They are designed to be used along side the classic itself- either in individual study or in a study group. The faithful of all generations have found spiritual nourishment in the Scriptures and in the works of Christians of earlier generations. Martin Luther and John Calvin would not have become who they were apart from their reading Augustine. God used the writings of Martin Luther to move John Wesley from a religion of dead works to an experience at Aldersgate in which his "heart was strangely warmed." Shepherd's Notes will give pastors, laypersons, and students access to some of the treasures of Christian faith.

    Scott Peck, renowned for his writings on spiritual growth and author of the classic, The Road Less Traveled, has inspired countless people with his words of wisdom and insight. Now, in Abounding Grace, Dr. Peck presents us with a collection of his favorite quotations on such essential aspects of life as happiness, love, faith, and virtue. Gleaned from writers and thinkers, both famous and obscure, ancient and modern, these words--sometimes paradoxical, sometimes humorous, always eloquent and thought provoking--serve as guideposts on the road to a more spiritual existence. In his commentary introducing each of the 12 parts of his book, Dr. Peck challenges us to live a life of consciousness, goodness, and wholeness, and to look within ourselves and seriously consider how we may make the most of who we are. Through questions, examples, and anecdotes from his own experiences, Dr. Peck provides an original, fascinating, and enriching reading experience, creating, in truth, An Anthology of Wisdom. Abounding Grace is divided into 12 parts: Happiness, Courage, Compassion, Purity, Perseverance, Courtesy, Faith, Goodness, Love, Respect, Strength, and Wisdom. Dr. Peck has written a lengthy introduction and a commentary for each of the 12 parts. Below is an excerpt from his commentary on Happiness:"Happiness as an unmodified goal will likely be self-defeating. . . . Seek to be loved and you probably won't be; seek to love, on the other hand, and you probably will be. Look solely for happiness, and I doubt you'll find it. Forget about happiness, seek wisdom and goodness, and happiness will probably find you." The following are a few quotations from the same part:"Happiness depends upon ourselves." -Aristotle"The bird of paradise alights only upon the hand that does not grasp." -John Berry"When you jump for joy, beware that no one moves the ground from beneath your feet." -Stanislaw Lec"We all may have come on different ships, but we're in the same boat now." -Martin Luther King Jr."Arrange whatever pieces come your way." -Virginia Woolf "Joy is not in things; it is in us." -Richard

    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.

    As an all-in-one dictionary and reference book containing over 1,600 relevant definitions of terms and phrases for the prophetic realm of Christian ministry, it will show you how to:Experience the power of the gifts of prophecyUnderstand their operation in our modern worldCorrectly interpret and apply God’s prophetic wordsDistinguish between true and false prophetsDifferentiate between spiritual and natural dreamsUnderstand God-given dreamsDevelop your spiritual giftsIn addition, the author exposes ancient religious seductions and how they have infiltrated movies, television, and books. Prophetic visions and clues to interpreting their symbolism, imagery, and signs are also included. People from all walks of life can benefit as this book aids in the understanding of what may be expected from prophets or the prophetic ministry. Delve deeper and you will find much more. God speaks to us today!

    Complementing these stories is a deep and perceptive commentary on the meaning and spiritual power of coincidence.

    It is an ache for the homecoming. The Greeks called it nostalgia.  Post-modern man, homeless almost by definition, cannot understand nostalgia. If he is a progressive, dreaming of a utopia to come, he dismisses it contemptuously, eager to bury a past he despises. If he is a reactionary, he sentimentalizes it, dreaming of a lost golden age. In this profound reflection, Anthony Esolen explores the true meaning of nostalgia and its place in the human heart. Drawing on the great works of Western literature from the Odyssey to Flannery O'Connor, he traces the development of this fundamental longing from the pagan's desire for his earthly home, which most famously inspired Odysseys' heroic return to Ithaca, to its transformation under Christianity. The doctrine of the fall of man forestalls sentimental traditionalism by insisting that there has been no Eden since Eden. And the revelation of heaven as our true and final home, directing man's longing to the next world, paradoxically strengthens and ennobles the pilgrim's devotion to his home in this world. In our own day, Christian nostalgia stands in frank opposition to the secular usurpation of this longing. Looking for a city that does not exist, the progressive treats original sin, which afflicts everyone, as mere political error, which afflicts only his opponents. To him, history is a long tale of misery with nothing to teach us. Despising his fathers, he lives in a world without piety. Only the future, which no one can know, is real to him. It is an idol that justifies all manner of evil and folly. Nostalgia rightly understood is not an invitation to repeat the sins of the past or to repudiate what experience and reflection have taught us, but to hear the call of sanity and sweetness again. Perhaps we will shake our heads as if awaking from a bad and feverish dream and, coming to ourselves, resolve, like the Prodigal, to "arise and go to my father's house."

