Instead of a biblically guided fear of the Lord, we fear others. Of course, the “fear of man” goes by other names. When we are in our teens, it is called “peer pressure.” When we are older, it is called “people-pleasing.” Recently, it has been called “codependency.” With these labels in mind, we can spot the fear of man everywhere. Diagnosis is fairly straightforward. - Have you ever struggled with peer pressure? “Peer pressure” is simply a euphemism for the fear of man. - Are you over-committed? Do you find that it is hard to say no even when wisdom indicates that you should? Are you are a “people-pleaser,” another euphemism for the fear of man ? - Do you “need” something from your spouse? Do you “need” your spouse to listen to you? Respect you? Think carefully here. Certainly God is pleased when there is good communication and a mutual honor between spouses. But for many people, the desire for these things has roots in something that is far from God’s design for his image-bearers. Unless you understand the biblical parameters of marital commitment, your spouse will become the one you fear. Your spouse will control you. Your spouse will quietly take the place of God in your life. - Is self-esteem a critical concern for you? This, at least in the United States, is the most popular way that the fear of other people is expressed. If self-esteem is a recurring theme for you, chances are that your life revolves around what others think. You reverence or fear their opinions. You need them to buttress your sense of well-being and identity. You need them to fill you up. - Do you ever feel as if you might be exposed as an impostor? Many business executives and apparently successful people do. The sense of being exposed is an expression of the fear of man. It means that the opinions of other people — especially their possible opinion that you are a failure — are able to control you. - Are you always second-guessing decisions because of what other people might think? Are you afraid of making mistakes that will make you look bad in other people’s eyes? - Do you feel empty or meaningless? Do you experience “love hunger”? Here again, if you need others to fill you, you are controlled by them. - Do you get easily embarrassed? If so, people and their perceived opinions probably define you. Or, to use biblical language, you exalt the opinions of others to the point where you are ruled by them. THE problem is clear: People are too big in our lives and God is too small. The answer is straightforward: We must learn to know that our God is more loving and more powerful than we ever imagined. Yet this task is not easy. Even if we worked at the most spectacular of national parks, or the bush in our backyard started burning without being consumed, or Jesus appeared and wrestled a few rounds with us, we would not be guaranteed a persistent reverence of God. Too often our mountain-top experiences are quickly overtaken by the clamor of the world, and God once again is diminished in our minds. The goal is to establish a daily tradition of growing in the knowledge of God.

    Each of the world-changing figures who stride across these pages—Joan of Arc, Susanna Wesley, Hannah More, Maria Skobtsova, Corrie ten Boom, Mother Teresa, and Rosa Parks—is an exemplary model of true womanhood. Teenaged Joan of Arc followed God’s call and liberated her country, dying a heroic martyr’s death. Susanna Wesley had nineteen children and gave the world its most significant evangelist and its greatest hymn-writer, her sons John and Charles. Corrie ten Boom, arrested for hiding Dutch Jews from the Nazis, survived the horrors of a concentration camp to astonish the world by forgiving her tormentors. And Rosa Parks’ deep sense of justice and unshakeable dignity and faith helped launch the twentieth-century’s greatest social movement.Writing in his trademark conversational and engaging style, Eric Metaxas reveals how the other extraordinary women in this book achieved their greatness, inspiring readers to lives shaped by the truth of the gospel.

    On the inside, those same women are little girls cowering at the edge of the playground, hoping no one notices them, yet still wishing they could join in. They've professed faith and know the right things, but they struggle to truly take hold of the "life more abundant" that Jesus offers. Instead they settle for a life that's less than what God has promised them. In this liberating book, Sharon Jaynes reveals the most common reasons women get stuck with a mediocre, mundane faith. Then she shows women how to break free and move forward, leaving behind the feelings of inferiority, inadequacy, and insecurity that are holding them hostage. She uncovers untapped sources of confidence and courage, equipping women to move from knowing the truth to actually believing it--and living it out boldly in a life marked by true freedom.

    Even in tough times they have a quiet sense of peace about them. Examining the Bible and her own life, Katie Orr has discovered that deep happiness and satisfaction are only possible when we are rooted in God and pursuing his good and specific purpose for each of us. Secrets of the Happy Soul is your invitation into a deeper, more fruitful relationship with God and his Word. As Katie walks you through key teachings from the book of Psalms, you will recognize how the world's definition of happiness pales compared to the daily delights God has in store for you. Draw closer to him, and your soul will go from lonely to connected, from overwhelmed to level and led, from aimless to commissioned and unique. God doesn't promise a storm-free life, but he is the anchor every happy soul needs.

    That miracle came the day they met Audrey Caroline and got the chance to love her for the precious two-and-a-half hours she lived on earth. Upon receiving the original diagnosis, Angie started a blog (Bring the Rain) to keep family and friends informed of their journey. Soon, the site exploded in popularity, connecting with thousands who were either experiencing their own heartbreaking situations or simply curious about how God could carry someone through something so tragic. I Will Carry You tells the powerful story of a parent losing her child, interwoven with the biblical story of Lazarus to help those who mourn to still have hope—to find grace and peace in the sacred dance of grief and joy.

    See your body image struggles as issues of the heart--then find freedom from body insecurity using five biblically rooted steps!

    In the span of her early childhoodthrough adulthood, Esther takes you on a journey of unspeakable losses, survival,resilience and strong family bonds.For Esther, the youngest of fourteen siblings born into a conservative Mennonite Colony in the heart of South America, everyday life revolves around rules, routine and monotonous chores on a family farm without so much as electricity and running water. As she sees it, her childhood is normal and ordinary. That is until one catastrophic day when everything changes. Suddenly, eleven-year-old Esther must leave behind everything she’s ever known.This is the true, heartbreaking account of growing up in a Mennonite family and theharrowing events that eventually lead to her and her three youngest siblings’ dramatic escape to Canada. Everything Esther has ever known about her identity is left behind as she struggles to find a place for herself in a new country, a new culture, and a new language.

