The Treasure Principle: Unlocking the Secret of Joyful Giving


Randy Alcorn - 2001
    Now the revision to the compact, perennial bestseller includes a provocative new concluding chapter depicting God asking a believer questions about his stewardship over material resources.Jesus spent more time talking about money and possessions than about heaven and hell combined. But too often we've overlooked or misunderstood his most profound teaching on this topic, from his words in Matthew 6. Jesus offers us life-changing investment advice. He actually wants us to store up treasures for ourselves--just not here on earth. Instead, he urges us to store our treasure in heaven, where they will await us, and last forever. We can't take it with us--but we can send it on ahead!Readers are moved from the realms of thoughtful Bible exposition into the highly personal arena of everyday life. Because when Jesus told His followers to "lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven," He intended that they discover an astounding secret: how joyful giving brings God maximum glory and His children maximum pleasure. In The Treasure Principle, you'll unearth a radical teaching of Jesus--a secret wrapped up in giving.Once you discover this secret, life will never look the same. And you won't want it to be."Supercharged with stunning, divine truth! Lightning struck over and over as I read it." - John Piper, Senior Pastor, Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis

A Holy Pursuit: How the Gospel Frees Us to Follow and Lay Down Our Dreams


Dianne Jago - 2020
    The opposite extreme, often advised by well-meaning Christians, is to lay down all of our dreams and passions, avoiding all self-interest.   One narrative says to follow a passion, and the other says to lay it down. Both claim to offer happiness and purpose on the other side. But what does the Bible say about dreams, goals, and passions?   With compelling illustrations from Dianne Jago’s unexpected journey in creating DeeplyRooted Magazine, along with thoughtful scriptural examples, Dianne shares an honest account of how God changed her plans and aligned them with His.   As you read this book, you will be challenged to look upward instead of inward, seeing the God-given purpose of every Christian as the foundation of your “dreams.” Scripture shapes a believer’s pursuits and the gospel speaks to our passions. Instead of the one-size-fits-all formula for dream-chasing, A Holy Pursuit will help you identify whether it’s time to pursue, pause, or surrender a dream you hold.

Repeat the Sounding Joy: A daily Advent devotional on Luke 1–2


Christopher Ash - 2019
     As you soak up the Scriptures, you'll experience the joy of Christmas through the eyes of those who witnessed it first hand, from Mary and Elizabeth to the Shepherds and Simeon. This devotional will help you to celebrate afresh the arrival of the long-awaited Messiah in history, and learn what it means to wait for him with joyful expectation today. Each day's reading includes a short reflection, a prayer, a carol, and space to journal, helping you to treasure the Lord Jesus in your heart in the hectic run-up to Christmas.

The Common Rule: Habits of Purpose for an Age of Distraction


Justin Whitmel Earley - 2019
    We yearn for the freedom and peace of the gospel, but remain addicted to our technology, shackled by our screens, and exhausted by our routines. But because our habits are the water we swim in, they are almost invisible to us. What can we do about it?The answer to our contemporary chaos is to practice a rule of life that aligns our habits to our beliefs. The Common Rule offers four daily and four weekly habits, designed to help us create new routines and transform frazzled days into lives of love for God and neighbor. Justin Earley provides concrete, doable practices, such as a daily hour of phoneless presence or a weekly conversation with a friend.These habits are “common” not only because they are ordinary, but also because they can be practiced in community. They have been lived out by people across all walks of life—businesspeople, professionals, parents, students, retirees—who have discovered new hope and purpose. As you embark on these life-giving practices, you will find the freedom and rest for your soul that comes from aligning belief in Jesus with the practices of Jesus.

The Art of Neighboring: Building Genuine Relationships Right Outside Your Door


Jay Pathak - 2012
    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.

Simply Jesus: A New Vision of Who He Was, What He Did, and Why He Matters


N.T. Wright - 2011
    Wright summarizes 200 years of modern Biblical scholarship and models how Christians can best retell the story of Jesus today. In a style similar to C.S. Lewis’s popular works, Wright breaks down the barriers that prevent Christians from fully engaging with the story of Jesus. For believers confronting the challenge of connecting with their faith today, and for readers of Timothy Keller’s The Reason for God, Wright’s Simply Jesus offers a provocative new picture of how to understand who Jesus was and how Christians should relate to him today.

The Deeply Formed Life: Five Transformative Values to Root Us in the Way of Jesus


Rich Villodas - 2020
    Our pace is too frenetic to be in union with God, and we don't know how to quiet our hearts and minds to be present. Our emotions are unhealthy and compartmentalized. We feel unable to love well or live differently from the rest of the world--to live as people of the good news.New York pastor Rich Villodas says we must restore balance, focus, and meaning for our souls. The Deeply Formed Life lays out a fresh vision for spiritual breakthrough following five key values:- Monastic Value: unplug from this noisy world to care for your soul- Emotional Health Value: why deep love can't come from shallow wells- Healthy Sexuality Value: how our bodies connect with our spirituality- Multiracial Value: a spiritual, internal approach to pursuing racial justice- Missional Value: how to be the hands and feet of Jesus in a consumerist worldThe Deeply Formed Life is a roadmap to live in the richly rooted place we all yearn for: a place of communion with God, a place where we find our purpose.

