This volume shows pastors how to be spiritually prepared for the myriad tasks of pastoral ministry: preaching, pastoral care, church administration, worship, teaching, and more. Thomas R. Swears demonstrates that study, reading, and prayer are three essential disciplines that lead to a more intentional and focused spiritual life. Swears shows: —How to use time more creatively and holistically —How to keep track of gleanings from daily life —How to faithfully prepare for preaching —How to keep a professional journal —How to create a balanced reading program —How to develop a personal devotional life

The Approaching Sabbath shows pastors how to be spiritually prepared for the myriad tasks of pastoral ministry: preaching pastoral care, church administration, worship, teaching and more.

Overwhelmed? Need a day off... a break? Maybe it's time to learn the truth about the Sabbath. Everyone, it seems, lives his or her life at a breakneck pace, constantly rushing here and there to get everything done. Technological advances that once promised more leisure time now seem only to push us further behind, making it ever more difficult to catch up. So we frantically scramble. We feel out of touch—out of touch with our spouse, out of touch with our families, out of touch with the world around us and, perhaps most of all, out of touch with God. Is there a way to get back in touch? In the Bible, God gives us a solution written within the Ten Commandments. It's a commandment that gives us time for a welcome, refreshing rest from our weekly labors, a time during which we must no longer be absorbed in our ordinary daily cares and concerns—a time for spiritual rejuvenation. Inside the ebook, "Sunset to Sunset: God's Sabbath Rest", you will read why God commanded a day of rest and the purpose for it. You will discover the answers to which day is the Sabbath, why the Sabbath is relevant for all of us today and why this day of rest makes sense in today's world. Join us for a journey through the Bible to discover the importance of God's Sabbath rest. Chapters in this ebook: -- The Sabbath: In the Beginning -- When Is the Sabbath Day to Be Kept? -- Which Day Is the Sabbath? -- Names for Saturday in Many Languages Prove Which Day Is the True Sabbath -- Jesus Christ and the Sabbath -- Just What is Legalism? -- Was the Sabbath Changed in the New Testament? -- Was Sunday the New Testament Day of Worship? -- Was God's Law Abolished in the New Testament? -- Why is the Sabbath Commandment Not Repeated in the New Testament? -- Surprising Admissions About the Sabbath and Sunday -- "There Remains a Sabbath-Rest for the People of God" -- A Sign of God's People -- God's Sabbath in Today's World -- The Sabbath in the Age to Come -- What is True Worship? -- Our Appointment With God -- A Test for You? Inside this Bible Study Aid ebook: "God, Creator of the Sabbath, determines when the day begins and ends, and it was observed from sunset to sunset throughout the Bible. His Sabbath begins Friday evening at sunset and ends Saturday evening at sunset." "Jesus Himself clearly denied that He intended to change or abolish the Sabbath or any part of God’s law. “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets,” He said. “I did not come to destroy but to fulfill” (Matthew 5:17)." "Many who argue that the Sabbath was abolished in the New Testament point to the apostle Paul’s writings to justify their view. But is this opinion correct? They commonly cite three passages to support that claim—Romans 14:5-6, Colossians 2:16-17 and Galatians 4:9-10." "Here we see God’s true intent for the Sabbath: It is part of a proper, loving relationship with Him. It is a matter of honoring God."

Elegant, passionate, and filled with the love of God's creation, Abraham Joshua Heschel's The Sabbath has been hailed as a classic of Jewish spirituality ever since its original publication--and has been read by thousands of people seeking meaning in modern life. In this brief yet profound meditation on the meaning of the Seventh Day, Heschel, one of the most widely respected religious leaders of the twentieth century, introduced the influential idea of an 'architecture of holiness" that appears not in space but in time. Judaism, he argues, is a religion of time: it finds meaning not in space and the materials things that fill it but in time and the eternity that imbues it, so that 'the Sabbaths are our great catherdrals.' Featuring black-and-white illustrations by Ilya Schor

Religion is a hard topic to discuss, especially with family members who do not have the same religious beliefs. This book began as a paper given to family members and friends in an attempt to show them what the scriptures teach about the Sabbath. Though a number of Sabbath-keeping church members and leaders refused to discuss the paper, other ministers and church friends thought it should be published. Years of studying and writing have culminated into "The Sabbath, the Law, and the New Covenant." This book takes the central theme of the Bible, God's redemptive plan for mankind, and walks the reader through the scriptures. It begins with the plan's inception and then explains how the plan was introduced to man, how it began to unfold, and finally how the plan was fulfilled. This book highlights many of the scriptures that teach about the Sabbath, the Old Testament Laws, including the Ten Commandments, and the New Testament covenant of Jesus Christ, while comparing some widely held beliefs with the word of God. For all who truly love the word of God and worship on the seventh-day Sabbath, this book is a must-read. Those who wish to learn about the subject matter will also find the information insightful, coming from one who formerly worshiped on the seventh-day Sabbath.

What does the Sabbath mean to you? Christ in the Sabbath will take you on a “Sabbath tour” of the Bible. You’ll explore the themes of Shabbat (Hebrew for Sabbath) and rest in both Old and New Testament and then discover what it has meant to Jews and Christians for centuries. Rabbinical comments and a variety of traditions provide clarity and credibility to the study of Sabbath. While this volume does not resolve all the differences among Christians concerning the place of the Sabbath today, the journey undertaken in this book will help you in forming your own conclusions—or inspire you to continue exploring the meaning and significance behind the Sabbath.

Discusses the importance of observing the Jewish Sabbath as both a practical and spiritual exercise, and provides guidelines for properly incoporating the Sabbath into everyday life.

In the Gospels we find that Jesus consistently refers to the first five books of the Old Testament as “the Law.” And on many occasions, the Master extracts legal precedents from this law in order to settle all kinds of disputed matters and even subdue the Tempter. Yet modern believers dogmatically insist that this same law has been “done away” in order to make way for salvation. But is this a helpful and correct understanding of the Holy Scriptures? What are the unintended consequences of promoting a view where the Bible, as it were, devours itself? Is there a cognitive price to be paid? Have contemporary Christians set themselves up for failure and misperception by advancing this view, as we force our square doctrinal peg into the round Scriptural hole? Can we really uproot justice, mercy, and faith from the Old Testament, yet maintain a coherent biblical worldview? The author of Apologia believes that there is a better way. Discover the unbreakable unity of the Holy Scriptures and be free from the cognitive dissonance that plagues modern believers. Discover the encrypted code that runs all through the Scriptures from Genesis to Revelation, the connection between the Old Testament Law and the New Covenant, the difference between legalism and lawfulness, and the Scriptural way of loving God. Apologia for the Law and the Sabbath is an audacious and in-your-faith way of looking at the Bible that causes the heart to burn with passion. It forcefully tears open the veil that separates Old and New Testament Scriptures to reveal a bold and seamless narrative which reveals the Creator’s ancient code of conduct for believers. Tread past salvation’s timid threshold and boldly step into the path of righteousness, where we partner with God as we strive to reach the full measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ and boldly claim your rightful place as sons and daughters of the Almighty. Discover the common denominator which characterized our spiritual ancestors—Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, and the apostle Paul. Rekindle your new birth passion and strengthen your faith in a way you never thought possible. Grow past the bashful platitudes and learn the way of the Master. Read the book others are calling “tremendous,” “excellent,” and “refreshing.”