Spiritual/Religion

At the heart of this eBook lie two key ideas: First, you can't give what you don't have. It is imperative that pastors keep close to their call, close to their mission, and close to God. In other words, leaders must take care of themselves before they can do anything for anyone else. And second, the ministry of pastors is not to fulfill all the tasks of ministry themselves, but rather to equip others for their own ministry. This eBook is not for those who want "ministry as usual." Rather, it is ... more info>>

This Christian classic is made more readable by Faith Stencel's inimitable editing and condensing, but none of the beautiful story is cut out. This edition is copyrighted.

This eBook tells how the contemporary church can reclaim its ancient witness through hands-on ministries with the unchurched. When it comes to transforming people's lives and leading them into active Christian discipleship, why does there seem to be such a difference between the church we read about in the New Testament and our own churches today? What was it about those earliest Christians that empowered them to spread the gospel with such startling results? One core reason, says George G. Hunt... more info>>

People are looking for authenticity and they are not finding it in much of the church. The basic principle behind this book goes back to the old "chestnut": If being a Christian were a crime would there be enough evidence to convict you? Are we "walking the talk?" Are we living the example? Are we being salt and light? Would a non-believer, looking at our lives, want to have what we have? Radically Real is a wake-up call to the church. It is a call to look at the way we are living our lives. It ... more info>>

Written for thoughtful readers, this updated edition by a ranking apologist presents a systematic, positive case for Christianity that reflects the latest work in astrophysics, philosophy, probability calculus, the arguments for the existence of God, and Reformed epistemology.

Gives Christians the tools they need to stand firm in their faith and to share that faith with anyone who asks for a reason for the hope within them.

Pastors, worship leaders, worship planners, and laypersons will use this book as they participate in the ReConnecting Worship video-based small group study to learn about and discuss worship in the congregation. In eight rich and stimulating sessions, a group will come to terms with the rapidly changing worship environment. The participants will examine practices and develop skills for improving the ways we worship, while preserving and honoring each particular tradition.

Emily Benton has won the office of president but as she waits to assume that office, her closest adviser, Kate Rosen, is plagued with doubts. As a Christian, Kate owes her allegiance to a higher power. When a scandal brings the president to the brink of disaster, Kate must weigh the bonds of loyalty and duty, ambition and submission, and find a path that leads to the greater glory of God.

When Laura Baxter Jacobs finds out that her husband is involved in an adulterous relationship and wants a divorce, she decides she will love him and remain faithful to her marriage at all costs. This book shows how God can redeem seemingly hopeless relationships, and it illustrates one of Gary Smalley's key messages: Love is a decision. Redemption is the first book in the five-book Redemption series that Gary and Karen will write about the Baxter family--their fears and desires, their strengths ... more info>>

A study guide is included to help couples discuss the questions these couples responded to in their writing: How has marriage led to a deeper and enriched faith? How has Christianity been important at different stages in your marriage? What type of spiritual support have Christian faith and community offered during difficult times in your married life? How are marriage and faith related? What counsel does our Christian heritage offer to married couples? How has faith affected marital intimacy, a... more info>>

This latest release in the Redemption series reunites readers with the continuing saga of the Baxter family. Brooke Baxter has achieved everything this world has to offer--a prestigious career, a beautiful home, and two wonderful children. Her recent return to her faith is an encouragement to her family. But if she faces tremendous loss, can her fledgling faith and her rocky marriage survive?

Whether it be a church that is looking to add to a traditional music program or a church that is looking to start a nontraditional music ministry, ReKindling Your Music Ministry guides worship leaders to make an effective transition into a new music format for worship by reducing or better managing conflict. The "Key" ingedient in a music ministry is to focus hearts on doing God's will--which is an excellent antidote to anxieties about entertainment and performance in worship.

