Sometimes, you have to shot block a friend’s prayer because she’s asking God to bless an obviously bad dating relationship. Sometimes, you think, “I wish I had a t-shirt that said ‘I direct deposit my tithe’ so people wouldn’t judge me.” Sometimes, the stuff that comes with faith is funny. This is that stuff. Jonathan Acuff’s Stuff Christians Like is your field guide to all things Christian. In it you’ll learn the culinary magic of the crock-pot. Think you’ve got a Metro worship leader—Use Acuff’s checklist. Want to avoid a prayer handholding faux pas? Acuff has you covered. Like a satirical grenade, Acuff brings us the humor and honesty that galvanized more than a million online readers from more than 200 countries in a new portable version. Welcome to the funny side of faith.

    Author David P. Murray comes to the defense of depressed Christians, asserting that Christians do get depressed! He explains why and how Christians should study depression, what depression is, and the approaches caregivers, pastors, and churches can take to help those who are suffering from it. With clarity and wise biblical insight, Dr. Murray offers help and hope to those suffering from depression, the family members and friends who care for them, and pastors ministering to these wounded members of their flock.

    Will yours? While no-rules-just-freedom approaches to marriage may seem good and fun, the state of marital disarray in society proves otherwise. We need an approach that leads to true freedom.Lasting Love: How to Avoid Marital Failure is biblically-grounded, time-tested advice for how to have a marriage that flourishes.Closing the gap between principles and practice, Alistair Begg begins with theological foundations and then builds levels of practical application, showing how God's guidelines are for our good.In this comprehensive yet concise book on marriage, you will learn:God's design for marriageWhat to look for in a potential spouseWhat marriage vows entailThe role of husbands, wives, and parentsHow to cure and prevent marital decayHeed the advice of this happily married pastor who has seen more than his fair share of marriages come and go. Let your marriage be one that lasts.Includes a study guide for spouse and group discussion to help you practically apply the book's principles to your marriage.

    Rainer drew an exceptional response when he posted a 500-word declaration about church membership to his daily blog. "I Am a Church Member" started a conversation about the attitudes and responsibilities of church members -- rather than the functional and theological issues -- that previous new member primers all but ignored.Thoughtfully expanded to book form, I Am a Church Member begins to remedy the outbreak of inactive or barely committed church members, addressing without apology what is expected of those who join a body of believers. When a person's attitude is consistently biblical and healthy, matters of giving, serving, and so forth will fall into place more naturally.Six intentional chapters with study questions guide this rising discussion:1. I Will Be a Unifying Church Member2. I Will Not Let the Church Be About My Preferences and Desires3. I Will Pray for My Church Leaders4. I Will Lead My Family to Be Healthy Church Members5. I Will Be a Functioning Member6. I Will Treasure Church Membership as a Gift

    This book unlocks each season's God-given purpose and shows you how to thrive within it.In a society where everyone is supposedly more connected, why do people feel so lonely? Even as marriage rates decline, recent studies find the overwhelming majority of single adults still hope to get married. But how can we navigate life and love in this disconnected culture? Has social media eroded the institutions that brought us together--and the deeper emotional intimacy they provided?Pastor and bestselling author Ben Stuart will help you navigate through the four stages of a relational life and show you how to look at the truths and intentions God has established for each.As you embark on this journey, you will discover how to:Use singleness to make an impact for the kingdom of GodPursue dating with clarity and purityUse the season of engagement wisely to prepare for marriageMaximize your life as a married couple for shared ministryContinually seek God and His will throughout each stageDiscover how to embrace God's design, invest your life in what matters most, and find meaning in whatever season of life you're in.

    But did you know it can also guide you in matters of dating, courtship, and marriage?"Based on what God knows about us," says Tommy Nelson, "He has provided an instruction manual in the Song of Solomon with eight very enlightening, explicit, and highly practical chapters on the topics of love, sex and intimacy."Wise and engaging, "The Book of Romance" digs deep into the Song of Solomon and what it says about the Bible's most passionate lovers. As you learn about their relationship, you'll discover how you, too, can experience the deep emotional, sexual, and spiritual satisfaction that God created to be enjoyed in marriage.

    Giving practical advice on how life together in Christ can be sustained in families and groups, Life Together is bread for all who are hungry for the real life of Christian fellowship.

    Wild. Together, Shara and Bear have discovered that marriage is one of the greatest risks and deepest joys anyone can know. Never Stop Holding Hands includes artist Charlie Mackesy’s distinctive sketches alongside the advice that keeps the Grylls’s marriage strong. Whether readers have been married fifty years or are just starting out, Never Stop Holding Hands will remind them that love will triumph in any adventure.

    Blending personal storytelling with biblical teaching, they offer readers an inspiring, realistic vision of love, dating, marriage, and sex.Young people today enter adulthood with expectations of blissful dating followed by a romantic, fulfilling marriage only to discover they’ve been duped. They learned about love and sexuality from social media, their friends, Disney fairy tales, pornography, or even their own rocky past, and they have no idea what healthy, lifelong love is supposed to be like. The results are often disastrous, with this generation becoming one of the most relationally sick, sexually addicted, and divorce ridden in history.Looking to God’s design while drawing lessons from their own successes and failures, the Bethkes explode the fictions and falsehoods of our current moment. One by one, they peel back the lies, such as the belief that every person has only one soul mate, that marriage will complete you, or that pornography and hook-ups are harmless.

