Pastors need more than just knowledge; they need emotional and spiritual support, a network of peers who understand the unique pressures of ministry. This section is dedicated to helping you find that support, encouragement, and professional development...
Read to Grow Spiritually
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Read to Grow
Am I Worthy of God's Help?
Some people are hard on themselves. They remember all the things they've done wrong and conclude that they aren't worthy of God's help. Unworthy of healing. Unworthy of salvation. Guilty as charged. Are they right?...
Miraclues - The Weirdest Details You Missed
Have you ever read a biblical text and thought, "Wait, what just happened here?" That’s exactly how this rollercoaster chapter feels...
Book Dump - 2024 Edition
All the books I finished reading in 2024. Some are worth recommending. Others are... on the list...
A Fast Way to Get Denied
Picture this: Jesus, the ultimate influencer drops the hottest commandment of the season—deny yourself. It’s so cutting-edge, even hipsters wouldn’t touch it. I mean, who denies themselves anything these days? It’s both countercultural and vastly ignored by many who take the name Christian. Yet it’s straight from the Lord himself. But why and how are we supposed to do this?...
Ideas for Prayer
Jesus commanded us to pray for our enemies. But how do we even do that? This list of ideas will get you started, including biblical texts to demonstrate each idea.
Acts Reading Plan - A six-week plan to read through Acts
Jesus created the Church to accomplish his mission. With twists, turns, and bumps along the road, the Early Church began with the power of the Holy Spirit and a collection of changed lives. You can use this free plan to read through the book of Acts, Luke's second volume...
News from The Pour Over
An enjoyable email summary of the biggest news of the day, paired with brief Christian perspectives...
From Davenport to Couch: Why Language Development Matters in Bible Translations
The Bible was written by people who spoke and wrote in languages other than English. Unless you learn to read it in its original languages, then it must be translated in order for you to read it. Language changes over time. My grandparents called it a davenport. My parents called it a...
Tools to Help with Controversial Interpretations
Recently a friend asked me about a book he was reading. It had caught him off guard, he said. The book addressed Psalm 23 but felt confusing. It seemed to undermine much of what one might expect. “The Lord is my shepherd.” You’ve likely already heard this poetic chapter, perhaps at a funeral. “This kind of destroys our thinking about Psalm 23,” my friend said. Then he sent a screenshot of a page from the book. He mentioned how it bothered him...
Grace That Transforms: Finding Freedom from Sin’s Shackles
Understanding Forgiveness, Repentance, and Justification in Christ. The Bible is God’s written word. God told people what to write down in the Bible. It is true and trustworthy. The Bible has two parts called the Old Testament and the New Testament. It also has smaller parts called books. There are 66 books in the Bible. The first book is called Genesis...
Strategies for Spiritual Growth: How to Move Forward When You Seem Stuck
We are instructed by God to "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 3:18). But how does that work? As a kid, I grew taller and stronger just simply by existing. So why doesn't the same thing happen spiritually? Lack of spiritual progress can feel very frustrating. Why is it that we sometimes feel the same spiritually as we did long ago?...
Refusing to Wait for Heaven
Do I have to wait for heaven to receive blessings from Jesus? What if my life needs blessings right now? What did Jesus mean when he said he makes all things new? What if I refuse to wait? This book will change your entire perspective on life, salvation, and heaven...
A Grateful Reply: A guided journal of thanksgiving
This book includes several chapters designed to help guide you through a meditation on thanksgiving. In addition to these biblical teachings, you’ll also find sixty thoughts on Thanksgiving, one per page. Each thought begins with a Bible quote, collected from the Old and New Testaments, designed to spur your thinking...
Risking Leadership: Training Timothy for today’s church
Leadership is no simple task. To lead in a godly way involves a considerable amount of risk. Paul understood this truth when the Holy Spirit inspired him to write his first letter to his disciple, Timothy. By studying Timothy’s ministry (as recorded in Acts) and the instruction he received from Paul, we...
Illuminate: Bringing John's first letter to light
You are the light of the world. Do you believe it? Can you see evidence of it in your life? Perhaps a better question would be: Can others? We understand that life here is frustrating, broken, and confusing because we live in a system that is opposite to...
Purpose at the Park: A simple four-step community outreach guide
This book is an excellent resource to guide you through a simple plan to reach out to your local community. Based upon the acronym PARK, these weekly readings teach you how to Pray for the people you meet, Ask engaging questions, Recruit them to worship, and Keep On building a...
