His hope offers an anchor for the soul and a way to get back on track. His faithfulness declares that wherever you are now, he is always ready to bring you home.As a respected Bible teacher, author, and activist, Christine Caine knew that Jesus was her only anchor. But after an especially difficult season, she found herself drifting, unsure if she wanted to keep going the way she always had and asking, “How did I get here?” as she struggled to return to the steadiness of God’s purpose for her. Where she once wanted to take ground, she now just wanted to take cover. It was a bewildering and disorienting place to be—one you may also have found yourself in before.With refreshing candor and relatable humor, Christine offers biblical insights helping youidentify nine signs you are drifting off course and realign with God’s purpose;ask the right questions about your relationships with God, others, and your own heart so you can stay anchored in truth despite the world’s shifting currents;move from a what-if faith to an even-if faith as you discover how to trust God more deeply; andwrestle honestly with your soul’s longings so we can respond to all the ways God answers—even when it feels like he doesn’t.Writing for all who feel empty of the spiritual passion they once knew, Christine vulnerably shares her journey of turning her eyes back to Jesus in her thoughts, prayers, actions, and the hard questions she asked along the way.

    Yet when he finally came to know the God of the Bible, Micah had no choice but to surrender himself—no matter the consequences. For a passionate young Mormon who had grown up in the Church, finding authentic faith meant giving up all he knew: his community, his ambitions, and his place in the world. Yet as Micah struggled to reconcile the teachings of his Church with the truths revealed in the Bible, he awakened to his need for God’s grace. This led him to be summoned to the door of the mission president, terrified but confident in the testimony he knew could cost him everything.Passport to Heaven is a gripping account of Micah’s surprising journey from living as a devoted member of a religion based on human works to embracing the divine mercy and freedom that can only be found in Jesus Christ.

    It is a question that many believers ponder as they wrestle with disappointment and disillusionment in their church and its leadership But while many Christians have left their churches, they cannot leave their faith behind. In Freeing Jesus, Bass challenges the idea that Jesus can only be understood in static, one-dimensional ways and asks us to instead consider a life where Jesus grows with us and helps us through life’s challenges in several capacities: as Friend, Teacher, Savior, Lord, Way, and Presence. Freeing Jesus is an invitation to leave the religious wars behind and rediscover Jesus in all his many manifestations, to experience Jesus beyond the narrow confines we have built around him. It renews our hope in faith and worship at a time when we need it most.

    Her earliest theological formation came from her grandmother, her abuelita, who fled Cuba during the height of political unrest and raised three children alone after her husband passed away. Combining personal storytelling with biblical reflection, Armas shows us how voices on the margins--those often dismissed, isolated, and oppressed because of their gender, socioeconomic status, or lack of education--have more to teach us about following God than we realize.Abuelita Faith tells the story of unnamed and overlooked theologians in society and in the Bible--mothers, grandmothers, sisters, and daughters--whose survival, strength, resistance, and persistence teach us the true power of faith and love. The author's exploration of abuelita theology will help people of all cultural and ethnic backgrounds reflect on the abuelitas in their lives and ministries and on ways they can live out abuelita faith every day.

    Now, he expands those thoughts in this profound and practical handbook. Learning to Pray explains what prayer is, what to expect from praying, how to do it, and how it can transform us when we make it a regular practice in our lives. A trusted guide walking beside us as we navigate our unique spiritual paths, Martin lays out the different styles and traditions of prayer throughout Christian history and invites us to experiment and discover which works best to feed our soul and build intimacy with our Creator. Father Martin makes clear there is not one secret formula for praying. But like any relationship, each person can discover the best style for building an intimate relationship with God, regardless of religion or denomination. Prayer, he teaches us, is open and accessible to anyone willing to open their heart.

    In The Soul of Desire, psychiatrist Curt Thompson suggests that underneath all our longings is the desire to be known--and what's more, that this fundamental yearning manifests itself in our deep need to make things of beauty, revealing who we are to others. Desire and beauty go hand in hand. But both our craving to be known and our ability to create beauty have been marred by trauma and shame, collapsing our imagination for what God has for us and blinding us to the possibility that beauty could ever emerge from our ashes. Drawing on his work in interpersonal neurobiology and clinical practice, Thompson presents a powerful picture of the capacity of the believing community to reshape our imaginations, hold our desires and griefs together, and invite us into the beauty of God's presence. The Soul of Desire is a mature, creative work, weaving together neuroscience and spiritual formation to open up new horizons for thinking not only about the nature of the mind, but about what it means to be human.

