Böcker av Judson Edwards

The first four lessons in this unit draw inspiration from a traditional interpretation of the Advent candles as the Prophets' Candle, the Bethlehem Candle, the Shepherds' Candle, and the Angels' Candle. The final lesson, which occurs after Advent, celebrates the theological meaning of Jesus' birth as described in the prologue to John's Gospel. In the first lesson, taking our cue from the Prophets' Candle, we delve into some of the prophetic words about the Messiah in the book of Isaiah. As we study these Old Testament prophecies, we will ask ourselves, How is God present in my life-yesterday, today, and tomorrow? In honor of the Bethlehem Candle, we move in the second lesson to the little town of Bethlehem, a most unexpected place to serve as the birthplace of the King. Through what unexpected sources might God want to bless us? As we think about ancient Bethlehem, we will ponder this question. The third lesson reminds us of the Shepherds' Candle. Shepherds were considered untrustworthy and irreligious, so it is surprising that God chose shepherds to receive the news of Jesus' birth. We also may sometimes feel unworthy of God's love. The lesson invites us to think about the kinds of people God uses. In the fourth lesson, we focus on the Angels' Candle and ponder the angel's difficult message to Mary. What hard thing might God call us to do? Finally, in the fifth lesson we explore what it means that "the Word became flesh and lived among us" (Jn 1:14). We conclude our study by asking a practical question: How is the birth of Christ relevant to my life? May these sessions help us celebrate with new meaning the birthday of the King.

Unfortunately, to many people the word "sin" has lost its edge. We are more apt to hear about sin in reference to a piece of chocolate cake than in its true theological power. Understood biblically, sin is more than merely something that is "naughty but nice"; sin is a destructive pattern of life. It breaks our relationship with God, others, or ourselves. Reclaiming the word "sin" is the first step to reconciliation with God. When we recognize patterns as sinful, we recognize our own desperate need for the saving power of God in Jesus Christ. What exactly is sin? Just as we organize our cupboards and our schedules to make sense of our lives, Christian thinkers have organized sin into a number of categories in order to understand and surrender these patterns to God. The notion of "seven deadly sins" emerged as a way to recognize specific dangers to our spiritual lives. The origins of the list are unclear. Many scholars say that they emerged from a list of eight bad habits created by Evagrius of Pontus, a fourth-century Greek monastic theologian. Some 200 years later, Pope Gregory the Great reduced the list to seven while writing on the book of Job. Throughout the Bible, we read about the struggle between our sinful nature and God's desire to free us from bondage. In the book of Proverbs, we have an anthology of wisdom teachings. These collections were customarily attributed to King Solomon. Most biblical scholars now conclude that the title is honorary. The authors of Proverbs were the "sages, a social class that served as counselors, bureaucrats, and teachers during the Divided Kingdom and as preservers of tradition in the later periods" (Camp and Fontaine, 938). The purpose of the book is to guide people away from sin and into a wise and godly life.

In Quiet Faith, Judson Edwards writes, "For all of the fine qualities we introverts bring to the table, the truth remains that we are typically viewed as people in need of a personality upgrade. Those of us who are active in the church find that to be especially true in the community of faith. We are consistently, though subtly and indirectly, reminded that we need to be bolder, louder, and more certain in our faith. If we ever really got filled with the Spirit, the church seems to suggest, we would become extroverts." In eight finely crafted chapters, Edwards looks at key issues like evangelism, interpreting the Bible, dealing with doubt, and surviving the church from the perspective of a confirmed, but sometimes reluctant, introvert. In the process, he offers some provocative insights that introverts will find helpful and reassuring. Quiet Faith offers a thoughtful, honest, and entertaining look at what it means to be a Christian in the twenty-first century.

In Making the Good News Good Again, Judson Edwards asks questions shared by many longtime Christians: wouldn't it be great if the Bible fascinated us once again? Wouldn't we do almost anything to sense the presence of God anew in our lives? Wouldn't we pay almost anything to get the wonder back? Wonder is the fuel that keeps Christians going, the element that makes our faith contagious and alive-and it is the greatest need in our churches today. With so many of our spiritual tanks running low, we need to splash around in grace a while and come out laughing and feeling frisky again. Making the Good News Good Again will help readers hear with new ears the sweet, undistilled melody of the gospel.

