IT’S THE LISTENING THAT’S THE HARD PART. Although most of us can talk with ease to our best friend, many of us aren’t so good at keeping quiet and hearing what our friend has to say. So it is with God. For true communication with Him, we must learn to listen through understanding His Word. Dr. Charles Stanley’s Listening to God, part of the Life Principles Study Series, presents a sound way to explore the Word and hear God’s truths. You’ll learn to identify with the passages, recognize your emotional response, reflect on the passages’ meaning and take steps to apply what you’ve learned.

    When he came back, he was changed forever.A successful airline pilot and businessman, Jim had it all—a loving family, substantial wealth, and all of the good things that come with it. But none of this was enough to satisfy the emptiness he felt in his heart. He always hungered for something more. And then one day, he died.Jim was never a religious man. When it came to matters of God and faith, he was ambivalent. But as he lay in the hospital bed, clinically dead for more than 11 hours, his consciousness was transported to the wonders of Heaven and the horrors of hell. When he returned to this world, he brought back the missing piece his soul had been longing for. Join Jim Woodford on this unforgettable journey into the afterlife! Awaken to the vivid sights, sounds and sensations that you can enjoy in Heaven forever. Be inspired by detailed descriptions of the “contrails of prayer” in Heaven’s skies, the “sticky love” of God, what it feels like to hug an angel, and more! Encounter the chilling realities of hell, and the sharp claws of destruction that threatened to pull Jim into eternal darkness. Take comfort in the “six simple words” that led Jim into the Presence of Christ Whether you need hope for tomorrow or strength for today, this story is your invitation to a radical transformation!

    According to a recent study by Ranier Research, 70 percent of youth leave church by the time they are 22 years old. Barna Group estimates that 80 percent of those reared in the church will be “disengaged” by the time they are 29 years old. Unlike earlier generations of church dropouts, these “leavers” are unlikely to seek out alternative forms of Christian community such as home churches and small groups. When they leave church, many leave the faith as well.Drawing on recent research and in-depth interviews with young leavers, Generation Ex-Christian will shine a light on this crisis and propose effective responses that go beyond slick services or edgy outreach. But it won’t be easy. Christianity is regarded with suspicion by the younger generation. Those who leave the faith are often downright cynical. To make matters worse, parents generally react poorly when their children go astray. Many sink into a defensive crouch or go on the attack, delivering homespun fire-and-brimstone sermons that further distance their grown children. Others give up completely or take up the spiritual-sounding “all we can do is pray” mantra without truly exploring creative ways to engage their children on matters of faith. Some turn to their churches for help, only to find that they frequently lack adequate resources to guide them. This is where Generation Ex-Christian will lend a hand. It will equip and inspire parents, church leaders, and everyday Christians to reawaken the prodigal's desire for God and set him or her back on the road to a dynamic faith. The heart of the book will be the raw profiles of real-world, young ex-Christians. No two leavers are identical, but upon close observation some categories emerge. The book will identify seven different kinds of leavers (the postmodern skeptic, the drifter, the neopagan, etc.) and offer practical advice for how to connect with each type. Shrewd tips will also intersperse the chapters alerting readers to opportunities for engagement, and to hidden landmines they must sidestep to effectively reach leavers.

    Rick Warren says it is “The best book in print on the subject of singlehood.”

    L., Michigan Oswald Chambers’ most well-known title, the devotional My Utmost for His Highest, has established him as one of the most influential teachers of our time.  But did you know he wrote books on the Bible as well? Now you can take advantage of this teacher’s profound insight on Matthew 5-7 and what it means to focus on God and God alone.

    In this profound and considered work, he offers a radical new way to look at the gospels today as he shows just how deeply Jewish the Christian Gospels are and how much they reflect the Jewish scriptures, history, and patterns of worship. Pulling back the layers of a long-standing Gentile ignorance, he reveals how the church’s literal reading of the Bible is so far removed from these original Jewish authors’ intent that it is an act of heresy.Using the Gospel of Matthew as a guide, Spong explores the Bible’s literary and liturgical roots—its grounding in Jewish culture, symbols, icons, and storytelling tradition—to explain how the events of Jesus’ life, including the virgin birth, the miracles, the details of the passion story, and the resurrection and ascension, would have been understood by both the Jewish authors of the various gospels and by the Jewish audiences for which they were originally written. Spong makes clear that it was only after the church became fully Gentile that readers of the Gospels took these stories to be factual, distorting their original meaning.In Biblical Literalism: A Gentile Heresy, Spong illuminates the gospels as never before and provides a better blueprint for the future than where the church’s leaden and heretical reading of the story of Jesus has led us—one that allows the faithful to live inside the Christian story in the modern world.

