Crossway Evangelism, Discipleship, and Pastoral Care Collection (14 vols.)

by R. Kent Hughes; Mark Dever; Paul R. House; Brian Croft; Austin Walker

and

12 more

Publisher:

Crossway

, 2012–2017

Overview

Preaching, pastoring, evangelizing, counseling, and discipling. These tasks make up much of the ministry of the church. Add to this a Christian view of work, adoption, helping widows, and remaining faithful in sickness. To help pastors and lay leaders who wish to do these tasks better, this collection of helpful and practical books make Christian ministry accessible and understandable. Authors like John Piper, Jeremy Pierre, Mark Dever, and Russell D. Moore are leaders in their respective disciplines and areas of expertise. This collection allows readers to read their advice and counsel on how the Christian life can be lived out in impactful ways.

Key Features

• Helpful perspectives on pastoral counseling and preaching
• Guidance on apologetics and a Christian view of work
• Expert instruction on the tasks of pastoring, teaching, and making disciples

Product Details

• Title: Crossway Evangelism, Discipleship, and Pastoral Care Collection
• Publisher: Crossway
• Volumes: 14
• Pages: 2,672
• Resource Type: Topical
• Topic: Pastoral Care

Adoption: What Joseph of Nazareth Can Teach Us about This Countercultural Choice

• Author: Russell D. Moore
• Publisher: Crossway
• Publication Date: 2015
• Pages: 64

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

Joseph of Nazareth was a good and honorable man. The adoptive father of Jesus, he stood by his wife and raised her son—even when it appeared that she had betrayed him. Such is the love of adoption. But this love stands in stark contrast to what we see in our world today: on-demand abortion, unreported abuse, and widespread neglect.

Adapted from Russell Moore’s influential book Adopted for Life: The Priority of Adoption for Christian Families and Churches, this short volume calls Christians to seriously consider adoption for their own families and thus take a stand for children—born and unborn.

The older I grow, the more I am personally convinced that the church is our Lord’s answer to the adopting of so many precious children who so desperately are in need of a good home. Dr. Russell Moore has done the church a tremendous service by reminding us in this writing of the call of God to meet the ever pressing needs of these little ones. Read with the intent to obey.

—Johnny Hunt, former president, The Southern Baptist Convention; senior pastor, First Baptist Church Woodstock, Woodstock, GA

Russell Moore shows how churches should view adoption as part of their mission. He shows what a difference it would make if Christians were known once again as the people who take in orphans and make them sons and daughters.

—Marvin Olasky, editor in chief, World Magazine

This is a powerfully insightful book of how adoption is a beautiful act of love and mission for the gospel. I pray that God uses this book to encourage and impact many, many lives.

—Dan Kimball, pastor, Vintage Faith Church; author, They Like Jesus but Not the Church

Russell Moore (PhD, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) is the eighth president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, the moral and public policy agency of the nation’s largest Protestant denomination. A widely-sought commentator, Dr. Moore has been called “vigorous, cheerful, and fiercely articulate” by the Wall Street Journal. He is the author of several books, including Onward, The Kingdom of Christ, Adopted for Life, and Tempted and Tried.

Bonhoeffer’s Seminary Vision: A Case for Costly Discipleship and Life Together

• Author: Paul R. House
• Publisher: Crossway
• Publication Date: 2015
• Pages: 208

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

Dietrich Bonhoeffer is best known for his role in a plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler and his subsequent execution at the hands of the Nazis. However, most of us are less familiar with his tireless work educating seminary students for a life of pastoral ministry—a role that occupied him for most of his adult life.

Anchored in a variety of influential lectures, personal letters, and major works such as The Cost of Discipleship and Life Together, this book attempts to recover a largely unexamined part of Bonhoeffer’s life, exploring his philosophy and practice of theological education in his original context. It then builds on this foundation to address the drift toward increasingly impersonal educational models in our own day, affirming the value of personal, face-to-face seminary education for the health of pastors and churches.

This is the best book I have read on Dietrich Bonhoeffer the theological educator. Against great odds in the time of Nazi terror, Bonhoeffer forged a distinctive pattern of preparing faithful ministers of the gospel for the service of the church. Paul House argues convincingly that those engaged in the same work today have much to learn from Bonhoeffer’s model.

