Christian
Christians who want to take the next step in their faith walk need look no further. It's time to ante up and go all in with God.
The Gospel costs nothing. You can't earn it or buy it. It can only be received as a free gift, which is compliments of God's grace. It doesn't cost anything, but it demands everything. It demands that we go "all in," putting all that we have into God's hands.
But why do so many Christians hesitate to do that? And when did we start believing that the Gospel is an insurance plan? We're afraid that if we go all in that we might miss out on what life has to offer. But Jesus did not die to keep us safe. He died to make us dangerous.
So, let's step out of spiritual no man's land and kneel at the foot of the cross of Christ and surrender to his lordship. It's time to dethrone yourself and enthrone Christ as king, and Pastor Mark Batterson is here to show you how.
Using his customary vivid, contemporary illustrations, as well as biblical characters like Shamgar, Elisha, Jonathan, and even Judas, you will be challenged to trade what Batterson calls "inverted Christianity" for true discipleship as you strip away your excuses and inhibitions and follow God completely.
It's now or never. Are you ready to go all in and all out for God?
Also available: All In student edition, video curriculum, and study guide.
Two-books-in-one by #1 New York Times bestselling author Joyce Meyer, Be Anxious for Nothing and its companion study guide will teach readers how to rid themselves of their fears and anxieties by drawing peace from God.
Difficult times, trials, and tribulation are part of living in this world. However, God has provided a way for us to enjoy peace as a part of daily life. We can choose either to allow ourselves to be burdened with worry and anxiety or to live in the peace and joy the Father intended. In Be Anxious for Nothing, Joyce Meyer teaches how to draw on the peace of God in the midst of negative circumstances instead of responding with restlessness, fear, and apprehension. She reveals the nature of the peace Jesus describes in John 14:27--a peace unlike anything the world knows--and how it can fill every area of your life. Joyce Meyer explains why we should and how we can:You will develop a deeper, more meaningful relationship with your heavenly Father as you understand how He cares for you. By following the leading of the Holy Spirit, your life will be filled with unlimited hope and will overflow with His peace, so you will finally Be Anxious for Nothing!
A historian's discerning, critical take on current American politics
"Believe me" may be the most commonly used phrase in Donald Trump's lexicon. Whether about building a wall or protecting a Christian heritage, the refrain has been constant. And to the surprise of many, a good 80 percent of white evangelicals have believed Trump--at least enough to help propel him into the White House.
Historian John Fea is not surprised, however--and in these pages he explains how we have arrived at this unprecedented moment in American politics. An evangelical Christian himself, Fea argues that the embrace of Donald Trump is the logical outcome of a long-standing evangelical approach to public life defined by the politics of fear, the pursuit of worldly power, and a nostalgic longing for an American past.
Now in paperback and as insightful as it is timely, Fea's Believe Me challenges Christians to replace fear with hope, the pursuit of power with humility, and nostalgia with history.
How to read the Bible on matters of public policy
Christians affirm the Bible as our standard of faith and practice. We turn to it to hear God's voice. But what relevance does the Bible have for the contentious public policy issues we face today? Although the Bible does not always speak explicitly to modern issues, it does give us guiding principles as we think about how we might vote or act as political figures ourselves.
The Bible and the Ballot demonstrates the proper use of Scripture in contemporary political discussions. Christians regularly invoke the Bible to support their positions on many controversial political topics--gay marriage, poverty, war, religious liberty, immigration, the environment, taxes, etc.--and this book will help facilitate those conversations. Tremper Longman provides a hermeneutical approach to using the Bible in this manner, then proceeds topic by topic, citing important Scriptures to be taken into consideration in each case and offering an evangelical interpretation.
Longman is careful to suggest levels of confidence in interpretation and acknowledges that often there are a range of possible applications. Each chapter includes questions to provoke further thought in individuals' minds or for group discussion.
The Bible and the Ballot is a ready guide to understanding the Bible on issues that American Christians face today as we live within a pluralistic society.
