Carolyn is a scientifically oriented psychologist who believes miracles ended with the apostles - until she is confronted by God, who patiently shows her otherwise. When she experiences divorce and she and her four children are abandoned, Carolyn turns to God, who assures her he will look after her. Assuming this means providing a new husband, Carolyn goes searching for Robert Redford with a Bible. Instead, the heavenly Father brings her a man who embarrasses and frightens her as he heals in the name of Jesus and practices the other gifts of the Spirit. Through him, God introduces Carolyn to a Jesus who is the same yesterday, today, and forever. The seven chapters focus on topics of healing, God's protection and provision, demonic activity, and God's love for his children. Each chapter includes vignettes of experiences that solidify Carolyn's discovery of the practical, loving side of God.

This chronicles the biblical story of Ruth and Naomi, while pulling out key lessons women can apply to their own lives. Ruth and Naomi watched their dreams die, felt anger toward God, trusted God in the midst of trials, had faith to move before seeing him move, and experienced redemption - all lessons that remain relevant and critical to women today. Each chapter examines a specific part of Ruth and Naomi's journey, includes New Testament parallels to Christ's relationship with us, and includes a woman's modern-day testimony sharing how she experienced God during a specific circumstance in her life. The purpose of the book is to empower women to share their own stories of what God has done, to build up not only their own faith, but also the faith of those who hear them. Each chapter ends with a prayer and questions for women to do individually or collectively as a group.

{ITL}Why Me?{NRM} encourages people that worshipping God can be passionate even in the midst of trouble. The life of Joseph is the evidence of the book's purpose and the thrust of the book's flow. Genesis 37-50 chronicles the development of Joseph's character from the trials and the temptations he endured to the triumphs God gave him. Despite being sold into slavery by his brothers, Joseph affirmed that what they meant for evil, God meant for good. The author discusses ways Joseph came to that conclusion. In addition, the author's testimony is in the book. Through cerebral palsy, he has journeyed from anger to being grateful, inspiring others that life does not have to be perfect to have peace.

Man shall not live by God's Word alone, but by bread, also. This means we are fully human and not spirit only. Along with God's Word, our humanness requires that we eat of "non-spiritual" foods in order to experience abundant living. It is God's non-negotiable plan to sustain our lives, provide energy and promote growth through natural means, as well as divine. We cannot insist on divine nor spiritual solutions to all our needs. We are physical, psychological and emotional beings, not just spiritual. By focusing so intently on our spiritual lives we often neglect other needs that affect not only our relationships with others, but our relationship with God

We are created by God for his purpose. However, too often when we are dependent, powerless children and our need to be loved and accepted is threatened, we disown the parts of ourselves that are not acceptable to our parents, our families, or our caregivers. Those denied God-given gifts remain alive within us, but to reawaken them, we need to discover God's truth of who we are. The writer states, "This book tells how God chose to transform me from someone defined by three wounding childhood experiences into the person he created me to be. Through Scripture, prayer, books, and illuminating dreams, God helped me to unravel my false childhood beliefs as he patiently led me to claim my spiritual heritage. {ITL}Becoming God's Intention{NRM} encourages readers to believe that God has a plan for their lives if they will surrender to his defining power."

This work chronicles the biblical story of Ruth and Naomi while pulling out key lessons women can apply to their own lives. Ruth and Naomi watched their dreams die, felt anger toward God, trusted God in the midst of trials, had faith to move before seeing Him move, and experienced redemption--all lessons that remain relevant and critical to women today. Each chapter examines a specific part of Ruth's and Naomi's journey, includes New Testament parallels to Christ's relationship with us, and includes a woman's modern-day testimony of how she experienced God during a specific circumstance. The purpose of the book is to empower women to share their own stories of what God has done, to build up not only their own faith, but also the faith of those who hear them. Each chapter ends with a prayer and study questions for women to do individually or collectively as a group.

In the face of rising aggressiveness and attacks on Christianity, many young adults are harboring haunting questions about the Christian faith and why we believe what we believe. Some feel that, because they do not know the answer; there is no answer. This book is designed to provide answers for those questions, both biblically and philosophically, that will help young adults to "be ready always to give an answer to anyone who asks concerning the faith that is in you." (I Peter 3:15)

The writer contends that we fall desperately short of conceptualizing, intimately embracing and deeply interjecting the truths of scripture into the everyday realities of our lives. Subsequently, we miss a sweeping infusion of what God intended for our lives. The premise of this work lies in the belief that people sense there to be a far, far greater reality to our portrayal of God and the Christian life than that which has been portrayed. Something unimaginably vaster than our tiny constructs is ours if only we can find it. In an attempt to achieve that goal, this book is strategically written to intimately interweave deeply transformational personal events experienced by the author with vividly portrayed scriptural accounts that share the same foundational principles. This striking blending of past and present in a literary format serves to effectively integrate the relevancy of scriptural truths soundly into the stark and sometimes forboding realities of 21st century life. It is the writer's passion that this book pointedly bring infinitely relevant truths to both the individual, as well as a culture mired in darkness.

No matter which generation you speak with, many people express concern that 'church' is not meeting their expectations; can the integrity of the gospel be maintained if we embrace some of the changes that are being thrust upon us in the 21st century? Jesus says. "I am the same yesterday, today and for eternity." Does that mean that 'we the church' should remain the same forever? Our culture is evolving as our demographic mix changes?inevitably, communication styles and expectations are changing too: Traditionalists try to maintain the status-quo. Boomers use 'proven' marketing methods to help the ailing church. Generation X'ers prefer the Internet to the Scriptures as their reference source?consequently, a competitive, 'consumer church' model is becoming the norm. Generation Y'ers are leaving the institutionalised church, opting rather to express their need for spiritual fulfillment by developing 'community' with the help of electronic media. Considering challenges the Church is facing in the 21st century we might ask, "What would bring Christians, the living church, back to a sense of unity, even in diversity, if diligently applied?" This writer believes that integrity, when understood and applied through the various windows of both local and 'foreign' cultures, can help us to understand why the Lord Jesus says, "I am the same yesterday, today and for eternity."

Most of us act as if God hides so well that signs of the divine presence are reserved for hallelujah moments: burning bushes, Bach, sunsets, benign lab results or rescue of one kind or another. {ITL}No Small Change{NRM} sets out to expand those hallelujah moments by pointing to the divine presence that we tend to overlook, the grace that exists in the ordinary. The book illustrates ways that readers might begin to acknowledge their own experience, reflect upon it and see beneath the surface to the grace in their lives. Here are stories of people and situations that are familiar. Here are events that can be either overlooked or can become windows into deeper meaning. {ITL}No Small Change{NRM} is an invitation to pay attention.

The book's format is designed to aid one in memorizing scripture using the alphabet and photographs from around the world. A trigger word and photograph for each letter of the alphabet is correlated to help in recall of the verse. Space is provided for the reader to write their own favorite verses for each letter. Selected passages are also included: The Ten Commandments, Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, the Twenty-Third Psalm, and the Lord's Prayer. All of the profit from the book will be donated to organizations that feed the poor and serve those in need.

This book takes several familiar scriptural passages and looks at them from a non-traditional perspective. The basic premise is that, while the words of the Bible themselves are trustworthy, we may not always be able to say the same about the way in which we have traditionally chosen to interpret those words. Long-standing interpretations and traditions are challenged in an attempt to encourage discussion and exploration. The work raises the question of whether the Church, in refusing to challenge traditional interpretations, might have sometimes been lured into accepting an incorrect understanding of what the Bible really intended. The goal is to encourage alternative interpretations and, in doing so, to uncover incredible new insights into what these stories are telling us in our contemporary world.

This is a down-to-earth tool to empower the reader to facilitate spiritual transformation in his/her life. This work weaves together discipleship from the biblical tradition and discernment from the spiritual formation tradition. This 10-week utilitarian guide will allow the hungry reader to learn how to apply the insights from 2000 years of church history and biblical interpretations resulting in heartfelt conviction, deeper awareness, and a compelling invitation to 'set the plow deeper' in life. The easy-to-read field guide provides relatable stories, pragmatic examples, probative questions and daily soul work. The desired result of working through this manual is a greater enlightenment of the mind, a joyful yielding of the will and a winsome melting of the heart.

This book provides information about the behavioral practices in the goverance of many church organizations and the spiritual implications of these practices. While it is about information, it is even more about spiritual transformation. It is about building a personal relationship with Christ and constantly beholding him as your model leader. This account is "layreader friendly" and useful to pastors, seminary students, and administrators in all sectors of church operation. The chapters cover a spectrum of issues relating to church goverance. The need for and the scope of the book are pinned down in the first chapter; each of the other chapters is divided into two sections: (1) descriptive behavioral trends observed in church goverance within many church organizations, and (2) prescriptive Bible-based spiritual lessons. Our aim is to help readers learn how to represent Christ in church operations.

{ITL}Sweet Scent of Justice{NRM} is the true story of how God miraculously worked in the life of a woman to help solve her sister's twenty-six year old murder case. It is a story of the faith that held her family together during their terrible time of crisis. Twenty-three years after her sister's death, she had an uncontrollable desire to open up her painful past to answer questions about her sister's unsolved murder that had haunted her for years. She felt God leading her to help put the pieces of the mystery together to find answers for her family. She could never have imagined that the door to the past she would open would lead down a path full of miraculous twists and turns that would eventually lead to the discovery of her sister's killer. The title of her book was chosen because the killer was captured and put away for life because of a stolen bottle of cologne. That sweet scent of justice though was no comparison to the sweet scent of forgiveness that she was finally able to experience through God's grace and mercy.

The manuscript exposes a hidden epidemic of child abuse and neglect in America. In 2009, an estimated six million children were reported victims of childhood abuse. Of those, about 80% of 21 year olds that were abused as children met the criteria for at least one psychological disorder. Family dysfunction includes, but is not limited to, child abuse and is an even more common phenomenon in our society. While not experiencing a diagnosed psychological disorder, many of the adolescents with whom I talked were struggling far beyond the norm with life's basic questions. They had come from a dysfunctional family and similar young people, many new to Christianity, now number in multiple millions. The tone of the book is serious just as the struggle experienced by young Christians from dysfunctional families is serious. But it is neither academic nor boring. Instead the personal format of the book offers three things to the reader. First it offers a discussion of an issue based upon the author's personal history, academic training, and seminary training. Second, it offers a scripture search through which the reader can relate God's word to the issue. Third, and most vital for an adult child of a dysfunctional family, it offers a series of guided questions and exercises, followed by a prayer, to focus the reader on his or her relationship with God. The writer noticed in her teaching "the most profound and emotionally-charged [questions] came from students with a history of family dysfunction. It is the questions and the answers to which we came that I've addressed in this book."

{ITL}New Grounds For Believing{NRM}, inspired by {ITL}The Message{NRM} version of the story of Lazarus, explores God's Zoe life involved in the affairs of his people in the Bible and in our lives now. The foundation is laid with an exploration of Old Testament situations that appeared hopeless but ended up as opportunities for God's powerful life to instead bring triumph. The story of Lazarus is then explored, with special focus on the details of Jesus' words to his disciples and at the tomb. Jesus' declaration that he is resurrection and life is applied to the believer's life situations with the intent of encouraging the reader to boldly believe his words.

This is a book for Christians tired of "the same old stuff." The Bible challenges us to stop trying that stuff and "take hold of the life that really is life" (1 Timothy 6:19). But how do we do that? We have to stop trying the things that seem to make sense and take a new look at the good news. The gospel is counterintuitive because faith does contradict the kingdom of earth's conventional wisdom. The aim of this book is to be a wise and helpful guide to our blind spots and to do it with off-hand ease and humor. Any reader should be able to recognize the issues from his or her own world. This project has broad appeal to individual readers, small groups, and congregations. The book has a different kind of presentation, using occasional single-frame drawings (New Yorker-style) and multi-frame drawings (strips) to advance its arguments.

"Maximum" is the compelling memoir of one man's search for redemption in the midst of prison violence and desolation. In his quest to follow Jesus, he is forced to confront his own most secret flaws and failures. This work candidly examines what happens to a man who loves God yet struggles to overcome his fallen nature. Devoid of much of the clichéd rhetoric that so frequently spices person testimonies, this work is both brutally honest and pragmatically hope-filled. Struggling Christians will identify with his message - only a relationship with God can fill the holes in our souls. Bible-based yet not preachy, the author uses scripture in a holistic way to offer hope for the weary and the despairing. Themes explored include sanctification, overcoming, judgment, and chastisement.

The work helps readers understand the Bible by connecting individual stories to the one story of God's relationship with his people. More importantly, it helps readers discover their own faith story in the one story of the Bible. To do this, it breaks down the story of the Bible into nine acts, each with a main character and plot theme. The book also leads readers to develop the basic spiritual disciplines necessary to make the Bible profitable for spiritual growth. No matter how much we know about the Bible, it will never be profitable unless we develop the basic disciplines of daily Bible reading, meditation, Scripture memory, and prayer. To this end, the book includes daily Bible readings and blank journal pages and is meant to be read one act per week. In many ways, the book is a personal discipleship source. {ITL}Word of God Speak{NRM} also includes two chapters on how the Bible came to be (inspiration, canonization, and translation) and the ten most important principles of interpretation.

Family dysfunction is a hidden epidemic among Christians that includes but is not limited to separation, divorce, addiction, poor discipline methods, favoritism, milder forms of mistreatment and/or neglect, some rejection by one or both parents, abandonment, immature parenting, etc. Older youth and adults may find their attempts to live the Christian life hindered by their struggle with past issues. This workbook is designed to help them find answers. The workbook would be a valuable tool for youth ministers, Christian counselors, all ministerial professionals who work with youth and adults in either individual or group settings, student services in Christian schools, and medical practices that focus on healing the soul a well as the body. Each chapter includes: 1. Short discussion based upon the author's academic training, seminary training and teaching/counseling experience; 2. Scripture search through which the reader can relate God's word to the issue; 3. Questions and exercises designed to promote insight, healing, and growth. A prayer idea to focus the reader's thoughts concludes each discussion. The book could be printed as a spiral-bound workbook with journaling space provided for the reader.

After praying through her own personal every day experiences, and asking God some very common questions, the author discovered why we should forgive. In learning why, she learned how to forgive and now shares these insights with her readers. Instead of dealing with the pain of betrayal and the person who caused it, the reader is led into a thoughtful settlement with God, and is led into yielding to him, the great example of forgiveness. The author helps the reader realize true forgiveness is not necessarily a long process, nor a burdensome methodology, nor does it always include reconciliation or forgetting the offense. The writer shows how and why in God we have been given all that we need within, and so we are able to freely give forgiveness.

The manuscript uses God's work in Mary's life to illustrate and teach us how he wants to care for and use us, and how we should respond to him. The writer states, "Most of us couldn't say when we first heard about Jesus. We've forgotten what it was to meet Jesus for the first time, and many have grown somewhat unimpressed about God walking among us. We don't think about what it must have been like for Mary, the first mortal to meet our savior on human terms. And, as he did with Mary, so God desires to have a fresh, vital, day to day life with us. This book seeks to use Mary's experiences as a model to teach us how to live in active relationship with a God who seeks us out."

These interviews highlight the struggles and victories of selected Christian women. The Bible is full of stories of heroes and heroines, but the fact that we know how the stories end makes them appear more like fables than real-life stories. Living among us today, however, are Christians who have faced many trials and tribulations; but like Bible heroes and heroines, they remain standing -- strengthened in their faith, examples to all of us. This material is intended to be used as a Bible study material either for personal study sessions or for group discussions. Review questions and practical activities nestled within each chapter are designed to give additional insights, provoke thought and application of the materials presented, and further help Christian women in their journey of spiritual growth and development. The unifying theme in the book is the fact that the Christian walk ensures victorious living, despite the struggles all women face.

The writer's summary of the manuscript states: "Few people are aware that the reigning contemporary view of the subject of "spiritual gifts" is something like Topsy: It just grew. But from where? Prior to the middle of the last century the current view was virtually unknown. Then a group of Fuller Seminary professors thought it would be a good idea to put together a "Discover Your Spiritual Gift" Questionnaire and Interpretative Chart that purported to help believers identify their "spiritual gift." This program has swept across Evangelical Christianity like the tide. However it is constructed on quite a number of non-biblical assumptions and incorporates fallacious reasoning." This book is thus a much needed corrective.

Though hormones and sexual drives are part of a man, Christian men are told, "Sex is a wonderful, natural, beautiful gift from God, but don't think about or engage in it or do anything at all with your sexuality until you're married." And they are given advice from the Church about how to sublimate their thoughts and urges which is often contradictory, unbiblical, inhuman, and (the writer states) just plain crazy. The writer intends that many who have been frustrated and confused by "the party line" will be liberated by reading this book and discovering that they have been carrying burdens God never laid on them. And all the readers will be challenged to enjoy being fully human and completely male while honoring God in everything and growing in their spiritual lives.

The writer contends that we fall desperately short of conceptualizing, intimately embracing and deeply interjecting the truths of scripture into the everyday realities of our lives as we live them out amidst the challenges of the 21st century. Subsequently, we miss a sweeping infusion of what God intended for our lives, leaving us to live out lackluster and frequently hopeless existences. The premise of this work lies in the belief that people sense there to be a far, far greater reality to our portrayal of God and the Christian life than that which has been portrayed. Something unimaginably vaster than our tiny constructs is ours if only we can find it. In an attempt to achieve that goal, this book is strategically written to intimately interweave deeply transformational personal events experienced by the author with vividly portrayed scriptural accounts that share the same foundational principles. This striking blending of past and present in a moving literary format provides the reader a compelling sense of the profound relevancy of scripture by convincingly importing it into the present. This structure serves to effectively integrate the relevancy of scriptural truths soundly into the stark and sometimes forboding realities of 21st century life. It is the writer's passion that this book pointedly bring infinitely relevant truths to both the individual, as well as a culture mired in darkness.

Christians are not exempt from family problems. Dysfunction is a hidden epidemic and includes but is not limited to separation, divorce, addiction, poor discipline methods, favoritism, milder forms of mistreatment and/or neglect, some rejection by one or both parents, abandonment, immature parenting, etc.. While not necessarily experiencing a diagnosed psychological disorder, young adults and adults may find their attempts to live the Christian life hindered by their struggle with issues from their early family life. They have questions. This workbook is designed to help them find answers.

The writer believes that God has given us opportunity to participate in a spiritual journey of purpose, choice and consequence. It is life as he intended: The God who created and loves us, offers to us a transformed heart and a vital relationship with himself. This relationship is made possible through faith in his son, Jesus Christ. The basic human problem is not intellectual, but a problem of the spiritual heart. Jesus came to reclaim and transform the greatest of his creation: human beings. The manuscript contends that, through trusting in Jesus Christ, God reclaims us, restoring in us the life lost in the Fall of Adam and Eve. Living the reclaimed life is to live a life of love in relationship with God and with each other. On the stage of life, we live to please him.

This book introduces nineteen classics of Christian devotion to a general audience. Readers meet famous modern authors such as C.S. Lewis and Henri Nouwen. They also discover ancient Celtic Christians, jailhouse novelist John Bunyan, and Evelyn Underhill ("I was not brought up to religion"). Contemporary problems are here such as sexual fascination, severe depression, and multiple career changes. Each writer comes forward in a brief biographical sketch followed by selected quotations from their writing. Readers will discover for themselves why these books have nourished millions and are "classic friends."

This book shares scriptural insights and reflections on core Christian doctrines, based on the adventures of hiking friends and their interactions. Each of their backpacking trips provides serious and sometimes humorous stories that serve as metaphors for Christian beginnings, community, growth, responsibility, strength for living, and celebration. An evening campsite surrounded by fireflies serves as an opportunity to observe God's mysteries and wonders. A couple of lost hikers invite the reader to reflect on taking wrong turns in life. A persistent skunk illustrates how some Christians can stink up a congregation. The startling sounds of a turkey elicit reflections on the resurrection and how this should shock Christians into passionate belief. Each of the 30 faith-shaping stories revolves around core beliefs of orthodox Christianity.

Jesus' promise of abundant life is a much-needed word of hope for our difficult times. This work offers a conversation about authentic Christianity which is life-changing and life-giving. Life Worth Finding allows Jesus to speak for himself rather than be limited to or defined by the unending mixture of religious expressions which claim to represent him. Finding life in fullness is revealed as requiring submission to God through living in his kingdom, yielding to him as shepherd, being supernaturally re-created, and desiring all of this as the pearl of priceless value. Each chapter builds to the next in not only defining what Jesus' call to life means but indentifying how to develop spiritually for this new way of life.

Spiritual Oxygen teaches the Christ-follower how to intentionally cooperate with the Holy Spirit's work of spiritual formation as God develops Christlikeness in the believer. Section One casts the vision for Christlikeness and "spiritual breathing," then includes a review of the person and work of the Holy Spirit. Section Two explores the six core Christlike characteristics produced in the life of Jesus as he cooperated with the work of the Holy Spirit. Each characteristic is applied and illustrated for today, giving the reader a practical, biblical curriculum of Christlikeness. The writer states, "While there are books that focus on Spiritual Formation, or the Holy Spirit, or becoming like Christ, this book shows how these three topics uniquely and properly fit together, filling a critical gap in the field and providing a practical, biblical curriculum of Christlikeness."

Astounding true-life stories which support biblical principles, and answer the questions we ask, such as, "Does God heal?" "Does God answer prayer?" "Does God protect?" "Does God guide?" and other such questions. The stories are from personal experience and from traveling for over 20 years visiting churches and believers in Eastern Europe.

As we view the Bible stories of warfare through the lens of history, we school ourselves in the battle-proven principles from the physical world of war which enables us to understand the operational art of warfare in the spiritual realm. By interpreting the biblical account of wars and translating them into useful lessons, our spiritual tactical capabilities increase, leading to a more potent prayer life and ministry and what the writer describes as "a fresh battle-wise approach to spiritual warfare."

The manuscript offers a picture of spiritual development drawn from the life and experiences of Abraham, the father of faith. The author tracks faith development and spiritual formation from individual personal interest (to receive blessing) to a larger scope (to be a blessing to others) and finally to a vision of becoming a means of fulfilling God's purpose in the world (to be an agent of God's blessing to all nations). The author focuses on common difficulties including delays of promises blessings, unexpected hardships, apparent unanswered prayers, dealing with failures, keeping success in perspective, and discovering one's God-designed purpose. The manuscript fleshes out many issues and challenges of the Christian faith in the Abraham narrative and seeks to provide a big-picture perspective of the faith journey that addresses the hard questions of the Christian life that are often ignored.

This is a testimony of a family's journey, a painful trek through sexual and emotional abuse and even through the tragic suicide of a the writer's sister. These two traumatic experiences (sexual abuse and suicide) carry so much social stigma as to constrain most to silent suffering. Written in an interactive workbook format it seeks to invite the reader to begin a journey of healing as guiding questions at the end of each chapter provide opportunity for biblical application and journaling. Themes include "We each have a story of wounds." "Our wounds need to be shared transparently." "Wounds can heal with forgiveness." "Walking victoriously with our scars can bring encouragement and hope to others."

The manuscript finds God in the midst of suffering, even in the pain of divorce. Here the experience of grief moves the writer to let go of old ideas, assumptions, and perspectives and embrace a new life. Readers will learn how conscious grieving will eliminate resentment and bitterness, assist in creating a more positive relationship with the ex-spouse, and allow God to work a good work in order that his love may be more fully revealed. By embracing the grief of divorce, readers will become active participants in the Holy Spirit's work of spiritual formation.

How can we trust God as a strong, safe refuge when he allows evil to hurt our lives? The writer shares a personal process of this spiritual journey as it relates to the rape and murder of her sister in 1987. Written in two parts, the first shares the raw road where wrestling with anger and hatred brought her to Christ's cross; the foundation for healing and hope. Part two shares the truth that shed light on the path to freedom, which eventually included a face to face meeting with the man who murdered Susie. The biblical content uses Ephesians 6 and the core elements of the New Testament message.

This story about addiction, recovery, and hope uses a lab rat that was born into a study of addictions. The story begins in the cage and proceeds to the underground of the city and back to the laboratory, chronicling the plight of the lab rats and the adventures of the cage's favorite son, Legion. Biblical references are woven into the story, along with the author's own points to ponder. The story delivers powerful messages of hope in the entertaining, easy-to-read exploits of Legion and {ITL}Legion's Prayer's{NRM} colorful cast of characters.