—Timothy George, founding dean, Beeson Divinity School; general editor, Reformation Commentary on Scripture

In all the writing about Bonhoeffer, few scholars focus on his work as a seminary leader. As a result, we forget that one of his most famous works, Life Together, emerged from such a community. Paul House dares to apply this and other Bonhoeffer works to the challenges facing contemporary seminaries. Even those who ultimately disagree with House’s argument for life-on-life education will benefit from reading his countercultural critique.

—Collin Hansen, editorial director, The Gospel Coalition; author, Blind Spots

While the circumstances Bonhoeffer and his students faced are very different from the challenges facing seminaries today, Paul House illustrates why Bonhoeffer’s approach to theological education and the ministry remains a model for today’s seminary leaders and their students. This is a fine, thoughtful study of Bonhoeffer’s approach to theological education and its implications for the complex, changing world of seminary education today.

—Victoria J. Barnett, general editor, Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works, English Edition

Paul R. House (PhD, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) serves as professor of divinity at Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham, Alabama. He has been a pastor or teacher in churches, Christian colleges, and seminaries for over thirty years. He is a past president of the Evangelical Theological Society, an active member of the Society of Biblical Literature, and a member of the Translation Oversight Committee for the English Standard Version Bible. House is the author of numerous books, including Bonhoeffer’s Seminary Vision.

Caring for Widows: Ministering God’s Grace

• Authors: Brian Croft and Austin Walker
• Publisher: Crossway
• Publication Date: 2015
• Pages: 160

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

Pastors and church leaders are responsible for countless things. Unfortunately, in many churches, ministry to widows remains largely neglected and forgotten.

Highlighting the Bible’s recurring commands to care for widows with sensitivity and compassion, this book encourages church leaders to think carefully about how to serve the widows in their congregations and suggests practical strategies to that end. In part 1, the authors summarize the Bible’s consistent teaching regarding the care of widows. In part 2, the authors offer hands-on counseling and a host of practical suggestions related to ensuring that widows receive the support and encouragement they need to thrive in the church.

Let’s face it, widows are easy to overlook in our culture today and, unfortunately, that is increasingly true due to the decline of the nuclear family in the West. But the Bible is clear—taking care of widows is not optional, it is a biblical imperative. Croft and Walker have done a masterful job of laying the biblical foundation for caring for widows and then providing clear, specific and practical guidelines on how to do that in your church. This is an important book for all pastors and lay leaders or any believer committed to reaching out to widows in their church and community.

—Bob Russell, former senior pastor, Southeast Christian Church, Louisville, KY

This book is a wonderful, in-depth guide explaining an important aspect of what Scripture calls ‘true religion,’ that is, to visit and care for widows in their distress. Both theological and practical, this is one of the best resources on the topic and is a must read for churches not only seeking to be compassionate, but to faithfully practice biblical justice.

—Nathan Ivey, Pastor of Mercy, Sojourn Community Church

Every Sunday as I look at my congregation, I am keenly aware of the women (and men) who have lost their beloved spouses in recent years. They are lonely. They are mourning still. They may even feel awkward among God’s family. I am so thankful for this book, which reminds pastors and churches that we have a biblical mandate to love these dear ones, ministering the Word, by the Spirit, so that widows are cared for temporally in light of eternity.

—Jay S. Thomas, lead pastor, Chapel Hill Bible Church, Chapel Hill, NC

Brian Croft is the senior pastor of Auburndale Baptist Church in Louisville, Kentucky, the founder of Practical Shepherding, and the senior fellow of the Mathena Center for Church Revitalization at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He has served in pastoral ministry for over twenty years and has written over a dozen books.

Austin Walker (BD, Westminster Theological Seminary) is a pastor at Maidenbower Baptist Church in Crawley, England.

Dangerous Calling: Confronting the Unique Challenges of Pastoral Ministry

• Author: Paul David Tripp
• Publisher: Crossway
• Publication Date: 2015
• Pages: 240

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

After traveling the globe and speaking to thousands of churches worldwide, Paul David Tripp has discovered a serious problem within pastoral culture.

Dangerous Calling reveals the truth that the culture surrounding our pastors is spiritually unhealthy—an environment that actively undermines the well-being and effectiveness of our church leaders and thus the entire church body. In this book, Tripp both diagnoses and offers cures for issues that impact every member and church leader, and gives solid strategies for fighting the all-important war that rages in our churches today.

