Monthly Archives: August 2011
Interview with Dr. Bryan Chapell
I mentioned just recently that Dr. Bryan Chapell has edited a new collection of sermons called, The Hardest Sermons You’ll Ever Have to Preach. It’s a collection of sermons by well known preachers (Keller, Piper, and Horton to name a few) that pastors can give during some of the most trying times in people’s lives: after a suicide, after the death of a child, after a community tragedy, and many other topics. Dr. Chapell was kind enough to share his time for a brief interview.
EC: What was your experience working with so many influential preachers as the book came together?
BC: All of these pastors are friends whom I respect. As I collected their messages, I began to marvel at how often the themes they pulled from Scripture echoed each other. The consistency of their words reminded me of the great blessing we have in God’s Word that shares God’s wisdom rather than throwing us back on our own. Especially in times of crisis, we need confidence that what we have to say is from God and not just our cleverness. As I listened to these pastors from so many different circumstances, churches and backgrounds speak so consistently of God’s faithfulness, I recognized they were not depending on their talent or intellects, but on God’s testimony of himself. This realization ministered to my own heart as my own confidence in God’s Word was reinforced in a time of trial I was experiencing during the editing of this book.
The Christian Atheist – DVD
Do we believe in God, but live as though he does not exist?
In the six sessions of The Christian Atheist DVD, Craig Groeschel addresses this question head on, and asks what it means for our faith and the church.
You can find a preview below, and order the DVD here.
New college ministry resource from Chuck Bomar: “Worlds Apart”
I was excited to see Worlds Apart: Understanding the Minsdet and Values of 18-25 Year Olds arrive on my desk this morning. Chuck Bomar has been ministering to college-aged people for a while now and with this new resource looks to educate ministry leaders and parents as to how they gain effectively minister to college-aged church members. (Read PDF sample.)
Here are a few endorsements to whet the reading appetite:
“There is no question that today’s college student is different. They see life differently; their needs are different; the world they live in is different. In Worlds Apart, Chuck Bomar, one of the leading experts on college students, gives us a solid, clear, and empowering resource for coming alongside these emerging adults. When I want to learn about college students, I read Chuck Bomar.” – Chap Clark
“Chuck Bomar gives very keen insight into the minds and hearts of what often can be a confusing generation to understand. Chuck writes not just out of his research and exerience but out of passion, love, and belief in this generation.” – Dan Kimball
MOVE: What 1,000 Churches Reveal about Spiritual Growth
We just finished this video for one our new books, MOVE, (you’ll hear more about MOVE in later posts). For now, I just wanted to point out the excellent film company we worked with to make this video happen, Creo Productions. I’m geeked about this video! Thank you Creo for your fantastic work!
New preaching resource edited by Bryan Chapell: The Hardest Sermons You’ll Ever Have to Preach
Another book came into the Z offices that I’m proud to show you, Bryan Chapell’s The Hardest Sermons You’ll Ever Have to Preach: Help from Trusted Preachers for Tragic Times. Here Chapell has collected an edited a brilliant selection of sermons by some of today’s best known preachers, including: Tim Keller, John Piper, Mike Horton, Dan Doriani, and a host of others.
This book is meant to be a one-stop pastoral resource for those days when you suddenly get a call about a tragedy in your community. Read a PDF sample here.
John Stott: O-twit-tuaries
Only a few days ago one of Christianity’s most influential and well-loved preachers and theologians, John Stott, went on to be with the Lord. I’ve enjoyed reading the numerous obituaries and remembrances that are popping up around the web. As a way of honoring his life and ministry I thought it would be interesting to search for tweets about Pastor Stott and see how people honor him in 140 characters or less. Here is some of what I found:
