To explain these beliefs for Christians today, particularly the Trinity, McIntosh begins with what we know: the language of relationship and mutuality, of friendship and family ties. The central theme of the book is our relationship with Jesus and our relationship with our neighbor, for such mutuality lies at the heart of every doctrine. McIntosh's starting point is the fact that every one of us is a theologian, for we are all drawn to approach the mysteries of faith with attention and love. By drawing on our common experiences as members of a community of faith, particularly through the sacraments of baptism and eucharist, he helps us to explore these mysteries for ourselves and to see how we might live them in our daily lives. As with each book in The New Church's Teaching Series, recommended resources for further reading and questions for discussion are included.

    Follow Chase's spiritual journey in the footsteps of Francis, and then begin one of your own through the pilgrim's guide included in this book.

    This edition includes a new introduction reflecting on the impact of the book since it was written.

    It is more important than your talent, your education, your background, or your network of friends. Andy Stanley helps you chart a course toward becoming a man or woman of character. You'll discover a definition of character that will inspire you for a lifetime, the external and internal benefits of strong character, the six false beliefs behind negative behaviors, and more. Using practical insights, biblical exposition, and engaging stories, Stanley guides you step-by-step in setting the personal goals that will build the foundation for true success.The Secret to a Life with No Regrets How important is your character? It determines everything about you! How much you will accomplish in life, and whether you are worth knowing. How you will respond to success, and how you will weather the inevitable storms of life. This is a book about uncompromised living. It is about choosing every day to be a man or woman of integrity, a person whose actions speak louder than words. Bestselling author Andy Stanley challenges you to become what you were meant to be: a person whose commitment to doing the right thing, whatever the cost, will inspire others and change your world. Story Behind the BookAs a pastor, I spend a substantial amount of my time with people who are digging themselves out from personal environmental catastrophes—circumstances that were often years in the making but “took them by surprise.” Another group of people have faced, or are facing, storms of life that are not of their own making, storms created by the character deficits of others—storms that are a natural part of a fallen world. There, in the midst of unjust treatment and seemingly undeserved pain, the true character of a man or woman is revealed. What you see in such moments is what was really there all along. This book is about change. It’s about the process of taking raw materials and molding them, shaping them, and refining them into a finished product. Whether you know it or not, that process is happening in you. Your character, not your accomplishments or acquisitions, determines your legacy.

    As we consider our inadequacies or grieve our shattered dreams, we find it difficult to believe that God cares for us personally.  In this life-giving book, Joanna Weaver shows you how to embrace the truth that Jesus loves you apart from anything you accomplish, apart from anything you bring. Just as He called Lazarus forth to new life, Jesus wants to free you to live fully in the light of His love, unbound from the graveclothes of fear, regret, and self-condemnation.  Love is calling your name.  Combining unforgettable real-life illustrations with unexpected biblical insights, Joanna Weaver invites you to experience a spiritual resurrection that will forever change your understanding of what it means to be the one Jesus loves.  Includes 10-week Bible study (adaptable for 8 weeks) for both individual reflection and group discussion.

    High expectations slam against the reality of personal weaknesses and unwelcome surprises. And the God who, you've been told, wants a personal relationship with you may seem remote, emotionally unavailable. Is God playing games? What can you count on this God for? How can you know God? This relationship with a God you can’t see, hear, or touch--how does it really work?Reaching for the Invisible God offers deep, satisfying insights to the questions you are sometimes afraid to ask. Honest and deeply personal, here is straight talk on Christian living for the reader who wants more than pat answers to life's imponderables. Ultimately, Yancey shifts the focus from your questions to the One who offers himself in answer."A brilliant book. It is both profound and simple, the best blend, in my view. Simple is neither shallow, nor simplistic. The sections on doubt and God's 'absence' are classics." -- Rick Warren, pastor and author, The Purpose Driven Life

    But far from faulting teens, Dean placesthe blame for this theological watering down squarely on the churches themselves. Instead of proclaiming a God who calls believers to lives of love, service and sacrifice, churches offer instead a bargain religion, easy to use, easy to forget, offering little and demanding less. But what is to bedone? In order to produce ardent young Christians, Dean argues, churches must rediscover their sense of mission and model an understanding of being Christian as not something you do for yourself, but something that calls you to share God's love, in word and deed, with others. Dean found that themost committed young Christians shared four important traits: they could tell a personal and powerful story about God; they belonged to a significant faith community; they exhibited a sense of vocation; and they possessed a profound sense of hope. Based on these findings, Dean proposes an approachto Christian education that places the idea of mission at its core and offers a wealth of concrete suggestions for inspiring teens to live more authentically engaged Christian lives.Persuasively and accessibly written, Almost Christian is a wake up call no one concerned about the future of Christianity in America can afford to ignore.