    She receives help, but finds herself organizing Mallard Lake Township’s rummage sale and running a mayoral campaign. Grayson Goddard returned home after college to find his friend and mentor had died and no one told him. Her beautiful granddaughter kept Millie’s promise of giving him a job. In a whirl of flying flour, he finds himself falling in love with his new boss, helping with the rummage sale and running for mayor against his high school nemesis. Together, they work to help the town’s less fortunate through the rummage sale proceeds and end the stranglehold the mayor’s family had on the office for nearly a hundred years. No matter the outcome of the election, can they find the recipe for love?

    My first reaction was that it was an excellent book for women, but as I continued to read I realized it would be of equal value for men to help them ex-perience the feminine within themselves and the Divine....Barbara Baker, psychologist in private p.

    Adapted from a true story, this dramatic novel explores the biblical evidence of Christ's true church. It also explores the motivations of the four friends: Jamie's single-minded concentration, Joseph's sincere desire, Will's doubt, and Susan's pure hope. As love blossoms between Joseph and Susan, the war separates them and jeopardizes their quest for God. Finally, when Joseph's life hangs in the balance, the truth is revealed in stunning simplicity. The Greatest Quest is the perfect book for those who love truth, and for those who seek it.

    While most books on the topic of spiritual warfare take a charismatic approach, Spiritual Warfare for Women aims directly at the center of the evangelical market, giving instruction and assurance to all women who want to protect themselves and the ones they love. McCoy provides spiritual wisdom and practical tips on identifying the enemy's strategies, overcoming fear, and exercising the power that comes from God. The book is structured around the battle between God's love and Satan's lies. Once a woman can embrace the first and reject the second, she is well on her way to victory.

    But that did little to save her when it was discovered that her deceased mother was a runaway quadroon. Disowned and shamed by the Hearne family, Elise and her baby find themselves on their way to the wild frontier of Texas--as slave.When Elise inadvertently meets Benjamin Sinclair, a fiery evangelist determined to convert the lawless Texans, their lives become intertwined in the midst of tragedy--shattering their fragile existence and forcing them to discover the faith that sustains.This volume also includes the full-length novel Heaven's Road, the story of Micah Sinclair, the reckless but courageous stepson of Elise.

    As lifelong Christians, both Greg Baumer and John Cortines tithed regularly. But they didnt give much thought to the intersection of faith and money until 2014 when, in the rather unlikely setting of Harvard Business School, they met and began a searching exploration of these spiritual questions. God and Money takes the reader along on their journey to the audacious conclusion that God calls Christians to a far more radical task than building wealth. He calls them to give abundantly, and to lay aside their tendencies to become Spenders or Savers.

    Humans are creative; it is a quality embedded in the fabric of our being, and a reality that reflects our existence as being made in the image of God.This book is a compilation of our e-books Liturgy for Creatives and On Becoming Creative, and new reflections—encompassing Alabaster's lived experience as a creative company for the past two years. It is a first step, the beginning of a conversation that allows readers to engage their faith and creativity against the larger backdrop of the God who has made all that is made.

    She vowed her life in ministry would be different.Yet, years later, as a church leader, she was hospitalized because stress began wreaking havoc on her body. After being released from the hospital, an associate pastor asked her, 'Does working at this church interfere with your communion with Christ?' The question was paramount in turning her life around.Thinking she wasn't alone, Anne developed a website that allowed church leaders to share their struggles. Within a few days, she was flooded with over a thousand responses from people pouring out their stories of burnout. Using anecdotal parallels between Mad Cow Disease and leadership trends in the church, she writes not only to help us realize what church leaders are facing, but also to provide practical and positive treatment plans.Mad Church Disease is a lively, informative, and potentially life-saving resource for anyone in ministry---vocational or volunteer---who would like to understand, prevent, or treat the epidemic of burnout in church culture.

    In this best-seller, Coffin gives a powerful record of his remarkable public life, offering his inspiring words on issues ranging from charity and justice to politics and the meaning of faith.