USEFUL TO GOD MINISTRIES

Trust God. Experience Freedom. Live Fully.

Useful to God Courses

  • A Walk Through the Gospels

  • The Uncomplicated Gospel

  • Christian Resistance

  • On Discipleship

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30 Days in the Gospels

Spend 30 Days in the Gospels. Follow the Useful to God podcast and download the 30-day reading plan.

The Uncomplicated Gospel

Learn the biblical story so that you can proclaim the gospel to a world that needs to hear it.

Becoming Useful to God

Take some time to learn from Mr. Moody by considering eight characteristics that made him useful to God.

Calm, thoughtful, theological conversations and biblical teaching with Dr. James Spencer.

Tune in to a podcast.

Dive into profound theological reflections with "Thinking Christian," featuring Dr. James Spencer's engaging discussions on contemporary issues, aiming to inspire Christ's proclamation in our daily lives. Tune in to "Useful to God Radio" for an enriching weekly exploration of biblical texts and themes, designed to fortify the faithful in both listening to and enacting God's teachings.

Thinking Christian on Salem’s Life Audio Network

A podcast reflecting theologically on the issues of the day with Dr. James Spencer and Christian guests from various walks of life. Thinking Christian encourages God’s people to proclaim Christ in word and deed to a broken world.

The Useful to God Podcast

A weekly Bible teaching program focused on examining various biblical texts and theological themes to help God’s people be hearers and doers of God’s word.

Mondays on KLTT in Denver and Daily on oneplace.com

Serpents and Doves

Serpents and Doves provides Christians with a vision for political engagement that is governed by the uniquely Christian task of pointing to and glorifying God. To do so, the book considers questions such as:

  • Why is it important to keep the Church and state distinct?

  • Can the United States be described as "Christian"?

  • How might Christians make political decisions?

  • Isn't there a difference between using the Bible to reinforce a political point and reading the Bible for the purposes of transformation?

These and many other questions guide readers through biblical texts and Christian thinking about the authority of the Triune God, the Church's unique role in the world, and the interaction between Christians and the governing authorities in the United States. Serpents and Doves calls Christians to put the politics of the day in proper perspective by recognizing the political nature of worship, discipleship, and the proclamation that Jesus is Lord.

It’s [Christian Resistance] full of really ponderable sentences that…will get you to stop and think and apply if you’re doing it right.”

- Tom Moller, host of the 94.7 The Word Book Club

A Praying People

Dwight L. Moody’s ministry was fueled by prayer. The church today would do well to return to prayer. It is not something we do having already decided what we are going to do anyway. Instead, it must become our first thought. Prayer must become as natural as breathing. A Praying People is inspired by Dwight L. Moody and offers insights regarding a range of topics associated with prayer. Our hope is that as you read these essays, you will not only gain new knowledge about prayer, but that you will be motivated to engage in the practice of prayer so that, like Dwight Moody, you see prayer as a vital part of your Christian life and ministry.

Useful to God

In addition to taking a fresh look at the eight characteristics included in R. A. Torrey’s "Why God Used D. L. Moody," Useful to God includes one additional characteristic that opened Dwight Moody’s life up to the Lord. Useful also includes biblical reflections related to the eight characteristics discussed, new illustrations of D. L. Moody, and questions for individual reflection and small group discussion.

Looking back at Dwight L. Moody’s life, it is tempting to focus solely on what God accomplished through a common man from Northfield, Massachusetts. Preaching to 100,000,000 plus, starting multiple schools, spearheading the Christian publishing movement, and inspiring untold numbers of men and women across multiple generations is difficult to ignore. Yet, why God used D. L. Moody is as important as what God accomplished through him.

As a reprisal of R. A. Torrey’s "Why God Used D. L. Moody," Useful to God serves as a reminder that our most powerful witness to God and the gospel comes as we delight in God’s instruction, sit at the feet of Jesus, and follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit. Our best work happens when we look with eyes that see and listen with ears that hear so that we walk by faith, not sight (Matt. 13:9-16; 2 Cor. 5:7).

Useful to God is not intended simply to describe a set of characteristics or to introduce you to Dwight Moody’s life and ministry. It is intended to challenge you to cultivate the characteristics noted in your own life. My hope is that you will pursue these characteristics with passion and urgency as you become uncomfortable being anything less than useful to God. As D. L. Moody once said in his book Secret Power, “if I know my own heart to-day, I would rather die than live as I once did, a mere nominal Christian, and not used by God in building up His kingdom. It seems a poor empty life to live for the sake of self. Let us seek to be useful. Let us seek to be vessels meet for the Master’s use, that God, the Holy Spirit, may shine fully through us.” May we learn to be useful to God.

Thinking Christian

Does God look more like us, or do we look more like Him? To what extent are we pulling God into our own agendas rather than allowing Him to transform the way we think about the world? Are we limiting our imagination by limiting God and the possibilities a life with Him might provide? These and other important questions lie behind the essays in this book. In seeking to reflect theologically on matters such as testimony, accountability, power, and Christian thought more generally, we may find that many of our problems as a Christian community have less to do with our answers and more to do with our questions. Perhaps by looking at the issues we face from different perspectives God’s people can learn to please God together.

Trajectories

Trajectories meets an urgent need in both undergraduate and graduate study of the Old Testament. Too often Old Testament theology focuses on the end-product and leaves the process obscured. Each chapter of Trajectories provides a clear path connecting biblical research to theological conclusions. The final chapter offers a step-by-step method for completing a thorough hermeneutical analysis framed within a discussion of the gospel message.

Trajectories also seeks to situate Old Testament theology in relation to global and generational trends influencing the church and evangelical theology. The implications of globalization and the rise of millennials on Old Testament theology are critical and thought-provoking topics for discussion. Chapters in Trajectories are organized thematically, so the textbook can serve as a companion study guide to courses in the Old Testament and New Testament. In addition, the exploration of topics allows each study to link to the New Testament. Each chapter concludes with tangible applications for the contemporary Christian church and with questions for group discussion and reflection.