Search results for ""author sam storms""

How can Christians pursue and implement the miraculous gifts of the Spirit without falling into fanatical excess and splitting the church in the process?The Bible teaches us that we are to be filled with God's Spirit and that God's presence and grace is manifested among his people as they serve, love, and minister to one another. Yet some of the gifts that God offers to his people aren't commonly seen in many churches today. Gifts of prophecy, healing, tongues, and other supernatural gifts of God seem to be absent, and many Christians are unsure how to cultivate an atmosphere where God's Spirit can work while remaining committed to the foundational truth of God's Word.In Practicing the Power, pastor and author Sam Storms offers practical steps to understanding and exercising spiritual gifts in a way that remains grounded in the word and centered in the gospel, including: Combining sound theology with inspiring personal examples. Covering all kinds of practical and theological questions about using gifts. Practical ways to express the compassion of Jesus to others by partnering with Him in spiritual gifts. With examples drawn from his 40 years of ministry as a pastor and teacher, Practicing the Power offers help to pastors, elders, and church members to understand what changes are needed to see God move in supernatural power and to guard against excess and abuse of the spiritual gifts.If you long to see God's Spirit move in your church and life, and aren't sure why that isn't happening or where to begin, this book is for you.

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Designed to shed biblical light on thorny issues, this book answers 25 of the toughest questions Christians are often too afraid to ask.

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Your Gifts Reveal God's Presence and Power The apostle Paul wrote, "There are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. . . . To each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good" (1 Cor. 12:4,7). But what are these spiritual gifts? How do you know if you possess them? And, if you do, how do you use them? In The Beginner's Guide to Spiritual Gifts, Sam Storms will help you answer basic and foundational questions about the what, why, and how of the unique gifts God gives to each of His children. You will discover the purpose of spiritual gifts in the Church and learn how to identify your special mix of gifting. In addition, you will find out how the Holy Spirit uses the supernatural manifestation of gifts to demonstrate God's presence and power among His people. God has gifted you . . . now learn how to use His good gifts for His glory!

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Countless people are worried, angry, fearful and just plain confused when it comes to some of the more perplexing issues that life poses and the Bible provokes. Tough Topics 2 provides solid and scriptural answers to 25 such questions. Sam Storms seeks to tackle frustration by looking deeply, not superficially, at what Scripture says, deriving clear and persuasive explanations for these thorny matters.

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The second coming of Christ is a matter of sharp disagreement amongst Christians. Many hold to premillennialism: that Christ’s return will be followed by 1,000 years before the final judgement, a belief popularised in the popular Left Behind novels. However, premillennialism is not the only option for Christians. In this important new book, Sam Storms provides a biblical rationale for amillennialism; the belief that 1,000 years mentioned in the book of Revelation is symbolic with the emphasis being the King and his Kingdom.

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Walking through the Bible’s teaching, Sam Storms helps believers find freedom, joy, and peace in knowing what God has done (and will never do) with their sin through the redemptive sacrifice of Jesus.

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The goal of our creation was not simply that we might be happy, but happy in appreciating God's own glory. Not in reviewing our own accomplishments or in the enjoyment of our own sensual appetites. Not in the development of a healthy self-esteem or in the acquisition of a four-bedroom home with a three-car garage. We were made to glorify God and enjoy him forever. Nothing is more important than understanding this truth. This inspiring work helps us see that beauty has the power to convince the inquiring mind of truth. The soul's contact with God's beauty elicits love and forges in us a new affection that no earthly power can overcome. Enjoying God in the revelation of his beauty is the solution to our struggle with sin, the catalyst for substantive and lasting change and is the soul's satisfaction, with which no rival pleasure can hope to compete.So what is it about God that when known and seen and experienced empowers the human soul to feel sickened in the presence of sin and satisfied in the divine embrace? That word again: Beauty.Apatheism affects not just those outside the church but those inside the church who can't be bothered with their own religion let alone someone else's.

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A thoughtful and accessible interpretation of Jonathan Edwards's immensely relevant and enriching work Religious Affections.

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What are spiritual gifts?Storms has spent several decades teaching on the topic of the spiritual gifts and equipping believers in the faithful practice of God's gifts. Yet there remains a great deal of confusion about the nature of the gifts and how they best function in the body of Christ.In this comprehensive guide to the spiritual gifts, Storms addresses the many bizarre and misleading interpretations while confronting the tendency to downplay the urgency of spiritual gifts for Christian living and ministry. He explains how spiritual gifts--both the more miraculous and the everyday--are given to build up the body of Christ.God has graciously provided these "manifestations of the Spirit" so that believers might encourage, edify, strengthen, instruct, and console one another, all with a view to an ever-increasing, incremental transformation into the image of Jesus Christ. Throughout this guide, Sam Storms unpacks the glorious truth that there is a supernatural and divine energy or power that fills and indwells the body and soul of every Christian believer.Understanding Spiritual Gifts is useful as a reference to address common questions about the gifts, but it also serves as a training manual for using and exercising the gifts in ministry. It is perfect for any individual or group who wants to grow in their understanding of spiritual gifts for today.

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This treatment of elder plurality focuses both on how churches can build a healthy elder plurality and thrive as congregations once plurality is established.

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This book provides a practical introduction to the discipline of preaching to oneself alongside fifty brief devotionals that will challenge readers to apply the law and the gospel to their own lives.

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New England pastor Jonathan Edwards encourages Christians struggling through the imperfections of life here on earth to experience the perfect love of God in communion with the Holy Spirit.

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Daily Strength, a year-long devotional, walks Christian men through Scripture passages that speak to their most pressing issues. Each single-page daily reading features a short summary of a Bible passage with a thought-provoking message from one of more than forty contributors.

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Offering readers an accessible portrait of J. I. Packer’s life and theology, this book explores his insights into prayer, Bible study, indwelling sin, and true godliness.

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