Told by the mother, this is the remarkable adventure of a family of seven, called by God to follow wherever he leads, and the improbable circumstances they overcome in doing so. They grow from seeing the world through their own eyes to seeing it through God's eyes, as they learn to trust for monetary support, changing professions, and eventually move into the world of missions. The questions of "will?", "when?", and "how?" of God's provision are answered; but the story never skirts the issues of how to deal with doubt, disappointment, hardship, and pain. Exciting, thought-provoking, and amusing at times, the family's journey challenges others to experience the character of the Father and encourages the reader to follow Jesus to the ultimate destination - the heart of God. It is a legacy of faith, left by the parents to their children and to the reader.

The work is a spiritual guide to "bulls-eye praying." It is designed to equip, train, teach and inspire the woman on how to stand in the gap as a warrior for her spouse and family. This principle was formulated from the beginning of creation when God created Eve for Adam. The writer states, "With the increasing number of divorces and attacks on the family today, we must become wise to the schemes and devises of the enemy. His number one agenda is to destroy the head. As women of God this book will teach you how to take your stand and war against his plans."

The writer summarizes, "As the woman sat weeping along in her living room the pain and memories of lost opportunity and years of mistakes weighted heavily on her heart and mind. If only she had not turned her back on God and followed her own path. Between the sobs of regret came a plea to God to please come back into her life. With that one statement that would forever change her life, God began to speak to the woman through her heart and mind in clear and precise words that could only come from Heaven itself. In the following days God would not only reveal that He was with her but also speak to her with words of comfort and forgiveness and lead her to the most unusual of places to hear his words and the reality of his presence in his hurting world."

This book presents many of the basic doctrines of the Christian faith, beginning with sin and salvation, and continuing with relationships and responsibilities of a born-again believer. Finally, the book presents instruction on Christ and the Church. Geared for children ages 9-14, this book can be an effective tool, assisting young people to gain maturity in their Christian life because it is written so children and young teens can understand. A study guide has been created to compliment the book.

This manuscript is about storms and shelters. Storms come suddenly, unexpectedly, ferociously. Your biopsy is positive; your son is in the ER; your company is downsizing; your marriage is over. The manuscript doesn't trivialize these storms, offer trite solutions, or try to force-feed a joy pill. Six shelters are available: trust, assurance, courage, patience, peace, and joy. With compassion, honesty, and humor it draws from personal experiences of the author and real-life stories of others who have been slammed by storms -- and how they handled them.

This is an examination of modern music/worship beliefs and practices from a New Covenant perspective. Why do we believe and do what we do within "contemporary" evangelical and "charismatic/Pentecostal" worship services? What are the undergirding presuppositions relating to the alleged connection between the "manifest presence of God," and our song/singing/worship services? How did we arrive at today? What are the historical roots of many modern praise and worship expressions? What is the "restoration of David's tent" and what, if any implication does it have for praise and worship in the New Covenant era? Practical tips and pitfalls to avoid in our worship expression are included.

The book's title essay and its appendices assert that light, which the entire Bible associates with God, is composed of electric and magnetic energies that form a trinity, a beautiful analogy in agreement with Old Testament and New Testament revelation of God's being in time, eternity, and throughout the reaches, but intimacy, of space -- using mathematics as simple as 1 x 1 = 1.

Subtitle: God is Saving My Marriage: Seven Simple Insights for Women in Choosing and Keeping Your Mate Many women choose the wrong mate. Many marriages fail. At age 59, I believe I have finally figured out the biblical basis for choosing a mate and staying married to that mate. This short book lists seven insights, based on scripture, on choosing and keeping your mate. The insights are simple, yet when applied to our lives can make the difference in merely existing or being miserable with our mate, or having a good marriage, which is God's intent for us.

The world Christians live in is a spiritually dangerous place, something like a tough neighborhood after dark. In such a neighborhood it pays to be street smart-to know what you might run into, where not to go, and how to handle yourself. The author, a counselor and therapist, knows life is dangerous for the soul because the misery of the world is his job security. On the mean streets of a fallen world, Christians need "spiritual street smarts" --the ability to think ahead so they can react with faith when life tumbles in. This book seeks to be their spiritual mentor. It draws upon the entire Bible to provide the emotional and experiential awareness necessary to deal with crises like job loss, divorce, terminal illness, rebellious children, and loss of loved ones. The aim is to provide a fresh, insightful, and biblical look at spiritual maturity, seasoned by humor and human interest.

Hebrews 13:8 promises that Jesus is "the same yesterday, today, and forever." This undergirds each of the forty questions chosen for this work. Using 21st-century challenges (i.e. how might we answer it today?) each chapter offers and honest look at a particular question Jesus asks, real-life examples and analogies, a prayer, and additional scripture suggestions for further reading. Written with informal and inclusive language, this work is appropriate for individuals or as a tool for group study. The author's goal is to provide a fresh perspective on knowing God through his written word.

Jesus criticized those who do "all their deeds to be noticed by men" (Matt. 23:5). Yet we do the same thing today. A great deal of our activities are born of this desire for attention and the often desperate fear of not being known, appreciated, influential, or remembered. Much of our energies is devoted to attracting attention and preserving our names. We often call this "making a mark" or "leaving a legacy." We pursue positions and titles, seek to set records, and yearn to be associated with things that seem bigger and more permanent than we are. In a desperate effort to be noticed, some even resort to outlandish crimes. But, if Christianity is true, every human being is fully significant or important (in the sense of being known, appreciated, influential, and remembered). This is the case regardless of whether a person is a Christian or seeks to fulfill the purpose of glorifying God. It is also true even of the most obscure or wicked person. Our often frantic human efforts to make a mark or leave a legacy do not make us individually significant. Rather, each of us is significant because: (1) every person is made in God's image, (2) God knows every person exhaustively, (3) God interacts with individual persons, and (4) every person will live forever. As a result, each of us is released from the battle for popularity and is free to be humble, love others, and serve the purpose of glorifying God.

The writer notes a fascination with the fifth century Irish and the reasons for their wholesale transformation in the following period. He considers how that transformation was fueled by a connection with the "new covenant." The writing "considers the salient features of new covenant and how the Irish connected with each. I further explore how connecting with those features of the new covenant will make our own spiritual lives more intense and passionate. The journey is only partly motivated by a desire for historical knowledge, the Celtic enthusiasm seems like just the tonic for the dreary faith we have often experienced and that is often packaged as normal Christian fare."

In a series of short essays, this book addresses the innate God-given desire we all have for heaven as well as the God-given means of getting there, which is by God's grace alone. With illustrations drawn from real life, the book goes on to explain why we all came to need grace, the only way to receive it, and touches upon how to live by it.

The work covers the academic and the practical aspects of discipling including discipleship in the Old Testament period and during the time of Jesus and the early church leaders, basing the how-to principles on biblical example. The writer seeks to help the disciple maker fully understand discipleship: how to choose a person to disciple, how to actually make a mature disciple, how to deal with problems as they arise, and how to make a disciple who will multiply. Jesus commanded believers to make disciples. One of the author's objectives is to challenge the reader to think about what he is doing to achieve this great challenge and to make changes in the modern church structure, goals and procedures in order to better accomplish this task.

Christian men, both married and single, struggle to live lives of purity and godliness. Using the example of the biblical patriarch Joseph, other biblical material, and relevant principles from psychology and spiritual counseling, leavened with humor, this book attempts to give practical guidance to men to help them to develop a character of sexual wholeness and integrity. The book's theme may be summed up by the following quotation from chapter seven: "The secret to standing like Joseph is to develop such a character that, when the moment of crisis comes, you'll be unable to do anything else."

Everyone, at some point, must deal with death and loss. Grief is not a subject foreign to the Christian scriptures. Though difficult questions are commonly asked, the scriptures always respond in unison: Because God is a good God, "all things work together for good." Humans have grieved since Eve lost her son in the Garden of Eden, but we still aren't "very good at it." This practical book seeks to guide readers through their own grieving process and help them grow spiritually stronger through it.

None of us is immune to calamity, disasters, pain or suffering. Street smart "theology" usually causes God to get blamed for this; our faith may strengthen or seriously diminish during these trying experiences. With the biblical book of Job as central and foundational, this book presents answers that do not do injustice to God's love, his omnipotence. Re-aligning our comprehension with the fresh look: the freedom of all the creatures in time.

He was leaving. Leaving earth, not leaving us. And so prior to Christ's ascension, he offered us a gift: a piece of himself. The peace of Christ is not a cotton-candy concept, but a state of heart that can be divinely real and sustainable. My Peace I Give You initially demonstrates what our Lord means of our experience of peace through biblical accounts, personal stories, and applicable scripture. The emphasis then shifts to consider peace in more specific capacities: with others, within our workplace, within personal faith, among other Christians, and among non-believers. The reader is encouraged to appreciate God's peace in unlikely circumstances and from unanticipated sources. The promises of his sovereignty, his presence, and our eternity bring his gift to fullness when we seek him and receive his Holy Spirit.

Expanded title Living the Fruits of the Spirit When Family Life is Sick The theme here is "What the fruit of the Spirit looks like in practical application in a family's health challenge." The writer states, "The book is based on spiritual insights gained from mother's death from colon cancer; chapters begin with fictional vignettes by Diane Rosier Miles, a Pushcart Prize nominee for fiction.

Our God is the Master Restorer. His greatest work is that of Jesus Christ. As his Father taught him, we too are called to be apprentices in God's craft of renewal. With a renewed mind, we can recover disciplines practiced by fellow rebuilders of the past. Bible reading, reflection on God, prayer and intercession renew us as we seek to restore relationships with others. Past examples give us a blueprint to follow. Most wonderfully, we can begin to copy now God's final act of renewal, the future restoration of all things.

Although prayer is a common topic within the Christian market, this book is uniquely uses the prayers of the apostle Paul as a backdrop. The author brings his prayers into the 21st century with an easy reading style that leads the reader into an examination of his own prayer life. Many people would admit that there is value in prayer, but few would say that prayer is the driving force in their lives. Beginning with the who, what, why and how of prayer, the reader then examines the transforming power of prayer in Paul's life. The prayers themselves are viewed in two different ways. General categories in his prayers lead to some exciting truths about how to have a closer relationship with God. Since love is the force behind Paul's prayer driven life, observing his prayers in context is like reading a letter from a cherished friend. "The Prayer Driven Life" is written for personal application or group study. Milestone markers in the first half of the book and questions for reflection in the second half work very well for a study group.

This book is focused on the Beatitudes of Christ, with each beatitude representing a different ingredient for discovering a life of joy. The Greek word that Jesus used for "blessed" refers to a joy that cannot be shaken or destroyed by the stresses and storms of life. If we are ever going to experience such joy, we need to practice the beatitudes and strive to live them out on a regular basis. This book will help readers understand the depth of the beatitudes and equip them to put them into practice.

The manuscript seeks to help the reader see life's blessings and hardships as instruments in a magnificent plan for one's eternal development. It uses scripture, modern parables, and touching personal testimonies to illustrate how thinking about heaven can help readers soar through difficult times. The writer defines his goals as "(1) overwhelm your despair and anxiety by comparing them to your rich eternal destiny, and (2) energize you to live a purpose-filled life that will glorify God and benefit you for the rest of eternity!"

Too often we are unable to fully comprehend both the succinct relevancy and striking poignancy of the scriptures. In many instances, the scriptures have been granted the debilitating shape of myth, rather than life-shattering truth. Without a grasp of this relevancy and poignancy, we are unable to intimately connect and deeply interject the truths of scripture into the everyday realities of our lives. Subsequently, we miss a sweeping infusion of what God intended for our lives. The premise of this book lies in the belief that people sense there to be a far greater reality to our portrayal of God and the Christian life than that which we have grasped. Something far more is ours if we can only find it. This book is written in an attempt to interweave moving personal stories and vividly portrayed scriptural accounts, then tying each together with a unifying principle that undergirds both in an effort to seize, profoundly understand and then incorporate these principles.

Unrealized expectations can cause discouragement and disillusionment. This can be especially troubling when our unrealized expectations concern our presuppositions of God. It can lead to a serious crisis of faith when God seems not to perform or unfold as we imagined. Some merely need to tweak their presuppositions, but others must completely reform their worldview and theology - a whole new paradigm. This crisis of faith and process of disillusionment leaves many believers skeptical, cynical and perhaps bitter. But what if this crisis was unnecessary? What if we learned not to presuppose too much for God and recognized our presuppositions for what they are? What if we did not demand so much predictability and allowed room for divine mystery? The book asks these kinds of questions and suggests a relationship with God based on faith, allowing for his unpredictability, mystery and beauty.

This book is a scriptural treatment of the Gospel message, its background, and how to live the Christian life. It consists of a structured selection of Bible passages and verses from both Old and New Testaments, guided only by headings and subheadings, thus letting the Bible speak for itself. The first two parts (of five) contain the topics of the Godhead, the Creation, Man and the Fall, and the Way of Salvation. These are the "bare bones" of the gospel and its background, providing an integrated source of information for those new to the faith and strengthening for the established. The third part, Life of the Believer includes seeing ourselves as God sees us, and how we operate as New Men. Part Four addresses looking beyond ourselves to family, church and the world. Part Five deals with the End Times: Christ's Second Coming and Judgment, followed by a section on the New Heaven and New Earth, and the reward of the Redeemed.

The book maintains the Bible is, in and of itself, God's plan for the redemption of mankind, that it is a firsthand plan authored in eternity by God and because of its divine origin cannot be read and understood like any other book. He cites 1 Peter 19, 20a: "He paid for you with the precious lifeblood of Christ, the sinless, spotless lamb of God. God chose him for this purpose long before the world was made." Thus, we understand the Bible as God revealing himself and manifesting his plan through sinful, imperfect beings. "This book suggests we approach the Bible as the story about God and his faithfulness and determination to carry out his plan to redeem his fallen creatures, rather than to read the Bible as a study of the actions, stories, and exploits of people, and gives surety to our identification as God's children and draws us closer to God through Christ Jesus whose death, burial, and resurrection, is central to his plan."

The manuscript describes the writer's recovery from debilitating mental and financial distress, through a multi-year period of prayer, introspection and study of the Holy Scriptures. It provides a healing guide of connection to our Lord for those in like circumstances. For those interested in studying spiritual contemplative prayer it makes a compelling argument that the Holy Spirit empowers people and influences the course of events in response to allowing God's Word to manage our lives.

This book reintroduces spiritual maturity as the goal of the Christian life, that, according to the Barna Research Group, people no longer know how to define. It demonstrates exegetically that this goal is firmly rooted in the New Testament. It criticizes unproductive views of Christian discipleship that overlook the affective dimension of discipleship, focusing on the multidimensionality of the heart. It draws on recent philosophical literature to show that emotions actually do epistemological work, which has implications for the shaping force of doctrine. It also broadens the concept of grace to supplement the judicial view of Christ's atoning work, with exposition on the Spirit's work in grace. It explores the communal dimension of spiritual maturity to show that it is for others as well as for self. It offers means of assessing one's growth.

Using inspiring strategies to help rekindle enjoyment for your work, no matter what rung on the ladder you're standing on, Succeeding in Babylon explores the colorful success stories of David, Joseph, Daniel and Mordecai. With modernized and hyperbolized Bible people and events, the author deals with advancement in adversity and promotion under pressure. These four impressive Bible men worked their way to the top despite strange and hostile circumstances.

Resurrection will help the reader understand and prepare for the day Jesus Christ return. The work is not about "end-times" and "apocalyptic" events; heaven knows there are plenty of books on that subject. It is not about the fear that is coming in the end; it is about the hope that is coming in the end. It is about how and when Jesus will return to bring us into his eternal kingdom. Jesus is coming to get us at the time of our physical death and on Judgment Day; one way or both, he is coming. This book envisions both encounters. In the beginning God created the heavens and earth, and in the end God will re-create the heavens and the earth. One creation has happened; the other is yet to happen. Yet, it is going to happen and we will be there as a part of it and to witness it. This book brings both creation events to life.

How we choose to navigate our storms influences not only the outcome but also the impact of our lives in ways we may never fully realize. Every day is filled with choices that define who we are - decisions that ultimately determine our futures. We have choices to grow into either the very best or the very worst versions of ourselves. But when it comes right down to it, we only have one decision to make: to decide what kind of person we want to be. Then, all other lifestyle choices become so much easier to make since we have already decided what to do. When we decide what we want our lives to reflect, then everything else will naturally fall into place. All we need to make is this one decision.

Would you be afraid to admit that your ancestor shot an American President? While this writer still does not know for sure whether or not it was his forefather who put the fatal bullet into Abraham Lincoln, he is absolutely positive that the pattern he inherited of hiding from such ugly possibilities has directly contributed to the disintegration of his marriage. His memoir, Anatomy of an Effup, traces this pattern through his childhood in the Amazon and beyond, when as a recovering fundamentalist he discovered that grace and personal freedom did not require his perfection-- just his willingness to be broken. This working title, while provocative, is telling for two reasons: first, it is indicative of the author's raw, intimate writing style; and second, it manages to convey a light-hearted, self-deprecatory attitude towards the pretension of focusing on exterior forms while ignoring issues of the heart.

The work presents a beacon of hope for those facing storms in their lives using Isaiah 40:12-31 to see that God is faithful and he always has a plan no matter how grim things look. The Israelites had given up on God, but God never gave up on them. The writer develops similarities between the stories of old and the patterns of daily living. No matter what the circumstance, God is still the provider of hope!

The 40 lessons of this study describe the biblical worldview from Genesis through Revelation. The key message: Put Yahweh at the center of life, accept God's rule over all of life, and put into practice every day the life of Jesus by the power of the his indwelling Spirit. The writer considers that many evangelical Christians hold views more akin to Greek rationalistic philosophy than to the biblical assumptions. The work urges people to return to the biblical worldview and to live in the Kingdom of God.

The eight stories here seek to "discover the creative, bottomless grace of Jesus which becomes very clear when discovering the mideastern cultural norms by which women of his day were bound." They are told from the point of view of a woman who might have been in the crowd, or, in some cases, from the view of the woman herself.

The target audience here is those growing impatient for answers to prayer or the frustrations of life's obstacles. Using examples of biblical characters who overcame extraordinary circumstances because they waited on the Lord for wisdom, purpose, and provision. Waiting does not mean sitting idly by until things "turn out," but entering into fellowship with God, receiving peace he can give regardless of the circumstances. Includes study questions at end of each chapter.

This teaches the reader how to live every day with a practical, usable faith in God. It is not written to theologians but with the intention of giving hope to any man on the street who is searching for answers about his daily walk of faith with God. It is deliberately intended to convey a simple understandable message based on many scriptures about prayer, obedience and faith.

This tackles the Greek word ekdechomia wait to explain, illustrate, and develop the context of the five New Testament passages in which it is found. Out of the development come five biblical reasons or purposes for why the answers to our prayers might be delayed and what we can do to hasten the end of the delay.

The work investigates Paul's secret of contentment, blending the writer's personal story with biblical content to provide examples and illustrations. Each chapter highlights one lesson and includes questions for group discussion. "Be content with what you have" (Hebrews 13:5) here receives development and concrete explication.

Since the beginning of time, the story goes, boy meets girl, then one ticks off the other, then they break up or look for greener pastures. Sometimes they hang onto each other through thick or thin. Whether we like it or not, women are basically programmed as girls to be on the lookout for Prince Charming. We expect that Prince Charming to meet all of our needs. That kind of ideal puts a lot of pressure on the men of the world. But what if the love we're really looking for can last a lifetime and then some? This book explores the faithful God who pursues, engages, and has no fear of commitment. His is a love that will not let you down, or walk away, or find someone else more appealing.

We tend to approach the Christian life as certain things we do. As a result, our emphasis is on doing, and we wind up "doing" in our own strength. Our Christianity is weak, powerless, and does not appeal to the world (or to most Christians for that matter). We lack power to deal with the things life throws at us. We don't understand God's purpose. This book is about finding a spiritual foundation of faith and grace that will enable us to be overcomers, to walk in victory, and to live an effective Christian life in his power.

This book is divided into three parts. Part one says that, above all, being relational is what matters to God. Relational connection is more important than ministry, evangelism or doctrine, though it incorporates all three. Part two lays out the obstacles that get in our way (for instance: busyness, worldliness and a superficial reading of scripture). Part three gives the nuts and bolts of being relational, utilizing such tools as the relational priority, the marriage quadrangle and the five characteristics. The author shows how being relational is Christianity and anything less (though commonly accepted) is a counterfeit.

Too often people have been left with the ideas that a biblical faith is just as belief system, a name it and claim strategy, or it is a mystical character quality that one fully possesses or they lack the qualities of faith altogether. These ideas have left many Christians with feelings of uncertainty, confusion and even guilt in trying to live their lives by faith. In reality faith is a gift given by God to every believer. It is a gift that keeps on living. A living faith is a growth process that God has specifically designed and measured out for each individual believer's life. One grows and matures in faith as they learn to walk through seven stages of spiritual growth (Ch 8). These stages are essential for the healthy development of a living faith that lives with an eternal perspective. Through this study the reader will learn to: define faith, discover faith, develop a living faith, dwell in a living faith and be delivered through a living faith.

Building Your Life by the Owner's Design uses a balanced and structured approach to personal growth and maturity with God as the owner of our lives. The book examines the five stages to spiritual maturity -- trusting, training, testing, talking, and teaching stages - basing assertions on proven research and personal growth experiences.

The Fight for Everything is a non-fiction/Christian living book that targets adult followers of Jesus. The book thematically explores the deep-seated desires that echo in the hearts of us all. We all have a desire for joy. We all delight in beauty. We all struggle for some measure of peace and security. We all want to know that at the end of the day the sum of our lives have added up to something significant -- something meaningful. The promise of our faith is that these deep yearnings have been fulfilled in the life and work of Jesus. However, like all things this side of heaven they are hard to hold onto. This is a book about learning to hold on.

The manuscript proposes practicing six core disciplines of the Christian life to take the typical Christian believer to new levels of maturity and fruitfulness. The target audience would be the motivated believer who is discontent with a spiritual plateau and wants to "go higher."

Life and Love and Why is a theological journey of escaping Christian religion in order that one might truly fall in love with Jesus Christ. It is the writer's opinion that a lot of Christians believe their salvation experience rests solely on the Cross and Resurrection, but no further demands are made to walk in the Principle of Jesus. The book is an exploration that when undertaken will lead to understanding what it means to love God wholeheartedly, while loving our neighbors as ourselves, and to understand the consequences if we choose not to do either one. The book was first self-published.

The manuscript gives women the tools to discover deep roots in Christ, the true Vine, by becoming aware of other "vines" that can entangle the heart. Women are pointed toward encouraging tools to keep their lives in balance and connected to spiritual living.

Send & Receive is the working title of a collection of opening meditations the writer has developed over the past ten years as a lay leader. These conversational mini-devotions are ideal for church members leading committees, church groups or Sunday school classes, as well as for clergy seeking new ways to thoughtfully engage worshippers.

In a culture dominated by sexual messages that have little to do with love, many women assume distorted attitudes about their bodies and sexuality. Others carry unseen wounds that find no solace in the silence of the church. Though early experiences and beliefs about ourselves impact our spiritual lives, they don't have to define us or keep us from becoming who God intended us to be. In the place where desire and holiness meet, opportunities for renewed intimacy await. What does it look like to be whole and holy? Is it ours to choose? How does one cross the seemingly vast chasm between sex and spirit? Weaving a Life bridges the gap, as it lays the groundwork necessary for integrating sex and spirit. Each chapter explores a different barrier to holiness and intimacy and shows how change becomes possible by inviting God into the process. The author's insights are balanced with glimpses into a group of real women yearning for deeper connection with God and one another. As they learn to embrace their sexuality and see it as part of God's good creation, others are encouraged to follow and find their own unique path to wholeness - body, mind and spirit.

Interested seekers and new or immature believers will find solid answers to their questions about God and spirituality in this work which opens with a simple and reasonable discussion about who God is and helps the reader consider the possibility that he or she can have a relationship with a loving, all-powerful Creator. Biblical evidence for creation, studies on Abraham and David as friends of God, and clearly presented steps for how to become part of God's family draw the reader into an understanding of salvation, of the Lordship of Christ, and of friendship with God.

