His father abandoned his family; his mother constantly told Kirk that he was an unwanted child and left him to be adopted when he was four; his sister became a crack addict; he never saw a black man who was faithful in marriage. Despite his shaky foundation he found strength and success through his music and through God.In The Blueprint, Franklin will explain how, by communicating with life’s architect, God, he learned to see hardships as necessary life propellants and moved on to become the bestselling gospel musician in recent history, as well as a devoted husband and loving father.This is not a step program, it’s a lifelong journey. Franklin’s real world words of wisdom will help guide you to:• Pursue your dreams without losing yourself in the chase.• Do some lifescaping to eliminate the “weeds” that hold you back.• Declare your life to be drama-free.• Get past your fears so you can live and love fully.• Pass the baton to future generations by leading by example.

    Christianity does all this but who has ever looked to see if it is true? This is a fundamental question and no one has yet set out to prove or disprove Christianity. Until now. From inconsistencies, absurdities, errors, contradictions and adult make-believe this books shows how the bible is false and thus that Christianity cannot possibly be true. This book examines claims in the bible against fact, and it asks deep questions of how the bible mandates that we should live. If you have ever wondered how you could know that the earth is older than 6000 years, or that Noah's flood could not possibly happen, or that the biblical creation story and ten commandments have critical flaws then this book is for you. If you are a Christian and you have questions about your faith then this book is for you. It will set your mind at ease that you will not face judgement day and it will help free your mind from the shackles of indoctrination. If you debate with Christian friends then this is your kryptonite for Christians. If you are a woman or from a lifestyle minority then this book is for you too. Especially for you. Voices of reason, logic and compassion are ever more important in today's complex political landscape. Read this book and understand why humanity should call time on Christianity and why we will all be the better for it.

    As we pull back the curtain on His life, we discover that Jesus knows what it’s like to be marginalized. He understands how it feels to have society shove you to the side, to not really be accepted, and in the end to be totally rejected. He can identify with life in the margins because when God came to earth in the person of Jesus Christ, He landed in the margins. On purpose. And He chose to land there because it’s in the margins that broken lives get mended, prisoners are set free, and the poor hear the Good News.Reimagine Your Life Welcome to the crowded margins of life. It’s a place where normal people don’t feel normal. Where the daily grind drowns out the soft cry within that says, “I do not have it together.” Where just beneath the surface we long for meaning and—dare we hope?—wholeness. Rick McKinley writes from experience: Only God can rescue a person from the margins. Why? Because when He came to earth in the person of Jesus Christ, in the margins is where he landed. On purpose. To find you. Don’t wait till you get yourself together. Meet Jesus in the margins just as you are, and reimagine your life through the lens of His transforming love. Story Behind the BookThis book was birthed out of Rick’s ministry at Imago Dei Community Church. Rick’s heart is to communicate God’s Word in an understandable way to those who are outside the reach of traditional churches. He often calls this “unpacking the gospel”—a gospel he sees as the predominant theme in all of Scripture. Rick says the kind of people he ministers to “are not afraid of the language of theology, but the theological ideas need to be brought down from the mountain.”

    But he also brings a message of courage and comfort--a call to return to God with all our hearts and to fulfill God's purposes for us as His beloved children.

    Some areas he addresses include: - family life - work - male and female role models - spiritual disciplines - sound physical fitness - emotional life - marriage values -- "Christianity is a supernatural walk with a living, dynamic, personal God. Why, then, do so many Christians live inconsistent, powerless lives?" Hybels answers this question with - Practical, down-to-earth advice on living the Christian life - 12 signs of inconsistent Christian living -- and what to do about them - How to go beyond just "talking" the faith - Honest personal examples about failures and successes -- Honest to God? is a clarion call to Christians to restore Christianity in their personal lives and thus influence the world.

