At age twenty-one, Andrea Palpant Dilley stripped the Christian fish decal off her car bumper in a symbolic act of departure from her religious childhood. At twenty-three, she left the church and went searching for refugein the company of men who left her lonely and friends who pushed the boundaries of what she once held sacred. In this deeply personal memoir, Andrea navigates the doubts that plague believers and skeptics alike: Why does a good God allow suffering? Why is God so silent, distant, and uninvolved? And why does the church seem so dysfunctional? Yet amid her skepticism, she begins to ask new questions: Could doubting be a form of faith? Might our doubts be a longing for God that leads to a faith we can ultimately live with?
The daughter of Quaker missionaries recounts how her religious doubts and questions led her to leave Christianity for a way of life that pushed the limits of her former beliefs, but her continued questioning led her back to faith.
Daily devotions that inspire women to spend time with God What is on your heart today? Struggles at home or with a friend? The miracle and joy of a new birth? A misunderstanding with a boyfriend or spouse? Are you grieving a loss? Are you celebrating a new job? Or anticipating a move? Whatever you face, good or bad, the NIV Bible for Women is relevant to your joys and sorrows, worries, fears, pain and happiness. God loves you and gave you his Word, the Bible, so you could know him more. The NIV Bible for Women contains an inspiring foreword by Shauna Niequist and writings by women who want to share their experiences—their joys and their struggles—with you. Authors such as Naomi Zacharias, Alyssa Joy Bethke, Caryn Rivadeneria, Rachel Held Evans, Katie Davis, Enuma Okoro, Kathy Khang, Laura Ortberg Turner, Kristen Howerton (Rage Against the Minivan), Margaret Feinberg, Tsh Oxenreider (The Art of Simple), and Annie Downs share their thoughts on topics ranging from cultural issues like social justice, economic inequality, and social media addiction to personal needs like prayer, decision-making, relationships, infertility, career, and calling. These thought-provoking topics are easy to share on social networks to strengthen and inspire your circle of friends while creating meaningful conversation. The NIV Bible for Women will help your time spent with God grow deeper and richer as you dig into his Word, bask in his love, learn his ways and then in turn share your journey with others in all the situations you face. Features: Complete text of the accurate, readable, and clear New International Version (NIV) Enter into the presence of God through the devotions each weekday and the Myths for each weekend for a full year of readings Apply the "Reflect" questions and the "Pray" prompts so you can take what you have read and become more intimately connected with God Evaluate the culturally accepted myths that are presented in articles that challenge your previous notions with truth from God’s Word Topical index to enhance your personal study
No one ever plans to fail in their faith. We all think we'll be the kind of Christian who follows the straight and narrow, ending our days with the relief of knowing we were ultimately a good and faithful servant. So why do so many leave that road? What enables some to survive as Christians when so many others have faltered? With A Christian Survival Guide, Ed Cyzewski steps up to be your trail guide and provide some possible answers. He addresses some of the biggest, toughest questions in Christianity, including: - Disturbing Bible stories - Hell and what it means - Does the Bible have to be "true"? - The question of evil- Money and the church- Evangelizing when no one wants to listen Candid and wry, Cyzewski deals with the tension of hard questions without resorting to empty answers, cliches, relativism, or the smug certainty that can so often drive seekers and strugglers further away. This popular blogger also has a knack of making long-ago biblical figures absolutely recognizable in today's issues. This survival guide is not meant to be a "one size fits all" handbook. It is a first step to confronting the big issues and challenges of a life of faith--even the ones that Christians fear most. Cyzewski writes for those who both care and question deeply, and offers survival tips to help readers move from living on the edge to a place of health and life.
This ... faith formation program introduces young Catholic adolescents to Jesus Christ in a new way and inspires them to follow him. Fostering the faith of young adolescents involves helping them to make connections between the Catholic faith and everyday life.
"The question of why God would allow pain and suffering in the world has vexed believers and nonbelievers forever. In Walking with God through Pain and Suffering, Timothy Keller takes on this enduring issue and shows that there is meaning and reason behind pain and suffering, making a forceful and groundbreaking case that this essential part of the human experience can be overcome only by understanding our relationship with God. Using biblical wisdom and personal stories of overcoming adversity, Keller brings a much-needed, fresh viewpoint to this important issue."--Back cover
What makes a marriage beautiful? Honesty? Compatibility? Physical and emotional intimacy? All of these are important, but there’s one component that determines the quality and longevity of a marriage more than anything else: a willingness to grow. Because a wedding joins together two imperfect people, all couples experience disappointment, conflict, and pain. How husbands and wives respond to these challenges determines the kind of people they will become and the kind of marriage they will have. Making Marriage Beautiful reveals how the pursuit of Christ results in profound transformation for both the individual and the marriage. Rather than offering clichés and formulas, Greco relies on candor, humor, and real life stories to bring encouragement and wisdom to all couples, regardless of whether they have been married four weeks or forty years.
FINDING REAL FAITH IN ORDINARY LIFE. So often we think that the spiritual stuff of life happens in cathedrals or chapels; like faith is supposed to have its proper place. But the truth is that you and I are surrounded by moments of great faith all the time. We hardly see them but they are there - in the midst of ordinary life all around us. Catching sight of those moments could completely change the way we see the world. These stories are taken from a very ordinary life. You will laugh at the way that God can be found in simple things like flat tires, crying kids, rock tumblers and cats. You might even cry as you recognize yourself in a story and discover that God is there in the midst of your ordinary life too. Clay Lein is a husband, father and pastor living in Dallas, Texas. He began his career as an engineer with Intel Corporation, completed his MBA in 1990 and in a not so obvious next step became a priest in 1996. His ability to find faith and hope in ordinary life has helped thousands to discover ordinary faith within themselves.
When Rob Romano discovers some unsettling information regarding his employer, his curiousity unearths a decades-old plot approaching its catatrophic climax. Opposing the scope and influence of the power players in the energy industry and having now placed himself in harm's way, Rob provides a trail of clues to allow his sister and best friend to unravel the mystery in his absence. Can they derail the diabolically destructive plan designed to forever weaken the United States? A small terrorist faction is working in the American southwest at the behest of Jacob Robinson, a high ranking member of the U.S. Department of Energy. Robinson has abandoned all pretenses of ethics in attempting to realize his dream of an oil-free America. Rob stumbles upon the ongoing covert operation Mr. Robinson has designed and, after the almost sudden death of the one police officer to whom he confided his theory, Mr. Romano calls on his faith in God to guide him. He lays out a path of information for the only people left he can trust, his sister Andria and best friend Brian Maddox, using the Bible as his compass. Once these two realize Rob has disappeared, they leap into action, with Brian enlisting his co-worker Mitch Bartter and others to aid in the search. A posse forms, racing across Phoenix to piece together the cryptic messages Rob has provided and attempting to find their friend before tragedy strikes.
