Recovery From Distorted Images Of God

Though we say God is loving, trustworthy and all-powerful, our actions and thoughts reveal the subtle and not-so-subtle lies we're believing: that God is impossible to please, manipulative and likely to abandon us. Written with compassion and conviction, these eight studies bring to light our distorted thinking and point us to the truth of who God is--the great healer who knows us intimately and pursues us with love.

Though we say God is loving, trustworthy and all-powerful, our actions and thoughts reveal the subtle and not-so-subtle lies we're believing. Written with compassion and conviction, this eight-session LifeGuide® Bible Study brings to light our distorted thinking and points us to the truth of who God is—the great healer who knows us intimately and pursues us with love.

God is not a bigger version of your earthly father. When you hear the word “father,” do you think of someone who is loving…or angry? Someone who is pleased with you…or constantly disappointed? Someone who is always available…or someone who is too busy, preoccupied, or distant? When you think of “Father God,” what images come to mind? Regardless of the type of father you grew up with—or without—it is likely that your view of God is influenced by the relationship you had with your father. Author John Bishop wants to help you discover that God is not just like your dad. Instead, God is the Father revealed in Scripture, where the truth is clear. God is a father who is: • always there • up close and personal • fully pleased • in complete control • completely safe Filled with biblical insight and practical tools for reflection, healing, and restoration, God Distorted will enable you to break free from the lies of the enemy and see your heavenly Father as He truly is.

Do you feel like God is angry at you? Or at least disappointed? Our view of God shapes our minds, behavior, and relationships. What happens when we view God as a furious, frustrated deity? What changes when we glimpse a God who looks like Jesus? Building upon personal experience, biblical study, and recent discoveries in neuroscience, pastor and ministry coach Colin McCartney warns of the dangers of viewing God as a judgmental, angry dictator. Such a negative view of God poisons the mind and produces alienation from God and others. In its place, McCartney lays out a strong case, rooted in Scripture, for a more accurate image of a God that is Love. Healing from distorted images of God is one of the primary tasks of the maturing Christian, and McCartney gently leads readers on this healing journey. He also refuses to shy away from difficult topics as God’s wrath, hell as eternal punishment, and violent depictions of God in the Bible. By sharing the beliefs of the early church fathers and mothers and pointing to a Christ-centered hermeneutic, McCartney inspires readers with the truth of a God who is extremely involved and deeply in love with every one of us. ​ What if the boundless love that we see in Jesus Christ isn’t just one of many traits of God? What if that infinite, absolute love is, well, everything?

You were made for more than a love/hate relationship with your body. It's one thing to know in your head that you were created in the image of God. Yet it's quite another to experience this belief in your body, against the cultural ideals of a woman's worth. And between the two lies a world of frustration, disappointment, and the shame of somehow feeling both too much and never enough in your body. Jess Connolly is a bestselling author, sought-after speaker, and trusted Bible teacher who knows this inner conflict all too well, and this book details her journey--and yours--of setting out to discover how to break free from the broken beliefs we all hold about our bodies that hold us back from our fullest life. The truest thing about you is that you are made and loved by God. And the truest thing about Him is that He cannot make bad things. This book will help you believe it with your whole self, as Jess guides you through an eye-opening, empowering process of: Renaming what the world has labeled as less-than Resting in God's workmanship Experiencing restoration where there has been injury And becoming a change agent in partnering with God to bring revival to a generation of women Far from a superficial issue, self-image is a spiritual issue, because God has named your body good from the beginning. Whether your struggle is with eating and exercise habits, stress or trauma, infertility or injury, this book makes space for you to experience God meeting you in this tender place, and ring His freedom bell over your body in a whole new way.

In a breakthrough book first published in 1991, the authors address the dynamics in churches that can ensnare people in legalism, guilt, and begrudging service, keeping them from the grace and joy of God's kingdom.Written for both those who feel abused and those who may be causing it, The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse shows how people get hooked into abusive systems, the impact of controlling leadership on a congregation, and how the abused believer can find rest and recovery.

A Guide to Navigate Evangelical Feminism In a society where gender roles are a hot-button topic, the church is not immune to the controversy. In fact, the church has wrestled with varying degrees of evangelical feminism for decades. As evangelical feminism has crept into the church, time-trusted resources like Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood help remind Christians of what the Bible has to say. In this edition of the award-winning best seller, more than 20 influential men and women such as John Piper, Wayne Grudem, D. A. Carson, and Elisabeth Elliot offer thought-provoking essays responding to the challenge egalitarianism poses to life in the church and in the home. Covering topics like role distinctions in the church, how biblical manhood and womanhood should work out in practice, and women in the history of the church, this helpful resource will help readers learn to orient their beliefs with God's unchanging word in an ever-changing culture.