A multi-millionaire's letter to his grandchildren confirming his beliefs, his convictions, his faith and what life is really all about.

In a reversal of Stuart Hamlin's song, "This Old House," the writer suggests that old houses have souls which reflect the hurts, fears, heartaches, etc., of the occupants during the lifetime of the houses. At the demise of each house described in the manuscript, he speculates that the souls of the houses become perhaps the mansions in heaven to which the souls progress, spiritual mansions as opposed to physical mansions of alabaster and gold. Using examples of actual houses and pictures of old houses in various forms of decay along with Hamlin's song the manuscript pursues the imagery of progress and decay.

The writer summarizes, "During my tenure as a mental health professional, I have discovered that the failure to acknowledge and accept the consequences of one's behavior is among the foremost causes of both individual and societal decay. Accordingly, the purpose of this book is to profile the power and virtue of embracing personal responsibility (admitting we "ate the apple"), describe the destructive results of failing to do so, and provide a path to individual discovery and stability through honesty, accountability, and a love for truth above convenience. I have done this with humor and candor."

We live in the age of celebrity. Celebrities are a very big part of our everyday lives. They present a message to millions of people, of all ages, who become captivated with their lives. As we increase our exposure to these disconcerting behaviors a disturbing phenomenon occurs--our perception of what is normal begins to change. According to research, as the level of religious devotion decreases, the degree of celebrity worship increases. The more we watch them, the more we're unconsciously motivated to imitate their behavior. Celebrity imitation describes this society's voracious hunger for wholeness and identity. And it is shaping our youth of today. Our children are more fully immersed in the media and are at risk of internalizing such behaviors, possibly permanently affecting their emotional well-being. People of America, as never before, are in search of something real that will fill the hunger of their soul. Their desire is to make an impact but they do not know how or where to begin. The author's goal is to show them how, through Imitatio Christi (Latin for Imitating Christ).

This discipleship book targets young converts and pastors. Topics include becoming a disciple of Jesus; the Bible; spiritual growth; the power of prayer; the need for Christian fellowship; the work and person of the Holy Spirit; witnessing; and assurance of salvation. The book begins by asking its readers to re-examine the validity of their salvation experience. Then it proceeds to apply principles and patterns of growth as found in the reader's experience noting the analogy to the process of spiritual growth, such as relationship between spouses; the races that an athlete undertakes; and the growth patterns that infants undergo. In essence, the author moves his readers from the known to the unknown; from the physical to the spiritual; and from the initial stage of salvation to different levels or stages of spiritual growth and development in Christ Jesus. The goal in the work would be that young converts would become aware that coming to saving faith in Jesus is not an end in itself, but is instead the beginning of a long journey and an ongoing personal relationship with Jesus. Useful to pastors, the material should be helpful for others who have never gone through a follow up and discipleship training program, and as a result of this shortcoming they are still struggling with the basics of the Christian faith. The book is an abridged or condensed version of a Discipleship Training or Follow-up Ministry Program that goes by the same name.

Old Man/New Man is an exposition of Romans 6:1-14 and an examination of the theories concerning holy living that others have offered to explain that text. The writer seeks to expose what he views as serious flaws to those theories and seeks to propose a new way that is truer to scripture and to human experience. The book combines biblical study, exegesis, and practical insight to help readers present themselves to God for holy living.

Initial repentance is essential to salvation. The widespread omission of this truth has resulted in an unbalanced gospel, many counterfeit Christians, and the infiltration of sins into the church. The essential elements of initial repentance are proclamation of truth, conviction of sins, contrition for sins, confession of sins, renunciation of sins, trust in the death of Jesus as full payment of man's sin debt, and lifetime commitment to Jesus as Lord. The fruits of genuine repentance are the miraculous changes in attitude, character, and conduct.

Within today's postmodern culture are the next generation of leaders of our communities, our churches and our country. Yet most people have opted to reject a biblical worldview, creating a new fad in which Christianity is viewed as a hypocritical religion with followers that can't connect with the real world. According to a recent study conducted by the Barna Research Group, Christianity has an image problem. Their study showed that only 16% of people between the ages of 16-29 years old have a good impression toward Christianity in general, while only 3% has a favorable view toward evangelical Christianity. Little has been written on the topic of spiritual growth specifically for the postmodern culture. This book, through its entertaining stories and relational tone, will help young believers find the road toward authentic Christianity and get firmly established in their faith in Christ.

This book explores the various possible purposes in life and suggests that belonging to God -- living out God's kingdom here on earth -- is the central purpose to which all other purposes are subordinate and find their fulfillment. Each chapter is a reflection on an aspect of living out God's kingdom - such as choosing our work, fostering humility, seeking reconciliation with others, living simply, sharing our resources, being in Christian community, pursuing prayer, trusting in times of suffering, and preparing for death. These reflections challenge the conventional assumptions of our society as well as the strictly personal and spiritualized versions of Christian faith.

All humans, by reason of the fall, are trapped in a vicious cycle - attempting to control themselves, others, and their surroundings in an endless effort to "be like God." This impulse and need to control manifests in three primary ways: domination, manipulation, and intimidation. Like the game of rock/paper/scissors, there are no real winners, only victims who feel crushed, cut, or covered by the process - or ominously empowered by it. What is the solution? To quit playing the game altogether! How? By recognizing and repenting of the game-playing. God does not "play the game" - indeed, control is not in him at all. Through him, humans can be transformed until the game of control gives way to a life of mutual submission - the dance of relationship - rather than the dissonance of control.

You want me to do . . . WHAT? is written to encourage Christians and non-Christians to take the stop of faith that will change their lives and set them on the path toward God fulfilling the dream he has for them. The book weaves together valuable life and biblical stories, while providing a practical framework for discerning God's call to experience the adventure he has planned for each of our lives.

This book is a brief treatise explaining to believers what living for God's glory is all about. It is designed to help believers no matter where they are in their level of spiritual growth. Believers must face the reality that western culture is man-centered, one's natural tendencies are toward self-glory, and the grace of God is desperately needed to fulfill our purpose in God's created order. Christians need to be God-centered, oriented by the truth of God's word, focused on the gospel, and completely dependent on God. The purpose of the book is to point believers in the right direction by emphasizing God's glory. God is infinitely glorious. Thus, he is worthy to receive our worship and praise. The believer's duty is to live intentionally for God's glory alone. However, "duty" must not carry with it the idea of drudgery. Instead believers delight in glorifying God through his sufficient grace upon their lives. Each chapter contains scriptural and practical teaching in accordance with the above.

A call to awake and speak boldly. The writer summarizes, "We need to take a stand for morality once more, and that is exactly what For Christ's Sake is designed to help us do."

The writer asserts that believers have lost the center position in our culture. We need to make the journey back to an abundant relationship with God. The book offers the importance, cautions, and encouragements of such a journey. It tells how believers get stuck, stalled, and stifled along the way. The manuscript details practical scriptural help and tells of the benefits that come with an abundant relationship with God.

This book reviews a prayer pattern using the four fingers and thumb of our hand as a guide. It goes through praise, confession, thanksgiving, intercession, and surrender to build a balanced prayer life. The final chapters tie the pattern together to emphasize the need for both balanced and ongoing prayer and daily surrender to God. The title, In the Grip of Prayer is designed to highlight the truth that as we seek to get a better grip on our prayer lives we are actually in the process of letting God a better grip on us through surrender and resultant conforming into his image. My thought is for this book to be in the style of the smaller 'Lifechange' books.

The title, Set Free to Live Free, is a restatement of Galatians 5:1, "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free." This is a book about grace, freedom, and about applying the gospel to all areas of your life, all based on Paul's letter to the Galatians. Paul expressed the gospel as "Jesus plus nothing," teaching that adding anything to the work of Christ results in a complete loss of the gospel. We were saved by grace, and must continue on in grace. The book challenges some popular thinking about issues like holiness and church authority, emphasizing that the freedom given to us also imposes upon a corresponding responsibility and authority to love and serve one another.

Subtitled A Benevolent Jesus as the Ultimate Expression of Christian Diplomacy, the work discusses compassion, a ministry of shared suffering that is the centerpiece of Jesus' life and teaching, which the church should endeavor to emulate. Since all human beings encounter similar life experiences, a ministry of understanding and caring is universal, transcending all cultural and socioeconomic differences. Receiving this ministry is especially meaningful for those individuals who are in the midst of doubt and despair, pain and suffering, grief and sorrow, rejection and ostracism, encountering discrimination and social injustices. Christians, guided by compassion as demonstrated by Jesus, have in him in biblical model to follow. It is a nurturing ministry offering physical, emotional and spiritual healing, unencumbered by denominational discrepancies and exegetical disputes.

The Enemy's Tactical Manual approaches the subject of spiritual warfare from the perspective of the enemy, Satan. Along with each chapter detailing the enemy's plan, the author includes a counterpoint from a biblical perspective. Readers will learn the true nature of spiritual warfare and to be encouraged by discovering how to use the work of Jesus Christ to enhance and protect their spiritual life.

Subtitled How to Stand Firm in Your Faith in a Culture of Competing Spiritual Ideas .Targeted to women, the book encourages the reader to live her life based on the truth of God's teachings rather than those of the world and culture around her. It aims to equip the reader with the spiritual tools necessary to recognize incorrect biblical teaching. A very basic overview of Christian doctrine and New Age thought will be explained so she will be able to refute and identify false teaching. At the completion of this book, the reader will have built a firmer foundation in her Christian faith.

The Enemy's Tactical Manual approaches the subject of spiritual warfare from the perspective of the enemy, Satan. Along with each chapter detailing the enemy's plan, the author includes a counterpoint from a biblical perspective. Readers will learn the true nature of spiritual warfare and to be encouraged by discovering how to use the work of Jesus Christ to enhance and protect their spiritual life.

When faced with adverse circumstances, both Christians and non-Christians tend toward questioning God's love for them. This book deals with such suspicions. Through stories and solid scriptural foundation the reader will find hope and practical help in pursuing and worshiping God during hard times.

This study in Ephesians tells us how we can generate and maintain the attitude or mindset of effectiveness and thereby walk in The Effective Will of God. Beginning with 1:1-2, the Paul motivates us with two tough questions; "Do we have what it takes?", and "Are we willing to accept responsibility for success and failure?" In verses 4-7, Paul reminds us of our tool, the tool of God's grace. The tool of grace has two functions; destiny and ability. Paul then gives us our effective purpose, which is purposeful praise, shows us our promise of freshness given by the Holy Spirit. and gives us the effective benefit of the effective will of God -- the ability to change. Before we can change we often have to go through the crucible of God's judgment, and that is actually a very good thing as we will discover. Finally, we are given a sacred trust of building relationships which is the ultimate outcome of the effective will of God.

The theme is finding "times of refreshing" through godly repentance. The idea reflects the truth found in Acts 3:19. Peter, as he was preaching, said, "Therefore repent and return so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord" (NAB). As a biblical example of repentance the response of the Corinthian church to Paul's admonitions to holiness is thoroughly examined. The key verse is 2 Corinthians 7:11. Great joy and release can be found when we follow the path to repentance.

Subtitled A Father's Guide to Training His Son to Survive in the Wilderness and the World - Basic Training, the work is based on an ongoing, nondenominational wilderness survival ministry known as the father/son ministry. This ministry provides a simple, practical and fun way for fathers to begin training their sons to survive in the literal wilderness as a means to prepare them to survive in the figurative wilderness: the world. It equips fathers to train their sons with the knowledge, skills and confidence to thrive as they move toward the ultimate goal of genuine Christian manhood. The book is designed as a "how to" manual for fathers. The lessons draw direct parallels between the four elements of wilderness survival and four core pillars of Christian living or spiritual survival. Food represents the Word of God; Fire represents a Servant Heart; Shelter represents Fellowship; and Water represents Prayer. Each individual survival skill focuses on a verse from the Bible and is followed by questions that inspire meaningful discussion of scripture and its relevance to the skill being learned. The ministry is designed so that any father - regardless of his level of Christian education or outdoor experience -- will find it a meaningful, practical and fun way to train and equip his son to face the world.

Subtitled The final battle has begun. Are you ready to take your stand?, this book introduces the new (or young) believer to the invisible realm; he/she has been taken from one kingdom and has been placed in another, yet remains on hostile soil. The book introduces the spiritual surroundings, the two warring armies and their leaders, provisions and armory, as well as how to learn the necessary skills to not only survive but to become effective in spiritual warfare. The main theme of the book is the necessity for God's people in this dark age to learn how to worship and war, while taking hold of our spiritual inheritance. Every chapter ends with study questions to catalyst change. The intent is to see the new believer become more home in the invisible and supernatural, and be able to walk by faith rather than sight. There is increasing glory to enter into in worship, to combat the increasing darkness around us.

Jesus Wants Your Mind is written for those who wish to grow spiritually through the discipline of renewing the mind by meditating on scripture, praying, and journaling. The writer states, "For over thirty years, I have used these concepts successfully in Protestant and Catholic churches, in "silent retreats," and in an Institute of Ministry. The ancient art of Christian meditation has little prominence in many Protestant churches because of its emphasis by eastern religions. However, it has been the single source of the most growth in my Christian life and in the lives of many others." The manuscript offers a biblical basis for these concepts and gives specific examples of how the word of God can encourage and strengthen us in times of adversity. Included are examples of how the Holy Spirit recalled scripture at just the right time to bring healing, overcome temptation to sin, and in two cases, avert a suicide.

Targeting church leaders, this book seeks to enable more effective communication with and counseling to people in business. It provides an understanding of current economic issues and, more importantly, equips the reader with the analytical tools for clear rational thinking about economic issues of particular interest to church leaders, such as poverty, globalization, environmental challenges, housing prices, energy, income disparities, inflation and stewardship. The material also covers the role of the business firm in society, showing the business firm as a voluntary community of God's people mutually creatively pursuing goals, the achievement of which depends upon serving others. As such, the business firm is an effective laboratory for exercising Christian principles. The goal is to provide church leaders and staff with the knowledge, reasoning process and empathy to enable them to more effectively communicate with and minister to the business people in their congregation.

We all want to get the most we can out of life; but, when faced with uncertainty due to change and the loss of security due to failure, living up to our God-designed potential can seem impossible. Waiting on God for our next step can can be difficult. Yet sometimes, losing it all can mean finding everything we need. This book reminds us of the ample faith God has in us when we struggle to believe in ourselves or even him. It describes how you can achieve eternal greatness "off-screen" while breaking down Jesus' most important message: the Kingdom of God. The book defines and describes the Kingdom of God and its value, and gives practical steps to finding greatness through service. As the book introduces the call of Christ as an incredible opportunity and blurs the lines between the traditional views of sacred and secular, readers are challenged to embark on an adventure in advancing the Kingdom of God.

The work blends personal stories and meditative prose from its two authors: Bernie, a seasoned traveler on the road of faith, and Joy, an awestruck novice. Their stories are interspersed with dialogue, and each piece is punctuated with wisdom and a selected passage of scripture. A personal story is meaningful only when set in context against the backdrop of a larger story--the Grand Narrative--the very narrative that tells us that God is at the wheel. Every trial and hardship is, by design, part of this masterpiece. The Grand Narrative tells us we must experience death to experience life and to see truth. This book invites the reader to consider the stories of his/her life in new ways; to see deeper meaning; to judge their worth; to see those stories in the larger story, and then to act with courage and conviction.

Where today lies the soul of a nurse? Or for that matter, the soul of any caregiver? With the assistance of the Corporal Works of Mercy and Healings from the Gospel of Matthew, one young nurse opens up her questions on faith, God and home. Through her iconic mother, a journey to Jerusalem, and a discovery in Calcutta, the nurse discovers what has happened to both her soul and her relationships as she comes face to face with her questions of God at last.

God has promised to direct our every step, every word, and every movement throughout the day - if we only will look for his guidance. What happens in our lives is not coincidence, not happenstance, but GOD. "As a mother-daughter writing team," the authors state, "we have a burden to share this important truth, and so we began compiling the stories in our own lives where it would have been easy to miss the lessons God has for us had we not learned to look. Sometimes, however, we didn't look for God until after the fact; we didn't recognize his work until later on as we stepped back and saw his hand. The experiences our EVERYday God has taken us through have provided EVERYday reminders that God wants a close relationship with us."

This book addresses topics that can be instrumental to developing strong disciples of Jesus Christ. Just as the Apostle Paul sometimes referred to the Gospel as My Gospel, this writer makes a case for the unique way each believer may communicate the timeless Gospel. He then proceeds to communicate elements of the Gospel he has found to be vital for producing strong Christian Disciples in places where many seem to be weak in their faith.

The book provides biblical and scientific information on how to live a long and productive life in the 21st century. It deals with the misconceptions Christians often have about what retirement ought to be. It builds on the metaphor the Apostle Paul uses of life as a race and suggests Christians need to Run Thru the Tape not just to it. A wealth of information is available to potential retirees to help them make the last third of their life the best and most productive third. Chapters deal with faith, activity, health, finances, death, and heaven. There are two chapters on how churches can develop progressive senior ministries and appendices with web sites for seniors, senior humor, and forms seniors may wish to use.

In language that Christians can relate to and identify with, the authors seek to debunk the New Age teaching of setting personal intentions and then looking as the Universe manifests those intentions. They write, "There does operate a Spiritual Principle of Attraction, but it is not set in motion by concentrated egotistical thinking. The writers wish to bring individuals to the realization that this spiritual attraction communicates a deeper, mystical relationship with their Christian faith."

Jesus is not merely a "chip off the Old Block" that shows us a small piece of the Triune God. Jesus reveals the fullness of the Godhead. Religious conversation, formal and informal, characterizes God from a blending of the Old and New Testaments. However, equal merging of these images fosters confusion and hampers interpretation of each testament. Good God! helps readers grasp an image of the Godhead revealed in Jesus Christ. As one comprehends God's true nature, love begins to motivate Christian living rather than fear or duty. The writer cites New Testament writers pointing to Jesus as the exact imprint of his heavenly father. Through guided imagery of 40+ stories, readers enter into biblical events to experience God in the person of Jesus. The work seeks to be useful for individuals as well as groups, this book is the Christian's handbook to meditation on the scriptures.

This is a compilation of prayers, photographs, meditations and interviews about Christian spirituality from the viewpoint of Africans who suffer and grieve, as well as those who heal and rejoice. The book focuses on Christians both in an English-speaking province in Cameroon and a French-speaking province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Almost every one of the 122 pages features color photographs of Christians praying or carrying on with their daily lives. Their prayers are not from rote memory but from their heart. Sometimes they are humorous. One nurse in the Congo prayed, "O, God, give this doctor more knowledge than the little bit he has." The title comes from a prayer offered by a man who had suffered from leprosy. He said, "What God gives, take with both hands." The book has a professionally designed layout, with text and photographs in place.

The book explores the nature of our personal relationship with God. How personal can that relationship be? Do our actions before God really matter, and why? The concept of negotiations, with which the author has extensive experience, is used to emphasize that our relationship with God is intended to be interactive. A theme throughout is that God created us for the purpose of having a relationship, and we need to be about the business of developing one. The work draws on stories and teachings throughout the Old and New Testaments with linkages to modern books, movies and television shows with which a wide audience would be familiar.

The work begins by seeking to identify the historical foundations of the legalistic nature often exhibited by the Church. It then goes on to describe how the current religious attitudes of the modern church may obscure the covenantal commitment of God to his people. Asserting that God will stop at nothing to reveal his covenantal faithfulness to his people, the author maintains that as traditional churches continue to stress reliance on anything other than his unconditional commitment, God has begun to lead people out of that religious environment and into a "wilderness" where he can reveal his true covenantal nature to them. This fresh perspective of God's commitment to man is explored through numerous biblical encounters between God and his people, in both the Old and New Testaments. In addition, the author turns to the prophetic books for additional support of this "Revival in the Desert" concept, and concludes that America may currently be experiencing a prelude to revival, as in historical revivals.

Financial loss. Marital strife. Unemployment. Betrayal. Economic crisis and global unrest. Turmoil both in our own lives and in the world around us. Where do we turn? The writer draws on experience as both a pastor's daughter and military chaplain's wife to encourage those facing struggles and seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Although the competing voices of modern society tempt us to think we need everything but God, we in fact need to return to him as our first love, as he is the only real key to overcoming. This is a call for us to restructure the way we spend our day, to reprioritize our increasingly long-to-do lists and start the day with God first, soaking in his word and his presence.

This discussion on God's greatest gift to man--our freedom of choice--explains the various aspects of choices in seventeen chapters.

The premise attempted in this text is to provide a biblically responsible, inherently creative look at grief as something profoundly bigger than the pain it causes. The intent is to look deeply at grief, loss and the journey within which these transpire from a variety of unusual, yet intimate life perspectives that are illustrated by paralleling a number of the author's childhood experiences against the death of the author's mother in adulthood. These are conveyed to the reader by illustrating the natural transitions of nature as they surrounded her death and tightly interweaving those with the human experience of grief and loss in order to transform the view of the reader regarding pain and grief.

This work portrays the lifelong affects of an act of violence committed by a father upon his young daughter. The theme "old sins cast long shadows" emerges from decade to decade within the life of one family. Archangel Michael, a bronze statue stands in a water garden, silently and profoundly lending divine strength and encouragement. Secondary themes are restitution and renewal: Restitution of a portion of the Pisgah National Forest (Western North Carolina) once raped by money-driven logger and renewal of love between a mother and a daughter during old age.

"Women, more often than not, take the lead role in the spiritual life of the family, however they are not able to guide their children spiritually because they are struggling with their own faith development" (Barna). But, according to the writer, the deep truths of God's word can be as easy to understand as child's play. Just as Jesus used parables to teach his disciples, this book examines Cinderella by Charles Perrault as a parable using types from the Bible. Though very little is said about the Prince, he is the primary ingredient in every facet of the story. The writer uses the familiar objects in the story to explain salvation by grace alone through the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, the person and the purposes of the Holy Spirit, the purpose of the church, redeeming grace, eternal security and the victorious Christian life.

The work introduces readers to some truly great winners in the game of life who demonstrate the victory of the human spirit when touched by the power of the Spirit of God. These short stories tell of individuals and families who face times of decision that call for the best of spiritual reserves, such as: job loss, cancer diagnosis, death of a child, loss of faith in a leader, an abusive marriage, the nursing home decision, a terrorist threat, personal humiliation, war injuries and spiritual poverty. While the author is committed to Christian theological and counseling principles, the stories are written to speak to the heart for lay readers who seek a word of Christian hope when life seems to tumble in on us.

Joy is the first book in a series entitled, "Encouraging Words," taken primarily from the fruit of the Spirit listed in the New Testament. Biblical joy has four elements: Reasoning, Righteousness, Responsiveness and Relationship. The writer notes, "Joy as we experience it on earth is a fleeting glimpse of heaven. It is a taste of that unknown longing in our souls that we were created to experience, and that God will fulfill in eternity for those who come to know Jesus Christ. We often confuse true joy with pleasure, contentment or happiness. While these things can be facets of joy, they are not essential to it. Joy often springs from hardship. In fact, there is a depth of joy that you cannot know until you have suffered. These form the backbone of joy that makes it significant in our lives."

Speaking from his experience with a lengthy secret addiction, the author examines the behavioral patterns and attributes of those who struggle with secret sins of all types. This book is targeted to those who want to be freed from spiritual slavery. Written with brutal honesty, Johnson exposes the excuses and lies often used to justify inappropriate activities. Those who are currently struggling with some area of secret sin will find a plan of escape and freedom that includes accountability, adherence to Scripture, and developing an awareness of temptations and triggers. At the end, readers will have been challenged to quit making excuses, overcome the guilt and shame often associated with secret sin, and allow their past failures to become a tool to rescue others who are trapped in the shadows of secrecy.

Conversations About Disciple Making is a collection of real life experiences and insights that will enlighten, inspire, challenge, and motivate the reader to live a life that is dedicated to making more disciples of Jesus Christ. This is the first book in the Conversations series.

Identity theft is an important and topical issue. That's Not Me addresses this issue in a spiritual vein, and offers a way to achieve a new identity; a new self-image, and a new start to a victorious life. The book can also be considered a resource for Christian counseling, both for self and others. Counseling applications and related scriptures are included at the ends of most chapters and a counseling supplement concludes the book.

