The Beautiful Fight Surrendering To The Transforming Presence Of God Every Day Of Your Life

In a groundbreaking book that rethinks spiritual formation, Gary Thomas argues that the contemporary church is in danger of accepting Christianity as a historical reality but not as a present power. Is the grace that pardons powerful enough to transform? Answering with a resounding yes, Thomas presents a compelling picture of what it means to be a “God oasis” in a God-forgetting world.“The first chapter alone is worth reading many times. This is beauty and struggle. This is the death that leads to life.”John Ortberg, Pastor and Author, Menlo Park Presbyterian Church“Set this book down ... slowly ... turn around ... and run away ... unless you hunger for a deeper vision of faith and thirst for genuine life transformation ... if you do, read on.”Kevin Harney, Pastor and Author“Once again, Gary Thomas challenges me to live passionately for God and to apply his transforming power to my daily decisions.”Kay Warren, Executive Director, HIV/AIDS Initiative, Saddleback ChurchThe Beautiful Fight will energize your life and your church. It will inspire you, equip you, and challenge you to delve ever deeper into what it means to be a truly holy believer, transformed into the image of Jesus Christ. Discover just how radical Christian transformation can be, as you learn to see with new eyes, think with a new mind, and feel with a new heart. Thomas rallies you to the Beautiful Fight—the struggle to fully express the wonder and life-changing power of Christ in this world through every aspect of who you are.

Want to grow in courage? It’s getting harder to be a Christian in our post-Christian culture. As a pastor of 35 years, Andy is seeing the church wake from a “Christian Pax Americana” to an era of intensified hostility. Based on David’s courage before Goliath, The Way to Brave helps readers face the giants looming over us today, such as secularism and relativism. Bent on banishing Christian influence from public life, their power is shocking, their reach expansive, and their deployment quick. But still they are no match for our God. The Way to Brave guides readers through the five ways God prepared David to be intrepid in facing the giant who opposed him. The qualities and experiences David possessed are the ones Christians need today. Pastor Andy McQuitty will walk you through what those are and how they can mark your life, bolstering you for the storms ahead.

The Sacred Echo challenges readers not to listen for the seemingly distant voice of God as much as to listen for the echo. When God really wants to get your attention, he doesn t just say something once, he echoes. He speaks through a Sunday sermon, a chance conversation with a friend the next day, and even a random email. The same theme, idea, impression, or lesson will repeat itself in surprising and unexpected ways until you realize that maybe, just maybe, God is at work. As God s voice echoe"

Living a life of virtue is necessary, desirable, and possible. In clear simple language, Robert M. Solomon helps us see that the fruit of the Spirit is not made up of character qualities that are attainable only by the holiest among us. In The Virtuous Life, he helps us understand each virtue of the fruit of the Spirit in its original language and how it was exhibited in the life of Jesus. Discover how the fruit of the Spirit can take shape and grow in your daily life and relationships in the church, in your family, and in society.

Fulfill One of Your Deepest Longings Every follower of Jesus has a sincere desire to share God's love with others. We want to tell friends and family about who Jesus is, what he means to us, and all he has done for them. Deep in our hearts we have a burning passion to pass on the good news we have received. But, where do we start? We want to share our faith, but we don't want it to feel awkward, uncomfortable, or unnatural for them or for us! Organic Outreach for Ordinary People will help you shape a personal approach to passing on the good news of Jesus in natural ways. This is not a system or a program. It's a collection of biblical practices that you can incorporate into your life starting today. You can begin right where God has placed you. You can share the love and message of Jesus in a way that fits exactly how God has wired you. In this practical and easy-to-read book, Kevin Harney offers the tools needed to reach out with God's love in organic ways. In these pages you will discover that sharing the good news of Jesus can be as natural as talking about your favorite sports team or telling a friend about a wonderful new restaurant. On the golf course, over coffee, while taking a walk - anywhere and everywhere - become a bearer of grace. Share the amazing love of God. Tell the life-changing story of Jesus. Discover ordinary ways to communicate God's love and the message of salvation - naturally.

Starting a family is a soul-shaping, world-altering experience. Unfortunately, in a culture of competing values and protracted timelines, couples are increasingly backing their way into parenting or missing it altogether. By the time the average couple tries to have kids, they are often beyond their late twenties and surprised to learn they are sliding past the peak of their fertile years. In Start Your Family, Steve and Candice Watters encourage couples to be intentional about their timeline in the early years of marriage and to trust God to help them boldly launch their families. Responding to the most common doubts and hurdles, they offer biblical inspiration for the questions: Why have kids? When is the best time to start? How can we fit kids into our lives?

A compassionate, shame-free guide for your darkest days “A one-of-a-kind book . . . to read for yourself or give to a struggling friend or loved one without the fear that depression and suicidal thoughts will be minimized, medicalized or over-spiritualized.”—Kay Warren, cofounder of Saddleback Church What happens when loving Jesus doesn’t cure you of depression, anxiety, or suicidal thoughts? You might be crushed by shame over your mental illness, only to be told by well-meaning Christians to “choose joy” and “pray more.” So you beg God to take away the pain, but nothing eases the ache inside. As darkness lingers and color drains from your world, you’re left wondering if God has abandoned you. You just want a way out. But there’s hope. In I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die, Sarah J. Robinson offers a healthy, practical, and shame-free guide for Christians struggling with mental illness. With unflinching honesty, Sarah shares her story of battling depression and fighting to stay alive despite toxic theology that made her afraid to seek help outside the church. Pairing her own story with scriptural insights, mental health research, and simple practices, Sarah helps you reconnect with the God who is present in our deepest anguish and discover that you are worth everything it takes to get better. Beautifully written and full of hard-won wisdom, I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die offers a path toward a rich, hope-filled life in Christ, even when healing doesn’t look like what you expect.

Ruth Haley Barton's award-winning, practical introduction to the spiritual practice of silence and solitude is an invitation to you to journey into the real presence of God and hear and his voice. Much of the Christian faith is about words - preaching, teaching, talking with others. But the hectic demands and noise of daily modern life can drown out God's words, and keep us from fully meeting him. Taking the story of Elijah the prophet as inspiration and example, Invitation to Solitude and Silence explores the power of quietness and stillness in connecting with God. Filled with practical exercises that draw on Ruth's own experience, it encourages and challenges us to rethink how we see silence and solitude and to use them to invite God deeper into our lives. Invitation to Solitude and Silence is ideal for anyone looking for spiritual disciplines to help them connect more fully with God and practices to aid their spiritual formation. Ruth's gentle wisdom will expand your idea of what prayer can be, and help you find time to rest and renew your faith so that your relationship with God is strengthened. Helpful and hopeful, this book is a reminder that God does not push himself where he is not wanted but waits for us to respond from the depths of our desire. Will you say yes?