New Wordmaster Bible Study Releases on Kindle

I hope you all had a Merry Christmas. Now, you have that new Kindle or possibly Android or Microsoft Tablet, Smartphone or an iPad and you are looking for some books to fill it up with. Well, you can start with the Shelfari book shelf in the right column of this page. But if you are looking for a new Bible study series to start off the new year, might I suggest one of the following.

Walking Worthy: Guidelines for Effective Christian Living

Paul tells us to "Walk worthy of the calling to which you have been called." But, how do we do that? What does that look like in everyday life? This Bible study series explores several aspects of the Christian Walk. Here's an excerpt from the series:

"I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,”   (Eph 4:1 KJV)

Have you ever noticed, when you see pictures of the British Royal Family going somewhere, how they walk? They don't clump along, slouching, arms swinging everywhere. They walk with a measured step always conscious of the ubiquitous stare of the crowds. As children, they are taught how to walk erect and with careful step. In short they are taught how to walk like royalty. Their very carriage and demeanor from childhood on speaks of nobility.

We are part of a royal family. We are children of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. The world also scrutinizes our behaviors. No less than a human royal family, we need to walk in a manner that speaks of divine nobility. No, I don't mean we need to practice walking with books on our heads. I'm talking of our spiritual walk. In our actions, we must walk in such a way that our royal parentage shows through.

In this series of lessons, we will look at several aspects of how we can "walk worthy of the calling to which [we] have been called."

His Hand Extended: Lessons in Everyday Ministry

God has a ministry for you. There is no doubt about that. There is something he wants you to do for the Kingdom of God. This Bible study series will help you first discover your ministry and secondly to prepare to be effective in it. Written from one lay person to another, this series is designed for those of us who might never consider ourselves "ministers," but that just means servants. Some serve in front of the congregation. The rest of us serve within it. Here's an excerpt:

Back in the mid-70’s I read a book which began, "I’m just a little girl with a great big God inside of me and I’m out to change my world." I remember little else about that book other than that first line. But those words made a tremendous impact on me. If I have God living within me, and if I let Him work through me, I am going to change my world.

As Christians, we are called to be world shakers. We are called to be light in darkness, to bring water to the thirsty, food to the hungry and healing to the wounded. We are called to cast a long shadow, which like the shadow of Peter has the power to raise up the afflicted.

An on-line friend of mine says that we are to be "Jesus to the hurting." I like that. My mother used to say, "We are the only Bible many people will every read. We are the only Jesus they will know." That’s an awesome responsibility if you think about it. The Bible says we are Ambassadors of Christ. We are His representatives.

Yet, that scares many of us. Why? I don’t think for most it is a fear of ridicule by others, although, that is sometimes the case. I think most people simply worry about "doing it right." They are afraid of failing God by not ministering effectively, so they don’t minister for Him at all.

In this series of lessons we will be learning about ministry, about the qualities of a minister, and about the source of power for ministry. Once we understand in whose name and by whose power we minister, we can move out boldly with a "great big God" inside of us and start to change our world

Both of these Bible studies take a discovery approach first presenting a commentary followed by a series of scripture-based study questions. They are suited for both individual and small group Bible studies.

http://www.amazon.com/Walk-Worthy-Guidelines-Wordmaster-ebook/dp/B00ARGTWYWhttp://www.amazon.com/His-Hand-Extended-Wordmaster-ebook/dp/B00ASHHASK

New Bible Study: Discovering Your M-I-R-A-C-L-E Self

My latest Bible Study to be featured on Kindle is Discovering Your Miracle Self. Here's the Introduction to that series.

In the field of psychology there is a concept known as "self-actualization.” Many people, including some therapists, unfamiliar with the theory, equate self-actualization with selfishness. However, a list of people believed to have self-actualized disputes this interpretation. They include Ghandi, Moses, Mother Teresa, and the apostle Paul. One could hardly call these individuals selfish.

What the self-actualization theory says is that each of us has a unique set of talents, abilities, predispositions and limitations. We will only be truly happy when we are flowing with these characteristics and not struggling against them. When I read about this theory, lights flashed, bells chimed, fireworks exploded because I saw in it a Biblical truth illustrated in a secular setting. God made each one of us unique with a special set of gifts and abilities. We don't have to be anything other than what made us to be. However, we will never be fully satisfied in him until we are flowing in everything he created in us.

