Wilderness periods of our lives—those dry and desperate seasons when God seems distant and detached, perhaps even indifferent or impotent—can seem an abnormal and painful part of our lives that simply must be painfully plodded through and somehow endured. Yet, far from being something abnormal and life-threatening, like a cancer invading our bodies, wilderness periods represent a fundamental element of our life in the Spirit and part of God’s well-orchestrated plan to guarantee that we become and possess everything he desires for us.
In this beautiful and broken world, God is here. The heavens declare the glory of God . . . but are we listening? Yes, God created this world, but sometimes we forget that he hasn’t left—that his redemptive, creative work happens still today, right here under our feet. So when we seek for God and study his truth, how much are we missing if we don’t awaken to all he has placed in the soil and sky? God made this world of light and darkness, summer and winter, life and death. What does he intend to teach us in these ever-repeating cycles and seasons? Seamlessly weaving biblical truths into everyday life, Catherine McNiel will help you discover an unbelievable reality: God meets and transforms you in the mess and abundance of every mundane moment.
Bestselling author of Geography of Bliss returns with this funny, illuminating chronicle of a globe-spanning spiritual quest to find a faith that fits. When a health scare puts him in the hospital, Eric Weiner-an agnostic by default-finds himself tangling with an unexpected question, posed to him by a well-meaning nurse. "Have you found your God yet?" The thought of it nags him, and prods him-and ultimately launches him on a far-flung journey to do just that. Weiner, a longtime "spiritual voyeur" and inveterate traveler, realizes that while he has been privy to a wide range of religious practices, he's never seriously considered these concepts in his own life. Face to face with his own mortality, and spurred on by the question of what spiritual principles to impart to his young daughter, he decides to correct this omission, undertaking a worldwide exploration of religions and hoping to come, if he can, to a personal understanding of the divine. The journey that results is rich in insight, humor, and heart. Willing to do anything to better understand faith, and to find the god or gods that speak to him, he travels to Nepal, where he meditates with Tibetan lamas and a guy named Wayne. He sojourns to Turkey, where he whirls (not so well, as it turns out) with Sufi dervishes. He heads to China, where he attempts to unblock his chi; to Israel, where he studies Kabbalah, sans Madonna; and to Las Vegas, where he has a close encounter with Raelians (followers of the world's largest UFO-based religion). At each stop along the way, Weiner tackles our most pressing spiritual questions: Where do we come from? What happens when we die? How should we live our lives? Where do all the missing socks go? With his trademark wit and warmth, he leaves no stone unturned. At a time when more Americans than ever are choosing a new faith, and when spiritual questions loom large in the modern age, Man Seeks God presents a perspective on religion that is sure to delight, inspire, and entertain.
For many people, remaining optimistic and feeling positive about themselves and their lives is a constant battle—especially when circumstances are difficult and life is hard. For others, negativity is something that only sneaks up from time to time, yet still wreaks havoc in their hearts. Regardless of the root causes, once pessimistic thoughts permeate our minds, our feelings and emotions begin to control us instead of us controlling them. Eventually it doesn’t seem possible to stay positive, happy, and full of joy, and negative thought patterns shake our faith, causing us to sink emotionally, mentally, and spiritually over time. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Despite what storms roll in, hearts anchored in God don’t sink. When we change the way we think, we can change the way we feel and live, even if our circumstances remain the same. Intentionally embracing the opportunity to experience a transformed heart and a renewed mind opens the door for a changed life, because a positive mind will always lead to a more positive life. In Unsinkable Faith, author and Proverbs 31 Ministries speaker Tracie Miles offers hope for women who struggle with negativity. Each chapter explores Tracie’s and other women’s personal stories, showing how they rose above their circumstances by transforming and renewing their minds. Unsinkable Faith is a breath of fresh air for anyone longing for a heart full of joy, an unbreakable smile, and a new, more optimistic perspective on life. This book will equip you to: Replace pessimism with positive thinking by becoming the captain of your thoughts; Learn how true joy and happiness are based on choice, not circumstances; Overcome unhealthy habits of negative thinking by intentionally implementing three easy mind-renewing steps; Stop feeling hopeless and pitiful, and start feeling hope-filled and powerful instead; and Discover that when you change the way you think, you change the way feel, and in turn you can change your life completely.
A Gospel - Formed Journey to Deepen Your Faith Don't just give up something for Lent! Move closer to the heart of Easter through forth days of Bible readings, prayers of confession and thanksgiving, and devotional readings focused on Lenten themes of repentance, humility suffering, lament, sacrifice, and death. This compact daily devotional will prepare your heart and rekindle your love for Christ this Easter. Book jacket.
Find what you’ve never had. Rediscover what you’ve lost. Peace for the Journey. A collection of fifty-two biblical meditations to deepen your intimacy with Jesus. Includes study questions for personal and/or small-group reflection.
God has provided a way for all people, not just scholars, to know that the Bible is the Word of God. John Piper has devoted his life to showing us that the glory of God is object of the soul’s happiness. Now, his burden in this book is to demonstrate that this same glory is the ground of the mind’s certainty. God’s peculiar glory shines through his Word. The Spirit of God enlightens the eyes of our hearts. And in one self-authenticating sight, our minds are sure and our hearts are satisfied. Justified certainty and solid joy meet in the peculiar glory of God.
We wonder why oceans recede only to come back with a totally new content. We wonder why all of life awakens to the brightness of a new dawn, just as man awakens to a new body at every new awaking. Could all these be the manifested acts of a newness-loving Being who daily desires newness for all things? He is the influence who, at every moment, delights in an infinitely new earth. The creator God is One whose newness attitude is emulated in all that dwells on his infinitely new earth. From Newness Process Newness Process is an invitation to embrace the divine provisions that enable us to knit ourselves and all life-forms into the life we are called to live. It is an invitation to reassemble your authentic self and seek avenues to live your very own un-fragmented life. The newness process begins with a decisionsalvation and it leads to an infinite destinationwholeness. Tim O. Falade
"This book uses the superhero theme to present Christ crucified in a way that readers may never have seen Him before. But Jesus is not merely another myth on the fantasy shelf in the library or on the movie screen. His story is historical fact! And Christ's superhero errand to rescue fallen mankind brings together the important elements in all hero stories. Jesus' sojourn of salvation will be examined in the Scriptures yet conveyed in storytelling language. This glory story of Christ will enlighten readers as to why Jesus is the only hero the world ever truly needed-or ever will need"--
Worship leaders "share a common challenge: to provide quality, integrated, creative worship week after week for congregations hungry for meaningful and fulfilling connections with God. We are honored to offer this resource as part of your journey to help your congregations grow in faith. Many of our readers also find it helpful as a weekly devotional guide or a prayer resource as they gather for lectionary study groups." (From the Introduction) Alternative ideas for Praise Sentences and Contemporary Gathering Words are offered for those who work in contemporary worship settings. Now more than ever, The Abingdon Worship Annual is a must-have sourcebook offering countless opportunities for planning meaningful and insightful worship.
