They talked to them, had cook-outs with them, and went to church with them. In our time of unprecedented mobility and increasing isolationism, it's hard to make lasting connections with those who live right outside our front door. We have hundreds of "friends" through online social networking, but we often don't even know the full name of the person who lives right next door.This unique and inspiring book asks the question: What is the most loving thing I can do for the people who live on my street or in my apartment building? Through compelling true stories of lives impacted, the authors show readers how to create genuine friendships with the people who live in closest proximity to them. Discussion questions at the end of each chapter make this book perfect for small groups or individual study.

    Most marriage books barely mention friendship. Most marriage books use “intimacy” as code for “sex.” This is not one of those books.In Real Marriage, Pastor Mark Driscoll and his wife, Grace, share how they have struggled and how they have found healing through the power of the only reliable source: the Bible. They believe friendship is fundamental to marriage but not easy to maintain. So they offer practical advice on how to make your spouse your best friend – and keep it that way. And they know from experience that sex-related issues need to be addressed directly.Five chapters are dedicated to answering questions like:Should I confess my pre-marital sexual sin to my spouse?Is it okay to have a “work spouse”?What does the Bible say about masturbation and oral sex?Stunningly honest and vulnerable, Real Marriage is like a personal counseling session with a couple you cannot surprise, you cannot shock into silence, who will respond to every question with wisdom, humility, and realism.If you want to have a long-lasting, fulfilling marriage you should read this book. Wrestle with this book. Pray over this book. Share this book. And discover how God can use it to change your life.Endorsements:“If you’re married or plan to be someday, do yourself a favor and read every page of this book.” —DRS. LES & LESLIE PARROTT Founders of RealRelationships.com and authors of Love Talk“Whether engaged, newlywed, or veteran, Real Marriage will serve as an invaluable resource. I highly recommend this book.” —ANDY STANLEY author of The Grace of God and Senior Pastor, North Point Community Church"One of my greatest concerns is that culture is going to continually define and redefine what marriage is and is not, and the church is going to simply sit on the sidelines and react rather than seeking to actually become proactive by confidently teaching what the Bible has to say about it.  That is why I am so thankful that Mark and Grace Driscoll wrote this book.  Their approach to marriage, its benefits and challenges are transparent and challenging and I honestly believe that every married couple who will work through what they lead us through in this book will not just merely have a marriage that survives in this world but rather thrives in it." — PERRY NOBLE Senior Pastor, NewSpring Church"Our thanks to Mark and Grace Driscoll who have served this generation well by tastefully but boldly addressing the real issues facing real marriages. Taking the unchanging truth of God’s word and sprinkling in is the story of God’s mercy in their own marriage they have filled every chapter with real helpfulness. This book is powerful, biblical, practical and healing for marriages that hurt. My wife and our adult children read it to great profit." — DR. JAMES MACDONALD Senior Pastor, Harvest Bible Chapel and Bible teacher for Walk in the Word

    But, like any Christian, his faith story has its ups and downs. He spent decades trying to figure out how to be a “better person.” Time and time again, he strived for holiness only to get caught in the web of destructive habits, behaviors, and thought patterns.But, the buck stops here. Or, rather, the spider is killed here.In Kill the Spider, Carlos shares personal material ranging from hilarious, self-deprecating stories to passion-filled wisdom—to show others it’s not enough to try and “stop sinning.” He teaches that knocking out deep-rooted habits and issues comes by treating the issue, not just the symptoms.In Kill the Spider, Carlos shares personal material ranging from hilarious, self-deprecating stories to passion-filled wisdom—to show others it’s not enough to try and “stop sinning.” He teaches that knocking out deep-rooted habits and issues comes by treating the issue, not just the symptoms.

    This book offers palpable help to pray about the stormy issues your teen faces.It's never been tougher to be a teenager--or the parent of one. Thankfully, from your teen's first date to the next time he or she borrows the car keys, you can take your concerns to God through prayer. Drawing on the power of God's Word, Praying the Scriptures for Your Teens equips you to pray about the difficult issues your teen may face:Relationship challengesDoubts about their faithDepressionRejectionSexualityEating disorders. . . and much moreThis book also guides you in praying about everything from your teen's character and safety to the purposes and plans that God has for his or her future.Filled with engaging historical, biblical, and contemporary illustrations, Praying the Scriptures for Your Teens shows how to make the Bible your source for prayers that can powerfully influence your teen's life. With humor and a warm, personal style, author Jodie Berndt encourages you that there is not a need your teen will face that God has not already thought of, and provided for, in his Word--and that, no matter how far away our kids may be, they are never out of his reach.

    What does it mean to be a healer in the modern world? In this hope-filled book, Nouwen offers a radically fresh interpretation of modern ministry.

    God set the universe in motion with the power of His words and established the law of confession, but many believers have suffered needlessly by misunderstanding the power of their words. Dr. Bill Winston, pastor, Bible teacher, and host of the national television program Believer s Walk of Faith broadcast to over 100 million homes, reveals scriptural examples and vital teaching on the importance of the spoken word. Believers will uncover the enemy s deceptive plan to use their own words against them and what they can do to turn their situation around. 'One of the best things that ever happened to me, my family, and my church, was the revelation of the law of confession - we learned that the moment we win the battle over our words, we win the battle!' Dr. Bill Winston Controlling your words is one of the biggest challenges anyone will face in this life; the Bible reveals that the power of life and death are in the words you say. As you begin to change the words you speak, you will rewrite their future and revolutionize your life.