The mystic Christian is simply that man or woman whose spiritual growth has matured into a divine romance. The most apt symbolism for this stage in the spiritual journey is that of marital union, becoming one with the divine Bridegroom. The book provides both a theological foundation for mysticism as well as an extensive description of the "both/and" nature of mystic spirituality. The mystic brings together the seeming opposites of Eros and Agape, solitude and communion, inward peace and outward revolution, etc. As one nears the summit of the spiritual mountain, the ascent becomes a spiral one, traversing the various faces of Christian spirituality. As such, the mystic can be the most effective agent of ecumenism, building bridges between the various spiritual traditions, What the world needs now is not just Christians. It needs whole Christians. It needs mystic Christians, Christians who shine forth both the divinity and robust humanity of Jesus.

Christians need a biblical worldview incorporated into all they do and think. Total Infusion engages readers in the process of integrating Christian beliefs into 20 specific areas of life. Each life topic focuses on outward actions, internal thoughts, or both. The premise is this: whether we are at work, on vacation, at an entertainment event, or just spending time with friends, no matter what we are doing we are always ambassadors for Christ. We should walk as we worship, in spirit and in truth. Our beliefs, values, and priorities need to be consistent because being inconsistent leads to hypocrisy.

This book addresses the redeeming work of Jesus that restores a valued self-image and points people toward the pathway of wholeness. It examines the affirming ministry of Jesus and the depreciating issues within people. It encourages people to receive true value transformation, the Church to be a redemptive community and for the followers of Christ to be ValueGivers.

When Christine leaves home for college, her father, David, commits to writing her a letter every week. And faithfully and lovingly keeps this promise for eleven years. Readers journey with Christine as she goes to college and medical school, gets married, and begins a family of her own. This collection of letters and studies from the book of Proverbs is a chronicle of life, love and spiritual growth.

There is no formal teaching on faith until the end of the Lord's first year of ministry during The Sermon on the Mount. The initial focus of the Lord's ministry was on proclaiming the kingdom of God (Luke 4:17-21, 43, 44). However, the Lord was not seeing believers (his disciples) consistently walk by faith even though there were instances in his ministry where faith had been exhibited and even though these saints should have been aware of Habakkuk 2:4b, "the righteousness will live by his faith." The dots had not been connected. Therefore, our Lord begins to teach and challenge believers about their faith. There are eleven instances in the Gospels with Jesus and his disciples where faith was discussed or illustrated for teaching purposes. This book is an attempt to define the faith in God as illustrated, taught, and extolled in the Gospels.

As humans we were created above every other aspect of creation. We were created in the image and likeness of God. We were created to exercise dominion in the natural world. What we say is important because we receive what we say in faith believing. At a minimum our words reflect our relationship and obedience to Christ; at a deeper level, we prophecy our future by the words we speak. Words can destroy you or they can transform you because words, your words or the words of another, produce either faith or fear. Using your words to speak the word of God into your life is a process of building God's word into your spirit. You must do it intentionally and continually then, in the fullness of time, God's word will manifest in your life.

The manuscript retells various New Testament stories in compelling detail, placing the reader in the very center of the event. That bold faith illustrated in each passage contrasts with the world . Various encounters the writer has had over my years of ministry relate to the cited New Testament account, conveying these encounters in intimate and powerful detail. Each chapter then closes with a series of thoughts that assists the reader in beginning to apply the truths outlined in the chapter.

In this short and engaging piece of work, the benefits of being justified are vividly explored. The revolutionary effects this has on the very depths of human nature are made clear through lively and entertaining discussion. A feature of this book is the clear link that is made between justification and a transformed lifestyle.

Growing in Grace and Knowledge presents a model for Christian spiritual formation based on the Balswicks' four sequential, but nonlinear stages of healthy family development (covenantal love, grace, empowerment and intimacy) and applies this model to the local congregation. The author addresses the need for more intentional spiritual formation by examining the state of the North American Church today. She then presents a biblical theology of spiritual formation and identifies essential components and specific spiritual disciplines that will help believers grow in the grace and knowledge of God's love and forgiveness, become increasingly empowered for service and enjoy a deepening intimacy with one another and with the living God.

Contrary to atheistic assertions, Christians do not believe in myths . Christianity is based on a historical person, on people and on events, specifically on Jesus Christ who appeared for forty days to his followers after his resurrection from the dead. The manuscript focuses on the witness of the apostles Peter and Paul and on Jesus' teaching about himself. Through their imitation of Christ, these apostles spent their lives becoming the face of Jesus to everyone they met. In that role they bore witness to him and gave proof of a God who loves them, so much so that he died for us, that he rose from the dead conquering death for us and that he will come again. At the end, the book exhorts Christians to be imitators of Christ, because by such example we are giving the best proof possible for the existence of a caring God, and expressing as well the most effective way of addressing the assault from aggressive atheists.

Nancy Sheppard writes, "When I followed God's call to mission work in Liberia, West Africa I had no idea what He would require of me. When war broke out our idyllic first term was followed by a nightmarish second term." Living conditions in refugee work were deplorable, the expectations of the people overwhelming, and the tensions of war were right on their doorstep. Nancy was full of fear, self-pity and resentment. God used the decision to follow her husband's leadership and continue refugee work to begin an amazing spiritual journey - one that led her to a clearer understanding of Biblical womanhood and into a deeper relationship with the Lord than she ever thought possible.

The ideals and pursuit of materialism have shown themselves inadequate to meet a deeper need. A generation has formed that is asking questions larger than the culture can answer, and often deeper than that which most Christians can themselves articulate. The purpose of this book is to seize this opportunity and move people into a more deeply meaningful life. It is designed to deeply stimulate and challenge thought on a number of basic premises which can begin to build toward the fulfillment of the great need. The locus around which the text revolves is the constructing of an authentic, strikingly real relationship with God. The work reflects an intellectually aggressive, no-holds-barred, unapologetic approach to seizing the remarkable relationship with God that he has for each of us.

The many references to stone throughout the Bible are carefully interlocked into 29 chapters establishing the solid foundations of the Christian faith. Every stone reference is examined to discover the bedrock truth that builds up and strengthens believers. The ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus, our Rock, are uniquely associated with many Old Testament references to stone. These references are combined to emphasize how to live the Christian life and how to build a proper world view. Stone demonstrates the power of prayer, the power and permanency of God's word, the power of prophecy and the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the power of obedience and the power of his promises. Living Stones, the capstone chapter, emphasizes the joy of a disciplined sanctified life in total dependency upon the power of the Holy Spirit to enable and establish believers in their faith, and to walk worthy of their calling. The New Jerusalem, with all its colorful foundation stones, is the reward for believers who have been redeemed by the blood of the lamb.

Godsick confronts our struggle to love God authentically. It explores the reasons why we feel apathetic toward God, and the reason we grow bored with our faith. The writer undertakes to "take a number of theologically sacred cows and slaughter them with the keen edge of scripture and a wry sense of humor." There are a series of basic assumptions that most people make about God, and most of them are wrong. Because of these assumptions, we find ourselves preferring the company of friends and family to the company of God. Why is that? How do we fix it? The format includes twelve short chapters, plus a one-page prologue and epilogue.

We are all called to service, whether paid or voluntary, especially women married to men in full-time Christian service. This book addresses how we can survive in ministry when we experience criticism, disappointment, frustration, exhaustion, apathy, loneliness and sin. With thoughts and insights from other women serving in ministry, this book will serve as a guide to help Christian women in ministry excel, grow and thrive in their calling. The writer notes, "In 2004 God called my husband and me from our comfortable middle-class existence with four children into full-time Christianity ministry. Although this was a lifelong dream finally realized, my initial exhilaration was quickly replaced by feelings of emptiness, inadequacy, disappointment, loneliness, and the sensation that I was being stretched beyond all personal, emotional, and spiritual limits." The format presents three main sections of the book: Preparing for the Journey, Roadblocks, Pitfalls, and Detours, and finally "Survive and Thrive."

A prayer given to the Jewish people about 2,000 years ago continues to be said by millions all over the world. This book offers a pause to study, reflect, and listen to what the Lord's Prayer is saying to us now. The Prayer's historical significance is considered, the four section prayers that form the complete Word are defined, and their relevance in this day and age is demonstrated. A chapter is devoted to living the Prayer. Every word in the Lord's Prayer is choice and pertinent to its meaning. Why say the Lord's Prayer? How does it help us? The text invites and encourages the readers to embrace their own understanding of the Lord's Prayer.

Many books have explored the dangers involved in any sort of physical intimacy before marriage, but what are benefits to the premarital relationship of these God-given, strong sexual desires? The early stages of a relationship require a tremendous amount of energy in order to develop properly, and the sexual drive provides that additional energy source. God's prohibition of premarital sex isn't about depriving the single man of satisfaction but is designed to benefit his current and future relationship with his spouse. Sexual Desires was written by the author while he was single and abstaining until marriage -- practicing what he's preaching.

From the formation of Adam, the purpose of mankind is to reveal the image of an invisible God in creation. As Adam was given dominion to rule the earth and speak as the representative of heaven, so is each born-again believer authorized by Jesus Christ to act as his representative. Jesus stated: "As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world" (John 17:18). Apostolic Authority presents to us the biblical truths of this sending and will empower us to fulfill the mission established from creation - to reveal God's image on this earth.

The book is intended to be a quick read for people who have a previous experience with the church and need to come back to their faith in Jesus Christ. With many illustrations and a retelling of the prodigal son story, the book looks at aspects of walking away from God--and then returning to him.

In today's society, it is appealing to find comfortable spirituality as a disconnected believer. Many young adults find themselves with a fragile faith that lacks spiritual maturity and understanding. The writer comments, "After being a devout Christian for 15 years, I was ready to scrap the religion I had blindly accepted. A Little Faith is a chronicle of my journey. It contains a progression from debilitating doubt to solidified ownership of faith. The purpose of the book is to provide challenging new perspectives and encourage personal exploration of key spiritual topics in order to discover a powerful, relevant understanding of one's faith."

A tragic event unfolded in Tennessee when a young, energetic preacher from a prominent and highly respected church family was killed by his wife. The author had met and known members of Matthew Winkler's family, always holding them in the highest regard. Upon hearing about Matthew's death, and his wife's (Mary) testimony at the trial, he was perplexed with others trying to comprehend the unfathomable, and to unravel the mystery of how this could happen; and it began to dawn to him in greater clarity that we had a misplaced emphasis in the church. The author truly loves the Church of Christ; he doesn't quarrel with its doctrines, he has no desire to abandon it, and yet he wants the best for all of its members. He believes that some souls may be in jeopardy, so in a sense this book is also about his own spiritual journey, back to a time when he was fully committed to Christ, when he worshipped only at the feet of Jesus, and nothing, not even something as noble as the church itself had displaced deity.

The manuscript provides a practical step-by-step approach to personal strategic planning. It is a user-friendly workbook for Christians who desire to become the person God wants them to be and achieve the things God wants them to do. Today too many Christians are living lives that are aimless and unbalanced, and they will never reach the potential God has for them. This workbook, with its easy-to-understand and biblically-oriented steps, will motivate and guide Christians to discover God's direction and balance in the twelve Full Life Development Areas.

God's Will Workbook offers readers a method to determine God's top priorities for their life with ease and reliability. It follows a simple and natural Christian-based process that takes only about 6-8 hours to complete. This process has been widely used since 1987 and consistently refined over the course of 2 decades. It includes mainstream methods from all the most reputable sources as well as instinctive and common sense techniques that result in readers being extremely confident in their conclusions.

This work offers a Christian discussion of modern work in modern times. It argues that the working life is a compellingly important dimension of keeping Christianity vital, vigorous and engaged in the world. It explores why Christian concern for healthy personal and family life must confront work's tendency to spill beyond the workplace. It positions the working life as a means to spiritual formation and character development. Maintaining a consistent thread of reference to key Gospel themes of sin, redemption and transformation, it also discusses work-related tensions between varying views of mission, ministry and service.

The writer's son, Jonathan, who was born perfectly normal, suffered a stroke at seven years of age and was left permanently mentally disabled. I'll See You in the Morning chronicles the parents' spiritual journey following his stroke, weaving together the support and love of family, church, medical personnel, and community. It paints a picture of God's love and faithfulness during difficult circumstances. It includes humorous episodes and also explores tough spiritual issues such as: Why would God allow a child to suffer? Why hasn't God responded to our prayers? Why does God heal some and not others? The writer states, "There are many people who are hurting and discouraged for whom there may never be a "happy" ending. They need to know that in spite of this there is joy unspeakable and abundant blessings that await them if they will allow God to lead them through the journey."

In America alone there are 2.2 million customer service representatives (CSRs), and that number is expected to increase by 25 percent over the next 10 years. These millions have a peculiar spiritual need. On one hand, customer service work is hard on the soul: CSRs are yelled at by customers, rushed by their supervisors, and second-guessed by quality control managers. On the other hand, no other kind of work offers such unique opportunities to practice the imitation of Christ. Customer Service and the Imitation of Christ details both the dangers and the possibilities inherent in customer service work, and it encourages CSRs to embark on an adventure with God in the workplace.

Taking God Seriously explores the question of obedience to God's word as it is presented through scripture, especially focusing on the example and teaching of Christ. It considers the nature of obedience, why obedience matters, how obedience is demonstrated, the importance of being obedient, and how to persevere in obedience.

During 2005 and 2006 the writer traveled across America interviewing 25 men all prominent in the Christian world. Their lives, their dedication to Christ, inspired this manuscript. "To sit at their feet and get humble, honest answers to searching questions about Christianity and life itself, deeply moved me. These men, including Mark Hall of Casting Crowns Henry Blackaby, and D. James Kennedy, have reached millions for Christ." The men the author interviewed include an orphan with dirt in the creases of his hands, a druggie, an alcoholic, one with dyslexia and ADD, and a black pastor who lost everything in Katrina except his dependence on and dedication to Christ. Then there's a great writer, teacher and speaker, read by millions, who never considered writing at all until challenged by a friend. Just days before the author wrote this book, Johnny Hunt, a pool room shark before Christ touched him, became president of a large Christian denomination. Surely the reader can say, "If God can do so much with these, ones who have failed as I have, surely he can give me peace, direction and meaning for my life." Out of the pages of this book and the lives of these men, can come answers to some of life's greatest questions.

Typical Christians wish for a better, more Christ-like world but feel that doing anything about it is beyond their capabilities. Small Things Count! helps them realize how many opportunities come their way each day to improve our world. It explains the "butterfly effect" of actions. Then it presents some principles of Christian social teaching, as well as simple, real-life actions readers can take which demand nothing more than their living out their Christian beliefs. The book includes lists, sample responses, templates, "How To" instructions, and other specific information. It is designed in context and style to allow the reader to understand quickly and say, "Hey! I can do that!" It is intended for personal use and for use by faith and social justice groups and is suitable as a gift for religious and other occasions.

Upward Unbound is about how to get more out of life amidst everyday living. Readers are challenged to live victoriously, grow spiritually and know God more intimately. What readers will come away with, once having accepted this challenge, is to see the possibility for a complete transformation to take place within themselves, and their walk with God.

Proverbs is among the most accessible and relevant biblical books for young adults. Its wisdom addresses the major concerns of the teenagers life --from sex to friendship, attitude to laziness - and does so with wit and vivacity. This book is the author's attempt to capture this wisdom, to present it to a largely post literate audience in a concise, biblical, and relevant fashion. A Word to the Wise tackles many of the most pressing issues facing teenagers today by drawing on the treasures of wisdom found in Proverbs and teaching them topically.

The purpose of All That Matters is to lead the discouraged believer into a spiritual walk characterized by the fruit of the spirit. The book is written in two parts. Part I is "The Journey," which details the writer's struggle with chronic pain, other hardships, and depression. "The Journey" reveals the resurrection power that eventually lifted her to a point of victorious living. Part II is "All That Matters" which digs deeper into the foundational scriptural truths and gives practical application to sometimes difficult concepts in regard to human suffering. The aim is to lead believers to genuine joy despite their circumstances. When God's grace is manifest in us, inexplicable joy and peace abound, a phenomenon of which the unbelieving world takes notice. The Church then becomes God's megaphone to a lost world, and Jesus Christ is revealed as truly all that matters.

The writer uses the personal experiences of learned, conditional behavior and compares them with the love principles of God to show that we often don't realize our true identity in Christ. She writes that the church is weak in teaching and practicing these principles leaving that responsibility to parents who lack ability because they've had poor role models. Thus Christians have a poor sense of the love of God as shown in scripture.

Many people live their lives just going through the motions--working at jobs they don't really like just to survive. At some point early in life, many people get sidetracked and discouraged by life's circumstances and responsibilities. These prevent them from realizing their dreams. This manuscript encourages the reader that there is still hope. The author provides practical ways to connect to those dreams resulting in accomplishing God's call on their lives. God gave people different gifts, talents, personalities, and skills for positively touching other people's lives in profound, and even simple, ways for his glory. Using simple principles (such as courage, persistence, character, vision) and encouraging examples of very human biblical characters, it urges readers to change the way they think about themselves, their situations, and their dreams so they go for it.

The work uses Ecclesiastes 3 to demonstrate that the one constant throughout all the changing seasons of life is our unchanging God. Personal illustrations are included to bring home the central point that even through the most pain-filled seasons, the journey with God makes life worthwhile. The reader is encouraged to embrace whatever season they find themselves in, and to trust in the sovereignty of God, knowing that he will lead them to a brighter day. The questions Solomon raises in the second section of the chapter are still relevant today.An unfinished life means learning to live with incompleteness. The perfection of our inner selves, our labors, and even our God-centered dreams are never really completed before eternity.

The Happening is intended to be the first in a series of two or three books presented in a chronicle style. In this first book many of the mysteries of God are explored in a clear and easy-to-read style. Through an allegorical setting the characters experience a series of mystical events in which they encounter first-hand the wonder and nature of God unfolding before them throughout time. Some of the subjects addressed are: the triune nature of God, God's infinite goodness, the interaction between God the father and Jesus during his life on Earth, and how God uses each person's experience in life to prepare them to rule in this age as well as the one to come.

It is reported that up to 80 percent of Christians (including ministers) are dissatisfied with their walk with Jesus Christ, but this does not need to be. Through scripture and anecdotes the reader is led to a place of being open to the possibility of seeing the fulfillment of God's promises in their lives. Heaven is a kingdom on Earth where we trust Christ completely for redemption just as we instruct the inquirer to place their complete trust in him for salvation.

The writer was Chaplain for the 2007 Naval Academy football team, which enjoyed one of its most successful and historic seasons in its 128 year history. Prior to each pre-game meal, the chaplain offered a brief inspirational message to the team and coaching staff. This manuscript is a collection of those reflections, each of which springs from the author's Christian faith, and is based upon a biblical passage or theme, but is also deliberately crafted to be relevant and meaningful to readers regardless of their faith backgrounds, on and off the field. Additionally, a narrative thread recounts the unfolding of the 2007 football season, offering a "behind the scenes" glimpse of the team and some of the more inspirational stories and players. Interweaving themes of service to God, service to others, and developing young athletes into men and women of character and integrity, this book will appeal to a wide cross-section of athletes and non-athletes alike.

The book's premise is that there are many believers who are not successful in putting their spiritual beliefs into a realistic and practical lifestyle. This book highlights errors that have been embraced, which form barriers between us and our relationship with God. These barriers can be religious, self-subscribed traditions, or myths in which we have placed our trust. Each chapter examines and takes apart these misconceptions and reconstructs them into the truthfulness that God desires us to possess.

If it's easy to believe God loves the whole world but may be difficult to believe God truly loves you, this book offers a fresh way of seeing God's love: through the eyes of a dog lover and a golden retriever named Sadie. Through this four-legged theologian, the writer's understanding of God's love has been reawakened. "In the book, I reflect on lessons I learned over the course of a year as I considered my relationship with God in light of my relationship with Sadie. The overarching theme is that God's heart is overflowing with love for me; I don't get on his nerves; and it actually gives him pleasure to give me pleasure. In the context of the master's loving heart, it also deals with issues such as the role of God's law and the consequences of sin. I believe many Christians - especially dog lovers - will relate to my experiences with Sadie. Hopefully they will also embrace in a new way -- or maybe for the first time -- that God truly delights in them."

These are the collected letters of Brother Ebenezer. He was of the Benedictine order and lived to be 77 years old. He now lives forever. This is a collection of 80 plus letters written by him to a variety of correspondents addressing issues ranging from how to deal with difficult people to distractibility in service.

The Road depicts the journey of 25 travelers on the road of forgiveness. Using allegory and a symbolic drawing, each traveler presents his or her true story of forgiveness and transformation. At the end of the journey is intimate fellowship with the king of kings.

Why were God's chosen identified as mighty people? Only a few possessed such an identity a remnant lived out the elusive power that the majority missed. What are the things that keep saints from being recognized in this way? The kingdom of God is not seen, nor do we comprehend it so as to put into practice the mindset of God. The largest part of the Christian world is beat up and in despair waiting for 'pie in the sky.' This book offers some clear-cut definitions and boundaries that draw them closer to the truth of God with the aim of encouragement.

Although many people would admit that there is value in prayer, few would say that prayer is the driving force in their lives. The Prayer-Driven Life examines some essential questions about prayer. What is prayer? Why should we pray? What difference does prayer make in my life? Using the prayers of the apostle Paul as a backdrop, the reader discovers that he/she can know God better through prayer. Just as Paul's life made a difference in the world because he was driven by prayer, so can yours. In the first part of the book, several general categories are noted in Paul's prayer life followed by ten important milestone markers. The rest of the book examines Paul's prayers in context, posing questions for reflection at the end of each chapter. Although designed for personal study, this book could also be used for group study.

This manuscript addresses the function of the prophetic word for the believer today. It examines what the true prophetic word is, and what it isn't. Moses articulated the Lord's desire many centuries ago when he spoke "Would that all of God's people were prophets." Why did he say that? What importance to the kingdom of God is the prophetic word? Though God has given us a sure foundation for his word, Satan has counterfeited it as well. So much confusion reigns in the church today concerning the prophetic. This book is written as both a warning and an encouragement to bring us back to the scriptures as our blueprint.

God's extraordinary way of revealing His truth is through ordinary people like you and me! Gaining wisdom should always be the goal of every person. It has been said that it is not what you know that counts, but what you understand. Knowledge is important, but it falls short in being able to reach the levels of understanding where answers to hard questions are found. Even though the canon of scripture is complete, man's understanding is just the tip of the iceberg in comparison to the truth that is lying underneath the verses. The Bible is an introduction to the mind of God. God's truth is inexhaustible, and to reach those greater depths of understanding one can only access with God's help. This help is available to all whom seek wisdom through the Heavenly Father. The manuscript offers answers to questions about biblical topics such as: Jesus' meaning of "greater miracles", the will: why we still sin!, the reasons for spiritual blindness, and an explanation of "Eat My flesh and drink My blood," and more.

The manuscript explores what it would be like to find meaning in everything we do instead of waiting for it to find us! What a wonderful gift from God to be able to look at your life and see purpose and be able to work toward that everyday!

The manuscript looks at prayer from God's point of view and emphasizes listening over talking. As Christians, our relationship with God entitles us to come to him in prayer with the expectation that he will provide guidance for our lives, provide for our needs, and respond to our petitions. The book looks at how we can develop an effective prayer relationship with the Lord, what the Bible says about prayer, and how to create an environment that promotes an effective prayer life.

The manuscript is designed to "empower the church worldwide for the work of ministry in the end times." Using 30 topics, such as personal destiny, the will of God, the disciplined life, relationships, sexual purity, spiritual strongholds, worship, unity and faith, the writer builds a life application assignment and prayer that is ideal for both individuals and groups. The format includes motivational stories, quotations and biblical examples to enhance these short, practical and easy-to-comprehend teachings. The authors have been long-term missionaries and share many experiences they faced on the mission field.

It's wonderful to get a second chance at life. The do-overs, made so popular on our television screens of late, come nowhere close to the do over that God offers through Psalm 37:4: "Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He will give you the desires and secret petitions of your heart." This scripture's power to transform is often overlooked by the average Christian and forms the focus of the manuscript.

