Sex, Jesus, and the Conversations the Church Forgot


Mo Isom - 2018
    In a world overwhelmingly obsessed with it, why is the church so silent about it? While our secular culture twists, perverts, cheapens, and idolizes sex, there are gaping holes in the church's guidance of young people. The result is generations of sexually illiterate people drowning in the repercussions of overwhelming sin struggles.Enough is enough, says Mo Isom. With raw vulnerability and a bold spirit, she shares her own sexual testimony, opening up the conversation about misguided rule-following, virginity, temptation, porn, promiscuity, false sex-pectations, sex in marriage, and more and calling readers back to God's original design for sex--a way to worship and glorify him. This book is for the young person tangled up in an addiction to pornography, for the girlfriend feeling pressured to go further, for the "good girl" who followed the rules and saved herself for marriage and then was confused and disappointed, for the married couple who use sex as a bargaining tool, for every person who casually watches sex play out in TV and movies and wonders why they're dissatisfied with the real thing, and for every confused or hurting person in-between. Sex was God's idea. It's time we invited him back into the bedroom.

The Seasons of God: How the Shifting Patterns of Your Life Reveal His Purposes for You


Richard Blackaby - 2012
    Often we say, “It’s just the season of life I’m in.”  But did you know that just as God has purposes for the seasons of nature, he also uses seasons in your life to grow you, work with you, and talk to you?  Richard Blackaby explains in The Seasons of God how understanding the principles of the seasons can offer us hope, direction, insight, and intimacy with God himself.  It’s a thoughtful exploration of God’s patterns at work in our lives—how His will is being carried out in the best way…at the best time.Your plans, your relationships, your career, your ministry—all have their unique God-intended moment. God’s Word expresses it this way: “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.” So what’s your season of life? And what is God telling you through the season you’re in?

Not What You Think: Why the Bible Might Be Nothing We Expected Yet Everything We Need


Michael McAfee - 2019
    The Bible is seen by many contemporary readers as intolerant, outdated, out of step with societal norms at best, and a tool of oppression at worst.In this earnest and illuminating read, millennial thought leaders and aspiring theologians Michael and Lauren McAfee are here to say: fair enough. But they're also here to raise a few questions of their own:What if we cleared the deck on our preconceptions of the Bible and encountered it anew?What if we came with the understanding that our questions are welcome?And what if the Bible presents less of a system to figure out, and more of a story to step into--a story with more surprising plot twists than we might think?Michael and Lauren spent their childhoods in church and Sunday school, they spent part of their twenties finding their way in the world in New York City, and today they're shaping their careers while pursuing doctoral studies in theology and ethics. Along the way, they've had to wrangle very real questions--both their own, and of their friends--about why, where, and how the most controversial book in history fits in our world today.Join Michael and Lauren as they explore the nature of the Bible--an ancient mosaic of story, literature, history, and poetry--and what it means for this generation and its relationship with God. Ultimately, Not What You Think is an invitation to come and see, and be surprised.

Sacred Sex: A Spiritual Celebration of Oneness in Marriage


Tim Alan Gardner - 2002
    Yet few couples actually experience sex as a spiritual, God-ordained experience. Rather than admit their lack of fulfillment, many couples hide their disappointment and confusion, while others attempt to solve the problem through better sexual technique. Unfortunately, all the advice on improved technique fails to explain the one thing that makes sense of it all. Despite the proliferation of resources to enhance sexual satisfaction, couples continue to struggle in their sexual relationship. In fact, author and licensed counselor Tim Gardner estimates that as few as 2 percent of married couples ever experience a truly exciting, energizing, and soul-touching physical bond. But now, that can change. A couple's sexual relationship has a far higher purpose than pleasure or procreation. Scripture makes it clear that sex is the one thing on earth that joins two people into one. Now readers can learn how to approach marital sex in a way that brings the fulfillment of true oneness. Sacred Sex shows how they can experience a beautiful, God-ordained life of intimacy that blesses them far beyond the bedroom walls, serves as an act of worship to God, and touches their hearts and souls in ways they never could have imagined.