"A true spiritual balm for our troubled times."--Michael Eric Dyson, author of What Truth Sounds Like For years, Cole Arthur Riley was desperate for a spirituality she could trust. Amid ongoing national racial violence, the isolation of the pandemic, and a surge of anti-Black rhetoric in many Christian spaces, she began dreaming of a more human, more liberating expression of faith. She went on to create Black Liturgies, a digital project that connects spiritual practice with Black emotion, Black memory, and the Black body. In this book, she brings together hundreds of new prayers, along with letters, poems, meditation questions, breath practices, scriptures, and the writings of Black literary ancestors to offer forty-three liturgies that can be practiced individually or as a community. Inviting readers to reflect on their shared experiences of wonder, rest, rage, and repair, and creating rituals for holidays like Lent and Juneteenth, Arthur Riley writes with a poet's touch and a sensitivity that has made her one of the most important spiritual voices at work today. For anyone healing from communities that were more violent than loving; for anyone who has escaped the trauma of white Christian nationalism, religious homophobia, or transphobia; for anyone asking what it means to be human in a world of both beauty and terror, Black Liturgies is a work of healing and empowerment, and a vision for what might be.
Join the millions who have learned how to take control of their lives by setting healthy boundaries with their spouses, children, friends, parents, co-workers, and even themselves--in order to live life to the fullest.
In Boundaries, Drs. Henry Cloud and John Townsend share the lessons they've learned in their years of practicing psychology and studying the patterns and practices that support clear biblical boundaries. You'll learn the ins and outs of setting the boundaries that will transform your daily life.
This updated and expanded edition of Boundaries, answers the most common questions on the science behind establishing boundaries:
Discover the countless ways that Boundaries can change your life for the better today!
Fun devotions to help your family connect with one another, grow in faith, and learn how physical activity can influence your relationships with each other and with God.
Whether your family has been doing devotions for years or this is your first time introducing them, Building a Family of Faith is a weekly devotional designed to involve the whole family. Andy Dooley--a passionate leader, pastor, and father of four who has worked with families for more than eighteen years through sports, fitness, and ministry--will help you simplify yet enhance your family's quality time with devotions that children of all ages will enjoy and learn from. As you read through this devotional each week, your family will . . .
Take the weight off your shoulders, and let this fun, easy, and family-friendly devotional help you to build a family of faith.
Are churches looking for the wrong kind of leaders? The last decade has witnessed a rising number of churches wrecked by spiritual abuse--harsh, heavy-handed, domineering behavior from those in a position of spiritual authority. And high-profile cases are only a small portion of this widespread problem. Behind the scenes are many more cases of spiritual abuse that we will never hear about. Victims suffer in silence, not knowing where to turn.
Of course, most pastors and leaders are godly, wonderful people who don't abuse their sheep. They shepherd their flocks gently and patiently. But we can't ignore the growing number who do not. We have tolerated and even celebrated the kind of leaders Jesus warned us against.
We need gentle shepherds now more than ever, and in Bully Pulpit, seminary president and biblical scholar Michael J. Kruger offers a unique perspective for both church leaders and church members on the problem of spiritual abuse, how to spot it, and how to handle it in the church.
"Every Christian from pulpit to pew needs to read this wise and timely work."
- Karen Swallow Prior
"Both urgent and timely."
- Sam Storms
"Thoughtful, wise, and biblical."
- Mark Vroegop
Enacting social justice is essential to the Christian faith. But the Bible's call to seek justice is not a call to superficial activism. True justice requires biblical wisdom and communal discernment.
Maybe you're frustrated with a version of Christianity that doesn't seem to take justice seriously. Perhaps you've witnessed the rise of ideologies that brand themselves as 'social justice, ' but you have a sense that something is off about them. Maybe you have a hunch that God offers a better way to do justice than what's offered by the snarky memes on our news feeds.
In this 14-session, video-based study guide, teacher and lecturer Thaddeus Williams furthers the case he made in his book, taking study groups and individuals deeper into complex question of how to pursue a path of justice without compromising the truth of the gospel.
Participants will watch video segments (DVD/streaming video sold separately), hear from a diverse range of experts, interact in group discussions, and answer personal reflection questions to discover what the Bible and the example of Jesus have to teach us about justice.
Williams confronts religious and political tribalism and challenges participants to discover a compelling vision of justice for all God's image-bearers that offers hopeful answers to life's biggest questions and a way forward.
Sessions Include:
- What is Social Justice
- The God Question
- The Imago Question
- The Idolatry Question
- The Collective Question
- The Splintering Question
- The Fruit Question
- The Disparity Question
- The Color Question
- The Gospel Question
- The Tunnel Vision Question
- The Suffering Question
- The Standpoint Question
- Conclusion