Why Be Catholic?: Understanding Our Experience and Tradition


Richard Rohr - 1989
    It would alsomake a good RCIA resource as well as a blockbuster stimulus fordiscussions."—Book Nook, Pecos BenedictineThe authors answer the question, "Why Be Catholic?" fairly and squarely, showing a deep appreciation about what is good in Catholicism and a penetrating honesty about the Church's shortcomings. Rohr and Martos also examine what it means to be Catholic in the United States today. Finally, to answer the title question in a more personal way, they present portraits of some outstanding Catholics, especially those we call saints, who have found personal fulfillment by living their faith to the utmost.After reading this book, you will appreciate more fully the unique heritage of the Catholic Church. You will understand how its magnificent tradition enriches the lives of Catholics today and propels the ever-changing Church into the 21st century and third millennium. A popular resource for RCIA, evangelization and religious education.

Steadfast: A Devotional Bible Study on the Book of James


Courtney Doctor - 2019
    That's what it means to be steadfast. But in a world where so much can undermine our faith or pull us off track, steadfastness is often a rare and elusive trait. James longs for his readers to be steadfast. His letter meets us in our suffering and sickness, our trials and temptations, our wealth and poverty, our ups and downs. He confronts our sin, our speech, and our pride. He encourages believers to have a more resilient and concrete faith: not just to hear the word, but to do it. He calls us to persevere in truth in a world of lies, to see that God's steadfast love is ultimately the source of our steadfast faith.This 8-week study of James provides:5 days of study each week-observing, interpreting, and applying the textDevotional commentary with space to journal your thoughtsMemory verse each weekSmall group discussion questionsKeynote Teaching Videos from the TGC's 2020 Women's Conference In a fickle and wayward age, we need biblical wisdom if we are to stay the course and be steadfast saints. The book of James provides this wisdom, and Steadfast will help you apply it.

Anxious for Nothing: Finding Calm in a Chaotic World


Max Lucado - 2017
    Max Lucado, provides a roadmap for battling with and healing from anxiety. Does the uncertainty and chaos of life keep you up at night? Is irrational worry your constant companion? Could you use some calm? If the answer is yes, you are not alone. According to one research program, anxiety-related issues are the number one mental health problem among women and are second only to alcohol and drug abuse among men. Stress-related ailments cost the nation $300 billion every year in medical bills and lost productivity. And use of sedative drugs like Xanax and Valium have skyrocketed in the last 15 years. Even students are feeling it. One psychologist reports that the average high school kid today has the same level of anxiety as the average psychiatric patient in the early 1950s. Chances are, you or someone you know seriously struggles with anxiety. Max writes, "The news about our anxiety is enough to make us anxious.” He knows what it feels like to be overcome by the worries and fear of life, which is why he is dedicated to helping millions of readers take back control of their minds and, as a result, their lives.Anxious for Nothing invites readers to delve into Philippians 4:6-7. After all, it is the most highlighted passage of any book on the planet, according to Amazon: Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Heaven


Randy Alcorn - 2004
    Randy Alcorn has the answers.In the most comprehensive and definitive book on Heaven to date, Randy invites you to picture Heaven the way Scripture describes it-- a bright, vibrant, and physical New Earth, free from sin, suffering, and death, and brimming with Christ's presence, wondrous natural beauty, and the richness of human culture as God intended it. God has put eternity in our hearts. Now, Randy Alcorn brings eternity to light in a way that will surprise you, spark your imagination, and change how you live life today. If you've always thought of Heaven as a realm of disembodied spirits, clouds, and eternal harp strumming, you're in for a wonderful surprise. This is a book about real people with real bodies enjoying close relationships with God and each other, eating, drinking, working, playing, traveling, worshiping, and discovering on a New Earth. Earth as God created it. Earth as he intended it to be. And the next time you hear someone say, "We cant begin to imagine what Heaven will be like," you'll be able to tell them, "I can."

Little Sins Mean a Lot: Kicking Our Bads Habits Before They Kick Us


Elizabeth Scalia - 2016
    Through the author's honest (and sometimes funny) examination of these sins in her own life, as well as Church teaching, she gives us the tools to kick these bad habits before they kick us.

Who's Who And Where's Where in The Bible


Stephen M. Miller - 2005
    Not a dry textbook, it's written in magazine style by critically acclaimed Christian journalist and Bible history author Stephen M. Miller. Color maps, photos, and paintings transport readers to sacred lands. There, they'll meet fascinating people: lovers and liars, healers and hoodlums, warriors and wimps. This captivating book will appeal to Bible newcomers as well as long-time Christians.

John Irving box set: The Cider House Rules / A Widow for One Year / A Prayer for Owen Meany


John Irving - 2002
    Wilbur Larch—saint and obstetrician, founder and director of the orphanage in the town of St. Cloud's, ether addict and abortionist. It is also the story of Dr. Larch's favorite orphan, Homer Wells, who is never adopted. A Widow for One Year Richly comic, as well as deeply disturbing, A Widow for One Year is a multilayered love story of astonishing emotional force.  Both ribald and erotic, it is also a brilliant novel about the passage of time and the relentlessness of grief. A Prayer for Owen Meany In the summer of 1953, two eleven-year-old boys–best friends–are playing in a Little League baseball game in Gravesend, New Hampshire. One of the boys hits a foul ball that kills the other boy’s mother. The boy who hits the ball doesn’t believe in accidents; Owen Meany believes he is God’s instrument. What happens to Owen, after that 1953 foul ball, is extraordinary and terrifying.

