Most Popular Books by Bill Hybels

Rediscovering Church is the candid story of Willow Creek Community Church’s phenomenal growth, from 100 members meeting in a Palatine, Illinois, movie theater to its present Sunday morning attendance of 15,000. Bill Hybels and his wife, Lynne, tell about Willow Creek’s beginnings, its struggles, the philosophy behind its success, and the strategies that have made it a model for church growth. The first half of the book, written by Lynne Hybels, explores the early years of Willow Creek and the personal accounts behind one of this century''s most remarkable church stories. It offers an honest look at the ways God has used both the strengths and weaknesses of His people, creating a church of believers who have had tremendous impact for Christ in their community. In the second half of Rediscovering Church, Bill Hybels helps you apply the strengths of Willow Creek''s ministry philosophy to your own congregation''s mission. From mission statements to developing leadership, making sound financial decisions, and handling growth, Bill stresses that God wants to build His church to be an effective and committed community of faith that reaches out to a hurting world, to be the body of Christ in real and tangible ways. Rediscovering Church draws on the experiences of Willow Creek to show how one fellowship crystallized its mission and methodology, its vision and values. The Willow Creek story provides an example that churches and individuals alike can turn to for inspiration, encouragement, and a means of uncovering the pattern for their own unique mission and ministry.

The book you hold resonates with this conviction: that leaders such as you have the potential to be the most influential forces on planet Earth. Yours is the staggering responsibility and the matchless privilege of rallying believers and mobilizing their spiritual gifts in order to help people who are far from God become fully devoted followers of Christ. Life transformation and the eternal destinies of real people depend on the redemptive message entrusted to the local church. Are you willing to do whatever it takes to lead your church effectively so God’s message of hope can change the world? Then this book is for you. Courageous Leadership is Bill Hybels’ magnum opus, a book far too important to be written before its time. Only now, after nearly thirty years leading his own church from a handful of people with a burning vision into a globe-spanning kingdom force—only after almost three decades of victories and setbacks, of praying hard and risking big—is Hybels ready at last to share the lessons he has learned, and continues to learn, about Christian leadership. Too much is at stake for you not to maximize your spiritual gift of leadership, insists Hybels. In this passionate, powerful book, he unpacks the tools, tasks, and challenges of your calling. You’ll discover the power of vision and how to turn it into action. You’ll gain frontline insights for developing a kingdom dream team, discovering your leadership style, developing other leaders, making decisions, walking with God, embracing change, staying your God-given course, and much, much more. Drawing on his own richly varied life experiences, Hybels fleshes out vital principles with riveting firsthand stories. This is far more than another book on leadership strategies and techniques. You’ll find those topics in here, to be sure. But beyond them, you’ll find the very essence of one of today’s foremost Christian leaders—his fervent commitment to evangelism and discipleship and his zeal to inspire fellow church leaders even as he seeks to keep growing as a leader himself. If unchurched people matter to you . . . if you love seeing believers serve passionately with their spiritual gifts . . . if God’s heartbeat for the church is your heartbeat as well . . . then this book is a must. Courageous Leadership will convince you to lead with all your might, all your skill, and all your faith. And it will give you the tools to do just that.

Bill Hybels outlines the dynamics of listening for God''s voice and obeying His leading.

Shows readers how they can find and feed their personal areas of holy discontent, fight for it when things get risky, and follow it when it takes a mid-course turn.

Evangelism doesn''t have to be frustrating or intimidating. Bill Hybels and Mark Mittelberg believe that effectively communicating our faith in Christ should be the most natural thing in the world. We just need encouragement and direction. In Becoming a Contagious Christian, Hybels and Mittelberg articulate the central principles that have helped the believers at Willow Creek Community Church become a church known around the world for its outstanding outreach to unchurched people. Based on the words of Jesus and flowing from the firsthand experiences of the authors, Becoming a Contagious Christian is a groundbreaking, personalized approach to relational evangelism. You will discover your own natural evangelism style, how to develop a contagious Christian character, to build spiritually strategic relationships, to direct conversations toward matters of faith, and to share biblical truths in everyday language. This landmark book presents a blueprint for starting a spiritual epidemic of hope and enthusiasm for spreading the Gospel.