    CurrySometimes it takes disruption and loss to break us open and call us home to God. It's not surprising that a global pandemic and once-in-a-generation reckoning with white supremacy--on top of decades of systemic decline--have spurred Christians everywhere to ask who we are, why God placed us here and what difference that makes to the world.In this critical yet loving book, the author explores the American story and the Episcopal story in order to find out how communities steeped in racism, establishment, and privilege can at last fall in love with Jesus, walk humbly with the most vulnerable and embody beloved community in our own broken but beautiful way.The Church Cracked Open invites us to surrender privilege and redefine church, not just for the sake of others, but for our own salvation and liberation.

    In this NEW 365-day devotional prayer book from the author of Jesus Calling, you’ll find confidence to come to God in all circumstances with short, heartfelt prayers based on Scripture.God desires a relationship with you through continual conversation—prayer. Jesus Listens empowers you to pray daily, whether it serves as your only prayer for the day or simply a jump starter to your own prayers. Jesus Listens is ideal for those who . . . are going through difficult times and looking for rest and hopeare busy from life’s demands, but want to grow their prayer lifeare not sure how to pray have been praying for years but want a closer relationship with GodThe biblical basis for each prayer in Jesus Listens is given at the end of each entry so you can continually return to God's promises in Scripture. Jesus Listens includes: 365 days of Bible-based prayers Scripture references for each devotion a ribbon marker  Whether you gift Jesus Listens or pick it up yourself to establish a more consistent prayer practice, Sarah’s words and her constant return to the Word of God will greatly enrich your prayer life. By praying Scripture through this daily devotional prayer book, you'll experience how intentional prayer connects you to God, changes your heart, and can even move mountains. Look for additional life-changing, life-giving books from Sarah Young including: Jesus Calling Jesus Always Jesus Today

    But to befriend an enemy, we first have to acknowledge their existence, understand who they are, and recognize the ways they are acting in opposition to God’s good news. In How to Have an Enemy: Righteous Anger and the Work of Peace, Melissa Florer-Bixler looks closely at what the Bible says about enemies—who they are, what they do, and how Jesus and his followers responded to them. The result is a theology that allows us to name our enemies as a form of truth-telling about ourselves, our communities, and the histories in which our lives are embedded. Only then can we grapple with the power of the acts of destruction carried out by our enemies, and invite them to lay down their enmity, opening a path for healing, reconciliation, and unity. ​ Jesus named and confronted his enemies as an essential part to loving them. In this provocative book, Florer-Bixler calls us to do the same.

    

    Some are well-intentioned but misguided, others are aberrations, still others have some but not all the essential keys. In order to see and understand the real Jesus and what the Gospels say about him, we have to see him in his first-century context—and work out from there.Here is a portrait of Jesus that in some ways will affirm what traditional Christianity has always understood about him...and, in other ways, upend it altogether.Award-winning author Mark Clark delves into the person and work of Jesus of Nazareth: his parables and miracles, his controversial challenge of discipleship and obedience, his seemingly insane claim to be God, and what his death and resurrection (if they did happen) actually mean.Mark is unafraid to tackle questions such as:What would first-century Jews have immediately recognized about Jesus that modern Christians often miss?What do the Gospels accomplish, and can we trust them?Is there a problem with science and Jesus' miracles?What are the barriers stopping people from following him?And what is Christianity in light of an accurate portrayal of the object of its faith?The Problem of Jesus engages with ideas from all realms of study: from Malcolm Gladwell and Jordan Peterson to historians, scientists, and philosophers; from N.T. Wright to C.S. Lewis; from Star Wars to Pretty Woman—all unite to form a breathtaking and accurate portrait of Jesus, the man, the message, and the mission, who forever altered the course of human history. "As a former atheist, I would call this book philosophical dynamite...The Problem of Jesus will take your thinking about Jesus—and your relationship with him—to whole new levels." —Pastor and author, Ray Johnston.

