He wants more for us than a tepid faith and half-hearted routines at the dinner table. He's called you to a life of courage, not comfort.This book will show you how to pray the prayers that search your soul, break your habits, and send you to pursue the calling God has for you. But be warned: if you're fine with settling for what's easy, or you're OK with staying on the sidelines, this book isn't for you. You'll be challenged. You'll be tested. You'll be moved to take a long, hard look at your heart.But you'll be inspired, too.You'll be inspired to pray boldly. To pray powerfully. To pray with fire. You'll see how you can trade ineffective prayers and lukewarm faith for raw, daring prayers that will push you to new levels of passion and fulfillment. You'll discover the secret to overcome fears of loss, rejection, failure, and the unknown and welcome the blessings God has for you on the other side.You'll gain the courage it takes to pray dangerous prayers.

     We all have choices to make every day, yet many of us struggle to know if we are doing the right thing. Are we really hearing from God and walking in His will? We want to be obedient to Christ, but we struggle with relationships, finances, a job we don't like, a child with special needs, aging parents, and the list goes on. The truth is we need direction for every decision--where to go to college, whom to marry, where to go to church, which job to take, what ministries to be involved in, how to handle our finances, how to handle broken relationships, and so many other things. Seek Him First has been written to show you exactly how you can seek God and find the direction you need for the journey. This book is for those who know God has a plan for their lives but don't know how to make it a reality from day to day. In the pages of this book, I will show you how I learned to spend time with God every day. You will be able to commit (and stay committed) to a daily quiet time that will stir up a hunger inside of you for more of God. You will begin to know when He is speaking to you and follow His plan for your life. And you will be so filled with excitement and zeal when you begin to hear God's voice, that you will no longer be satisfied with just sitting in a pew. You will have a desire to be on mission with the God of the universe, and that, my friend, will change your world. I don't want you to miss out on all that God has in store for you. He has great plans for your life--bigger and better than you could ever think or imagine--but you will miss His will for you if you don't learn to seek Him first. You can learn how to hear God's voice and walk in God's will for yourself. So what are you waiting for? Read this book and learn to Seek Him First!

    I. Packer's classic has been an important tool to help Christians around the world discover the wonder, the glory and the joy of knowing God. In 2006, Christianity Today voted this title one of the top 50 books that have shaped evangelicals. This edition is updated with Americanized language and spelling and a new preface by the author. Stemming from Packer's profound theological knowledge, Knowing God brings together two important facets of the Christian faith: 1. Knowing about God and 2. Knowing God through the context of a close relationship with the person of Jesus Christ. Written in an engaging and practical tone, this thought-provoking work seeks to transform and enrich the Christian understanding of God. Explaining both who God is and how we can relate to him, Packer divides his book into three sections: The first directs our attention to how and why we know God, the second to the attributes of God and the third to the benefits enjoyed by a those who know him intimately. This guide leads readers into a greater understanding of God while providing advice to gaining a closer relationship with him as a result.

    According to pastor and bestselling author Kyle Idleman, we can experience this same kind of "aha!" in our spiritual lives. With everyday examples and trademark testimonies, Idleman draws on Scripture to reveal how three key elements can draw us closer to God and change our lives for good. Awakening to the reality of our true spiritual condition, we see ourselves and our need for a Savior with renewed honesty. This realization leads to action, obeying God's commands and following the example set by Christ. As we see in the transformation of the prodigal son, the result is a life-changing, destiny-altering collision—an AHA moment that leads us home to our loving Father.

    

    The message blew up on social-media, triggering an avalanche of responses running the gamut from encouraged to enraged.In Jesus > Religion, Bethke unpacks similar contrasts that he drew in the poem—highlighting the difference between teeth gritting and grace, law and love, performance and peace, despair and hope. With refreshing candor he delves into the motivation behind his message, beginning with the unvarnished tale of his own plunge from the pinnacle of a works-based, fake-smile existence that sapped his strength and led him down a path of destructive behavior.Bethke is quick to acknowledge that he’s not a pastor or theologian, but simply a regular, twenty-something who cried out for a life greater than the one for which he had settled. Along his journey, Bethke discovered the real Jesus, who beckoned him beyond the props of false religion.

    In his highly-acclaimed book of the same title, he shares the deeply personal meditation that led him to discover the place within which God has chosen to dwell. This Lent course, which has been adapted from the book, helps us to reflect on the meaning of the parable for our own lives. Divided into five sessions, the course moves through the parable exploring our reaction to the story: the younger son's leaving and return, the father's restoration of sonship, the elder son's resentment and the father's compassion. All of us who have experienced loneliness, dejection, jealousy or anger will respond to the persistent themes of homecoming, affirmation and reconciliation.

    People and places are broken all around us.We were made for better than this: We were made to be whole, and wholly human, to tend a world that is wholly humane. We were made in the image of God. This book is a quest to recover that image in ourselves and our neighbors, to help us all become human and humane again.For Christians who lament the brokenness in themselves, their neighbors, and the world around them, Whole offers a rallying cry to pursue wholeness together.

    As a result, churches today are filled with people who believe they are Christians . . . but aren’t. We want to be disciples as long as doing so does not intrude on our lifestyles, our preferences, our comforts, and even our religion.Revealing a biblical picture of what it means to truly be a Christian, Follow Me explores the gravity of what we must forsake in this world, as well as the indescribable joy and deep satisfaction to be found when we live for Christ.The call to follow Jesus is not simply an invitation to pray a prayer; it’s a summons to lose your life—and to find new life in him. This book will show you what such life actually looks like.