Judson Edwards believes that it is important for Christian writers to strive to be among the best writers in the world. Following the example of the Apostle Paul, we can see ourselves as stewards of God's mysteries, polishing the message until it shines. In Blissful Affliction: The Ministry and Misery of Writing, Edwards draws from more than forty years of writing experience to explore why we use the written word to change lives and how to improve the writing craft. Simultaneously informative, educational, and inspiring, Edwards' latest work is a guided tour of what it means (and what it takes) to suffer the curse of so beloved an affliction.

There are many biblical stories which can be considered spiritual favorites, "greatest hits" even. Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Noah and his ark. Moses and the crossing of the Red Sea. Daniel in the lions den. The Christmas story. Paul on the road to Damascus. This book isn't about any of these stories. In the pages of Hidden Treasures, the latest by pastor and author Judson Edwards, we go a bit off the beaten, scriptural path to meet unfamiliar people and visit unusual places. You'll meet Bezalel, Ahimaaz, and Diotrephes. You'll make stops in books rarely visited, like Lamentations, Habakkuk, Haggai, and 3rd John. Even if you've spent a good part of your life studying the Bible, you'll probably go places in this book that you've seldom been before. As you wander the back roads of the Bible, you'll be impressed with the people you meet and the sights you see. You might even come to believe that there are truths to be learned on the back roads that can't be learned anywhere else. Each chapter is accompanied by a list of questions for reflection and study that will help you draw insights from these stories into your own life.

The Leadership Labyrinth: Negotiating the Paradoxes of Ministry by noted pastor and author Judson Edwards is an original and wholly unorthodox book on what it takes to be a pastor in the 21st century. It offers no simple answers, gimmicks, or church growth suggestions. Instead, Edwards, who has been a pastor for over thirty years, says that ministry is paradoxical, irrational and fun! He explores more than twenty paradoxes that every pastor needs to understand. If you've grown tired of "self-help" books for pastors, and if you're skeptical of "techniques" for being an effective leader, this book is for you. It will jar you out of conventional thinking about church leadership and make you glad again to be a pastor.

Readers who embark on a study of 1, 2, 3 John and Jude will encounter writers with a passion for learning and living the truth. If there is one verse in the Bible that captures the theme of these four letters, it is John 8:32, where Jesus says, "You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free."First John focuses on the truth about loving God, the truth about loving people, and the truth about the difference Jesus makes. Second and Third John and Jude all focus on the truth about bad religion and how Christians must take a stand against bad teaching, bad leading, and bad living within the church. This study will focus on those four truths and guide readers on a quest for truth in our day.To read these old letters is to read the words of people who loved the truth, especially the truth they had discovered in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This was the truth they held most dear, the truth that had transformed their lives, and the truth they felt was under attack in the early church.Studying these four letters will challenge readers to consider their own truth-the truth that governs their lives and the truth they feel is worth living and dying for. In a world where truth is a slippery reality, 1, 2, 3 John and Jude remind us that truth does exist and that truth still sets people free.This Teaching Guide for the Smyth & Helwys Annual Bible Study on 1, 2, 3 John and Jude includes teaching options, suggested worship and sermon outlines, and approaches to leading discussions and group study. This study also includes relevant lesson plans for including youth and children in a congregational study of 1, 2, 3 John and Jude.

