Christian communities are no exception. Why do so many of our relationships suffer from alienation, indifference, and even hostility?Author Sam Crabtree believes that often at the heart of these breakdowns is a lack of affirmation. He observes in Scripture that God grants mercy to those who refresh others, and in life that people tend to be influenced by those who praise them. Crabtree shows how a robust "God-centered affirmation ratio" refreshes others and honors God.Practicing Affirmation sounds a call to recognize and affirm the character of Christ in others. When done well, affirmation does not fuel pride in the person, but refreshes them and honors God. All who are discouraged in relationships will find wisdom and practical insight in this book.

    Youth ministries adapted and responded to the first two shifts, but we’re missing the boat on the third. The result? Youth ministry isn’t addressing the realities and needs of today’s youth culture. After nearly three decades in youth ministry, Mark Oestreicher has lived through a lot of those shifts himself. In recent years, he’s found himself wondering what needs to change, especially since so much of what we’re doing in youth ministry today is not working. In Youth Ministry 3.0, youth workers will explore, along with Marko and the voices of other youth workers, why we need change in youth ministry, from a ministry moving away from a dependence on programs, to one that is focused on communion and mission. They’ll get a quick history of youth ministry over the last fifty years. And they’ll help dream about what changes need to take place in order to create the next phase of youth ministry — the future that needs to be created for effective ministry to students.

    Culture tells us that in order to be liked we must masquerade as someone other than who we are. So, we lacquer ourselves with credit cards and plastic surgery and status updates hoping no one will see the person underneath. This "veneer" allows us to silence our real selves as it gives voice to the alter ego we'd like others to see. But, is this all there is to life or have we been duped? Does material success equal significance? Is our only identity the one we steal from Hollywood? God's idea of humanity is altogether different from the world's. There is a way to live that sees beauty in our imperfection and, as Tim and Jason put it, once we realize this we can strip our veneers and live an unveneered life of freedom, honesty, and beauty.

    Each study contains a questionanswer format, a field-tested inductive Bible study and questions to draw out key principles.

    Lives well-lived, not just words eloquently spoken, must become our response. The quality of our relationship with God is what will influence the health, potency, and witness of the church in an increasingly complex and hostile world.Designed for use as a college or seminary course, Conformed to His Image helps us build our lives on a fully biblical perspective. Exploring twelve approaches to Christian spirituality in depth, Dr. Kenneth Boa corrects our tendency to pick and compartmentalize. Pointing the way instead to an integrative, whole-life approach, Dr. Boa shows how each spiritual paradigm discussed is just one important facet in the gem of authentic and powerful New Testament living.With chapter overviews and objectives, questions for personal application, a glossary, and a list of key terms, Conformed to His Image will prove a defining text for the student, pastor, and church leader of today . . . and tomorrow. 12 Facets of the Complete Christian LifeRelational Spirituality: Loving God Completely, Ourselves Correctly, and Others CompassionatelyParadigm Spirituality: Cultivating an Eternal versus a Temporal PerspectiveDisciplined Spirituality: Engaging in the Historical DifferencesExchanged Life Spirituality: Grasping Our True Identity in ChristMotivated Spirituality: A Set of Biblical IncentivesDevotional Spirituality: Falling in Love with GodHolistic Spirituality: Every Component of Life under the Lordship of ChristProcess Spirituality: Being versus Doing, Process versus ProductSpirit-Filled Spirituality: Walking in the Power of the SpiritWarfare Spirituality: The World, the Flesh, and the DevilNurturing Spirituality: A Lifestyle of Discipleship and EvangelismCorporate Spirituality: Encouragement, Accountability, and Worship

    In this classic volume, Charles Swindoll uniquely shows the important aspects of authentic servanthood, such as:What it takes to serve unselfishlyWhy a servant has such a powerful influenceWhat challenges and rewards a servant can expectHe offers clear guidelines on developing a servant's heart and challenges you to realize the rich rewards promised in a life of authentic Christian servanthood.

    George G. Hunter III points out that, while the attention paid to the Celtic Christians is well deserved, much of it fails to recognize the true genius of this ancient form of Christianity. What many contemporary Christians do not realize is that Celtic Christianity was one of the most successfully evangelistic branches of the church in history. The Celtic church converted Ireland from paganism to Christianity in a remarkably short period, and then proceeded to send missionaries throughout Europe.North America is today in the same situation as the environment in which the early Celtic preachers found their mission fields: unfamiliar with the Christian message, yet spiritually seeking and open to a vibrant new faith. If we are to spread the gospel in this culture of secular seekers, we would do well to learn from the Celts. Their ability to work with the beliefs of those they evangelized, to adapt worship and church life to the indigenous patterns they encountered, remains unparalleled in Christian history. If we are to succeed in "reaching the West . . . again," then we must begin by learning from these powerful witnesses to the saving love of Jesus Christ.