This is what I call discovering your M-I-R-A-C-L-E self. Each letter stands for a different characteristic of the self-actualizing Christian.

M-aster Planned. The first thing to realize is that each of us has a unique life plan laid out for us in heaven. Even though we don't understand it right now, my existence is a vital part of God's plan for the universe.

I-ndividual. One of the great truths of I Corinthians 12 is that each one of us is different, and that we should celebrate those differences, not only in others, but in ourselves. The strength of the body doesn't depend on conformity, but on diversity.

R-estful. As long as you keep fighting against what God planned for you, you will be miserable and tired. Once you give up the fight and follow God's plan for your life, you will find that deep soul rest you seek.

A-uthentic. The MIRACLE self is truthful first with himself or herself and then with others. Living a lie is hard. Living a lie successfully is harder. However, living God's truth is easy and the burden of that truth is light.

C-onnected. The self-actualizing Christian realizes that he or she is part of a larger community and commits to that community of believers in a personal way. As a friend of mine used to say, "There ain't no Lone Rangers in the Kingdom of God."

L-oving. Being part of a community means that you extend yourself in love even to the unlovable. We can only truly "find" ourselves by loving others.

E-nthusiastic. The self-actualizing Christian is fully present in whatever he or she is doing. And when God moves that enthusiasm rushes to move that person in the same direction.

In these lessons, we'll look at each of these aspects of the MIRACLE self in greater depth.

As with all Wordmaster Bible Studies, this series is just 99 cents on Kindle.

Bible Study on Galatians Just released

I guess you shouldn't have favorite books in the Bible. I mean, it's all God's word. Right? But I must admit that Galatians is one of my favorites. It is a glorious celebration of Justification by Faith and our position as heirs of God.

So, it is with great Joy that I'm releasing The Law of Liberty: Lessons in Galatians on Kindle today. This seven lesson series takes you through the book of Galatians as we explore the Gospel or Good News of Freedom from the slavery of legalism.

Each lesson has a commentary, a list of study scriptures and questions to guide your study. This study is perfect for either individual or small group Bible study. Figure about a half hour per lesson for individual study and about an hour for group. Perfect for workplace Bible studies, Sunday school or women/men's Bible study groups.

Here's the Table of Contents:

Introduction
The Gospel Distorted
The Gospel Defended
The Gospel Proven
The Gospel Proven
The Gospel of Sons and Servants
The Gospel in Action
The Gospel in Community

An Excerpt from The Law of Liberty

In his delightful book The Screwtape Letters C.S. Lewis has Screwtape, a fictional undersecretary of demons, writing letters of advice to Wormwood, a field worker who is trying to tempt a new Christian to turn away from Christ. In one of these letters, Screwtape writes, "You have practiced turning yourself into an angel of light as a parade ground exercise. Now is the time to do it in the face of the enemy." Screwtape goes on to explain that if satanic forces cannot tempt one away from the faith, the next best thing is to distort that faith.

This is the situation Paul faces when writing to the Galatians. Apparently, they accepted Christ readily and had a desire to serve Him wholeheartedly, but someone came along in the guise of a teacher of the word and distorted the simple Gospel of Salvation.

Legalism is an especially deceptive heresy, because it plays on a noble desire to live a righteous life. What legalism misses, though, is that righteousness (right standing before God) comes from the shed blood of Christ alone. We cannot earn our righteousness. Legalism says clean yourself up first and then you are worthy of Christ. The problem is that if we were able to clean ourselves up morally, we wouldn’t have needed Christ. Instead, we come to Christ in our filth and He cleans us up.

Paul addresses this heresy head on in Galatians 1.6-7. He doesn’t hesitate, nor does he back his way into this subject. He boldly attacks the doctrine. He says that they have been lured away from the "grace of Christ unto another gospel, which is not another." Paul uses a sort of pun here. The word Gospel means good news. They have been lured away from the "Good News" of grace to the "Bad News" of legalism. Therefore, even though it may be called another Gospel, it isn’t, because only Christ can bring the "Good News" of salvation through faith.

Moreover, Paul says that if anyone, even himself or an angel from heaven, preach a different "gospel" that he should be "accursed." This word accursed is the Greek word Anathema, which means to be utterly without hope of redemption, to face the most severe divine penalties. That is a serious statement, but it shows how seriously God feels about us going back under bondage to personal efforts at salvation. After all, legalism nullifies the efficacy of the Blood. If we could become righteous by our own actions, Jesus died in vain. To place one’s trust in one’s own efforts for salvation is like spitting on the cross.

