Our attempts at spiritual formation and growth are consistently sabotaged by our surface efforts that never quite get to the root of the problem. We think we know what we're supposed to do, but we're not quite sure who we're supposed to be on the other side of transformation. In SoulShift, Steve DeNeff and David Drury offer an approach to spiritual transformation that focuses less on measuring how much time we are spending on spiritual inputs--such as Bible study and prayer--and more on measuring who we are becoming in Christ.Christians at any stage of life will experience a fresh beginning in following Jesus. You will learn about seven key transformational shifts that occur in the minds, hearts, and behaviors of every true follower of Christ. And you will receive practical help for bringing about these shifts in your own life.

    It includes a fullyear of all-new devotions by women of God. Added features from its bestselling predecessor make this Bible more engaging, practical, and versatile.Features Include:* Complete text of the NIV---the most read, most trusted Bible translation* A full year of weekday and weekend devotions bring insight and inspiration. Also included are questions for reflection to help women apply God's Word to life.* Devotions by well-known---and not-so-well-known women of God, including Joni Eareckson Tada, Elisabeth Elliot, Lynne Hybels, Anne Graham Lotz,and Katie Brazelton* Multiple reading plans for year-after-year use* Introductions for each book of the Bible* 500 callouts spotlighting key verses of the Bible for memorization and contemplation* Author index with biographical information on each contributor* Subject index to help you locate topics easily* Presentation page* Double-column format

    Gregory Koukl demonstrates how to get in the driver's seat, keeping any conversation moving with thoughtful, artful diplomacy. You'll learn how to maneuver comfortably and graciously through the minefields, stop challengers in their tracks, turn the tables and—most importantly—get people thinking about Jesus. Soon, your conversations will look more like diplomacy than D-Day. Drawing on extensive experience defending Christianity in the public square, Koukl shows you how to:- Initiate conversations effortlessly- Present the truth clearly, cleverly, and persuasively- Graciously and effectively expose faulty thinking- Skillfully manage the details of dialogue- Maintain an engaging, disarming style even under attackTactics provides the game plan for communicating the compelling truth about Christianity with confidence and grace.

    But much of today's apologetics (engagement with the questions that people are asking about Christianity) come from suburban churches and academic studies. Urban believers--those who live and minister in America's inner cities--often face unique issues, not often addressed by the larger Christian community. These questions aren't neat or easy to answer but need to be addressed by applying biblical truth in the culture and challenges of urban life.Author Chris Brooks has ministered for years in the urban environment as well as received extensive theological training. In Urban Apologetics, he seeks to connect the riches of the Christian apologetic tradition with the issues facing cities--such as poverty, violence, and broken families. He brings an urban rhythm and sensitivity to the task of demonstrating the relevance of faith and the healing truth that Christ provides.

    There is unprecedented spiritual openness in today’s society, and at the same time, increasing economic pressure on the resources of local churches. The solution lies squarely on the able shoulders of God-gifted volunteers. And they are ready for the challenge! Once trained, empowered, and inspired, record numbers of volunteers will take on all new levels of responsibility in the local church, creating a volunteer revolution that will transform churches and communities. The Volunteer Revolution reveals how all of this can happen and how churches can unleash vast amounts of untapped potential. Through real-life volunteer stories, Hybels inspires church leaders in their role as equippers while motivating potential volunteers to align themselves with God’s mission to change the world. The Volunteer Revolution is also available as an unabridged Audio Pages® CD.

    Yet at its core, this movement reflects our need for community. Our longing for intimacy, connection, and a place to belong has never been a secret, but social networking offers us a new perspective on the way we engage our community. How do these networks impact our relationships? In what ways are they shaping the way we think of ourselves? And how might this phenomenon subtly reflect a God who longs to connect with each one of us? The Church of Facebook explores these ideas and much more, offering a revealing look at the wildly popular world of online social networking.

    “I’m sorry” the figure whispers, as it places the bundle on the cold stone of the work-house steps, “There is no other way.”For Frances Noel, a nobody’s child-work house waif, named simply for the day she was found, Christmases somehow seemed alive with promise and the possibility of miracles. So, when Frances is chosen to work in a grand house, more beautiful than she has ever seen, Frances believes that her miracle has arrived. But the beautiful house holds no comfort for a nobody such as Frances, as she suffers the tyrannical rule of the housekeeper and the unwanted attentions of Master Felix Ainsworth, the son of the house.But Ainsworth house holds a deep and dark secret that sheds its gloom over all who dwell within. The only joy in Frances’ life is Peter Gibson, the gentle-eyed stable lad who has become her friend. Christmas after Christmas, their friendship deepens, until a terrible event occurs that tears them apart.What is the secret that brings doom to all those who dwell in Ainsworth house? Why are the house keeper and the young Master so cruel? Will Frances ever be able to make amends to Peter, or are Christmas miracles simply a foolish child’s dream?Nell Harte writes clean and sweet historical fiction.

