Vintage Jesus

Roughly two thousand years ago, Jesus was born in a dumpy, rural, hick town, not unlike those today where guys change their own oil, think pro wrestling is real, find women who chew tobacco sexy, and eat a lot of Hot Pockets with their uncle-daddy. Jesus' mom was a poor, unwed teenage girl who was often mocked for claiming she conceived via the Holy Spirit. Most people thought she concocted the crazy story to cover the fact she was knocking boots with some guy in the backseat of a car at the prom. Jesus was adopted by a simple carpenter named Joseph and spent the first thirty years of his life in obscurity, swinging a hammer with his dad.

In Vintage Jesus, one of America's most influential young pastors teams up with a seasoned theologian to lead you on a hilarious theological journey chasing Jesus through Scripture and pop culture. The authors provide timeless answers to twelve timely questions about the most important man who has ever lived. Each chapter concludes with answers to common questions about each subject.

These questions are answered with insights from people such as Jesus himself, Dog the Bounty Hunter, Friedrich Nietzsche, Martin Luther King Jr., Hugh Hefner, Jack Bauer, Fidel Castro, Oprah, Kanye West, Gandhi, Homer Simpson, Mike Tyson, Gil Grissom, and Madonna, along with some demons and a porn star. There have been seventeen thousand books written about Jesus, but none is like Vintage Jesus.

Pre-order now and get 35% off and a free PDF of Vintage Jesus around the end of the year.

Stop Acting Like A Christian... Just Be One!

Many of us make great efforts to ACT like a “Christian,” but how many of us actually realize what it means to BE one?

Too many times we see faith as an external behaviour modification program. If we just stop [fill in the blank], then we’ll be good Christians… Instead, we need to see faith and our witness to those around us stemming from an internal heart transformation, living from the inside out and not the outside in.

In a very thought provoking, conversational style, this book encourages us to stop doing church and to start being the Church. It shows how allowing God to change us from the core of our being gives us freedom to stop trying to ACT like a Christian and to just actively BE a Christian. Christine believes that this is the most important book she has ever written, as it is a real tool for both individuals as well as churches.

This unique book ends with a challenging 31-day devotional that will help you to practice the art of being an authentic Christian.

Learn how allowing the Holy Spirit to do His work in you gives you the power to BE a witness, not to do witnessing. This empowering book will make you laugh and challenge you about what truly BEING a Christian is all about.

"How Good Is Good Enough?" by Andy Stanley

ABOUT THIS BOOK

Surely there's more than one way to get to heaven? Bestselling author Andy Stanley addresses this popular belief held even among Christians. But believing that all good people go to heaven raises major problems, Stanley reveals. Is goodness not rewarded, then? Is Christianity not fair? Maybe not, he says. Readers will find out why Jesus taught that goodness is not even a requirement to enter heaven - and why Christianity is beyond fair. Andy Stanley leads believers and skeptics alike to a grateful awareness of God's enormous grace and mercy.

Good People Go to Heaven...Don’t They?

Sure they do. It only makes sense.

Actually, it doesn’t really make any sense at all. Smart, educated, accomplished men and women everywhere are banking their eternities on a theory that doesn’t hold water. Chances are, you’ve never really thought it through. But you owe it to yourself to do so.

Find out now what’s wrong with the most popular theory about heaven—and what it really takes to get there.

Even Snoop was caught reading it.

Four Characteristics of Innovative Leaders

Limited Resources + Increasing Passion = Exponential Innovation


1. They heal the sick.
Not just physical healing. “In order to reach those that no one else is reaching, we will have to do things that no one else is doing.” We have to be driven to bring people to Jesus. We have to be passionate about that. “When is the last time you had a non-believer in your home?” We need to lead our people to love those that don’t know Christ. They need to be real people with names that people know. That type of ministry looks very different than the typical church ministry looks today. “Who is God calling you to reach that no around you is reaching?”

2. They break rules.
We don’t break away from the Truth of Jesus Christ. We need to do less “preaching” and more “listening.” Jesus healed people on the Sabbath. Martin Luther put the Bible in the hands of the common man. John Wesley preached outside the church walls. Bill Hybels combined the passion of parachurch with the power of the local church. “We have to care more about reaching people than following man’s rules.” Sometimes you have to stop watching what others are doing to hear from God. It’s your turn. Break some rules. “What is God calling you to try that hasn’t been done before?”

3. They offend Pharisees.
“When you do something new, the Pharisees will attack you like you never dreamed possible.” The things that are accepted today in the Church world, were hated ten years ago. When they do criticize, you must handle their criticism with grace. A lot of you are angry, and you have to get over your anger. Don’t shoot back. “What new thing is God calling you to create that will be hated today and embraced tomorrow?”

4. They redefine success.
John 3:30. Less of me and more of God. We have to do that…in everything we do. For example, a 2,000-person church in a metro area like Washington, D.C. is a “microchurch.” We can’t be impressed with ourselves. Success is going to be if my children know Jesus. Success is going to be when my wife gets the best of me and not the leftovers. Success is going to be spending time with God…just me and God. Success is getting people out of our building and out impacting the world. Instead of counting the number of people that are showing up, what if we started counting the number of people who we lost?

Taken from Craig Groeschel from LifeChurch.tv