Stewarding Our Bodies

Most college students struggle tremendously with their bodies. Numerous issues related to the body plague higher education. Students struggle with sleep, mental health, eating disorders, sexual identity questions, clothing choices, obesity, and alcohol problems, among other concerns. Too often Christian colleges try to meet these challenges with rules instead of setting forth a vision of what it means to steward the body—a precious gift from God that has been bought with a price by Christ. Students, faculty, and staff at faith-based institutions need a theological framework and biblical wisdom by which they can better understand, nurture, and celebrate life in all its fullness. Stewarding Our Bodies draws from the expertise and experiences of researchers and practitioners both within and outside higher education to provide relevant insights and suggestions for those who desire to help students better bear God’s image. Most important of all, it sets forth a positive vision by which to understand the precious gift God has entrusted to us—our bodies.

Have you ever thought about what it would look like to take care of your body with God, His way and for His glory? Our bodies do matter. The problem is that so often we make our bodies the main thing when they are simply meant to help us do the main thing, which is to love God and love others. For so long I took care of my body as though I was the owner of it rather than as the steward of it. I got stuck in either idolizing my body or neglecting it all together. My health was a tangled mess and the enemy tried to convince me it was hopeless. But God gently drew near to me and whispered, “I can untangle it if you let Me.” I let Him and He did. Are you ready to let Him? Are you ready to learn and live His way? This book is for: - The friend who obsesses about their body, neglects it, or is anywhere in between! - The friend who is ready to surrender this area of their life to Christ. - The friend who wants to be both strong in their spirit and healthy in body. - The friend who feels they’ve been given a “problem body,” so why bother? - The friend who wants to learn how to steward their health with God, His way and for His glory. Friend, you can steward your body with joy, peace and as an extension of your worship. I am cheering you on as you say "yes" to discovering why God's way is not only greater but is ultimately the Way.

WHO ARE YOU? For respected New Testament scholar Klyne Snodgrass, this is the most important question a person can ask—the question from which everything else in life flows. Other questions follow: What made you who you are? Who gets to say who you are? And—perhaps most vital—Who does God say you are? In this book Snodgrass offers wise guidance to all who are wrestling with such universal human questions. He examines nine factors—including one’s body, personal history, commitments, and boundaries—that shape human identity, and he expertly draws out what the Bible tells us about who God says we are, how we fit within God’s purposes, and how our God-given identity can and must impact the way we live our lives.

"God's eternal plan for us involves our body. We can't write off our physical life as spiritually irrelevant." — Sam Allberry There's a danger in focusing too much on the body. There's also a danger in not valuing it enough. In fact, the Bible has lots to say about the body. With the coming of Jesus, "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us"—flesh that was pierced and crushed for the sins of the world. In What God Has to Say about Our Bodies, Sam Allberry explains that all of us are fearfully and wonderfully made, and should regard our physicality as a gift. He offers biblical guidance for living, including understanding gender, sexuality, and identity; dealing with aging, illness, and death; and considering the physical future hope that we have in Christ. In this powerfully written book, you'll gain a new understanding for the immeasurable value of our bodies and God's ultimate plan to redeem them.

Short. Timely. Poignant. Pointed. Burying White Privilege is all of these and more. This is the book that everybody who cares about contemporary American Christianity will want to read. Many people wonder how white Christians could not only support Donald Trump for president but also rush to defend an accused child molester running for the US Senate. In a 2017 essay that went viral, Miguel A. De La Torre boldly proclaimed the death of Christianity at the hands of white evangelical nationalists. He continues sounding the death knell in this book. De La Torre argues that centuries of oppression and greed have effectively ruined evangelical Christianity in the United States. Believers and clerical leaders have killed it, choosing profits over prophets. The silence concerning—if not the doctrinal justification of—racism, classism, sexism, and homophobia has made white Christianity satanic. Prophetically calling Christian nationalists to repentance, De La Torre rescues the biblical Christ from the distorted Christ of white Christian imagination.

