The following books are yours FREE, provided you do not reproduce or sell them: Even Unto Death: The Spiritual Armory of the Evangelical Lutheran Church by G. Mark Steiner. Download Now (PDF 560KB)
[Jeff Shapiro writes:] Incrementalism: the policy of approaching a desired end by gradual stages. Sounds okay, doesn't it? Seemingly minor changes are barely noticed and are either willingly or grudgingly tolerated at each stage. But then a light bulb starts to flicker, and you realize that the change is not one of degree; it's a change of kind. A change desired, designed and delivered by the devil in his assault against your religion! Is this happening to your church? Has it already happened? How can you know? What can you do? The scriptural, evangelical, creedal, confessional, liturgical, catechetical and sacramental tenets of Lutheranism can help you understand and deploy the spiritual weapons at your disposal. Read this book for your blueprint.
See also:
An Evangelical Lutheran Presence: A Retreat for Congregational Elders by G. Mark Steiner. Download Now (PDF 100KB)
[Jeff Shapiro writes:] What can we say about opposites? That they attract? That one is right and the other is wrong? That one is good and the other is bad? With Solomon and Jonah as models of opposite motivations and behaviors, we see how both words in a set of paired opposites can be wrong, bad and dysfunctional. In this companion document to "Even Unto Death," you will see how Liberal/Conservative, Inclusive/Exclusive, Open-minded/Close-minded and other dyads of the "language of the world" can push congregations away from the truth of the gospel. Designed primarily for elders, this treatise will demonstrate that the distinguishing characteristics of the Evangelical Lutheran Church represent gifts of God for us to go forward in words of faith, rather than words of fear. The discussion questions in each chapter will aid in congregational self-analysis.
The Lord's Supper in the Theology of Martin Chemnitz by Bjarne Wollan Teigen. Download Now (PDF 2.89MB)