Mysteries of Faith (New Church's Teaching Series)


Mark McIntosh - 2000
    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.

A Woman's Guide to Reading the Bible in a Year: A Life-Changing Journey Into the Heart of God


Diane Stortz - 2013
    Diane Stortz found that it is not only possible but life-changing. Her journey from initial reluctance to excitement about reading the Bible will inspire readers to try it for themselves.Part of a women's group that read through the Bible each year for ten years, the author discovered the value of reading the Bible to get to know God better rather than viewing it only as a book to study. This guide will give women tools to read and discuss the Bible together, drawing them closer to God and each other.Includes a week-by-week reading plan, discussion guide, lists of what to look for, and motivational quotes.

Bible Prayer Study Course


Kenneth E. Hagin - 1974
    Kenneth E. Hagin have been reedited to include chapter review questions to further enhance your study of God's Word. These teachings on the vital subjects of faith, prayer, the Holy Spirit and His gifts, and healing will show you how to live a life of victory and abundance!Learning how to pray effectively is one of the most important things a believer can ever do in his Christian walk. A believer cannot be successful in fulfilling God's purpose in his life if he does not know how to pray according to biblical principles.A believer's prayer life should be based and built on the Word of God. This Bible Prayer Study Course discusses many principles of prayer that are found in the Word of God. As you apply these principles in your life, you can be sure of an answer every time!Chapter titles include: -- Seven Steps to Answered Prayer-- Praying in Jesus' Name-- Praying for Results-- The Prayer of Faith-- Praying With Tongues-- What Jesus Sai About Prayer-- The Will of God in Prayer

Silent Seasons: Trusting God When You Don't Understand


Heather Lindsey - 2017
    I was supposed to use that season to spend time with God, grow, and rest in Him – not step out on faith and try to do something out of His timing. How many of us are making “faith moves” when we are supposed to be resting? You will find yourself tired because you built something that wasn’t even for you.” ………….. Are you going through a silent season in your life right now? Do you feel stuck? Do you feel like doors keep closing but nothing is opening in your life? Do you feel rejected or forgotten? Do you feel like you can no longer hear the voice of God or like life has handed you a bad deck of cards? If so, this book is for you. In Silent Seasons: Trusting God When You Don't Understand, Heather Lindsey shares how silent seasons are an opportunity to grow closer to the Father. In this book you will learn: - How to stay strong in the midst of tests and trials - How to avoid comparing your life to others - How to be faithful with small - How to stretch your faith to do what God is telling you to do Grab a blanket and some tea and get ready to walk out this silent season like never before!

Baffled to Fight Better


Oswald Chambers - 1917
    With great insight, Chambers discusses the myths of self-sufficiency and eternal optimism, revealing their inadequacy when faced with the destruction of all the humankind values.

NIV Real-Life Devotional Bible for Women: Insights for Everyday Life


Lysa TerKeurst - 2013
    But we fall victim to the messages the world whispers in our ears: “You need to buy all of this stuff in order to feel complete.” “You’d be a lot happier if you had a different husband.” “If you’re not super mom and you can’t do it all, you aren’t good enough.”The reality is, what the world tells us isn’t true. If we listened to these messages, our lives would become harried, empty, and phony. Instead we need to listen to the messages that God gives us in his Word. A great place to start is Proverbs 31. The woman described in this passage seems like the ideal woman, and she is. But even more, she is real. She is authentic and true, with a heart for God, a heart for her family, and a heart for her community.How do you become that woman? It’s a journey, and it happens by the choices you make every day. The NIV Real-Life Devotional Bible for Women will help you become the woman you want to be. With insightful daily devotions from Lysa TerKeurst and the women at Proverbs 31 Ministries, this Bible helps you maintain life’s balance in spite of today’s hectic pace. The 365 daily devotions inspire you to live authentically as a woman of God.

The Life and Times of Jesus: From His Earthly Beginnings to the Sermon on the Mount


Michael J. Ruszala - 2014
    Though not primarily a work of theology or of spirituality, this popular history intends to help the words and deeds of Jesus come alive for contemporary readers. In Jesus’ day, he was a polarizing figure; one was either for him or against him. Today, even many who are familiar with the story of Jesus are unmoved. There are a number of reasons for this, but one of them is that we have forgotten the history of which Jesus came to be part; and we have also forgotten how we fit in. When God acted in Jesus, he acted in history, and that history came with particular cultures, presuppositions, and memories of its own. Without an understanding of these things, Jesus’ polarizing words and deeds become blunted because their backdrop has been removed.

The Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary: Prayers, Devotions and Reflections for September


Rita Bogna - 2011
    During September Roman Catholics commemorate and honour the Seven Sorrows (or Dolours) of the Blessed Virgin Mary by prayers, other pious devotions and meditations.The first part of this book consists of prayers and miscellaneous devotions.The second part is a step-by-step guide to praying the popular Rosary (or Chaplet) of the Seven Sorrows with selections of text from the Gospels.The third part is a set of Reflections on the Seven Sorrows written by Saint Alphonsus Ligouri.The book is fully navigable by an active Table of Contents with hyperlinks.