Do you face a chronic condition in need of a healing touch? Can healing be chronically received? Everyone needs a healing touch, whether in a physical, soulful, or spiritual way. While there can be frustration in facing a chronic issue, hope can be yours in the waiting. Sharing from her personal journey of living with Type 1 diabetes (which is incurable, humanly speaking), Courtney Cohen, author of Refining Identity, reveals how God has manifested healing throughout her life, in the very midst of this disease. Also included: Discussion Guide to help you dive in deeper – perfect for individuals and groups. Practical tools for healthy living you can immediately apply as you grow in stewarding your body and soul to more fully honor God. Although each story is unique, the truth of God’s hope and healing exist in every circumstance. He wants to meet you in your present reality – bringing very real healing to your life, from the inside out. Discover God’s plan for your personal, chronic healing. What Leaders Are Saying About Chronic Healing… In Chronic Healing, Courtney Cohen masterfully weaves genuine biblical teaching into her personal story of fighting against disease. Whatever challenges lie ahead for you, her doubts and fears will resonate with your own. The person facing diffi cult days ahead where questions loom large and reasons seem soft-will fi nd her answers soothing to the soul, like a deep well in a dry land. This book should rest on the shelf of any person who confronts trouble. Robb Brewer PhD – Equipping Pastor Gateway Church If you need a healing touch in your life – in your body, soul, or spirit – this book is for you! You will be challenged and encouraged as Courtney shares about the hope of Jesus and the miracles in her life even while waiting on her miracle. If you are searching to know more, you will not be disappointed! Chronic Healing will inspire you! Amy Ford – Founder of Embrace Grace & Author of A Bump In Life Chronic Healing will help anyone who needs to be encouraged by a life-changing diagnosis. Courtney’s transparent stories of failure and victory flow from a mature walk with Jesus. She presents a biblical approach to praying through different challenges and stages of managing a lifelong change in diet, exercise, and medication. As a family member of someone who has Type 1 diabetes, I highly recommend this book. Jill Monaco – Founder of Single Matters & Jill Monaco Ministries Courtney Cohen’s testimony regarding her journey, after being diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, imparts outstanding insight to those who are facing trials and health challenges. Her desire to help those who are walking through difficulties and struggles, along with her tremendous heart for God, shines through the pages of her book. You will be strengthened and encouraged as she shares her story and the discoveries she has made while listening to and responding to the promptings of the Spirit of God. Through Chronic Healing, you will gain knowledge and understanding that will assist you in your personal journey to living a victorious life. Gaye Moss – Author of God’s Amazing Love & Walking In Victory The moment I heard the title of Courtney Cohen’s latest book, Chronic Healing: Hope and Healing for Body, Soul, & Spirit, I understood exactly what she was getting at. Many of us live in the crux of believing God heals yet finding ourselves daily in a fight for our health. Courtney transparently shares her journey of learning to embrace the beauty of a life dependent upon the daily deliverance and healing of Jesus Christ. She reminded me that in the midst of my own battle for my health and wholeness, Christ is faithful and that I can count on Him to meet me right where I am. If you or someone you love struggles with chronic illness, discouragement or fear, you will find hope, healing and strength in the words of this book. Jan Greenwood – Pastor, Pink Gateway Women & Author of Women at War

If you are a man who feels that spiritual growth is at times frustrating--you are not alone! Most men find spiritual growth overcomplicated and the needed discipline beyond their reach. But it doesn't need to be that way. In Called to Act: 5 Uncomplicated Disciplines for Men, author Vince Miller provides a simple understanding of five core spiritual disciplines that will ignite a lifelong journey of spiritual development. Leave the ranks of the hesitant and stuck, and join a movement of men.

Death teaches us how to live. When Whitney K. Pipkin’s mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer, she wasn’t ready. How could she be? She searched for resources that could help her walk through this heavy yet sacred time in her life. But she struggled to find the guidance she longed for in a season of anticipatory grief. We Shall All Be Changed is a companion for those experiencing the lonely season of suffering and death. In this book, Whitney reaches across the pages to hold the hand of the caregiver. Walking through death with a loved one can be incredibly isolating and unsettling. This book reminds us that we can experience God’s very presence in life’s dark and deep valleys. As Whitney draws from her own experience, she sheds light and hope. She shows that we are not alone. And she reveals the mysterious way that God ministers to and transforms us through death and suffering. Beautifully honest and theologically rich, Whitney invites us to consider death so that we might understand life and how to live it. Rather than wanting to run from discussions of death—as I did for so long—I now want to press into them, to wring from one of the hardest trials life has to offer every drop of sanctification and glory. I see now that having a front seat to my mom’s final days has forever changed the ones I have left to live. —Whitney Pipkin A book for those who are caring for the sick and dying . . . for those who will care for parents, family, or friends in their last days . . . and for those who have already walked this journey. This book is for us.