My friend Paul Tripp shines the spotlight of God’s Word into the heart of every pastor in this book, Dangerous Calling. If you have been in ministry for 20 minutes or 20 years, I commend it to you. Approach it prayerfully, passionately, and be prepared for the change God will make in your heart, life, and ministry.

—James MacDonald, pastor, Harvest Bible Chapel, Rolling Meadows, IL; author, Vertical Church

This book is ‘good’ in the same way that heart surgery is good. It’s painful and scary and as you read it you’ll be tempted to run away from the truth it contains. But it just might save your life. Pastors need this book. I know I really needed it. It challenged me and rebuked me even as it gave me hope and fresh faith in God for pastoral ministry.

—Joshua Harris, former senior pastor, Covenant Life Church, Gaithersburg, MD; author, Dug Down Deep

Dangerous Calling is a dangerous book to read. It is also a book every person in ministry should read. It will cut you to the heart and bring massive conviction if you read it with a humility and ask God to expose sins deeply hidden in your soul. It cuts, but it also provides biblical remedies for healing. I would love to put this book in the hand of every seminarian who walks on my campus.

—Daniel L. Akin, president, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary

Paul David Tripp (DMin, Westminster Theological Seminary) is a pastor, author, and international conference speaker. He is also the president of Paul Tripp Ministries. He has written a number of popular books on Christian living, including What Did You Expect?, Dangerous Calling, Parenting, and New Morning Mercies.

Discipling: How to Help Others Follow Jesus

• Author: Mark Dever
• Series: 9Marks: Building Healthy Churches
• Publisher: Crossway
• Publication Date: 2016
• Pages: 128

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

What does it look like to help others become more like Christ?

In this concise guide, pastor Mark Dever outlines the who, what, where, when, why, and how of discipling—helping others follow Jesus. Following the pattern found in Scripture, this book explains how disciple-making relationships should function in the context of the local church, teaching us how to cultivate a culture of discipling as a normal part of our everyday lives.

If you want to move to another level in your spiritual life and leadership, take the time to read this book. It is not just biblical, but practical and readable. The emphasis on the local church and its role in discipling others sets it apart from other books. Read it and share it with others.

—Ronnie Floyd, former president, The Southern Baptist Convention; senior pastor, Cross Church, Springdale, AR

Mark Dever is known for being a faithful, exegetical preacher of God’s Word. But what you may not know is that Mark is an intentional disciple-maker. Whether he’s meeting on Saturday with lay leaders over lunch to discuss his application grid for Sunday’s message or discussing church polity in his study with a group of young interns, Mark emulates what he expects from others. I believe his legacy will not be just on the pages of the books he has penned, but on the hearts of the men he’s invested in personally. Don’t just read this book. Implement the biblical principles found within.

—Robby Gallaty, lead pastor, Long Hollow Baptist Church, Hendersonville, TN

I love reading books written by authors who are zealous about the subjects they write about. I often feel like emulating their example even before I get to the last page of the book. If you know Mark Dever, then you know he is a committed discipler. Discipleship oozes out of him. What drives him and how he disciples others and gets his church members to do the same is what these pages are all about. Prepare yourself for a life-changing experience as you read this book!

—Conrad Mbewe, pastor, Kabwata Baptist Church, Lusaka, Zambia; chancellor, African Christian University, Lusaka, Zambia

Mark Dever (PhD, Cambridge University) is the senior pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, DC, and president of 9Marks. Dever has authored over a dozen books and speaks at conferences nationwide.

Expositional Preaching: How We Speak God’s Word Today

• Author: David R. Helm
• Series: 9Marks: Building Healthy Churches
• Publisher: Crossway
• Publication Date: 2014
• Pages: 128

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

What makes for good preaching? In this accessible volume—written for preachers and preachers in training—pastor David Helm outlines what must be believed and accomplished to become a faithful expositor of God’s Word.

In addition to offering practical, step-by-step guidance for preachers, this short book will equip all of us to recognize good preaching when we hear it.

David Helm has written the most helpful, concise, and useful book on expository preaching I have ever read.

—Matt Chandler, lead pastor, The Village Church, Dallas, TX; president, Acts 29 Church Planting Network; author, The Mingling of Souls and The Explicit Gospel

If I were teaching a preaching class and could assign the students only one book, this might be the one. It’s a rare find that both introduces a topic to the novice and instructs the experienced. David’s humility convicts, rebukes, instructs, and encourages me as a preacher. I pray it will do the same for you.

