Central Press | Next Step Disciple

An Unexpected King

Meeting The Messiah In Mark's Gospel

Jesus was an unexpected king because He was not what people wanted. He was, however, exactly what they needed. And, throughout His ministry, Jesus would prove Himself a prophetic voice, revealing truth from heaven. He would become a mediating priest, offering Himself as a sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins. And He would reveal Himself as a servant king who had come to establish the Kingdom of God—a kingdom not of this world, but more far-reaching.

We have the benefit of reading Jesus' life in hindsight. We know the end of the story. And so, we can read each episode forward with the knowledge that He is exactly the unexpected King that we need.

This devotional walks you through the life of Jesus, showing the gradual revelation of His ministry, His identity, and His destiny in Mark's Gospel. Each chapter is designed to appeal to both head and heart. As each passage is unpacked, the historical and cultural details will be studied to understand what the author's intent of the text was and connecting each lesson to our personal lives today. An Unexpected King is theological and personal—to help you grow in knowing and being.

Essential Provisions

Beliefs, Virtues, and Practices For The Spiritual Journey

The Christian life is not a destination. It's a journey to growth and maturity in Jesus Christ. Along the way, certain truths, character qualities, and disciplines prove especially vital to your spiritual walk. While only God can bring about life transformation, purposeful pursuit of these competencies can help sharpen your focus, plot your course, and give you benchmarks for what it looks like to love God and love your neighbor. Essential Provisions guides you through 31 Core Competencies—a set of central beliefs, virtues, and practices for growing as a fully devoted disciple of Jesus Christ.

Wonder

Advent Meditations on the Miracle of Christmas

Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year. For most people, the season is a magical mixture of beauty, curiosity, mystery and history. And, we crave this. However, the wonder of Christmas isn't twinkling lights, a winter snow, homemade desserts or a decorated tree. What makes Christmas so full of wonder is that God stepped into time and came near to us. The most wonderful time of the year celebrates the most wonderful moment in time.

In this daily advent devotional, journey to Christmas and discover the wonder of Jesus.

30 Days in Exile

Living For Christ with Courage And Expectancy In The West

Today, many Christians in America feel as though they have been dropped via cultural tornado into some strange, chaotic Oz. The place they call home just doesn't feel familiar anymore. In fact, it feels almost foreign. Like exiles taken to an unfamiliar and hostile nation, American Christians sense that they are now aliens in this place. 30 Days in Exile: Living for Christ with Courage and Expectancy in the West is a one-month journey through key texts of Scripture to gain much greater clarity in your calling as a Christian exile and help you live faithfully as a follower of Christ.

Next Step Discipleship

The Christian's Handbook For Walking The Pathway To Missional Living

The destination of the spiritual life isn't merely heaven. God invites His people to join Him in His global, redemptive plan. Understanding a simple Spiritual Pathway, the Christian will discover timeless principles to help move their life to greater missional living. Next Step Discipleship is a vital spiritual growth resource to help Christians live, teach and model biblical principles for their own spiritual growth and so that healthy churches are established everywhere. If you want to get your spiritual life moving in the right direction, this book is for you.

Next Step Journal

The Christian's Workbook For Walking The Pathway To Missional Living

This discipleship curriculum coordinates with Next Step Discipleship to help Christians grow in spiritual maturity. Using a simple pathway--BELONG, BECOME and BEYOND--the reader learns a Bible Study method to explore the true Gospel, their spiritual story, assurance of salvation, the joy of biblical community, the importance of the church, how life-transformation happens, how to use their spiritual gifts, making a difference in their neighborhood and cultivating a global outlook. The goal of this workbook is to make disciples who make disciples.

Next Step Church

A Pastor's Handbook for Leading Their People Along the Pathway to Missional Living

The destination of the Christian life isn't merely heaven. God invites His people to join Him in His global, redemptive plan. Understanding a simple Spiritual Pathway, the pastor will discover timeless principles to help lead their people to greater missional living. This book is a vital ministry tool to help church leaders live, teach and model biblical principles so that healthy churches are established everywhere.

Also available in multiple languages; click here to download one of our translated editions.