Category: Peter DeHaan News

Peter DeHaan news and updates

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Peter DeHaan News

The More Than 52 Churches Workbook

More Than 52 Churches Workbook

The More Than 52 Churches Workbook: Pursue Christian Community and Grow in Our Faith

You’ve read More Than 52 Churches. Now it’s time to put thoughts into action. This workbook will guide you—if you dare let it.

Consider 175 thought-provoking questions to propel your faith forward. Discover how the narrative of More Than 52 Churches can help inform your church community and reform your spiritual journey.

  • Explore the diversity of Jesus’s church and your essential role in it.
  • Expand your perspectives of worshiping God and serving Jesus.
  • Extend your faith practices to embrace a more holistic perspective of what it means to truly follow Jesus.

Casual Christians need not apply.

More Than 52 Churches gave us more faith communities to consider and more faith practices to ponder. Now The More Than 52 Churches Workbook provides gentle, but challenging, questions to turn stimulating ideas into life-altering change.

  • Move from spiritually passive to practical.
  • Transform from self-satisfied to self-sacrificing.
  • Change from a church consumer to a church champion.

Then contemplate the three keys to becoming an engaging church and the essential role you play in making that happen.

If you feel it’s time to move from the sidelines and get into the game, The More Than 52 Churches Workbook provides the plan to get you there.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

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Book about the Minor Prophets

New book: Return to Me, by Peter DeHaan

Book 4 in the Dear Theophilus Series

You may know about the prophet Jonah, the guy who spent a three-day time-out in the belly of a large fish, but what about some of the lesser-known prophets?

Do you know of Micah, Obadiah, or Malachi?

What about Nahum, Zephaniah, or Zechariah? Oh, my! The list goes on. It’s enough to make our minds spin.

Rounding out these twelve Minor Prophets are Amos, Hosea, Habakkuk, Haggai, and Joel.

The Bible includes the work of these twelve prophets who carry the unfortunate label of minor. It’s not that their work isn’t significant, it’s that their books are shorter.

If you’re like most people, you scarcely remember their names, let alone having ever read their books in the Bible.

It’s time we change this.

In the book Return to Me: 40 Prophetic Teachings about Unfaithfulness, Punishment, and Hope from the Minor Prophets, you’ll discover:

  • The order of each prophet’s ministry (because the Bible doesn’t list them chronologically)
  • The significant messages they address
  • Their place in the biblical timeline
  • The umbrella of hope that outshines criticism of unfaithfulness and prophecies of punishment
  • The powerful way their words apply to us today

Return to Me is book four of the Dear Theophilus series. In it, you’ll get all this and more:

  • Thought-provoking insights that are part Bible study and part devotional
  • A deeper understanding of these lesser-known prophets
  • A greater appreciation of how the Old Testament informs our lives today

Let’s dive into the intriguing lives and ministries of these amazing messengers from God in the book Return to Me: 40 Prophetic Teachings about Unfaithfulness, Punishment, and Hope from the Minor Prophets.

[Return to Me was originally published as Dear Theophilus, Minor Prophets.]

Learn more about all twelve of the Bible’s Minor Prophets in Peter’s book, Return to Me: 40 Prophetic Teachings about Unfaithfulness, Punishment, and Hope from the Minor Prophets

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

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Peter DeHaan News

More Than 52 Churches: The Journey Continues

More Than 52 Churches

Wasn’t Visiting 52 Churches in a Year Enough?

No way. Not even close.

Let the journey of discovery continue in this poignant sequel to 52 Churches. This time we take a wider swath as we visit more of Jesus’s churches. More variety. More cringe-worthy moments. And more of God at work.

Yes, you’ll get all this in More Than 52 Churches.

More education, more entertainment, and more insight.

Only you won’t have to endure the gut-churning apprehension of walking into a different church each Sunday. Yuck! Instead experience the journey vicariously week by week, church by church.

Join Peter and his wife as they bravely—some might say naïvely—seek what God teaches as they engage with more local branches of Jesus’s church.

More Than 52 Churches is ideal for anyone who leaves church on Sunday (or left for good) wondering what went wrong.

More Than 52 Churches is an essential guide for church leaders, an insightful journey for church members, and a hopeful encouragement for church visitors.

If 52 Churches left you wanting more stories, More Than 52 Churches is sure to deliver.

More Than 52 Churches is an insightful journey for church members, an essential guide for church leaders, and a hopeful encouragement for church visitors.

If 52 Churches left you wanting more, then More Than 52 Churches is sure to deliver.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

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Peter DeHaan News

Dear Theophilus, Isaiah

Dear Theophilus Isaiah

40 Prophetic Insights about Jesus, Justice, and Gentiles

Isaiah was an awesome prophet, but do you sometimes struggle to understand what he wrote?

End your frustration.