—Mark Dever, pastor, Capitol Hill Baptist Church, Washington, DC; president, 9Marks

This little book is simply outstanding. It’s the best short book on preaching I’ve read. Helm’s advice is unfailingly wise, theologically informed, and extremely practical.

—Kevin DeYoung, senior pastor, Christ Covenant Church, Matthews, NC

David R. Helm (MDiv, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary) serves as lead pastor of the Hyde Park congregation of Holy Trinity Church in Chicago. He also serves as Chairman of The Charles Simeon Trust, an organization which promotes practical instruction in preaching. He is the coauthor of The Genesis Factor (with Jon Dennis), a contributor to Preach the Word: Essays on Expository Preaching, and the author of The Big Picture Story Bible and 1 and 2 Peter and Jude in the Preaching the Word commentary series.

Expository Apologetics: Answering Objections with the Power of the Word

• Author: Voddie Baucham Jr.
• Publisher: Crossway
• Publication Date: 2015
• Pages: 208

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

Apologetics is for everyone. The Bible is clear that all believers are called to defend their faith. However, if apologetics is the formal process that we have come to expect, this sounds like an impossible task. But what if apologetics could be part of natural, normal conversation—both from the pulpit and in everyday life?

Aimed at preparing you to clearly and confidently defend your faith, Expository Apologetics sets forth an approach to apologetics that is rooted in Scripture and eminently accessible. Filled with real-world examples and practical advice, this book will equip you with the tools you need to think biblically and converse persuasively—offering unbelievers “a reason for the hope that is in you.”

Voddie Baucham’s book is both scriptural and fresh, aware of biblical principles, cultural trends, and human nature. I especially appreciate his expository approach, by which he brings God’s Word into every apologetic conversation. I recommend it as an excellent introduction to apologetics as it needs to be practiced today.

—John M. Frame, professor of systematic theology and philosophy emeritus, Reformed Theological Seminary, Orlando

I am a fan of any book that takes apologetics out of the tower and puts it in the pew. Baucham does a wonderful job of just that. His pastoral style and sensitivity stand out as he takes a method of apologetics straight from the Scriptures and lays out how everyone can defend the faith with confidence.

—C. Michael Patton, founder, president, and fellow, The Credo House, Edmond, OK

Voddie Baucham’s expository approach to apologetics reminds us of the power of God’s Word for responding to objections to the Christian faith. This book hits all the right notes and guides the reader to think biblically, confessionally and theologically when engaging with those who reject Christianity. Baucham’s book will encourage the church to engage unbelief from the perspective of Scripture, rather than from a lesser perspective.

—K. Scott Oliphint, professor of apologetics and systematic theology and dean of faculty, Westminster Theological Seminary

Voddie Baucham Jr. (DMin, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary) is dean of the seminary at African Christian University in Lusaka, Zambia. The author of a number of books, including Family Driven Faith, The Ever-Loving Truth, and Joseph and the Gospel of Many Colors, Baucham is also a pastor, church planter, and conference speaker.

God’s Love Compels Us: Taking the Gospel to the World

• Editors: D.A. Carson and Kathleen Nielson
• Series: Gospel Coalition Series
• Publisher: Crossway
• Publication Date: 2015
• Pages: 144

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

“Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” - 2 Corinthians 5:20

In this collection of biblical expositions, seven prominent Bible teachers lay the biblical foundation for missions based on the Apostle Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians, addressing a number of often debated topics along the way. Chapters include:

• D.A. Carson - The Biblical Basis of Missions (2 Corinthians 4:1-12)
• David Platt - Why the Great Commission is Great (2 Corinthians 4:13-18)
• John Piper - The Heart of God in the Call to Proclaim (2 Corinthians 5:1-10)
• J. Mack Stiles - Being Ambassadors for Christ (2 Corinthians 5:11-21)
• Andrew Davis - Are People without Christ Really Lost?
• Michael Oh - The Individual’s Suffering and the Salvation of the World
• Stephen Um - Jesus and Justice

God’s Love Compels Us focuses on God’s love as the motivation for missions, encouraging individual Christians to embrace the privilege of taking the gospel to the world.

D.A. Carson (PhD, Cambridge University) is research professor of New Testament at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, where he has taught since 1978. He is a cofounder of the Gospel Coalition and has written or edited nearly 120 books.