    But what if you realized you can experience true trust?Many women joke about having trust issues—laughing at their struggle because it feels common but secretly feeling there is no hope. Grace Valentine was one of them. In her twenties, she realized her trust issues were not humorous because, in reality, hers were trust issues with Jesus, her community, her family, and herself. And they were destroying her faith. Grace told herself she was simply being realistic, but the truth was, she was entangled with doubt and lies.In Grace’s second book, Is It Just Me?, she offers readers a new perspective by helping them find answers to five deeply felt questions:Am I the only one who is tired, overwhelmed, doubting, and fearful?Am I the only one who feels hurt and lonely?Am I the only one who still is struggling to find my purpose?Am I the only one struggling to trust that God is there?Am I the only one confused about how to be an adult?Grace’s personal story and perceptive insights show other young women that they are not alone and they can trust God in the middle of their hurts, doubts, and fears.

    But we have often equated them with the living Word Himself, even elevating them above the One to whom they point. In doing so, we have distorted their central message—and our view of God. Tragically, this has caused multitudes of people unnecessary doubt, confusion, and pain in their encounters with the Scriptures. Many people understand God as being truly loving and good. Yet, they struggle with depictions of God in Scripture as wrathful, violent, and genocidal. These “toxic texts” have caused some to set aside their Bibles as R-rated and unreliable. They have led others to completely reject their faith. Author and theologian Bradley Jersak has wrestled deeply with such passages over many years. He has experienced the same questions, doubt, and pain. In A More Christlike Word, he offers a clarifying and freeing path forward. Whether readers consider themselves believers, doubters, or skeptics, all are invited to a more beautiful and ancient way of reading the Scriptures. Bradley calls this path the “Emmaus Way” because it demonstrates how Jesus regarded all Scripture as fulfilled in himself, the final Word of God who reveals the true nature of the Father. After deconstructing the modern biblicist/literalist approaches to Scripture interpretation that have failed us, Brad turns to the early church for a hermeneutic of prefigurement, treating the Bible as the grand narrative of redemption, told through a polyphony of voices and worldviews, culminating in the arrival of Christ as the eternal Word of God—what God has to say about himself. The interpretive system of the church fathers and mothers who gathered the New Testament and preached the gospel from the Old Testament has largely been ignored or dismissed by both evangelical and liberal movements, the twin children of modernity. The patristics explain and model the apostles’ Christ-centered interpretation of the Scriptures. Brad applies their approach to “unwrath” sample passages from each genre of the Bible, showing how even the cringe-worthy texts have an important place in the Christotelic saga of divine love. Your journey on the Emmaus Way will open up to you the fullness of the Scriptures, and, most important, lead you to the God who deeply loves and welcomes you.

    But the notion that we have to be positive all the time, putting on a happy face through anger, frustration, and pain, hinders our ability not only to heal ourselves and society, but to have an authentic relationship with the Divine.We long to connect with God over the very real sorrow in our lives and in the world around us, but so many of us were never shown how. This lack of knowing how to lament--an ancient practice of expressing anger and pain to God--damages us personally and spiritually.Pastor Abby Norman is here to tell us that we can talk to God like that. In her fresh, tell-it-like-it-is voice, she unpacks the power of lament, providing us with the tools and the grace-filled permission to heal the problems we have been ignoring for too long. She shows us how to express our laments to God and to each other when things are definitely not okay. And through this process we will discover a richer connection with God--who has wanted nothing more than our whole selves from the start.

    Writer Sophfronia Scott is asking them today.In The Seeker and the Monk, Scott mines the extensive private journals of one of the most influential contemplative thinkers of the past for guidance on how to live in these fraught times.As a Black woman who is not Catholic, Scott both learns from and pushes back against Merton, holding spirited, and intimate conversations on race, ambition, faith, activism, nature, prayer, friendship, and love. She asks: What is the connection between contemplation and action? Is there ever such a thing as a wrong answer to a spiritual question? How do we care about the brutality in the world while not becoming overwhelmed by it?By engaging in this lively discourse, readers will gain a steady sense of how to dwell more deeply within--and even to love--this despairing and radiant world.