NIV, The Woman's Study Bible, Full-Color, Ebook: Receiving God's Truth for Balance, Hope, and Transformation


Dorothy Kelley Patterson - 2018
    Special features designed to speak to a woman’s heart appear throughout the Bible text, revealing Scripture-based insights about how godly womanhood grows from a woman’s identity as a Christ-follower and a child of the Kingdom. Now with a beautiful full-color redesign, The Woman’s Study Bible reflects the contributions of over 80 women from a wide variety of ethnic, denominational, educational, and occupational backgrounds. Since the publication of the first edition of The Woman’s Study Bible under the editorial guidance of Dorothy Kelley Patterson and Rhonda Harrington Kelley, this landmark study Bible has sold over 1.5 million copies. Features Include: Beautiful full-color design throughout Detailed biographical portraits of over 100 biblical women Thousands of extensive verse-by-verse study notes Over 300 in-text topical articles on relevant issues Insightful essays by women who are recognized experts in the fields of theology, biblical studies, archaeology, and philosophy Book introductions and outlines Hundreds of full-color in-text maps, charts, timelines, and family trees Quotes from godly women throughout history Set of full-page maps of the biblical world Topical index Concordance 10.5-point print size

Being the Bad Guys: How to Live for Jesus in a World That Says You Shouldn't


Stephen McAlpine - 2021
    Christians are now often seen as the bad guys, losing both respect and influence.In our post-Christian culture, how do we offer the gospel to those around us who view it as not only wrong but possibly dangerous? And how do we ensure that the secular worldview does not entice us away with its constant barrage, online and elsewhere, of messages about self-determinism?Author Stephen McAlpine offers an analysis of how our culture ended up this way and explains key points of tension between biblical Christianity and secular culture. He encourages Christians not to be ashamed of the gospel as it is more liberating, fulfilling and joyful than anything the world has to offer. He also offers strategies for coping in this world, with its opposing values, and for reaching out to others wisely with the truth.

Spirituality for the Rest of Us: A Down-to-Earth Guide to Knowing God


Larry Osborne - 2009
    Takes the blinders off and opens your eyes to some strange and unique ways God works.”-Stephen Arterburn“This book will speak to everyong who has ever felt ‘left out’ spiritually. Larry’s insights cut through the commonly accepted, guilt-induced world of religion as he caputures the raw essence of New Testament relationship.” -Craig Groeschel

Colors of Goodbye: A Memoir of Holding On, Letting Go, and Reclaiming Joy in the Wake of Loss


September Vaudrey - 2016
    But on that day, with one phone call from the ER, her whole world--everything she knew and believed--was shaken to the core. Katie, her 19-year-old artist daughter, had been in a car accident and would not survive. How does a family live in the wake of devastating tragedy? When darkness colors every moment, is it possible to find light? Can God still be good, even after goodbye?With the depth of C. S. Lewis's "A Grief Observed" and the poignancy of Joan Didion's "The Year of Magical Thinking," "Colors of Goodbye" offers a moving glimpse into a mother's heart. Combining literary narrative and raw reflection, September Vaudrey walks through one of life's worst losses--the death of a child--and slowly becomes open to watching for the unexpected ways God carries her through it. It's a story of love and tragedy in tandem; a deeply personal memoir from a life forever changed by one empty place. And at its core, "Colors of Goodbye" calls to the deepest part of our spirits to know that "death is not the end . . ." and that life can be beautiful still.

The Prayer That Turns the World Upside Down: The Lord's Prayer as a Manifesto for Revolution


R. Albert Mohler Jr. - 2018
    But to the disciples who first heard these words from Jesus, the prayer was a thunderbolt, a radical new way to pray that changed them and the course of history.Far from a safe series of comforting words, the Lord’s Prayer makes extraordinary claims, topples every earthly power, and announces God’s reign over all things in heaven and on earth. In this groundbreaking new book, R. Albert Mohler Jr. recaptures the urgency and transformational nature of the prayer, revealing once again its remarkable, world-upending power. Step by step, phrase by phrase, The Prayer that Turns the World Upside Down explains what these words mean and how we are to pray them.The Lord’s Prayer is the most powerful prayer in the Bible, taught by Jesus to those closest to him. We desperately need to relearn its power and practice. The Prayer that Turns the World Upside Down shows us how.

