Catalog of Community Group

Resources

“Let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds” Hebrews 10:24

Study material available through the church

for use by community groups.

Christian Living

Bridges, Jerry – Discipline of Grace From the best-selling author of The Pursuit of Holiness comes a thought-provoking look at legalism, discipleship, and spiritual freedom. Learn how grace and holiness are linked---and how the same mercy that leads believers to Christ also develops us spiritually in the areas of commitment, conviction, choices, watchfulness, and adversity.

Bridges, Jerry – Pursuit of Holiness What does holiness look like? For starters, it doesn't look anything like perfection. And it doesn't necessarily look like victory. Mostly, it consists of effort, prayer, grace, and obedience. Bridges takes holiness out of the realm of the impossible and brings it into the real world of your daily life and decisions. Whether you're continuing your pursuit of holiness or just beginning, the principles and guidelines in The Pursuit of Holiness will challenge you to obey God's command of holiness.

Colson, Chuck – How Now Shall We Live? If we are going to respond to Paul's command to "not conform any longer to the teaching of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind" we will need to develop a Christian worldview. In How Now Shall We Live Colson and Pearcey carefully lay the foundation of a Christian worldview and enable you to develop a Christian perspective on every aspect of life.

Your Worldview (DVD and Book) Everything you think about life is shaped by your worldview. It determines your view on God, yourself and other people. It determines how you think about relationships, your time, and your money. In this small group study, Rick Warren and Chuck Colson examine worldviews as they relate to the most important questions of our day. They explore such key issues as truth, tolerance, terrorism, reconciliation, and the purpose of life.

Cymbala, Jim – When God’s People Pray Prayer can change lives and circumstances like nothing else can. What are the keys that unlock its power, that turn prayer from a mere activity into a vital link with God and all his resources? In this DVD, Jim Cymbala, pastor of Brooklyn Tabernacle, shows you and your small group truths about prayer that God has used to turn his own church from a tiny, struggling inner-city congregation into a vital, thriving community of believers who pray with passion, focus, and faith. Featuring teachings by Jim Cymbala and video interviews of ordinary people who have received extraordinary answers to their prayers, these six sessions will help you pray with new confidence. Six sessions: 1. God's Heart for Us, 2. The Amazing Power of Prayer, 3. Obedience in Prayer, 4. The Word of God and Prayer, 5. Why Prayer Matters, 6. Creating a Prayer Ministry in Your Church.

Eastman and Wendorff – Connecting in Christ Together Fellowship. The word gets used a lot in church. But too often our understanding and practice of fellowship are shallow and stripped of the life-giving, life-transforming power God intended community to have. Jesus lived out and taught a deeper, more radical kind of fellowship---a way of interacting that makes others sit up and take notice. These six sessions will show you Jesus' way of loving others 'as I have loved you.' Experiencing Christ Together helps your group explore the five biblical purposes that make up a high-impact Christian life ---fellowship, discipleship, ministry, evangelism, and worship.

Eastman and Wendorff – Growing in Christ Together Our world these days is so hectic, so complex. Where do we turn for wisdom and guidance in navigating the ins and outs of life? There are many voices to listen to and many examples to follow, but we really need look no further than the Author of Life, Jesus. He taught and lived a way of life that was purposeful and pleasing to God. These six sessions will show you the value and nature of a life of discipleship, as modeled by Jesus.

Holladay, Tom and Kay Warren – Foundations (DVD) Foundations focuses on the essential truths of the Christian faith and how these truths are to be lived out – in your relationships, your character, and your work. Each DVD contains four sessions that examine one of the core truths of the Christian faith. Six DVDs: 1. God, 2. Jesus, 3. Holy Spirit, 4. Creation, 5. Salvation, 6. Bible.

Lucado, Max – In the Grip of Grace God lovingly holds you in the eternal grip of His grace. Good deeds won't help. Perfect performance isn't required. Max Lucado proclaims the grace of God to be "the greatest discovery of my life." Share in his discovery by taking a journey through the mountaintop truths found in Paul's letter to the Romans, "the grandest treatise on grace ever written."

Lucado, Max – It’s Not About Me God is the center of the universe - not us - and our lives reach their highest potential in His eyes when we honor Him. Despite problems, pain and suffering, learn how to reflect His glory in your life and become His mirror to the world, because it's all about Him. It is through this shift in thinking that we can truly live a truly fulfilled life.

McGee, Robert – The Search for Significance Learn how to see your worth through God's eyes, step off the "performance treadmill," and discover, through insightful self-inventory exercises, how four false beliefs have kept you from the joy of abundant life in Christ.