The best leaders not only lead well but also reflect on their leadership long enough and thoughtfully enough to articulate the philosophies that cause them to do so. Whether serving in the marketplace or in ministry, as executives or rank-and-file employees, as salaried staff or volunteer servants, good leaders can pinpoint the rationale for their actions and decisions with the ease of reciting their home address. In Axiom: The Language of Leadership, author Bill Hybels divulges the God-given convictions that have dictated his leadership strategy for more than three decades as senior pastor of Willow Creek Community Church. Oriented toward four key leadership categories ... 1. Vision and strategy (“Promote Shameless Profitability,” “Take a Flyer”) 2. Teamwork and communication (“Obi-Wan Kenobi Isn’t for Hire,” “Disagree without Drawing Blood”) 3. Activity and assessment (“Develop a Mole System,” “Sweat the Small Stuff”) 4. Personal integrity (“Admit Mistakes, and Your Stock Goes Up,” “Fight for Your Family”) ...Axiom brokers accessible wisdom from one leader’s journey, as well as emboldens you to nail down the reasons why you lead like you lead.

Exhausted. Overwhelmed. Overscheduled. Sound familiar? Today’s velocity of life can consume and control us . . . until our breakneck pace begins to feel normal and expected. That’s where the danger lies: When we spend our lives doing things that keep us busy but don’t really matter, we sacrifice the things that do. What if your life could be different? What if you could be certain you were living the life God called you to live—and building a legacy for those you love? If you crave a simpler life anchored by the priorities that matter most, roll up your sleeves: Simplified living requires more than just cleaning out your closets or reorganizing your desk drawer. It requires uncluttering your soul. By eradicating the stuff that leaves your spirit drained, you can stop doing what doesn’t matter—and start doing what does. In Simplify, bestselling author Bill Hybels identifies the core issues that lure us into frenetic living—and offers practical steps for sweeping the clutter from our souls.

In a society where "upward mobility" is the highest goal, Bill Hybels asks a tough question: Do Christians place God''s desires first-or their own? In Descending into Greatness, Hybels and writer Rob Wilkins take the example of Christ''s downward journey as it was meant to be; the radical and essential answer for every Christian. In fourteen powerful chapters, the authors explore such topics as How Jesus managed power. The intentional decisions necessary to move down. The uplifting nature of true humility. Abundant life through dying to self. The ambush of joy. Moving down is never an easy matter that can be reduced to a formula. It involves a life committed to discipleship. Descending into Greatness introduces you to the touching stories of modern men and women committed to advancing the kingdom of God: from the pro football player, to the medical missionary, to a businessman wrestling with the priorities in the world of finance. Descending into Greatness asks tough questions and gives hopeful answers. Now, this powerful, urgent message also includes a discussion guide so that you can follow through, too. "Like Christ, we must descend-into self-abandonment, unconditional giving, sacrifice, and death to self. And, like Christ, we will then ascend-into fulfillment, blessing, joy, and purpose."

Guide to making prayer a part of everyday life and finding time to pray in a busy schedule.

Bill Hybels points us to the wisdom of the book of Proverbs. This practical guidebook is ideal for anyone who wants to live the Christian life with wisdom and wholeness.

God instituted festivals and feasts. Jesus went to weddings and parties. Christians were made to be people who celebrate, and the focal point of praise should always be God. He is generous, and He is righteous, and believers'' natural responses should be celebration.

God wants you to be a world changer. Your acts of service, words of truth, love for God, and care for people can have a transformational impact. In a dark world, the light of heaven can shine through you. It''s time to influence the world with the love of Jesus. It''s time to maximize our impact for God!

Network is a six-session dynamic program to help Christians understand who God has uniquely made them to be and mobilize them to a place of meaningful service in the local church. Each participant in Network will work through a series of assessments to discover their unique blend of spiritual gifts, personal style, and ministry passion.

God wants you to walk confidently in your new identity in Christ, serving Him with joy and energy in your various roles. This study gives you a close-up view of these different roles and equips you with the sound biblical insights you need to fulfill them. (6 sessions)

FOR DISTRIBUTION OUTSIDE THE USA. Building on the solid foundation laid in Becoming a Contagious Christian (1994), Just Walk Across the Room signals the next era in personal evangelism. Pastor Bill Hybels'' firm conviction is that the highest value in personal evangelism is being attuned to and cooperative with the promptings of the Holy Spirit. This means playing only the role you are intended to play---walking when the Spirit says to walk; talking when the Spirit says to talk; and falling silent when the Spirit suggests that you''ve already said enough.

God is ready to give the wisdom and insight needed to navigate the questions that seem too big, such as: Will wars ever cease? Can the planet survive? Is God really out there? Does God hear prayers? Aren''t all religions the same?

