Today is the fourth Sunday in Advent! We pray that these scripture readings and song will help you to reflect on the love of Christ this Christmas.
Advent Week Three: Joy
Advent Week Two: Peace
Advent Week One: Hope
Introducing Advent: A Season of Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love.
What is Advent? It is a season that Christians celebrate during the four weeks leading up to Christmas. Advent is a time of reflection and anticipation! Today on our FBK Discipleship Blog, you can learn more about this season and simple ways to incorporate celebrating Advent into your home this holiday season.
Evangelism Resources
On Sunday, September 29, 2024 FBK held a Discipleship Forum on the topic of Evangelism. Here are some recommended resources to equip and encourage you as you seek to practice personal evangelism in your own family, workplace, neighborhood, and beyond. If you have questions or would like to explore this topic further, feel free to contact Shaphan Helms, our Students & Discipleship Pastor.
Recommended Books:
How Do I Get Started in Evangelism? by J. Mack Stiles
This book was given to those who attended the Forum. Additional copies are available at the Welcome Center while supplies last. One per household, please.
Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God by J. I. Packer
The Master Plan of Evangelism by Robert E. Coleman
Questioning Evangelism: Engaging People’s Hearts the Way Jesus Did by Randy Newman
Before You Share Your Faith: Five Ways to Be Evangelism Ready by Matt Smethurst
Evangelism: How the Whole Church Speaks of Jesus by J. Mack Stiles
Telling a Better Story: How to Talk About God in a Skeptical Age by Joshua Chatraw
All of of these books are available for free as e-books or audiobooks through a digital app called Hoopla that is made available by the Muscle Shoals Public Library.
Books for Parents of Teenagers
Family Worship: In the Bible, In History, and In Your Home by Donald S. Whitney
The Prodigal God by Tim Keller
Parenting by Paul David Tripp
Age of Opportunity: A Biblical Guide to Parenting Teens by Paul David Tripp
Thoughts for Young Men J. C. Ryle
Mere Christianity C. S. Lewis
The Screwtape Letters C. S. Lewis
The Track Series —short, readable booklets accessible for both you and your students, some examples include:
Track: Gaming: A Student’s Guide to Gaming
Track: Technology: A Student’s Guide to Technology
Track: Depression: A Student’s Guide to Depression
Track: The Power of Story: A Student’s Guide to the Power of Story
Track: Navigating Culture: A Student’s Guide to Navigating Culture
The Jesus I Wish I Knew in High School edited by Cameron Cole and Charlotte Getz
Surviving Religion 101: Letters to a Christian Student on Keeping the Faith in College by Michael J. Kruger
Articles for Parents of Teenagers
Choosing the Right College: A Guide for Christian Parents
April 4, 2023 | by Thomas Kidd | The Gospel Coalition
How Can Christian Parents Help Their Teenagers Think Theologically About Culture?
August 2, 2023 | by Jason Engle | Youth Pastor Theologian (YPT)
Do you want to “immerse your children in the truth?” If so, one powerful way to do that “is to utilize the Bible’s metanarrative (the overarching story of redemption) as a tool for guiding cultural conversations.”
5 New Stats You Should Know About Teens and Social Media
August 11, 2022 | by Chris Martin | The Gospel Coalition
3 Cultural Stories Shared by Gen Z and Gen Alpha Youth
March 28, 2022 | by Kendal Conner | The Gospel Coalition
The Unresolved ‘Why’ of Suffering
December 21, 2021 | by Andrew and Rachel Wilson | Crossway.org
Children's Books for Easter
Looking for a gift for a child or grandchild this Easter? Check out these titles!
Holy Week: An Emotions Primer (Baby Believer) by Danielle Hitchens
The Gospel (Big Theology for Little Hearts) by Devon Provencher
The Donkey Who Carried A King by R.C. Sproul
Prayer Resources
Praying the Bible by Donald Whitney
Article: Kingdom Centered Prayer by Tim Keller
Technology Resources
Preschool, Children, and Parenting Resources
Reading to children is a simple way to infuse your home with the gospel story. If you have children at home, consider making it a habit to introduce Bible-based books into the daily rhythm of your family. If you don’t have children at home, consider giving some of these wonderfully rich books to relatives or as a baby gift!
