Book picks similar to
Books That Change Lives: Reccomended Reading Lists For Christian Readers by Parable Group
christian-growth
christian-non-fiction
christian-nonfiction
leadership
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.
Stewarding Life: One Lifetime, Limited Resources, Eternal Priorities
Paul Chappell - 2012
How you steward these resources will determine whether you successfully fulfill God’s eternal purpose for your life.This book will take you on a personal stewardship journey, equipping you to live effectively and biblically. It will challenge and equip you to strategically invest your most valuable resources for God's eternal purposes.
Heaven & Hell: From God a Message of Faith: A Young Boy's Experience of Heaven and Hell
Retha McPherson - 2010
It tells of Aldo’s miraculous healing and their supernatural journey since a car accident almost claimed Aldo’s life in 2004. The book contains journal entries in Aldo’s own handwriting wherein he warns the bride of Christ to be ready for the soon arrival of the King. During Aldo’s coma Jesus took him to heaven and hell. “Aldo rarely wanted to talk or write about hell. Jesus said he had to wait for the right time,” Retha explains. She goes on to say, “That time is now here. He recently told me Jesus said to him, ‘Aldo, tell My bride – BE PREPARED, I am coming soon.’” Aldo’s letters will open your eyes to the reality of heaven and hell and the implications of your choices here on earth. The book explains that the road of dying to self and living in Christ is what purifies the bride, and this can only be done if you walk by faith and not by sight – believing that God is who He says He is.
Redeeming the Feminine Soul: God’s Surprising Vision for Womanhood
Julie Roys - 2017
Internalizing society’s devaluation of the feminine, some women are killing their own natural impulses to pursue a feminist ideal that bears no relation to God’s good design. Other women struggle to conform to a fundamentalist, feminine caricature, which requires denying their full humanity and gifting.Defying both feminists and fundamentalists, Julie Roys reveals God’s true, affirming, and compelling vision for women, showing them how to reclaim what is uniquely feminine, and become healthy, balanced women of God.
Believe That You Can: Moving with Faith and Tenacity to the Dream God Has Given You
Jentezen Franklin - 2008
It takes persistence and tenacity, along with faith in yourself, in God, and in the vision He has given you. In Believe That You Can, Jentezen Franklin gives you a powerful message of hope: you can do it! Using his own personal experiences and examples from biblical characters who pursued their dreams to the end, Franklin shows you how to find and walk out your God-given vision for your life. Here you will find what you need to turn your dreams into reality, including: The five stages of a dream and how to recognize and get through each of them What you can do when your dream seems far away or impossible How to fight for your dream and never let go until it comes to pass Don’t let anybody steal what God has already shown you!
Professionalizing Motherhood: Encouraging, Educating, and Equipping Mothers at Home
Jill Savage - 2001
“Just a mom?” There’s no such thing. Motherhood isn’t a second-rate occupation. It is a career that can maximize your talents and strengths to their fullest. Look past the surface of mothering—the endless tasks and frantic pace—to the incredible skills required to raise your children while nurturing your marriage. The truth is clear: You’re a professional in one of the most dignified, demanding, and rewarding fields any woman can find. Upbeat, candid, and engaging, Professionalizing Motherhood will do more than help you radically redefine how you see yourself. It will guide you toward practical development as a career woman who specializes in the home. Jill Savage helps you determine a strategy and set goals for professional training and growth. From the foundational to the practical, you’ll learn about Establishing your mission Developing a network of “coworkers” Discovering your value in Christ How marriage and mothering work together Organizational and homemaking basics Taking care of your personal needs Professionalizing Motherhood casts a fresh and meaningful vision for mothering as a worthy career choice for this season of your life.
Onward: Engaging the Culture without Losing the Gospel
Russell D. Moore - 2015
That may be bad news for America, but it can be good news for the church. What's needed now, in shifting times, is neither a doubling-down on the status quo nor a pullback into isolation. Instead, we need a church that speaks to social and political issues with a bigger vision in mind: that of the gospel of Jesus Christ. As Christianity seems increasingly strange, and even subversive, to our culture, we have the opportunity to reclaim the freakishness of the gospel, which is what gives it its power in the first place. We seek the kingdom of God, before everything else. We connect that kingdom agenda to the culture around us, both by speaking it to the world and by showing it in our churches. As we do so, we remember our mission to oppose demons, not to demonize opponents. As we advocate for human dignity, for religious liberty, for family stability, let's do so as those with a prophetic word that turns everything upside down. The signs of the times tell us we are in for days our parents and grandparents never knew. But that's no call for panic or surrender or outrage. Jesus is alive. Let's act like it. Let's follow him, onward to the future.
