Ordinary People Extraordinary Faith

In spite of a diving accident that has left her paralyzed for more than thirty years, Joni Eareckson Tada has been able to build a life of faith and purpose. The peace she has found as she confronts the painful realities of life as a quadriplegic has made her a hero to many people. In Ordinary People, Extraordinary Faith, Joni lets us know who her heroes are. Inside she tells the stories of people who inspire her with their faith and courage. Although Joni has met many famous "heroes of the faith" through her ministry, the lives she shares here are not the Billy Grahams of the world. They are a mother, a housewife, a nursing home resident, a child. Some are missionaries or pastors; others are bank tellers or data entry clerks. All of these people have touched Joni's life and the lives of others as they found their faith rise to the occasion – to forgive an assailant, to find strength despite the debilitating effects of cerebral palsy, to choose love in the face of racial prejudice, and to discover in the midst of questioning that God Himself is the answer to all questions.

Wayne Flynt tells the story of his life and his courageous battles against an indifferent or hostile power structure with modesty but always with honesty. In doing so he tells us the story of how Alabama institutions really are manipulated, and why we should care.

This book is filled with incredible true stories of modern day miracles coupled with powerful insights and life-changing prayers. You will journey with ordinary people who the Holy Spirit uses in extraordinary ways. It will strengthen your faith and provoke you to reach higher for miracles in your own life.

Ordinary People Extraordinary God tells the true stories of 17 modern-day heroes who encountered God's transforming love in their broken state and answered His call. They may never be as renowned as biblical heroes or regarded as especially gifted by the world's standards, but each of these ordinary, modern-day heroes contains infinite value in the eyes of God. He has transformed them by His redeeming love, gifted them for service, and used them for His glory in amazing ministries which have blessed thousands. You, too, are one of God's ordinary people, redeemed and transformed by the blood of Jesus. But is fear of failure and disappointing Him holding you back from living your destiny and serving in the Kingdom? If so, this book will challenge and encourage you with the reality that you are good enough and gifted enough. All it takes is a yes. Allow the stories in Ordinary People Extraordinary God to increase your faith as you step into the transforming work of a loving God.

This is the story of Condoleezza Rice that has never been told, not that of an ultra-accomplished world leader, but of a little girl--and a young woman--trying to find her place in a sometimes hostile world, of two exceptional parents, and an extended family and community that made all the difference. Condoleezza Rice has excelled as a diplomat, political scientist, and concert pianist. Her achievements run the gamut from helping to oversee the collapse of communism in Europe and the decline of the Soviet Union, to working to protect the country in the aftermath of 9-11, to becoming only the second woman--and the first black woman ever--to serve as Secretary of State. But until she was 25 she never learned to swim, because when she was a little girl in Birmingham, Alabama, Commissioner of Public Safety Bull Connor decided he'd rather shut down the city's pools than give black citizens access. Throughout the 1950's, Birmingham's black middle class largely succeeded in insulating their children from the most corrosive effects of racism, providing multiple support systems to ensure the next generation would live better than the last. But by 1963, Birmingham had become an environment where blacks were expected to keep their head down and do what they were told--or face violent consequences. That spring two bombs exploded in Rice’s neighborhood amid a series of chilling Klu Klux Klan attacks. Months later, four young girls lost their lives in a particularly vicious bombing. So how was Rice able to achieve what she ultimately did? Her father, John, a minister and educator, instilled a love of sports and politics. Her mother, a teacher, developed Condoleezza’s passion for piano and exposed her to the fine arts. From both, Rice learned the value of faith in the face of hardship and the importance of giving back to the community. Her parents’ fierce unwillingness to set limits propelled her to the venerable halls of Stanford University, where she quickly rose through the ranks to become the university’s second-in-command. An expert in Soviet and Eastern European Affairs, she played a leading role in U.S. policy as the Iron Curtain fell and the Soviet Union disintegrated. Less than a decade later, at the apex of the hotly contested 2000 presidential election, she received the exciting news--just shortly before her father’s death--that she would go on to the White House as the first female National Security Advisor. As comfortable describing lighthearted family moments as she is recalling the poignancy of her mother’s cancer battle and the heady challenge of going toe-to-toe with Soviet leaders, Rice holds nothing back in this remarkably candid telling.

Is it possible for broken, ill-equipped, faltering, or average people to merit God's highest commendation?For him to say they lived "by faith"? Yes, it is.In Unlikely Heroes: Ordinary People with Extraordinary Faith, Daniel R. Lockwood presents a cast of Old Testament characters from Hebrews 11-seriously flawed people with stories that teach us about genuine, biblical faith.Biblical insights, historical significance, and engaging storytelling carry readers across generations of faith into the adventure that is ours today, with guidance for traveling wisely and courageously. So strap on your dusty sandals, shoulder your trail-worn knapsack, pick up your reliable walking stick, and get ready to travel in the footsteps of some remarkably unremarkable individuals. You will meet people whom God himself calls faithful and discover they are people like us!

First appearing as articles in Evangelical Times, Seeing the Invisible tells the stories of ten ordinary Christians who exercised extraordinary faith in their God. None of these individuals is a famous name in Christian history, but their faith in, and devotion to, Christ encourages and inspires us to exercise similar faith in the same powerful God who enabled them to 'endure as seeing him who is invisible'. The orginal articles have been expanded to include more background material and further details from the lives of these believers.

Short personal stories on the theme of stewardship in the Christian's life to inspire and challenge us.