Storybook Bibles
Storybook Bibles are a great way to introduce themes, characters, and the main storyline of scripture to even the youngest members of your household. While you might think it’s just for kids…these storybook Bibles can even help parents and grandparent connect the dots and see how all of the Bible is telling one story about his great redemption plan through Jesus Christ.
The Beginners Gospel Storybook Bible by Jared Kennedy
The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones
The Biggest Story Bible Storybook by Kevin DeYoung
Picture Books
Young children’s minds have an amazing capacity to learn and soak up enormous amounts of information. Reading books to teach and reinforce biblical concepts is a wonderful way to build a foundation of Bible learning from an early age.
Baby Believer Board Books by Danielle Hitchens, illustrated by Jessica Blanchard
Don’t Forget to Remember by Ellie Holcomb, illustrated by Kayla Harren
The Story of God with Us by Kenneth Padgett and Shay Gregorie, illustrated by Aedan Peterson
What Every Child Should Know About Prayer by Nancy Guthrie, illustrated by Jenny Brake
Parenting Books
Habits of the Household by Justin Whitmel Earley
Parenting: 14 Gospel Principles That Can Radically Change Your Family by Paul David Tripp
Family Worship: In the Bible, In History, and In Your Home by Donald Whitney
Children’s Podcasts
The Biggest Story Podcast by Crossway
This is a great audio resource for children of all ages! It follows also with The Biggest Story Bible by Kevin DeYoung and includes an introduction to the story and gives children an opportunity to practice a memory verse at the end of each episode.
Bible Reading Resources
Regular Scripture reading is an important aspect of discipleship, and at FBK each year we provide a recommended reading plan to encourage our members to read through the Bible together. There are also many great books, podcasts, and articles that will help you grow in your ability to read, understand, and apply God’s Word.
Bible Reading Plan:
You can download and print a copy of this year’s reading plan by clicking here or pick up a copy in the magazine rack outside the Worship Center.
Audio Bible
ESV Podcasts by Crossway — Listening to Scripture is a great habit to increase your exposure to the full counsel of God’s Word. Several listening plans are available: the Bible in year, a Psalm A Day, Chronological, and more.
Books
A Short Guide to Reading the Bible Better by George H. Guthrie
Women of the Word by Jen Wilkin
Videos
The Bible Project: Read Scripture Video Series — This website has videos that provide an overview of the structure and main themes of every book in the Bible. These videos are an excellent way to see the big picture of a particular book prior to reading it for yourself.
Articles
HEAR Journal by Replicate.org — Do you ever feel like you read your Bible and don’t really know how to connect it to your life? This article presents a simple method for reading, interpreting, and applying Scripture. HEAR stands for Highlight, Explain, Apply, and Respond. This method helps readers to slow down, meditate on God’s Word, seek understanding, and then apply it to their own lives.
Family Worship Resources
How can you create a culture of discipleship in your life and home that is centered around worshiping Christ together? This might sound like a daunting task, however, worshipping as a family is as simple as this: sing, read, pray. Sing a hymn together, read a passage of scripture together, and pray together. This Forum was based on the short but very helpful book by Dr. Donald Whitney: Family Worship: In the Bible, In History, and In Your Home.
Storybook Bibles
Storybook Bibles are a great way to introduce themes, characters, and the main storyline of scripture to even the youngest members of your household. While you might think it’s just for kids…these storybook Bibles can even help parents and grandparent connect the dots and see how all of the Bible is telling one story about his great redemption plan through Jesus Christ.
The Beginners Gospel Storybook Bible by Jared Kennedy
The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones
The Biggest Story Bible Storybook by Kevin DeYoung
Prayer Books
Every Moment Holy (3 Volumes) by Douglas K. McKelvey
The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions
Family Discipleship
Family Worship Bible Guide by Joel R Beeke (Author, Editor), Michael P. V. Barrett (Author), Jerry Bilkes (Author), Paul Smalley