People today have access to endless pleasures and luxuries: cars to drive, clothes to wear, vacations to take, and entertainment to enjoy. Yet despite the fact that the pursuit of such things is the norm in our world today, this mind-set is opposite of what God desires for his people. How, then, are Christians to relate to the world in which we live? In Worldliness, C. J. Mahaney and fellow pastors such as Dave Harvey, Jeff Purswell, and Bob Kauflin wisely lead us to see the often subtle presence of worldliness in our hearts. Looking specifically at the media we consume, the music we listen to... View More...
Ten Practical Resolutions to Stand Strong in the Shifting Sands of CultureWe all face seasons in our lives when our circumstances seem out of our control and all the forces in this world seem against us. We become discouraged and afraid. We are tempted to give up. No matter how strong we claim our faith in God is, when life is hard, it all comes down to resolve. Do we really believe what we say we believe? And does what we profess with our lips make it beyond intellectual assent and into our everyday actions?Both challenging and encouraging, Resolved unpacks ten life-impacting resolutions that... View More...
Perhaps no psalm is more widely known than Psalm 23. Spoken by David during a time of great stress and difficulty, it summons us to lie down in green pastures and walk thru the valley of the shadow of death. Yet so often it seems we do just the reverse, lying down in the valley and fixating on the danger, fear, and uncertainty. We wonder where God has gone and why he doesn't make things right, never considering that perhaps what we perceive as a spiritual trial is actually an invitation from God.In this inspirational examination of Psalm 23, Heath Adamson asks the provocative question: What if... View More...
There is nothing more important in this life or the one to come than an intimate connection with Jesus. Unfortunately, we have thousands of voices distracting us, and all too often we listen to them. We confuse proximity to God with intimacy with God and are content with a Christian-branded life yet miss out on what we were created for: knowing God intimately.Sharing the touching story of a demon-possessed man who had every reason to run the other way when he encountered Jesus, Heath Adamson shows us how spiritual hunger can overcome our hopelessness, our shame, and our excuses. He encourages ... View More...
Personal encouragement and inspiration for finding your unique calling Am I making a difference? Can I accomplish meaningful things despite the mistakes I've made? How can I know God's purpose for me? As the true stories in Exceedingly demonstrate, whether famous or entirely unknown, we all struggle to find significance in our lives. But the truth is that each one of us has a special reason for being right here, right now--and we can discover exactly what that is. Anita Agers-Brooks walks through simple yet powerful strategies, skills, and exercises to do just that. Through practical applicati... View More...
We were made for intimacy--spiritual intimacy with God that brings oneness and bears powerful fruit. We were made to know Him and be known by Him, fully. So why do we often feel burnt-out, distant, and disheartened in our journey of faith? How do we cultivate true intimacy with God? And what does His design of physical, sexual intimacy unveil of the full gospel story?Sharing Word-backed, Holy Spirit-breathed revelation with humility and openhanded honesty, New York Times bestselling author Mo Aiken walks alongside us through the beauty and power of life lived in active communion with God, rath... View More...
People in all walks of life are discovering what it means to be involved, concerned, missional Christians. But simply having block parties or spending more time downtown is not enough to describe what it means to be a missional people. What is needed is a reformation of the way we actually live our lives as Jesus followers. We need to see a way of living faithfully to God's mission in the world, right here, right now.In this inspiring yet practical book, Alan Hirsch and Lance Ford equip believers to live missionally regardless of situation, vocation, or location, making the concept of being mi... View More...
"Not enough" is the theme of our day. Fear, scarcity, and inequality dominate the media cycle and are constant companions in our culture. While 74 percent of Americans believe in God, we can feel our world changing in ways that simply seem out of control. We want to cling to a sovereign and loving God who tells us repeatedly in Scripture to "fear not," yet it is estimated that nearly 90 percent of his followers have a scarcity mentality rooted in fear.Five times in Scripture, Jesus showed us a pattern to deal with fear and how to access his abundant provision, both spiritually and practically.... View More...
For Jesus, truth and mercy went hand in hand. Where he preached he also healed. He didn't outsource one or the other to biblical scholars or nonprofit ministries. He presented the truth of the gospel through his words and his actions, and he did it all in a hands-on, relational way. And the reaction was the same wherever he went--people were amazed.Today we seem to have lost this powerful pattern of self-giving love, focusing on truth at the expense of mercy or on mercy at the expense of truth, and often failing to build genuine, lasting relationships with the people around us.In The God Impul... View More...
Rejoice always. Don't be afraid. Give cheerfully.What do we do when God's commands sound impossible? Most of us find opt-outs and excuses, or pretend we're doing better than we are.Author Jonty Allcock calls this the madness of our lives and the slavery of the impossible.There is a better way. What if obedience could be a life-giving joy rather than a job, a delight instead of a duty?In this book, Jonty shows us that by facing up to the impossible commands of Jesus, we come to the end of our own will and determination, and end up at Jesus' feet. We find ourselves in the hands of a God who can ... View More...
We live in a fast-paced world, and our minds are working in overdrive. Mindfulness promises a method of tuning out the voices for a few minutes to live in the moment. Biblical meditation offers something better: an opportunity to be transformed by God's voice of truth.Psalm 1 says that the person who delights in God's word and meditates on it day and night is like a "tree planted by streams of water". Linda Allcock gives us a framework to help us slow down and dwell deeply on God's word so that it clears our minds and fills our hearts, making a real difference to the way we live.This book will... View More...
We live in a fast-paced world, and our minds are working in overdrive. Mindfulness promises a method of tuning out the voices for a few minutes to live in the moment. Biblical meditation offers something better: an opportunity to be transformed by God's voice of truth.Psalm 1 says that the person who delights in God's word and meditates on it day and night is like a "tree planted by streams of water". Linda Allcock gives us a framework to help us slow down and dwell deeply on God's word so that it clears our minds and fills our hearts, making a real difference to the way we live.This book will... View More...
Life is full of labels that limit, but God has a new name He longs for you to hear - a name that boldly declares freedom from your past and hope for your future. Join Esther Fleece Allen, bestselling author of No More Faking Fine, in this profound exploration of your God-given identity that no label can limit and no circumstance can shake. Too often, our identity gets tangled up with our circumstances, and suddenly, the truth of who we are is colored by our relationship status, our job title, the shame of our past, or what others say about us.People might pin toxic, untrue labels on your back.... View More...
