A Life Lived and Laid Down for Friends

A Life Lived and Laid Down for Friends

Author: Don Erickson

Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers

Published: 2019-08-06

Total Pages: 187

ISBN-13: 1532682468

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A Life Lived and Laid Down for Friends reflects on the iconoclastic life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth. From the “riches in the rags” story of the nativity to his compassion-moved sacrifice to save his disciples, this book reflects on Jesus as first and foremost a spiritual teacher who embodied compassion. Pastor and author Don Erickson shows how the humility embodied by society’s most vulnerable was, for Jesus, the benchmark for inclusion in God’s kingdom. The book also looks at Jesus’ approach to religious pluralism, a reality he experienced in ancient Palestine under Roman rule. It was an approach that evidenced Jesus pointing to expressions of compassion, rather than to mere faith. In addition, the book examines the story of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection, offering a view that both asserts the centrality of the passion and bases it in historical context that avoids universalizing the story away. The crucifixion itself is shown to be a portrait of embodied, representative compassion that is salvific in its reach. Inspired by the powerful teachings of liberation theology, as well as a Buddhist-influenced approach to the Gospels, A Life Lived and Laid Down for Friends gives a fresh, poignant portrait of Jesus that defies Trump-America’s resistance to Jesus’ radically compassionate life and teaching.


I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die

I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die

Author: Sarah J. Robinson

Publisher: WaterBrook

Published: 2021-05-11

Total Pages: 257

ISBN-13: 0593193539

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A compassionate, shame-free guide for your darkest days “A one-of-a-kind book . . . to read for yourself or give to a struggling friend or loved one without the fear that depression and suicidal thoughts will be minimized, medicalized or over-spiritualized.”—Kay Warren, cofounder of Saddleback Church What happens when loving Jesus doesn’t cure you of depression, anxiety, or suicidal thoughts? You might be crushed by shame over your mental illness, only to be told by well-meaning Christians to “choose joy” and “pray more.” So you beg God to take away the pain, but nothing eases the ache inside. As darkness lingers and color drains from your world, you’re left wondering if God has abandoned you. You just want a way out. But there’s hope. In I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die, Sarah J. Robinson offers a healthy, practical, and shame-free guide for Christians struggling with mental illness. With unflinching honesty, Sarah shares her story of battling depression and fighting to stay alive despite toxic theology that made her afraid to seek help outside the church. Pairing her own story with scriptural insights, mental health research, and simple practices, Sarah helps you reconnect with the God who is present in our deepest anguish and discover that you are worth everything it takes to get better. Beautifully written and full of hard-won wisdom, I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die offers a path toward a rich, hope-filled life in Christ, even when healing doesn’t look like what you expect.


Listen, Love, Repeat

Listen, Love, Repeat

Author: Karen Ehman

Publisher: HarperChristian + ORM

Published: 2016-11-15

Total Pages: 257

ISBN-13: 0310339685

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Our culture is self-obsessed – in our schedules, relationships, and especially online. (Can you say selfie?) But in this near-narcissism, people are less content than in decades past. Why? Because we forgot the joy that comes from putting others first. Doing so requires us to live alert, listening for “heart drops,” hints from those in our lives who need a helping hand or a generous dose of encouragement. Living alert lifts our own spirits, showing us that blessing others blesses us even more. Listen, Love, Repeat offers biblical teaching and suggests doable actions that are simple, heart-tugging, sentimental, even sneaky and hilarious. This message: • Presents scriptural examples of those who lived alert, including Jesus, who noticed those who least expected to be seen. • Explains the role of good works for followers of Christ. They aren’t our ticket to heaven but they are our marching orders on earth. • Gives creative ideas for showing love to friends and family, and suggests practical ways to reach out to the lonely, the marginalized, the outcast, and the odd duck. Additionally, it helps you comfort the grieving, showing what you can do when you don’t know what to say. • Provides inspiration for blessing the “necessary people” in your life, those often-overlooked souls who help you get life done every day, and teaches you how to hug a porcupine by genuinely loving the hard-to-love. As we scatter love, we create a safe space where we can openly share the gospel. We get to see lives changed right before our eyes. Most importantly, Listen, Love, Repeat will enable you to live a life that is full of kind deeds, not to selfishly shout, “Hey! Look at me!” but to humbly implore, “Will you look at Him?”