    And you just don't know if you'll ever get past it. In this six-session Bible study (DVD/digital downloads sold separately), Lysa TerKeurst has walked this journey, wrestling with deep wounds that feel impassible and struggling to move forward. And she's discovered that, to find life-giving freedom, we have to let go of our bound-up resentment and resistance to forgiving people who've hurt us. With deep empathy, therapeutic insight, and rich Bible teaching coming out of 1,000 hours of study, Lysa helps us:learn how to move on when the other person refuses to change and never says they're sorry; walk through a step-by-step process to free ourselves from the hurt of our past and feel less offended today; discover what the Bible really says about forgiveness and the peace that comes from living it out right now; identify what's stealing trust and vulnerability from our relationships so we can believe there is still good ahead; and disempower the triggers hijacking our emotions by embracing the two necessary parts of forgiveness. Designed for use with the Forgiving What You Can't Forget Video Study (sold separately).

    Asking the correct question is fundamental to knowing how to arrive at the correct answer.”Scriptural principles exist for both our personal and our political quandaries. We should be willing to dig deep to find them and move away from voting based on tradition or mere preferences.Dr. Tony Evans takes on foundational questions of a Christian approach to politics, like:What does the Bible say about the role and responsibilities of government?How can we be salt and light when our political systems fail us?Should we submit to candidates we didn’t vote for?What if we don’t know whom to choose, or worse—what if there is no good choice?Evans won’t pressure you to check this box or that, but he will equip you with solid biblical principles that will challenge you to vote with a “kingdom perspective”—informed, compassionate, and aware of Who is really in charge.

    It helps them hope to persevere in their spiritual lives and provides new insight into God's objectives for them.

    For those who wish for more Scriptural depth in their quiet time, the Digging Deeper feature provides additional Bible scriptures that relate to the day s reading.

    But to do that we must first be deeply rooted in our life with God. In Thrive, Mark Hall, lead singer for the popular band Casting Crowns, shows us what it really looks like to walk with Jesus.In part 1, Digging Deep, Hall demonstrates how to truly engage with the Word and a community of faith, worshiping and pursuing God wholeheartedly as our hearts and minds are transformed. In part 2, Reaching Out, we see the fruits of our engagement with the Word and the community, the grateful giving back of service and love.Using relatable stories, grounded teaching, and great application, Hall helps everyone who wants to take the next step of faith and see their life grow deep and strong.

    This Bible study book serves as a road map for the beginner to develop an appreciation of the Bible and make it a part of their daily living. All 66 books of the Bible are covered in detail, including: • Author of each book and the time frame in which it was written • Key themes for each book • Summary of the message in each book • A devotion for contemplation and further exploration Immerse yourself in the stories, prophecies, and messages of the Bible and discover anew the awe-inspiring force, mercy, and healing power of God and Jesus Christ. Graceful and inspiring, Bible Study for Beginners brings the reader back to the basics and opens the way to a direct relationship with the living Word of God.

    The great king of Israel, Solomon, though the wisest man, was not immune to their song. But at the end of his life, Solomon, in all of his God-given wisdom, stopped to contemplate on all that competed for his attention. He wrote his conclusions in the Book of Ecclesiastes.Tommy Nelson continues his study of Solomon's writings by taking an in-depth look at Ecclesiastes. In a world such as ours, where the search for meaning and purpose propels mankind to try everything under the sun, Solomon's conclusions ring louder than ever for a people who need answers more than ever.

    They can seem tiny and insignificant, but they have tremendous power. They create our atmosphere, ignite psychological connections, shape our thinking, determine our actions, and ultimately construct our reality. Our words can strengthen relationships or tear people down, lead to success or ruin a lifetime’s legacy. Words can truly change our world. It’s up to you to determine whether that change will be for better or for worse. The words you allow to flow from your mouth will shape your circumstances. This practical guide will show you how to choose your words wisely in order to create the life you want.Includes the “30-Day No Cursing Challenge.”Nelson Searcy is the founding and lead pastor of The Journey Church, with locations in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, San Francisco, and Boca Raton, Florida, where Nelson and his family reside. Previously, Nelson was director of the Purpose Driven Community at Saddleback Church. He is the author of 10 bestselling books and founder of ChurchLeaderInsights.com.

    Storyline will help you answer one important question: When the credits roll at the end of your life, how will you have wanted to live? To accomplish this, we've blended the discipline of storytelling with the therapeutic philosophy of acclaimed psychologist Viktor Frankl. Over the last several years, we've distilled this process into eight modules that will help you: *Understand where you fit within God's story. *Interact with God in a functional rather than dysfunctional way. *Understand you share agency with God to make an impact. *Clarify your ambitions. *Get off the couch and get started. *Embrace rather than avoid conflict. *Envision climactic scenes that will prove more motivating than setting goals. *Filter your decisions through a life theme. *Inspire others by living a great story. Once you've completed the Storyline process, visit mysubplot.com and share your story with the world. We'd love to have you join the thousands of people who are living a better story because of Storyline. The world needs your story.