Kathleen B. Nielson (PhD, Vanderbilt University) serves as the director of women’s initiatives for the Gospel Coalition. She is a popular conference speaker and the author or editor of numerous books, including Ruth and Esther: A 12-Week Study, and coeditor (with D.A. Carson) of Here Is Our God and (with Gloria Furman) Word-Filled Women’s Ministry.

How to Be an Atheist: Why Many Skeptics Aren’t Skeptical Enough

• Author: Mitch Stokes
• Publisher: Crossway
• Publication Date: 2016
• Pages: 256

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

Atheists talk a lot about the importance of skepticism. But the truth is, they’re not nearly skeptical enough.

While atheists champion the importance of a critical stance toward religion, they often fail to take that same stance toward their own beliefs. This double standard results in grandiose claims about the certainty of their unbelief—which is logically inconsistent at best and intellectually dishonest at worst. Turning atheists’ skepticism around on their own naturalist worldview, philosopher Mitch Stokes critically examines two things that such skeptics hold dear—science and morality—and reveals deep inconsistencies among their most cherished beliefs, inconsistencies that threaten to undo atheism itself.

How to Be an Atheist is the best popular discussion of the (alleged) conflict between science and religion that I have ever read. The book is well written, well organized, and philosophically sophisticated. Moreover, the author’s knowledge of science, the history of science, and the history of ‘the conflict between science and religion’ is admirably suited to his purpose. Above all, the book is accessible. No reader who is interested in questions about the relation between science and religion will have any difficulty in following the author’s arguments.

—Peter van Inwagen, John Cardinal O’Hara Professor of Philosophy, University of Notre Dame

How many times has atheistic naturalism appeared to be a charade, like a shell game where you never seem to see all the steps of the process? Or how frequently have you been told that atheists are too soft—that they must be even more rigorously skeptical? But then when they do follow their own system, there is nothing left with which to build their worldview! Get ready—you’re embarking on a challenging journey here. In this volume, Mitch Stokes uncovers issue after issue where atheistic naturalism looks more like the king who wore no clothes, and Stokes is the one to give him the message! This is must reading—I recommend it highly!

—Gary R. Habermas, distinguished research professor and chair, Department of Philosophy, Liberty University

I’ve been saying for years that professional skeptics are not skeptical enough, that they are selective in their skepticism, and that if they ever turned their skeptical faculties on their own skepticism and the materialist worldview that almost invariably comes attached to it, they would see the house of cards they’ve built collapse of its own internal inadequacies. Mitch Stokes, in this incisive book, does a wonderful job filling in the details to this charge against skepticism

—William A. Dembski, senior fellow, Center for Science and Culture, Discovery Institute; author, Being as Communion

Mitch Stokes (PhD, Notre Dame) is a senior fellow of philosophy at New St. Andrews College in Moscow, Idaho. He holds a PhD in philosophy, an MA in religion, and an MS in mechanical engineering and previously worked for an international engineering firm where he earned five patents in aeroderivative gas turbine technology.

Lessons from a Hospital Bed

• Author: John Piper
• Publisher: Crossway
• Publication Date: 2016
• Pages: 80

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

Sickness is hard. The combination of physical discomfort, emotional stress, anxious thoughts, and long stretches of boredom can make it difficult to remember—much less rely on and rejoice in—our good and sovereign God.

Reflecting on ten lessons he learned while recovering in the hospital, John Piper encourages those struggling with illness to fight for faith by focusing on the promises of God, the truth of the gospel, and the reality of eternity.

John Piper (DTheol, University of Munich) is the founder and teacher of desiringGod.org and the chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary. He served for 33 years as the senior pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and is the author of more than 50 books, including Desiring God; Don’t Waste Your Life; This Momentary Marriage; A Peculiar Glory; and Reading the Bible Supernaturally.

Side by Side: Walking with Others in Wisdom and Love

• Author: Edward T. Welch
• Publisher: Crossway
• Publication Date: 2015
• Pages: 176

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

Everyone needs help from time to time, especially in the midst of painful circumstances and difficult trials. In this short book, a highly respected biblical counselor and successful author offers practical guidance for all Christians—pastors and laypeople alike—who want to develop their “helping skills” when it comes to walking alongside hurting people.

Written out of the conviction that friends are the best helpers, this accessible introduction to biblical counseling will equip believers to share their burdens with one another through gentle words of wisdom and kind acts of love. This book is written for those eager to see God use ordinary relationships and conversations between ordinary Christians to work extraordinary miracles in the lives of his people.

