People and places are broken all around us.We were made for better than this: We were made to be whole, and wholly human, to tend a world that is wholly humane. We were made in the image of God. This book is a quest to recover that image in ourselves and our neighbors, to help us all become human and humane again.For Christians who lament the brokenness in themselves, their neighbors, and the world around them, Whole offers a rallying cry to pursue wholeness together.

    The opposite extreme, often advised by well-meaning Christians, is to lay down all of our dreams and passions, avoiding all self-interest.   One narrative says to follow a passion, and the other says to lay it down. Both claim to offer happiness and purpose on the other side. But what does the Bible say about dreams, goals, and passions?   With compelling illustrations from Dianne Jago’s unexpected journey in creating DeeplyRooted Magazine, along with thoughtful scriptural examples, Dianne shares an honest account of how God changed her plans and aligned them with His.   As you read this book, you will be challenged to look upward instead of inward, seeing the God-given purpose of every Christian as the foundation of your “dreams.” Scripture shapes a believer’s pursuits and the gospel speaks to our passions. Instead of the one-size-fits-all formula for dream-chasing, A Holy Pursuit will help you identify whether it’s time to pursue, pause, or surrender a dream you hold.

    In Broken Into Beautiful, singer and songwriter Gwen Smith's first book, she tells the real-life stories of women with shattered dreams, shameful secrets, and damaged souls, and the God who makes them beautiful again. Each chapter features a compelling personal story coupled with relevant biblical teaching and application. Readers will meet women wounded by infidelity, abortion, widowhood, abuse, and other tragic events, only to discover the joy of being restored by a loving heavenly Father.The book will remind women of all ages of God's willingness to eternally forgive and forget and of His heart to transform broken lives. Readers will be empowered to believe truth, to remember grace, and to live for God's greater purposes. Broken into Beautiful is ultimately about a beautiful Savior who became broken for us so that all who are broken can be transformed to reflect His beauty.

    Bringing together some of the most beloved Christian authors and songwriters of today, Faithful guides readers through the pages of Scripture to increase understanding of how God has always valued the integral role of females and how that shapes the lives of women today.   The Faithful project is a collaboration between three major ministry partners: David C Cook, Integrity Music, and Compassion International. The accompanying album and a 2021 tour of live events celebrates the contributions of women while recognizing their empowerment through the faithfulness of God.   This beautiful, creative book will invite readers to return again and again for reflection and inspiration through guided scripture reading and writing prompts.

    No more being sidelined in your own life. It is time for us to be brave, to claim our gifts and quirks and emotions. You are set free and set up and set on fire.NOW you can get busy doing what you were placed on this planet to do. NOW you can be honest, honest, honest about all of it, even the hard stuff, even the humiliating stuff, even the secret stuff. NOW you can walk in your convictions of faith and ask new questions unafraid. NOW you can be so free, because you are not searching for value from any source other than your own beautiful soul made piece by piece by God who adores you and is ready to get on with the business of unleashing you into this world.In this book, I break it down into five self-reflective categories—who I am, what I need, what I want, what I believe, and how I connect—and by working your way through them, you will learn to:own your space, ground, and gifts (they are YOURS, sister);be strong in your relationships and lay down passive aggression, resentment, drama, and compliance;say GUILT-FREE what you want and what you need; andwelcome spiritual curiosity and all the fantastic change that doing so creates.You with me, beloveds? If we do this work on our own selves now, not only will we discover a life truly worth living, but we will free our daughters to rise up behind us, with spines straight, heads up, and coated in our strength.

    Nancy Ortberg encourages readers to see God in this very personal, very engaging series of essays that will bring God into focus and allow you to grow deeper in your relationship with him than you had ever imagined.

    Do you ever feel the pressure to prove yourself? Or to "figure it all out" as you're waiting in seasons that seem like the awkward in-between? Does it ever feel seem that you're the only one with "unfigured-out dreams"?Jordan equips you to confront the feeling of being stuck and instead live your purpose by owning (not ignoring) your story, your quirks, your struggles, and everything that makes you, you.In this book, Jordan provides practical tools as she shows you how to: tackle limitations like disappointment, perfectionism, comparison, distraction, and more; overcome the lie that you can't live your purpose until or unless you reach a certain goal, milestone, etc.; remove labels and break out of the box of expectations; identify and eliminate excuses, insecurity, and unnecessary stress about an unknown future.

    In Nothing Wasted, counselor and teacher Kasey Van Norman's vulnerability invites you to discover God's personal and purposeful design for your future--not in spite of your story, but through it.What if the pain and mistakes of your past are exactly what God wants to use to redeem your future?A difficult childhood, public infidelity, and a fight with cancer--Kasey Van Norman has walked a rocky road of regret and loss. Shockingly, God would take her back to move her forward, uprooting her undealt-with wounds, secret shame, and intimacy-sabotaging patterns of behavior. No longer running from her past, but instead, allowing herself to be defined by it, Kasey discovered a God more intentional and loving than she'd ever believed him to be.In this book, she shares the truth that no part of our life story is wasted--but purposefully designed and used by God to shape who we are meant to be. With vulnerability, sound doctrine, and humor, Kasey unfolds the brokenness in her own life to:Remind you that a holy, sovereign God lovingly works through your past mistakesHelp you look at your own past to embrace it as the necessary setup for your futurePoint to the God who can weave together a beautiful story of redemption in your lifeNo experience or relationship has been a mistake. You are no mere byproduct of random events, and you do not need a do-over! Because with God, nothing is wasted.Also available: video study and study guide.