Readers who embark on a study of 1, 2, 3 John and Jude will encounter writers with a passion for learning and living the truth. If there is one verse in the Bible that captures the theme of these four letters, it is John 8:32, where Jesus says, "You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free."First John focuses on the truth about loving God, the truth about loving people, and the truth about the difference Jesus makes. Second and Third John and Jude all focus on the truth about bad religion and how Christians must take a stand against bad teaching, bad leading, and bad living within the church. This study will focus on those four truths and guide readers on a quest for truth in our day.To read these old letters is to read the words of people who loved the truth, especially the truth they had discovered in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This was the truth they held most dear, the truth that had transformed their lives, and the truth they felt was under attack in the early church.Studying these four letters will challenge readers to consider their own truth-the truth that governs their lives and the truth they feel is worth living and dying for. In a world where truth is a slippery reality, 1, 2, 3 John and Jude remind us that truth does exist and that truth still sets people free.This Study Guide for the Smyth & Helwys Annual Bible Study on 1, 2, 3 John and Jude serves three purposes: to educate the learner on major issues of appropriate interpretation, to offer an overview of theological themes, and to build the learner's Bible study skills by reviewing significant interpretations.

In Bugles in the Afternoon, Edwards writes, "My long experience in the church has convinced me that most ministers-both professional and lay-spend time under the juniper tree. Those ministers who have served more than ten years and not been depressed, discouraged, or disillusioned can hold their annual convention in a phone booth. The rest of us, if we're honest, will admit that we occasionally visit the juniper tree . . . ."In eight honest and helpful chapters, Edwards probes the shape of modern ministry and the stresses that plague ministers. He explores ways to survive church conflict and how to know when it is time to leave the steeple. His fresh, thoughtful insights will encourage anyone trying to minister in a complex world.Bugles in the Afternoon is one juniper tree survivor guiding other juniper tree sufferers toward hope.

Paul left the church a treasure in the letter he wrote to the Christian community in Corinth-the letter we call 1 Corinthians. Sure, Paul was writing with a first-century audience in mind and likely assumed that the second coming of Christ was imminent, but we still benefit from the teachings we find in this letter. By reading it, we gain a rare glimpse not only of Paul's teachings on how to be the church, but also of the difficulties our brothers and sisters of the first century faced.We should avoid the temptation to dismiss this book as merely a record of a church that once was and is no longer. The words of Paul reach across the centuries to call us to repentance and unity. As Paul struggles with his beloved brothers and sisters who have failed time and again in Corinth, we can easily hear how Paul might struggle with us even today. Paul's original audience struggled with divisions, arguments, jealousy, and sin. They debated what to believe and how to live. The church in Corinth was pressed in on all sides. It was fragile and given to quarreling. In many ways, the Corinthian Christians were struggling even to remember the most basic things Paul had taught them about following their Lord Jesus.Yet Paul refused to write off these beloved brothers and sisters. Instead, he wrote them a letter in which he promised his undying love for them, even going so far as to name them as his children. Through all of their failures, Paul refused to abandon them to the world, for in them dwelled the spark of God's love that Paul had seen work miracles in many places. Paul confronted the brokenness of this beloved church in Corinth. It was a congregation that was still worth fighting for.Such a timeless message is fresh and relevant in Christian communities all over the world who are also worth fighting for. With Paul, we learn to confront the brokenness of our beloved church.

On December 17, 1927, the crew of the Navy submarine S-4 trolled beneath the waters of Cape Cod Bay, engaged in routine testing of their vessel. At the same time, the Coast Guard cutter Paulding traveled across the surface. Those traveling on the two craft never saw each other. The submarine broke the surface just in time to receive a death blow from the Paulding. The submarine, with its crew of forty, sank in less than five minutes. It came to rest more than one hundred feet below on the ocean floor.Rescue attempts began at once. Due to inclement weather, it took twenty-four hours for the first diver to descend to the wreckage. As soon as the diver's feet hit the hull, he heard tapping. Survivors were trapped inside. Pounding out Morse code on the hull with a hammer, the diver discovered that six crewmen had survived the collision. With renewed efforts, the rescue crew struggled to reach these men before it was too late. Again, the weather would not cooperate. Every attempt failed. With their air supply dwindling, the six survivors tapped out in Morse code a final haunting question, "Is there any hope?"This provocative question echoes across the craft we call Earth. By our own experience, we agree with the New Testament's words that all of creation groans for renewal and relief. The world hopes for something better. As part of this expectant world, we do the same. We hope for a better future for ourselves, our children, and our families.Hope is the intangible fuel that moves the human spirit along when life appears untenable; when marriages fail; when sickness invades; when we face difficult decisions; or when we encounter inexplicable suffering in our lives and in our world. We need hope to live on this planet the same way we need oxygen in our lungs.In our faith tradition, all hope is fastened to the child we find lying in a Christmas manger. Christians gather in houses of worship and around Advent wreaths to reflect upon the implications of his birth and to anticipate the day when hope will become certainty, when what we can only pray for now will become definite. Advent is a season to remember, but it is also a time to renew our lives of hope in the One born in Bethlehem.

