For a church to be considered mature an integrated approach between contextualization, discipleship and mission is required. Globally, the church is facing multiple challenges both rom within and from without. Despite the challenges, however, churches in the Majority World continue to grow rapidly. But is this growth in numbers accompanied by spiritual depth? And is this growth built upon biblical and theological foundations, so that the church can play its transforming role in the world? In this book, Dr Ermias Mamo makes the case for an integrated approach, guiding the reader through the topics of discipleship, mission and contextualization, for which he uses his home country of Ethiopia as a working example. Dr Mamo closes with strategies for effective contextualized discipleship and the impact such an approach will have on the future of the church. This is a resource that will benefit all who wish to be part of a church that seeks to shape its theological learning, institutional structure and core values around their identity in Christ and God-given mission.

“A perceptive and practical book about why our calendars so rarely reflect our priorities and what we can do to regain control.”—ADAM GRANT “Carey’s book will help you reorganize your life. And then you can share a copy with someone you care about.”—SETH GODIN You deserve to stop living at an unsustainable pace. An influential podcaster and thought leader shows you how. Overwhelmed. Overcommitted. Overworked. That’s the false script an inordinate number of people adopt to be successful. Does this sound familiar: ● Slammed is normal. ● Distractions are everywhere. ● Life gets reduced to going through the motions. Tired of living that way? At Your Best gives you the strategies you need to win at work and at home by living in a way today that will help you thrive tomorrow. Influential podcast host and thought leader Carey Nieuwhof understands the challenges of constant pressure. After a season of burnout almost took him out, he discovered how to get time, energy, and priorities working in his favor. This approach freed up more than one thousand productive hours a year for him and can do the same for you. At Your Best will help you ● replace chronic exhaustion with deep productivity ● break the pattern of overpromising and never accomplishing enough ● clarify what matters most by restructuring your day ● master the art of saying no, without losing friends or influence ● discover why vacations and sabbaticals don’t really solve your problems ● develop a personalized plan to recapture each day so you can break free from the trap of endless to-dos Start thriving at work and at home as you discover how to be at your best.

We live in a time when leadership and showmanship are seen as far greater virtues than humility and meekness. Even the church has often got it backward. And in Paul's second letter to the Corinthians, he confronts similar problems in the first-century church. D. A. Carson believes we can learn valuable lessons from Paul's letter about what it really means to be a mature Christian in the face of adversity. In A Model of Christian Maturity he takes the reader step by step through an exposition of 2 Corinthians 10-13 and then helps them apply these Scriptures to everyday life in the church. Perfect for pastors, students, and laypeople, this book highlights the power of weakness in the life of the Christian.

How does healing fit into God's will, especially when God doesn't heal? Our hearts, our bodies, and our world are desperate for healing. We all experience brokenness, and we rightfully look to Jesus for restoration. But many Christians have been taught the lie that God will heal us if our faith is strong enough, and that he is punishing us when bad things happen. Growing up in one of the world's leading faith-healing dynasties, Costi Hinn witnessed the tragedy of people chasing after healing more than the Healer. In this book he provides biblical clarity to some of the most challenging questions of the Christian faith. Does grace guarantee healing? How do we catch ourselves from slipping into the trap of seeking God for what he can do for us and not for who he really is? Beginning with the vivid memory of the night he discovered his son's cancer diagnosis—Costi unpacks the layered feelings and questions we have about God and his healing power, and he provides practical principles for growing closer to Jesus. With gentle clarity and biblical wisdom, he explains how to: Faithfully pray for healing while trusting in God's sovereignty. Navigate tough conversations about the topics of divine healing, love, and justice. Hold on to faith even in the most painful trials. More than chasing after the Jesus we want, this hopeful and encouraging book will guide you to discovering the Jesus we truly need—and the true power and hope that comes from a genuine relationship with him.

The Africa Study Bible brings together 350 contributors from over 50 countries, providing a unique African perspective. It's an all-in-one course in biblical content, theology, history, and culture, with special attention to the African context. Each feature was planned by African leaders to help readers grow strong in Jesus Christ by providing understanding and instruction on how to live a good and righteous life--Publisher.

In this book, Emmanuel Mbennah argues that Christian spiritual maturity is the bridge between the new identity of the Christian, articulated in Ephesians 1-3, and the moral code of the Christian life commensurate with the new identity, presented in Ephesians 4:17--6:20. From an interpretation of Ephesians 4:13, Mbennah brings to the fore what Christian spiritual maturity is and why it is imperative. He argues that Ephesians 4:1-16 is about spiritual maturity, and not about Christian unity, except unity as a by-product of maturity. A case study in which the meaning of spiritual maturity is used as a critical standard to evaluate the spiritual maturity of a church in a particular context further clarifies the meaning of spiritual maturity and demonstrates what a sad state of immaturity a church could be in. Mbennah calls for the Church's return to the pursuit of maturity and a return to the subject in New Testament scholarship.

What are the most important lessons the New Testament has to teach us about being a Christian? Sinclair Ferguson shows that a deep-seated concern of the writers of the New Testament was to see Christians grow to spiritual maturity‚"‚€‚"and if that was the concern of the first believers, then it should be our concern too. In clear and logical chapters that are rooted in the reality of the Christian life, the author, who has had long experience in pastoral ministry and seminary teaching, seeks to show what Christian maturity is, and how it is to be obtained. It was the apostle Paul's desire to present those to whom he ministered 'mature in Christ'‚"‚€‚"for such a maturity would lead to stable, servant-hearted Christians, and healthy, fruit-bearing churches. All those who desire to live useful, mature, and consistent Christian lives will gain much wisdom from reading and reflecting upon the contents of this book.

Theologies of justification are too numerous to count. In this book, Gordon Smith synthesizes a lifetime of writing on calling, conversion, discernment and spiritual formation in a comprehensive and compelling theology of sanctification. Smith presents holiness in its christological, sapiential, vocational, social and emotional dimensions.

Is your church making disciples . . . who make disciples . . . who make disciples? Real-Life Discipleship explains what should happen in the life of every Christian and in every small group so that the church becomes an army of believers dedicated to seeing the world saved. With the overriding goal to train disciples who know how to make more disciples, this book offers proven tools and strategies from Real Life Ministries, one of America’s fastest-growing churches. In this book, you will learn: How to create churches that succeed and grow How to intentionally disciple believers in every stage of their spiritual development How to find and develop leaders in your church This book also contains these helpful features: A summary and profile of each stage of spiritual growth Recommended resources for disciple-makers Spiritual facts A presentation of the gospel Discover what the Bible says about true and effective discipleship with these strategies and practices in this great church resource.