As a culture we have become less interested in the exploration of the glorious mind, and more interested in creating and mastering technologies that will yield material well-being. But while cultural pessimism is always fashionable, there is still much to give us hope. In The Givenness of Things, the incomparable Marilynne Robinson delivers an impassioned critique of our contemporary society while arguing that reverence must be given to who we are and what we are: creatures of singular interest and value, despite our errors and depredations.Robinson has plumbed the depths of the human spirit in her novels, including the National Book Critics Circle Award-winning Lila and the Pulitzer Prize-winning Gilead, and in her new essay collection she trains her incisive mind on our modern predicament and the mysteries of faith. These seventeen essays examine the ideas that have inspired and provoked one of our finest writers throughout her life. Whether she is investigating how the work of the great thinkers of the past, Calvin, Locke, Bonhoeffer--and Shakespeare--can infuse our lives, or calling attention to the rise of the self-declared elite in American religious and political life, Robinson's peerless prose and boundless humanity are on display. Exquisite and bold, The Givenness of Things is a necessary call for us to find wisdom and guidance in our cultural heritage, and to offer grace to one another.Humanism --Reformation --Grace --Servanthood --Givenness --Awakening --Decline --Fear --Proofs --Memory --Value --Metaphysics --Theology --Experience --Adam --Limitation --Realism

    It may seem unlikely that any new arguments or insights could be raised, but the twentieth century managed to produce two brilliant men with two diametrically opposed views about the question of God: Sigmund Freud and C. S. Lewis. They never had an actual meeting, but in The Question of God, their arguments are placed side by side for the very first time. For more than twenty-five years, Armand Nicholi has taught a course at Harvard that compares the philosophical arguments of both men. In The Question of God, Dr. Nicholi presents the writings and letters of Lewis and Freud, allowing them to "speak" for themselves on the subject of belief and disbelief. Both men considered the problem of pain and suffering, the nature of love and sex, and the ultimate meaning of life and death -- and each of them thought carefully about the alternatives to their positions. The inspiration for the PBS series of the same name, The Question of God does not presuppose which man -- Freud the devout atheist or Lewis the atheist-turned-believer -- is correct in his views. Rather, readers are urged to join Nicholi and his students and decide for themselves which path to follow.

    And in her new book, Help, Thanks, Wow, she has coalesced everything she knows about prayer to these fundamentals.It is these three prayers – asking for assistance from a higher power, appreciating what we have that is good, and feeling awe at the world around us – that can get us through the day and can show us the way forward. In Help, Thanks, Wow, Lamott recounts how she came to these insights, explains what they mean to her and how they have helped, and explores how others have embraced these same ideas.

    They’re designed for a variety of settings, from one-on-one accountability partnerships to Sunday school classes. Sex Is Not the Problem (Lust Is) made the statement that lust is a human problem (not just a guy problem) and that Jesus can free anyone from its power. Going further, these gender-specific study guides feature questions and discussion starters that directly address the temptations unique to men and women. These resources are a must-have for anyone challenged to defeat lust and celebrate purity in their lives. Lust Is Not Just a Guy Problem Based on the bestselling message in Sex Is Not the Problem (Lust Is), Joshua and Shannon Harris offer a companion study guide specifically designed to address the issues women face. For use in a personal or group setting, this in-depth guide is a tool to help you apply the book’s principles as you go further on your journey to holiness. “Sex Is Not the Problem (Lust Is) offers help and hope—not just for those who are dealing with sexual lust, but for anyone besieged by temptation of any kind.” —Nancy Leigh DeMoss Author, host of the Revive Our Hearts radio program Starburst or banner: Includes a Modesty Heart-Check for Girls Sidebar: Each of the ten small-group sessions includes: Easy Review: A quick chapter summary makes review simple. Discussion Questions: Questions that serve as icebreakers, and then lead to deeper discussion and personal application. Accountability Follow-Up: Questions to help check each other’s progress in a truthful and caring setting. Meditate and Memorize: Key Scriptures that will help women gain victory over lust. Custom-Tailored Action Plan: Women will be led in a step-by-step formulation of an Action Plan, uniquely tailored to combat their specific battles. Story Behind the Book“I was preparing a message on lust when I realized that the book I wanted to consult hadn’t been written. That book would make it clear that only Jesus Christ can free us from the hopeless treadmill of shame and guilt that so many well-intentioned people end up on. It would instill a love for holiness and a hatred for sin without dragging the reader’s imagination through the gutter. And it would be for both men and women, because I’ve learned that lust isn’t just a guy problem—it’s a human problem.” —Joshua Harris

    But the greatness of God's grace and his salvation are far more than what most of us have come to expect Here Randy Clark shares what that "more" is--more love for God and others, more power, more joy, more faith, more results in prayer--and how believers can experience God's empowering presence in their lives to do more than they ever imagined. "More" is not only biblical, explains Clark, but essential for greater fruitfulness in ministry and for serving in the kingdom of God with joy and effectiveness.

    Prayers for use by the laity in waging spiritual warfare from the public domain and the Church's treasury.

    Have his ear. Belong to his body.Three seemingly unremarkable principles shape and strengthen the Christian life: listening to God's voice, speaking to him in prayer, and joining together with his people as the church. Though often viewed as normal and routine, the everyday "habits of grace" we cultivate give us access to these God-designed channels through which his love and power flow--including the greatest joy of all: knowing and enjoying Jesus.A study guide for individual and group study is also available.

