Love Is a Verb: And Other Thoughts on the Greatest Commandment


Mary Ellen Edmunds - 2002
    Through her experiences with the Grasshopper Hospital, her sister Charlotte, carrot seeds, refugees in Thailand, and many other people and places, Mary Ellen Edmunds shares a powerful personal view of how we can learn about love. The more we learn, the more we are able to serve, making love a mighty force for good in the lives of those around us.

Small Miracles of Love & Friendship: Remarkable Coincidences of Warmth and Devotion


Yitta Halberstam - 2002
    Shares a collection of seemingly random events that took on meaningful significance in people's lives, each demonstrating the power of love and friendship.

Make Me an Instrument of Your Peace: Living in the Spirit of the Prayer of St. Francis


Kent Nerburn - 1999
    Francis of Assisi. The Prayer of St. Francis boldly but gently challenges us to resist the forces of evil and negativity with the spirit of goodwill and generosity. And Nerburn shows, in his wonderfully personal and humble way, how we each can live out the prayer's prescription for living in our everyday and less-than-saintly lives. "Where there is hatred, let me sow love...Where there is injury, let me sow pardon..." Expanding upon each line of the St. Francis Prayer, Nerburn shares touching, inspiring stories from his own experience and that of others and reveals how each of us can make a difference for good in ordinary ways without being heroes or saints. Struggling to help a young son comfort his best friend when his mother dies, moved by the courage of war enemies who reconcile, being wrenched out of self-absorbed depression by responding to someone else's tragedy, taking a spirited old lady on a farewell taxi ride through her town-these are the kinds of everyday moments in which Nerburn finds we can live out the spirit of St. Francis.By incorporating the power and grace of these few lines of practical idealism into our thoughts and deeds, we can begin to ease our own suffering-and the suffering of those with whom we share our lives. And, remarkably, find a way to true peace and happiness by tapping into our basic human goodness. As we open our hearts and embrace his words, St. Francis "touches our deepest humanity and ignites the spark of our divinity."Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.Where there is hatred let me sow love, Where there is injury let me sow pardon, Where there is doubt, faith, Where there is despair, hope, Where there is darkness, light, And where there is sadness, joy...In this beautifully written book, Kent Nerburn leads us into the heart of the St. Francis Prayer and line by line demonstrates how St. Francis's words can resonate in our lives today.

Walking Backwards to Christmas


Stephen Cottrell - 2014
    Using the simple device of telling the Christmas story backwards, Stephen Cottrell helps us encounter it as if for the first time.

Four Essays on Love


Truman G. Madsen - 1971
    These thought-provoking essays explore the deeper dimensions and applications of love. They begin with an exploration of the sources of love beyond the human heart, acknowledging love as a fruit of the Spirit of God. Next follows a study of romantic love that traces its meaning into the very nature of the Divine. Related to this is a profile of family love, and keys to employing "the language of love at home." Finally readers will find a response to the outcry, "How can there be a God of power and love when today's world is an abyss of suffering and alienation?" Writing from religious, philosophical, and personal perspectives, Truman Madsen clothes the principle of love in fresh new meaning.

The Divine Art of Living: Selections from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, the Bab, and Abdu'l-Baha


Mabel Hyder Paine - 1960
    Addresses such topics as learning how to know, love, and trust God; recognizing the purpose of this life; the importance of daily prayer and meditation; and service to mankind. The Divine Art of Living is a source of inspiration and encouragement towards developing a positive perspective on life.

Steadfast: A Devotional Bible Study on the Book of James


Courtney Doctor - 2019
    That's what it means to be steadfast. But in a world where so much can undermine our faith or pull us off track, steadfastness is often a rare and elusive trait. James longs for his readers to be steadfast. His letter meets us in our suffering and sickness, our trials and temptations, our wealth and poverty, our ups and downs. He confronts our sin, our speech, and our pride. He encourages believers to have a more resilient and concrete faith: not just to hear the word, but to do it. He calls us to persevere in truth in a world of lies, to see that God's steadfast love is ultimately the source of our steadfast faith.This 8-week study of James provides:5 days of study each week-observing, interpreting, and applying the textDevotional commentary with space to journal your thoughtsMemory verse each weekSmall group discussion questionsKeynote Teaching Videos from the TGC's 2020 Women's Conference In a fickle and wayward age, we need biblical wisdom if we are to stay the course and be steadfast saints. The book of James provides this wisdom, and Steadfast will help you apply it.

Consoling the Heart of Jesus: Prayer Companion From the Do-It-Yourself Ignatian Retreat


Michael E. Gaitley - 2010
    

Forty Reasons I Am a Catholic


Peter Kreeft - 2018
    And that's just in ordinary matter, which makes up only 4.9% of the universe, the rest being dark matter and dark energy.Each of my reasons is an independent point, so I have not organized this book by a succession of chapters or headings. After all, most readers only remember a few big ideas or separate points after reading a book. (I've never heard anyone say "Oh, that was a good continuous-process-of-logically-ordered-argumentation" but I've often heard people say, "Oh, that was a good point."Which takes me back to my main point: "Why are you a Catholic" is a good question.A good question deserves a good answer.Here are forty of mine.

