Most people know a little something about Him, but their knowledge of who He is and how He works stops just past the point of an initial introduction.Why is it so important to know the One who knows all about you? The answer is simple: when you come to a point where you understand His ways, your life takes on new meaning. You stop looking at old problems and feeling defeat, fear, and anxiety. Suddenly, you realize that the Person who gave you life and breath is also the One who has set an amazing course for your life to follow."In Step with God" offers steps that lead not only to a deeply personal relationship with Jesus Christ but also provides the insight you need to live each day. In a simple, clear way Dr. Charles Stanley, one of America's most loved and trusted pastors, encourages and challenges you to approach life and its decisions--both big and small--by first knowing and considering God's character. Inside you will learn how to▪gain greater intimacy with God▪understand how He uses trials to build you up▪learn the signs of God's goodness in day-to-day life▪cling more firmly to His love and forgiveness▪discover God's relentless commitment to your well being."The nearer I draw to the Lord," writes Dr. Stanley, "the more I will know about Him--His love for me and His good plans and desires for my life. Plus, the more intimate I become with God, the better I understand His ways, and this understanding leads to a deeper longing to know God better. I learn how to discern His will not only for my life but also for the situations I encounter."

    Present-day American Sign Language (ASL) carries on that tradition. Like any living language, it continues to grow and change to meet the communication needs of an ever more diverse religious population. This comprehensive guide, newly revised, updated, and expanded, gives you all the vocabulary you need to communicate effectively in any religious setting. From Alleluia to Zizith, more than 750 signs and their specific meanings Large, clear, upper-torso illustrations that show the corresponding movements of hands, body, and face Easy-to-follow instructions to help you master the art of expressing signs A complete index for quick access to any sign With an essential section of religious "name signs," the addition of signs for the Muslim faith, and an expanded selection of favorite verses, prayers, and blessings, this book is an indispensable resource for signers of all denominations. Written with expertise by an educator and author associated with the field of deafness for more than thirty years, it makes communicating by ASL in a religious setting simple and easy, no matter your level of experience.

    Here's how to read this book: From left to right. That’s the first step. The second is equally as important: with a guarded heart. “The Bereans were open-minded in that they received the Word with all readiness and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so” (Acts 17:11). Open-minded but heart guarded. Don’t fully accept my or anyone else’s word for it. I received many popular Western teachings that bound me. The Bereans took what they heard and searched the Scriptures to “find out whether these things were so.” This is good practice. Also, I believe the Holy Spirit will “ring a bell” within you, testifying to truth-that-sets-you-free. Third step: expect to experience the person of Jesus. I have included prompts at the end of each chapter for you to engage the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit in an experiential way. With each prompt, let the eyes of your heart open-wide for a fresh-wave of glory-enjoyment; this little practice can shake loose heaps of dormant head-knowledge. For a real knowledge, truth must be awakened in the heart. Just a few minutes of heart-connection with God could change your entire life. I’ve included blank space for you at the end of each chapter to write down anything that happens. Fourth step: listen to music! This book is intrinsically linked to my music record: Love Secrets; thirteen songs about God’s love. And now: thirteen chapters. Each chapter of this book is titled after a song from the album and explores in detail the truths I sing about. I’ve arranged the order of chapters differently from the album for a more fluid reading experience. I would recommend listening to the corresponding song during the prompts at the end. You can listen to Love Secrets on every music platform. Fifth and finally: have fun. You’ll notice this book is not prim and proper. I hope you giggle and enjoy the goofy banter. Book instructions complete.

    You'll follow his intensely personal journey through big breaks and broken dreams, desperate dashboard prayers, and limelight glories. Along the way, you'll find the same constant source of strength that he has--hope that is powerful enough to hold you up through whatever trials come your way.

    But to do this they need to outwit the evil General Woundwort.