Convinced she could make it on her own, Ashley Baxter has kept the most important people in her life at a distance--her family, the man who loves her, and the God she is sure can never forgive her. Now, just as she begins to open her heart, the events of September 11 rip into Ashley's world and she is led to heartbreaking and hope-filled decisions that will forever change her life. This story vividly illustrates that we must value others more than ourselves, and it drives home one of Gary Smalle... more info>>

In this bold and visionary eBook, two leading Christian thinkers explore the "alien" status of Christians in today's world, and offer a compelling new vision of how the Christian church can regain its vitality, battle its malaise, reclaim its capacity to nourish souls, and stand firmly against the illusions, pretensions, and eroding values of today's world. Hauerwas and Willimon call for a radical new understanding of the church. By renouncing the emphasis on personal psychological categories, t... more info>>

This ambitious volume seeks to rethink worldview, restore wisdom to its central role in the Christian life, and regain a credible and creative witness in the wider culture.

This touching novel reunites readers with the Baxter family and focuses on the only Baxter son, Luke. He is determined to leave his faith and his past behind and embrace a new, free-thinking future. But what he doesn't realize is that his past holds a secret even he doesn't know. When Luke finds out, his comfortable new life is turned upside down, and he must turn back to his roots.

This touching story allows us to see into the lives of the Baxter family as Erin and Sam attempt to adopt a child. As the family looks forward to a heartwarming reunion they find out that Mr. and Mrs. Baxter have a secret that could change their lives forever.

When a condemned man with nothing to lose meets one with nothing to gain, everyone washed by the endless ripples of that encounter will forever recall the day a little bit of heaven invaded a whole lot of hell. Brady Wayne Darby and Thomas Carey could hardly have been more disparate individuals. Yet when Darby, a no-account loser raised in a dingy suburban trailer park, encounters Carey, a weary man of God, an entire--state indeed, a nation--is affected. Embark on a wondrous journey where death,... more info>>

"Why should we change?" This book is written for the vast majority of congregations who are cautious, tentative, and ambivalent to change and creative initiatives for mission. The vast majority will find a calm, reasonable explanation of why their stability is more shaky than ever, and their seeming congregational health hides a growing self-destructive addiction.

Do you believe in soul mates? Romancing the Soul: True Stories and Verse of the Existence of Soul Mates from around the World and Beyond brings together beautiful and compelling stories and verse from people all over the world who have found their soul mates through real-life miracles and chance encounters. A woman lies in her hospital bed and magically envisions her soul mate, whom she has never seen before, then meets him soon after being released--two soul mates lock eyes and feel as if theyí... more info>>

Being twelve isn't easy. But Anika Scott, who has joined her parents as a missionary in Kenya, uses her faith and trust in God and His words as guidance to help her through her adolescent problems. Join Anika in her exciting and often dangerous adventures where using God and her own ingenuity she makes discoveries about the truth in the world. Anika never dreamed that Sabrina would accuse her of stealing, especially from her friends. Now Anika must face the shame of being called a thief and find... more info>>

How can we heal the rift between our daily lives and the sacred? How can we live a life capable of hearing "the still small voice" of God while experiencing the speed and sensory overload of modern life? This book is Ware's answer to these questions. Ware acknowledges that others have addressed the questions; on the one hand there are books which have significant depth but speak in academic or "in-group" language and provide little help adapting these insights to everyday life. O... more info>>

Salvage is about the literal religious interpretation of dogma and the problems that are inherent in a belief based solely on the holy writ. It is a unique look at faith, religious dogma, history, archeology, science, morals, ethics and human behavior from a former literalist. Not for the faint-hearted, Salvage shows the adult reader a practical and sometimes humorous way to see faith and its nemesis dogma for what they are.

Containing sample services for different kinds of "Seeker-friendly" worship services, this book will provide pastors and other church leaders with a thoughtful, yet practical introduction to who Seekers are and how the church might best minister to them.

Season of Ash and Fire will help pastors and worship planners prepare for Lent and Easter. The author provides corporate prayers for each Sunday and Holy Day in the Easter Cycle.