Missions & Missionary Work Books

Sunset (Sunrise Series-Baxter 3, Book 4)

Karen Kingsbury

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Editorial Review:

As John Baxter makes plans to marry Elaine, one of the Baxters enters into the most trying season of all. During a time of renewed love and hope for the future, the Baxters try to come together to establish the sacred ground of marriage and to chart a course for the future. Memories of times gone by meet with the changes of today in a story that proves only the support of faith and family can take a person into the sunset years of life.

The Heavenly Man: The Remarkable True Story of Chinese Christian Brother Yun

Brother Yun, Paul Hattaway

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 138 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Inspiring story of how God is moving in China 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

After reading this book you'll understand why some believe that Asia may become the next center of Christianity. With the West becoming more secular and morally bankrupt, God is moving in China to spread the Gospel. Who would have thought that Korea, formerly a primarily Buddhist country, would become a Christian nation that sends out multitudes of missionaries? In the same way, God is using the Chinese house churches to spread the Gospel not only throughout China but also throughout the rest of Asia and beyond. The story of Brother Yun shows how the Gospel began to grow in China under persecution. This is inspiring and motivating. However, it was hard to relate the sold-out Christianity of the Chinese house churches to the soft, laissez-faire Christianity we know in the West. May God bring revival not only throughout Asia but also to the West.

Everything God Has For You 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

A little over a year ago, I read Randy Alcorn's novel, "Safely Home." And it was based on Chinese Christians and the persecution they might go through in China. And my first thought was how rough that has to really be. Being a master storyteller, Randy Alcorn barely scratched the surface, and he could've really gone deep. After my dad read "Safely Home," he found this book, "The Heavenly Man," and basically told me, "You've got to read this! This is amazing!" If you think you're some kind of victim just because you've been made fun of for your Christian faith, wake up! Christians like Brother Yun know something about suffering, and how to rejoice in the process. HUH? Read on!

And this really is nothing short of amazing. Brother Yun started preaching at the age of 16. Like in Alcorn's book, there are church house meetings. And the Chinese government hates Christians, and has ways of dealing with them. So for those of us who have these ideas of being a simple POW with just a few beatings, it goes a lot further than that. The torture that Brother Yun suffered is nuts! And this guy can rejoice and witness to his cell mates about the glory of God. Seeing miracles, and experiencing them, and you'd have to be crazy not to believe in God.

Yun makes it clear that when we are in God's will, God has us exactly where He wants us. It is a reminder to stay in the will of God and to keep focused on the reward God has for us. And being in God's will means to be ready for everything God has for us here on Earth. That means that we'll probably do some suffering, and that we will bear our own cross.

Would anybody line up for the testimony of Brother Yun? All I can say is WOW! This is an amazing life. A true eye opener!

Editorial Review:

A dramatic autobiography of one of China's dedicated, courageous, and intensely persecuted house church leaders. (20040603)

Communicating for a Change: Seven Keys to Irresistible Communication

Andy Stanley, Lane Jones

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 55 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

When You Talk, Are People Changed?

Whether you speak from the pulpit, podium, or the front of a classroom, you don’t need much more than blank stares and faraway looks to tell you you’re not connecting. Take heart before your audience takes leave! You can convey your message in the powerful, life-changing way it deserves to be told. An insightful, entertaining parable that’s an excellent guide for any speaker, Communicating for a Change takes a simple approach to delivering effectively. Join Pastor Ray as he discovers that the secrets to successful speaking are parallel to the lessons a trucker learns on the road. By knowing your destination before you leave (identifying the one basic premise of your message), using your blinkers (making transitions obvious), and implementing five other practical points, you’ll drive your message home every time!

“Long ago, in a galaxy far, far away…”

“Once upon a time…”

“In the beginning…”

Great stories capture and hold an audience’s attention from start to finish. Why should it be any different when you stand up to speak?

In Communicating for a Change, Andy Stanley and Lane Jones offer a unique strategy for communicators seeking to deliver captivating and practical messages. In this highly creative presentation, the authors unpack seven concepts that will empower you to engage and impact your audience in a way that leaves them wanting more.

“Whether you are a senior pastor with weekly teaching responsibilities or a student pastor who has bern charged with engaging the hearts and minds of high school students, this book is a must-read.”

