Book picks similar to
Into the Deep: Diving into a Life of Courageous Faith by Lauren Gaskill
christian-living
netgalley
non-fiction
christian-non-fiction
A Curious Faith: Rediscovering a Good God with Childlike Wonder
Logan Wolfram - 2016
But, laundry piles up. Bills pile up. Ultimately, life piles up. We can doubt God’s goodness and the everyday becomes marked by restraint, limits, and settling for the routine. Hardship extinguishes our hope and we exchange curiosity for control.Curious Faith is about rescuing the now.It’s about exploring possibility with a God who is unlimited, unpredictable, and ever-loving. In these pages, Logan Wolfram invites you to overcome feelings and outside circumstances that inhibit growth and rob you of hope. Pursue curiosity to enjoy the wonder of an open-handed life.Cultivate curiosity. Reignite your faith.Discover God’s goodness to fully experience your life again.**Included 8-session small-group study and discussion guide.
She Laughs: Choosing Faith over Fear
Carolanne Miljavac - 2020
. .Poverty. Grief. Brokenness. Disaster. Hopeless Situations. Life’s Struggles. And you can too! Join CA Miljavac on a journey of joy. She believes with all her heart that laughter is a gift, providing a sliver of distraction from whatever struggle you might be facing. . .relief when you need rescuing. . .hope in the midst of hardship. Though her life has been dotted with disaster, it’s through laughter that she found the strength and courage to persevere. . .joy for the journey. And she’ll help you discover all the ways laughter can carry you through your very own painful situations. In ten laugh-till-you-cry chapters, Miljavac shares how laughter has been an essential and valuable part of her own healing, plus hilarious true stories will help you get started on the path to a life of peace and joy.
23 Minutes In Hell: One Man's Story About What He Saw, Heard, and Felt in That Place of Torment
Bill Wiese - 2006
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?
Living the Psalms: Encouragement for the Daily Grind
Charles R. Swindoll - 2012
And the book of Psalms offers words of strength and comfort for those troublesome times. In this remarkably down-to-earth study of selections from Psalms, one of Christianity’s foremost pastors and authors explores such pressing themes as fear of the unknown, discouragement and worry, how to handle difficult people and what to do when God is silent. Combining his trademark illustrations and insights with favorite passages from this beloved Bible book, Charles Swindoll offers up a work that will help readers live the Psalms as never before. Here is practical inspiration and victorious affirmation to get anyone through life’s daily grind. Drawn from previous best-selling works, adapted for the 21st-century reader
Finding Spiritual Whitespace: Awakening Your Soul to Rest
Bonnie Gray - 2014
On the brink of fulfilling a lifelong dream, Bonnie's plans suddenly went off script. Her life shattered into a debilitating journey through anxiety, panic attacks, and insomnia. But as she struggled to make sense of it all, she made an important discovery: we all need spiritual whitespace.Spiritual whitespace makes room--room in one's heart for a deep relationship with God, room in one's life for rest, room in one's soul for rejuvenation. With soul-stirring vulnerability and heartbreaking honesty, Bonnie takes readers on a personal journey to feed their souls and uncover the deeper story of rest. Lyrical writing draws readers into Gray's intimate journey through overwhelming stress to find God in a broken story and celebrate the beauty of faith. Guided by biblical encouragement and thought-provoking prompts, Gray shows readers how to create space in the everyday for God, refreshment, and faith. She also offers practical steps and insights for making spiritual whitespace a reality, right in the midst of the stress-frayed stories in every season of life."We live in a culture that brags and boasts about being busy. Into that reality steps Bonnie with a new idea. Whitespace is an important concept and Bonnie has captured it perfectly. If you're exhausted with being exhausted, read this book. If you feel too busy to read this book, then that's probably the best sign of all that you need it."--from the foreword by Jon Acuff, New York Times bestselling author of Stuff Christians Like
Becoming Elisabeth Elliot
Ellen Vaughn - 2020
Incredibly, prayerfully, Elisabeth took her toddler daughter, snakebite kit, Bible, and journal . . . and lived in the jungle with the Stone-Age people who killed her husband. Compelled by her friendship and forgiveness, many came to faith in Jesus. This courageous, no-nonsense Christian went on to write dozens of books, host a long-running radio show, and speak at conferences all over the world. She was a pillar of coherent, committed faith; a beloved and sometimes controversial icon. In this authorized biography, Becoming Elisabeth Elliot, bestselling author Ellen Vaughn uses Elisabeth’s private, unpublished journals, and candid interviews with her family and friends, to paint the adventures and misadventures God used to shape one of the most influential women in modern church history. It’s the story of a hilarious, sensual, brilliant, witty, self-deprecating, sensitive, radical, and surprisingly relatable person utterly submitted to doing God’s will, no matter how high the cost. For Elisabeth, the central question was not, “How does this make me feel?” but, simply, “is this true?” If so, then the next question was, “what do I need to do about it to obey God?” “My life is on Thy Altar, Lord—for Thee to consume. Set the fire, Father! Bind me with cords of love to the Altar. Hold me there. Let me remember the Cross.” –Elisabeth Elliot, age 21
