And we want to be good parents. But what exactly do we mean by "good?" And is "being good" really the point?Mother-daughter team Elyse Fitzpatrick and Jessica Thompson contend that every way we try to make our kids "good" is simply an extension of Old Testament Law--a set of standards that is not only unable to save our children, but also powerless to change them.No, rules are not the answer. What they need is GRACE.We must tell our kids of the grace-giving God who freely adopts rebels and transforms them into loving sons and daughters. If this is not the message your children hear, if you are just telling them to "be good," then the gospel needs to transform your parenting too.Give Them Grace is a revolutionary perspective on parenting that shows us how to receive the gospel afresh and give grace in abundance, helping our children know the dazzling love of Jesus and respond with heartfelt obedience.

    What does it mean to be a healer in the modern world? In this hope-filled book, Nouwen offers a radically fresh interpretation of modern ministry.

    Doing Things Right in Matters of the Heart presents a bold plan for escaping the swift currents of contemporary patterns of hooking up, shacking up, and breaking up. It draws a compelling vision of complementarity between the sexes. It instructs men on what to do and informs women on what to look for in their mutual pursuit of a healthy, tender, long-term relationship.

    This resource will equip single women to understand their sexuality, trust the Lord for redemption and healing, and stand against the cultural trends that marginalize and compromise sexuality.Juli Slattery, a clinical psychologist and cofounder of Authentic Intimacy, has devoted the last five years of her life to equipping women with God’s truth about sexuality. Here she drives home the truth that every sexual choice is also a spiritual choice. The six-week study is broken down into five days for each week, prompting study and reflection. The weeks cover:Why Sexuality Matters: Shows the connection between spirituality and sexualityEmbracing a Grand Design: Explores God’s design and the beauty of living according to His wisdom.Sexuality and Your Character: Helps women think through how their sexuality is part of their worship and Christian identity.Sexual Boundaries: A very practical chapter providing a biblical grid for matters like masturbation, oral sex, and how far is too far to go in a dating relationship.Battling Temptation: Takes a peak at “the enemy’s playbook” to help women anticipate, prepare for, and stand against sexual temptation.Restoring Intimacy with God: Shows how God can tear down the wall of sexual sin, shame, and confusion through forgiveness and redemption.This study has been tested through pilot groups with college women and other 20somethings. Revised according to their feedback, it is primed and ready to help any single woman think biblically about sexuality, live accordingly, and experience the joy and freedom of doing so.This study is especially relevant today. One of the greatest threats to the modern church and emerging adults is the distortion of sexual design. Study after study has documented the proliferation of porn use (among both men and women), sexual exploitation on college campuses, experimentation with homosexuality and bi-sexuality, and the acceptability of multiple sexual partners. The average single Christian has received very little teaching on the purpose of sexuality, and a simple “Just wait until you’re married” approach won’t cut it. Christian singles need to be equipped with a biblical worldview of sexuality and practical tools for talking it out.This study, which Slattery created with two women familiar with curriculum development, is ideal for college campuses and small groups. It will prompt discussions on practical topics like sexual temptation, sexual conduct, and responding to cultural thinking on gender issues and sexual autonomy. It is designed to challenge women to examine the assumptions underlying their sexual behaviors and beliefs. The ultimate goal of this resource is to introduce women to an intimate relationship with God who cares about every aspect of her life.

    Today, this communal practice of learning basic beliefs via questions and answers has largely been lost. Seeking to restore this ancient method of teaching to the regular life of the church, The New City Catechism Devotional is a gospel-centered, modern-day resource that not only summarizes important Christian beliefs through 52 questions and answers but also helps readers meditate on and be transformed by those doctrines.Each question features devotional commentary written by leading contemporary and historical figures such as John Piper, Timothy Keller, Kevin DeYoung, D. A. Carson, Alistair Begg, Mark Dever, Augustine, John Calvin, Jonathan Edwards, John Owen, Martin Luther, and many others. Each question also includes a relevant Scripture reading and short prayer.Designed for use in a variety of contexts, including with families, churches, and small groups, The New City Catechism Devotional stands as a valuable resource for helping adults and children alike learn the key doctrines that stand at the heart of the Christian faith.

    One in four women and one in six men are or will be victims of sexual assault in their lifetime. But as sobering as the statistics are, they don't begin to speak to the darkness and grief experienced by these victims. Because sexual assault causes physical, psychological, emotional, and spiritual pain, victims need clear help, hope, and healing. In Rid of My Disgrace, a couple experienced in counseling victims of sexual assault explains how the grace of God can heal the broken and restore the disgraced.Justin and Lindsey Holcomb outline an approach for moving from destruction to redemption. While avoiding platitudes and shallow theology, Rid of My Disgrace combines biblical and theological depth with up-to-date research. This book is primarily written for those who have been assaulted (either as children or adults) but also equips family, friends, pastors, and others to care for victims in ways that are compassionate, practical, and informed.

