Your Summer Reading List from Seedbed
Somehow it’s summer already, and as you embrace warm mornings, time poolside, and (hopefully) a vacation or two, Seedbed has you covered on the summer reading front. If you haven’t checked out these new releases, we highly recommend them — and don’t stop there. Many would make great summer studies for your small groups or congregation. Most have a free chapter download available, so take advantage and give it a sneak-peek before you purchase.
Seeing Black and White in a Gray World by Bill T. Arnold
In this new release, Bill Arnold addresses the numerous logical fallacies and scriptural inaccuracies he found while reading Adam Hamilton’s Seeing Gray in a World of Black and White, particularly as it relates to today’s sexuality debate.
Bill Arnold shows that the world has no need of a church that sees as much gray as it sees. He calls for the UMC to discern more profoundly the black-and-white truths of divine revelation in order to avoid becoming another example of “cultural Christianity,” accommodating culture and conforming to it.
The Gospel of Jesus by Dr. Ben Witherington III
In this unique take on scripture, Ben Witherington masterfully novelizes some of the most familiar stories of the Gospels, helping us hear the story of Jesus as one seamless narrative.
With his customary eye for cultural and historical details, and engaging commentary, this highly respected New Testament scholar invites us to join those first century followers of Jesus around their fires and at their dinner tables, and hear the Gospel of Jesus for the first time all over again.
Thirteen Discourses on the Sermon on the Mount by John Wesley
Dig deep into your theological heritage by getting to know the work of Wesley. John Wesley’s thirteen discourses on Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount were first published in 1746 in a collection called Sermons on Several Occasions.
Thirteen Discourses on the Sermon on the Mount confronts readers with Wesley’s understanding of Jesus’s vibrant message: true holiness in Christ, distinguished from merely external religion. Wesley points to Kingdom living in its fullness as he describes the character that Christ Himself embodies and offers to freely share with those who follow Him.
The Class Meeting by Kevin Watson
“Because most small groups are built around curricular study resources, people rarely get down to the real substance of what small groups are all about: transformation, or becoming like Christ. Most Christians know much more than they are practicing or applying to their lives. Class meetings were essential for the first Methodists, and they are essential today, because they helped people grow in faith in Christ and learn how to follow Jesus with their lives.” – Kevin Watson
If that resonated with you, so will The Class Meeting. In this book, Watson unfolds a vision and a practical strategy for developing small groups that are much simpler than the typical group, while being more productive and with greater spiritual depth.
Making Manifest by Dave Harrity
Okay, so this isn’t a new release, exactly. But if you’re looking for something more active to refresh your spirit, this is for you. A bit of a workbook, Making Manifest is composed of 28 days of devotional meditations and exercises designed for personal spiritual growth and innovative community building. As you work through the book, Harrity will teach you to renew and awaken your faith by daily creative practice consisting of poetry, prayer, writing practice, contemplation, and personal reflection.