I Give Up: The Secret Joy of a Surrendered Life
Laura Story - 2019
After all, she followed Jesus and had a promising new job as a worship leader. Why would God not want to fulfill her dreams?But when Laura and her husband, Martin, faced a brain tumor, infertility, and a son’s birth defect, she realized she’d been looking for a happiness that comes from circumstances, rather than a deeper joy that comes from God. Again and again, Laura had to surrender her vision for her life so she could embrace God’s vision. And again and again she learned that even in the midst of shattered dreams, God’s plan brought greater joy than she could have imagined.Now the Grammy Award–winning singer-songwriter known for such hits as “Blessings,” “Indescribable,” and “Mighty to Save” shares her powerful story of finding blessing in her deepest pain. In, I Give Up, Laura explores:How to delight in God’s gifts no matter your circumstances.Why waiting on God is a daily decision, not a step-by-step process.The strength we find from meditating on God’s Word.Why surrendering to God leads to reconciliation with others.How the things we consider to be losses are ways for God to display his glory.As Laura writes, she no longer wants to be in control of her life. She wants to be rooted in the God who is in control. I Give Up will help you Discover a deeper life of worship, a fuller life of joy, and a freer life of true surrender as you open your hands to God. And give up.
One More Step: Finding Strength When You Feel Like Giving Up
Rachel Wojo - 2015
Sometimes we can’t imagine a way forward. How do we keep going when everything is going wrong? Rachel Wojo has learned that hope rises to greet us when we find the strength to take One. More. Step. Like you, Rachel has faced experiences that crushed her dreams of the perfect life: a failing marriage, a daughter’s heartbreaking diagnosis, and more. In this book she transparently shares her pain and empathizes with yours, then points you to the path of God’s Word, where you’ll find hope to carry you forward. One More Step gives you permission to ache freely—and helps you believe that life won’t always be this hard. No matter the circumstances you face, through these pages you’ll learn to… · run to God’s Word when discouragement strikes · replace feelings of despair with the truth of Scripture · persevere through out-of-control circumstances and gain a more intimate relationship with Jesus Rachel identifies the reasons you may tempted to quit and shows you where to find the courage to keep going, one step at a time. You’re not alone. So don’t give up. God won’t let you down. That’s a promise.
The Way of the Father: Lessons from My Dad, Truths about God
Michael W. Smith - 2021
Smith's The Way of the Father offers a deeply personal reflection on his father Paul Smith's legacy and its profound effect on every area of his life. Through the life and lens of his earthly dad, the multi-platinum selling Christian artist gives glimpses of a Father in Heaven that anyone can approach and experience.Michael W. Smith, multi-platinum artist, celebrated songwriter, producer, best-selling author, and acclaimed actor, himself a father of five adult children and grandfather of sixteen, calls upon his humble experiences of growing up in a small West Virginia town to share his father's story. Each chapter identifies a quality and characteristic of his dad that came out of an obedient and sacrificial life, committed to serving his Abba Father, including: Finding truth in tragedyLoving unconditionallyPersevering through painBringing righteousness to the worldInfluencing and inspiring generationsDiscovering identity and approval in ChristPaul Smith was a familiar face in the crowd at Michael W. Smith's concerts over the years. A kind and joyful man who would sing, dance, and worship to the singer's countless number one hits, with his countenance beaming brighter than the spotlights on the stage, Paul would often introduce himself to those nearby and talk about how proud he was of his son. From the artist's early days as a struggling musician in Nashville to his death in 2015 (the year his son's album sales surpassed 15 million), Paul was always Michael's biggest fan.Michael shares how his dad inspired and encouraged him using biblical principles and virtues. Now, Michael passes on these same truths through stories, testimonies, origins of songs, and personal insights from his family life and thirty-five plus years of touring as a Christian artist. He hopes that by sharing his father's legacy, readers will come to find that no matter who our earthly parents have been in our lives, our Abba Father will never fail us.The Way of the Father will likewise challenge readers in their faith journeys so they will one day hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant. You have fought the good fight, run the race, and have been found faithful"--just like Paul Smith heard on the day he was called home to be with his Father.