    You can take dominion over the supernatural environment for the Kingdom of God! Dawna De Silva presents a strategy for spiritual victory. Get ready to discern the enemy's tactics and learn how to use your weapons of warfare to enforce Jesus' victory over forces that war against your mind, your family, and your region!  Don’t be blind to the unseen reality—every Christian is in the midst of a supernatural conflict.  Don’t fall victim to the enemy! Every Christian can release God’s power into places and situations under the influence of evil.  Through the power of the Holy Spirit, you can transform your spiritual environment from darkness to light. Dawna De Silva shows you how. Through her revelatory teaching, you will learn to… Discern the spiritual atmospheres and forces at work around you Draw from the Holy Spirit’s presence within you to release God’s Kingdom power Demonstrate the authority of Jesus over the powers of darkness Join the fight! When God’s Kingdom advances, darkness must flee. *Enhance your learning with the companion e-Course, DVD study and interactive manual.

    Popular biblical scholar and author N. T. Wright provides his own Scripture translation and brief reflection, helping readers understand Advent in the wider context of Gods love.Wrights engaging and accessible writing and imagery help us see Advent both in relation to the Bibles message and in our own lives today. Each week discusses key themes for the season: thanksgiving, patience, humility, and joy. This book is suitable for both individual and group study and reflection.

    There is a huge difference between a Peacemaker and a Pacifist! This Battle Plan for spiritual warfare, gleaned from the life and message of Jesus, especially the Sermon on the Mount and the Beatitudes, was on my heart even before I was kidnapped by terrorists and held hostage under extreme conditions in 1983. Since then, thousands of missionaries, pastors, and other Christians have been kidnapped, murdered, or forced to flee from their places of ministry in rural Colombia. Had these Christians known and understood this Battle Plan for spiritual battle, they could have been victorious instead of prematurely suffering defeat. Many who did choose to remain in the path of ever present danger have rallied around this message. A thriving underground church is multiplying in a huge area (about the size of North Korea) in the south and east of Columbia where Bibles, church buildings, formal ministry, and even house meetings have been prohibited for more than 25 years. Severe persecution in rural Colombia has actually served to bring real Christians together in deepening Christian relationships, identify the true church, and cleanse believers from corruption. This has been possible because of the remnant that has been chosen to fight the good fight of faith. About the Author Russell Stendal, a former hostage of Colombian rebels, is a lifelong missionary to that same group in the jungles of Colombia. He is an influential friend to military and government leaders in Colombia, Cuba, Mexico, Venezuela, and the United States. Russell’s ministry shares the gospel via twelve radio stations, hundreds of thousands of Bibles, books, and movies distributed through airplane parachute drops, and numerous speaking engagements for groups of leaders, prisoners, and individuals. Russell goes wherever the Lord leads, whether it’s to speak with a president or to go deep into the jungle to help an individual in trouble. He has witnessed thousands commit their lives to Christ.

    Every day we need to be reminded that Jesus, God’s own Son, came to this world to save us from sin, sorrow, and death. We need to remember every day how Jesus’ life, death, resurrection, ascension, and promised return change the way we view ourselves and others. This devotional will be a daily reminder of these life-changing truths. The 366 selections, anchored in Scripture and saturated with the gospel, will help the reader to: · Learn how God in his Word addresses a host of life situations; · Focus on how the gospel intersects with life; · Look beyond circumstances to God’s purposes; · See how God values relationship and to learn to value it too by persisting, by speaking truth in love, and by not shying away from conflict. · Grow in wisdom when confronted by life’s changes.· Learn that God works change that is effective and visible. Topics covered in the devotional include: love, hope, grace, redemption, faith, contentment, conflict, relationships, prayer, fear, patience, humility, and anger.

    The freedom from the burden of our sin, the need to be “good enough”, anger, jealousy, and envy.Even though we are believers we would be ashamed to say that we don’t always experience peace, contentment, and joy in our life. We are looking for the grace that God has so graciously given to us to be real in our life…Breaking Pride is an eBook based on one simple truth:In order to walk in God’s grace we need to tear down the the walls of pride.A lot of believers, even though saved by God’s grace, are still walking in pride rather than walking in His grace. Knowing what pride is and learning to identify pride in your life is the first step to overcoming a life filled with pride.Pride is rooted in fear and leads to anger, jealousy, and envy.Sin isn’t keeping us from having a relationship with the Lord, it’s our pride.So many of us long to have an authentic and REAL relationship with the Lord, and we long to have the fruit of the spirit filled in our heart. Our desire is to achieve these fruits through will power. But we do not even realize that the pride that lives within our heart is what is blocking the fruit of the spirit from living within us.In Breaking Pride you will learn to identify different areas of pride in your life. Filled with encouragement, Breaking Pride will take you through a practical reading of what pride may look like in your life…Let’s stop building walls of pride and start building the foundation of grace within our lives…

