This meditation on the spiritual life has inspired readers from Thomas More and St. Ignatius Loyola to Thomas Merton and Pope John Paul I. Written by the Augustinian monk Thomas à Kempis between 1420 and 1427, it contains clear instructions for renouncing wordly vanities and locating eternal truths. No book has more explicitly and movingly described the Christian ideal:

    The book, of course, is the Bible, and because God is its author, it's the most important work ever written. Millions across the world agree with that, yet many believe it only conceptually, doubting that the words of the Bible are in fact the very words of God.Pastor James MacDonald addresses today's disturbing trend away from taking God's Word seriously. He clarifies the misconceptions that surround the infallibility, reliability, and historicity of the Bible and explains why he believes it is the inspired Word of God, how it originated, what the Bible is good for, and its benefits to us. Written to believers and non-believers who have questions, this book on the Good Book has the answers.

    Miracles are fascinating, but what can you believe? In this careful, thoughtful exploration, an award-winning "Christianity Today" journalist offers straightforward answers on miraculous events today.

    The book touches both head and heart, educating every child of God as to who their Lord really is and inspiring them to love and follow Him like never before.

    "Dear reader, What you are now holding is a most interesting book. The world beyond is speaking. It is offering advice, asking for help, and giving answers. It exists and speaks about life - our life here and of possible consequences of our behavior. It tells us that it is not the same to be humble, loving, good, merciful, loyal and honest as it is to be proud, loveless, bad, merciless, betraying and dishonest. At death this is not forgotten but rather remembered in total clarity. Not only is the punishment, or better yet the cleansing, spoken about; but also the length of this cleansing and so very much more!! ...all personal doubts disappeared once I too had met and spoken with Maria Simma. She is true..." Fr. Slavko Barbaric, OFM Published By: The Medjugorje Web - http://www.medjugorje.org

    We hear about the awesome power of God the Father. We marvel at the miracles of Jesus. Then off we go, never expecting those living waters of the Holy Spirit to flow through us in the here and now. That's exactly what this author did, until one day she was confronted with a stunning possibility: that wonders of biblical proportions can and do still happen, even in the lives of the humblest among us.The challenge? It meant getting to know the Holy Spirit, that enigmatic Third Person of the Trinity she'd heard so little about in traditional teaching. It meant braving controversy, searching the Scriptures, and venturing into new waters in faith.Let's be honest. Even wading toward the depths of the Holy Spirit may seem scary. It may even sound kind of kooky or off-base. You don't want to get in over your head. You fear drowning in error or emotionalism. Still, you may long to deepen your experience with God. You may be asking:What happened to the power Jesus promised to believers?Why has the Holy Spirit become such a taboo subject?Are modern miracles of biblical proportions still happening?How can I access the extraordinary power of God?Does the Holy Spirit have spiritual gifts for me? Which ones?THE HOLY SPIRIT: Amazing Power for Everyday Peopleis a step-by-step guide for how to grow in dynamic relationship with the Holy Spirit. It explores how even the most ordinary believer can experience the miracle-working power of God in everyday life.This scripturally-referenced "how to" book with workbook-style applications is ideal for individual or group Bible study, geared at building a highly accessible, scriptural foundation for the Person and supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit.Tackling tough questions with straight answers, this book tracks an everyday believer's journey into what may be Christianity's best-kept secret. It dives deep into the oftenmarginalized mysteries of the Holy Spirit, mingling scriptural examples with numerous contemporary anecdotes of the amazing power of God in the lives of everyday believers.CHAPTERS IN THIS BOOK:1 Father, Son, and Holy Who?2 Why I Hadn't Heard This in a Thousand Sermons3 Introducing the Holy Spirit4 Sensing the Spirit without Getting Weird5 Getting Our Feet Wet in God's Powerful River6 Going Deeper without Going over the Deep End7 Passing the Spirit's Torch to You8 Opening Your Spiritual Gifts9 The Word of Wisdom10 The Word of Knowledge11 The Gift of Faith12 Gifts of Healing13 Effecting of Miracles14 Distinguishing of Spirits15 Various Kinds of Tongues16 Interpretation of Tongues17 Prophecy18 Prophetic Visions19 Prophetic Dreams20 Hearing Aids for All God's SheepADDITIONAL DETAILS:Genre: Christian Nonfiction, PneumatologyLength: 394 pagesFormats: Kindle eBook and Paperback EditionsAuthor Photo by Jean-Louis DarvilleThis comprehensive Bible Study is Book 1 of 2 on this subject. Please see Book 2 (ASIN: B06XF2JKQP) for the continuation of this study.