    While many give their lives to Jesus, few then go on to live a life of truly vibrant faith. In this disruptively inspiring book, Chandler offers tangible ways to develop a faith of pursuing, chasing, knowing, and loving Jesus. Because if we clean up our lives but don't get Jesus, we've lost! So let the goal be Him. To live is Christ, to die is gain—this is the message of the letter. Therefore, our lives should be lived to Him, through Him, for Him, with Him, about Him—everything should be about Jesus.

    This very popular selection for personal and group study is filled with rich advice, spiritual wisdom, and practical applications. With passion and personality, Elizabeth George shares how a woman can follow God and seek His heart in every area of her life her husband her children her home her walk with the Lord her ministryThere is peace and purpose for the woman who prepares her heart and mind to embrace Gods plan every day. This new look will complement the other bestselling Elizabeth George titles loved by millions of women.

    Yet another tsunami or earthquake or flood or fire or war atrocity. One more gun-toting madman stalking young people in idyllic Norway or moviegoers in Colorado or schoolchildren in Newtown, Connecticut. We turn off the news only to get a phone call about expectant parents with a stillborn baby, or a loved one whose cancer has returned. Really, God? we ask. This again?If we have faith in God, it gets shaken to the core. What was God doing in the moment when that tragedy could have been prevented? If we can’t trust God to keep our children safe or our loved ones from dying in agony, what can we trust God for? In his classic book Where Is God When It Hurts, Philip Yancey gave us permission to doubt, reasons not to abandon faith, and practical ways to reach out to hurting people. Now, with new perspectives and stories gathered across nearly twenty-five years, once again he tackles the hard questions head-on. His visits to three places in 2012 raised the old problems with new urgency. More veteran pilgrim than curious journalist in his later years, Yancey faces with his trademark honesty the issues that often undermine faith, yet he emerges with comfort and hope. Along the way, he shows that Christians have an important role to play in bringing healing to a deeply wounded world.There are hopeful reasons to ask, once again, the question that never goes away. . . .

    Michael E. Gaitley, MIC, author of the popular book "Consoling the Heart of Jesus," comes an extraordinary 33-day journey to Marian consecration with four giants of Marian spirituality: St. Louis de Montfort, St. Maximilian Kolbe, Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta, and Blessed Pope John Paul II. Father Michael masterfully summarizes their teaching, making it easy to grasp, and simple enough to put into practice. More specifically, he weaves their thought into a user-friendly, do-it-yourself retreat that will bless even the busiest of people. So, if you've been thinking about entrusting yourself to Mary for the first time or if you're simply looking to deepen and renew your devotion to her, "33 Days to Morning Glory" is the right book to read and the perfect retreat to make.

    A conversation taking place in the spiritual realm. In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve were part of it. Throughout the history of humanity others have joined it, and there is something buried in each of our hearts that tells us we were created to be part of it as well.   We long for it. We yearn to be in on it. But despite giving our lives to Christ and being born again in the Spirit, we don’t always know how to plug into it. So we stay in earth’s chat rooms rather than praying from heaven’s throne room. Even Jesus’ disciples did not ask Him how to preach, but how to pray.   The Prayer Warrior’s Way is a practical guide for praying, enabling you to become versed in the basics necessary for talking to and hearing from God for yourself. Following the revolutionary prayer model Jesus gave to His disciples, Cindy Trimm gives you the keys to joining the most important conversation in the universe.

    No small task! Is there someone we can turn to for help? "Wisdom tells us to sit at the feet of our elders rather than the latest ministry fad," notes author Kyle Strobel. And is there a better elder to guide us than Jonathan Edwards? In Edwards, the eighteenth-century Puritan pastor and theologian, we find deep thought balanced with deep passion. Through his writings and practices, Edwards provides us with the tools--the "means of grace"--that make us receptive to God's work in our lives as we learn to abide in Christ. Here we find a well-rounded account of being formed for the glory of God.Download the free discussion guide (pdf) by Kyle Strobel.

    In keeping with God s pattern of using marginal people from obscure places - fishermen, tax collectors, children, women and Galileans - this story sees God intrude into the mundane rhythms of life in a Christian retreat centre, run by a couple who would have been forgiven for opting for a quiet life when they arrived in this quiet Welsh hamlet. God s intrusion has not only sparked the growth of a House of Prayer but also touched many lives with healing, repentance and encouragement. The tangible presence of God has released visions of Jesus, angelic messengers and a steady stream of non-believers seeking to understand the encounter with God that they experience as they venture near this converted farmhouse. The multiple miracles will provoke the reader to wonder and worship but the book also imparts a fresh understanding of how the church might bless a community through prayer as a prelude to the breaking in of the Kingdom of God into every area of local life. A fresh perspective on evangelism emerges from this inspiring insight into how God might work in your community.

    Who would have imagined that God would make a prayer group as mismatched as ours the closest of friends? I almost didn't even go to the Chicago Women's Conference--after all, being thrown together with five hundred strangers wasn't exactly my "comfort zone." But something happened that weekend to make us realize we had to hang together, and the "Yada Yada Prayer Group" was born! When I faced the biggest crisis of my life, God used my newfound Sisters to show me what it means to be just a sinner saved by grace.