Navigators – 2:7 Series Discipleship course that contains three books – 1. Growing Strong in God’s Family, 2. Deepening Your Roots in God’s Family, 3. Bearing Fruit in God’s Family. Growing Strong contains 11 sessions based on Colossians 2:7 that covers basic spiritual disciplines, including memorizing Scripture, developing contacts with non-Christians, creating an evangelism list, practicing conversational prayer, and more. Deepening Your Roots encourages you to make Jesus the Lord of your life; and shows how to mature in your spiritual journey, fight against Satan's wiles, discern God's will, walk as a servant, and more. Bearing Fruit explains how to share the Gospel and examines what it means to reflect Christ’s character in your daily life.

Piper, John – Battling Unbelief (DVD) In ten 30-minute sessions, pastor John Piper shows how to sever the clinging roots of sin that ensnare us, including anxiety, pride, shame, impatience, covetousness, bitterness, despondency, and lust. Delighting in the bounty of God's glorious gospel promises, will free us for a less sin-encumbered life, to the glory of Christ. Rooted in solid biblical reflection, this study aims to help guide you through the battles to the joys of victory by the power of the gospel and its superior pleasure.

Piper, John – Desiring God Strengthen your relationship with God simply by enjoying him and his creation. Piper compellingly reveals why your deepest and most enduring happiness can only be found in God. Laying biblical foundations for a life of celebration, he describes how to glorify the Lord by truly desiring and enjoying him.

Piper, John – Don’t Waste Your Life (Book and DVD) In this provocative work Pastor Piper challenges us to set aside the trivial pursuit of self fulfillment so that we can develop a deeper passion for God. Piper believes that if we passionately submit the sufferings we endure, the risks we take, and the goals we set to the pursuit of God's glory, then not one moment of our lives will be wasted.

Piper, John – God is the Gospel (Book) When you ponder what it means to be loved by God, are your thoughts God-centered or self-centered? Best-selling author and pastor Piper reveals that the most loving thing about God is not his making much of us, but his enabling us to make much of him. Paradigmchallenging reflections on the gospel message!

Piper, John – TULIP (Study Guide and DVD) Explore the five points of Calvinism---TULIP---and how to uphold God's Word regarding his saving work. In sixteen 30-minute sessions, John Piper addresses the implications and issues of these tenets from a biblical perspective. Explore topics including the meaning of "total" depravity, Romans 9 and the two wills of God, and 10 effects of believing these principles.

Sproul, R.C. – Holiness of God Central to God’s character is the quality of holiness. Yet, even so, most people are hard pressed to define what God’s holiness precisely is. Many preachers today avoid the topic altogether because people today don’t quite know what to do with words like “awe” or “fear.” R. C. Sproul, in this classic work, puts the holiness of God in its proper and central place in the Christian life. He paints an awe-inspiring vision of God that encourages Christian to become holy just as God is holy.

Warren, Rick – The Purpose-Driven Life What "level of living" are you reaching for? Survival, success---or significance? Warren believes that God created you for a life of impact for his kingdom. And he'll help you discover it! 40 short chapters cover the values, strength, skills, habits, and relationships you need to fulfill your life mission.

Yancey, Philip – What’s So Amazing About Grace? In What's So Amazing About Grace?, award-winning author Philip Yancey explores grace at street level. What is grace? If grace is God's love for the undeserving, then what does it look like in action? If Christians are its sole dispensers, how are we doing at lavishing grace on a world that knows far more of cruelty and unforgiveness than it does of mercy? In his most personal and provocative book ever, Yancey offers compelling, true portraits of grace's life-changing power. He searches for its presence in his own life and in the church. He challenges us to become living answers to a world that desperately wants to know What's So Amazing About Grace?

Bible Studies

Cross, John – Stranger on the Road to Emmaus Here is a book that explains the greatest of Bible themes clearly and logically. Rather than focusing on one part and missing the whole the author chronologically binds together the entire text into one great universal drama, looking at events from the perspective of those who experienced history in the making. The results are sometimes comical, sometimes frightening but always true to the intent of the text.

Fee, Gordon and Douglas Stuart – How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth Understanding the Bible isn't for the few, the gifted, the scholarly. The Bible is accessible. It's meant to be read and comprehended by everyone from armchair readers to seminary students. A few essential insights into the Bible can clear up a lot of misconceptions and help you grasp the meaning of Scripture and its application to your 21st-century life. Covering everything from translational concerns to different genres of biblical writing, How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth is used worldwide. In clear, simple language, it helps you accurately understand the different parts of the Bible---their meaning for ancient audiences and their implications for you today---so you can uncover the inexhaustible worth that is in God's Word.

