Innovative teachers Craig Gross and Jason Harper will separate the religious from the real as they show how this simple truth is worth our undivided attention. The authors weave Jesus' narrative with their own stories of serving among the "least of these" in this inspiring summons to world-changing faith. Join them as they encounter shut-ins, drunks, inmates, porn stars, and others while striving to follow Christ in their daily lives. Christian and non-Christian readers alike will experience God's love and be challenged to take seriously the call of Jesus. Individuals, small groups, congregations, and church classes will find the companion DVD an indispensable resource for learning about the world-changing love of Jesus through captivating stories and interviews. In these four films, viewers will meet face-to-face with some of the folks they encounter in the book Jesus Loves You . . . This I Know. Each film is three to five minutes long and is followed by questions for groups that wish to use the films as discussion starters. Also ideal for use in sermons.

    We continually demand that life be fair, yet we’re well aware that it’s not. Life can leave you at a loss for words. It has a way of suddenly casting you into the darkness of doubt. In these desperate moments, you find your soul being drained dry . . . you’re empty . . . and faith just doesn’t seem to matter anymore. Faith loses out when you realize that God could have done something . . . and He did nothing. Your life is further emptied when you realize that even if you live the “Christian” life, things don’t always turn out the way you’d like them to . . . and that’s not the way you hoped faith worked. You don’t want God to comfort you in your troubles . . . you want Him to take them from you. As God continually frustrates our faith with His constant inconsistency and ridiculously draining unpredictability, we resolve in the truth that He is the only one who understands our hurting hearts, empty lives, and searching souls. We find the ongoing trials of life continually draining us and . . . we’re thirsty. Yet, through our endless efforts to quench our undying thirst, nothing satisfies. Our souls seem to be insatiable, and we know we desperately need something to fill us, completely . . . but it’s not what we think. You’ve been waiting for God to show up, yet He’s actually been waiting for you. He’s ready to meet with you . . . one on one . . . at the well.

    You would sell your belongings. You would become a missionary and move to another country.” Matthew B. Redmond has preached the gospel of doing more for God, and he wants out. In this collection of essays, he asks a simple question: what about the rest of us? Is there a God for our often-mundane lives?This is a book about pastors, plumbers, dental hygienists, and stay-at-home moms. It finds grace and mercy in chicken fingers, smiles from strangers, and classic films, and ultimately convicts us of something Matt Redmond has learned himself: there is a God of the mundane, and it’s not about what we do for him. It’s about what he does for us.

    Rather than looking to people to meet needs only God can fulfill, readers will learn how to let Christ's sacrificial love ignite within them a passionate desire to share His love with a special person.This practical guide includes plenty of suggestions for establishing successful dating relationships anddealing with the pressure to get marriedexperiencing healing for past hurtsfinding and attracting mature singles to datechoosing whom to marryresisting sexual temptationEach chapter concludes with a personal Bible study as well as group discussion questions, making this a valuable resource for private devotions, small groups, or premarital counseling.

    

    This Bible audio is unique in that you can listen to the Bible text in the order that the biblical events unfolded. Includes five expertly narrated MP3 CDs, ready to load onto your MP3 player. The New Living Translation is an authoritative Bible translation, rendered faithfully into today's English from the ancient texts by 90 leading Bible scholars. The NLT's scholarship and clarity breathe life into even the most difficult-to-understand Bible passages--but even more powerful are stories of how people's lives are changing as the words speak directly to their hearts. That's why we call it "The Truth Made Clear."

    It is an opportunity.In the chaos of our increasingly fast-paced and hectic society, the annual coming of Holy Week each spring is a reminder to pause and ponder, to carefully mark each day, and not let this greatest of all weeks fly like every other.It is a chance to walk with the church throughout the world and throughout time as she accompanies her Bridegroom through the eight most important days in history. And it is an opportunity to focus our minds on, and seek to intensify our affections for, the highest and most timeless realities in the universe.We have assembled a team of eleven pastors and scholars to walk us through Holy Week as we walk together with our Lord. This collection of short meditations includes readings for each morning and evening from Palm Sunday to the triumph of Easter.

