Francis of Assisi, "Water, Wind, Earth, and Fire" is the first book to consider the ways in which praying with the natural elements can enliven Christian spiritual life. Paintner offers concrete suggestions and guided contemplative exercises; for instance, Paintner suggests that readers take time to "watch the sunrise or sunset and breathe in the beauty of the fiery sky. Contemplate what those beginnings and endings have to say in your own life." Readers benefit from Paintner's extensive training in theology and Benedictine spirituality, as well as her unique work in bringing the expressive arts to spiritual direction.

    Yet, while we hear these pleas, we're already functioning with existing beliefs—even if they are beliefs by default. So how do we choose what to believe—especially in the area of faith? Do we need to choose? In "Choosing Your Faith, " Mark Mittelberg encourages us, as Socrates does, not to lead an unexamined life. He invites us to examine why we believe what we believe. This examination will resonate with Christians and seekers alike.

    Book Specs Paper BackPublisher: Review & Herald Publishing AssociationPages: 107 Table of Contents

    Miracles are fascinating, but what can you believe? In this careful, thoughtful exploration, an award-winning "Christianity Today" journalist offers straightforward answers on miraculous events today.

    They are the earmarks of 'folk religion'---a badly distorted pop-Christianity that thrives on cliches and slogans and resists reflection and examination. Such pat spiritual answers often contain a nugget of truth, but that truth is easily misunderstood and misapplied in ways that do more harm than good.Roger Olson encourages us to reach for a higher and deeper faith. Examining ten prevalent Christian beliefs, he raises questions that encourage us to engage our minds with the Scriptures in order to carefully consider what it is we believe and why. You'll be surprised at what you find. Questions to All Your Answers will help you use the God-given gift of your intellect to sift through glib sayings that sound right to what actually is right---to truth that really can set you and others free.

    Buechner is the author of many works of fiction and nonfiction, including Godric (nominated for a Pulitzer Prize) and Telling Secrets.

    This question is central to all the great religions, Kreeft demonstrates, for striving toward holiness, moving toward perfect love, is the whole purpose of life.Kreeft admits that he is only a beginner on the climb to holiness, and it is to novices like him that he has written this engaging and encouraging book. Using the insights and experiences of saints and great spiritual writers throughout history, Kreeft shows what holiness is and how it can be achieved. He especially draws upon the spiritual classic Abandonment to Divine Providence by Jean-Pierre de Caussade, S.J. The core of Caussade's timeless gem is that God reveals himself to all of us through the daily events of our lives. The surest way toward spiritual growth, therefore, is by perceiving and accepting the merciful will of God in every situation.Kreeft stresses the simplicity of his approach to holiness, which focuses mainly on the virtue of love. Sanctity is love, he asserts, and only that can give us what we all long for—deep and lasting joy.

    It's a situation that's fraught both for Christians and our wider society, where the moral certainties that were the foundation of our institutions and laws are no longer held by the majority.At this point of crisis for faith, God is Good for You shows us why Christianity is so vital for our personal and social well-being, and how modern Christians have never worked so hard to make the world a better place at a time when their faith has never been less valued. It carries a vital torch for Christianity in a way that's closely argued, warmly human, good humoured yet passionate, and, above all, convincing.

      Streams in the Desert is one of the most popular and beloved daily devotionals of all time. Now it has been combined with Cowman’s follow-up Springs in the Valley for a perfect morning and evening devotional. Over 900 pages of encouraging readings will speak to your soul with the ageless truth of the Word of God. Cowman’s timeless messages lend guidance and hope while encouraging a deeper faith walk. She shares cool draughts of wisdom and insight into God’s character, drawn from the Scriptures and purified through a lifetime of experience. You will relish the opportunity to drink from enduring wisdom twice daily. Start your mornings and wind down during your evenings by connecting your heart to the One who knows it best through Streams in the Desert Morning and Evening.

    But for Catholics, who were already struggling with the abuse crisis and a dramatic rise in disaffiliation, this trial is not only economic, social, or medical; it is spiritual. Plunged into a time of darkness and separated from the sacraments and their parish communities, the faithful are feeling isolated, disheartened, and uncertain about what the future holds.This new book from Word on Fire Institute Fellow Dr. Stephen Bullivant is an insightful and encouraging analysis of the coronavirus, shedding light not only on the Church’s present moment or similar crises of the past but also on the immediate future. A former Oxford professor and expert in Catholic disaffiliation, Dr. Bullivant looks at the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the Church from both the spiritual and secular perspectives, weaving in his own personal reflections as a Catholic convert and a husband and father. It is a unique roadmap for this challenging time, one that will help to bring clarity, focus, and energy to Catholics everywhere.

    "Why I Am a Lutheran explores the foundational teachings of the Christian church. In each chapter, Daniel Preus calls upon more than 20 years of pastoral experience to reveal Jesus as the center of the Christian faith. As he addresses central doctrines such as sin and grace, Law and Gospel, the person and work of Jesus Christ, worship, the Sacraments, and the office of the ministry, Preus keeps the focus on Jesus Christ--who is "always and only at the center of all Christian teaching."

    

    They engage in the most remarkable act a human can perform, and, in so doing, unleash God's sustaining power. In No Easy Road, Dick Eastman offers challenge, guidance, and encouragement to help believers on the sometimes difficult, though always rewarding, journey of prayer. This best-selling classic, originally published by Baker in 1971, tracks a Pilgrim's Progress-like progression down the road of prayer. Using stories from biblical times to today, it walks readers through the Peak of Unbelief, the Plateau of Intercession, the Mountain of Self-will, and more. Designed for all believers who seek to revitalize their prayer lives, it is also a pertinent resource for pastors, prayer leaders, missionaries, and others who wish to mobilize others to pray.

    It's hard to keep up, to keep our balance. It's hard to keep trusting in God. And it's especially difficult when the changes we're faced with are unwanted: the death of a loved one, a child leaving home, an illness, a frustrated dream. Craig Barnes knows the dark side of change. As a pastor, he has counseled many Christians through tough times of transition. And he has been challenged by unwanted changes--interruptions--in his own life. At times it seems as though God has moved far, far away. But Barnes has discovered that just the opposite is true: during times of change and seeming abandonment, God is right at our side offering to lead us in a new direction, offering us new life. He writes, A young widow can outlive her grief and decide her life may never be the same but is far from over. A lost job can become the beginning of a new vocation. Here is the book for all who have known disappointment, bereavement or the shattering of faith, a book all the more valuable because it promises hope without denying despair. In When God Interrupts a sensitive, insightful pastor shows us how we can be found by God in the middle of unwanted change.

    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.