Outrageous Love Transforming Power

Terry Wardle presents compelling evidence that countless churches are made up of people who seem perpetually caught in spiritual infancy. What does it really mean to be Christlike? Christians today are struggling with immaturity because they do not know the answer to that question. This book surveys the life of Jesus to identify eight characteristics of Christ that are to be nurtured by the Holy Spirit in the believer's life. Being transformed into the likeness of Christ is the true mark of spiritual maturity.

Author Terry Wardle presents compelling evidence that countless churches are made up of, and in many cases even led by, men and women who seem perpetually caught in spiritual infancy - and it is having a devastating effect upon their lives and the ministry of the gospel to a broken world. The author contends that the heart of the problem rests with our concept of Christian maturity. How that one issue is defined directly impacts the way in which a person seeks to grow and develop in the Christian experience. Many Christians, including church leaders, think that being a mature Christian means believing the right things about Jesus and the faith, behaving like Jesus in daily living, and serving as Jesus did within the Church and world. As a result, a great deal of attention is given to knowing what to believe, how to behave properly, and where to get appropriately involved in Christian service. Sermons are preached, classes are taught, books are written, and ministries are formed to move people toward greater levels of understanding, action, and service. Unfortunately, with this paradigm in place, maturity is measured by a person's movement toward this inappropriately defined end.What does it mean to be a mature Christian then? It has far more to do with what kind of person you are, than what you do. In this book the author explores this question and highlights the foundational qualities that Jesus possessed the point to the standard for Christian maturity.

A dynamic speaker and vocalist, Sheila Walsh has developed a strong following through her appearances on The 700 Club and Women of Faith conferences. Her latest book, Outrageous Love, invites readers to look at the bold choices that God has made to draw us to Him and the lavish ways that He cares for us each day. As we acknowledge and respond to His outrageous love, we enter into a joy that surpasses any trouble the world might present.

[Revised edition] Hannah and Her Sisters examines the often tense relationships between women in the church. While openly addressing a difficult issue that has been ignored far too long, the author's love for the church and its people resonates through the pages. The topic is discussed without criticism or judgment, but with balanced, rational observations. The author's honesty and self-disclosure make this book highly readable and appealing to a wide audience, yet it is scholarly and well supported by Scripture and authoritative writers in the church community. The book is helpful to those who need encouragement on either side of the issue of emotional wounding that sometimes occurs in church, as well as the leaders who may be called upon to help both victims and offenders find healing and forgiveness.

In Strong Winds and Crashing Waves, Terry Wardle uses his own personal story of emotional pain to introduce his reader to the healing that is possible through faith in Jesus Christ.

Christians are desperate for intimacy with the Lord. While grateful for all he has done, we long to encounter his presence in our daily lives. Amazingly, God desires the same relationship with us, and he has made it possible for us to live in his presence, love, and generosity with every breath we take. This book is designed to help you experience intimacy with God in your daily life. It presents a simple, yet effective, spiritual practice that raises awareness of the abiding presence of the Lord in what has been called "the sacrament of the present moment." Every Breath We Take will give you a deeper understanding of God's presence, love, and generosity, and provide you with a pathway to encounter him in deep and transforming moment-by-moment encounters.

Every human being has an innate call to be truly known as significant and loved by others. God has created and set this longing within us to be known for who we are. Knowing you is to know that your identity is in Jesus Christ because you were created in God’s image. An individual’s lack of this knowledge can result in a sociopsychological identity crisis and role confusion as characterized by social psychologist Erik Erikson. To know your identity is to know whose you are and how you came to be you. Therefore, much of our emotional pain, turmoil, and dysfunctions in our personal lives are predicated on not knowing our true identity. Essentially, we make an effort to behave according to our self-concept and self-esteem, which are based on the versions of reactions we have received from others. Consequently, self-esteem points toward the distinction between one’s perceived self-concept and with one’s ideal self. Our sense of worth is initially tremendously impacted during our early years because we develop a vision of ourselves through the expressions we received by the significant people during those early years. Loving affirmations promote good self-identity, and being rejected can be the basis for a negative self-image later in life. Due to such unprocessed emotionally trauma from our early years, many of us experience deficits in core longings. Also, these unprocessed emotional wounds impact our relationships with God, self, and others. Consequently, we need the aid of a structure that promotes the truth of God esteem and to position us for emotional healing that positively impact our identity in Christ. This book presents elements of a spiritual formational approach, which incorporates the knowledge of core longings, self-fulfilling behaviors, and emotional wounds into a personal healing structure that impacts our Christian identity.

Everyone has expectations, but not everyone acknowledges them. In marriage, unrecognized expectations can be especially dangerous - when couples expect each other to be and act a certain way without communicating their assumptions, disappointment is never too far away. Now, relationship expert Gary Smalley and his pastor and friend Ted Cunningham show couples how to defuse the ticking bomb of unrealistic expectations and arm their marriage with healthy communication and honest intimacy. As Long as We Both Shall Live will help couples acknowledge their unexpressed assumptions, understand one another's genuine needs and talk openly about their hopes and desires. Women and men will find the tools they need to build lasting and loving marriages.