    Where do we even begin?Shannan Martin offers a surprisingly simple answer: uncover the hidden corners of our cities and neighborhoods and invest deeply in the lives of people around us. She walks us through her own discoveries about the vital importance of paying attention, as well as the hard but rewarding truth about showing up and committing for the long haul, despite the inevitable encounters with brokenness and uncertainty. With transparency, humor, heart-tugging storytelling, and more than a little personal confession, Martin shows us that no matter where we live or how much we have, as we learn what it is to be with people as Jesus was, we'll find our very lives. The details will look quiet and ordinary, and the call will both exhaust and exhilarate us. But it will be the most worth-it adventure we will ever take.

    As a father he took his kids on a world tour to eat ice cream with heads of state. He made friends in Uganda, and they liked him so much he became the Ugandan consul. He pursued his wife for three years before she agreed to date him. His grades weren't good enough to get into law school, so he sat on a bench outside the Dean's office for seven days until they finally let him enroll.Bob Goff has become something of a legend, and his friends consider him the world's best-kept secret. Those same friends have long insisted he write a book. What follows are paradigm shifts, musings, and stories from one of the world's most delightfully engaging and winsome people. What fuels his impact? Love. But it's not the kind of love that stops at thoughts and feelings. Bob's love takes action. Bob believes Love Does.When Love Does, life gets interesting. Each day turns into a hilarious, whimsical, meaningful chance that makes faith simple and real. Each chapter is a story that forms a book, a life. And this is one life you don't want to miss.Light and fun, unique and profound, the lessons drawn from Bob's life and attitude just might inspire you to be secretly incredible, too.

    But Scripture and Father Larry Richards can be equally as compelling as he challenges you to go against the grain and do what few are willing to do.A gifted and captivating speaker, preacher, and retreat master... inner city pastor Father Richard's infectious enthusiasm, in-your-face realism and solid teaching will help you see how surrendering to the will of God paves the way to obtaining the peace which surpasses all understanding, that will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (see Phil 4:7).Following in the footsteps of his best-selling "Be a Man" book, Surrender outlines concrete steps you can take to dwell in peace. Simply put, God wants every one of us to be a saint which is a lot of work! It requires developing a plan for your life, in accordance with the Lord's will.

    He saw the searing flames of hell, felt total isolation, smelled the putrid and rotting stench, heard deafening screams of agony, and experienced terrorizing demons. Finally the strong hand of God lifted him out of the pit. Now Wiese shares his insights on commonly asked questions such as:Is hell a literal burning place?Where is hell?Do you have a body in hell?Are there degrees of punishment in hell?Are there children in hell?Can demons torment people in hell?Can “good” people go to hell?

    It is about God, and about life, and about the thousands of daily ways in which an awareness of God changes and infuses everything. It is about spiritual life, and about all the things that we have called nonspiritual life that might be spiritual after all. It is the snapshots of a young woman making peace with herself and her life, and trying to craft a life that captures the energy and exuberance we long for in the midst of the fear and regret and envy we all carry with us. It is both a voice of challenge and song of comfort, calling us upward to the best possible life, and giving us room to breathe, to rest, to break down and break through. Cold Tangerines offers bright and varied glimpses of hope and redemption, in and among the heartbreak And boredom and broken glass.

    Perhaps that’s because it is so hard to experience lasting happiness.In The Saints’ Guide to Happiness, Robert Ellsberg suggests that some of the best people to show us are holy men and women throughout history—from St. Augustine to Flannery O’Connor, Thomas Merton to St. Theresa of Avila and Mother Theresa.These people weren’t saints because of the way they died or their visions or wondrous deeds. They were saints because of their extraordinary capacity for goodness and love, which—in the end—makes us happy.

    It combines authoritative research with a captivating style to bring our heritage home to us.

    Houston desires that each of his readers come to know the cause of Christ. His Cause, he says, is the key that opens us to new places of vision, passion, strength, and reason for living.