Devotional Life in the Wesleyan Tradition

Devotional Life in the Wesleyan Tradition PDF Author: Steve Harper
Publisher: Upper Room Books
ISBN: 0835816001
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 160

Book Description
This workbook describes major features in John Wesley's devotional life, and it illustrates how you can apply his ministry to your own life. Structured around Wesley’s "Means of Grace," the 7-week study covers prayer, scripture, the Lord’s Supper, fasting, Christian conferencing, and providential means of grace. Developed for individual or group study, the workbook also offers suggestions for organizing an initial group meeting and developing a successful group study. Also available in Spanish as La Vida de Devoción en la Tradición Wesleyana.

Prayer and Devotional Life of United Methodists

Prayer and Devotional Life of United Methodists PDF Author: Steve Harper
Publisher: Abingdon Press
ISBN: 1426775458
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 91

Book Description
This volume in the United Methodist Studies series challenges United Methodists to engage in life-transforming practices. The author explains a theme and underscores major emphases within the United Methodist denomination. This adult study is divided into four sections with suggestions for group discussion, and can be completed in 4 to 8 sessions. No leader’s guide is needed. The sections are: 1 - Living from the Heart - This chapter examines the essence of prayer and devotional life for United Methodists: holiness of heart and life. The chapter is divided into two sections to enable this examination: Cimmunion (heart) and Compassion (life). 2 - Read and Pray Daily - Exploring these two central disciplines in Christian formation and the Wesleyan Tradition guides readers into practical expressions of what it means to read devotionally (lection divina) and pray continually (the life of prayer). 3 - Get Connected! - The idea of "connectionalism" is a significant part of our tradition. This chapter examines this idea from two vantage points of classic formation principles and the concrete structures Wesley used in early-Methodism, which still contain implications for today. 4 - Go On! - The cultivation of prayer and devotional life in United Methodism is not about "attainment" but rather about "journey." This chapter examines the pilgrimage motif through the two lenses of the biblical doctrine of Christian perfection, and the practical development of that message through an action/reflection model of Christian formation.

The Presence of God in the Christian Life

The Presence of God in the Christian Life PDF Author: Henry H. Knight
Publisher: Scarecrow Press
ISBN: 1461673445
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 272

Book Description
While the most standard treatments of John Wesley's theology focus their attention on his distinctive 'way of salvation', they fail to provide a thorough examination of Wesley's 'means of grace.' This book offers the first detailed discussion of the means of grace as the liturgical, communal, and devotional context within which growth in the Christian life actually occurred. Knight shows how the means of grace together form an interrelated pattern that enables a growing relationship with God.

The Way to Heaven

The Way to Heaven PDF Author: Steve Harper
Publisher: Zondervan
ISBN: 0310864615
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 162

Book Description
Is There a Way to Heaven? The great evangelist John Wesley believed there is, and he developed his theology to help people make the journey from sin to salvation. In Wesley’s “order of salvation,” God’s grace is the keynote from start to finish.The Way to Heaven is a twentieth-anniversary revision of John Wesley’s Message for Today. Dr. Steve Harper presents Wesley’s writings and the ideas of Wesley scholars in language that is clear and accessible but never simplistic. Written in the spirit of Wesley, here are “plain words for plain people.”The heart of this book is a thoughtful and inspiring look at Wesley’s theology of grace and its power to transform. Included are two new chapters. “Vision and Means” explores Wesley’s mission and methods, and “To Serve the Present Age” considers the impact and relevance of his message today. In addition, an updated reading list facilitates further study, and questions at the end of each chapter stimulate personal reflection and small group discussion.Ideal as a textbook or for personal study and reflection, this book will advance your knowledge and piety as you travel “the way to heaven.”

Doctrinal Standards in the Wesleyan Tradition

Doctrinal Standards in the Wesleyan Tradition PDF Author: Thomas C. Oden
Publisher: Abingdon Press
ISBN: 1426761244
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 304

Book Description
The history of Wesleyan family of churches doctrines What are our core beliefs? Doctrinal Standards in the Wesleyan Tradition, Revised Edition, narrates the history of the formation of Wesleyan doctrines, describing how they were transplanted from the British Isles to North American, how they became constitutionally protected in Wesleyan-rooted churches. The first edition of this book affected the outcome of the 1988 General Conference of The United Methodist Church as the delegates decided many then-disputed doctrinal issues. This revised edition addresses the continuing hunger for more precise and useful information on the doctrinal traditions of mainline Protestantism. Hence the arguments have been updated with more than 400 changes. Included are doctrinal statements for the Evangelical United Bethren, Free Methodist, Methodist Protestant, Wesleyan, Nazarene, African Methodist Episcopal Zion, Christian Methodist Episcopal, and African Methodist Episcopal Churches; as well as an outline syllabus of a Course on the Articles of Religion.