Read Dear Theophilus, Isaiah for accessible, practical, no-nonsense insights into God’s most prolific prophet. Then connect his words to our world today.

Discover what Isaiah says about:

  • Peace—and about woe.
  • The critical importance of justice and the evil of injustice, both then and now.
  • The coming savior, Jesus, who will embrace all people of all nations.
  • Our future and the end times.
  • The amazing parallels between the books of Isaiah and Revelation.

Dear Theophilus, Isaiah is part devotional, part Bible study, and part commentary, but it’s fully an exploration of biblical spirituality for today’s followers of Jesus.

Did you know?:

  • Isaiah predicted the deportation of Judah and its repatriation 70 years later. (Both events happened just as he said.)
  • New Testament writers refer to Isaiah more than any other prophet (79 times).
  • Isaiah also includes some psalms and historical accounts.
  • Jesus read from the book of Isaiah in the synagogue. (It told us about Jesus!)
  • Later, a man from Ethiopia reads Isaiah and then gets baptized.

Get your copy of Dear Theophilus, Isaiah today, and start digging into this most amazing prophet whose words can still inspire and inform us today.

Note: Dear Theophilus, Isaiah has been updated and republished as For Unto Us: 40 Prophetic Insights About Jesus, Justice, and Gentiles from the Prophet Isaiah.

Get your copy today.

Read more about the book of Isaiah in For Unto Us: 40 Prophetic Insights About Jesus, Justice, and Gentiles from the Prophet Isaiah available in e-book, paperback, and hardcover.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

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Peter DeHaan News

Dear Theophilus, Acts: 40 Devotional Insights for Today’s Church

Dear Theophilus Acts

Does Your Church Function Like the Early Church in Acts?

Doubt it.

Yes, you may see snippets of similarities, but if you look closely, you’ll find huge gaps. Don’t believe me?

  • Consider the early church’s astronomical growth. Does your church experience that?
  • When was the last time someone at your church died for their faith?
  • Does your church experience Holy Spirit baptism and speaking in tongues? Most don’t.
Tongues of Fire: 40 Devotional Insights for Today’s Church from the Book of Acts

We’re Just Getting Started

  • What about sharing all your resources with other believers?
  • How about supernatural healing, signs and wonders, and exorcisms?
  • Do you take offerings for other believers and not yourself?

Wait, There’s More

  • Do you meet daily in people’s homes and public spaces?
  • Is community and getting along more important than just about everything else?
  • Do you minister to one another, serve as priests, and focus on telling others about Jesus?

Dear Theophilus, Acts is a devotional. It’s a Bible Study. And it emerges as a manifesto for today’s church.

It’s time to realign your thinking. Dear Theophilus, Acts will ease you into it. It gives forty devotional insights from the book of Acts for today’s church—and for you.

Peter DeHaan, PhD, earned his doctorate—awarded with high distinction—from Trinity College of the Bible and Theological Seminary. He lives in Southwest Michigan with his wife and plays with crossword puzzles in his spare time.

[Note: Dear Theophilus, Acts has been updated and republished as Tongues of Fire.]

Read more about the book of Acts in Tongues of Fire: 40 Devotional Insights for Today’s Church from the Book of Acts, available in e-book, paperback, and hardcover.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

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Peter DeHaan News

The 52 Churches Workbook

52 Churches Workbook

Becoming a Spiritual Community that Matters

What would you learn if you visited 52 churches? How might that change the way you treated visitors at your church?

You don’t need to go to a boatload of churches. Peter already has. The 52 Churches Workbook is the perfect tool to gain valuable insights without the pain and hassle of going to a different church every Sunday for a whole year.

Merely thinking about making your church better isn’t enough. It’s time to act.

With over 200 thought-provoking questions to propel you and your church forward, you’ll explore:

  • How to greet visitors well.
  • The importance of making a good first impression and a parting memory.
  • The way one person can make the difference between success and failure.
  • Best practices from churches that treat visitors well, along with what to avoid.
  • Why a website is critical and shouldn’t resemble a dating profile.

The 52 Churches Workbook is the perfect companion for 52 Churches, but it also works great as a standalone book for those who haven’t read 52 Churches.

Don’t go another Sunday without this essential resource. Perfect for leaders and members.

Get The 52 Churches Workbook and take the first step to becoming a church that matters.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

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Peter DeHaan News

The Friends and Foes of Jesus

Friends and Foes of Jesus

Discover How People in the New Testament React to God’s Good News

Jesus Was Loved. He Was Hated. But He Was Never Ignored.

Some people think Jesus was easy-going. Hardly. Everything he did and said sparked passionate reaction. He polarized people. Some adored Jesus to the point of dying for him. But those who feared and hated him ended up killing him.