    We measure our worth by what others think of us. We compare and strive, existing mostly for the approval of others. Pressure rises, anxiety creeps in and we hustle to keep up.Jesus whispers, I gave my life to set you free. I gave you purpose. I called you to live in freedom in that purpose. Yet we still hobble through life, afraid to confess all the ways we push against this truth, because we can’t even believe it. We continue to grasp for the approval of anyone that will offer it: whether strangers, friends, or community.Christ doesn’t say you can be or may be or will be free. He says you are free. Dare you believe it?In You Are Free, Rebekah invites you to:• Overcome the exhaustion of trying to meet the expectations of others and rest in the joy God’s freedom brings.• Release stress, anxiety and worry, to uncover the peace that comes from abiding in His presence.• Find permission to grieve past experiences, confess areas of brokenness, and receive strength in your journey towards healing.• Throw off self-condemnation, burn superficial masks and step boldly into what our good God has for you.• Discover the courage to begin again and use your newfound freedom to set others free.Freedom is for everyone who wants it—the lost, the wounded, and those weary from all of the striving. It’s for those who gave up trying years ago. It’s for those angry and hurt, brilliant and burnt by the Christian song and dance. You are the church, the people of God. You were meant to be free.

    This unseen realm is responsible for many everyday happenings—both good and bad. This is why it’s vital for you to understand how to activate the seer anointing and begin seeing into the spirit realm.Ana Werner is an everyday person with an extraordinary gift: she can see the invisible world. Through an engaging blend of supernatural stories—including encounters with Jesus and revelatory experiences in Heaven—and practical spiritual truths, Ana releases a powerful impartation that will help you to see into the spirit realm!By reading this book, you will gain…Biblical understanding of what defines a “Seer”Practical keys to seeing into the spirit realmUnique insights into the workings of angels and demonsEssential tools for engaging in victorious spiritual warfareInsider glimpses into into the rooms of Heaven and realms of God’s gloryAlthough not all Christians are “seers,” all believers have received the ability to see into the spirit realm.Learn to see into the supernatural world and experience the wonders of Heaven in your life today!

    But in the midst of suffering--when we don't sense any positive change in our circumstances on the horizon--we can start to question God's goodness. Exploring the biblical truths found in each stanza of the classic hymn "How Firm a Foundation," experienced biblical counselor David Powlison invites us to hear God's perspective and see God's purpose in our suffering. Rather than offering abstract theory or mere sentimentality, Powlison writes to anchor our hope in the God who promises to be with us and transform us in the midst of even our darkest trials.

    . . feel free to comment. Single women can sometimes be magnets for awkward questions . . . especially within the church community. With an emphasis on strong marriages and biblical childrearing, unmarried women in the church can begin to think that they are somehow on the sidelines. But this is not the case. In this helpful volume, Nancy Wilson provides straightforward counsel and encouragement for those struggling with "the wait." She addresses practical concerns like building a career but focuses more specifically on important relational issues such as interacting with competitive women, respecting your parents even after you ve left their home, establishing standards for male friends, and keeping the right outlook on your life. Whether a woman is called to singleness for a short time or for her whole life, she is called to be fruitful in God's kingdom.

    This deeper awareness, that God knows what He's doing with our lives, allows us to truly let go and enjoy the trip as we learn to live, love, and embrace whatever comes.Better Than My Dreams helps women:face their fear of disappointmentdeal with life's disturbing interruptionsown their own stufffind the freedom to love difficult people

    With fresh biblical insight tracing all the way back to Eve and a treasury of practical application, Jess and Hayley reveal how women today can walk in the true liberty we already have in Jesus.Because you don’t have to be everything to everyone. You don’t have to try so hard to button it up and hold it together. And you certainly don’t have to quiet the voice that God gave you when he created you to sing. Wild and Free will help you shake off the lies of insecurity in your life, and step forward to maximize your God-given influence for his glory and the world’s good.

    Beth Moore, one of today's most admired and trusted Christian writers, wants women to be free from the insecurity trap. So Long, Insecurity will strike a chord with women everywhere, as Beth speaks truth into the lives of readers, showing them how to deal with their innermost fears, rediscover their God-given dignity, and develop a whole new perspective--a stronger sense of self. Women of all ages and backgrounds will resonate with this message of security and discover truths that will free them emotionally and spiritually and lead them to a better life as they walk with God.

    And angels are all around if we are open to seeing them and accepting their help. You’ll be inspired, awed and comforted by these 101 stories from ordinary people who’ve had extraordinary experiences, including: The young family caught in a snowstorm who were rescued by a man named David and hosted in his cabin—who learned afterwards that David and his family had died three years earlier on the same highway they were stuck on The widow who had been making snow angels with her husband for decades and then found two perfect ones in the fresh snow by his memorial bench one wintry morning—with no footprints leading to them The daughter whose dying mother promised to send flowers, who returned from the funeral to find her mom’s almost dead Christmas cacti had blossomed, covering an entire room with flowers The mother who saw her husband hoisting their little girl by one arm from a lake she’d fallen into, but didn’t see the man her husband says was holding the girl’s other arm The notoriously grumpy old man in a nursing home who spent a whole day happily saying goodbye to everyone and thanking them because an angel told him, correctly, it would be his last day on earth The teenager working in a hotel kitchen who was pushed away by an invisible force while standing in a group of people, and just missed being hit by a large piece of equipment that fell right where she’d been standing