Christian Resources - a Little "Lagniappe"
Being in ministry, we are always keeping our eyes open for new and creative Christian resources. We have decided to call these new findings - "lagniappe." Webster's dictionary defines "lagniappe" as: A small gift presented by a storeowner to a customer with the customer's purchase or an extra or unexpected gift or benefit. It originated in New Spanish la ñapa which meant "the gift." When it came into the Creole dialect of New Orleans, it gained a French spelling. It is still used throughout South Louisiana and South Mississippi to mean "a little extra." Working on this website has been so much fun! Along the way though I am finding little bonuses and wanted to create a page to share these creative Christian resources with you. Growing up in Louisiana and having several wonderful Cajun family members, "lagniappe" has become a fun word when giving a "little extra." As Webster's says, it's an unexpected gift or benefit. It's not earned or bought. Doesn't that sound like "GRACE"?!
As Christians, this should be an action seen in our everyday lives as we strive to go over and beyond for the cause of Christ. Let's never stop short of being overly kind or giving or loving - always going the "little extra" for Christ. Jesus certainly gave us more than a "little extra." He gave us what we didn't deserve - "GRACE - God's Riches At Christ's Expense."
We'd like to bring you a new little "lagniappe" every now and then. It may be an outstanding Christian website or free Christian software we've found, a Christian book recommendation, a special testimony or story, or just some good clean fun with Bible trivia, clean jokes, & Christian cartoons. All will be free Christian resources which can add to the variety in your world of Bible study and ministry. We want to equip you as much as we can in finding joy and excitement in your Bible study time and as you share God's Word. Also, if you know of any valuable Christian resources you use and believe they would be useful to others, please let us know.
A Little Lagniappe:
Search the largest library of audio sermons with over 156,000 FREE MP3 sermons which can be streamed online for immediate listening or optionally downloaded to your computer or portable MP3 player for listening at a later time.
The Christian Woman
The Christian Woman
This site also offers an extensive list of links to some fantastic Blogs written by Christian women and for Christian women.
You've probably heard of YouTube - especially if you have teenagers around the house! Well, now there is Godtube - a Christian version which offers multiple ways for creative use whether it be to emphasize a Bible lesson using visual technology or to include a visual illustration in a sermon powerpoint. They also have Christian drama videos, Christian music videos for worship, and more. Check it out!
These inspiring Christian stories are ideal for short devotional talks, and as Bible lesson or sermon illustrations.
Try this FREE downloadable Bible study library! There have been times that I needed to work on a Bible study, but was unable to connect to the Internet. This program will allow you to have several Bible versions, commentaries & dictionaries, as well as, several free classic Christian books such as Foxe's Book of Martyrs, Complete Works of Josephus, and Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah. All these Christian resources can be right at your fingertips anytime, anywhere!
WingClips gives the following reasons for using their movie clips to "spice up" your Bible study lessons: Why should I use WingClips™ in my teachings? Simply, to better communicate with your audience. For better or worse, movies form a lasting impression on our hearts and minds. Studies suggest that three days after an event, people retain only 10% of what they heard from an oral presentation, 35% from a visual presentation, and an overwhelming 65% from combination of a visual and oral presentation. Incorporating inspirational WingClips™ in your service will dramatically connect the themes of your message to the hearts and minds of your audience.
Bible Word Pronunciation Guide
Have you ever struggled with pronouncing a Bible name or place? Now there is help from Net Ministries. It's not all inclusive, but it does come in handy. You can actually listen to the correct pronunciation. No more trying to figure out all those phonetic marks! :)
Bible Verse Cards - Graphical and fun Bible verse cards that kids will hold onto, to help motivate kids to learn scripture and make it fun! These beautiful verse cards are printable and free. These would be great to use as evangelism tools, memory verse cards, bookmarks, or even as small rewards & gifts. They can be printed in the New King James Version, New International Version, or New Living Translation.
Needing a good clean laugh? Try Pastor Tim's Clean Laughs . These Christian Resources can also be used to add creativity to your Bible study lessons. You'll find good clean jokes, funny videos(that are safe to watch!), laughable pictures, funny files to run on your computer, and more! Introduce your kids to this site for some good clean fun.
Dayspring.com offers free Christian e-cards for all occasions. With postage so high, we may be tempted to limit our mail correspondence. However, don't let it slow down your encouragement of others; use these wonderful cards through email, and it won't cost you a penny.
Outstanding Christian resources can be found at ChristianAnswers.Net. This is a mega-site providing biblical answers to contemporary questions for all ages and nationalities with over 45-thousand files! Find answers dealing with family issues, youth issues, movie reviews, creationism and more! This is such a valuable Christian resource.
If you have a suggestion for a weekly lagniappe, please contact us, and we'll consider it. Thanks for visiting!
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