Books published by CSS Publishing Company

Pastors love to preach about grace. The essence of the Good News, grace is unmerited favor from the all-powerful Creator of the world. There is perhaps no more satisfying message to deliver.But does the average churchgoer really understand what grace means for them? Is it just another "Christianese" term that fails to resonate?Bill Thomas' Surrounded by Grace: A Bible Study for Lent is a tool based on the Gospel of John to help pastors, small groups and congregations answer the question of what grace is in a modern context. From the story of Jesus turning water into wine at the wedding in Cana to his conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well, Thomas uses John's words to affirm that the Lord's favor extends to all no matter how insignificant we see ourselves or our problems.Written to be utilized for individual or group study, or for worship services during the Lenten season,Surrounded by Grace encourages the imagination to ponder that there is no storm so great the Lord cannot overcome it; no pain so deep he will not sustain us through it; no death so final he will fail to resurrect us from it.Lessons Include: "Grace for Those Awkward Moments" (John 2:1-11) "Grace for the Broken Heart" (John 11:17-44) "Grace When Things Are Chaotic" (John 16:17-33) Bill Thomas is an associate pastor at First Christian Church of Washington, Missouri. Previously he has served as a minister at Northridge Church of Christ in Circleville, Ohio, and as pastor of Stony Point Christian Church in Kansas City, Kansas. Bill received a B.S. in Education from the University of Kansas, a Bachelor of Theology from Manhattan Christian College, and a Master of Arts from Johnson Bible College. His previously published works include The Road to Victory: A Pre-Easter Home Study and The Critical Questions … And More: Three Pre-Easter Bible Studies (CSS Publishing). An avid sports fan who referees football and basketball, he is also the author of two young adult Christian books with a sports theme: Pete Thompson and the Long Road Home, and Pete Thompson and the Last Out (Publish America, 2004).

Feed My Lambs is a collection of 103 children's object lessons, written in script form, so that those who desire to give fun and effective sermons will be able to easily prepare the message. I hope to encourage people who might pick up Feed My Lambs to give children's sermons a try. I think about how I went about it years back. I walked into a Christian bookstore, asked where the children's sermon book section was, picked up a few books, and wondered if I were biting off more than I could chew. I want people to know they can. God will certainly bless them and all the little ones they are trying to help. Jesus said, "Feed My Lambs."Included in Feed My Lambs:Index of Seasonal ThemesNotes to the ReaderIndex of Bible referencesLiturgical calendar suggestionsChapter-by-Chapter synopsisSome of the chapter titles in this book are:Having a Right Relationship with GodTrust in the Lord and His Perfect PlanOur Sins and Jesus' ForgivenessTalking with GodHolidaysDebbie Gordon has been a Lutheran all her life. She graduated from the University of South Carolina with majors in finance and management. Debbie has traveled extensively throughout Europe, especially while living in England several years ago. She is heavily involved with the ladies group at her church, and enjoys working with flowers and plants. Debbie currently resides in Pennsylvania, has been married for 23 years, has four amazing children, and a clever, white standard poodle.All author royalties for Feed My Lambs will be donated to Focus on the Family.

"THE WORLD is charged with the grandeur of God. It will flame out, like shining from shook foil; It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oil Crushed." -- "God's Grandeur" by Gerard Manley HopkinsCharged With Grandeur: Sermons and Practices for Delighting in God's Creation is a collection of sermons that encourage congregations to improve their stewardship of the environment by delighting in God's creation. Each sermon is paired with questions for reflection that could be used in follow up discussions, as well as "take action" suggestions for congregational participation.Author Christopher Keating wrote this book with the purpose to assist preachers as they prepare sermons about the environment. Bogged down by the "data of despair," and by the political nature of environmental concerns, many pastors avoid speaking about environmental issues. Yet the Bible is filled with ecological references that point to God's concern with the natural world. Charged With Grandeur provides resources that help congregations celebrate creation while also discovering ways of improving our stewardship. This is an excellent resource for pastors, church members, as well as congregational Earth Care teams and seminary students.Included in this book: Questions for reflection and action Ideas for ways individuals can "take action" Sermons that incorporate creation care elements Ways to discover connecting environmentally oriented scriptures into worship and preachingSermon titles included:Visiting Our StuffCasting Out into the DeepListening to the Song of CreationPaths of Danger Christopher Keating is pastor of Woodlawn Chapel Presbyterian Church in suburban St. Louis, Missouri. He is the graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary and Saint Paul School of Theology, and writes regularly for The Immediate Word on SermonSuite.com. He is a regular contributor to the St. Louis' Post-Dispatch's Belief St. Louis blog and has written for the Church of the Brethren's Messenger magazine.