The Great Omission: Reclaiming Jesus's Essential Teachings on Discipleship
Dallas Willard - 2006
"Christian is found three times and was first introduced to refer precisely to disciples of Jesus. . . . The New Testament is a book about disciples, by disciples, and for disciples of Jesus Christ. But the point is not merely verbal. What is more important is that the kind of life we see in the earliest church is that of a special type of person. All of the assurances and benefits offered to humankind in the gospel evidently presuppose such a life and do not make realistic sense apart from it. The disciple of Jesus is not the deluxe or heavy-duty model of the Christian -- especially padded, textured, streamlined, and empowered for the fast lane on the straight and narrow way. He or she stands on the pages of the New Testament as the first level of basic transportation in the Kingdom of God."Willard boldly challenges the thought that we can be Christians without being disciples, or call ourselves Christians without applying this understanding of life in the Kingdom of God to every aspect of life on earth. He calls on believers to restore what should be the heart of Christianity -- being active disciples of Jesus Christ. Willard shows us that in the school of life, we are apprentices of the Teacher whose brilliance encourages us to rise above traditional church understanding and embrace the true meaning of discipleship -- an active, concrete, 24/7 life with Jesus.
Empowering Leadership: How a Leadership Development Culture Builds Better Leaders Faster
Michael Fletcher - 2018
Simply put, we have more needs than we have leaders to meet those needs.
So, how do we train better leaders faster?
The truth is, very few churches really have a well-thought-out leadership development plan. Growth requires continually adding healthy new leaders, who carry the church culture forward and embody its core values. Everyone knows it, but how do we achieve it?In Empowering Leadership author and leadership consultant Michael Fletcher says leaders like this can't simply be bought, nor can they be hired from someone else's leadership assembly line. Developing leaders at every level, to create an environment that attracts potential leaders, and to build better leaders faster, an organization needs more than a pipeline. It needs a culture that develops leaders organically.Finding the right kind of leaders to guide your church on a path of continual growth comes out of keeping the right focus, and that focus is not just on the leaders. In fact, as Fletcher says,
It isn't about the leader. It never was about the leader. It will never be about the leader. It will always and only be about Jesus and his people.
It's about the people. True leadership development includes the often messy, but necessary, interaction of life upon life. So hiring pastors and key staff roles from within the church is the very best policy--people who breathe the culture of the church and who have helped create the culture you want to maintain.If your church or organization needs a good leadership development structure, then you're holding the right book. Empowering Leadership details Michael's greatest insights on how to build better leaders faster by creating a leadership development culture in your church or organization--naturally, organically, continually.
Empower your church or organization through great leadership. This book will show you how!
The Barbarian Way: Unleash the Untamed Faith Within
Erwin Raphael McManus - 2005
Is this really what Jesus died for? If He chose the way of the cross, where would He hesitate leading us? Is it possible that to follow Jesus is to choose the barbarian way?Jesus never made a pristine call to a proper or safe religion. Jesus beckons His followers to a path that is far from the easy road. It is a path filled with adventure, uncertainty, and unlimited possibilities―the only path that can fulfill the deepest longings and desires of your heart.This is the barbarian way: to give your heart to the only One who can make you fully alive. To love Him with simplicity and intensity. To unleash the untamed faith within. To be consumed by the presence of a passionate and compassionate God. To go where He sends you, no matter the cost.
The Attributes of God
Arthur W. Pink - 1988
Without understanding God's attributes, we have a skewed perception of him--often one cast in our own image. We need more than just a theoretical knowledge of God in order to worship him as he desires. This classic work of Arthur W. Pink invites readers to discover the truth about seventeen attributes of God, including his sovereignty, immutability, patience, love, faithfulness, and much more. Pink shows readers a God who is alive, all-powerful, and active in his creation. The perfect introductory text, The Attributes of God also has enough depth and meat to satisfy the more experienced reader.
The Daniel Key: 20 Choices That Make All the Difference
Anne Graham Lotz - 2018
These choices were made by Daniel, a young Jewish man serving God in a godless society, revered by God, saved from lions. The Daniel Key will lead you to a life-changing faith.
What are the secrets of a successful, steadfast, and godly faith? Daniel was honored by God, protected, and trusted. His faith did not waver facing those who were against him, serving new kings in power, or even confronting hungry lions. How can you have that kind of faith? Daniel made 20 intentional, key choices in his life. Those choices took him down a path to a close relationship with God and a model for godly living to all around him. Daniel’s choices can be your choices—choices such as:
The choice to trust
The choice to obey
The choice to pray
The choice to worship
The choice to repent
The choice to live humbly
The choice to have courage
The choice to serve
The choice to love
The 20 choices will bring you contentment when the world says you are not enough, closeness born of a relationship with God, boldness to share the truth, and peace in times of trial. The Daniel Key will lead you to a life-changing faith.
Motorhome and RV Retirement Living: The Most Enjoyable and Least Expensive Way to Retire
Jerry Minchey - 2015
He reveals how they make it work – from how to downsize to how to support yourself. This is not your typical RVing book that rehashes common knowledge. Jerry Minchey lives full-time in his motorhome, and he breaks the mold about RV living with this highly original book. The appeal and the dream of the RV lifestyle have not changed much since the first RVs were introduced shortly after 1900. Henry Ford and Thomas Edison used to take their motorhomes and go on trips together back in 1910. They loved the adventure. Jerry Minchey's brutally honest descriptions of the RV lifestyles described in this book will answer your most pressing questions as well as answer questions you probably never even thought to ask.You may find that retiring and living the RV lifestyle is just what you want to do. After all, the RV lifestyle is the most enjoyable and least expensive way to retire. See actual logs of what RVers are really spending. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at the numbers. You'll find that you can live the RV lifestyle even if your only income is your Social Security check.