Using the five facts regarding speaking in tongues which are found in the fourteenth chapter of First Corinthians, the writer seeks to help Christians better perceive how the Holy Spirit intends this supernatural gift, or sign gift, to be used today. It may also be referred to as a spiritual weapon, spiritual armor for spiritual warfare, glossolalia or the evidence of "the baptism in the Holy Spirit". The author suggests how the Holy Spirit may use those willing individuals, who so desire, to better serve their Lord and Savior through the use of this gift. He also shows how speaking in tongues may assist the spiritual growth of a Christian. Jesus becomes the example enabling the reader to more clearly see how the Holy Spirit worked in a Human as He accomplished the work and will of the Father.

Quiet, Please! I'm Thinking! contains thirty brief, readable essays, each with a one-word title. The essays look at terms used in churches but often not explained, and they offer simple meaning especially helpful for new Christians or seekers. Topics include gratitude, virtue, adversity, character, and love.

This tells about a learned man who at a late time of life entered one of the worst prisons in the federal system. Immediately, he heard others being referred to as convicts, detainees, inmates, jailbirds, cons, and yardbirds, but he refused those descriptions and called himself a "guest" of the government. In his spare time he began to learn to write in a popular style, quite unlike the dissertations, theses, and books that he had written before. At one point shortly before his release, he decided to create a book that would combine three different forms of writing - including, a memoir of his prison experiences, poetry that developed out of prisoner interchange, and short pieces of fiction that mirrored prison life. He learned how to develop positive friendships with convicted murderers, bank robbers, rapists, kidnappers, con men, and common thieves. Although two of his closest friends hung themselves in despair, through those experiences he learned how to make poetry and reason out the senseless loss of life. The lock-downs, riots, shakedowns, and racial tensions provided a canvas for developing stories and poems that his friends read, passed from hand to hand, and then sent home to their loved ones. The Guest is a reports intense prison life showing how one man used his experience to reinterpret his life, his character, and his future contribution to others.

An old saying goes like this: "We tend to worship our work, work at our play, and play at our worship." This striking malaise that we see in the secular culture around us is, at the same time, an indictment against the church in our day. Though being "saved" out of the futility of life in this present unregenerate society, Christians can often be found dragging some of the vestiges of our old manner of life into the church. It is precisely here that we run into problems. It is here that games - some very serious indeed - begin to take shape; some unwittingly and others quite deliberate. It is time to expose them and time to eradicate them.

The Holy Spirit is the most neglected and misunderstood doctrine in Christendom, yet after the cross it is the most vital and essential. The purpose of this book is to indisputably demonstrate that the filling or baptism of the spirit is not merely a teaching to believe in, but an enlightening, empowering encounter to be experienced each day. It is the throbbing heart of a vital, dynamic Christianity. The writer declares "To live 'in the Spirit' is everything" and offers to show readers how to do it.

This book focuses on the role of fellowship in the local church. The writer states, "When we learned that my wife had cancer, we chose a church because it offered what we were looking for, a comfortable spiritual environment so we could rededicate ourselves to Christ. But we found much more than that. Our original intent did not include the necessity of fellowship. But there it was being extended to us. Would we be disappointed? Would they be disappointed in us? We gave ourselves over to this new fellowship, leaning on it to celebrate our victories, and ease our disappointments. We found fellowship, pastoral support, prayer, love, and encouragement. This church stood by us. My wife and I found we did not have to go through this alone."

Significance has much to do with self-esteem and there have been libraries filled with how to regain, promote or manufacture self-esteem in children, teens and adults. The basic premise of this book is that our significance as individuals does not come from a how-to-manual or some sort of inner quest, nor is it possible within the widely held belief that "man is the measure of all things" as first stated by the Greek philosopher Protagoras. This secular philosophy actually undermines any true search for meaningful significance. For man to know that he is significant he must understand his proper relationship to God. God is our creator. We are created in his image and not the other way around. He has done great things for us, not the least of which is seeking a relationship with us through his son. Our significance comes from a proper understanding of who God is theologically, what he has done historically and what he requires of us practically.

Becoming a River of Life is designed to help train believers to become effective disciple-makers. The book uses a biblical model of disciple-making along with practical tools and lessons to help equip every believer to carry out the Great Commission. This book is user-friendly with simple lessons, discussion questions, and complete with scriptures which focus on the basics of Christian life and growth.

Ascending the Heights in Prayer is designed to release the potential of prayer and intercession. It looks at prayer from many angles with the added dimension of motivation, instruction, and inspiration. The author gives personal illustrations, quotes, biblical examples, and various stories to enhance these practical and easy to comprehend teachings on prayer. It contains 33 motivational teachings on prayer with a personal or group application and prayer at the end of each chapter, designed for strengthening the individual prayer life as well as developing group praying. Relating to everyday life experiences, this book on prayer seeks to be helpful for new as well as mature Christians and crosses all denominational, age, and cultural barriers.

The work provides scriptural insight for wives seeking to become more like Christ in their relationships with their husbands. This book and study guide work together to bring scriptural truth to light through testimonies and examples. Scriptural principles are the guiding force in this book and readers are led to ponder, pray, and practice what they learn about sin, forgiveness, emotions, purity, and other topics related to their marriages. The testimonies of God's work are firsthand, real, and straight from the heart. Readers will relate to many of the struggles, triumphs, and the daily grind of working toward becoming more of what God wants a wife to become.

The manuscript takes a light-hearted but practical approach to what goes wrong and why in the Christian life and in church. There are so many programs and so many promises available to Christians today when it comes to being a disciple and making disciples, but the reality seldom lives up to those promises. The writer seeks to encourage Christians who are trying to do well but who are frustrated with the results of their efforts.

This book leads the reader on a search through scripture and the visual arts to discover a spirit of love and service that elevates and enhances a fallen sinful world. My thesis is that hidden in Scripture and in the exemplary creations of artists are revelatory clues for finding your personal art spirit. Art spirit is defined by qualities commonly known as fruit of the spirit. These gifts of God to the artist is each of us are positive joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control and love (Galatians 5:22-23).These virtues are the salt of the Holy Spirit living through us when we search, dare, invent and express ourselves in work and play.

This book leads the reader on a search through scripture and the visual arts to discover a spirit of love and service that elevates and enhances a fallen sinful world. The writer's thesis is that hidden in Scripture and in the exemplary creations of artists are revelatory clues for finding your personal art spirit. Art spirit is defined by qualities commonly known as fruit of the spirit. These gifts of God to the artist in each of us are positive joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control and love (Galatians 5:22-23).These virtues are the salt of the Holy Spirit living through us when we search, dare, invent and express ourselves in work and play.

Coming Alive: A Journey into Art is a personal narrative that seeks to inspire readers to claim their longings for creativity and art-making. "As I share how I, a minister, became a quilt artist over the last fifteen years, readers can look over my shoulder and find themselves in my hesitations, challenges and resolutions in finding God's will to make art. A colored photo of my work reflects the theme of each chapter and the creative process that produced each art quilt." Coming Alive seeks to welcome readers of different faith backgrounds into its narrative. Reflection questions at the end of each chapter help readers consider questions about the role of art in a life of faith.

The writer states, "For the last eight years I have travelled almost continually, and in every country God has done incredible miracles. I have witnessed deaf ears hearing and blind eyes seeing. Other diseases, like multiple sclerosis and fibromyalgia, which medicine has no answers for, have also been healed completely and wheelchairs cast aside as their occupants ran around the room! Many newspapers have published accounts of phenomenal healings and stories have also been broadcast on television. However, my life hasn't always been like this. I was an alcoholic and troubled teenager before I became a Christian at the age of twenty. Although I eventually became a pastor, I was cynical about the reality of God's healing power, and even when I saw a crippled man walk for the first time, I struggled to believe. But God took me on an amazing journey and, despite great personal tragedy, a river of healing began that continues to this day. From the red dust of the outback, and the dust of my broken life, God truly has brought amazing miracles."

The intent of this book is to help parents train their young child to embrace the truth that Jesus Christ will live His life through them and encourage the child's spiritual growth over time. The writers start with the message that parents are role models for children's behavior and the critical element is faith in identifying with the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ (Galatians 2:20). Provided are educational fun family games with skits, exercises, Parent Tips and manners. The goal is to assist parents in guiding children to a deeper spiritual life that is age appropriate.

This is a study of genuine personal worship, the result of a series of sermons preached to Agape Christian Church of La Porte, Indiana and is intended to help the reader take his eyes off of himself or those around him and focus truly on Jesus Christ. Instead of gathering to secure a good feeling or to do the things we like, worship is a time to allow the elements of worship to help us connect with our Lord.

The writer summarizes, "Some people know their adult lives aren't working. The victorious Christian life? I don't think so! Have they ever asked the Lord to show them the root of the problem? Have they considered that their anger, judgmentalism, legalism, or addictions may be rooted in childhood pain? If they do recognize their past abuse, do they know the steps to become free?" In the 55 meditations, the author addresses real issues including rage, fantasy, and shame. She takes the reader on her journey to know and draw near to the heavenly Father after being abused by her own father.

This is the first in a series of short books, about 8,000 - 10,000 words each, that look at how God worked through seemingly insignificant people in the Bible in significant ways. The Gift of Barzillai is about how and why Barzillai's gift of "walking with David" became so important to David in the days of his greatest trial that he singled Barzillai's son out for special blessing as he lay dying. Barzillai gave supplies to David when he fled Jerusalem; but more importantly, Barzillai spiritually walked with David as he attempted to deal with seemingly everything falling apart in his life (2 Samuel 15-19). Barzillai's son, Kimham, then used the land received as a blessing from David to build an inn which most likely would become the birthplace of Jesus. All of this exemplifies how important it is that we walk with others while walking with God.

Each year, 15,000 children die in the United States. This book is CPR for their bewildered parents. The author, who lost his 13-year old son, gently introduces much-needed hope into a parent’s seemingly hopeless equation by relating how God has been a constant comforter to him. In the process God's own parental heart is revealed, as is His own qualification to be an advocate (God Himself lost His own son), and there is important emphasis on the certainty that life does not end with a funeral. Our culture's definition of life is re-examined and a Biblical perspective and the promises of the Lord Jesus are introduced. The author shares his own heartbreak. He shares how a present God comforts and sustains him on a daily basis, failing not once. The narrative is filled with hope for a sorrowed parent and offers vital perspective such a parent is desperate to hear.

Most people spend their lives planning to live, looking for life, trying to make life work or struggling with life. This is tragic because life is the point. It was God's first gift to us and it is what Jesus came to bring! 10 Life Choices reveals why we are missing life and gives the reader 10 practical decisions that everyone can make to recover the life they were always meant to live!

Maria is a teacher in a small town in Canada. She applies for a teaching position in rural Kenya posted on the Internet. She applies, is interviewed by the president of Christ is the King Mission (CKM) and offered the position. At the airport near Nairobi in Africa, she is met by the directors of CKM in Kenya and taken to the small isolated community of Olituktuk, where she will live and work with the Maasai. Maria lives in a mud hut, teaches English to local children and rapidly becomes enmeshed in the Maasai culture. Her difficult relationship with CKM directors and disgruntled long-term missionaries tests her faith and forces her to rely on the Maasai community for support. Lane Williams, an experienced and well-liked, British community development worker in the area helps her process the differences between the Maasai culture and her own and becomes her friend. This novel reveals the complexities of living and working in a new culture. It exposes the incredible gap between the rich western world, the missionaries, and the Africans with whom they work. As well it explores the Maasai traditions and spirituality which have a profound influence on Maria's life.

Subtitled: Gently using the liturgical year and daily planning to support your family in faith This notebook, with its questionnaires, study guides, facts and daily calendars, revives the richness of the liturgical calendar offering practical suggestions for its use in the daily worship of Jesus Christ and growing daily in the Light of Christ. Romans 13:12-14 tells us to "put on the armor of Light . . . put on Jesus." Likewise, Ephesians tells us that we are children of the Light and reminds us to live like it. But today's fast-paced rhythm makes it difficult for families to set aside time to come together everyday to celebrate their faith. As a result parents are not sharing their faith traditions, and children are learning that faith can only grow at Church. This notebook's aim is to assist families in designing home worship and lasting Christian family traditions.

The work is a reflective journal written for those seeking personal and spiritual wisdom. The writer takes the words of wisdom found in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 and brings them to life with poems, personal stories, and exercises, to awaken the heart and to engage the mind. The book consists of 31 short chapters with black and white photos. It can be read by individuals or groups interested in self-improvement. The appendix offers a small group leaders guide on how to start and lead a study.

Covenant Promises is the story of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as told by God in the book of Genesis through his prophet Moses. God chose these men to be his friends, and he offers us the same friendship that he gave to them. By studying the lives of these men, we get to see what it is like to be a friend of God. The life that God gave these men is the same life he promises us. They received the promises of the covenant God gave to them just as we can receive the promises of the covenant that God's son Jesus Christ offers us. The viewpoint challenges some of the decisions made by these men, exploring what we might do differently today by following New Testament teachings. This book is meant to lead the reader to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior through an understanding of God's covenant promises.

In his dual role as therapist and minister, Roger Seymour sees it all. He counsels the Christian worker fighting a secret shopping compulsion, the pastor addicted to pornography, the business professional plagued by self-sabotage. Their common plight is expressed in the anguished cry: Why can’t I get it right? Seymour has a surprising answer: There is no it ! The failure of Christians to live up to their self-imposed standards is a result of misdirected faith. As believers, we are constantly tempted to direct our faith away from the person of Christ. Our focus then shifts to our own ability - or inability - to do things right. Before we realize it, an obsession with behavior and performance has supplanted a total reliance on Christ. Seymour disassembles the preconceptions about Christianity that believers take for granted, and pulls back the curtain on the glorious liberty that Christ promised His followers. Then he guides readers through a rediscovery of the joy that comes through simple faith in Christ - plus nothing.

This is the story of finding God—not by sermon, not by religious talk—but by witnessing a brutal death. At only sixteen, the writer was a passenger in a car that hit and killed a young man who was fighting in a high school brawl in West Texas. The dramatic events that followed, including the ensuing murder trial and national-media coverage of the incident and the corresponding spiritual impact on the writer, form the basis of this story. The narrative explores the paradoxical truth that the darkest moments of our lives are often necessary for us to truly encounter the divine—that the beauty of the butterfly often comes with the dung of life. Through the lens of the author’s life, the reader will encounter potential responses, both creative and destructive, to the darkness around us. For the author, the traumatic events described in this story illuminated first the Cross and then a path to care for the suffering.

Popular TV shows like “America’s Funniest Home Videos” reveal a common aspect of human nature: We often act before thinking through our actions.Inside each of us there seems programmed a tendency to deny our weaknesses and vulnerability. Consequently we struggle to admit we need God. We don’t like to admit that we can’t make it on our own—we are in control! In the section of Scripture known as “The Beatitudes” Jesus lays out principles that work much like a doctor’s diagnosis process: By demonstrating the vast difference between the heart of God and the heart of man, He reveals our deep spiritual sickness—the folly of trying to live without God. Like a person who is sick with cancer, it is not until you receive your diagnosis and accept your disease that you become willing to take the steps necessary to find a cure. The book’s mesage is that cure that Jesus offers.

Your current prayer life is "perfectly designed to produce the result you are getting" (Dallas Willard). Therefore, if you want a prayer life that will bring more glory to God, enable you to see God’s face more clearly than you have ever seen it before, and move God’s hand in your favor like never before—then you must start praying like you have never prayed before! Tools for Effective Prayer will teach you how to do that. This handbook allows believers to obtain information on the tools needed for effective prayer: the mechanics, dynamics, and contents of prayer. Effective prayer is, without a doubt, the key element to rising above a mediocre, ordinary Christian life. This book presents the hows and whys of effective prayer using the “KISS” principle—Keep It Simple, Saints. The subject matter presented is thorough and detailed, yet accessible for anyone.

Before the Reformation, the church sold the keys to the kingdom of God for a fee.  Today there’s no charge; salvation is given freely for the pittance of reciting a prayer.  A prayer, one might add, that’s nowhere found in the Bible.  At a time when discipleship is considered difficult and sanctification a dirty word, very few are learning to walk the narrow road of the Way.

The Way is a lifelong journey of surrender, of becoming the righteousness of God through Jesus Christ.  It’s a place where disobedience is not an option and believers do what they say they believe because Jesus says, “…whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life,” and those who truly believe will walk as Jesus did.  To merely say a few words and go on about our lives as before is to never have believed in the first place, and our eternal future is at stake.

Through everyday examples, witnessing to the Word, this book will help point you to the Way.  It’s the highway of holiness and the only Way that leads us home.  “My way” doesn’t exist.   What road are you on?

(Working title: Mother’s Milk…nutrition for the faith of your child)

There is a cry in the night that must be satisfied. Every mother has heard it. It’s a cry that pierces sleep and raises weary heads from pillows of comfort. It’s a cry that screams need and begs a mother’s help. This cry sounds from the soul of every child. It is a cry of hunger for God. Mother’s Milk satisfies the cry in the night.

Mother’s Milk is a personal collection of Biblical principles that serve tobuild and nurture faith in the next generation. The aim of Mother’s Milk is to teach mothers a unique and inspirational method of integrating scripture into the lives of their children. Seeking to maximize faith influence in the family, Mother’s Milk is designed to leverage a child’s conscience toward God and a mother’s desire to do what is right for her young.

By offering a study of wisdom from the Bible that will frame motherhood in a faith home Mother’s Milk will:

· Transform the family by developing a Biblical worldview;

· Equip mothers and children to apply scriptural principles to daily living;

· Maximize maternal influence to build godly character and integrity in the home.

Most Christian women share the desire to make their lives count for something, not just here on earth, but for eternity. But then life becomes filled with unexpected and unavoidable situations, and they grow weary from the trials and the disappointments--and they wonder how to live fully for Christ.

At the same time, Jesus said He came to give life and that life more abundantly, thus Christians should be the happiest and most satisfied people on earth. So it becomes a great mystery to many Christians when they still feel unsatisfied and their hearts continue to ache even though they love God and are doing all they can to live for Him. It seems to not make sense.

In Between Here and Glory, Katie answers the questions, Why don’t I always feel fully satisfied? Why does my heart ache? with valid, scriptural answers. She explains how emptiness and unsatisfied longings do not contradict God’s promises but rather point us to the grace to come.

In the meantime, we often respond to these feelings of dissatisfaction, ache, and longing with self-pity and discontentment when we should be putting our hope fully on the grace and glory to come. We let the emotions distract us from Jesus instead of driving us to Jesus. But when we live with eternity in mind, these unsatisfied desires and longings make sense—becoming desires that God wants to fully satisfy, when the time is right. Understanding the future God has prepared for us opens our eyes to see just how deeply, how fiercely, and how eternally loves us.

In the coming days, a solid theological belief system may be our only hope for standing firm in our faith.

As we fast approach the end of days, we have seen an increase in demonic activity, an epidemic of psychological problems, and increasing pressure from the religious establishment to accept other belief systems in the name of tolerance. This ready resource will help the end-time saint remain faithful to Jesus in a predominately secularized world, enhancing the ability to recognize the devils schemes and to face intense persecution. Reverend Blair is convinced that God has given the Christian everything needed for life and godliness, and he supports this by offering practical application. So as you go along your way, return to this book again and again to drink from the fountain of knowledge concerning your salvation in Jesus Christ and godly counsel on how to Stand Firm in the last days.

Getting Into the Shape of Your Life: Cycling and the Art of Spiritual Formation pairs cycling and Christian spirituality as conversation partners, encouraging a mutually enriching dialogue about deeper holistic health. Thoughtful writing clarifies ancient principles of Christian spiritual formation and draws upon interviews with experts in Boulder’s vibrant international cycling community. Scripture and quotations from Christian spiritual writers commingle with training tips from past and current cycling pros, inviting a transformative embrace of physical and spiritual fitness. The content is inviting to a wide array of cycling enthusiasts, from casual recreational riders to competitive racers, both Christians and spiritual seekers. Ringing throughout with a celebration of sport and relying on the belief that great conversations take place at the crossroads of the sacred and the secular, this book calls readers to nurture soul and body in community.

Superheroes are everywhere. You see them on t-shirts, in the toy aisle of every major store, and even tattooed on the arms of enthusiastic fans. The biggest blockbusters for last ten years are comic-book movies. And it isn’t just ticket sales that are on the rise. Superhero costuming, or cosplay, has exploded into pop culture in the past few years. It’s a fundamental part of comic-book conventions, and image hosting web-sites are rife with pictures of enthusiastic fans clad in elaborate costumes, cowls and capes.

Written from the perspective of a lifelong comic-book fan and active costumer, Holy Heroes builds a bridge from the fictional world of superheroes to the one true superhero—Jesus Christ. Like modern-day parables, the stories of comic-book heroes like Batman, Spider-man, and Iron-Man are used to illustrate the timeless truths of God’s Word. Chock-full of family photos and tales of cosplay adventures, in conjunction with the stories of various comic-book superheroes, Holy Heroes unpacks those timeless truths and helps superhero fans connect with them in a relatable, relevant way.

Have you ever longed for the adventure that Frodo faced as he set out with the ring? Do you wish for the close-knit fellowship of those who worked together to defeat Sauron? Did you realize that you have an enemy as deadly as theirs?

Lessons in Spiritual Warfare Learned from a Hobbit takes the reader on a quest to discover that many of the trials and temptations faced by Frodo and his companions are similar to those we face as believers. The book combines events in the story of The Lord of the Rings with scripture, personal testimony and life application.

We have an enemy who wishes to enslave us; we, like the hobbits, can learn to use our weapons and not give in to temptation. Let's travel together on a journey that will help you defeat fear, pride, lust and all the numerous trials your enemy throws at you. Come and get to know the power of the Lord of Glory who will teach you to stand and be victorious.

We evangelical Christians have it all together. We’ve got God’s blessings poured out on us in volumes. We have the right house, the right clothes, the right car… We have God’s stamp of approval. What could we possibly be missing, or hiding?

Pride, putting ourselves above all others, is a trap set for everyone. We slide comfortably into it and soon don’t realize our world is built around us. We methodically build our landscape so we are the focus. Instead of building God’s kingdom, we build our own. In the process, we heinously dethrone God and steal His glory. But God, in His grace and mercy, has made a way to bring us to the place where it’s not about us and our kingdoms, but about Him and His.

     Three Word Wisdom contains 28 stories, each titled with three words. Each story tells one aspect of the particular way of being in the world Jesus identified as the kingdom of God--a way that brings about right and good relationship with others, self, the world we live in, and God. The stories are about being parents, teachers, friends, and spouses, and they touch on ordinary events that turned out to reveal extraordinary wisdom. Some stories are poignant; some are humorous.

      The authors are a university professor and his graduate student; a male and a female; a father and a mother, a wife and a husband; an old and a young person; a western Canadian and an eastern Canadian; a seasoned Christian and a new Christian. Their lives intersected briefly in graduate school at the University of Calgary. They agreed to write two distinct but not separate perspectives on their experiences.

This book was written with the Christmas season in mind but will resonate with believers all year long. It explores the many ways the Old Testament points to Jesus. Why is this important?  One, because many followers of Jesus have a limited understanding of the relationship between the Old and New Testament and how all of the scriptures, not just the New Testament, point to the good news of the gospel. Second, this book will greatly enhance the experience of advent in preparation for the Christmas season. It is divided into 25 short chapters for each day of Advent and is intended to be read one chapter at a time beginning December 1 culminating on Christmas day.  Readers will discover how to read the Old Testament in an exciting new way that will greatly enhance their spiritual growth as well as bring fresh meaning to the Advent season. 

Working Title: New

When I began to study the Anti-Nicene Christian writings, I realized how seriously and literally the believers during the first three centuries took the words of Jesus, and how they let those words filter their understanding of everything else.  A great crisis ensued in my heart as Jesus challenged me to take His teachings at face value as well, and let them be the lens by which I viewed everything else.  I was a seminary student and full-time worship leader in a mainline denomination when Jesus simply asked me, “If your traditions and doctrines don’t line up with Mine, which of those should be put out to pasture?  New wine must be poured into new wineskins.”

Though I didn’t fully understand it, I came to faith in Jesus with many old wineskins in the areas of His teaching, the Holy Spirit and the Old Testament.  New reveals how those filters affected the way I interpreted the plain instructions of Jesus and the rest of the Bible, the messes that approach to reading the Scriptures caused, and how God graced me with new wineskins to receive Him correctly and live victoriously.