    Many moderns, even Christians, try to deny the importance of these virtues by sinking deeper into their selfishness, only to complain of greater loneliness.The heart of Christian reality is a society—a Trinity—of persons living with and for one another. God created us to live in bonds of society and friendship, not as lone rangers. The Christian faith presents friendship and hospitality not as luxuries but necessities. God does not save us in isolation but in community with other people. There is no possibility of living to the glory of God apart from godly companions.In this book Steve Wilkins seeks to call us back to the joyous obligations of friendship and hospitality. He spells out the biblical virtues that nurture both, as well as the stumbling blocks that will hinder us.

    Learn how relationships can be changed by words and how words are either building bridges or tearing them down. He challenges readers to consider anew their hearts and their words. (Practical Life)

    This book unlocks each season's God-given purpose and shows you how to thrive within it.In a society where everyone is supposedly more connected, why do people feel so lonely? Even as marriage rates decline, recent studies find the overwhelming majority of single adults still hope to get married. But how can we navigate life and love in this disconnected culture? Has social media eroded the institutions that brought us together--and the deeper emotional intimacy they provided?Pastor and bestselling author Ben Stuart will help you navigate through the four stages of a relational life and show you how to look at the truths and intentions God has established for each.As you embark on this journey, you will discover how to:Use singleness to make an impact for the kingdom of GodPursue dating with clarity and purityUse the season of engagement wisely to prepare for marriageMaximize your life as a married couple for shared ministryContinually seek God and His will throughout each stageDiscover how to embrace God's design, invest your life in what matters most, and find meaning in whatever season of life you're in.

    A bestselling and definitive guide to marital intimacy for Christian couples, learn how to deepen sexual pleasure and enjoy God’s gift of sexual intimacy with your spouse.It can be difficult to find biblically based sexual advice. A licensed psychologist and family therapist, Dr. Douglas Rosenau answers specific and often unasked questions about sexual topics, presenting married couples with detailed techniques and skills to deepen their sexual pleasure and improve their marriages.In this easy-to-read guide, Dr. Rosenau covers topics including:Building a biblical foundation of knowledge about sexual intimacyEnhancing pleasure and enjoying passionate intimacyOvercoming common hurdlesResolving problems and healing brokennessGrounded in Scripture and written by a pioneer of Christian sex therapy, A Celebration of Sex is comprehensive, direct, and honest, treating sex with the respect it deserves and a Christ-like foundation. An excellent tool for premarital education and counseling, it’s a must-read for Christian spouses.

    . . or could this be abuse?" Maybe you don't know for sure: all you know is something feels off when you think about a certain relationship or interaction with an institution or organization. You feel alone and confused--but calling it "abuse" feels extreme and unsettling, a label for what happens to other people but not you. Yet you can't shake the feeling: something's not right.In his debut book, researcher and advocate Wade Mullen introduces us to the groundbreaking world of impression management--the strategies that individuals and organizations utilize to gain power and cover up their wrongdoings. Mullen reveals a pattern that accompanies many types of abuse, almost as if abusers are somehow reading from the same playbook. If we can learn to decode these evil methods--if we can learn the language of abuse--we can help stop the cycle and make abusers less effective at accomplishing destruction in our lives.Something's Not Right will help you to identify and describe tactics that were previously unidentifiable and indescribable, and give you the language you need to move toward freedom and create a safer future for yourself and others.

    J.C. Ryle--the last of the great Puritans--tackles each of these subjects with a tenderness and tact which is unsurpassed. If it was difficult to be a young man in the days of the nineteeth century when Ryle first penned Thoughts for Young Men, it is all the more difficult to be a young man in the twenty-first century world of image-overload, radical individualism, and rampant sensuality. Thoughts for Young Men remains to this day the most relevent and helpful book on the subject in print.

    They did it before, but they've forgotten how, or they're trying but it just doesn't seem to be working. Justin Buzzard helps men re-learn this all-important skill from a position of security in the gospel of grace. As a father of three boys and husband to a very happy wife, Justin offers guys a helping hand, good news, and wise counsel, along with: 100 practical ideas for how to date your wife Action steps at the end of each chapter Personal stories and real-life examplesAll types of marriages--good ones, mediocre ones, and bad ones--will experience a jumpstart as a result of hearing, believing, and living the message of Date Your Wife.

    The authors examine five questions that will help couples decide whether or not to commit themselves to each other for life.

    Even within the church, homosexuality, divorce, and shallow, sentimental views of love are subverting God’s design for husbands and wives. To help Christian couples counter these trends and recover marriage as God intended it, Dr. Michael A.G. Haykin has compiled a rich anthology of love letters from saints of the past. Each letter gives us a glimpse of what marriage should be: joyful companionship, deep passion, and unfailing commitment through the ups and downs of life. At its best, Christian marriage is a foretaste of eternal bliss—and it’s far more satisfying than any of the substitutes this world has to offer.