The task of counseling is the task of loving others well. This book will help you to know what the love of Christ looks like, how to extend it to others, and how to accept it from others as you live in relationship together.

—Heath Lambert, associate pastor, First Baptist Church of Jacksonville; executive director, Association of Certified Biblical Counselors; author, A Theology of Biblical Counseling and Finally Free

There are two things that Welch’s book does very well. It demonstrates that no one gives grace better than a person who is convinced he needs it himself and that God makes his invisible grace visible by sending ordinary people to give extraordinary grace to people who need it. Welch not only reminds us all of our call to friendship ministry but also unpacks for us what it looks like. Every Christian should read this book!

—Paul David Tripp, president, Paul Tripp Ministries; author, What Did You Expect?

Welch builds a vision of a Christian community that moves beyond platitudes and empty promises to deep, scriptural, Christlike relationships. You will find this book to be a helpful primer on how to ask for and provide help in the midst of an age of separation.

—Elyse M. Fitzpatrick, counselor; speaker; author, Found in Him

Edward T. Welch (PhD, University of Utah) is a counselor and faculty member at the Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation. He has been counseling for more than 35 years and has written extensively on the topics of depression, fear, and addictions. His books include When People Are Big and God Is Small, Crossroads: A Step-by-Step Guide Away From Addiction, Running Scared: Fear, Worry and the God of Rest, Shame Interrupted, and Side by Side.

The Pastor and Counseling: The Basics of Shepherding Members in Need

• Authors: Jeremy Pierre and Deepak Reju
• Publisher: Crossway
• Publication Date: 2015
• Pages: 160

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

Pastors spend much of their time counseling people in crisis—a delicate task that requires one to carefully evaluate each situation, share relevant principles from God’s Word, and offer practical suggestions for moving forward. Too often, however, pastors feel unprepared to effectively shepherd their people through difficult circumstances such as depression, adultery, eating disorders, and suicidal thinking.

Written to help pastors and church leaders understand the basics of biblical counseling, this book provides an overview of the counseling process from the initial meeting to the final session. It also includes suggestions for cultivating a culture of discipleship within a church and four appendixes featuring a quick checklist, tips for taking notes, and more.

Biblical counseling, grounded in the sufficiency and authority of Scripture, is essential to the health of the church. Furthermore, pastors must be equipped for the task of counseling with the Word of God. The Pastor and Counseling is a remarkably helpful introduction to the pastoral counseling ministry and is brimming with sage, biblical wisdom for both new and seasoned pastors. Every pastor needs this book.

—R. Albert Mohler Jr., president and Joseph Emerson Brown Professor of Christian Theology, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

This book is faithful to God, thoughtful, and realistic about people. It’s clearly written, simple, and practical in its suggestions. We all struggle. How can you and your whole church learn to care well? Go take this book to heart.

—David Powlison, executive director, Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation

This is a book on how pastors should listen to their church members and speak to them. This is a book on how we should love. It is eminently biblical, practical, and refreshing. Perhaps we should make it required reading for all new elders.

—Mark Dever, pastor, Capitol Hill Baptist Church, Washington, DC; president, 9Marks

Jeremy Pierre (PhD, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) serves as the dean of students and associate professor of biblical counseling at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. He is also the pastor at Clifton Baptist Church and serves on the board of directors for the Biblical Counseling Coalition.

Deepak Reju (PhD, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) serves as the pastor of biblical counseling and family ministry at Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, DC. He also serves on the board of directors for the Biblical Counseling Coalition.

The Pastor’s Book: A Comprehensive and Practical Guide to Pastoral Ministry

• Author: R. Kent Hughes
• Editor: Douglas Sean O’Donnell
• Publisher: Crossway
• Publication Date: 2015
• Pages: 592

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

Pastors are tasked with the incredibly demanding job of caring for the spiritual, emotional, and, at times‚ physical needs of their people. While seminary is helpful preparation for many of the challenges pastors face, there’s far more to pastoral ministry than what can be covered in the classroom. Designed as a reference guide for nearly every situation a pastor will face, this comprehensive book by seasoned pastors Kent Hughes and Doug O’Donnell is packed full of biblical wisdom and practical guidance related to the reality of pastoral ministry in the trenches. From officiating weddings to conducting funerals to visiting the sick, this book will equip pastors and church leaders with the knowledge they need to effectively minister to their flocks, both within the walls of the church and beyond.

