The Church Is A Mess But I Can T Leave

Being a church girl can be hard at times but going to a church full of drama and betrayal can be even harder. Tarika is a single parent with a good job and she loves the Lord. Although, loving the Lord isnÕt as hard as trying to stay celibate, losing a fiancZ and dealing with a dead-beat dad. She has two good friends who are willing to help her through the tough times naturally and spiritually, but there are times when following what the Lord says just doesnÕt cut it. Tarika is tired of the celibate life and she is tired of the struggle of being a single parent. She thinks sheÕs willing to risk her morals, but isnÕt sure if the risk is worth it. And she canÕt go to her Pastor about it or risk having her problems preached back to her the next week. Is she just better off leaving the church and doing her own thing? If the Lord doesnÕt intervene, TarikaÕs life will endure a shift that will cause her to leave the church, but maybe thatÕs what she wants. The church is mess, but can Tarika leave?

Bishop Jakes, the "New York Times"-bestselling author of "Reposition Yourself," returns with a thorough examination of the power of forgiveness.

Twenty-seven years ago, humanity learned that it was not alone. Aliens came to Earth in the forms of God and angels from the Bible. Claiming to have seeded the Earth with humans, they selected chosen ones to take back to their planet with them. The visitors moved on, but humans still reel from their appearance. Many people have turned to new alien-worshipping churches to make sense of this world-shattering event. At the top of this new religion is Valesco, head of Thee Way Church of God, but his ambitions lie far beyond preaching. He seeks to eliminate his competition, religious and secular, by any means necessary. In South Dakota, Joseph Gint has little going for him aside from his research and a clear head. However, that clear mind and his predictions of the future are an asset even the President can't ignore. As tensions escalate between alien-worshipping and anti-alien factions, Joseph becomes embroiled in a desperate bid to save what's left of the United States. Revelation Base sets the stage for what may become a new civil war.

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.

Life. It is slipping by right now. Quietly. Unassumingly. Behind our backs. It happens to husbands and wives, to sculptors and schemers, to the saved and the damned, to me, and to you. Unprofitable Dreams is a collection of eight short stories about dreamers who are blinded by potential, pretense, and past phantoms. Can they wake up to their lives before it is too late? Will Sam be able to see his wife for who she truly is? Will Jane be able to see her new husband for who he is not? Can Daniel and Tricia overcome the scarring events of their pasts? Will Chester ever make it into Heaven? When dreams collide with reality, anything is possible and choices have to be made. Passivity is no longer an option. Hope is no longer an option. Because life lasts for just an instant and then it's .

Love at Its Best When Church Is a Mess is a collection of fifteen meditations, drawn from 1 Corinthians 13, perhaps the most well-known passage about love in Holy Scripture, and certainly one of the most beloved passages found anywhere in the English language. It is the centerpiece of many marriage ceremonies, but as it turns out, the Apostle Paul was not writing to young couples in love. In fact, he was writing to a church in a mess, a big mess, and what he told them has relevance for Christians today. Most of us will face a mess at one time or another in church. Why? Because church life is messy. If you don’t find a mess, a mess will find you. Each chapter contains personal stories, a meditation, and an examination of an aspect of love drawn from 1 Corinthians 13, the wisdom of Scripture, some spiritual formation “next steps,” and questions for reflection and discussion. Suited for personal devotions or small discipleship groups, Love at Its Best When Church Is a Mess invites all of us to an adventure of grace, healing, and spiritual growth. Clearly, faith sends us on a spiritual journey, hope keeps us going, but it is love at its best that bids us home.

Find freedom from legalism's should's and discover the deep spirituality of being loved by the God who meets and transforms you in the midst of a messy and unpredictable life. Do you ever feel like you don't pray enough, read your Bible enough, share your faith enough, love God enough . . . and ultimately that you're not a very good Christian? Welcome to the club. Messy Spirituality was written for the silent majority of us who are convinced we just don't do Christianity right. Mike Yaconelli dares to suggest that imperfection, unfinishedness, and messiness are, in fact, the earmarks of true Christianity; that real Christianity is messy, erratic, lopsided . . . and gloriously liberating. In these pages, he challenges you to let go of the legalism that holds you back and embrace the grace freedom that God offers. He opens your eyes to the one-size-fits-all spirituality churches often want us to embrace and shares what it truly means to walk with God in a deep, intimate, life-changing way. Full of innovative ideas and concepts, Messy Spirituality is a classic that offers timeless wisdom for anyone ready to be free from the bonds of perfectionism. Spanish edition also available.

Louie Giglio helps you find encouragement, hope, and strength in the midst of any valley as you reject the enemy voices of fear, rage, lust, insecurity, anxiety, despair, temptation, or defeat. Scripture is clear: the Enemy is a liar who will stop at nothing to tempt you into poor decisions and self-defeating mindsets, making you feel afraid, angry, anxious, or defeated. It is all too easy for Satan to weasel his way into a seat at the table intended for only you and your King. But you can fight back. Don't Give the Enemy a Seat at Your Table outlines the ways to overcome those lies so you can find peace and security in any challenging circumstance or situation. With the same bold, exciting approach to Scripture as employed in Goliath Must Fall and his other previous works, pastor Louie Giglio examines Psalm 23 in fresh ways, highlighting verse 5: "You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies." You can find freedom from insecurity, temptation, and defeat--if you allow Jesus, the Shepherd, to lead the battle for your mind and heart. This spiritual warfare book for those who are leery of spiritual warfare books will resonate with Louie's core Passion tribe as well as with Christians of all ages who want to live a triumphant life in God.