    We cage them or clip their wings to keep them where we want them. Scot McKnight contends that many, conservatives and liberals alike, attempt the same thing with the Bible. We all try to tame it. McKnight’s The Blue Parakeet has emerged at the perfect time to cool the flames of a world on fire with contention and controversy. It calls Christians to a way to read the Bible that leads beyond old debates and denominational battles. It calls Christians to stop taming the Bible and to let it speak anew for a new generation.In his books The Jesus Creed and Embracing Grace, Scot McKnight established himself as one of America’s finest Christian thinkers, an author to be reckoned with. In The Blue Parakeet, McKnight again touches the hearts and minds of today’s Christians, this time challenging them to rethink how to read the Bible, not just to puzzle it together into some systematic theology but to see it as a Story that we’re summoned to enter and to carry forward in our day. In his own inimitable style, McKnight sets traditional and liberal Christianity on its ear, leaving readers equipped, encouraged, and emboldened to be the people of faith they long to be.

    In six meditative pieces based on Scripture, he opens up God's invitation to us today to create new places of belonging and sharing, of peace and kindness, where each person is loved and accepted. The renewal of the church and the unity of Jesus' followers will come, writes Vanier, as we serve and befriend the poor and unwanted of our societies, and as we learn to live with our own poverty and loneliness.Originally given at a retreat for people who assist those with disabilities, Vanier's reflections are for all who seek to live out God's love.

    In this famous exposition of Isaiah 42:3, Sibbes unfolds the tender ministry of Jesus Christ, who is 'a physician good at all diseases, especially at the binding up of the broken heart'.

    His simple, practical insights will transform not only the way you think, act and love but also the very atmosphere around you.

    But if you’re looking for something different, something that . . . approaches leadership as an art as well as a scienceinspires hope and expectation in those of us who aren’t born leaderschallenges those with leadership roles to explore new possibilities. . . then Leonard Sweet wants to help you discover a very different kind of leadership vision. It’s one you hear if your ears are open, and it could summon you at any time. When you respond, the puzzle pieces of who you are will fit together into a leader others follow because you’ve answered a call, not trained for a position.“The church has it all wrong. It is trying to train leaders. Instead, it ought to train everyone to listen and to develop their own soundtrack.”Leaders don’t see a vision, says Sweet, they hear one. “Sound becomessight. Leaders hear life.”For a sonogram of “acoustic leadership,” Sweet takes us inside the incredible account of Sir Ernest Shackleton, the celebrated polar explorer who led his entire crew of twenty-seven from disaster in the Antarctic to safety. Called “the greatest leader that ever came on God’s earth, bar none,” Shackleton objectifies the goals of Sweet’s own exploration in search of wisdom for today and tomorrow’s truly compelling, voice-activated leaders.Right now, you may be leading many people or just yourself. But who knows what tomorrow—or a minute from now—will call forth in you. Are your ears open?

    Knowing and Doing the Will of GodA study of the Bible encouraging us to see God at work and join Him as He reveals

    As we use the Book of Common Prayer, Black says, "we discover we are not alone, and this liturgical current of worship, prayer, and praise will indeed take us where we want to go-union with the God we seek to love." Welcome to the Book of Common Prayer shows readers everything from where to find the Sunday collect to how to pray the Daily Office. But it's more than a how-to. It offers history and background that help make the prayer book a more meaningful part of the worship life of individuals and congregations.With thoughtful reflection questions, this is a perfect volume for parish study groups.

    Dr. Alice von Hildebrand characterizes the difference between such views as based on whether man's vision is secularistic or steeped in the supernatural. She shows that feminism's attempts to gain equality with men by imitation of men is unnatural, foolish, destructive, and self-defeating.  The Blessed Mother's role in the Incarnation points to the true privilege of being a woman. Both virginity and maternity meet in Mary who exhibits the feminine gifts of purity, receptivity to God's word, and life-giving nurturance at their highest.

    Her narrative, along with Root’s insights, help you uncover the action of God as it pertains to your own youth ministry, and encourage you to discover how you can participate in that action. As you join this theological journey, you’ll find yourself exploring how theology can and should influence the way you do youth ministry.