Made for Friendship

Made for Friendship

Author: Drew Hunter

Publisher: Crossway

Published: 2018-09-20

Total Pages: 156

ISBN-13: 143355822X

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God made you for friendship. Friendship is one of the deepest pleasures of life. But in our busy, fast-paced, mobile world, we've lost this rich view of friendship and instead settled for shallow acquaintances based on little more than similar tastes or shared interests. Helping us recapture a vision of true friendship, pastor Drew Hunter explores God's design for friendship and what it really looks like in practice—giving us practical advice to cultivate the kinds of true friendships that lead to true and life-giving joy.


Same-Sex Attraction and the Church

Same-Sex Attraction and the Church

Author: Ed Shaw

Publisher: InterVarsity Press

Published: 2015-11-09

Total Pages: 177

ISBN-13: 0830899790

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When Christians have same-sex attraction, how should the church respond? Pastor Ed Shaw experiences same-sex attraction, and yet he is committed to Scripture and the church's traditional position on sexuality. In this honest book, he shares his own experiences and shows us that obedience to Jesus is ultimately the only way to experience life to the full.


She Works His Way

She Works His Way

Author: Michelle Myers

Publisher: Baker Books

Published: 2021-10-12

Total Pages: 256

ISBN-13: 1493433547

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Dear friend, We know it deeply. It is so hard to juggle work, home, and spiritual life. As working women, we've wrestled with tough questions: · How can I be effective in my work, and stay committed to the Gospel? · How can I be dedicated to my family, when my job is so demanding? · Why am I working so hard, and still so unfulfilled? Sound familiar? Like you, we see a culture that promotes success at all costs, and working women are falling for it. It's happening every day. Priorities are shifting. Things are getting done . . . but are we doing what matters most? And that's why we wrote this book. This is the story of how we traded the lies of the world for the truth of our loving Father--the lessons we learned that challenged culture's "good things" so we could find the greatest thing. The book you're holding in your hands is really a conversation--a conversation that pushes back against our culture with a Gospel-centered approach to work and womanhood, for the glory of God and the good of others. Let's get to work. His way. Michelle + Somer "This is the book for every working woman!"--ALLI WORTHINGTON, bestselling author and business coach


Traveling Together

Traveling Together

Author: Karla Worley

Publisher: New Hope Publishers (AL)

Published: 2003

Total Pages: 222

ISBN-13: 9781563097218

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Explores accountability, ministering through struggles, and pointing each other toward Spirit-filled living.


Character Matters

Character Matters

Author: Aaron Menikoff

Publisher: Moody Publishers

Published: 2020-05-05

Total Pages: 204

ISBN-13: 0802498671

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Pastor, it’s time to turn down the noise and focus on what matters. Today’s pastoral world is packed with books, conferences, and seminars teaching you different techniques for being an all-star pastor, growing your church quickly, and changing the world. But the key to true success is much harder and much simpler. Pastors are called to be faithful, to have exemplary character, and to love Jesus. Without faithfulness, their ministry ends up harming others rather than helping them. Churches need pastors with sound doctrine and a sound life. Character Matters was written to help you slow down, cut through the noise and distractions, and focus on what matters—the fruit of the Spirit. Each chapter is a guided, biblical meditation on one aspect of each piece of the fruit of the Spirit. As you reflect and focus on the simple things that matter, you’ll see your heart change and your ministry follow, slowly, surely, and by the power of the Spirit.


Live Original

Live Original

Author: Sadie Robertson

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2015-07-28

Total Pages: 224

ISBN-13: 1476777810

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The television personality and member of the Duck Commander family shares the list of principles that lead her to personal and spiritual growth and help her live the way God says to live.