    Why? Because the media’s politically correct agenda has redefined historical religious terms. Meanwhile, liberal Christianity denies the supernatural and explains away anything miraculous. Dr. Towns attempts to answer these problems. He takes the Bible at face value and explains Christianity’s basic concepts beginning with the premise that Christianity is a Person—Jesus Christ. Then chapter-by-chapter, he builds a coherent and consistent case so the reader will correctly understand what Christianity is all about.•The book gives a rational overview of Christianity so the modern mind will interact with God’s claim upon its life. •The book gives a comprehensive coverage of Christianity so the reader will intelligently understand what Christians believe and how they should live.

    Faith in God is reassuring and comforting only insofar as believers trust Him--and that depth of trust is the mark of a mature Christian who has allowed faith to intrude on his life and shift his gaze away from his own aims, needs and desires. This is nothing if not a painful and disturbing process."A Disruptive Faith "is A. W. Tozer's never-before-published teaching on what he termed "faith that perturbs"--faith that contradicts the unbelieving man and threatens the complacency of the Christian. The renowned pastor and teacher insists in these pages that genuine faith breeds dissatisfaction with this life, by God's design; it weans us from this temporary life and prepares us for the life to come. Readers will learn to be content with this faith-inspired discontent and to experience a fresh hope for eternity with God.

    For individual reading or group study, this insightful work calls us to mutual respect, unity and a deeper daily relationship with God.This simple but challenging look at three commands, "do no harm, do good, stay in love with God." "Every year I review the three general rules of the United Methodist Church with those who are being ordained. Now I have a wonderful ordination gift to give them in Bishop Job's, Three Simple Rules, to start and deepen the conversation as they enter a new relationship with the church. Bishop Job has described "by attending upon all the ordinances of God" to be to "stay in love with God." It's a fresh language that speaks especially to long-time Christians and United Methodists." Sally Dyck, Resident Bishop, Minnesota Area "Three Simple Rules is a new catechism for everyone wanting to follow Jesus Christ. These practices for holy living should replace the membership vows in every church! Don't let the title fool you. Bishop Job writes, 'The rules are simple, but the way is not easy. Only those with great courage will attempt it, and only those with great faith will be able to walk this exciting and demanding way.'" John Hopkins, Resident Bishop, East Ohio Area

    In fact, it's just gotten harder. With the recent election of our current Pope, a new wave of attacks is under way by the enemies of the Catholic Church. From this point forward, every Catholic will come face-to-face with the vicious anti-Catholic attacks that are being launched against the faith. Here at Catholic Answers, the most effective products for countering attacks and clearing up misunderstandings have been our tracts. They've been around since the beginning of the apostolate and have resulted in many thousands of conversions. These tracts provide a real point of contact for someone in discovering the truths of the Catholic faith. We've decided to compile seventy of the best tracts into one cohesive, comprehensive book that can be used by anyone, anytime, anywhere to defend the Catholic faith. "The Essential Catholic Survival Guide" is indexed according to topic in a unique question-and-answer format that allows the reader to find the right answer to any question instantly. It covers the questions and misconceptions people have about the Catholic faith on a variety of topics, including: * The Church and the papacy * Scripture and Tradition * Mary and the saints * The sacraments * Salvation * Last things * Morality and science * Anti-Catholicism * Non-Catholic churches and movements * Practical apologetics It's the essence of Catholic apologetics - all rolled up into one attractive, easy-to-use manual that is destined to become the most effective tool of its kind.

    The New Faithful is a groundbreaking book that examines the growing trend toward religious orthodoxy among today's young adults.  author and Journalist Colleen Carroll Campbell offers strong opinions on how this movement might transform an American society steeped in moral relativism and secularism.Blending investigative journalism with in-depth analysis, Campbell seeks the reasons behind the choice of orthodoxy in a socity that often denigrates traditional morality and rejects organized religion.

    J.C. Ryle--the last of the great Puritans--tackles each of these subjects with a tenderness and tact which is unsurpassed. If it was difficult to be a young man in the days of the nineteeth century when Ryle first penned Thoughts for Young Men, it is all the more difficult to be a young man in the twenty-first century world of image-overload, radical individualism, and rampant sensuality. Thoughts for Young Men remains to this day the most relevent and helpful book on the subject in print.

    Includes new chapter for assessing resources.

    It sounds so simple, doesn't it?Perhaps the principle may be, but living by the principle is another matter altogether. In Balancing the Christian Life, Charles Ryrie reminds you that "the Bible must be the guide and test for all our experiences in the spiritual life... and if any experience fails to pass that test, it must be discarded." He warns that "an unbalanced application of the doctrines related to spirituality will result in an unbalanced Christian life."Ryrie examines numerous key issues of spirituality, including:The old and the new lifeSanctificationUsing your giftsRoutine faithfulnessWiles of the DevilTemptationConfessionForgivenessFor more than 40 years, Balancing the Christian Life has been changing lives worldwide. Take time to read this classic study and allow it to change yours.Includes a 32-page study guide.