The Spirit of Jesus Unleashed on the Church is the third book in a series concerning the restoration of Jesus' people in a world where the marginalized classes longed for reconciliation to God. After Jesus' ascension the early Christians fulfilled Luke's epic theme of restoration in their new empire, inclusion of outcasts, and endurance during the resistance. As Jesus journeyed to Jerusalem, so Paul and the mission of God followed the journey to the capital of the Roman world. God's people today are likewise empowered by the Spirit to boldly live their mission for Jesus through love, compassion, and endurance in cultures that marginalize those who need God's reconciliation.

A fresh look at the earliest Christian movement reveals what made the new faith so compelling...and what we need to change today to make it so again. Once upon a time there was a version of the Christian faith that was practically irresistible. After all, what could be more so than the gospel that Jesus ushered in? Why, then, isn't it the same with Christianity today? Author and pastor Andy Stanley is deeply concerned with the present-day church and its future. He believes that many of the solutions to our issues can be found by investigating our roots. In Irresistible, Andy chronicles what made the early Jesus Movement so compelling, resilient, and irresistible by answering these questions: What did first-century Christians know that we don't—about God's Word, about their lives, about love? What did they do that we're not doing? What makes Christianity so resistible in today's culture? What needs to change in order to repeat the growth our faith had at its beginning? Many people who leave or disparage the faith cite reasons that have less to do with Jesus than with the conduct of his followers. It's time to hit pause and consider the faith modeled by our first-century brothers and sisters who had no official Bible, no status, and little chance of survival. It's time to embrace the version of faith that initiated—against all human odds—a chain of events resulting in the most significant and extensive cultural transformation the world has ever seen. This is a version of Christianity we must remember and re-embrace if we want to be salt and light in an increasingly savorless and dark world.

In far too many ways, in far too many places, the church is tame. People seldom anticipate that things there will be in the category of the "amazing." What would it take for the un-taming of the church? That is the central question of this challenging book.

The Spirit of Jesus Unleashed on the Church is the third book in a series concerning the restoration of Jesus' people in a world where the marginalized classes longed for reconciliation to God. After Jesus' ascension the early Christians fulfilled Luke's epic theme of restoration in their new empire, inclusion of outcasts, and endurance during the resistance. As Jesus journeyed to Jerusalem, so Paul and the mission of God followed the journey to the capital of the Roman world. God's people today are likewise empowered by the Spirit to boldly live their mission for Jesus through love, compassion, and endurance in cultures that marginalize those who need God's reconciliation.

Describes How Jesus' Kingdom Values Can Transform the Global North Church

Unleashed Bible Study Book includes small-group experiences for six sessions, individual study opportunities for five days each week, applicable Scripture, How to Use This Study, and tips for leading a group. God's will is not just for us to be born again but for us to grow into spiritual adults. God intends all of the Christian life to be a process of growth in Christlikeness. First Thessalonians 4:3 says, "This is the will of God, your sanctification." Paul also instructs, "Those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers." In light of these rich realities, believers must clearly understand how we can intentionally cooperate with the Holy Spirit s work to grow us into the likeness of Jesus. Sanctification is victorious struggle victorious in that Jesus has secured our sanctification but a struggle in that we are called to actively pursue holiness. Unleashed is a biblically based, practical tool that unleashes believers for spiritual growth in Jesus Christ. Taking into account ways God uses different stages and seasons in our lives to shape us, this study helps participants understand the lifelong process of spiritual growth and maximize God's work to conform them to the image of Christ. Session titles: 1. Gospel Growth 2. The Holy Spirit's Role in Our Growth 3. Faith and Repentance 4. Grown by the Word of God 5. Prayer and Strongholds 6. The Role of Suffering in Sanctification "