    

    But there's a powerful truth that settles every question: God has named us, and the names he has spoken over us settle every question and pain we have experienced in our search for identity.Names help us know that we belong and to whom we belong. Names carry a certain authority and power. But we also carry other names--painful, damaging names that we have spoken over ourselves or that others have branded on us. Too often, in times of low self-worth, grief, or failure, we exchange our God-given identity for those false names.When we believe God's names for us, we will discover a life lived with purpose and passion. Are you ready to accept God's invitation to silence the inner voice that keeps you from living freely, joyfully, and confidently?A lot is at stake in understanding the sacred truth of who you are. The names you believe about yourself impact how you live, how you love, and how you move and bear witness to the gospel.Hear this: God has true names that he speaks over you and wants you to hear above the false banter.Known invites you to understand and embrace what it means to be created and named in the image of God. In the process, it will ignite a passion to speak life-giving names over others, to bless them through the power of the Name that is above every other.With vulnerability and humor, Aubrey Sampson shows you what it means to be powerfully and personally made and named in the image of God. Everything changes when you believe this incredible truth: You are known by God.

    Instead, we need to pause and reflect on what's in front of us. But how? How can we slow down? How can we remain focused on what's important and do things with intention? What can we pursue that represents God's heart for us, things that are true, noble, right, pure, admirable, excellent, praiseworthy? By pursuing all things "lovely." Living a holistic and holy life, a life marked by beauty and truth, means being mindful and intentional about what we put in our bodies, how we present ourselves to the world, the spaces we create, and the people we let into our lives. When we set our minds on what is lovely, we begin to see ourselves and the world as God intended. We begin to be wholly renewed.

    It's a battle he won't survive.When he awakens three days later, clawing his way from a shallow grave, Marcus must face the reality of his new existence. He cannot be killed--but that won't stop him from dying time and again over the next 2,000 years.Meanwhile, others like Marcus plan to bring the world crashing to its knees. Can he prevent the inevitable and find redemption?"An extraordinary idea extraordinarily well-told. Greenwood has a special talent for creating believable characters in a believably realized historic setting."---Ron Miller, Hugo Award-winning Author

    Whether your fear is about violence, shame, illness, money, meaning, or the collapse of certainty, you are not alone. Yet the power of the fear we feel depends on the story we tell about fear. Fight, flee, or freeze: are these are only options?Growing up near the troubled city of Belfast, Gareth Higgins was schooled in suspicion, mistrust, and paranoia. Would someone be lurking behind the door? Was there a bomb under that car? Yet fear feeds on the stories we tell ourselves, Higgins claims, and in the pages of How Not to Be Afraid, he delves into the mechanisms of fear, as well as the quiet, immense strength of individuals and communities that refuse to let it reign.Grounded in personal experience and expert reflection on violence, conflict transformation, and trauma recovery, Higgins traces vulnerability as strength to address seven common fears that plague each of us at some point in our lives. By examining such topics as the fear of being alone, the fear of not having enough, and the fear of violence and death, he invites readers into habits of hope rooted in Celtic spirituality and the mysteries of love.In the rich spiritual, activist, and literary tradition of Walter Wink and Kathleen Norris, Higgins points us toward tenderness, empathy, and gentle encounter with each other and with our deepest and most relentless fears. He shows us how we can replace our narratives of fear and cynicism with better stories. Peace is the way to itself, he reveals, and when we choose this path, our lives will never be the same.

    Inspired the hit manga! When acerbic loner Haruka gets transported to another world with his class, he's not big on adventuring, but he wouldn't mind some cool magic of his own. Unfortunately, the magic powers are first-come-first-served, and by Haruka's turn, there's nothing good left to choose from. Now he'll have to take on this fantasy world the hard way, with a hodgepodge selection of bizarre skills...and with all the girls in class tagging along!

    Allison, Jr, drawing together the fruits of his decades of research into this issue at the very core of Christian identity.Allison returns to the ancient sources and earliest traditions, charting them alongside the development of faith in the resurrection in the early church and throughout Christian history. Beginning with historical-critical methodology that examines the empty tomb narratives and early confessions, Allison moves on to consider the resurrection in parallel with other traditions and stories, including Tibetan accounts of saintly figures being assumed into the light, in the chapter "Rainbow Body".Finally, Allison considers what might be said by way of results or conclusions on the topic of resurrection, offering perspectives from both apologetic and sceptical viewpoints. In his final section of "modest results" he considers scholarly approaches to the resurrection in light of human experience, adding fresh nuance to a debate that has often been characterised in overly simplistic terms of "it happened" or "it didn't".