BEST SELLER: The Daily Devo - Volume 1
Are you struggling to make time with God in your life? One Bible verse, one paragraph of application, and a one-sentence prayer - These simple devotions are perfect to start off your day or finish it...
The Daily Devo - Volume 2
Thousands of people have already been blessed by the devotional materials in volume 1. Now add yourself to the list of those who enjoy volume 2. No more struggles trying to make time for God in your life. One Bible verse, one paragraph of application, and a one-sentence prayer - These simple devotions are perfect to...
Teaching Philosophy
When asked to identify the greatest commandment, Jesus answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” Part of the way we love God with our mind is by...
Texts for Leaders
When Pain is Part of Ministry—Is God Calling You?
As a pastor, your likelihood of experiencing church hurt is even greater than others in the congregation. Since we can’t escape church hurt, then we need to learn to deal with it...
Picture this: Jesus, the ultimate influencer drops the hottest commandment of the season—deny yourself. It’s so cutting-edge, even hipsters wouldn’t touch it. I mean, who denies themselves anything these days? Why and how are we supposed to do this?...
How to Make a Free Digital Church Bulletin
Communication is central to the tools of the Church. Often, this includes a weekly bulletin. There are a number of reasons you might consider using a digital bulletin...
Reflection Questions for The Unstuck Church
Is your church growing or declining? Tony Morgan's book, The Unstuck Church describes ways to identify where your church is and how to get unstuck. These questions facilitate discussion...
You’re Doing It Wrong: 7 Terrible Ways People Use QR Codes
There’s a problem with QR codes: some churches are using them all wrong. You’re smarter than those people though, right? Here’s a list of wrong ways to use QR codes so you know what to avoid...
The Art of Pastoral Transition: Leading Through Successive Change
You’ve likely read about more than one church that experienced significant trouble during leadership transition due to lack of succession planning. One thinks of Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Illinois, the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, California, and Mars Hill in Seattle, Washington. Each of these famously known...
Seeds: Cultivating new disciples through Church planting
Imagine a barren field, lifeless and waiting to be transformed. Church planting sows seeds of hope in unlikely places, nurturing new churches and celebrating the rewards.
This book explores the Holy Spirit’s power through Church planting, revealing inspiration and strategies. Join Dr. Steve Baney as ordinary people become catalysts for change, where faith takes root in surprising ways.
The purpose of this book is to equip you with questions and tools for making disciples through Church planting.
Get your copy today of Seeds: Cultivating New Disciples through Church Planting by Steve Baney, PhD.
Risking Leadership: Training Timothy for today’s Church
Leadership is no simple task. To lead in a godly way involves a considerable amount of risk. Paul understood this truth when the Holy Spirit inspired him to write his first letter to his disciple, Timothy. By studying Timothy’s ministry (as recorded in Acts) and the instruction he received from Paul, we have...
BEST SELLER: Shaping Worship - 70 Devotions For Worship Leaders and Teams
You are a worship leader. Whether you're holding a microphone, playing a keyboard, strumming a guitar, or running a sound system, the example you set can either lead people toward worship or away from it. The question isn't whether you will lead people; it's where you will lead them...
Ready... Set... (Seven Devotions For Short-Term Mission Teams)
You are invited to go on an exciting adventure to places that reach beyond this world! The journey will be difficult. And the cost will seem great. But you'll see new places, meet new people, and you might encounter God in a new way! What is this exciting adventure? It's a short-term mission trip...
Jesus commanded us to pray for our enemies. But how do we even do that? This list of ideas will get you started, including biblical texts to demonstrate each idea....
Acts Reading Plan - A six-week plan to read through Acts
Jesus created the Church to accomplish his mission. With twists, turns, and bumps along the road, the Early Church began with the power of the Holy Spirit and a collection of changed lives. You can use this free plan to read through the book of Acts, Luke's second volume...
An enjoyable email summary of the biggest news of the day, paired with brief Christian perspectives...
From Davenport to Couch: Why Language Development Matters in Bible Translations
The Bible was written by people who spoke and wrote in languages other than English. Unless you learn to read it in its original languages, then it must be translated in order for you to read it. Language changes over time. My grandparents called it a davenport. My parents called it a...
Tools to Help with Controversial Interpretations
Recently a friend asked me about a book he was reading. It had caught him off guard, he said. The book addressed Psalm 23 but felt confusing. It seemed to undermine much of what one might expect. “The Lord is my shepherd.” You’ve likely already heard this poetic chapter, perhaps at a funeral. “This kind of destroys our thinking about Psalm 23,” my friend said. Then he sent a screenshot of a page from the book. He mentioned how it bothered him...