Everyday Latin phrases spring to mind to describe The Pastor’s Book: It is a magnum opus—a major work for all ministers, incorporating one and a half lifetimes of gathered pastoral resources. It will be a vade mecum—the go-to book and faithful companion for younger ministers, to guide, inform, and sometimes correct and restrain. It should prove to be a sine qua non for all who are engaged in gospel ministry over the long haul—the very book needed to help re-calibrate and refresh. These pages constitute a love-gift to their fellow under-shepherds from Kent Hughes and Douglas Sean O’Donnell. They have put all who love Christ’s church in their lasting debt.

—Sinclair B. Ferguson, professor of systematic theology, Redeemer Seminary, Dallas, TX

This is an immensely helpful, Scripture-saturated resource for busy pastors, explaining the practical ‘how to’s’ of leading weddings, funerals, baptisms, the Lord’s Supper, personal counseling, and weekly worship services. It reflects the accumulated wisdom of decades of ministry, and it comes from the pen of a godly, wise senior pastor for whom I have the highest appreciation and respect.

—Wayne Grudem, research professor of theology and biblical studies, Phoenix Seminary

The Pastor’s Book should be on the shelf of every young preacher heading out into gospel ministry. It is a resource volume—meant to guide you into good practice and provide you with language for a variety of pastoral settings. Its success comes from the authors’ mutual hallmark of disciplined and careful preparation.

—David R. Helm, pastor, Holy Trinity Church, Chicago; chairman, The Charles Simeon Trust

R. Kent Hughes (DMin, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) is senior pastor emeritus of College Church in Wheaton, Illinois, and visiting professor of practical theology at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Hughes is also a founder of the Charles Simeon Trust, which conducts expository preaching conferences throughout North America and worldwide. He serves as the series editor for the Preaching the Word commentary series and is the author or coauthor of many books.

Douglas Sean O’Donnell (MAs, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and Wheaton College) is a senior lecturer in biblical studies and practical theology at Queensland Theological College in Brisbane, Australia, after spending nearly twenty years in pastoral ministry. He is currently obtaining his doctorate at Trinity College Bristol through the University of Aberdeen. He is the author of a number of books, including The Beginning and End of Wisdom, The Song of Solomon and Matthew in the Preaching the Word commentary series, and Psalms in the Knowing the Bible series.

Work and Our Labor in the Lord

• Author: James M. Hamilton Jr.
• Publisher: Crossway
• Publication Date: 2017
• Pages: 128

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

“You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you.”—Psalm 128:2

Work has been a part of God’s good creation since before the fall—created to reflect his image and glory to the world. What are we to make of this when work today is all too often characterized by unwanted toil, pain, and futility? In this book, pastor, professor, and biblical scholar James Hamilton explores how work fits into the big story of the Bible, revealing the glory that God intended when he gave man work to do, the ruin that came as a result of the fall, and the redemption yet to come, offering hope for flourishing in the midst of fallen futility.

Embracing a robust theology framed in the four-chapter narrative of creation, fall, redemption, and consummation, Jim Hamilton skillfully handles the scriptural texts, displaying how human work is a central thread in the biblical storyline. No matter the present depth of the reader’s understanding of the integration of faith and work, the insights gained will prove inspiring and transformational.

—Tom Nelson, author, Work Matters; senior pastor, Christ Community Church, Overland Park, KS; president, Made to Flourish

The Bible has much more to say about work than we often think! Hamilton shows us just how central work is to the biblical storyline and God’s plan to fill the earth with his glory. This is a profound book that dives deep into the Scriptures yet remains highly accessible. There are surprising insights on almost every page. This is now one of the best books on the biblical view of work today.

—Matt Perman, director of marketing, Made to Flourish; author, What’s Best Next: How the Gospel Transforms the Way You Get Things Done

People’s lives get turned upside down when they realize God cares intensely about their daily work. This short book walks us step by step through the big story of the Bible to show that God’s purpose for our daily labor is one of Scripture’s deepest and most important themes.

—Greg Forster, director, Oikonomia Network at the Center for Transformational Churches, Trinity International University; author, The Joy of Calvinism

James M. Hamilton Jr. (PhD, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) is professor of biblical theology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and preaching pastor at Kenwood Baptist Church. He is the author of God’s Glory in Salvation through Judgment and the Revelation volume in the Preaching the Word commentary series.