Bill Hybels

Senior pastor, Willow Creak Community Church



“A very practical resource for every biblical communicator who wants to go from good to great.”

Ed Young

Senior pastor, Fellowship Church, Grapevine, Texas

“To communicate effectively, you have to connect. Andy has been connecting with people for years, and now he’s sharing his insights with the rest of us.”

Jeff Foxworthy

Comedian

INSIDE LEFT FLAP

In Communicating for a Change, Andy Stanley shares the seven imperatives that define his approach to challenging people’s minds in order to change their lives: Determine Your Goal Pick a Point Create a Map Internalize the Message Engage Your Audience Find Your Voice Start All Over

These seven concepts will simplify your approach to communication and transform your sermons, lessons, and presentations into powerful life-changing experiences for your listeners.



Story Behind the Book

Andy Stanley and Lane Jones are on staff at one of America ’s largest churches, North Point Community. Leaders of thousands of people, they regularly speak in front of large groups. They also listen to numerous speakers and know the disastrous effects of a poorly delivered message. This book is the result of their efforts to make public speaking—one of the most common fear-inducing activities known to mankind—simple, easy, and even enjoyable, so that God’s messages will readily produce the life-changing results they should.

Jessie (Big Sky Dreams #3)

Lori Wick

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Editorial Review:

Jessie is book three in bestselling author Lori Wick’s popular new Big Sky Dreams series (more than 215,000 copies sold). Readers will be transported to the vast landscape of Montana Territory in the late 1800s where they meet Jessie Wheeler, whose husband, Seth, abandoned her before their second child was born. As a single mom and the sole proprietor of Token Creek’s general store, Jessie lives day to day with her hands full and her heart broken.

When Seth suddenly returns to town claiming he’s a man changed by faith, Jessie is reluctant to trust him or God with her family’s future. But Seth sets out to prove his commitment and his love. This is a timeless story of the transforming power of God’s love and forgiveness.

Mark of the Lion : A Voice in the Wind, An Echo in the Darkness, As Sure As the Dawn (Vol 1-3)

Francine Rivers

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 258 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

THE BEST BOOKS EVER 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I absolutely love these books. I can't believe how good the writing is, how amazing the love story is, and how much I love the characters. They are an easy read that will suck you in and never let you go. They are my favorite books of all time and such an inspiration.

Editorial Review:

This classic series has inspired over half a million readers. Both loyal fans and new readers will want the 10th anniversary editions of this beloved series. These editions include a new foreword from the publisher, a new preface from Francine Rivers, and discussion questions suitable for personal and group use.

#1 A Voice in the Wind: Torn by her love for a handsome aristocrat, a young slave girl clings to her faith in the living God for deliverance from the forces of decadent Rome.

#2 An Echo in the Darkness: Turning away from the opulence of Rome, Marcus is led by a whispering voice from the past into a journey that could set him free from the darkness of his soul.

#3 As Sure As the Dawn: Atretes. German warrior. Revered gladiator. He won his freedom through his fierceness . . . but his life is about to change forever.

Forgotten Ways, The: Reactivating the Missional Church

Alan Hirsch

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 26 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Retooling the Church 1 out of 5 stars.
8 of 20 people found this review helpful.

Tom Griner said...
I hear a desire similar to what I heard years before from the church growth folks...a desire to reach the world for Jesus by retooling Christianity. And they have had some success yet as Hirsch says, Christianity in the west continues a downward spiral. So now we have a new generation who also wants to retool Christianity. The thought is, if only we can be real and get down to where people really are... if only we can be free from the old baggage and have a new view, we can recover the declination. Yet, I believe this new analyses is just more of the same. It too will leave the church empty and void. So what is the answer to this intuitive since that something is wrong? Without sounding to simplistic, I do not believe it is a new view of relevance that is needed; I believe we simply need to be real Christians. What I mean by real Christian is not one who is a Christian in name or who attends church religiously. I mean one who is born of God and who is filled with the very Spirit of God. I mean one who is incarnating Christ. There is a problem, but it is not with how we relate to society. The problem is what we are. Much of Christianity is plastic and religious. Only a Christianity that is an expression of the Word of God in power will be a Christianity that changes the world. And when that kind of Church arises, there is always persecution. If the Church continues to try and find some new prescription that will make it fulfill its great calling, it will continue to go around the mountain. When the Apostle Peter came out of the upper room, he and his fellow brethren turned their world upside down within thirty years. When they preached, thousands were converted, when they prayed the place was shaken, when they laid hands on the sick they recovered. This is the kind of Christianity that is the source of the hunger that people are searching for but don't know what it is. This is the missing link. And this is were risk and faith turn a dull Christianity into a living and breathing expression of God that is worth living and dying for. This kind of Church cannot be engineered by some new set of tools or paradigm. Only a Church filled with God will answer the need of the hour. This is the true Apostolic Genius given by God. Tom Griner