Spiritually Anchored in Unsettled Times


Bruce C. Hafen - 2009
    Whether we are new converts or lifelong Church members, sincerely trying to follow Christ in today’s fear-filled world can make us feel acutely aware of how far we have yet to go. How, then, do we stand steady in such a world while continuing to move with surety toward the “better world” the Lord promises his true followers (see Ether 12:4)? In this candid book full of personal stories and rich doctrine, Elder Bruce C. Hafen helps us think and feel in fresh, deep ways about faith, reason, and other elements of a well-anchored testimony — one that will stabilize, orient, and energize the disciple’s quest for that “better world” while “abounding in good works” in this one. The book shows how developing such faith is a process, not an event — a process that includes overcoming the snares and stagnations that punctuate our life’s paths. Elder Hafen here teaches us how we can again feel movement and find joy in the journey, with both anchor and sail so well set that “the furious wind” that blows “upon the face of the waters” actually hastens us “toward the promised land" (Ether 6:5)

Faith, Doubt, and Other Lines I've Crossed: Walking with the Unknown God


Jay Bakker - 2013
    But through the transformative power of grace, he discovered the God who loved and accepted unconditionally, freeing him to ask the hard questions and delve into one of Christianity's greatest taboos: doubt. In Faith, Doubt, and Other Lines I've Crossed, Jay voices the questions that Christians are thinking but won't ask as he chronicles his doubt about God, the Bible, heaven and hell, church, society, relationships, grace, and love. In the process he encourages all of us to welcome "the other", to read the Bible differently but better, to draw together in community, and to seek an unknown God of limitless grace. Brutally honest but full of grace, Jay invites everyone to cross the line, to dig deeper, and to discover a faith that is beyond belief.

The Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary: Prayers, Devotions and Reflections for September


Rita Bogna - 2011
    During September Roman Catholics commemorate and honour the Seven Sorrows (or Dolours) of the Blessed Virgin Mary by prayers, other pious devotions and meditations.The first part of this book consists of prayers and miscellaneous devotions.The second part is a step-by-step guide to praying the popular Rosary (or Chaplet) of the Seven Sorrows with selections of text from the Gospels.The third part is a set of Reflections on the Seven Sorrows written by Saint Alphonsus Ligouri.The book is fully navigable by an active Table of Contents with hyperlinks.

Jesus, Continued...: Why the Spirit Inside You Is Better than Jesus Beside You


J.D. Greear - 2014
    D. Greear how to more fully experience the Holy Spirit within you. Jesus gave his disciples the audacious promise that the Spirit he would send to live inside them would be even better than if he himself remained beside them. Yet how many of us consider our connection to the Holy Spirit so strong that we would call his presence in us better than Jesus himself walking by our side?J. D. Greear was the pastor of a rapidly growing church who still felt like he didn't know how to relate to God personally. Though he knew a lot about God, he wasn't as sure about how to walk with God. Furthermore, he felt overwhelmed by the size of the mission Jesus had left for his church. In a world of so much need, what difference could he possibly make? Learning how God dwells in us and empowers us in the Holy Spirit redefined his life and ministry. Ministry became less about working for God and more about letting God work through him. Drudgery was replaced by delight; helplessness was replaced by empowerment.In Jesus, Continued... Greear explores--in clear and practical language--questions such as:What does it mean to have a relationship with the Holy Spirit?How can we tell when the Spirit is speaking to us?What do you do when God feels absent?If you are longing to know God in a vibrant way, Jesus, Continued... has good news for you: That's exactly what God wants for you too. His Spirit stands ready to guide you, empower you, and use you.

Confronting Jezebel: Discerning and Defeating the Spirit of Control


Steve Sampson - 2003
    Individuals ruled by the flesh, who cooperate with this spirit, sow discord, presumption, rebellion, insubordination and a host of other marks of Satan's kingdom. In this biblical, balanced, and eye-opening study, Steve Sampson, a gifted prophetic teacher, explains the origins and history of this insidious spirit, as well as how it functions through leaders in positions of spiritual authority. Because the Jezebel spirit is fueled by self-centeredness and self-promotion, Sampson helps readers understand how our flesh must be ruled by God and put under subjection to the Holy Spirit. He also offers readers clear signals of the presence of this spirit and specific direction for those who find themselves battling this subtle and destructive influence.

The Sonship of Christ: Exploring the Covenant Identity of God and Man


Ty Gibson - 2018
    Why is Christ called the “Son of God”? Discover an answer so simple you’ll wonder why you never saw it before, and so beautiful it’ll take your breath away.