In this practical handbook, Ron Allen helps preachers to embody the tenets of the Christian faith in their sermons, thereby enabling their congregations to believe, live, and witness more intentionally and with more integrity. Rather than advocating a particular kind of preaching, Allen recommends that pastors pay more conscientious and critical attention to systematic theology in the preparation of their sermons. He includes sample sermons and provides a wealth of valuable informatin in an appendix and bibliography.

Everyone understands human pain. But many Christians have difficulty comprehending God's pain, especially God's pain in the death of Christ. Is it atonement or child abuse? To speak of God in pain, says Barbara Brown Taylor, is not only to address the biblical stories of Christ's suffering and death, but also to proclaim the God who is present in our pain. This volume of teaching sermons on suffering presents different approaches to the problem of God in pain. In each sermon, Taylor speaks with sensitivity and profound insight as she addresses pain and both its human and divine impact....

In this new volume in the popular For Today series, Ron Allen provides an exciting introduction to the life of Jesus and an engaging discussion of what Jesus' life means for modern-day believers. Setting Jesus in his ancient context, Allen examines many stories about Jesus' life and shows how these different stories relate to one another to express the core of Jesus' message--a message that, as Allen helpfully shows, is of central importance for believers today.

The For Today series was designed to provide reliable and accessible resources for the study and real life application of...

This book offers a practical model for developing sermons for occasions when the Bible offers little specific guidance for interpreting an issue, need, or situation. Ronald Allen describes why and how topical sermons should be used, discusses special occasions when they are appropriate, and outlines strategies for developing topical sermons, giving particular attention to controversial issues. The last chapter includes sample sermons by other preachers.

A faith should be a living thing. What we believe necessarily evolves in response to insights into the Bible, to questions or doubts we face, to changes in life circumstances, or to things that happen in the larger world. Nevertheless, Christians often find it helpful to identify what they can most fully believe at a given moment. Such clarity empowers the present and leads us toward the future. Such moments can also be mile markers by which we measure our faith journey.

In each chapter the first section lists the most common ways a certain topic is understood in the Bible. The...