    Michael Wilcox offers a profound message of hope and encouragement. Using powerful stories from the scriptures, he teaches that hope can be found in looking past obstacles and moving forward with faith, in looking back at past experiences that may have strengthened us for future challenges, and in looking for times when the Savior walks with us. On those days when we may wonder if Heavenly Father has forgotten us, we have the assurance that each of His servants will receive "the light of the countenance of their Lord . . . every man in his hour and in his time and in his season." And although it may not be your hour now, He will come because He is aware of us, He knows our needs, and He will bless us.

    We're good at faking it around others, but we're exhausted by the ruse. Andi Andrew wants women to break free of their self-imposed prisons and live the lives that are rightly theirs in Christ.Sharing her own intentional journey of finding true freedom by surrendering control of her heart and life to the God who welcomed her with open arms, Andrew encourages women to give their pain and brokenness to Jesus. She shows them how to purposefully take captive the lies they have believed and replace them with God's truth. Compassionate and biblically based, She Is Free is an invitation to women to step fully into the love that sets them free.

    The Brooklyn Tabernacle pastor discusses how he built up a broken-down church to a membership of six thousand.

    In those moments, we are utterly dependent on God for well-timed help. If he doesn't come through, we're finished. For forty years, two million Israelites were in the wilderness, and God fed them supernaturally every morning with manna, teaching people who doubted him he can be trusted with everything they needed to survive. This is a lesson we need to learn too. In personal stories and applications of biblical lessons, Manna reveals how God specializes in making a way where there is no way. He proved it every day to the nation of Israel, never missing a day of being faithful. He was never late, and he was never early. He was always just in time. And he will be for you.

    Churches and individual Christians typically have faulty assumptions about the causes of poverty, resulting in the use of strategies that do considerable harm to poor people and themselves. Don't let this happen to you, your ministry or ministries you help fund! A must read for anyone who works with the poor or in missions, When Helping Hurts provides foundational concepts, clearly articulated general principles and relevant applications. The result is an effective and holistic ministry to the poor, not a truncated gospel."Initial thoughts" at the beginning of chapters and "reflection questions and excercises" at the end of chapters assist greatly in learning and applying the material. A situation is assessed for whether relief, rehabilitation, or development is the best response to a situation. Efforts are characterized by an "asset based" approach rather than a "needs based" approach. Short term mission efforts are addressed and economic development strategies appropriate for North American and international contexts are presented, including microenterprise development.Now with a new preface, a new foreword, and a new chapter to assist in the next steps of applying the book's principles to your situation, When Helping Hurts is a new classic!

    Keep it handy, read it, study it, be familiar with the contents, and then pull it out for those times when life is confusing and raw. When you’re struggling with life, grab this book, turn to the Psalm that fits your moment and find hope on God’s lap. Christian hope is not a longing or yearning for God to help; it is not waiting for the slim chance that things may get better. Genuine hope is the confidence that God is in your life, now and forever, and that nothing can separate you from his love. Hope is the confident expectation, the sure certainty that what God has promised, he will deliver. This book examines ten Psalms that all have the common thread of helping us find hope in the midst of difficulty. I pray that as you enter into the emotions and experience the truths of these Psalms, you will be filled with hope as I have.Show More Show Less

    Te second goal is to provide practical instruction that will help parents understand both the principles of biblical training and their application. Third, we desire to instill confidence in each and every parent who participates. Our fourth goal is to help families look positively toward the teen years. Finally, we desire to capture the hearts and minds of the next generation. Generally, it takes two generations to affect change. Establishing a biblical worldview for parenting, one that can be passed on from generation to generation, is our fifth priority.

    Serious, divisive conflict is everywhere-within families, in the church, and out in the world. And it can seem impossible to overcome its negative force in our lives. In The Peacemaker, Ken Sande presents a comprehensive and practical theology for conflict resolution designed to bring about not only a cease-fire but also unity and harmony. Sande takes readers beyond resolving conflicts to true, life-changing reconciliation with family members, coworkers, and fellow believers.Biblically based, The Peacemaker is full of godly wisdom and useful suggestions that are easily applied to any relationship needing reconciliation. Sande's years of experience as an attorney and as president of Peacemaker Ministries will strengthen readers' confidence as they stand in the gap as peacemakers.

    Whether you are new to the Christian faith, simply curious about it, or reexamining it after time away from church, you’ll appreciate the accepting, conversational, small group environment. Come as you are, be who you are, and build enriching connections with fellow travelers as you explore who God is and what Christianity is really about.Starting Point is a natural, enjoyable, and potentially life-changing experience.Each of the ten sessions consists of three important parts:First, selecting one of the five CDs that come with this Conversation Guide, you’ll listen to a teaching by Andy Stanley.Second, you’ll use this guidebook to help you reflect, and to journal your thoughts on how what you’re discovering connects with your life—with who you are, how you think, what you believe…with the things that matter most to you.Finally, in your weekly group meeting, you’ll have the opportunity to share your thoughts and experiences with fellow travelers in a supportive environment that is designed to enhance sharing and connection.From Creation across history and into the future—from the book of Genesis to the book of Revelation—God’s story is a story of relationship, and your name is in it. Welcome to the journey of finding out how the story started…where it ends…and how God’s story and your story unite.