Remembering Our Baptism

Remembering Our Baptism PDF Author: Philip R. Meadows
Publisher: Upper Room Books
ISBN: 0881778907
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 250

Book Description
Drawing on the roots of early Methodists, Philip Meadows urges readers to use the act of "remembering their baptism" to connect themselves to their own discipleship and mission. This will result in the daily shaping of their Christian lives by personal and corporate spiritual discipline, which is itself decidedly baptismal in character. When church communities of every size remember their baptism, they hold one another accountable for the life of disciplined discipleship and everyday witness. A great resource for small group study and clergy.

The Absolute Basics of the Wesleyan Way

The Absolute Basics of the Wesleyan Way PDF Author: Phil Tallon
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781628247725
Category : Christian life
Languages : en
Pages : 112

Book Description
"A 12-session study packed with dynamic illustrations and compelling analogies that explore the key elements of the Wesleyan movement. The lessons work through three primary sections: John Wesley's life, his core theological message, and the legacy of Wesley's leadership on the Methodist church. Like its predecessor, The Absolute Basics of the Christian Faith, this book can be studied individually, but is designed for group use. The accompanying videos are perfect for new member or confirmation classes, and for small-group or youth group settings. Rich in both history and faith-building, this study walks readers of all ages through a fundamental understanding of the value of scripture, prayer, communion, spiritual relationships, and the power of salvation, as evidenced in the life and teachings of John Wesley."--Publisher

Reclaiming the Wesleyan Tradition

Reclaiming the Wesleyan Tradition PDF Author: Douglas M. Strong
Publisher: Upper Room Books
ISBN: 9780881775198
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
Come back home to God! Salvation is a central theme in John Wesley's writings. Wesley urged people to become and continually grow as committed disciples of Jesus Christ. His appeals and reasoning are just as relevant today as they were in the 18th century. "Wesley's 'Way of Salvation' is a road map of the journey of humanity toward God," write the authors. "It's a pathway of grace in which we respond to God with increasing self-awareness of our separation and our need to come back home. Our aim is to help people understand and apply Wesley's teachings to their lives...and to transform them from being 'almost Christians' to being 'altogether Christians.'" The authors are passionate about returning to the roots of Methodist tenets of salvation. Covering biblically based doctrinal topics such as sin, grace, justification, sanctification, and ethical living, Reclaiming the Wesleyan Tradition explains Wesleyan theology in an easy-to-understand way. The book's format makes this 13-week study especially accessible. Margin notes highlight excerpts from Wesley's sermons, hymns, and journal with the authors providing context and analysis of the themes. Daily reading and writing assignments are designed to open theological discussions and to deepen spiritual growth. Wesley's words can reshape your daily walk with God. Expect to be spiritually awakened and brought into a deeper communion with God while celebrating a powerful legacy.

Making Disciples

Making Disciples PDF Author: Sondra Higgins Matthaei
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 222

Book Description
How is it that we come to know ourselves as Christians? What were the elements of John Wesley's work that contributed to spiritual formation for a Christian life, and how did these elements interrelate? Focusing on matters of formation and transformation in faith, Sondra Matthaei answers such questions in light of early Methodist practices of formation. Through research and dialogue with Wesleyan scholarship and constructive proposals related to the life of the church, this insightful study encourages faithful and imaginative approaches to spiritual formation in churches today. The focus of this book is on matters of formation and transformation in faith. The book answers the question "How do we come to know ourselves as Christian?" and analyzes this question in light of early Methodist practices of formation and an ecology of education within the Methodist movement. The reader will come to understand John Wesley's idea of character formation and moral transformation. The reader will understand how Christian and vocation are shaped through spiritual formation and will understand the role of structures and relationships (family, school, church, etc.) in spiritual formation.

Recapturing the Wesleys' Vision

Recapturing the Wesleys' Vision PDF Author: Paul Wesley Chilcote
Publisher: InterVarsity Press
ISBN: 0830876650
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 130

Book Description
Scholar and teacher Paul Wesley Chilcote provides a full and clear introduction to the dynamic faith of John and Charles Wesley. The vital theology of John is skillfully gleaned from his voluminous writings. The corresponding faith of Charles is culled from his enduring hymns. For students and general readers this book illuminates the vital balance the Wesleys found in Christian teaching that overcomes the often mutually exclusive options presented in other theological traditions. Chilcote shows that such a synthetic faith is not boring or irrelevant but transforming and life-giving, bringing together faith and works, Word and Spirit, the personal and the social, the head and the heart, mission and service.