Grace That Transforms: Finding Freedom from Sin’s Shackles
Understanding Forgiveness, Repentance, and Justification in Christ. The Bible is God’s written word. God told people what to write down in the Bible. It is true and trustworthy. The Bible has two parts called the Old Testament and the New Testament. It also has smaller parts called books. There are 66 books in the Bible. The first book is called Genesis...
Strategies for Spiritual Growth: How to Move Forward When You Seem Stuck
We are instructed by God to "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 3:18). But how does that work? As a kid, I grew taller and stronger just simply by existing. So why doesn't the same thing happen spiritually? Lack of spiritual progress can feel very frustrating. Why is it that we sometimes feel the same spiritually as we did long ago?...
Do I have to wait for heaven to receive blessings from Jesus? What if my life needs blessings right now? What did Jesus mean when he said he makes all things new? What if I refuse to wait? This book will change your entire perspective on life, salvation, and heaven...
A Grateful Reply: A guided journal of thanksgiving
This book includes several chapters designed to help guide you through a meditation on thanksgiving. In addition to these biblical teachings, you’ll also find sixty thoughts on Thanksgiving, one per page. Each thought begins with a Bible quote, collected from the Old and New Testaments, designed to spur your thinking...
Illuminate: Bringing John's first letter to light
You are the light of the world. Do you believe it? Can you see evidence of it in your life? Perhaps a better question would be: Can others? We understand that life here is frustrating, broken, and confusing because we live in a system that is opposite to...
Purpose at the Park: A simple four-step community outreach guide
This book is an excellent resource to guide you through a simple plan to reach out to your local community. Based upon the acronym PARK, these weekly readings teach you how to Pray for the people you meet, Ask engaging questions, Recruit them to worship, and Keep On building a...
BEST SELLER: The Daily Devo - Volume 1
Are you struggling to make time with God in your life? One Bible verse, one paragraph of application, and a one-sentence prayer - These simple devotions are perfect to start off your day or finish it...
Thousands of people have already been blessed by the devotional materials in volume 1. Now add yourself to the list of those who enjoy volume 2. No more struggles trying to make time for God in your life. One Bible verse, one paragraph of application, and a one-sentence prayer - These simple devotions are perfect to...
When asked to identify the greatest commandment, Jesus answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” Part of the way we love God with our mind is by...
Backpack Blessing: Free Resource
Recognizing the importance of our schools and education, I’ve designed a plan to pray for and bless students and school staff. Choose a Sunday before the beginning of a new school year. Ask students to bring their backpack with them to worship. Designate readers. Along with the special ceremony and prayer, gift ideas include colorful pencils, fun notebooks, and gift cards.
The Backpack Blessing includes Scripture readings and speaking parts for the pastor, nursery coordinator, a board member, children's ministry director, and a volunteer teacher. You may adapt it to fit your context.
Access the free Backpack Blessing. If you decide to use it, please kindly let me know. The resource is © 2014 Steve Baney, approved for use by your church, not to be shared with other congregations.
Books for Kids
These books are perfect for enjoying quality time with your child or incorporating into school curricula. Grab your copies today and embark on an adventure of learning, laughter, and endless imagination! Whether for quality bonding time or educational settings, these books are a perfect addition to your collection.
Toys or Tools: A coloring book for safety and fun
Can you tell which ones of these are tools, which ones are toys? Some are safe for fun. Others are dangerous. Let's learn how to be safe and have fun together! This coloring book is full of amazing pictures that your child can fill with color as they learn the difference between toys that are safe and tools that are dangerous...
This delightful children's story tells the tale of a very hungry, very creative worm who enjoys an exciting adventure trying to find his way to a delicious apple. The book is fully illustrated in vibrant colors. Enjoy the imagination, rhythm, and rhyme of author Steve Baney with this kid-friendly tale that's fun for the whole family. You'll learn to never give up, but use creativity and learning new skills with the help of friends and the local library. Buy a copy today to enjoy with your child or school...
This family-friendly illustrated book by Steve Baney celebrates the life of a silly lizard and his boy. Help your child learn all about the letter L...
A collection of poems written and illustrated by Steve Baney. Inside this hilarious book of poetry, you'll meet a talking nose, several silly monsters, a group of aliens called the Nurts, wild animals, and more! Enjoy the imagination of Steve Baney through rhythm, rhyme, and illustration...