    However, God says much more in the Bible about husbands loving their wives than He says about wives submitting to their husbands. He created marriage to be a picture of the relationship between Christ and the Church. Christ was willing to sacrifice His life for the Church, and God expects no less from husbands today. The overall purpose of The Exemplary Husband is to assist husbands toward purposeful and lasting Christ-likeness for the glory of God. It was written to be a companion book for The Excellent Wife by Martha Peace. Couples who commit to the biblical principles presented in these books will find a oneness in marriage that will give God glory and bring His blessing.

    Some people emphasize evangelism—sharing their faith. Still others promote a hierarchical system for spiritual growth, a way for older Christians to pass on best practices to younger believers. Yet, both ideas are incomplete. Real discipleship is so much more.Avoiding extremes and evaluating motives, Jonathan Dodson insists on a way of following Jesus that re-centers discipleship on the gospel.This book helps us understand and experience the fullness of discipleship as God intended. It combines the mess and the weight, the imperfection and transformation, the honesty and wonder of being a disciple who revolves around Jesus. Here is a practical guide to discipleship that is Spirit-filled, Christ-centered, field-tested, and easily implemented.

    Most women (if they're honest) see the selfishness of Sapphira or the deception of Delilah. They catch of glimpse of Jezebel's take-charge pride or Eve's disastrous disobedience. Like Bathsheba, Herodias, and the rest, today's modern woman is surrounded by temptations, exhausted by the demands of daily living, and burdened by her own desires. So what's a good girl to do? Learn from their lives, says beloved humor writer Liz Curtis Higgs, and by God's grace, choose a better path. In Bad Girls of the Bible, Higgs offers a unique and clear-sighted approach to understanding those other women in Scripture, combining a contemporary retelling of their stories with a solid, verse-by-verse study of their mistakes and what lessons women today can learn from them. Whether they were Bad to the Bone, Bad for a Season, but Not Forever or only Bad for a Moment, these infamous sisters show women how not to handle the challenges of life. With her trademark humor and encouragement, Liz Curtis Higgs teaches us how to avoid their tragic mistakes and joyfully embrace grace.

    Wounded from past relationships, overwhelmed at being single longer than they expected, devastated at finding themselves single again. Eighteen- to sixty-year-olds will welcome the timely, biblically based approach Dr. Raunikar offers as he encourages them along the path to Choosing God's Best: healing from the past; learning how to avoid the pain of "counterfeit oneness" physically, emotionally, and spiritually; and much more. This attractive, repackaged edition delves into the real issues Christian singles face today and offers sound, proven advice for creating deeply satisfying godly relationships.Who's Your Matchmaker?Disillusioned by dating? Tired of being let down? It may be time to visit the ultimate Matchmaker.No matter what your age or past, it's never too late to trust God and choose His best for your future. Dr. Don Raunikar delves into the real issues to offer proven, biblical principles for creating godly relationships and a deeply satisfying courtship. Read this book--and be ready for romance God's way."Dr. Don Raunikar offers hope for the single man or woman who is disillusioned with the modern dating scene. Drawing upon time-tested biblical principles, Dr. Raunikar makes a convincing case for the benefits of a courtship based on God's wisdom, versus a dating relationship based on man's."Bill BrightFounder, Campus Crusade for Christ International"I feel like Choosing God's Best was written specifically for me. Few would argue that the current system of dating isn't in desperate need of reform. Dr. Raunikar goes even further with his radical, biblical solution to the perils and pitfalls of dating. Thanks, Dr. Raunikar, for being a radical."Derek WebbSinger/songwriter"I'm so glad to see a book addressing what I've called the 'dating mess.' Choosing God's Best is straightforward and scriptural. I especially appreciated the explanation of the categories of dating, which are seldom understood."Elisabeth ElliotAuthor and speaker"I wish this book had been around when I was dating. So much pain, so many missed opportunities, and so many mistakes could have been avoided if I had used these principles."Steve ArterburnFounder and chairman, New Life MinistriesStory Behind the BookDr. Don Raunikar was a professional therapist specializing in singles' issues. He wrote Choosing God's Best as a result of discovering the common frustrations and desires of his patients, combined with his own experiences before he was married. Originally published in 1998, the book continues to serve as a timeless message for singles. Still changing lives to this day, this repackaged edition will reach an even broader, untapped market with the hope of God's truth and His promise for healthy relationships.

    The feminine virtues described in Titus 2 have transformed her life and the lives of countless other women. This book will show you the appeal of being a woman who lives for God and helps others do the same.

    Your attitudes about marriage and the path to marriage are wrong. Some you’ve inherited, some you’ve simply bought—hook, line, and sinker—and some you’ve made up yourself. They have translated into bad action (or no action) in dating and relationships. But it’s not too late; you can break the cycle of dating dysfunction and learn to honor marriage, marry well, and live intentionally while you wait. Lisa Anderson proves it’s possible.The Dating Manifesto is neither a cheesy formula for finding a spouse nor a feel-good book about how the person for you is “out there” if you only “believe.”Instead, it’s a challenge to wise up, own your junk, and chart a bold new course for your relationship future.