My Time with God: Renewed in His Presence Daily
Joyce Meyer - 2017
Those writings comprise My Time With God, the 365-day devotional that shares powerful insight into Joyce's spiritual reflections and journey. Each daily entry guides readers through a narrative of meditations, an uplifting declaration, and relevant scripture to encourage greater intimacy with God. Including spiritual revelations experienced by one of the world's leading Bible teachers, this book will renew readers' minds, offering assurance of God's complete love and desire for closeness with them.
God's Amazing Grace
J. Bennett Collins - 2011
Collins speaks of what remains to be the most amazing thing that he or anyone else has encountered in a full lifetime. The fact that God would save wicked men and forgive their sins is truly amazing. But the grace of God does not stop there. Our whole life is filled with the manifestation of God's grace to us. Here you will find what grace is and how it affects us who know Christ.
Big Girls Don't Whine: Getting On With the Great Life God Intends
Jan Silvious - 2003
God never intended for us to act like "little girls," says Jan Silvious. His goal is for each of us to live as "big girls"-mature Christian women-who are capable of enjoying the richness of life He has planned.In Big Girls Don't Whine, Jan helps women:Move beyond the past and on to healthy relationships, Choose to be proactive rather than let life just "happen,"Discover their full potential,And become everything He made them to be.So how can we tell if we're living life as an immature 'little girl" or a confident "big girl?"A little girl…Is insecureBecomes the victim of circumstancesSays "I can't"ManipulatesA big girl…Is secureRests in God's sovereigntySays, "I can"CommunicatesIn Big Girls Don't Whine, Jan Silvious calls us to be real women in a real world, free to experience a life of full of potential and vision. This book is the how-to manual for making it happen.
Its Not about Me Journal
Max Lucado - 2004
In his latest book this message, though still present, has moved to the background. A Copernican revolution is in order, Lucado says: it is time to understand that life revolves around God, not ourselves. The God he describes is neither Santa Claus nor a kindly, reassuring grandpa. He is a God of glory and holiness, eternal and unchanging. "To seek God's glory is to pray, 'Thicken the air with your presence; make it misty with your majesty. Part heaven's drapes, and let your nature spill forth. God, show us God.' " Our role, once we have seen God's glory, is simply to reflect it. We do this by proclaiming his message, using our bodies the way he intended, trusting him in the midst of suffering and acknowledging him as the author of our success. Even our salvation "showcases God's mercy. It makes nothing of [our] effort but everything of his." Sterner generations of Christians memorized the answer to the first question in the Westminster Shorter Catechism: "Man's chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever." Lucado brings this concept to life with his trademark breezy style, good humor, homey anecdotes and passion. His fans may be surprised by this new emphasis, but they will not be disappointed.
Secrets of the Happy Soul: Experience the Deep Delight You Were Made for
Katie Orr - 2020
Even in tough times they have a quiet sense of peace about them. Examining the Bible and her own life, Katie Orr has discovered that deep happiness and satisfaction are only possible when we are rooted in God and pursuing his good and specific purpose for each of us. Secrets of the Happy Soul is your invitation into a deeper, more fruitful relationship with God and his Word. As Katie walks you through key teachings from the book of Psalms, you will recognize how the world's definition of happiness pales compared to the daily delights God has in store for you. Draw closer to him, and your soul will go from lonely to connected, from overwhelmed to level and led, from aimless to commissioned and unique. God doesn't promise a storm-free life, but he is the anchor every happy soul needs.
Consumer Detox: Less Stuff, More Life
Mark Powley - 2010
Follow along in a three-part deconstruction of today's full-throttle existence to build the kind of life that Jesus modeled.