    . . all year long.Does your home sometimes feel like just a place to eat, sleep, and change clothes on the way to the next activity? Do you long for "home" to mean more than a place where you stash your stuff? Wouldn't you love it to become a haven of warmth, rest, and joy . . . the one place where you and your family can't wait to be?There is good news waiting for you in the pages of The Lifegiving Home. Every day of your family's life can be as special and important to you as it already is to God. In this unique book designed to help your family enjoy and celebrate every month of the year together, you'll discover the secrets of a life-giving home from a mother who created one and her daughter who was raised in it: popular authors Sally and Sarah Clarkson. Together they offer a rich treasure of wise advice, spiritual principles, and practical suggestions. You'll embark on a new path to creating special memories for your children; establishing home-building and God-centered traditions; and cultivating an environment in which your family will flourish. (Don't miss the companion piece, The Lifegiving Home Experience.)

    Blessed. How can those two words possibly go together? Considering just how shattering life’s blows can be, can we honestly believe God will bring good out of our most heartbreaking crises? “It’s difficult to discern the blessing in the midst of brokenness,” says Dr. Charles Stanley. “Certain circumstances in life hurt, at times so intensely that we think we will never heal.” The catalysts for brokenness all possess a wrenching pain and the power to forever alter our life. But they also possess one thing more: the potential for discovering a richness in living we otherwise never would know. Perhaps you’ve already experienced circumstances so shattering you may wonder today whether it’s even possible to pick up the pieces. And maybe you can’t. But God can. “After brokenness, we can experience God’s greatest blessings.” In Finding God’s Blessings in Brokenness, Dr. Stanley will carry you through the hard times and show you how God’s glory is consistent throughout and always available. A gentle, encouraging way to explore God’s purpose and power as only experienced through the darkest times of life, this book will encourage you as you journey through the dry seasons.Set amidst beautiful photography and a timeless design, Dr. Stanley’s words of encouragement and hope will guide you to growth and the joy of the Lord. Finding God’s Blessings in Brokenness is a thoughtful and inspiring gift to encourage anyone struggling through a dark season, as well as a thoughtful gift for anyone going through loss.

    So many of us are overwhelmed and underfed. But there is hope.In this inspiring and practical book, Sarah Beth Marr helps women develop a regular practice of withdrawing from busyness to realign and refresh their hearts, minds, and souls. She helps them- discover Scripture that will lead them to peace- connect with God on a deeper level- run to God rather than other things that do not satisfy- experience less stress and more contentment- be fully present in their livesAny woman who feels distracted, burnt out, depleted, or overwhelmed will find in Marr a gentle and uplifting guide to greater personal peace and simplicity.

    Because while all of us envy others to some extent, few of us acknowledge our problem out loud, let alone try to overcome it and move forward. Bob Sorge draws upon his own pastoral experience-plus the admitted burden of his own envy-to show why and how it can adversely affect the ministry of a church and even prevent revival in people's lives. Sorge reveals why comparison of our ministry and spiritual gifts to that of our fellow believers is to be avoided at all costs so that we do not hamstring God's plan for our growth and the accomplishment of His purposes. This is a must-read for leaders of all churches, great and small-and anyone who wants the peace that comes with a life free of envy.

    Participants will gain an overarching understanding of the fundamental layout and meaning of God's Word. Seamless helps replace insecurity that holds participants back with clarity and helping them move forward with confidence in their understanding of Scripture. Each week of study features key information that ties all of scripture together into the seamless truth of the gospel message and is accompanied by maps, general Bible facts, and word studies.

    Each verse and each sentence is dissected to unveil great prophesies which are coming to fruition today. It cannot be over-emphasized how relevant this book is to our current generation. The book of Daniel covers everything from the sorry state of today’s denominations, to corrupt governments whom will not be changed before the end of the world as we know it. Many devastating things which will come to pass are clearly defined in this book. However, Daniel doesn’t stop here. We, the children of God, are shown the beautiful way of a true Christian’s life, as modeled by Daniel himself. We truly are blessed and must give all glory to God for His generous gift of salvation, through His Son, Jesus Christ.Each verse in the Biblical Book of Daniel is studied in depth, in the same order as presented in the Bible. The author defines words and phrases typically ignored and expounds on the prophetic times and seasons well documented by Daniel. These prophecies are clear and undisputable, and as the author points out, Christ intended that we know about the times and seasons so we can watch for His return. This book is originally taken from a series of messages by Russell Martin Stendal, while in Colombia, South America. Originally written in Spanish, this book was later translated into English to encourage Christians in the western world.About the AuthorRussell Stendal was born in Minneapolis and raised on the mission field in Colombia, South America. He became a missionary jungle pilot at age nineteen. Almost ten years later he was kidnapped in 1983 by Marxist rebels and held hostage for five months. His book, Rescue the Captors, relates his experience, including how God worked in the hearts of the rebels. Russell has written many other books, produced videos, and edited two Bible translations, the Spanish Reina-Valera 2000 and the Jubilee Bible in English. Russell heads up the work of Colombia Para Cristo which operates 12 radio stations involving over 100 staff and coworkers and covering much of Latin America with the Gospel. A thriving underground church has developed in remote jungle areas of Colombia. New high gain antennas are now beaming the Gospel message deep into areas of deepening crisis across the borders of Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru and Brazil as well as throughout Colombia.