One of the most dearly beloved aspects of the Christmas season is the music. From songs on the radio to church cantatas to school holiday concerts, Christmas means music. Some of this music is secular, but who doesn't start tapping their toes to "Winter Wonderland"? For Christians, the most precious songs of the season are those that celebrate the coming of Christ, born as a baby in the little town of Bethlehem.Before any of our Christmas favorites were composed, people of faith celebrated the newborn King through song. In this study, we will explore some of the songs of the season recorded for us in Scripture.We'll begin with one of the so-called "Servant Songs" of Isaiah as we contemplate the mission of Jesus-and us!-to be a light to the nations. Then we'll study the four songs found in the first two chapters of Luke and listen as Mary, Zechariah, the angels, and finally Simeon guide us in praising, proclaiming, and interpreting the meaning of Christ's coming.

We have a Savior to serve. That is our theme during the season of Lent. Really, though, that is our theme all the time. We are called to follow and to serve our Savior in the same ways that he followed and served his Father. We will find that if our lives are based on following Jesus, we will serve him and we will serve our fellow travelers along life's road. We will also find that it is a very costly and very rewarding way to live.While serving Jesus should be our theme all the time, it is good to have special times during which we can focus on our discipleship. Lent and Holy Week offer special opportunities to do just that. Hopefully, our focus on this theme during this season will inspire us to reflect on it as we live our lives from now on.The lessons in this unit are all based primarily on Mark's account of Holy Week, those days leading up to Jesus' crucifixion on Good Friday. So the words Jesus spoke and the actions he carried out in our Gospel texts were spoken and done during a time of great tension, controversy, and danger that called for his great commitment, dedication, faith, and determination.This final week was also a time full of opportunities for Jesus' disciples to learn how to live in times of tension, controversy, and danger, which they would have to do soon enough. They learned their lessons the hard way, through much misunderstanding and failure. We most likely will learn our lessons the same way. Perhaps our study of these texts will give us an opportunity, in the safety of our church and class, to make progress in our commitment to serve our Savior faithfully under the dangerous and trying circumstances that can confront those who follow the way of Christ.We need the Lord's help to make that kind of progress. We also need each other's help.It was a hard journey for Jesus and his disciples. Let's go with them and see where the road leads us.

Christian faith emphasizes revelation. As believers, we take seriously the fact that we know about God only because God has chosen to reveal God's self to us. When we stop and think about it, it is amazing that God gives any thought to us at all. But it is even more amazing that God wants to enter into relationship with us. Christians believe that God's ultimate revelation to us is in the incarnation. Jesus Christ, who was God with us and the Word made flesh, came as a sign of God's kingdom breaking into the world. Along the way to Jesus, though, the biblical writers employed many images and metaphors in their attempts to communicate God's revelation. Some of those images are familiar: Father, Shepherd, Judge, and King, for example. In fact, these images are so familiar that we need to revisit them frequently and to ponder their meaning. In this unit we will examine some less familiar metaphors for God from the Psalms and the Minor Prophets: God as Rock, as Storm, as Fire, and as Beast. Each of these vivid images communicates aspects of God's character. As we understand more about God through this imagery, our relationship with God and our faith in God are strengthened. These images are not to be taken literally; God is not literally a rock or a storm or a fire or a beast, just as Jesus is not literally a door or a light. Still, we should take the imagery seriously because we want to know God and be known by God. God knows everything about us, although we can never know everything about God. Even so, God has revealed God's self to us in varied ways. All those ways are gifts that we should gladly and enthusiastically receive.