Beyond Authority and Submission: Women and Men in Marriage, Church, and Society


Rachel Green Miller - 2019
    Although modern discussions have focused on authority and submission, Rachel Green Miller believes that there is more to the biblical picture of women and men. As she examines and corrects conservative teaching on gender, she draws out equally important themes in Scripture that will strengthen our relationship as co-laborers in the kingdom of God.

A Compassionate Call to Counter Culture in a World of Poverty, Same-Sex Marriage, Racism, Sex Slavery, Immigration, Abortion, Persecution, Orphans and Pornography


David Platt - 2015
    But the Bible makes it abundantly clear that is not what Christ’s followers are called to do.In Counter Culture, New York Times bestselling author David Platt redefines social justice from a biblical standpoint and makes a compelling case for why Christians are called to fully and actively surrender themselves to every cause — regardless of personal cost or consequence.Drawing heavily on Scripture and compelling personal accounts from around the world, Platt presents a pointed yet winsome call for readers to faithfully follow Christ in countercultural ways — ways that will prove both costly and rewarding for the contemporary church.

Rocking the Roles: Building a Win-Win Marriage


Robert Lewis - 1991
    Rocking the Roles explains how marriage can be a perfect blend of structure and equality, balance and beauty.Transform your relationship by learning about:• common misunderstandings about marriage• core roles that don’t limit choices• what spouses most need to understand about each other• what submission and authority is and is not• sexualityBuild a marriage on a firm foundation of Scripture, forgiveness, and a healthy understand of who we are in Christ.

Rethinking Sexuality: God's Design and Why It Matters


Juli Slattery - 2018
    By contesting long-held cultural paradigms, this book equips you to see how sexuality is rooted in the broader context of God's heart and His work for us on earth. It provides a framework from which to understand the big picture of sexual challenges and wholeness, and helps you recognize that every sexual question is ultimately a spiritual one. It shifts the paradigm from combating sexual problems to confidently proclaiming and modeling the road to sacred sexuality. Instead of arguing with the world about what's right and wrong about sexual choices, this practical resource equips you to share the love and grace of Jesus as you encounter the pain of sexual brokenness--your own or someone else's.

Every Woman's Battle: Discovering God's Plan for Sexual and Emotional Fulfillment


Shannon Ethridge - 2003
    A guide for women uses real-life stories and examples from the author's own experiences to reveal four components of female sexuality, offering advice on how women can cultivate intimacy with their husbands in a way that is consistent with their faith.

Anxious: Choosing Faith in a World of Worry


Amy Simpson - 2014
    We stress over circumstances we can't control, we talk about what's keeping us up at night and we wring our hands over the fate of disadvantaged people all over the world, almost as if to show we care and that we have big things to care about. Worry is part of our culture, an expectation of responsible people. And sadly, Christians are no different.But we are called to live and think differently from the worried world around us. The fact is, worry is sin, but we don't seem to take it seriously. It is a spiritual problem, which ultimately cannot be overcome with sheer willpower--its solution is rooted entirely in who God is.How can we live life abundantly, with joy, as God has called us to do, when we're consumed by anxiety? We are commanded not to worry, not only in the well-known words of Jesus recorded in Matthew 6, but also throughout the Old Testament and the epistles to the church. The Bible makes it clear that the future belongs only to God, who rules and is not subject to the limitations of time. To live with joy and contentment, trusting God with the present and the future, is a countercultural feat that can be accomplished only through him.Challenging the idolatrous underpinnings of worry, former Christianity Today executive Amy Simpson encourages us to root our faith in who God is, not in our own will power. We don't often give much thought to why worry offends God, but indulging anxiety binds us to mere possibilities and blinds us to the truth. Correctly understanding the theology of worry is critical to true transformation. This is a book not just for people who worry; this is a call to the church to turn its eyes from the things of earth and fix its eyes on the author and completer of our faith.