    . . but not like this.In this revealing book, renowned speaker and author Christopher West discusses the topic of love and relationships, but he does it through the lens of his own powerful and personal experience. If you've ever wondered what to do with that deep cry of your heart to love and be loved, read on.Love Is Patient, but I'm Not offers West's reflections on Pope Francis book The Joy of Love. It focuses on the heart of the pope's meditations on the famous love is patient and kind passage from 1 Corinthians 13. Its short chapters will take you line by line through the passage, and will also let you in on some intimate aspects of West's faith journey—his wound of perfectionism, his consequent challenges as a husband and father, and the ups and downs he experiences as he struggles to work it all out. As it turns out, we aren't the only ones who find it hard to live out the love St. Paul describes for us.Interspersed throughout the book are short prayers and questions for reflection designed to help you open your heart to God and experience his unconditional, merciful love more fully. Read this book for a dose of spiritual encouragement and for a real-life look at what it means to live the joy of love.

    Popular author Priscilla Shirer uses the biblical book of Jonah to address daily obedience to God and how to respond when His plans donOCOt match our own."

    Sometimes we ask, “Why would a good God allow bad things to happen to good people?” In Amazed and Confused, Heather Zempel tackles this question head-on by exploring the book of Habakkuk. When the prophet Habakkuk prayed that God would bring change to the backsliding nation of Israel, this issue came to the forefront. Habakkuk begged God for revival and that He would turn the hearts of faithless people back to Him. God’s answer to Habakkuk was, “Take a look at the nations and watch what happens! You will be shocked and amazed” (1:5, The Voice). The vision God gave Habakkuk was one of warfare and exile. How do you respond when God answers your prayers in a way that seems out of line with his character and promises? Amazed and Confused proceeds systematically through the book of Habakkuk, exploring the prophet’s prayer, God’s response, and the prophet’s journey from confusion to worship. This interactive Bible study is the perfect choice for those who are hurting and confused about God’s responses to their prayers. Features include: Helpful guidance on a question without an easy answer Practical tools for studying the Minor Prophets Easy-to-understand, accessible language

    Matthew 26:41 Are you watchful in your Christian life? Although watchfulness is not as familiar as spiritual disciplines like meditation, prayer, and fasting, it is just as necessary for a healthy spiritual life. Scripture exhorts all Christians to be watchful, regardless of their station and season in life. In Watchfulness, Brian Hedges provides a fresh look at the what, why, how, when, and who of watchfulness, drawing principles from Scripture and instruction from believers of the past who have understood this discipline and written about it. Designed for reflection, self-examination, and personal application, with "Examine and Apply" questions at the end of each chapter, this book will chart your course toward greater watchfulness, increased holiness, and deeper communion with the triune God.

    Yet most of our lives is unwitnessed. We spend our days working, driving, parenting. We sometimes spend whole seasons feeling unnoticed and unappreciated.In Unseen, Sara Hagerty suggests that this is exactly what God intended. He is the only One who truly knows us. He is the only One who understands the value of the unseen in our lives. When this truth seeps into our souls, we realize that only when we hide ourselves in God can we give ourselves to others in true freedom--and know the joy of a deeper relationship with the God who sees us.Our culture applauds what we can produce, what we can show, what we can upload to social media. Only when we give all of ourselves to God--unedited, abandoned, apparently wasteful in its lack of productivity--can we live out who God created us to be. As Hagerty writes, "Maybe my seemingly unproductive, looking-up-at-Him life produces awe among the angels."Through an eloquent exploration of both personal and biblical story, Hagerty calls us to offer every unseen minute of our lives to God. God is in the secret places of our lives that no one else witnesses. But we've not been relegated to these places. We've been invited.We may be "wasting" ourselves in a hidden corner today: The cubicle on the fourth floor. The hospital bedside of an elderly parent. The laundry room. But these are the places God uses to meet us with a radical love. These are the places that produce the kind of unhinged love in us that gives everything at His feet, whether or not anyone else ever proclaims our name, whether or not anyone else ever sees.God's invitation is not just for a season or a day. It is the question of our lives: "When no one else applauds you, when it makes no sense, when you see no results--will you waste your love on Me?"

    . . . This is when we’ll truly come alive and experience life to its fullest.”—John Bevere Do you ever feel like a spectator in God’s kingdom? Perhaps you know there’s something you should be doing, but you just can’t pinpoint it. Most of us want to make a big impact with our lives, but struggle with questions like:• How can I be sure I’m not missing God’s will for me? • What role do my unique gifts play in building God’s kingdom? • How do I make sure I live up to my God-given potential? • Is my calling less significant if I’m not in “ministry”? • How do I balance resting in God’s grace with meaningful actions for His kingdom? • How do I break fear and move forward even when it feels uncertain and risky? In this profound book, best-selling author John Bevere relies on a careful exploration of Scripture and uses powerful stories to help you think differently about your calling and why it’s so important to God. As you turn these pages, you’ll be empowered to multiply your God-given gifts and step into your potential. If you’re ready to trade inaction for greater purpose, your journey begins here.

    We all long for beauty, greatness, fascination, and intimacy-we all long to be enjoyed, to be wholehearted, to make a lasting impact. When we realize that these longings are godly and that God wants to fulfill them, we begin to find new freedom and joy. We are not to repent of these longings, but to repent of seeking to satisfy them outside of our relationshipwith Jesus. To encounter God in these areas is to be fully alive.