Editorial Review:

Alan Hirsch is convinced that the inherited formulas for growing the Body of Christ do not work anymore. And rather than relying on slightly revised solutions from the past, he sees a vision of the future growth of the church coming about by harnessing the power of the early church, which grew from as few as 25,000 adherents in AD 100 to up to 20 million in AD 310. Such incredible growth is also being experienced today in the church in China and other parts of the world. How do they do it? The Forgotten Ways explores the concept of Apostolic Genius as a way to understand what caused the church to expand at various times in history, interpreting it for use in our own time and place. From the theological underpinnings to the practical application, Hirsch takes the reader through this dynamic mixture of passion, prayer, and incarnational practice to rediscover the dormant potential of the modern church in the West.

Introducing World Missions: A Biblical, Historical, and Practical Survey (Encountering Mission)

A. Scott Moreau, Gary R. Corwin, Gary B. McGee

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Excellent introduction 5 out of 5 stars.
12 of 12 people found this review helpful.

This little (350-page) book is a great textbook introduction to missions. It includes 5 sections: encountering missions in the (1) scriptures, (2) history, (3) as a candidate, (4) as a sent one or sender, and (5) in the contemporary world. It includes definitions, grapples with the various mission issues today, and includes some great case studies on things missionaries have to grapple with (e.g. issues an agency faces when its workers have been kidnapped). Anyone considering becoming a candidate for long-term missions should grab a copy of this.

Editorial Review:

Introducing World Missions, the first volume in the Encountering Mission series, provides readers with a broad overview of the biblical, theological, and historical foundations for missions. It considers personal and practical issues involved in becoming a missionary, the process of getting to the mission field, and contemporary challenges a mission worker must face. This valuable guide is based on current research and includes numerous case studies that consider important issues, as well as sidebars, charts, and maps that provide further details on topics of interest. Altogether, this is an engaging introduction to the work of missions in the contemporary world.

A Voice in the Wind (Mark of the Lion #1)

Francine Rivers

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 137 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

A Modern Classic in Christian Fiction 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Do not start this series unless you intend to finish it. Do not read this book unless you want to be haunted by the characters for months to come. Francine Rivers' A Voice in the Wind (Mark of the Lion Series #1) is hauntingly written, with powerful archetypal characters that will linger in your subconscious. Once you come to know them they will surface in your thoughts repeatedly to remind you of important lessons in Christian character.

Powerfully written, this first in a series of three works of historical/biblical fiction transports us to a time shortly after Christ's death. Hadassah is a young Hebraic Christian girl whose father knew Jesus during His time here on Earth. We first meet her during the fall of Jerusalem to the Roman armies. Losing her entire family during the siege and attack she finds herself taken hostage and eventually sold as a slave.

Throughout A Voice in the Wind we are able to watch Hadassah mature in her faith and come to trust in the Lord completely. The book chronicles the challenges she faces as she strives to love those she serves in a Christ-like way. The Roman family who owns her is immersed in the idolatry and widespread sin common in their society. Despite, and indeed because of this fact, Hadassah is driven to love them and serve them beyond her personal limits as she seeks to show them Christ's love relationally.

Her mistress Julia embodies the self-centered and morally decaying Roman society. Through her example we come to see that all types of sin have been with us ever since the fall, including modern `hot spots' such as abortion and homosexuality. At times one would think that the book was written in a modern setting due to the relevance of the issues dealt with throughout.