    And he has consistently been guided by his faith, which influenced his actions on issues ranging from capital punishment to pardons, health care to abortion, welfare to free college tuition. Yet the place of faith in public life has been hotly debated since our nation's founding, and the relationship of church and state remains contentious to this day--and for good reason. Too often, Bill Haslam argues, Christians end up shaping their faith to fit their politics rather than forming their politics to their faith. They seem to forget their calling is to be used by God in service of others rather than to use God to reach their own desires and ends.Faithful Presence calls for a different way. Drawing upon his years of public service, Haslam casts a remarkable vision for the redemptive role of faith in politics while examining some of the most complex issues of our time, including:partisanship in our divided era;the most essential character trait for a public servant;how we cannot escape "legislating morality";the answer to perpetual outrage; andhow to think about the separation of church and state.For Christians ready to be salt and light, as well as for those of a different faith or no faith at all, Faithful Presence argues that faith can be a redemptive, healing presence in the public square--as it must be, if our nation is to flourish.

    Discover the power in the blood of Jesus to protect and save.

    Hughes, author of the Word Writers Bible study series, has been there, yet she's found a peace that runs deeper than her circumstances. In Deeper Waters, she invites you to...learn to hear God's voice through the pages of His Worddiscover a joy you never thought possible when reading the Biblemake connections in Scripture that transform your way of thinking and livingYou don't have to be in seminary to be a serious student of the Bible. God's Word is for everyone. Dive in and experience the joy that awaits in deeper waters.

    It's all about God, and His glory. That's the purpose of Chris Tomlin's first book--to get you to think of yourself as one of God's fame builders. Through personal stories and his lyrics, Chris takes you on a journey to discover who you are and how you can live a life that tells the story of God.Includes a study guide for small groups or personal use.

    Dr. Stephen Gammon shares timeless biblical wisdom and treasured personal insights learned through 14 successive chapters of life in Walking With God: 101 Lessons for Life and Ministry. Applying these lessons will... • Heighten your enjoyment of walking with God • Expand your awareness of lessons God is trying to teach you • Reduce your resistance to leaving your comfort zone in obedience to Jesus • Increase your anticipation of fruitful ministry for Christ until your last breath About the Author Dr. Stephen Gammon is a third-generation minister and has walked with God since early childhood. A pastor since age 25, he has served more than 30 years wherever and whenever God has led him, including in two local church pastorates, as a denominational leader of ministers and churches (Conservative Congregational Christian Conference), and as an active duty and Navy Reserves chaplain. Steve and his wife, Helen, reside in Colorado Springs, Colorado. They have three adult children, a son-in-law, and a grandson.

    The chronicle of an ordinary man who found himself at the center of an astounding miracle. A divine process that fully revealed Christ's transforming power, through a resurrection that preceded His very own. But what if the story of Lazarus holds powerful parallels for us today? What if his story of hope and heartbreak, expectancy and disappointment, death and life, is our story too? What if the transformation Lazarus experienced is available to you and me? Stephen W. Smith presents a remarkable journey through the life of Lazarus. Smith offers eye-opening insights into the Christian life, as we encounter A lingering Jesus A life trapped in the tomb The smell of the grave clothes The need for others to help us And the Voice of Love that calls your name Come explore the life and legacy of Lazarus. Discover a story all your own.  And hear the voice of the One who loves you. Find free study resources for The Lazarus Life at www.lazaruslife.com.

    In this classic book, Madeleine L'Engle addresses the questions, What makes art Christian? What does it mean to be a Christian artist? What is the relationship between faith and art? Through L'Engle's beautiful and insightful essay, readers will find themselves called to what the author views as the prime tasks of an artist: to listen, to remain aware, and to respond to creation through one's own art.

    Here is straight talk from a man who has sought authentic New Testament community for more than fifty years and who has discovered it in the most unlikely places.