    Celebrate the joy, love, and wonder of motherhood with these 101 stories from new moms.Share the excitement, the laughs, and the tears with other new mothers as you read their heartwarming, amusing, and inspirational stories about: the pregnancy countdown births, bodies, and babies becoming a new person — a mother! breastfeeding battles struggling with infertility adoption and other paths to motherhood the ups and downs of new motherhood great ideas for the sleep deprived moving on to the toddler years adding a second child and lots of funny stories for comic relief!

    For those who struggle, he offers rest. For those overcome by pain, he offers hope and healing. To those who carry emotional burdens too large for them to bear, Christ offers his strength.In The Source of My Strength, Dr. Charles Stanley talks honestly about his own journey through emotional pain and points readers toward the wellspring of strength. He shares his own experiences with grief and shows readers how to overcome the pain, understand the burdens, confront memories, and discover the courage and strength to live freely in God's love for them. Written from the heart, The Source of My Strength is one of Dr. Stanley's most personal and triumphant books.

    However, many do not realize that it is a promise of protection for all who are willing to dwell in the secret place of the Most High...You see, God offers us many promises. Sadly, we never learn about the clauses: our part in how to obtain the promises...In this book, the promise and the way to obtain it is revealed. The verses are broken down and explained in detail. It is an easy read and well worth the few minutes it will take to complete. The knowledge you will gain mixed with a bit of faith is sure to open the eyes of the reader to the wondrous blessing of God's promise of protection!!

    Along the way, he shares exclusive interviews with political commentator Sean Hannity, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, cooking sensation Paula Deen, and pop singer Amy Grant, always hoping to go from bitter to better.Endorsements:"In Dispatches From Bitter America this 'Great American' finds that not only is our American way of life under attack, but also that most Americans do in fact love God, this country, their families, and are anything but bitter!"Sean Hannity, New York Times best-selling author, FOX News host of Hannity"Todd Starnes combines sound research with his signature wit to tell the stories of regular Americans who are standing up to a secular movement that seeks to remove all religious expression from the public square. This is a compelling book that puts our entire existence into the perspective of eternity."Tony Perkins, president, Family Research Council"You will cheer for America while laughing your head off!"Matt Patrick, News/Talk 740 KTRH in Houston, TX"Todd Starnes captures the sentiments many Americans feel as they helplessly watch the traditional values they grew up with being stomped out and over-ruled by political correctness.  Todd's stories will strike a chord, whether it's 'The War on Christmas,' 'Tag, You're Out,' or 'The Chocolate Czar.' Brownies now banned from school?  Bah humbug."Gretchen Carlson, co-host, Fox and Friends"Dispatches from Bitter America features Todd Starnes at his best. With his trademark wit, Todd tackles questions being asked by Americans who wonder what is happening to our country. Starnes manages to get to the heart of the matter in a way that is both packed with information and sprinkled with humor. Todd Starnes is a man of immense faith, madly in love with our country, and endowed by his Creator with the unique talent to tell a story like very few can. Simply put, Dispatches From Bitter America is the best book that I have read this year!"Jeff Katz, morning host, Talk Radio 1200 in Boston, MA"Todd Starnes is a masterful storyteller. In Dispatches of a Bitter America, he offers commentary on today's current events through the lens of a self-proclaimed gun toting, fried-chicken-eating son of a Baptist. Todd has always been one of my favorite news personalities and good friends. Now he is one of my favorite storytellers. Warning: don't start reading this book unless you are prepared to finish it. It's just that good."Thom S. Rainer, president and CEO, LifeWay Christian Resources

    Readers will recognize themselves in her struggles with faith, fundamentalism, relationships and navigating the post-college years. As a result, they will walk through their questions with a greater hope for the future and a renewed faith in the God who writes their story.