Not Forsaken: Finding Freedom as Sons & Daughters of a Perfect Father


Louie Giglio - 2019
      And for all those who know what it’s like to long for a father’s blessing: his approval, affection and attention. It’s for anyone who’s ever longed to hear your dad say, “I love you. I’m so proud of you.”   You may already know what it’s like to live in the rays of such a blessing, to flourish in the marvelous light of a father’s love. Yet, in this “fatherless generation,” it’s also likely you’ve never known the blessing of your earthly dad. The possibility of hearing the words, “I love you, I’m proud of you,” may be gone—washed away by your dad’s death or distance or divorce or disinterest. Your father’s blessing may be mired in a pit of regret, pain or abandonment.   But here’s the good news— regardless of how amazing or absent, invested or disinterested, empowering or deflating your earthly father was or is — you do have a perfect Father.   We see all throughout Scripture that God wants us to know Him as Father and wants us to live under the waterfall of His blessing.   In Not Forsaken, Pastor Louie Giglio invites us to reframe our view of fatherhood, by understanding that God is not simply the bigger version of our earthly dads, He is the perfect version of our earthly dads. And, He’s inviting us to walk in freedom as loved sons and daughters of the King.   God is not the reflection of your earthly father; He is the perfection of your earthly father.

With All Your Heart: Orienting Your Mind, Desires, and Will Toward Christ


A. Craig Troxel - 2020
    FergusonIn our world, we use the word heart to refer to our emotions. But the Bible uses the word heart to refer to the governing center of life. We need to grasp the true meaning of the heart in order to better understand ourselves, our sin, and our need for redemption. As we rediscover the heart as the source of all our thoughts, fears, words, and actions, we will discover principles and practices for orienting our hearts to truly love and obey God with all that we are.

For Women Only: What You Need to Know About the Inner Lives of Men


Shaunti Feldhahn - 2004
    Based rigorous research with thousands of men, Shaunti delivers one revelation after another , including:- Why your respect means more to him than your love.- How he feels deep inside about his role as provider.- What it means for a man to be so visually "wired."- Why sex for him is primarily emotional, not physical.- What he most wishes he could say to you.

The Women's Devotional Guide to Bible: A One-Year Plan for Studying, Praying, and Responding to God's Word


Jean E. Syswerda - 2000
    Syswerda provides you with a comprehensive overview of Scripture in this fifty-two week devotional. The Women's Devotional Guide to the Bible gives you tools for in-depth study, reflection, and prayer. It also offers you a practical approach to the complexities of the Bible, by employing a method you can effectively and easily use as part of your busy daily schedule.

The Renewing of the Mind Project: Going to God for Help with Your Habits, Goals, and Emotions


Barb Raveling - 2015
    Or you’re stuck in the grip of a negative emotion such as worry, insecurity, or anger. Or you’ve been trying to start a habit or pursue a goal, but it’s not happening. You feel like you’ll never change. But here’s the truth: God is powerful and He wants to help you. This book is all about going to God for help with transformation. Paul tells us in Romans 12:2 that we’re transformed by the renewing of the mind. In The Renewing of the Mind Project you’ll choose a project—something you’d really like to change—and apply Romans 12:2 to that project. Here are a few of the things you’ll be learning while you work on your project: How to renew your mind on a practical, day-by-day basis. How to pray Scripture, using the 250+ verses in this book. How to visit with God about your project, using the 48 sets of questions in this book. How to truth journal. As you work with God on your project, you’ll not only gain victory in that area of your life, you’ll also grow closer to God and more dependent on Him. And what could be better than that?

Think Like Jesus: Make the Right Decision Every Time


George Barna - 2003
    In this book, Barna identifies seven core questions that Christians must be able to answer biblically in order to live a transformed life.

The Way of the Heart: The Spirituality of the Desert Fathers and Mothers


Henri J.M. Nouwen - 1981
    Nouwen, one of the greatest of all spiritual writers, invites us to search deeply for the well-springs that nourish true ministry in his classic The Way of the Heart. Interweaving the solitude, silence, and prayer of the fifth-century Egyptian Desert Fathers and Mothers with our contemporary search for an authentic spirituality, The Way of the Heart not only leads us to a fuller encounter with God, but to a more creative ministry with our fellow human beings. Here is one of the most profound works from a writer known for his fresh and perceptive insights—and who stands alongside C.S. Lewis and Thomas Merton as an essential Christian scholar and thinker.

The Daniel Plan: 40 Days to a Healthier Life


Rick Warren - 2013
    Once and for All During an afternoon of baptizing over 800 people, Pastor Rick Warren realized it was time for change. He told his congregation he needed to lose weight and asked if anyone wanted to join him. He thought maybe 200 people would sign up, instead he witnessed a movement unfold as 15,000 people lost over 260,000 pounds in the first year. With assistance from medical and fitness experts, Pastor Rick and thousands of people began a journey to transform their lives. Welcome to The Daniel Plan. Here's the secret sauce: The Daniel Plan is designed to be done in a supportive community relying on God's instruction for living. When it comes to getting healthy, two are always better than one. Our research has revealed that people getting healthy together lose twice as much weight as those who do it alone. God never meant for you to go through life alone and that includes the journey to health. Unlike the thousands of other books on the market, this book is not about a new diet, guilt-driven gym sessions, or shame-driven fasts. The Daniel Plan shows you how the powerful combination of faith, fitness, food, focus, and friends will change your health forever, transforming you in the most head-turning way imaginably---from the inside out.