Why is it that we often know what to do, have great motivation for change, yet fail to follow through? Or we make changes in the moment that don't last past our current crisis? We all face tough seasons in our lives when our circumstances seem out of our control. We become discouraged and afraid. We feel shaken.We are not alone. No matter how strong we claim our faith in God is, when life is hard, we must decide whether we really believe what we say we believe. The answer we come up with will affect our feelings and our future far more than we can imagine. In this book I will help you understand the disconnect between what you say you believe and how you live. I'll also give you biblical strategies for change so that you will be able to stand strong, unshaken in the heat of the most daunting battle you might be facing. 

 “Some times are good, some times are bad”, as the old saying goes. It’s all too true, as life is full of peaks and valleys and being a Christian doesn’t exclude us from the human race.  Christians share the same life experiences with everyone else with one important exception – the Holy Spirit.

The Spirit and the Flesh is a book that examines the Holy Spirit’s guidance and involvement in our lives.  Each chapter focuses on everyday experiences that the reader can identify with, while at the same time touching on theological subjects that the Christian church has grappled with for centuries.  The reader will discover how topics such as the sovereignty of God, human free will and total depravity have a bearing on their lives.

The Spirit and the Flesh is targeted to the millions of Christians who enjoy discussing biblical topics at their local churches, home groups and at coffee houses.  To better relate with the readers, and to provide fodder for their discussions a short story written in dialogue format is inserted each chapter.

This positive study of the Old Testament book of Habakkuk is designed to help people struggling with the joys and sorrows experienced throughout life, grappling with the age-old questions of “pain and evil.” The Jewish people enslaved in the oppression of ancient Babylon asked, “How then shall we live—now?” (Ezekiel 33:10). Countless people ask the same question today.  As a veteran of the Vietnam War, a military chaplain, a pastor, and a teacher, my ministry has occurred in various communities from military bases to rural villages to urban cities to college campuses to private high schools. Regardless of the locale, the question is always the same: “Where is God in the  midst of my hurting?” When my son was killed during the War on Terror in 2005, the valley of despair became real to me. This valley was also real to the prophet Habakkuk. In his book the prophet reveals the truths of God's great message of hope. These truths form the content of my book and will help the reader to know there is a way out of the valley of despair; to know that “God is with them; and, to know they can eventually reach the mountaintop of praise. They will be able to "Walk On."

Designed principally for small group use, this book presents weekly scripture readings alongside creative messages and corresponding discussion prompts crafted to challenge the mind, stir the heart, and compel readers to put their faith into action. Each chapter concludes with a prayer to add breadth and depth to the reader’s prayer life and a communion liturgy tying the message to the Lord’s Supper. While each of the fifty-two chapters could stand on their own, in the course of a year, weekly users would be exposed to key biblical concepts and motifs and would be challenged to pursue spiritual growth. Readers would enjoy creative and engaging exposition of key biblical stories while also being invited to think and participate in conversations about the nature of God, the human predicament, Christology, ecclesiology, etc. The accompanying prayers and communion liturgies would be aimed at broadening the audience’s image of God and enriching their prayer language. This is a resource for discipleship and theological formation.

Using techniques learning research has shown increase recall and understanding, readers can learn the key parts of the Bible in minutes a day.

Most Christians desire to know the Bible better, but many are too busy to spend hours a day in study. By using techniques that learning research has shown boost recall and understanding, research suggests that instead of remembering, on average, just 10% of what they read, people could recall 30-60% and understand the material up to 80% better.

The 10-Minute Guide to Bible Mastery appears to be the first Christian living book designed around research into learning and memory. It applies techniques from learning research to the Bible in practical, ten-minute segments that empower readers to learn and remember the key parts of the Bible. Through unique methods that help create more connections in the brain, transfer material to long-term memory, and apply Bible truths to everyday life, readers can experience more from their time with God. 

“My karma ran over my dogma.”

There are times in our lives when our hardness and dogmatism find a path back to us in the words and actions of others.

And when they find a path back to us, they have a way of breaking us.

Truly, what goes around comes around – as God’s word clearly states (Ob. 15; Matt. 7:2).

These divine appointments when our arrogance and insensitivity find a path back to us are always expressions of God’s love, not His punishment. We can thus be certain that the relevant trials that are associated with these times are intended to be – not curses – but, rather, blessings.

God’s principal objective in this activity is to break us of the self-destructive tendencies that surfaced in the lives of Adam and Eve as a result of The Fall:

• A proud arrogance that seeks independence from our Creator’s will
• A self-justification that offers excuses rather than honest confessions of truth
• An unhealthy fear of God that causes us to flee from His presence

“Points of Grace” are identified and developed in this work, and these spiritual insights provide empowerment to grow from these God-appointed trials rather than be crushed by them.

In this post-Christian era, many new believers have little or no church background. They don’t know what church is about and are embarrassed to ask questions everyone else seems to know. The Never Ending Gifts: A Starter Kit for New Christians gives new believers the basics they need to get to know God and confidently join in at church where their faith can grow.

When new Christians asked me, “Where are the other books the pastor talked about, like the book of Matthew?” and “What is a verse?” it made me think. What other book has books inside? And isn’t a “verse” normally part of a song? No wonder they were confused. Other new Christians said, “Before I start going to church, I need to clean up some things in my life,” and never went at all.

The Never Ending Gifts motivates new believers to jump into the Christian life by dispelling their misconceptions, giving them a glimpse of the treasures they’ll find, and providing basic information about the Bible, church, prayer, and more. Easy hands-on exercises help them find a church, read and underline their Bible, start a prayer journal, memorize a verse, and put together their testimony.

The Christian Scriptures speak of a life qualitatively different from that which we see portrayed on videos, movie screens, and the pages of magazines. The Scriptures proclaim that we can experience “eternal life,” the very “life of God,” here and now. Most of us long for such a life. Yet we have also discovered that experiencing this life is not simply a matter of following seven specific steps or nine important principles. In this book, Rev. Doug Early reminds us that the way to the fullness of life that God offers has little to do with our striving and far more to do with receiving what is already at hand. Using the wisdom found in the First Letter of John, Abide In Me serves as a guide to experiencing a life of joy, purpose, and love. Readers are invited to explore the breadth and depth of the life that comes from abiding in the presence of Christ and attending to the Spirit of Christ abiding in each of us. For anyone wanting more in life but tired of working hard and getting nowhere, this book offers hope of experiencing the life of God in Christ, here and now.

Vessels for Honor is a practical and timely book about progressive sanctification based on the “pursue” and “flee” texts of Scripture. The Holy Spirit progressively changes us so that we increasingly bear the image of Christ. Central to our sanctification is that we study Jesus through the mirror of His Word. As He becomes our focus, something marvelous happens. We become like what we worship.

We are not passive in this process. Walking by faith is intentional and even aggressive. It is a choice - actually a series of ongoing choices every day. God has so ordained matters that life continually presents us with occasions for sanctification. Every day we must choose how to respond to opportunities to obey Christ and pursue the virtues or flee from sin. 

We are not alone in this process. Jesus promised us a helper before He left: the third Person of the Trinity, God the Holy Spirit. His presence through His Spirit is what separates us from mere moralists or from a works-based salvation. When faced with a choice, to pursue or to flee, we have the Spirit and His power to walk in obedience. This makes all the difference in the world. 

Another book about hearing the voice of God? Yes, but this offers a fresh take. The content of Living as a Spirit: Hearing the Voice of God on Purpose is Biblically traditional, refreshingly practical, and humouously relatable for all ages. Some of the key features of the book are: how the spirit, mind, and body play a part in hearing God's voice, the difference bewteen God's voice and the Devil's voice, how divine providence works when we least expect, how God interupts our thinking through spontaneous thought, and that often times physical sensations may be the the result of something taking place in the spirit realm. Chris Palmer talks on the same level as the reader, guiding them through an unforgettable read full of crisp explanations of Scripture and arresting anecdotes that readers will treasure. Certainly, this will become the standard book on the voice of God in Christian literature for the next 20 years to come because of its depth, thoroughness, and enjoyability. Truly a book that contains old truths for the 21st century.

Your Life, Your Purpose, Your Path is a Biblically inspired journey of self-discovery into your God-decreed purpose and path in life.

 

We begin with Jeremiah 29:11, “’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” To which we reply, “OK, what are they?” This book contains your answers.

 

Chapters include studies and exercises on notable events that changed the trajectory of your life, your education, how you handle money, work situations, marriage issues, family matters, friendships, social groups you adhere to, influential teachers, physical health, emotional well-being, nighttime dreams, virtues and vices inherent in your persona, and the opposition you will face by the world and satan in discovering your life, purpose, and path. At the conclusion of each chapter are questions that create “puzzle pieces” of your life.

Church members wish Sunday sermons were not so frequently boring and pastors wish their jobs did not so frequently lead to burn out.  Church members change congregations and pastors change ministries, yet all too often discontentment is a sad fact of life in both the pulpit and the pew.  Too many churches are slowing killing their pastors with unrealistic and unbiblical job expectations.  A common consequence is overworked pastors with not enough time in the work week to prepare sermons that are fresh, clear, and applicable.  Poor preaching is the natural result with grumbling common among members and vocational frustration among pastors. This unfortunate situation is common in many churches, but it does not have to be this way. This book is about how church members and pastors can work together to change these unbiblical and unsustainable expectations of ministry and reclaim God’s plan and blessing for our churches!

“It's more blessed to give than receive." Why is that? And, is this always true?" 

In BLESS, we discover the sometimes surprising answers to these questions. In a nutshell, BLESS is about why we should care about becoming the answer to someone else’s prayer or need, and the amazing and unexpected things that happen to us when we do.

Drawing inspiration from the scriptures and the experiences of the famous and not-so-famous, BLESS offers insights that challenge you to reflect on why, when, how, and whom you choose to bless.  It will motivate you to begin to bless those you might otherwise overlook—and to do so regularly, sacrificially, intentionally and, when possible, secretly.  BLESS also explains why the personal decision to bless someone is not optional for anyone who claims to be a follower of Jesus, and seeks the most valuable of all blessings: an explosive growth in faith.   

The games people play are as old as human history.  A game is a set of actions and interactions geared toward achieving some desired objective.  Like all people, we Christians play games because we want to accomplish something, be right, come out on top, be accepted or seen as special, show off to others, or hide something about ourselves or our pain.  Games range from being innocent to exceedingly unhealthy.  Game playing can be conscious or unconscious, and intentional or unintentional.  We are both initiators and receivers of games.

This book examines 36 games Christians play that are potentially harmful in our relationship with God, within ourselves, and toward others in and beyond the church.  We also explore the underlying psychological, relational, and spiritual reasons we play games, and what we can do to substantially reduce them, thus fulfilling God's greater purpose in our lives and the church.   

The heart of this book comes from the author’s own spiritual journey, plagued by failure and defeat, striving to live up to spiritual expectations and forced practices that felt legalistic and lacking. The narrative of Unforced Rhythms offers a life-giving perspective that gives freedom to believers to engage with God according to their natural Life Rhythm.

While there is a daily Life Rhythm, not everyone lives life to the beat of daily. Others may discover they live life to the beat of a weekly/monthly rhythm, or a seasonal/yearly rhythm. Attempting to connect with God outside of one’s Life Rhythm produces false guilt and condemnation, keeping the believer stuck in chronic defeat. Readers will find relief as they begin to understand the uniqueness of their own Life Rhythm, a discovery that will give grace and permission to engage with God in a way that comes natural to them.  

A seasoned pastor turns to an ancient collection of biblical Psalms for spiritual wisdom. The fifteen Psalms of Ascent (120-134) offer a manual for growing in faith and discipleship. Just as they originally shaped the hearts and minds of ancient travelers on their way to Jerusalem, these prayer-songs can instruct contemporary pilgrims in moving closer to God. They warn us of distractions and hazards along the road, offer wise counsel, and point us to the God whose grace makes this journey possible. 

This generation of evangelical Christians has been entrusted by God with financial resources well in excess of what is needed to complete the Great Commission. Most of this wealth is currently earmarked to be passed down to the next generation, without regard to financial responsibility or need, spiritual commitment, size of the estate, or God’s intended purpose for these resources. The four biblical inheritance principles outlined in this book will encourage God’s people to align their estate plans with His wisdom and commit part of this excess wealth to completing the work of the Great Commission.

Things will never be the same … settle with that. The old normal is snatched away and the rapid change in our world is disorienting, even disillusioning. Some believers disengage, stay home, and hunker down. As denial gradually gives way to despair, they occasionally peek out the curtains and merely wait for a rapture rescue.

With insufficient imagination, they limit God to the highlighted verses in their Bible. For them, God is as small as their favorite success formulas and catchy quotes – no bigger than their favorite Christian celebrity. A God so small inspires little trust and little fear, and so they grow small of soul and learn to fear lesser things.

The book insists that God is not hunkered down in the compound and is not playing it safe. Rather, the Spirit is outside, boots on the ground and bold -- fully engaging the hazards of a changing world. This chance-taker invites you to strap on a helmet and come along for a ride that is not without risk or pain. Risk-free living and guaranteed safety is otherwise known as fantasy. The honest offer comes with few guarantees other than the promise of surprise. You were born for this.

This book presents spiritual identity in three dimensions (identity, purpose, and power), each with five component streams, and provides biblically sound information with opportunities for personal reflection and group discussion to promote spiritual growth.  Written for general readership from a non-denominational charismatic perspective, the book promotes identity in God’s family, purpose in God’s call and power in God’s Spirit.

The writer contends that we fall desperately short of robustly conceptualizing, intimately embracing, and deeply interjecting the truths of scripture into the everyday realities of our lives as we live them out amidst the profound challenges of the 21st century. In a very real sense, this deficit has resulted in the Christian community lacking a voice that presents itself as strong enough and sufficiently legitimate to deal with the daunting challenges of our times. Subsequently, we miss a transforming infusion of what God intends for our individual lives and the broader culture.  Consequently, we are left living out a blatantly lackluster and frequently hopeless existence that has little appeal and no power.  

The premise of this work lies in the repeated observation that people are desperate to believe that somewhere there is a far greater reality to our portrayal of God and the Christian life than that which has been demonstrated.  This yearning seems deeply inherent in many believers as they walk out uninspiring and ineffectual lives.  Yet, at times this persistent longing seems ever more predominant in a culture that largely denies God, but unbeknownst to themselves, is yet desperate for Him.  Tragically, the inability of the Christian community to potently exemplify the magnitude of this God has left both Christians and the secular community with a pasty and unappealing representation of God.

In an attempt to offset this crippling dynamic, this book was strategically written to intimately interweave deeply transformational personal events experienced by the author, with vividly portrayed scriptural accounts that share the same foundational principles. This striking blending of past and present in a moving literary format provides the reader a compelling sense of the profound relevancy of scripture by convincingly and potently importing it into the present. This structure serves to effectively integrate the relevancy of scriptural truths soundly into the stark and frequently foreboding realities of 21st century life. It is the writer's passion that this book pointedly brings infinitely relevant truths to both the individual, as well as a culture mired in darkness and paralyzed by hopelessness.  In doing so, the possibilities are as vast as the God who hands them to us.

Get DISCIPLED is a ground-breaking discipleship resource for small groups and congregations. Based on an exhaustive synthesis of everything Jesus taught and modeled, the nine guidebooks in this series are designed to equip Christ followers to joyfully obey all that Jesus commanded.

Each guidebook is a six- or seven-week exploration of one of the nine outcomes of being discipled. These guidebooks address a different question each week, providing five daily readings and a set of small group discussion questions, all designed to facilitate three-dimensional transformation of our convictions, character, and conduct.  

In the days of Jesus’ disciples, people were joining by the thousands what started out as a small Christian church. Why? Because the early Christians had something that they wanted. Life was different for the disciples of the early church. They had joy. They had victory! They healed the sick, cleansed the lepers, cast out demons and raised the dead, delivering the people who were willing to be delivered from the hand of the enemy who had kept them in bondage for so very long.

Yet most Christian churches today don’t see these things happening. Why is that? What has changed?

One of the main things that has changed is that most Christians don’t see themselves as the princes and princesses they are, as being children of the greatest King who lives forever; the Almighty God!

Instead, they see themselves as downtrodden, working to survive living “under the circumstances.”

This is not how God meant His children to live. When Christ sacrificed His life on the cross, He did so for our deliverance from “all the power of the enemy.” (Luke 10:19)

If we can learn to understand who God made us to be through Christ, we can see big changes for the better in our lives.

Taking your rightful place as a child of the King is not about living a problem-free life. Instead, it’s about gaining a thorough understanding of the nature of the God we serve. It’s about understanding the reason He sent His Son Jesus Christ for our deliverance, forgiveness and redemption. And it’s about learning to live life as a true victor through Christ Jesus our Lord.

We are living at a time in the history of mankind when human ingenuity has produced tremendous amounts of medical and technological resources to resolve many existential problems. Nonetheless, even with all those resources in place, there always come days of our lives when we are confronted with the suddenness of tragedies, the ubiquity of evil, and the stark reality of our mortality. The truth is, in spite of all those symbols and products of human ingenuity, we have moments of helplessness when we are compelled to look for help beyond our capabilities. Those are the times when most people turn to prayer. Because God is infinitely faithful, He routinely answers the prayers of those who call on Him for help. But while we must believe in God’s faithfulness and always have hope that He will answer our every prayer, we cannot deny that there are times when our prayers are not answered. My book explores some of the issues that may hinder prayers, such as the condition of the human heart, a culture of praying, the desires of our heart, our faith level, and the extent to which we allow the Holy Spirit to guide our prayers.

Have you ever arrived at church feeling so stressed out, so off the rails, such an absolute train wreck, that you thought to yourself, “I can’t face these people” -- and your strongest wish was to rush back home and dive into bed?

What on earth is happening here?  How has church become a place where we must leave our “real selves” at the door -- and pick them up when we leave, more burdened than ever with loneliness, exhaustion, and hypocrisy?

Open Hearts aims to remedy this situation.

Readers will be challenged to consider why we aren’t transparent -- including issues like perfectionism, blame-shifting, fear of man, and of course, pride and self-preservation.  Likewise, the book shows how transparency works to unify the body and crucify sin, while also relieving the stress of pretending to be someone you’re not.

More important, Open Hearts points to transparency in Scripture -- in the lives of Job, Moses, David, Paul, and Jesus, among others; and it offers a practical framework for realizing openness in the body of Christ.

Imagine a life without the pretense and artificiality that cripples our fellowship -- a life where all believers are free to admit their sins and struggles, sharing their deepest needs in an atmosphere of openness and authenticity.  That’s the kind of life you will find in this book.

Christ is my Master, my Lord and my Redeemer; but this is not sufficient.

My need is not for a Saviour who would purchase me, leave me a set of rules, and tell me to do my best.  Also, neither was it His plan.

The Father’s plan, from the foundations of the Earth, was for His Son to dwell in me richly, for His Light to shine within me and to transform me from the inside.

No longer was I to struggle to do what was right; no longer was I to reach inside and strive to change myself; no longer would I be required to do the impossible.  Such rest!

For the Messiah Himself would become the Light within me; all that is good and holy of God would dwell inside me.  Life indeed would swallow up death; I would be recreated, transformed into His image.

But what could hinder such a wonderful transformation?  Surely not my own flesh's efforts to change myself?

Take Every Thought to Prayer puts God at the center of literally everything. With 762 prayers about the thoughts and feelings common to the human experience, it will be hard-pressed for the reader not to find in this book prayers that resonate with whatever challenges they are currently facing. This book will be on the shelf of pastors, counselors, and ministry leaders who share it with clients who are seeking the true reasons as to why they are struggling in life. Charles Wagner has weaved the same Biblical theme into just about every prayer, that human beings suffer because they live in rebellion from God. Though the book has a very clear message about confession and repentance, the prayers are compassionate and understanding, speaking lovingly into hundreds of situations in which people suffer. The prayers reflect heartfelt cries to God from those living in the 21st century and convey the wisdom God has taught Charles through his own season of intense adversity.

A retired scientist shows how the inner work of Jesus in us is apparent throughout the creative laboratory work of a research chemist. 

Christians believe that the worldviews of faith and science are linked; but the connection often appears strained. If the theories of science take time to digest, could its practical world reveal simpler truths? Could we discover modern parables for biblical living within the working lab?

My book is non-controversial and contains not science itself but 52 reflections on words and processes used in practical research chemistry. Remarkably, many are words we also use both in ordinary life and of our Spirit-led spiritual growth. Could the preparation, transformation, and purification of a potential novel medicine (of the sort I spent my career trying to discover) speak subtly of how God’s new creation forms from us in Christ? Molecules have no minds and God does no harsh experiments; yet do we need our inner essence distilled, our very natures powerfully re-created and our minds crystallized around His perfect example, so that we can face our final weighing and analysis?

My reflections (each around 2,000 words) can stand alone, but together trace a modern research chemist’s  building of a chemical product that just conceivably might heal millions. Books which connect the science of chemistry with anything reflective, let alone Christian faith, are very rare – yet there are millions whose lives or memories touch both worlds. Even non-scientists may enjoy recalling school chemistry and reading the many scientific and secular quotations which accompany this study of biblical truths and of the work of Jesus in us. Each Reflection is accompanied by a (b&w or color) image of mine from the Holy Land.

In the mid-20th century, my father, a Unitarian minister named Ray Sabin traded in his ministry for life in an intentional religious community in the wilds of South America. It was a huge risk, requiring him and his family to leave everything familiar behind. It wasn’t a move made lightly. Ray tried to connect with his New England congregations for years, but his ideas clashed with churchgoers’ more conservative views. The more he talked about racial discrimination, the threat of war, or injustice in America, the more church attendance dropped. After seven years and two churches, Ray convinced his wife and children to move to the Bruderhof, or the Society of Brothers, an intentional community in Paraguay, where some 600 European and American expatriates sought to forge a life of community based on Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. The move ultimately failed, facing Ray with difficult decisions—but the journey both there and back proved transformative for him and the family. Ray provides vignettes of the many extraordinary people he meets along the way.

Sometimes you need a good friend and a cup of joe to hammer out the tough questions in life.  When emotions heighten and circumstances shift, it’s hard to know where your faith fits in.  Like chatting it up over coffee with a close friend, RAW invites readers to process through the tough questions in life.  Why do good people suffer?  Is the church still relevant?  Why am I stuck in life?  Covering a variety of theological topics in a simplified, conversational manner, the book encourages the reader to find value in vulnerability, strip away religiosity and become RAW with their deepest emotions.

RAW applies theological truths to evaluate life circumstances through the lens of scripture.  Using true stories and contemplative processing, the reader journeys with the author through a variety of life experiences and nagging questions.  The reader is encouraged to move beyond superficial Christianity, address darkness in their heart and embrace transforming peace.  Those tethered by haunting doubt, fear or uncertainty, will find answers that propel them to powerful Christ-centered living.

We all sometimes struggle with the gap between our spiritual intentions and our actions. This book applies lessons from behavioral science—the interdisciplinary study of how people make decisions in their daily lives—to help close that gap. It describes how to employ the process of Spiritual Design: intentionally designing your environment to support spiritual growth.

In the book, you will discover a wealth of research to make it easier to take action in your spiritual life, whether the goal is to pray regularly or to follow a personal calling. For example, you’ll learn how to remove hassle factors that increase procrastination, use temptation bundling to support long-term but difficult choices, and make social commitments to help follow through on commitments.

You’ll also learn about breaking bad habits and avoiding moments of weakness one comes to regret. Bad habits are particularly pernicious because we often can’t overcome them with sheer willpower: they aren’t necessarily defects of character, but rather are mental shortcuts gone awry. When we understand how bad habits are triggered, we can more wisely work around them.

Spiritual Design doesn’t assume that we have full control over our lives—spiritual or otherwise. It instead assumes that God’s grace surrounds us and enables us to reach Him. Nevertheless, we can do our part. We can turn our hearts to God, and make it easier to both deepen our spiritual understanding and to act accordingly. We can and should ready the soil of our hearts for the divine seed to grow and flourish. This book provides tools to help prepare the way.

           There is a growing intolerance in our world today, revealing a fear and hatred that is isolating large groups of people and making them targets of persecution and violence. While our culture is not new to persecution, the violent nature it has taken on is frightening. How is the church to respond?

            The LGBTQ community is one of the many groups of people that have endured the pain of persecution and violence. Who Do You Say I Am? is a collection of heart rendering life stories shared by members of the LGBTQ community. They long to be known and loved and have chosen to be completely transparent and vulnerable, sharing their greatest struggles and victories, with the hope that their stories would be a catalyst to changing hearts. Enter deeply into each story and allow your heart to be changed.