Pastor Bill Hybels believes that there is a new reality in America. The church has entered an era of growth and unprecedented spiritual opportunity to share the Gospel, yet at the same time we face a shrinking economy and a world in crisis. This poses a great resource challenge for the church. In order to reach out to people who are spiritually hungry, the church needs more people to be equipped to serve others. Hybels passionately believes the key to the future of the church is the equation "X (paid staff) + Y (volunteers) = Z (bearing much fruit for God’s glory)." Churches cannot afford to continue hiring more and more staff with limited budgets. The key to resourcing the church is what Hybels calls "the Y factor." The Y factor is the pool of volunteers in every church. The great need of the church is to grow the church’s volunteer base through the equipping ministry of church staffs. As churches recover the message of Ephesians 4:11-12 to "equip God’s people for works of service" they will launch a Volunteer Revolution. People are just waiting to discover the gifts and passions that God has given them to serve others and then be invited to use those gifts and passions through the local church in order to advance the kingdom of God on Earth. Hybels believes that every church staff should be helping people discover their spiritual gifts, passions and place of service in order to meet the growing needs in our churches and world. Hybels makes a clarion call to move beyond volunteer retention to volunteer acquisition. By attracting, connecting, training, and sustaining volunteers, churches will mobilize people into places of service that will bring new meaning to their lives and understand why God put them on planet Earth. Hybels also outlines how we can build lifelong volunteers in the church through community, celebration, and commendation.

When Jesus was walking the earth, everyone had a theory about who he was—healer, revolutionary, king, friend, humble carpenter. But out of the vast complexity of characteristics and ideas there emerges one simple word that no one can deny: “Rabbi.” These 36 Bible studies capture the heart of Jesus the Rabbi. He was a revolutionary, miracle-working, loving, powerful, divine teacher. For those whose minds are ready to be expanded, whose hearts are hungering to be touched, and whose lives are ripe for growth, John Ortberg and Bill Hybels invites people of all ages and backgrounds to pull up a chair and dig into the life lessons of Jesus captured in the Bible throughout the Gospels. Designed for use as personal Bible study or group study, the interactive format will help readers grow in their ability to reflect the character of Jesus. Studies include: Twelve Studies on the Sermon on the Mount by Bill Hybels Six Studies on The Lord’s Prayer by John Ortberg Six Studies on the Parables by John Ortberg Six Studies on The Passion Story by Bill Hybels Six Studies on Luke by Bill Hybels

What does it mean to be truly committed to Christ?Jesus’ answer to that question forms perhaps the greatest sermon ever delivered. In Commitment, you’ll revisit the Sermon on the Mount to discover practical ways for assessing your present level of commitment and setting goals for its growth.You’ll find out what the Master expects from those who follow Him and what rewards await them. You’ll also learn how to sidestep common barriers to commitment and draw closer to Christ than you’ve ever thought possible. As you explore the themes of Jesus’ famous sermon and apply them to your own relationship with God, you’ll discover the confidence that comes from being fully committed to Christ.Interactions—a powerful and challenging tool for building deep relationships between you and your group members, and you and God. Interactions is far more than another group Bible study. It''s a cutting-edge series designed to help small group participants develop into fully devoted followers of Christ.

If you''re ready to experience the joy of true, deep community, this study will help you move beyond your fears into the realm of knowing others and being known by them. 6 SESSIONS

Through this small group Bible study, move beyond six tough hurdles: adversity, fear, apathy, greed, lust, and sorrow. As you unite the hope and insight of Scripture with the support of the people in your group, you''ll find strength to overcome the things in your life you thought would never change. 6 SESSIONS

This study will help you and your spouse draw insight from one another and from the other couples in your group to build the kind of close relationship you''ve always wanted. (6 sessions)

You probably don’t think of yourself as an evangelist.Most Christians would rather leave evangelism to a select few with "special talent" for outreach. But when Christ gave the command to spread the Gospel, He gave it to us all. Because He knew we''d each have something unique to offer as His witnesses to the world. In Reaching Out, Bill Hybels helps you develop your own evangelism style—one that fits your personality like a glove. You''ll discover the meaning and importance of sharing your faith and learn the motivation and mind-set behind evangelism. You''ll also get the solid guidance and seasoned tips you need to put it all into motion successfully. As you walk through this proven, highly effective approach, you''ll find your hesitations melting into an enthusiasm for winning lost men and women to Christ.Interactions—a powerful and challenging tool for building deep relationships between you and your group members, and you and God. Interactions is far more than another group Bible study. It''s a cutting-edge series designed to help small group participants develop into fully devoted followers of Christ.

Those who follow in the steps of Jesus hear the invitation to excellent living. When believers seek to give God their best, they discover that the power of Jesus helps them live excellent lives on every level: spiritually, morally, relationally, financially, directionally, and eternally.

The Psalms reflect the many-faceted relationship between humans and God in the ever-changing proving grounds of life. Learn about God''s heart toward you -- and what He looks for in your heart toward Him. 6 SESSIONS

Discover a strategy for becoming all God wants you to be. God has a plan for your liberation, and He has provided the power needed to put this plan into action. 6 SESSIONS

Offers the counsel of biblical advice and principles to the triumphs and problems of marriage.