In this book you'll also learn:
What's It Like Living Full Time in an RV?
Can I Afford the RV Lifestyle?
What Kind of Rig Should I get?
Can I Drive an RV?
How Much Will an RV Cost?
Pitfalls to Avoid & Buyer Checklist
Planning for the Leap into Full-time RVing
How to Get Rid of Your Stuff
Pets Make Great Travelers – If You Know a Few Tips and Secrets
What About Being Away From Family and Friends?
How to Find the Best Campgrounds
Boondocking – The Art of Camping for Free
Towing a Car – 4 Wheels Down or a Dolly?
Getting Your Mail, Voting, Where is Your Legal Residence, and Other Logistics
The Internet – How to Stay Connected While on the Road
Healthcare on the Road – With up-to-date 2016 Information
Ways to Make Money With or Without a Computer
The Emotional Aspects of the Full-time RV Lifestyle
And a Whole Lot More
Freedom, adventure, fun, stress-free, and relaxing are words RV owners frequently use to describe why they enjoy the RV lifestyle, and after reading this book, you'll understand why they feel that way. To say this book is rare would be a grave understatement. This book provides a unique opportunity to peer into the most intimate details of living the exciting full-time RVing lifestyle. For a real behind-the-scenes look at one of the most enjoyable and least expensive ways to retire add Motorhome and RV Retirement Living to your must-read list.
The Blessed Church: The Simple Secret to Growing the Church You Love
Robert Morris - 2012
After all, there’s no better place to experience God than in the loving, healthy community of a church. But what does an effective church look like? Is it possible to grow and be healthy at the same time? Pastor Robert Morris has experienced firsthand the spiritual and relational excitement of a growing, dynamic church. In The Blessed Church, Pastor Morris brings you practical wisdom for cultivating real growth by nurturing true and Biblical health in your spiritual community.“In The Blessed Church Robert Morris reveals why Gateway Church in Dallas–Fort Worth has become not just one of the largest churches in America but also one of the most influential. Robert’s devoted, attentive shepherding of this great fl ock is one reason why Gateway is so‘blessed.’ In The Blessed Church the biblical principles that lead to true success in the body of Christ are carefully explained. If you love the local church, as both Robert and I do, you won’t want to miss the insights found in this helpful and practical book.”—Dr. Tony Evans, senior pastor, Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship; and president, The Urban Alternative “Our world desperately needs healthy, vibrant churches, so I’m so thankful Robert Morris has written The Blessed Church—a book that draws on the Gateway ‘back story’ to describe the qualities of a healthy local church. More than anything, a heart for God and a love of people define the ministry of Pastor Morris and Gateway Church. If you want a growing vitality in your church, you will profit from every page of The Blessed Church.”—Chris Hodges, senior pastor, Church of the Highlands “How has your church remained so healthy while growing so quickly?” Robert Morris gets this question a lot. In other words, people want to know: “What’s your secret?” In The Blessed Church: The Simple Secret to Growing the Church You Love, Pastor Robert Morris unfolds why Gateway Church in suburban Dallas–Fort Worth is one of America’s fastest-growing, spiritually enriching local churches—and still one of its healthiest. Written for both church leaders and lay people, The Blessed Church looks at the qualities that make church “work” in the twenty-first century and how that can enrich your church—whatever its size or vision. With the humor and powerful stories he’s known for, Morris shows how every component of your church—including mission, church government, teaching, worship, small groups, giving, and outreach—can receive God’s richest blessings. Rather than bemoaning the problems of the contemporary evangelical church, The Blessed Church celebrates the expanding role of the body of Christ in the lives of individuals—starting right where you and your church are today.
Knowing God
J.I. Packer - 1973
I. Packer's classic has been an important tool to help Christians around the world discover the wonder, the glory and the joy of knowing God. In 2006, Christianity Today voted this title one of the top 50 books that have shaped evangelicals. This edition is updated with Americanized language and spelling and a new preface by the author. Stemming from Packer's profound theological knowledge, Knowing God brings together two important facets of the Christian faith: 1. Knowing about God and 2. Knowing God through the context of a close relationship with the person of Jesus Christ. Written in an engaging and practical tone, this thought-provoking work seeks to transform and enrich the Christian understanding of God. Explaining both who God is and how we can relate to him, Packer divides his book into three sections: The first directs our attention to how and why we know God, the second to the attributes of God and the third to the benefits enjoyed by a those who know him intimately. This guide leads readers into a greater understanding of God while providing advice to gaining a closer relationship with him as a result.