    The seven deadly sins are the force causing that hole. They are at work in each of us. They decimate our relationships, our souls and our world. These deadly sins often seem pleasing and good for gaining what we desire, but they are thoroughly poisonous. Conversely, the Beatitudes are Jesus' pictures of a restored creation. The Beatitudes introduced what Jesus said to his earliest followers about a life strong and fruitful. In fact, the Beatitudes give us a glimpse of a world empty of evil and filled to the edges with God's life. Looking at the Beatitudes and the seven deadly sins in turn, we see two paths, two sets of invitations. Both call to deep places within us to come and taste. Both invite us to take up residence. Both present themselves as life as it actually is. But only one will draw us further into reality.And only one will make us happy. “Of the many, many books about the Gospels, or about Jesus, or about Christian morality, only one in a thousand gives us a real breakthrough, a new ‘big picture’. Most are just nice little candles on the cake. Seven is a bonfire. It’s not just good; it’s striking. It doesn’t just say all the things you’ve heard a thousand times before. And yet it’s totally in sync with both the saints and the scholars.”--Peter Kreeft, professor of philosophy at Boston College, and author of over forty-five books, including Fundamentals of the Faith.

    Life in first-century Palestine was very different from our world today, and many traditional interpretations of Jesus’ stories ignore this disparity and have often allowed anti-Semitism and misogyny to color their perspectives.In this wise, entertaining, and educational book, Amy-Jill Levine offers a fresh, timely reinterpretation of Jesus’ narratives. In Short Stories by Jesus, she analyzes these “problems with parables,” taking readers back in time to understand how their original Jewish audience understood them. Levine reveals the parables’ connections to first-century economic and agricultural life, social customs and morality, Jewish scriptures and Roman culture. With this revitalized understanding, she interprets these moving stories for the contemporary reader, showing how the parables are not just about Jesus, but are also about us—and when read rightly, still challenge and provoke us two thousand years later.

    Amazingly, only one of the sermons was preached from a manuscript written in advance, as Craddock considered a sermon to be an event in the world of sound. As a result, the selections here wonderfully reflect and preserve Craddock's voice and engage readers with all the immediacy of the spoken word.

    In The Divine Dance, Shannon Kubiak Primicerio acknowledges this desire and likens teen girls to dancers, constantly performing to please the "audiences" in their lives. But in family, peers, teachers, and others, young women forget that they were created to perform for God alone. Promicerio provides readers with guidance and encouragement to stop dancing for the world and to start dancing for an audience of One.

    The story of High-Ranking Mormon leader Hans Mattsson seeking sincere answers from his church but instead finding contempt, fear, doubt...and eventually peace

    Cynthia Bourgeault is a masterful guide to Jesus's vision and to the traditional contemplative practices you can use to experience the heart of his teachings for yourself.

    ”Samara shook her head. “I never will. I’ll always imagine you just like this . . . Or watching me through the lens of a camera . . . Or turning up on a beach somewhere . . . Or teaching me how to hold the camera. ”The tears flowed as she walked, and a sudden wind whipped them off her face. “Or sitting behind me in church when I least expect it . . . Or telling me things I need to hear when I don’t want to hear them . . . Or watching over me.” Fighting her way through the chaos of her family’s dysfunction, Samara Danes has immersed herself in a promising photography career. She sees no need to love or be loved. Then Adam Russell arrives in Samara’s hometown on Australia’s Gold Coast. Years ago, it was Adam who introduced her to the art of photography and opened her eyes to the wonder of the world. She in turn opened his heart to the truths of the gospel. Now can the older man’s kindness, wisdom, and strength help save a family that teeters on the brink of dissolution? Are Samara’s strong feelings for Adam more than just friendship and gratitude? With tender insight, gifted LDS author Pamela Carrington Reid explores the dynamics that stretch fragile relationships nearly to the breaking point. Shades of Gray is a richly crafted novel, genuinely moving and compelling—a tribute to the healing power of the gospel, where the lines of love are never blurred.

    Macaroni and Cheese are best friends, yet they couldn’t be more different! Mac likes to pounce and bounce and jump, but Cheese just sits there like a lump. But when Mac runs into a problem with a gust of wind, Cheese stops being a grumpy grump long enough to help save his friend’s favorite hat. Written in the style of P. D. Eastman’s classic Big Dog . . . Little Dog, this modern-day alley-cat odd couple will delight beginning readers.

    It is the mercy of God at work.