Learn about various kinds of love, beginning with forms of love you''ll recognize--and ending with a supernatural love so awesome it can utterly transform lives. (6 sessions)

Discover the joy of serving others.How can you identify full devoted followers of Christ? Their servant lifestyle gives them away! In our “me-first” culture, servanthood is the earmark of men and women who have discovered the joy of giving. But the secret to servanthood isn’t running yourself ragged trying to be everything to everyone—it’s pouring freely out of a full cup the things you were designed to give.Love in Action shows how you can break the back of self-centeredness and experience the satisfaction of serving others wisely and effectively. You’ll discover how sharing your unique personal resources and spiritual gifts can become a source of strength to others, worship and praise to God, and a personal delight that nothing else can match!Interactions—a powerful and challenging tool for building deep relationships between you and your group members, and you and God. Interactions is far more than another group Bible study. It''s a cutting-edge series designed to help small group participants develop into fully devoted followers of Christ.

Based on the book of Proverbs and Bill Hybels''s Making Life Work, this study guide will help you develop discipline, speak truth and strengthen relationships--equipping you to think and act out of godly wisdom.

How do you hand the tough challenges of parenting?Parenting. Nothing gives us more joy—or greater challenges. “How do I balance my work and family time? What’s the best way to handle my teenager''s attitude? Can I do a better job of raising my kids?”Parenting helps you and your groups tackle the thorny issues parents face today. Each session covers a topic that''s key to effective parenting, from raising well-balanced kids to overcoming the mistakes you make along the way. This practical, hands-on discussion guide helps you create a home where children can thrive. You''ll develop confidence and competence in your God-entrusted role as a parent and enjoy watching your kids grow into vibrant, godly adults.Interactions—a powerful and challenging tool for building deep relationships between you and your group members, and you and God. Interactions is far more than another group Bible study. It''s a cutting-edge series designed to help small group participants develop into fully devoted followers of Christ.

Today''s leading preachers share their expertise in preparing great sermons On top of all the responsibilities that comprise their vocation, pastors must write sermons that are original, insightful, useful, challenging, and comforting-once a week. This volume in The Preacher''s Toolbox series explores the art and craft of sitting down to a blank page and writing a message that nourishes and speaks truth-to the listener. Every chapter, written by an expert in the field, provides insights and techniques that are the result of years of sermon preparation. Articles include: Writing a Good Message in a Bad Week, Scott Wenig Five Hammer Strokes for Creating Expository Sermon Outlines, Jeffrey Arthurs How Prayer Transforms Prep, Michael Lawrence If You Dislike Sermon Prep, Bill Hybels Four Ways to Get Out of a "One Pitch" Preaching Rut, Matt Woodley How to Plan and Package a Year of Sermon Series, David Daniels The Spiritual Importance of Being, an Emotionally Healthy Preacher, Pete Scazzerro A special hands-on section from leading pastors entitled "How I Prepare a Sermon" brings theory into practice and will give you the benefit of decades of experience. Contributors include: Timothy Keller Mark Driscoll Lee Eclov Matt Chandler Justin Buzzard and more Book jacket.

This analysis of the inconsistencies in the lifestyle of today''s Christians is accompanied by specific examples and discussion of how Christians can restore authentic Christianity in their personal lives and thus nurture a troubled world.

This four-session video-based study explains how to navigate life through whispers from God--whispers that arbitrate key decisions, whispers that provide rescue from a dark night of the soul, whispers that spur on growth, whispers that come by way of another person, and whispers that unveil the terrible plight people face in this world.

In this five-session video-based Bible study (DVD/digital video sold separately), bestselling author and pastor Bill Hybels challenges you to make doing life together a priority, exploring from the book of Proverbs how experiencing community and growing in wisdom are inseparably linked and offering practical direction on how to experience this with others. All of us want to get better at life. Gettting wiser alone, however, is not the way it works. God didn’t wire us to catch onto wise and godly living through lone-ranger attempts at learning; it’s something that rubs off on us when we spend time with others who have the wisdom of God living inside of them. As the proverb says, “Iron sharpens iron as one person sharpens another.” This study is designed with both new and experienced group leaders in mind. For new leaders, it includes optional weekly DVD training sessions (DVD sold separately) to help them lead a fantastic, first-time small group experience. For experienced leaders, it includes a "Going Deeper" section for those ready to take this content to the next level. Sessions include: Walking with the Wise The Counsel of Community Iron Sharpens Iron The Heart of Community Faith and Friendship Designed for use with the Wiser Together Video Study 9780310820116 (sold separately).