Julia's older brother Marcus is a Roman playboy, disaffected and empty, seeking fulfillment in all the wrong places. His emptiness draws him to Hadassah when he begins to see Christ's light shining within her. Rivers was a romance novelist prior to her conversion, and as Marcus is drawn to Hadassah we encounter some highly sensual scenes as he attempts to engage her physically. For those who prefer to avoid sensual, romantic novels, I can assure you that though Marcus is persistent Hadassah holds firm to her Christian values throughout. It is a delight to watch her placing God before anything else in her life, difficult though that may be.

I found myself challenged by Hadassah's integrity and seemingly never-ending love for those she served. As I watched her place her own needs and desires aside time and time again in order to serve I found myself challenged to examine my own performance in the role of servant-mother. Observing her walk with the Lord inflamed my desire to know Him intimately, and I sought to draw nearer to Him. Would that my light could shine as brightly as hers! Believers will come to love Hadassah as they are encouraged by her Christian example, strengthened in their faith, and challenged to go deeper - to give all.

Francine Rivers has developed a name for herself as a modern master of Christian fiction. I can see that her reputation is well deserved. While the characters can appear too archetypical - black or white, it is their clear struggles, weaknesses and strengths that make this novel a valuable tool for Christian growth. This tenth anniversary edition includes a new foreword, an introduction from the author and a book discussion guide. The discussion guide features probing questions for individual or group study of the characters' natures. I was, and remain strongly moved by their individual journeys; they continue to live on in my heart.

Editorial Review:

This classic series has inspired nearly 2 million readers. Both loyal fans and new readers will want the updated editions of this beloved series. These editions include a new foreword from the publisher, a new preface from Francine Rivers and discussion questions suitable for personal and group use.
#1 A Voice in the Wind: This first book in the classic best-selling Mark of the Lion series brings readers back to the first century and introduces them to a character they will never forget--Hadassah. Torn by her love for a handsome aristocrat, a young slave girl clings to her faith in the living God for deliverance from the forces of decadent Rome.

Redeeming Love

Francine Rivers

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 545 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

In this splendid retelling of the biblical story of Hosea, bestselling author Francine Rivers pens a heartbreaking romance between a prostitute and the upright and kind farmer who marries her; the story also functions as a reminder of God's unconditional love for his people. Redeeming Love opens with the Gold Rush of 1850 and its rough-and-tumble atmosphere of greed and desire. Angel, who was sold into prostitution as a child, has learned to distrust all men, who see her only as a way to satisfy their lust. When the virtuous and spiritual-minded Michael Hosea is told by God to marry this "soiled dove," he obeys, despite his misgivings. As Angel learns to love him, she begins to hope again but is soon overwhelmed by fear and returns to her old life. Rivers shines in her ability to weave together spiritual themes and sexual tension in a well-told story, a talent that has propelled her into the spotlight as one of the most popular novelists in the genre of Christian fiction. This is one of her best. --Cindy Crosby

The Weight of Glory

C. S. Lewis

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Total reviews: 38 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Great Reading 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

There is a jacket blurb on The Weight of Glory from John Updike, who comments on both the comfort and pleasure afforded by Lewis. Neither should be underestimated. This is great devotional writing but it is also great writing, writing that is typified by Lewis' ability to deal with the weightiest of matters with a light touch.

It is a truism that our faith is reinforced whenever we see it embraced by great minds. Samuel Johnson believed that and it is interesting that Lewis often turns to Johnson for such reinforcement, as we turn to Lewis--one of the indisputably great intellectuals of the twentieth century. Part of that greatness comes from the stark clarity with which Lewis sees important matters. That makes his work accessible; it does not make it simplistic.

All of the lay sermons in this volume are trenchant, though 'The Weight of Glory' and 'Learning in War-Time' are exceptional. I especially like 'Is Theology Poetry?' and 'Membership' and find 'Why I Am Not a Pacifist' of particular interest and importance these days.

This is a book to be read, embraced, and shared.

Editorial Review:

Selected from sermons delivered by C. S. Lewis during World War II, these nine addresses offer guidance and inspiration in a time of great doubt.These are ardent and lucid sermons that provide a compassionate vision of Christianity.