The Friends and Foes of Jesus, by Peter DeHaan

If You’ve Never Looked Deep into Both Perspectives . . . It’s Time You Did

  • Discover the surprising things those who loved him did—and how you can do the same
  • Dig into those who hated him and avoid their tragic mistakes
  • See yourself in each character—the good and the bad—and face some fascinating choices

Plus, at the end of each example, you’ll find a thought-provoking question that will stir you into action.

Will this book challenge you? Yes. Will it make you uncomfortable (in a positive way)? Absolutely. Will it change your life as you look at the people who surrounded Jesus in a way you’ve never seen them before? Without question.

Let the revelations begin.

Get your copy of The Friends and Foes of Jesus today.

Read about more biblical characters in The Friends and Foes of Jesus, now available in e-book, paperback, and hardcover.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

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Peter DeHaan News

That You May Know

Dear Theophilus

(Formerly published as Dear Theophilus, the Dear Theophilus series, book 1)

A 40-Day Devotional Exploring the Life of Jesus through the Gospel of Luke

You’ve Never Seen the Gospel of Luke Quite Like This

You may have read the gospel of Luke. But you might have missed a few things. Maybe more than a few. Like:

  • The way Luke viewed God, and how his view might change your view
  • Why Luke’s book matters more today than ever
  • The people who angered Jesus the most, why they angered him, and how that applies to us
  • The Lord’s Prayer and Communion from a new perspective
  • The radical ways Jesus loved outsiders, outcasts, and those on the fringe of society.
That You May Know: A 40-Day Devotional Exploring the Life of Jesus from the Gospel of Luke

In That You May Know, you’ll discover new insights from passages you thought were familiar, find fresh truths as you come to a deeper understanding of Luke’s gospel, and get a revitalized perspective on your faith and your life.

Warning! Not Your Typical Devotional

In That You May Know (formerly called Dear Theophilus), Peter DeHaan once again whacks a spiritual hornet’s nest, in order to bring us into a closer alignment with Jesus.

Bonus Material!

  • Overview of all the parables in the book of Luke
  • Summary of all Jesus’s miracles in Luke
  • How the Holy Spirit is a recurring character within Luke’s gospel

Get your copy of That You May Know today!

Read more about the book of Luke in That You May Know: A 40-Day Devotional Exploring the Life of Jesus from the Gospel of Luke, now available in e-book, paperback, and hardcover.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

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Peter DeHaan News

52 Churches

52 Churches

A Yearlong Journey Encountering God, His Church, and Our Common Faith

Visit fifty-two churches in a year? Am I crazy? Maybe.

I spent a year visiting a different Christian church every Sunday: Protestant mainline, evangelical, and charismatic, Roman Catholic, and more.

I visited a church just like yours. I’m positive.

52 Churches: A Yearlong Journey Encountering God, His Church, and Our Common Faith

You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll cringe.

But 52 Churches doesn’t rip at the modern church. It’s not a church-shopping romp or a mean-spirited journalistic exposé. Instead it’s a gift that offers encouragement, hope, and support to the Christian Church. And I share some suggestions too.

Written as narrative, 52 Churches calls us to embrace all the branches of Jesus’s church and expand our practice of worshiping God. And I invite you to join me on this personal, spiritual sojourn of discovery.

Read 52 Churches for education, read it for entertainment, and read it for the insight gained only from visiting a boatload of churches.

52 Churches is ideal for church leaders, church members, and church outsiders. And if you’re still reading this, it’s perfect for you too.

Get your copy of 52 Churches today!

Peter DeHaan, PhD, often makes religious people squirm, but spiritual seekers cheer. He’s not trying to be provocative, but he seeks truth, even if it makes some people uncomfortable.

He yearns for Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.

Peter earned his doctorate, awarded with high distinction, from Trinity College of the Bible and Theological Seminary.

Get your copy of 52 Churches today!

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

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Peter DeHaan News

Women of the Bible: The Victorious, the Victims, the Virtuous, and the Vicious

women-of-the-bible

How Does God Really Feel About Women?

Listen to some people in church. Watch what they do. It may cause you to assume God views women as second class. Far from it.

The truth is, the Bible has story after story about how fascinating women are. They’re more nuanced than men, have profound insights we all often overlook, and can teach us wisdom that everyone needs to hear.

Women of the Bible, by Peter DeHaan

In Women of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD., digs deep into these Bible stories and uncovers how these women rise above their circumstances—even though society pushes them down.

He also explores the women who were powerful, in both good and bad ways, and what we can learn from them.

In this book, you’ll discover how to celebrate your victories, embrace your virtue, have more compassion for the victims in our world, and avoid the errors of the vicious.

It’s time for a change. It’s time for a fresh perspective. It’s time for every woman—and man—to discover powerful truths from the Women of the Bible.

Learn about other biblical women in Women of the Bible, available in e-book, paperback, hardcover, and audiobook.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.