Piper, John – The Passion of Jesus Christ The most important questions anyone can ask are: Why was Jesus Christ crucified? Why did he suffer so much? What has this to do with me? Finally, who sent him to his death? The answer to the last question is that God did. Jesus was God's Son. The suffering was unsurpassed, but the whole message of the Bible leads to this answer. The central issue of Jesus' death is not the cause, but the meaning-God's meaning. That is what this book is about. John Piper has gathered from the New Testament fifty reasons. Not fifty causes, but fifty purposes-in answer to the most important question that each of us must face: What did God achieve for sinners like us in sending his Son to die?

Vander Laan, Ray – Faith Lessons (DVD) In this DVD series Ray Vander Laan teaches from Scripture on location in Israel. Available DVDs and study guides – 1. Prophets and Kings, 2. Life of the Messiah, 3. Death and Resurrection of Christ, 4. Early Church, 5. Walk as Jesus Walked, 6. God Heard Their Cry, 7. Fire on the Mountain, 8. With All Their Heart.

Wiersbe, Warren – “Be…” Bible Studies In these Bible studies Warren explains each section of a book of the Bible and demonstrates how it applies to the believer. Available studies: 1. “Be Skillful” (Proverbs), 2. “Be Satisfied” (Ecclesiastes), 3. “Be Loyal” (Matthew), 4. “Be Dynamic” (Acts 1:-12), 5. “Be Daring” (Acts 13-28), 6. “Be Joyful” (Philippians), 7. “Be Complete” (Colossians), 8. “Be Mature” (James).

Missions/Evangelism

Cameron, Kirk and Ray Comfort, Way of the Master Based on the award-winning TV series "The Way of the Master," this eight-session course will teach you to overcome your fears by using a proven, powerfully effective way to make the gospel make sense to those you care about. Learn to bypass the intellect (the place of argument) and speak directly to the conscience (the place of knowledge of right and wrong) - the way Jesus did.

Fay, William and Ralph Hodge, Share Jesus Without Fear Share Jesus without Fear relays Fay's passionate instructions on how to share the love of Christ with anyone--without feeling intimidated on either side of the conversation. Fay relates his simple yet probing "Share Jesus Questions" and his list of ready responses for 36 common objections.

Hybels, Bill and Mark Mittelberg, Becoming a Contagious Christian People matter to God. That foundational truth is why Bill Hybels planted a church where people can hear a clear, contemporary presentation of the gospel, relate to others who have decided to follow Jesus and respond to the life-changing good news of the gospel. In Becoming a Contagious Christian you will discover why we are called to be Contagious Christians, how authenticity, compassion and sacrifice help us relate to seekers and how to clearly share the gospel with those you love.

Larry Moyer, Larry Moyer’s How-to Book on Personal Evangelism This handy book has a little something for everyone, from the new Christian to the seasoned veteran of personal evangelism. By covering many topics salient to witnessing—including responding to cultists, reaching relatives and helping children understand the Gospel - Larry Moyer (21 Things God Never Said) puts to rest the fears and stereotypes envisaged by those anxious about sharing the Good News. With over a quarter of a century of experience, he addresses all the sticking points encountered by most Christians who are unsure how to approach people, what they should say and how they will be received.

Piper, John – Let the Nations Be Glad! In our worship of God we encounter God's glory. The overflow from our worship is a desire to share God's glory with others (the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever), and we naturally become missional. When Jesus was asked what the kingdom of God was like, he compared it to a pearl so valuable that one would sell all they owned simply to possess it. Does that seem like duty to you? Instead, Jesus calls us to a new mindset, which flows from the mindset that worship creates in us. Thus, according to Piper, does worship become the goal of missions and the fuel which makes missions possible.

Strobel, Lee – The Case for Christ A seasoned journalist chases down the biggest story on record in The Case for Christ. Retracing his own spiritual journey from atheism to faith, former Chicago Tribune legal editor Lee Strobel cross-examines a dozen experts with tough, point-blank questions in search of credible evidence that Jesus of Nazareth was positively the Son of God. This riveting quest for the truth about history's most compelling figure reads like a captivating, fast-paced novel, yet it's anything but fiction!

Strobel, Lee – The Case for a Creator (Book and DVD) Join Lee Strobel as he reexamines the theories that once led him away from God. Through his compelling account, you'll encounter the mind-stretching discoveries from cosmology, cellular biology, DNA, research, and human consciousness that present astonishing evidence in The Case for a Creator.