    Neil wanted to practice what he preached, so he set out to bike across the United States, talking—and, more importantly, listening—to strangers from all walks of life about faith, their stories, and matters of the heart.The Listening Road takes you on Neil’s remarkable journey across the country and straight into its soul—from Route 66 motels to state parks, a lake house, and a railway car; from conversations with Amish farmers to chats with truckers, cowboys, mechanics, and a descendant of Daniel Boone. From one city, farm, and highway to the next, we discover practical, actionable ways to change our posture toward others to foster conversation, why curiosity, kindness, and respect open up communication about God, and how even in a culture of division and antagonism, real connection is possible.In our polarizing time, Neil models with compassion and curiosity that genuine connection happens only if we are willing to listen in love.

    Love Gave tells the story of the incarnation and the good news of Jesus Christ in language kids can understand. Children will hear how God created us to be His friends, but because of sin, we were separated from Him. Out of love, God gave us Jesus who died and rose again to solve our sin problem and restore our friendship with God. The final page provides a clear explanation of the gospel and an invitation for children to trust their heart to God and accept His gift of eternal fellowship. This is a book your whole family will enjoy and is sure to become a favorite for years to come.

    A fiercely independent conservative, in 1989 he wrote the first national cover story in favor of marriage equality, and then an essay, “The Politics of Homosexuality,” in The New Republic in 1993, an article called the most consequential of the decade in the gay rights movement. A pioneer of online journalism, he started blogging in 2000 and helped define the new medium with his blog, The Daily Dish. In 2007, he was one of the first political writers to champion the presidential campaign of Barack Obama, and his cover story for The Atlantic, “Why Obama Matters,” was seen as a milestone in that campaign’s messaging. In the past five years, he has proved a vocal foe both of Donald Trump and of wokeness on the left. Loved and loathed by both left and right, Sullivan is in a tribe of one. Bold, timely, and thought-provoking, this collection of “trenchant observations from an influential journalist” (Kirkus Reviews) on culture, politics, religion, and philosophy demonstrates why he continues to be ranked among the most intriguing and important public intellectuals in US media.

    

    At the same time, he remained devoted to a conservative Mormonism that he saw as a vehicle for progress even as it narrowed the range of acceptable belief. Kristine L. Haglund views England’s writing through the tensions produced by his often-opposed intellectual and spiritual commitments. Though labeled a liberal, England had a traditional Latter-day Saint background and always sought to address fundamental questions in Mormon terms. His intellectually adventurous essays sometimes put him at odds with Church authorities and fellow believers. But he also influenced a generation of thinkers and cofounded Dialogue, a Mormon academic and literary journal acclaimed for the broad range of its thought.A fascinating portrait of a Mormon intellectual and his times, Eugene England reveals a believing scholar who emerged from the lived experiences of his faith to engage with the changes roiling Mormonism in the twentieth century.

    Conflict in our relationships, fears about the future, information overload, financial pressure, lack of contentment--all of them can steal our joy because they steal our peace. Through Christ we are promised peace, but how can we feel peace when we live in a world of chaos?Because, says Chip Ingram, peace isn't a feeling; it's a choice.In I Choose Peace, Chip unpacks Philippians 4 to show us how we can choose peace in- relational conflict- anxious moments- a broken world- difficult circumstances- a materialistic cultureIf you're tired of feeling anxious over the state of the world, your relationships, or your own heart, this encouraging book will help you quiet your worries and experience real, lasting peace that doesn't depend on what's going on around you.

    You may have felt judged when you told someone about it, or even wondered, “did that really happen, or did I just imagine it?” Chock-full of cutting-edge research, this guide will show you just how common this type of phenomenon is—and how you can fine-tune your unique abilities to add richness and depth to your life.In The Science of Channeling, scientist and author Helané Wahbeh will show you how to identify and target your own channeling skills, process the channeled information you receive, and use your unique gift to improve your life—and the world around you. You’ll find detailed information about different channeling types, including mind-to-mind communication, your intention affecting matter, and sensing the future. And finally, you’ll discover a wealth of physiological studies pertaining to the science of channeling, providing ample evidence that channeling is a real phenomena and insights into how it works.If you’re ready to explore the power of channeling, or are looking to strengthen the skills you already have, this guide has everything you need to get started today.