BrianJones.com

Off To Focus On The Family

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Jones) — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 14:21:00 +0000

May 20, 2009

Hello Friends and Family,

I fly out today to do two radio interviews at Focus on the Family in Colorado Springs. I am very excited.

The first interview is with Dr. Bill Maier on the topic of forgiveness, focusing on the message of "Getting Rid of the Gorilla." Pray that God uses that discussion and the book to open the door for people who are trapped inside bitterness and anger.

The second interview is with a personal hero of mine, H.B. London, who produces "Pastor to Pastor," a monthly audio program to encourage pastors. We'll be focusing on the topic of "Doubt" as it relates to my experience as a pastor and which I talked about in "Second Guessing God." Pray that God uses that to encourage and empower the pastors who listen to that program and read that book.

FYI - my new website will be launched in June, which will include podcasts, vodcasts (preaching videos), and other tools to help encourage people to live the life Jesus has called them to live. Hopefully you'll check back then.

Press on,

Brian

Here's a link to order the book version of Second Guessing God:
Second Guessing God: Hanging on When You Can't See His Plan

Here's a link to order the study guide version of Second Guessing God:
Second Guessing God: Group Member Discussion Guide

Here's a link to order the book version of Getting Rid of the Gorilla:
Getting Rid of the Gorilla: Confessions on the Struggle to Forgive

Here's the link to order the study guide version of Getting Rid of the Gorilla:
Getting Rid of the Gorilla Group Member Discussion Guide

About Me

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Jones) — Mon, 01 Jan 2007 15:37:00 +0000

Hi, I'm Brian Jones, the one on the left. I'm the lead guy at a really good church called Christ's Church of the Valley (CCV) that my wife and I helped start in the suburbs of Philadelphia in 2000. It's made up of some really caring and authentic people. If you live nearby you might want to check it out.

When I have some spare time I like to write. My first book, Second Guessing God: Hanging On When You Can't See His Plan, was my attempt to help people answer the question, "Why does God keep allowing really bad stuff to happen in my life?"

My second book was released in March 2008. It's called Getting Rid of the Gorilla: Confessions on the Struggle to Forgive. It's about forgiveness, why I'm not very good at it, and how an unforgiving heart can make you do some pretty hurtful things in life if you don't deal with it.

I've spent a little bit of time in school. I received my B.A. from Cincinnati Christian University and my M.Div. from Princeton Theological Seminary. I'd like to finish a PhD at some point but that will have to wait until I put my three girls through college themselves. I figure I'll have it done in time for me and my grandchildren to walk down the aisle and get our diplomas together.

When I've got some free weekends or evenings, which aren't many, I occasionally get invited to speak for other churches and conferences. I really enjoy doing this. I've met some great people and developed some wonderful friendships this way.

I guess if you were to ask me what really makes me tick I would have to say it's showing people how the Bible and the great Christian teachers of the past help make life work.

Finally, the best thing going on in my life is my family. I've been married to my wife Lisa now for 19 years. I met her in fifth grade church camp. Now we have three girls of our own.

Non-Religious Devotional Thoughts

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Jones) — Mon, 01 Jan 2007 15:23:00 +0000

Each week I send out an e-newsletter I call Non-Religious Devotional Thoughts. My goal with each one is to challenge both Christians and the spiritually undecided to move forward in their spiritual journeys by connecting the Bible to the stuff we all face everyday.

So sign up and try reading them for a few weeks. If they bore you to tears, you can unsubscribe at any time. But if they give you a spiritual kick in the middle of the week, pass them along to your family and friends.

FYI – Your email address will never be sold to Viagra spammers and that dead guy’s wife in Nigeria who needs someone to funnel $15,000,000 to people here in the U.S. (unless, of course, they offer me a lot of money).

Books

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Jones) — Mon, 01 Jan 2007 15:06:00 +0000

Order This Book:
Buy Now
Order The Study Guide
Buy On Amazon.com

Getting Rid Of The Gorilla
by Brian Jones

Living with an unforgiving heart is like living with a gorilla.

The beast follows you everywhere. He squeezes marriages. He stinks up friendships. He growls at family gatherings and beats his chest at church.

An unforgiving heart ruins relationships, affecting everyone and everything you touch. Maybe you've tried and failed to forgive someone who's hurt you. Maybe you aren't sure you even want to try.

In these confessions from Brian's own struggle, find hope and strength for finally getting rid of the gorilla in your life.

Order This Book:
Buy Now
Order The Study Guide
Buy On Amazon.com

Second Guessing God
by Brian Jones

You're not alone when you ask, "Where's God?"

Do you ever wonder why God allows bad things to happen? Brian provides a refreshingly honest look at suffering and doubt and the divine purposes for life's difficulties in his book, Second Guessing God.

Second Guessing God provides readers a compelling guide for navigating disappointment and doubt, recovering joy, and rediscovering the "warmth of God's presence and the conviction that he really does have a plan for our lives." To do so, it closely examines:

Where's God? when life is full of struggle

What's God Doing? in the midst of our pain

Hanging On to God's promises to be with us

Here's a clip of me plugging Second Guessing God a while ago.

I'd Love To Hear From You!

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Jones) — Mon, 01 Jan 2007 15:02:00 +0000

To contact me please send me an email through my administrative assistant Kathy Stear at kathy@moviechurch.com.

CCV'ers Seeking Pastoral Counseling:
Our Pastoral Care staff handles all requests for one-on-one counseling. You can contact them directly at pastoralcare@moviechurch.com. Situations requiring care beyond the expertise of our pastoral staff are always referred to a Christian counseling agency called Life Counseling Services. With offices located throughout the Philly metro area, their skilled staff can help guide you through almost any situation.

Speaking

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Jones) — Mon, 01 Jan 2007 14:58:00 +0000

I'll occasionally get a chance to sneak away and speak to another church, conference, organization or retreat. When I have time I love doing this. I've met some of the most amazing people in just about every place you can imagine -- megachurches, small country churches, mom's groups, support groups, urban churches, emerging churches, etc. Amazingly, I have even met nice people at churches filled with Dallas Cowboy fans -- if you can believe that.

If you think you might want me to speak to your church, you can get in touch with me at brian@moviechurch.com.

FYI -- The bad news is I only have a handful of free weekends a year. The good news is there are lots of people better than me out there.