What if we’ve made it too hard? What if we’ve made following Jesus more complicated than it’s supposed to be? The truth is if you want the front row seat to the miraculous, you have to be faithful in the mundane. But how do we do that? It all comes down to just one thing. It’s not easy, but it really is simple.

The armor of God is a cherished biblical metaphor. But how does it translate into real life? Using his own battle with OCD as the lens, J.D. Peabody examines the armor from the perspective of someone struggling to wear it. Praying for My Basal Ganglia takes readers on a personal exploration of what it means to trust more fully in God’s total protection.

How many non-Christians have read the Bible? How many might think about reading it and considering its claims, but are overwhelmed by the 1000+ page investment? In fact, how many Christians or those considering the claims of Christ are discouraged from taking on a full read of the Bible? What if you could pick up a short book and, in a few hours, attain a view of what is in the scriptures – in words that are closely factored from the scriptures and not simply the opinion of some author?

Sixty-Six is a compression of each book of the Bible into a single page. It factors out aspects that relate the character, words, and actions of God while attempting to omit no controversial subjects – then stitches these together. I have compressed the text; most of the words contained in this book are from the Bible itself. The objective of this work is to give a reader an entry to the scriptures; to entice them into a reading of their own copy of the Bible. 

We are full-blown clarity addicts. We’re consumed with achieving our dreams and arriving safely at our destination. But in-between our dreams and our reality is something called life. And life is full of ups and downs, zigzags, uncertainties, struggles, seasons of doubt, waiting, and times where we feel as though God has completely forgotten. In the life of King David, we get a front row seat to this not-so-direct journey of discipleship that God often leads us down in order to shape our hearts and future. It’s also in the in-between where we discover our identity (pasture), we learn the indispensable lesson of surrender (cave), and we discover that even in the midst of all of the so-called detours we can find a greater purpose (palace). The Beauty of the In-Between is about learning to love where you are and not where you want to be. It’s about finding joy, life, and contentment in the middle of the process and the in-between places we can so easily despise.

Why You Should Exercise, Eat Healthy, and Die Anyway is about understanding the wonderful design of the human body in accordance with the story of Scripture. Scripture tells us that creation itself was once very good but is now fallen, and we feel that tension into the depths of our bones. To truly understand the human body and why we should take care of ourselves, we need to first understand the reality of creation itself.

William McNeely explains how we all live in accordance with a view of the world (i.e. world-view) – and truly understanding it establishes the character one will form in their heart, mind, soul, and strength.

As Jesus began His public ministry, He extended personal invitations to those who would become His disciples.  As Jesus prepared to relinquish His ministry after three years, He commissioned His disciples to go and make more disciples.  These statements from Jesus are some of the most well-known in the Bible, yet most Christians are not involved in being a disciple or making other disciples.  Unfortunately, the church has focused on making members instead of disciples. 

A significant reason for this omission is that most Christians have never been discipled and, therefore, do not know how to be a disciple or make a disciple.  In other words, they do not know how the disciple-making process works.  Also, getting started is much more difficult than in previous generations.  Disciple-making consists of pre-evangelism, evangelism, and discipleship, and beginning our task usually requires considerably more pre-evangelism than in the past. 

Disciple-making is written for people who aspire to be discipled or commence a disciple-making ministry within their local church.  This book serves as a roadmap to help you get started, point you in the right direction, and show you what the destination looks like.

Too many Christians sit in churches Sunday after Sunday, some their entire lives, and never experience any connection with God.  Worshipers may connect with their pastor, or with friends in the congregation.  They may connect with the church's theology, worship style, music, or some of its ministries.  Yet while they certainly hear many people speaking about God, they may never hear God speaking directly to them.  For too many, the presence of God is a theological concept, not a reality that they have experienced.

Approaching God in Worship shines light on the many tools we have in our various worship services that help the average person in the pew connect with our Creator and God.  Using a multitude of scriptural citations and quotations from contemporary authors, this text provides insight to transform the worship experience. Worship is not about entertainment, nor is it about educating the worshipers or forming Christian morals.  Worship is about worshiping God.  Only when people connect with God in worship will God, and their worship of him, become real and vital to them.

Approaching God in Worship will be helpful to both lay people and clergy.  It is designed to be used by individuals studying alone, or with a study group meeting for 14, 35, or even 70 sessions.  The manuscript is complete, and it could be divided into two volumes to make the price more accessible.  A separate leader's guide is also complete and available for study groups.

There are books on the theology and practice of Christian worship; histories of worship; works on how to plan and prepare worship services; books promoting traditional, contemporary, blended, emerging, and other styles of worship; and lots of devotional books for spiritual growth.  Approaching God in Worship brushes against all these genres, but it is the only book offering worshipers guidance on how to use the worship they encounter to recognize, experience, connect with, and enjoy God.  This is not about changing the services, but learning to use what already exists in the worship services at every Christian church. This is about empowering the average person in the pew to take up their worship tools and approach the Holy One.

“There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death” Prov. 14:12.        We are hopelessly sick with incorrect expectations about God, life and other people. In the words of the proverb, our way appears to be right. We think through a personal paradigm and often cannot see another perspective.  Wrong, high or unrealistic expectations cause unnecessary destruction in our emotional lives and relationships and plague all humans in various seasons, stages and spheres of life.  

But God has communicated truth that transforms our thoughts. This book comprehensively explores common but wrong expectations and applies God’s perspective to each. It provides a practical resource that will develop the ability to more quickly recognize expectations; rehabilitate our thoughts in accordance with the truth; and replace misguided expectations with a secure and steadfast hope in God thereby moving us toward greater emotional and relational health. 

When Prayer Seems to Fail, is a very insightful, practical, and personal book about prayer in general and when it seems to fail in particular. It answers question such as, why is it that my prayers seem to go unanswered? Am I praying wrong? Does prayer really work? What is prayer? How do I pray effectively? Why have I lost my desire to pray? This book will answer these questions and many more.

God is a real person. So how do you learn to relate to Him? We learn to relate to the Lord primarily through the message He has left for us—the Bible. If you want to hear from God, the Bible is the place to start. Through it, He speaks to us, He saves us, He guides us, He encourages us, He answers our questions, and He helps us to learn, grow, and change. However, for any relationship to work, it must be two-way. There must be conversation.

That is what this book is about, Conversations with God! It will provide a simple process you can use to understand the Bible and relate to God more closely through it. Through a series of multiple readings, or listenings, you will learn to hear from the Lord. Along the way, you will pray to God about what you hear, ask Him questions about it, and express to Him your understanding of His message. This is your part of the conversation. It will help transform your time in the Bible into a conversation with the God who loves you!

There’s little doubt that the doctrine of the Trinity is mysterious. Some would say it’s mind-boggling, or that it violates logic. After all, it claims that God is three and yet one. How is this possible? Charles Taze Russell, founder of the organization that became the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, rejected the Trinity as unreasonable. Joseph Smith, who established the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, redefined the Godhead and invited us to join it. Other counterfeit forms of Christianity, as well as some Christian sects, embrace the Trinity yet fail to biblically describe how the one true God exists as three distinct but inseparable, co-equal, co-eternal persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

So, it’s important for followers of Jesus to understand, as best we can, the triune God who created us, loves us, and redeemed us. Rather than view the doctrine of the Trinity as a stumbling block to belief, we should explore the triune God and enjoy the majesty and the mystery of this one divine being who has eternally existed as three co-equal, loving, selfless persons in whose image we are created.

What Every Christian Should Know About the Trinity is designed for pastors and laypersons for personal or group study. 

Do you feel that your life often trends toward the trivial? You have the best intentions to redeem the time, invest in others, and live sacrificially. But you are often distracted, self-absorbed and dabbling in that which is meaningless. Why do you keep falling back into the same old pointless traps? Because the default mode of the human heart is bent toward triviality. But what if there were some kind of work-around, intentional reset, or deliberate action to move away from triviality to a life of meaning and purpose? What if you could push back against the default mode of the human heart and live a life of consequence as you engage critical aspects on a day-to-day basis? The good news is that God is not a trivial God, nor did He create you for a life of triviality. Though you have gone in search of your own way down the road of triviality, God has intervened through the person of Jesus Christ. Now through faith in Jesus you can live a God-consumed life that not only brings good to you and others but ultimately glory to God.

As Christ Loved the Church is a gospel-centered, pastorally winsome, and accessible book for men who are married or engaged. With pithy language, personal anecdotes, and gripping illustrations, the reader will be offered practical advice on caring for and nurturing their spouse toward joyful maturity in Christ. Many books on marriage are pragmatic and largely needs-based, a focus that leaves many readers thirsty for the grace of God in Christ that propels them into sacrifical love of others. As Christ Loved the Church, however, balances the imeratives of Scripture with the glorious indicatives of the gospel of Jesus. More than a how-to manual, this book guides the reader as a disciple who is being lovingly trained by a mentor. 

A Hope-Filled Life is a book of practical teaching on the subject of biblical hope. Biblical hope is not an abstraction. It is an actual gospel grace that produces joy and endurance in our lives. A Hope-Filled Life defines biblical hope and provides a practical theology for a life of hope in our sovereign God. The reader will be encouraged to see hope as a stabilizing force for Christian living. It is important for every Christian to understand that the race set before us has an end. By God’s grace, we will finish the course. Hope is one means that God uses for our perseverance. Although hope is about our confidence in God’s future promises, it is also a present reality in our hearts. The final outcome has been secured by Christ alone. In reality, He is our hope. Hope is not an option, and there are many biblical truths concerning hope that will strengthen the Christian’s heart. Discouragement, fear, and pride are some of the enemies of hope. 

Every year more and more people drop out of Church but not the pursuit of spirituality. Those in this growing exodus depart with a haunting question.  How do I construct a spiritual life when I am suspicious of the Church? 

After Amen helps us reconstruct our faith on the “hidden in plain sight” genius of Jesus buried under the transactional matrix of the Church. His innovative way of relating to God can resurrect our spiritual aspirations and set us on the path to true discipleship.

Pastor, church burnout and hopeful seeker, Lon Hider uncovers a thoroughly biblical way of relating to God.  He suggests a way forward through the non-transactional, relational theology of Jesus.  This book will help all of us:

• Identify the root of your disappointments in a crumbling Churchianity.

• Learn the prayer practice of Christ that provides a growing connection to God, our best selves, and others.

• Walk a non-shaming path toward your deepest humanity.

• Engage us with others in seeking a better world.

By the end of After Amen, you can find a new beginning for your faith journey based on the radical genius of Jesus rather than the failed expectations of your church experience.

Robust. Confident. Christlike. Generous. Decision making with conviction. These marks characterised the NT churches, and the saints in them, to a remarkable degree. Is it too much to think we can have the same reputation for our churches today?

We have the same God, the same Christ, the same Spirit in us, as they had. The same confidence, maturity, and generosity can also mark our own lives and that of our churches.

This work encourages us to make a close, faithful reading of the Scriptures to see how the NT saints made decisions, prayed (and did not pray!), were filled with the Spirit, understood the will of God for their lives, gave, and carried on the work of the Kingdom. It will also show how the NT saints differed from those of the OT, how the coming of Jesus and his Spirit changes the way God relates to his people, and how that affects our theology and reading of Scripture.

In a time marked by individualism, materialism, indecision, and hyper-spirituality, God is calling us to come home to the whole of the Scriptures and recapture the genuine spiritual direction he provides for living in the real world.

(Working Title: Journey with Bunyan’s Pilgrim)

You know about John Bunyan’s classic The Pilgrim’s Progress, but have you read it? You might have started it, lost interest, and put it back on your bookshelf. Would a guide help you? Journey with Bunyan’s Pilgrim is structured as a devotional guide containing comments about Pilgrim’s journey, Scripture references Bunyan used, a takeaway relating personal experience, and brief journal space for your life application.

As the reader, your personal life connects with Bunyan’s Pilgrim: how Pilgrim’s journey and yours intersect; how Pilgrim and you relate to Scripture; what Pilgrim learned; what lessons Pilgrim taught you; and what areas on your journey still need work.

The value of connecting Scripture with life is easily adapted when reading through The Pilgrim’s Progress. Bunyan’s Scripture references relate to anyone’s personal life (past and present). The added value of journaling gives thoughtful and concrete application, connecting Scripture and life experiences. Knowledge brings understanding which results in wisdom.

Journey with Bunyan’s Pilgrim is structured for thirteen weeks, six days per week. Designed to be a devotional journal, the book includes text and blank lines for reader input.

In the first chapter of Romans, Paul teaches that the gospel is a message which brings “the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.” If you’re a follower of Jesus Christ, then you’ve believed this gospel message at some point in your past, but do you know that this gospel isn’t trapped in your past? That it remains the power of God in your life to bring the good work He began in you to completion? Sometimes we forget that the gospel is rooted in the Person who saved us “in accordance with the Scriptures” and that those Scriptures tell an amazing story, from Genesis to Revelation, of the marvelous wonder of the person and work of Jesus Christ. The gospel truly is a redemption and restoration story; in fact, it is the greatest story ever told! Come rediscover the marvelous wonder of your Savior and the salvation He brings by rediscovering the power of His story!

I explore twelve areas that we as Christians should practice and cultivate to enhance our spirituality and walk with the Lord. These are mentioned consistently throughout the Bible, centuries of believers before us fostered these spiritual areas, and personally, I have found my own faith has benefited when I live out such ways with a right and godly perspective. Along the way, I share my own stories, the accounts of biblical heroes of faith, and spiritual vignettes of people I have met. Their names and minor details have been modified or omitted to protect their privacy.

God invites us into a relationship with Him--one that we need to tend to, just as any other relationship. Our relationship with God changes us from the inside out, and eventually, our faith produces faithful living. This book is not a step-by-step guide or list of do’s and don’ts. Instead it will highlight areas we can nurture to help foster our relationship with God. The hope is that reading the pages ahead will take you on a journey that inspires you to live your faith in ways that honor the Lord, help you get to know God better, and hopefully draw others to Him.

My faith has been the foundation of my life. God’s presence in my life has shaped it in ways that I cannot even fully understand or know. This is my attempt at sharing what I have learned about God and how my faith has been strengthened through the lens of my upbringing in the church, biblical studies, and my experiences in ministry. I have much more learning to do, and a whole lot of transformation is yet to be done in my heart and life. Developing these areas have helped me figure out who I am and the kind of faithful life I choose to live.

At the end of each chapter, I include three sections. The first section, Moving Forward, gives readers a starting place for how they can grow in that certain area. The Reflection Guide follows so that this can be a book that prompts readers to reflect on their own faith walk, and perhaps one they may read and discuss with a best friend, spouse, or small group. Finally, each chapter ends with a list of Scripture references pertinent to the topic, so that readers can pray those verses over themselves and their lives. Praying God’s Word can bring about powerful change.

What if Eden were not lost, but instead we have just walked away from it? That is the central premise of this book, Re-Entering Eden: Christian Meditation in Nature. In creating the natural world and that first perfect garden space, God imbued them with qualities that enlarge our capacity to sense his presence: silence, stillness, and solitude—attributes which nature still embodies today. Meditation in nature heightens our attentiveness to these qualities in our natural surroundings and cultivates them within our souls. Drawing on research that shows the benefits of exposure to nature as well as research that indicates the effectiveness of meditative practices, Re-Entering Eden argues that combining the two re-creates the environment of Eden, a space where walking with God is still possible. Grounded in the Biblical celebration of meditation and entrenched in an unapologetically Christian vision of nature, Re-Entering Eden clears a path through natural landscapes that leads to spiritual renewal, peace, and a deeper relationship with God. Offering the author’s own meditations on nature as stimulus for the readers’ own, this book will jostle readers from their “inside” complacency and motivate them to discover the spiritual atmosphere of nature and to initiate the transforming discipline of Christian meditation into their lives.

Sanctification: A User’s Guide To Becoming More Like Jesus, offers the modern reader a deep understanding of precisely how one can grow in likeness to Jesus Christ. Based upon a careful study of the teachings of the Bible, John Calvin and other Reformers, drawn from the author’s Ph.D. studies, Sanctification presents a clear and compelling biblical approach to daily practices and orientations which will actually assist the Christian in spiritual growth through relying on the grace of God to transform them. Starting with a framework for understanding what holiness is, it teaches how to: desire holiness, rely on God’s grace, apprehend God’s life altering love, grow in faith and repentance, deny one’s self, and engage the church. While many books on sanctification emphasize one or two aspects of the Christian’s growth in holiness Sanctification presents a complete approach to a biblical lifestyle which helps one grow in grace, and thus in holiness.

The principles and philosophies of the Kingdom were established in the first recorded sermon by Jesus: the Sermon on the Mount. Every New Testament writer wrote about them. Early Christians were pressed to live according to these magnanimous standards. They took the message so seriously that they suffered untold afflictions, even death, counting it joy to suffer atrocities for Christ.

Today, our standards have changed, but God’s standards have not. This book seeks to re-establish God’s standards based on the teachings of Jesus about His Kingdom.

Jesus preached about the Kingdom a lot! He said that the Kingdom is more important than food, home, and clothing. This is what makes this topic so fascinating, that something can be more important than the things we need to survive.

This book helps to explain this dynamic, and that makes it an important tool for Christians trying to grow in the things of God. It uncovers many hidden mysteries about the Kingdom of heaven, and tackles some tough questions relating to it. While some of these questions are academic, most are practical and instructional, helping us live the Kingdom life that Jesus championed.

Have you ever questioned God’s goodness and doubted His love for you?  In Unraveled: Torn By Life, Renewed in Faith, Andrea shares from her own personal experience of walking through spiritual warfare, infertility, a miscarriage, more than one health crisis, becoming a special needs mom, and being an Army wife.  After years of wrestling with God through real, raw emotions and the deep questions of the faith, Andrea has come out with a fresh perspective that rests on the eternal goodness, love, and faithfulness of God revealed to us in Scripture.  Our deepest times of sorrow can actually be used to remake our faith in a new way, a good way, a holy way. Satan desires to destroy our faith in these times, but God desires to bring our faith to completion through suffering. Through examining the Scriptures and sharing the honest details of her own heart being torn, Andrea encourages her readers to not give up but to press deeper into Jesus, believing Him and obeying Him even when life doesn’t make any earthly sense.  This is our destiny where sin is exposed, hope is restored, and our freedom in Christ is realized.  

“The Pretend Christian: How I Went From Stale Religion to Life-Changing Relationship — And How You Can, Too” takes the reader on the author’s personal journey of the discovery of the truth of Christ, and vibrantly expresses the truth of the Christian faith even as an ever more secular and progressive society seeks to erase Christ and foundational Biblical truths.

“The Pretend Christian” is a short book specifically geared for those people who have heard about God and Jesus but find Christianity trite, old-fashioned, unbelievable, or simply too good to believe. It is also for people who have been hurt by religion or "religious" people in the past, but are nonetheless craving something they can't quite put their finger on — that indefinable longing that nags at the corners of modern life and asks, is there more? This book seeks to meet them in that place before a personal acceptance of God and His son Jesus, and offers understanding and respect for their journey and the experiences that have turned them off to faith.

In “The Pretend Christian” Reilly shares her own experiences as she searched for the truth, including almost 20 years where she professed Christianity while having no relationship with Christ. Reilly is just like most of her readers; she is not a pastor or religious scholar, but an average person — one who now experiences God’s grace, and wants to share it with others. Reilly especially speaks to those in any kind of spiritual limbo, and shares both the good and the bad experiences that led her to a lasting, life-changing faith.

In addition to sharing her own journey, Reilly includes two practical “takeaways” at the end of each short chapter; one for the “searcher,” and one for the Christian who may encounter them.

In Matthew 7:14 we read: "But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." It is not just the gate that is narrow, but the road we take as we follow Jesus is narrow.  This narrow road does not have walls on either side that keep us from stumbling. The narrow road is, because we have free will, a knife edge with a ditch on each side that the enemy of our souls ceaselessly tries to lure us into.  We must listen to the Apostle Paul's admonition in 1 Corinthians 10:12, "So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!" 

Jude testifies (Jude 1:24) that God alone can keep us from stumbling. He has made the way, through Jesus, to enter the narrow gate, and the way, through the power of Christ's Spirit in us, to stay on the narrow road, that we may reach the finish line of the race marked out for us (Hebrews 12:1). The Knife Edge: Learning to Walk the Narrow Road with Jesus will help train your eyes to be fixed on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, and train your ears to hear the voice of God's Spirit more readily, that you may stay in step with the Spirit, growing more like Christ each day.

Christians want to pray, want to experience connection with God through Jesus. The prayer forms the Church has given them, however, don’t work for most of them. A small percentage are nourished by the standard Quiet Time format or the ACTS approach, but many, many more of us live in silent shame about our prayer life. My book teaches Christians forms of prayer that specifically fit them; forms that express who God made them to be, sorted by Enneagram Personality Type. It’s written for Christians who are in the First Half of life, before they pass through the Dark Night of the Soul, so they can build a personal history of experiencing God and connecting with Him; a history they can draw on when God puts them into the Dark Night and withdraws the sense of His presence from them.

Some would argue that we live in a dog-eat-dog world in which there is nothing but energy and matter. Those who know how to survive and reproduce pass their genes along to the next generation. Those who don’t have their genes culled from the gene pool. But if that were true, where did selfless love come from? And how did it become one of the basic necessities of human life? What exactly is love anyway? Is the existence — and necessity — of selfless love evidence that we really were created in the image of a loving God? Is love something like God’s fingerprint on our lives? Is it proof that He was here and that He made us in His image — to love and to be loved? If so, how should this fact affect our lives? What does this love look like in practice? And if God loves us so much, then why is there so much pain and suffering in the world?

The simplest and most profound insights from God come in times of prayer and Bible Study.  One such moment for me became the impetus for this book as God used 2 Corinthians 3:18 to bring the insight that we Christians are called to unveil the goodness of Christ to others through everyday interactions.  It is a call to ministry for all Christians to embrace those face to face opportunities God brings our way, speaking and praying words of hope and truth that bring light into dark and veiled places. This book simplifies a call to ministry by building upon the familiar verse, in 2nd Corinthians:  “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another, for this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 3:18).  The Ministry of The Unveiled Face is basic:  because Christ is in us, we are to be the unveiled face that reveals God’s beauty and goodness to a hurting and confused world.

Working Title: I’m Available Lord, Use Me! In today’s world, we are being pressed to answer this question: Do we truly believe in God and His love for us, and are we willing to sacrifice doing life “our way” as a result?  If we were to answer truthfully, we might have some trouble.  If you are like me, you want to be more like Jesus and submit to the Spirit, but you find it difficult to let go of this world.  We are not alone; many fellow believers struggle with this question, and many of the men and women of the Bible struggled too.  Peter is one of the noteworthy examples of a man who struggled yet overcame the question of availability.  In this book we will look at Peter’s life--how he met Jesus and became transformed while following Him, becoming a man available to His God.  We will learn about people of the Bible and their faith journeys, and will be challenged to be honest about where we are sheltering.  We will discover truths relevant today, nuggets of truth that give us renewed courage to navigate this life.

When I got divorced in my late twenties, my identity as a “good Christian” was shattered. I felt lost and broken, and while I clung to God for healing, it broke my heart that I was now worthless to God because of my divorce. I was convinced that my sin and shame made me unqualified to do anything significant for God’s Kingdom. To my utter astonishment, I was called into full-time ministry as a pastor just a few years after my divorce. God opened my eyes to the truth that our past sins and circumstances do not disqualify us in His eyes. In His eyes, we are worth no less, and He longs to partner with His children to do great things for His Kingdom and glory. It is my hope that every believer and every church will recognize the potential of all of God’s children and embrace God’s command to disciple and equip all of His followers.