    When her brother is betrayed by the young woman he's courting, he decides to leave their hometown and his broken heart behind. At first, May is skeptical about the move, but when she meets a handsome stranger, she feels much more confident about this unexpected change in their lives. But as she becomes smitten with him, will she be able to keep herself from harm when danger lurks?Wesley and his brother have always been loners and there is a good reason for that; Wesley's brother has gotten on the wrong side of the law more than once. Nevertheless, Wesley has finally managed to settle down with his own blacksmith shop in a new town. When he helps a beautiful young woman in trouble, he never could have imagined the change she would bring to his life. Will his dangerous secrets jeopardize their budding relationship, costing him his only chance of true love?When an enemy from the past surfaces and targets Charlie and May, second thoughts will overwhelm and frighten her. Wesley has to make a choice between family and love while May will find herself tangled in between. Will May and Wesley be able to make the life-changing choices they need to in order to keep each other safe? Could they dream of a life together beyond any doubt?

    Readers will also find the results of exclusive research commissioned by Group magazine--thoughtfully explored by the editor of Group magazine. This research sheds light on how teenagers really feel about their faith...and how youth pastors really feel about their ministries.

    The Church in God's Program is a biblical study covering the entire scope of the church - its beginning, government, ministries, and the new covenant.

    And it's no secret that they don't always get along because of these differences, even when they love each other. But having a successful marriage is not about finding the perfect person to marry. It's about loving someone in an unselfish, Christlike manner. Whatever we want out of marriage--unconditional love, forgiveness, passion--that is what we have to give to our spouse. Rick Johnson shows couples how to go beyond merely tolerating each other's differences to using those God-given differences to add spice and passion to their relationship.

    Portland is among the most unchurched and politically progressive cities in the nation. With its unique edge—from a popular television show dedicated to its eccentricity to hosting the country’s largest naked bike ride—you wouldn’t expect Portland to be home to one of the most successful partnerships between local government and area churches. But it is.In 2007, Kevin Palau and a few dozen pastors approached Portland’s mayor and posed the question: How can we serve you with no strings attached? Officials identified five initial areas of need—hunger, homelessness, healthcare, the environment, and public schools—and so began a partnership, CityServe, between the city and a band of churches seeking to live out the gospel message. Since then, the CityServe model has spread like wildfire, inspiring communities across the country to take up the cause in their own cities.Unlikely not only tells the story of the inception of CityServe, but also challenges readers to evaluate their understanding of the gospel. Today’s church finds itself torn between social justice and direct proclamation. Unlikely proposes a both/and scenario, showing how the gospel can truly penetrate a region—through word and deed.CityServe is proof that when differences can be put aside for a worthy cause, real change can be attained, and unlikely beauty is born.

    He encourages us to remember that pastors are people and to pray for them as they serve us.Paradoxically, caring for our pastor will be a blessing to us as well as to them, and create a culture of true fellowship in our church family.

    He thus describes the plan of the book: The First chapter sketches the present context of the discussion and touches on the Biblical meaning of the word "Church." The next three chapters examine the three answers to the central question, which may be roughly categorized as Protestant, Catholic, Pentecostal. The last two chapters argue that the Church is only to be understood in a perspective that is at once eschatological and missionary, the perspective of the ends of the earth.Bishop Newbigin's evaluations are provacative, scholarly, and filled with profound passion and insight. He is concerned with the searching questions men today are asking: Is there in truth a family of God on earth to which I can belong, a place where all men can be truly at home? If so, where is it to be found and how is it that those who claim to be spokesmen of that holy fellowship are themselves at war with one another as to the fundamentals of its nature? I think there is no more urgent theological task than to try to give plain and simple answers. This he does, drawing deeply upon biblical sources.

    No matter where we go, what we watch, or how we communicate, our culture is rife with conflict. Unfortunately, Christians appear to be caught up in the same animosity as the culture at large. We are perceived as angry, judgmental, and defensive, fighting among ourselves in various media while the world looks on. How have we failed to be a people of reconciliation and renewal in the face of such tumult?Claiming that the church has lost itself in the grip of an antagonistic culture, David Fitch takes a close look at what drives the vitriol in our congregations. He traces the enemy-making patterns in church history and diagnoses the divisiveness that marks the contemporary evangelical church. Fitch shows a way for the church to be true to itself, unwinding the antagonisms of our day and making space for Christ's reconciling presence in our day-to-day lives. He offers new patterns and practices that move the church beyond making enemies to being the presence of Christ in the world, helping us free ourselves from a faith that feeds on division.