Paul realizes his words are harsh, but defends them by pointing out that his life has been devoted to pleasing God first. He goes on to tell about how God taught him all things, which he passed on to others, and how He submitted his teaching and instruction to the other apostles and received the "right hand of fellowship" from them. He also tells how, though he once persecuted Christians, he now glorifies God through his ministry.

So, right in the first 24 verses of the Book of Galatians, Paul sets forth the theme for the rest of the letter. The letter is a strident defense of Salvation by grace and also a celebration of the liberty we find in Christ.

Bible Study and Writing Book Free on Kindle Today

We have two books free on Kindle. The first is a Bible Study called The Agape Factor: Practical Guidelines for Successful Relationships from I Corinthians 13.It will be available for free download through December 17.

Our lives are defined by our relationships. Work, family, marriage, friendships, church and business relationships all impact our ability to live happy fulfilled lives. What is the key to successful relationship building? According to the Bible, it can be summed up in one word - LOVE. More specifically, agape love, the type of love that God had for us.

Christians are called to express that love everywhere. Indeed, Jesus said that it would be the way the world would know we are Christians.

But we all know it is easier to say "Love one another," than it is to live those words. Indeed, it is sometimes difficult to even figure out what the most loving behavior might be within a given situation. Fortunately, the Bible contains a chapter, sometimes known as The Love Chapter (I Corinthians 13) that describes exactly what this ultimate type of love looks like in practice.

This series of lessons looks at each of those components of Agape love in detail. Each lesson includes a short commentary along with study questions appropriate for both individual and group study.

Also, my book  Elements of Plot: A Personalized Approach is being offered until December 14 for free on Kindle. This book is part of my Writing Your Novel YOUR Way series.

This book takes a personalized approach to the process of building a story plan. Read five books about writing a novel and your will find five different ideas for plot outlines. This book takes a different approach. It helps you discover an approach to planning a novel that is consistent with your own personality. You will learn the elements of plot, the strengths and weaknesses of different planning styles and how to optimize your novel planning to your own way of writing.

This book strips away the padding and wordiness of many texts on the subject and gets right down to the essentials of turning your idea into a novel.

Recent Releases: A Mystery and A Bible Study

Welcome to Wordmaster Books Blog.  We are releasing new ebooks at a rapid pace. In this blog we will keep you informed of new releases, contests, free promotion days and other goodies.

If you want to receive email notifications, there is a link in the column to the right, so you don't even have to visit here. Here are our Most recent releases:

Death Gets an "F"

http://www.amazon.com/Pinewood-College-Mystery-Series-ebook/dp/B00AMF6U2U

 $1.99

This is the first novel I ever wrote. I have been editing it off and on for six years. I have to say that I feel very close to these characters, especially Cindy. If you like cozy mysteries set in small towns and a touch of romance, consider this novel. Here's the Blurb from Amazon:

Cindy Martin has a safe, comfortable life. She loves her job teaching at a small town community college. She has settled into middle age as a confident, independent single woman. Then he entered her life with his sad eyes, salt and pepper hair, crooked smile and rugged good looks. She just helped him pick out a study Bible and now she is helping the most handsome lawyer in town investigate the murder of a colleague. Their journey leads thing through the politics of a small town college, a sports scandal, the hidden secrets of a televangelist and to each of them dealing with ghosts from their own past, and maybe finding love in the process.

Death Gets an "F" is a classic cozy mystery featuring memorable characters, a bit flawed, but trying to do their best. The novel features Christian characters, but a storyline accessible to all readers. It's a romantic mystery that will keep you guessing until the end and make you fall in love with the characters.

 The Agape Factor

Part of the WordMaster 99 Cent Bible Study Series, this study focuses on how to improve relationships by applying the principles of I Corinthians 13. In a day and age when one of the characteristics LEAST associated with Christianity is Love, it is time for all of us to reconnect with the commandment Christ gave to love one another. But what does that mean? What does it look like in action? Love is more than a feeling. It is a way of relating to others that shows they are valued by you. I Corinthians 13 gives a checklist for us to see if we are truly living a life of love in our world.

Just a note about WordMaster Bible Studies. Each Bible study has been tested with an actual Bible study group. The studies are equally good for personal and group study. These lessons take a discovery approach with a short commentary followed by scriptures and study questions.