One-Sentence Description:  Exploring the impressive collection and display of God's grace in the Christian's life.   Theme(s):  The primary theme is grace. However, there are multiple themes that are highlighted in view of grace. These include: salvation, sanctification, happiness, persecution, endurance, discipline, abiding in Jesus, repentance, the fruit of the Spirit, eternal security, reward, and others mentioned in passing.   Summation Quotes from the Book:  "God's grace is more than sufficient, it is abundantly available to all that belong to Him. There is a reservoir of grace that will never empty. When Jesus said, "My grace is sufficient," He was saying there is nothing else that will compare with it, nothing else that will replace it, nothing else that will embody it. Grace is sufficient because there is nothing that can be added to it, supplement it, or enhance it." "The purpose of this book is to help you evaluate your spiritual health by seeing what it is that contributes to it and what areas may need attention. As the saying goes, 'if you have your health, you have everything.' Spiritual health is eternally more important than physical health."   Brief Description: This book is an exploration of the Christian Life as it experiences the abundance of God's grace. Grace is the display of God's love that far exceeds our imagination. The subtitle of the book is: "Living in the Panoply of God's Grace." Panoply, which means a complete or impressive collection or display, is not a word used in everyday conversation, which is why I chose it. God's grace is anything but common. There is not a moment nor an aspect of our life that is not touched by God's grace.   Each chapter deals with a different aspect of the Christian life. Beginning with the need to experience the need for saving grace, the bulk of the book deals with the growth and development of the Christian life through sanctifying grace. The book explores the means by which the Christian life is nourished and grows because of God's grace. The Christian life can be a balanced, harmonious, happy life all because of God's grace. There is a purpose to the Christian life, which requires discipline and endurance in order to be effective. Ultimately, the Christian life is a relationship with Jesus, who produces in us, through our union with Him, qualities that reflect Him. There is a reward for living the Christian life, experienced now and expected in the future. God's grace is evident in all of this and is the basis for security we have in Him and the hope of eternal life, living in the presence of God forever. The Christian life could not exist were it not for the impressive collective display of God's grace.   Unique Features: In this book you will find: a discussion of how to identify good literature and avoid bad influences an exploration of theological extremes that cause tension and can lead to imbalance in the Christian life an explanation of the relationship of the Law to grace how to set spiritual priorities concerns about the excesses of worship, focusing on the importance of remembering who it is we worship how to a Christian can be happy, since happiness is a major ambition of most people. ten progressive forms of persecution the priority of embracing persecution four purposes of discipline and five principles of enduring in the Christian life seven evidences of what it means to live an effective Christian life four kinds of spiritual fruit the difference between worldly sorrow and godly sorrow the difference between penance and repentance the composite nature of the "five crowns." the relation of the five crowns to the fruit of the Spirit   Genre of the Book: Portions of the book are informative, challenging, convicting, and encouraging. This is not a theological work, but hopefully reflects sound theology. This is not an exegetical work, but hopefully is based on sound interpretation. This is not a devotional book, but it is hoped it will cause the reader to meditate upon the truth of God's word. In essence, this book is a survey of themes in an overview of the Christian life in the context of God's grace as seen in the different phases of the Christian life. The Scripture which headlines each chapter forms the foundation for the discussion in that chapter. Although some passages have no direct reference the word grace, they are used because they are best understood in light of God's grace. There is not an exegesis of the passage, because the purpose is not necessarily to give a definitive interpretation, but to increase the reader's inquisitive instinct to pursue the theme in greater detail and find more ways in which to identify personal application.

“Who told you that?” That was God’s question to Adam and Eve, and it is his question for the reader. Life experiences may leave us believing we are a failure, unlovable, stupid, or worthless. God asked us, “Who told you that?” This answer to that question has the power to change our lives. Was it a parent, teacher, ex-spouse, coworker? Certainly it was not God. This book invites us to examine what misbeliefs may be holding us back from a life of peace and joy in Christ. Through personal stories and examples, this book offers practical ways to recognize the lies of the world and battle them with the truth of God. The reader becomes familiar with Satan’s weapons of deceit and learns how to combat them. After each chapter, a three-step process called, “The Lie Detector,” explores misbeliefs, argues against them, and replaces them with the truth, paving the way for the Fruit of the Spirit to manifest itself in one’s life. It is not people, circumstances, or material possessions that determine happiness; rather it is what we believe about such things that matters.

Imagine finding joy unspeakable through a simple hunt in the mountains. It is a beautiful crisp late October morning. With shotgun in hand, Chris and his young Brittany bird dog, Maddie, head into the mountains. Maddie’s excitement boils over as grouse season has finally begun after a long dry summer. The beauty of the majestic Blue Ridge Mountains and the vibrant autumn leaves teach us that there is an almighty God who created all things, therefore we are accountable to Him. As we search the mind of our creator we see that he is a loving God who desires for all mankind to be saved--and has provided a way. While hunting truth we find that personal relationship with Jesus Christ. As that relationship grows we learn His plan and His purpose through nature and through the experiences along the way. These help us grow as Christians, and by knowing His will for our lives we can find that unspeakable joy.

Rick Warren observes, “One of the greatest problems in churches today is the perpetual immaturity of members.” Barna concludes, “Stunningly few churches have a church of disciples.” Unfortunately, weak discipleship thwarts Christian growth and mission. We need to develop strong, mature, and fruitful disciples through deep, whole-life discipleship. We accomplish this by using effective means and motivation, and by overcoming serious hindrances to it. This book provides fresh and essential insights for effective discipleship: ● Develop a concise and comprehensive understanding of the means, motivation, and goals that believers need to become and make disciples. ● Pursue inner transformation—of worldview, ultimate love, and character—along with outer change in beliefs and behavior. ● Pursue whole-life discipleship instead of focusing only on selected areas. ● Use two ignored but vital means—growing through ten circumstances of life and connecting spiritual with personal growth. In addition, we need to enhance traditional means. ● Use six sources of motivation—too often an inadequate factor. ● Expose & overcome four major hindrances: inherent difficulties, personal issues, cultural seductions, and subtle misbeliefs and micro-practices that misdirect us.  

So many of us know what it feels like not to "feel it." We know what we should feel. We know what a child of God is supposed to love and hate, what is supposed to make them excited or sad. But these feelings aren't there. We wonder, where is the power to change? Where is the joy? Where is the passion? And in the meantime, we just go through the motions. This book explores what has been to me the most joy-creating, life-liberating truth in the battle to feel it again in my life, and the life of my friends. It is an exploration of what it means to be created in the image of God. It looks at how we were created to live, day to day, in an intimate relationship with our heavenly Dad. The aim of this book is to provoke thought, to encourage, and to challenge so that we can again live Feeling It.

How to Ride A Backward Bike Give yourself permission to think differently! What if what you believed to be true was based on wrong foundational thought? Is it possible to truly grow as a person if all you ever do is add knowledge upon knowledge? Even as a person of faith, Pastor, or Christian leader! One of the great challenges Jesus faced was to teach communities steeped in historical tradition a new way of thinking, helping them unlearn deeply entrenched views forged by generations of tradition, religion and culture. Drawing on biblical principles and the experience of learning to ride a backward bike, thought-leadership expert Paul Bartlett will explain how God transforms our thinking. This profound thought of 'unlearning' will equip you to embark upon a significant journey that will help change the direction of your life for the better, whether it is in your personal relationships, vocation, faith or leadership. Paul Bartlett has spent over thirty years as a leader in faith organisations, serving his community and the author of the widely sold book Thank God It's Monday which is transforming how individuals and churches around the globe engage with their communities.

Jesus exhorts us to study the parable of the Sower in Mark 4, “If you can’t understand the meaning of this parable, how will you understand all the other parables?” True seed is the Gospel. We find this theme all through the Bible. The substance of the soil, on the other hand, doesn't seem evident. However, the Bible describes the singular attitude of those with prepared hearts as often and clearly as it does the Gospel. You just need to know what to look for. When we understand who good soil represents, answers to many questions become clear. What is maturity? How do we mature? How do we effectively pray for ourselves and others? What do we look for in Christian fellowship? What is worship? What is good fruit? How do we endure temptations while seeds in bad soil can not? How were the first temptations designed to directly oppose a prepared heart? How do many Christian leaders pander to seeds in rocky and weedy soil? Why do so many fall away or become fruitless? The answers to these questions and more come alive once we define good soil.

Working Title: Life with a Limp: Walking and Growing Through Suffering Everybody walks with a limp. From cradle to casket, life is filled with physical, psychological, and emotional pain. Some may hide their limp better than others. Nevertheless, the limp is there. Suffering is no respecter of persons. While suffering afflicts our bodies and emotions, the problem of suffering afflicts the mind.  When confronted by tragedy, one might ask: How did this happen? or How can I survive this pain? Eventually the more philosophical questions press in upon our minds: Why did God let this happen? or How can I trust a God who would let my child die?  While all walk through suffering, only some grow through suffering. This is my story of limping through doubt, loss, and grief following the death of my firstborn son. More importantly, it’s the story of how our limp in life can help us grow more in love with our suffering Savior. 

God-Inspired Life: Living Purposefully through Six Challenges of Life will challenge readers not to live a self-inspired or others-inspired life, but a God-inspired life. Why? It can reduce unrealistic expectations or confusion and lead to a holy way of life. Understanding God’s purposes for the six different challenges of life will help readers to be more content, holy, and peaceful. The six challenges, as identified in this book, are: (1) maintaining our relationship with God, (2) maintaining our relationship with each other, (3) understanding God’s call, (4) overcoming temptations, (5) enduring suffering, and (6) preparing for heaven. Often in this world people can get confused about their purpose, passion, priorities, and perceptions. We face so many ungodly distractions, and life can become messy. Well, nothing can revitalise your life more than rededicating it to God. Seeking God’s help will guide readers in the right direction and bring the peace and light of God into their lives. This book will be a pointer toward what a God-led life will look like in our world today.

Discerning the call of God is one of the most pressing tasks in the Christian life. For many Christians, the quest for God’s call feels like a never-ending treasure hunt, rife with danger, detours, and fake gold. Adolescence, middle age, and later life seasons offer new and unknown questions and invite us to seek again and again the call of God. Many find discovering the call of God in these seasons difficult. Life’s questions overwhelm us. Fear and indecision set in. The many directions life can take create a sort of paralysis, a motionless fear of choosing the wrong direction. Open, Ready, Brave provides practical wisdom on how to discover and pursue the call of God in every life stage. First, we must open ourselves to hear the call of God. Second, we must be willing and ready to act when called. And finally, we must take action with courage and confidence. God is calling. Be open. Be ready. Be brave.

Synopsis: The studies and the newspaper headlines tell us something is amiss for followers of Christ. Desertion, disunity, timidity, nationalism, spectatorship and abuses, among others, are demonstrable, common and close by in our Christian communities. Christ told his people to make disciples.  Christian culture, traditionally, produces members. Which is one small tradition with large consequences for discipleship.  And that tradition, along with several others, looking back over sixteen hundred years have too often bankrupted Biblical discipling.  What are these traditions that silence, shun or slough off discipleship? How do they get a pass as good and right and normal in Christian community?  Do we stick with culture and traditions we own today and hope it all gets better?  Or, do we need to think about a massive reboot for our faith communities to flourish discipleship?  Welcome to the disciple dilemma. Gap Analysis: This is a book aiming at a gap.  Of the contemporary discipling books we’ve researched the published material clumps largely in one of three points on a triangle, with an empty space, the gap we want to address, in the middle, where The Disciple Dilemma is positioned.  The gap, we argue, is the root cause in declining discipleship.   One point on the triangle would be books talking to the behavioral aspects of discipleship, meaning personal growth and behaviors for an individual as a disciples.  In other words, “Here’s how to be a better disciple.” My favorite examples in this space are Dann Spader, Four Chair Discipling, (Chicago, Moody, 2014), Bill Hull, The Complete Book of Discipleship (Navpress, 2009), Hugh Hewitt, The Embarrassed Believer (Nashville: Word Publishing, 1998) and Francis Schaeffer, How Should We Then Live?, (Ada, MI, F.H. Revell, 1976)   The second point of the triangle represents books defining programs and techniques leaders can utilize.  “Use these tools and fix or improve your group discipleship efforts.”  Books I think about in this space are Thom S. Rainer and Eric Geiger, Simple Church: Returning to God’s Process for Making Disciples (Nashville: B&H Books, 2011), Chuck Broughton, Design for Discipleship, (Colorado Springs: The Navigators, 1973, 1980, 2006), Sherry Weddell Forming Intentional Disciples (Huntington, IN: Our Sunday Visitor Publishing, 2012).   The third point of the triangle represents books about contemporary, or at least fairly contemporary diagnostics, looking at the societal trends that are eroding churches, parents and missionaries’ discipling efforts.  “We have to fix these big issues to get at better disciples, and at better Christianity.” Recent books speaking to this area of the triangle illustration are Rod Dreher, The Benedict Option, (New York: Penguin Random House, 2017), R.R. Reno, Return of the Strong Gods, (Washington D.C.: Regnery Gateway, 2019), Jonathan Wilson Hartgrove, Reconstructing The Gospel, (Downers Grove: IVP Books).   Where’s the gap?  The middle space outlined by those three triangulated points.  In other words, the gap is in talking to the crucial role leaders play to conform a Christian community toward personal discipling, toward disciple making and toward dealing with the supporting parts to flourish discipleship.  Leaders are the change agents in defining mission and culture – the driving force in any community trying to make people better, stronger and more mature.  No one seems to be coaching leaders on that role – which is absolutely not the role of making disciples, but supporting them.  I’m concerned many theologians and even their lay leadership have little grasp about forming organizations that motivate missionally focused disciples.  That sounds odd probably, since churches and para-churches always talk about missions.  But getting leadership to stay in their appointed lane so as to flourish a supporting organization (versus running a kind of mass production discipling factory) is a rarely addressed issue.  This is to say leaders must intentionally develop and sustain an organization about disciples if disciples are to flourish and make disciples.  This kind of organizational definition is my professional space.  Helping organizations grasp their real mission, get the right people doing the right things, and max-performing the results through people.  Leadership does not have the responsibility to make disciples in the Bible.  Disciples of all stripes are to make disciples.   A closer look at that critical nuance, which is Christ’s mission for individuals and the New Testament’s teaching on Christian community seems to be missing from the books we see on the shelves and servers about discipleship.  The Disciple Dilemma surveys many of the wonderful books on being a disciple, the books on program-based discipling and the books on big issues and causes impeding discipleship.  That gap, in the paucity of books describing old traditions that proved unworkable toward discipling (but the traditional way to keep the excitement, and peace) is the place to focus.   In my view there are few talking about this gap, with the most closely aligned example being Carl Wilson, With Christ in the School of Disciple Building (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1978).   Target market This book is written for formal and informal leaders in Christian communities.  Pastors of course, but equally, men and women who lead in small group and in youth settings, and as ministers, elders, deacons, trustees and Boards.  We think leaders will resonate with this material, recognizing the significant exodus among the so-called Dones and Nones, and trying to work with spectators, woke and woeful alike.  A recurring theme among pastors we engaged with was “we don’t really understand why discipleship does not take, and we don’t know how to change that”.  The Disciple Dilemma is intended to look at the trends, numbers and stories that make believers go quiet in the marketplaces, go inert in spiritual growth, or remain unwilling to talk about the reason for the hope within them with people.  The Disciple Dilemma offers a path forward for leaders to escape the dilemma’s effects, to recenter mission, culture, strategy and execution in their communities, reinstating the fuller life of disciples, to live as Christ called us to live in personal sanctification and making more disciples.  

What if we’ve misunderstood the greatest introduction ever written? The creation story was a radical (and true!) way to introduce the ancient world to God’s character and priorities, but often we approach it as a science manual. Discover how God makes His introduction using an out-of-print genre designed to speak directly to the ancient Israelites. When we set aside our modern concern with the how of creation and focus on the Who, we can gain a dynamic understanding of our Creator’s character and, in the process, meet God as we never have before. Join veteran Bible-Study teacher and Master of Divinity student Rachel Booth Smith as she adopts the mindset of a holy eavesdropper and leans over ancient Israelites’ shoulders as God tells Israel who He is. Using archaeology findings, language discoveries, and genre exploration, Smith shares insights that have not been widely introduced to the greater Bible-reading public. When God Said Hello, is for those who want to steward the Word as sacred literature, and also want an approachable, faithful, and scholarly understanding of creation.

Day by day, God is using the journey of life to build us up and forge us into the image and likeness of His Son. Abraham was a man who went on a journey, and from his journey we catch glimpses of how God shaped him.  We can learn a thing or two about the processing of God from Abraham’s life that may help us on our own journeys.

The purpose of this book is to help men and women enter into the kind of relationship with God as described in the Bible. The following scripture passage shows the focus for this book. Matthew 22: 36 -40, “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”  Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” If all of the law and prophets are founded upon these two commandments, then relationship is the foundation for of all of life.

Men today are dis-empowered. Lost and groping in the dark, men are driven by fear and insecurity. We’re isolated within a sea of shallow acquaintances, and we lack a centered identity that would otherwise provide the confidence we need to lead our families well or maintain personal integrity. As a recovering pornography addict, Pastor Mike Hatch reveals the three stages of Empowered Manhood that led him from being a slave to fear and insecurity to freedom and courage in the light of the gospel. You’ll discover how being Known by God, Grown by God, and Owned by God will provide contentment in any circumstance, courage to embrace your transcendent purpose, and freedom to live fearlessly.

(Working Title: I Am) This book was written with simple goals in mind. The world needs to know the spiritual fitness of Jesus Christ. Jesus came to lead everyone into the presence of God. This book was written to provide the reader with a short but intense look at Jesus Christ. Who was Jesus? Was he special? Did he have a message that we need to hear? The book starts out by examining the qualifications of Jesus Christ, outlining his role in creation, exploring his capacity to lead, and delving into the power of The Resurrection that resided within him. Next, the author presents each reader with biblical truths to guide informed choices about eternity. Will it be a lifeless place without God’s presence, a place of loss and deprivation? Or, will eternity be filled with the life-giving presence of God in a place of wonder and beauty? This book makes it clear that Jesus chose to come to us so that as we walk through our lives we can search out the beauty and love of God - and make our own choices - for eternity.

How can you be sure that you are “in Christ”? The Bible says that the test of a living faith is to walk like Jesus walked: By this we may be sure that we are in Christ: whoever says, ‘I abide in him’, ought to walk just as he walked. (1 John 2:5-6) Amazing as it sounds, you can walk like Jesus! It’s God’s will for you, and he will help you do it. This book, the first of four volumes in the series “Walk like Jesus walked,” starts with a call for a radical decision to follow Jesus and become his disciple. From the words and example of the Master, you will learn about faith, hope, and love, and how to have a living relationship with him.

If you’re a Christian, you’ve heard of Jesus and probably know plenty about him. But have you ever met this man and had your life wrecked? I hadn’t either.   Perhaps you stand on the fringes of the crowd, watching as blind beggars elbow their way to the center of the crowd to be healed by Jesus. You wonder at these outcasts who later exit the crowd, transformed into some of Jesus’ most passionate followers.   Jesus offers spiritual vision to everyone. He stands within reach, willing to heal, give rest, and restore life. But, the path seems complicated. So you stay where you are—intrigued, but not altered. Dare to leave the fringe to encounter Jesus. Set down your offerings, leave behind your rules, and come to him with nothing. He’s ready to give you everything. The Bible contains the map, the tools, and the passion for finding him. Four life-changing tools brought me to the center of the crowd to meet Jesus. Let me show you the way. Come and See. 

We all struggle with sin. If you say you don’t, remember that lying is a sin! But are you trying to fight the battle in the wrong arena? Sin starts in the mind, not the heart. And it is in the mind—the secret battlefield—where sin must be defeated. By embracing biblical principles of right thinking, you can apply Jesus Christ’s victory over sin to your own life. You can live free from the wrong thinking that plagues fallen humanity. What Are You Thinking? confronts an epidemic of wrong thinking, especially in the minds of American Christians. What’s the source? How do you identify it? And, most importantly, what can you do about it? There’s a biblical plan plainly laid out in the Scriptures. Learn how to follow the call of God to reorient your thinking. Then learn how to apply right thinking through Christian meditation, a powerful but often neglected tool to focus your mind on the person, Word, and works of God. Change your thinking and your life will yield abundant spiritual fruit!

The best story ever told is a true story about humanity, our world, and the Savior whom God sent to save us. “But who is God?” Take a journey through a handful of observations about the world and learn about the Creator God as creation is joined together with the theology of the Bible. From familiar to the unfamiliar, from nature to theology, from creation to the Creator, discover the stunning truths about God seen in the world and clarified in Scripture. Moreover, observe our broken world and the misery of the human condition. Consider our need of a Savior and learn the best story ever told found in the Bible. Stretching from the origin of the world to the end of this world and heaven to come, the Bible reveals God's promise (and fulfillment!) to send the Savior, the true hero who turns the hearts of rebels back to God and ushers them into His divine blessing. This is the story of Jesus Christ, the best story ever told, a true story, rooted in history, confirmed by prophets and eyewitnesses.

“Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven.”  In these words, Jesus unabashedly offers the invitation to every believer to squeeze eternal treasures out of this life, treasures that will be enjoyed for all eternity.   In The Eternity Focused Life, the author explores biblical insights into a coherent lifestyle in which the pursuit of eternal treasures fits into the daily activities and pressures of life. Believers need to expand their vision to encompass eternity.  That vision is established on one’s God-appointed purpose in this life and an awareness of the God-placed opportunities in their life journey for securing His promised rewards.  In the context of daily life, the author explores how believers can use the resources God has provided to make an eternal impact for the kingdom in this life and store up treasures in the next.  With a preview of what life will be like in eternity and what "treasures" await them in heaven, the author arrives at the core message of the book; practical insights and wisdom on how to use their spiritual giftedness, their work life, and their financial resources to prepare for a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

With refreshing and raw honesty, Beth Ann Baus pulls back the curtain on her own personal experience as a Biblical Counselor and guides other counselors toward more effective servanthood. Weaving the biblical narrative of Moses and the Israelites wandering in the desert into each chapter, she deftly compares their trials and tribulations to those of any modern-day ministry leader. Just as Moses led the people of God, even while they grumbled and complained, those leading in various capacities in ministry leadership need to be reminded that Jesus is the savior, not us. Ministry leaders are just as tempted to grumble and complain about God's imperfect people. The author gives practical and biblical counsel on how to deal with unmet expectations, spiritual warfare, burnout, feelings of failure, the temptation to gossip, and more. Each chapter includes a section called "What's in your toolbox?," which includes Scriptures to equip counselors to counsel more biblically. The "Encouragement" section offers pointed truths and reminders from the Bible as a whole on how God works both in the counselor and counselee. In the last section on "Personal Reflection," the counselor is guided through introspection to examine his or her own heart in practical application

Motherhood is a gift, children are a blessing, but some moments in motherhood feel monotonous, stressful, and overbearing. Mamas, we need to lean in on Jesus Christ like never before! By cultivating hearts of thanksgiving, by purifying our lives, and adopting daily disciplines that reorient the arrows of our hearts to point toward Jesus, we can be more than conquerors (Romans 8:37).

Encounters describes actual stories of Christ's setting people free from demonic bondage. I present cases from my own files of over 50 years and those of other counselors. I draw principles and applications from the stories. Content from the outline: Introduction   Chapters   How Did I Get Involved?   Reality of Demons   Manifestations in the Occult   Illnesses and False Healing   Mental and Emotional Disturbances   Demonic Harassment   Witchcraft and Satanism   Violence and Addictions   Protection and Deliverance   Testimonies of Freedom   Enjoying Freedom   Dealing with Personal Opposition   Notes Selected Bibliography I believe this is a unique approach from a conservative evangelical point of view from someone who is fairly well acquainted with the spirit world from a biblical perspective. It should not be shocking; but it should wake many up to the reality of spiritual warfare and the power of the Lord Jesus to set people free from harassment, disturbance, and bondage. I want it to be an instrument of ministry of freedom in Christ. The last two chapters provide personal help to enjoy freedom.  

Embark on a transformative journey of faith with Discipleship Primer—a self-guided, grace-centered workbook for those hungry to deepen their understanding of the Bible and strengthen their walk with Jesus. This book isn't about telling you what to believe or how to act as a Christian. It's about empowering you to explore the Bible's truths for yourself. Filled with numerous Bible verses and thought-provoking questions, it invites you to discover what God has revealed in His Word. As you navigate this workbook, you'll uncover profound insights into the nature of God, the significance of Jesus' work in salvation, and the power of personal growth through sanctification and the body of Christ. You’ll also taste the joy of a vibrant prayer life and learn how to experience Christ's victory over sin. Discipleship Primer will guide you into a deeper relationship with Jesus and equip you to be part of His mission – to make disciples of all nations!