, persons are invited to "pray the psalms" in a way that connects the ancient prayers with their own present-day experience. By moving back and forth between the psalm and your own experience in prayer, Ancient Psalms for Contemporary Pilgrims provides a process through which the Living God can lead you to a deeper reflection on your own life.

The Leadership Labyrinth: Negotiating the Paradoxes of Ministry by noted pastor and author Judson Edwards is an original and wholly unorthodox book on what it takes to be a pastor in the 21st century. It offers no simple answers, gimmicks, or church growth suggestions. Instead, Edwards, who has been a pastor for over thirty years, says that ministry is paradoxical, irrational and fun! He explores more than twenty paradoxes that every pastor needs to understand. If you've grown tired of "self-help" books for pastors, and if you're skeptical of "techniques" for being an effective leader, this book is for you. It will jar you out of conventional thinking about church leadership and make you glad again to be a pastor.

One of the factors that sometimes provides art with a richer sense of texture is its ability to draw an allusion to the classic expressions of human culture, thought, and experience. The Bible is no exception and has often been received through its incorporation into works of art- the plays of Shakespeare, the paintings of Rembrandt, the sculptures of Michelangelo, the stories of Flannery O'Connor, the films of Martin Scorsese. Raising Cain, Fleeing Egypt, and Fighting Philistines considers the overwhelming influence that Old Testament imagery has had on some of the most popular musical artists of our time- from Bob Dylan to Bruce Springsteen to OutKast. Ideal for use in personal reflection or small group study, this book contains questions for consideration and discussion after each chapter. Also included are handy charts linking the considered songs to their biblical references, creating an ease-of-use for teaching and further study.

Many pastors come to ministry with the potentially lethal combination of low self-esteem and high expectations of themselves and others. While the minister is set aside to preach, he or she is not immune to the same struggles that everyone faces. How they deal with themselves as persons is reflected in their proclamations as pastor and preacher. Witness of a Fragile Servant looks at both the preparation of the preacher and the sermon. It tries to call ministers to care for themselves as well as to cultivate effective sermons.

Becoming Fire invites the reader to engage in the age-old practice of listening to stories to activate our creative imagination. Thirty-three meditations arranged for daily reading would enhance the prayer and Bible study of people who are seeking a personal, vital love relationship with Jesus Christ.Ideal for all ages, Becoming Fire will be of interest to the serious seeker as well as a useful tool for beginners in their spiritual journey. Each daily entry is followed by a question for contemplation and personal spiritual growth.

This volume is dedicated to the study of three late, little-known biblical works that historically have been relegated to the lesser works of the New Testament. Reading 1 Peter, Jude, and 2 Peter underscores the light that these letters shed upon one another and focuses on the snapshots they provide of early Christian communities as they encountered the social and religious environment in which they were situated. Careful reading of 1 Peter reveals the complex world of the post-apostolic period. Jude and 2 Peter provide a sober look at the early community's evolution in doctrinal and moral terms.

"Trafton has produced a clear, understandable, insightful reading of the book of Revelation - not an easy task for a book that has left many readers puzzled and confused. One of the particular strengths of Trafton's commentary is his close attention to the structure of John's work and the internal connections between various passages of the book. Readers will also benefit from Trafton's identification of John's extensive indebtedness to the Hebrew Bible for much of his imagery and ideas." - Mitchell G. Reddish O.L. Walker Professor of Christian Studies and Chair, Department of Religious Studies Stetson University

Peter Rhea Jones has spent the majority of his career studying and teaching the parables. Studying the Parables of Jesus is a primer on the historical and -literary approaches to biblical study. It informs and inspires in dialogue with contemporary methods and contemporary meanings. It provides an introduction to the methods of interpretation of the parables as well as an opening chapter on the recent history of interpretation. The chapters of exegesis approach a select group of parables for a more intensive analysis. While reserving much of the technical details for the endnotes, the text includes -discussion of critical issues and alternative opinions. Questions and exercises are appended at the close of each chapter for personal use or classroom -discussion.

Dowd examines the Gospel of Mark from literary and theological perspectives, suggesting what the text may have meant to its first-century audience of Gentile and Jewish Christians. Mark is a Greco-Roman biography of Jesus written in an apocalyptic mode. Its theology is based on the message of the prophet Isaiah- the proclamation of release from bondage and a march toward freedom along the "way of the Lord."

A teacher in a Sunday school program is a valuable asset in a child's spiritual formation. Much of what they do lays the foundation for a child's growth in the Christian faith and life. They are a vital resource to children and their parents. What they do during this crucial Sunday morning time truly matters. Help! I Teach Children's Sunday School is an aid book for these special teachers of infants through sixth graders. This guidebook to teaching excellence in the Sunday school will be a help to beginning and experienced teachers alike.

Secularization is at the threshold of every church because it is in most Christian households. There is more to Christianity than attending church and serving on church committees. In a secular age, ministry for Christians in the daily world is as significant as their ministry inside the church walls. Hammett takes seriously the issue that we are now living and serving in a secular culture. The message of Christ can penetrate the world when Christians learn to be and do church both inside and outside the walls of the church. He offers suggestions about understanding, activating, and evaluating the church and how we can equip believers for effective ministry in the 21st century. Church leaders struggle to find effectiveness, fulfillment, and relevancy in this changing world. Hammett recognizes these challenges and offers opportunities for reframing ministry. He provides a guiding light toward success in seeking to share Christ in a secular age.

Intimacy has multiple meanings for preaching. It affirms the crucial role a messenger has in the message. It is the quality that helps to establish a relationship between the hearer and the speaker. It is a "holistic" approach to preaching. Designed to help both the student and the practicing minister communicate more effectively, Preaching and Intimacy begins with the preacher as a person before moving through the components that are essential to preaching. Preaching and Intimacy gives attention to a minister's relationship with God, his/her feelings about himself/herself, how to imaginatively engage a biblical text, how to think of the listeners, and how to use these tools to address and deliver a sermon. Emphasis is put on the preacher's investment in the sermon so that when it is spoken, it is authentic and real.

Paul's letters to the Christians in Corinth portray a young church struggling to live out the demands of the gospel amid the life of a thoroughly urban setting. In Reading Corinthians, biblical scholar Charles Talbert helps his reader to grasp what was at stake in the conversations between Paul and the Corinthians. What we find there is not only a word for the struggling faithful in Corinth, but an always truthful word for the church today.

"During the pandemic, churches pivoted to online worship. Justin Bishop offers practical guidance and theological reflection to offer help to churches trying to establish and strengthen their digital presence"--

"A Pulpit and the Paper is a series of meditations published in the religion column of the Statesville (NC) Record and Landmark beginning in 2011. They describe what was on the author's mind and in his heart at various moments, some reacting to events of his day or "the day" and others the result of long-ruminated-on questions"--

"This project began as the COVID-19 pandemic descended upon in March 2020. Gregory Funderburk began to write weekly essays to encourage his congregation. In thinking about the uncertainty of the future, he also envisioned a future version of his family and himself and then asked God to take him there. He encourages communities and families to be closer and kinder because we've all lived through a global pandemic together. Our lives, through suffering, have become more aligned with the themes of Christ's life as expressed in the Sermon on the Mount. Perhaps readers will even consider a future version of the church that is more relevant to our changing world and our communities through the challenges we've all endured and continue to endure together"--

"Unlike traditional biblical commentaries that focus strictly on a biblical book's history and intent, Hebrews in Preaching the Word is designed for us all to be hearers and participants in scripture. The book includes extended, uninterrupted sermon series covering every verse of every chapter in the book of Hebrews"--