Strobel, Lee – The Case for Faith Skeptics of Christianity are everywhere, boldly asking tough questions in order to disprove the faith. Doubt no more! Get your hands on The Case for Faith and take heart! Author Lee Strobel, a journalist, investigated the toughest objections to Christianity and found solid answers. Whatever intellectual or emotional objections one has to the Christian faith are directly refuted by Strobel's honest and thorough discoveries.

Men’s Ministry

Allen, Clay A three-step study focused on sexual integrity – 1. Bootcamp, 2. Battle Plans, 3. A.I.T. Boot Camp is the place to start the journey towards sexual integrity. Battle Plans teaches men to permanently leave the cycle of struggling with sexual integrity. In A.I.T. the participant will undergo advanced kingdom training to understand how to apply God’s Amazing Grace.

Arterburn, Stephen and Fred Stoeker – Every Man’s Battle Today's media bombards men with sexual images and temptation, so it's no wonder that "sexual addiction" is on the rise---even within the church. In this compassionate brother-to brother guide, Arterburn and Stoeker tackle this serious problem head-on, offering a practical battle plan for men---married or single---who desire to live by God's standard.

George, Jim – A Man After God’s Own Heart Your deepest desire is to be a man who follows God. But how do you accomplish it? George reassures you that all you need is a heartfelt desire for spiritual growth---God's grace does the rest, bringing about lasting change in key areas of your life: your marriage, children, work, church, and witness.

Various – Seven Promises of a Promise Keeper This revised version of Seven Promises of a Promise Keeper brings you new author insights and stories on each of the Promise Keeper's seven promises. Men will find practical ways to deepen their Christian walk with encouraging chapters from Bill Bright, James Dobson, Gary Smalley, Luis Palau and many others.

Women’s Ministry

For a complete listing of women’s ministry resources please consult the “Catalog of Heartreach Ministry’s Bible Studies,” which is located in the church’s office.

Marriage Chapman, Gary – Five Love Languages Dr. Chapman explains the five ways that people express love and what happens when our styles of loving clash. He'll help you sort out the misunderstandings, and show you how to effectively relate to everyone you love.

Eggerichs, Emerson – Love & Respect Dr. Emerson Eggerichs' book, Love & Respect: The Love She Most Desires, the Respect He Desperately Needs, is based on the biblical passage from Ephesians 5:33 (But every husband must love his wife as he loves himself, and wives should respect their husbands - GODS WORD® translation). His premise is that communication between a husband and wife is often frustrated because of the vastly different ways in which men and women perceive love. Women are wired to need unconditional love and men need to feel unconditionally respected.

Harvey, Dave – When Sinners Say “I Do” (Book and Workbook) Marriage is the union of two people who arrive at the altar toting some surprisingly large luggage. Often it gets opened right there on the honeymoon, sometimes it waits for the week after. The Bible calls it sin and understanding its influence can make all the difference for a man and woman who are building a life together. When Sinners Say "I Do" is about encountering the life-transforming power of the gospel in the unpredictable journey of marriage.

Mack, Wayne – Strengthening Your Marriage You married "for better or worse." Whichever term describes your marriage today, it can be better tomorrow. Mack's biblically-based approach to marriage offers practical insights on marital roles, child-rearing, finances and more.

Piper, John – This Momentary Marriage In This Momentary Marriage John Piper reflects on his forty years of marriage, exhorting couples to keep their covenant as a display of Christ's covenant-keeping love for the church.

Smith, Winston – Marriage Matters In Marriage Matters, marriage counselor Winston T. Smith offers a simple yet powerful prescription for changing your marriage. He shows couples how to examine day-to-day interactions and see them from a different perspective.

Tripp, Paul David – What Did You Expect?? Internationally known speaker, pastor, teacher, and author calls engaged and married couples to a grace-based lifestyle of daily reconciliation, marked by six practical commitments.

Parenting

Dobson, James – Dare to Discipline Why are boundaries so important? Do children really want limits set on their behavior? Is it okay to spank my child, or will it lead him to hit others and become a violent person? The New Dare to Discipline designed to help you lead your children through the tough job of growing up. This practical, reassuring guide will teach you how to meet your children’s needs of love, trust, affection—and discipline.

Tripp, Tedd and Paul David – The Case for Kids The Case for Kids Video Series presents material from Tedd Tripp's Book 'Shepherding a Child's Heart' and Paul Tripp's 'Age of Opportunity'. In 14 half-hour sessions Tedd and Paul Tripp uncover the heart issues affecting parents, their children, and their teenagers. Together they discuss parenting from before the "terrible twos" through the often chaotic adolescent years.