Time Of Grace

This is a group of devotions all written by evangelist Mark Jeske.

One tiny little sentence can change your life. Ready for it? "God is here." It may sound obvious at first, but truly understanding these three words is the key to more happiness, less boredom, more rest, less rush, more love, less drama, more peace, less fear. A deeply satisfying life doesn't require a sabbatical, a mission trip, or a New Year's resolution. As long as God is glorious enough and near enough, you can enjoy the life that is truly life--not just the cheap substitutes we've settled for. This book will help you move from just enjoying the good moments in life to worshiping the God who is right here, right now. This movement will exponentially increase your happiness, peace, and contentment. It will allow you to shake off the guilt and shame of sin and see yourself as God sees you. Learn how to recognize God's impact on your life and find the joy he's been waiting to give you.

ÒI hole up in my own cozy cubicle and write, considering ways to make the approaching Thanksgiving holiday not just another day in this place. In prison, hope faces east; time is measured in wake-ups.Ó Time of Grace is a remarkable book, written with great eloquence by a former science teacher who was incarcerated for twelve years for his sexual liaison with a teenage student. Far more than a Òprison memoir,Ó it is an intimate and revealing look at relationshipsÑwith fellow humans and with the surprising wildlife of the Sonoran Desert, both inside and beyond prison walls. Throughout, Ken Lamberton reflects on human relations as they mimic and defy those of the natural world, whose rhythms calibrate LambertonÕs days and years behind bars. He writes with candor about his life, while observing desert flora and fauna with the insight and enthusiasm of a professional naturalist. While he studies a tarantula digging her way out of the packed earth and observes Mexican freetail bats sailing into the evening sky, Lamberton ruminates on his crime and on the wrenching effects it has had on his wife and three daughters. He writes of his connections with his fellow inmatesÑsome of whom he teaches in prison classesÑand with the guards who control them, sometimes with inexplicable cruelty. And he unflinchingly describes a prison system that has gone horribly wrongÑa system entrapped in a self-created web of secrecy, fear, and lies. This is the final book of LambertonÕs trilogy about the twelve years he spent in prison. Readers of his earlier books will savor this last volume. Those who are only now discovering LambertonÕs distinctive voiceÑpart poet, part scientist, part teacher, and always deeply, achingly humanÑwill feel as if they are making a new friend. Gripping, sobering, and beautifully written, LambertonÕs memoir is an unforgettable exploration of crime, punishment, and the power of the human spirit.

This is a book about how to deal with the challenges you face in life . . . but it's not what you think. Because when it comes to dealing with things like conflict with others, anxiety, shame, or even death, the solutions start with God's truth transforming YOU from the inside out. God knows every emotion, temptation, and heartache you face as you wrestle through life's difficulties-and he wants to guide you through each one. How to Deal invites you to bring your most personal struggles before the God who loves you unconditionally and discover how his Word acts like a user manual for the meaningful life you long for. With contributions from Pastor Mike Novotny and others who minister alongside him, you'll discover what God says about how to deal with difficult people, anxious feelings, apathetic seasons, and much more.

Announcing a special new release from Bible teacher John MacArthur...a select collection of powerful Scripture readings and prayers that inspire heartfelt communion with God and gratitude for all that He is and has done for us. For more than 40 years, John MacArthur has steadfastly committed himself to the careful and faithful teaching of God's Word. A key outgrowth of his study of Scripture is the profoundly God-centered prayers that precede his sermons. John's prayers are the offerings of a heart that is fully committed to honoring God, proclaiming and obeying His Word, and calling others to do the same. In this book, prayers and Scripture readings from across his years of ministry have been brought together to stir Christians toward more meaningful and edifying communion with God. This book will guide readers, in the most intimate way possible, before God's throne of grace...giving them a renewed passion and appreciation for their Lord.

Dig In! to God's Word with your kids and feed them the spiritual nutrients they need to live faith-filled lives. These fun family devotions were written especially for 8- to 12-year-olds, but the insights into God's Word are nutritious for all ages. With devotions such as "Liar, liar, pants on fire," "You stink!" "You were a werewolf," and "Dessert is coming!" Linda Buxa gets down to kid level and teaches Bible concepts and God's Word in terms that are not only easy to understand but loads of fun.

The Christian life is built on three seemingly unremarkable practices: reading the Bible, prayer, and fellowship with other believers. However, according to David Mathis, such “habits of grace” are the God-designed channels through which his glorious grace flows—making them life-giving practices for all Christians. Whether it’s hearing God’s voice (the Word), having his ear (prayer), or participating in his body (fellowship), such spiritual rhythms of the Christian life have the power to awaken our souls to God’s glory and stir our hearts for lifelong service in his name. What’s more, these seemingly simple practices grant us access to a host of spiritual blessings that we can only begin to imagine this side of eternity—and the incredible joy that such blessings bring to God’s children today.

Life is not a sprint; it’s a marathon. These well-known words of wisdom remind us to pace ourselves in the journey of life so we reach the finish line with no regrets. Pacing yourself is not as easy as it sounds. Life tends to take on a pace of its own which when left unchecked, will drive us toward burnout and fatigue. We can easily become driven by care, worry, and ambition rather than led by the Holy Spirit. We may tend to think of burnout as a modern problem, but we can see that people in Jesus’ day felt their own kind of spiritual and emotional fatigue. Why else would Jesus have said these comforting words? Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly (Matt. 11:28-30; The Message). Even though he spoke these words more than two millennia ago, Jesus’ call to rest and peace seem tailor-made to fit this generation. Author Kerri Weems had let the pace and rhythm of her life get out of control. At first the consequences were only physical, but they quickly impacted her spiritual life. Since then, God has been teaching her to walk in time with him; he is teaching her to be led rather than driven. In this book, she opens up her life and shares this journey with the reader. God’s best for each of us is that we go the full distance of our race, and not just crawl exhausted across the finish line. God wants us to enjoy the race and cross the line with our heads held high, a smile on our faces, and our arms lifted in a double fist-punch! Getting to that moment is all about learning the rhythms of grace and pacing ourselves for the long run.