Hebrews 12 exhorts us to "run with endurance the race that is set before us," but that same chapter describes us as lame. How can a lame person run if the best he can do is limp? "Limping Christians" is a book for people who are hobbling along the rough path of life. It is neither a self-help book nor a book of pop psychology. Instead, it is firmly based on the word of God. Dr. LaShell approaches the problems of struggling Christians with a clear grasp of the way Bible doctrine affects our lives. He has more than forty years experience in helping believers experience God's grace during the tough times of life. The teaching of "Limping Christians" is biblically based, theologically sound, and practically applied.
Put your flawed foot forward. Pick up most leadership books and you’ll find strategies for leveraging your power and minimizing your areas of weakness. But think about the leaders whose names have gone down in history. Most of them were so messed up that, if they were looking for work today, no executive placement service would give them the time of day. God’s criteria for choosing leaders runs counter to the conventional wisdom. Our culture equates strength with effectiveness, but God favors leaders who know the value of brokenness. In Leading With a Limp, you’ll discover what makes flawed leaders so successful. They’re not preoccupied with protecting their image, they are undaunted by chaos and complexity, they are ready to risk failure in moving an organization from what is to what should be. God chooses leaders who aren’t deceived by the myths of power and control, but who realize that God’s power is found in brokenness. If you are a leader–or if you have been making excuses to avoid leading–find out how you can take full advantage of your weakness. A limping leader is the person God uses to accomplish amazing things. To go deeper, check out the Leading With a Limp Workbook.
"I love everything that Scott Sauls writes." -- Christine Caine What if Christians became the best advertisement for Jesus? Jesus said his followers would be a light to the world and a city on a hill--a warmly inviting, neighbor-loving, grace- and truth-filled destination for all. He envisioned his followers as life-giving neighbors, bosses, employees, and friends, the kind of people who return insults with kindness and persecution with prayers. Rooted in biblical convictions, they would extend love, empathy, and care to one another as well as to those who don't share their beliefs. Over time their movement would become irresistible to every nation, tribe, and tongue. Irresistible Faith is a blueprint for pursuing this vision in our current moment, of redeemed individuals and a renewed community working for a restored world. This is a way of being that gives a tired, cynical world good reason to pause and reconsider Christianity--and to start wishing it was true. "I miss the kind of church Scott describes in this book, and I don’t think I am alone." -- Donald Miller, author of Blue Like Jazz and Building a StoryBrand "An important call to resist the urge to lobby and position ourselves, but rather to be driven by gospel-powered love." -- Raechel Myers, founder and CEO of She Reads Truth "An antidote to much that is wrong with our Western, American version of Christianity. " -- Gabe and Rebekah Lyons, authors and founders of Q
When we look to the Bible for role models in our daily discipleship, we tend to think of Noah's obedience and David's bravery. Limping With God: Jacob and the Old Testament Guide to Messy Discipleship posits that we can also look to Jacob. Jacob seems to be anything but a model disciple, though we can learn a lot from his journey. He's a trickster, liar, and selfishly ambitious man who fathers children with four women and leads a dysfunctional family rife with jealousy and backstabbing. But Jacob is also Israel, the namesake of the Old Testament community of God, chosen and blessed. As such, this sinner-saint, who limps along with the Lord, burdened by weakness and beset by problems, is the mirror image of all of us who follow Jesus. In Jacob's life we see our lives, our struggles, our failures, and most especially the God who loves us and chooses us as his own. As we explore his bio, from his wrangling in the womb with Esau to his death as an old man in Egypt, we will learn more about ourselves and the God who is with us and for us in Jesus the Messiah. From the author: "I have entitled this book Limping With God instead of Walking With God or Running With God, not because there would be anything wrong with those metaphors, but because, as Jacob limped away from his famous wrestling match with God, so we all get by on bum hips and bad knees. Following Jesus, we gimp our way down the dark and slippery paths of life. As we do, we discover, ironically, that the longer we follow him, the weaker we become, and the more we lean on our Lord. Finally, at our most mature, our eyes are opened to realize that we've never run or walked or even limped a single day of our lives. "We've been on Christ's shoulders the entire time."
“I’ve always loved the book of Genesis, where faith in the eternal, unchanging God of Abraham proves—paradoxically—to be more human than heroic. This is surely why I appreciate Ezra Byer’s exploration of the life of Jacob, whose story provides a window for examining his own seasons of doubt and depression. Mercifully, Ezra strips us of the illusion that faith will always be the swift, steady, sure climb. He reminds that we might cling to God—and still feel his absence. This is a book for the trenches—a book for building gritty, honest, ultimately resilient faith.” – Jen Pollock Michel, Author of Surprised by Paradox and Keeping Place “Walking with a Limp will point you to the sure sources of hope for the hopeless: The God of all hope and His word of hope. In it you’ll find practical help and encouragement to stay the course. You, like Jacob, can be a prince with God, an overcomer whose limp testifies to tenacious clinging to God.” – Dr. Philip Brown, Author of A Reader’s Hebrew Bible “In recent years, believers in Christ have become more transparent about the struggles we face with depression and mental illness. In this timely book, Ezra Byer contributes to this encouraging trend by inviting readers to re-read the ancient narrative of the Patriarch Jacob and encounter anew the God who heals and also sets apart his people for worship and service.” – Dr. Edward Smither, Author of Mission in the Early Church and Christian Martyrdom “When we suffer, we don’t need glib answers or easy truths. We need to hear from someone who knows what it’s like, can remind us of biblical truth, and point us to hope. That’s why I’m grateful that Ezra has written this honest, profound, and encouraging book. I can’t wait to read it again and to share it with others.” – Darryl Dash, Author of How to Grow
The stories of Scripture are for everyone. No exceptions. Emmy Kegler has a complicated relationship with the Bible. As a queer woman who grew up in both conservative Evangelical and progressive Protestant churches, she knows too well how Scripture can be used to wound and exclude. And yet, the stories of Scripture continue to captivate and inspire her--both as a person of faith and as a pastor to a congregation. So she set out to fall in love with the Bible, wrestling with the stories inside, where she met a God who continues to seek us out--appearing again and again as a voice, a presence, and a promise. Whenever we are pushed to the edges, our voices silenced, or our stories dismissed, God goes out after us--seeking us until we are found again. And God is seeking out those whose voices we too quickly silence and dismiss, too. Because God's story is a story of welcome and acceptance for everyone--no exceptions. Kegler shows us that even when we feel like lost and dusty coins--rusted from others' indifference, misspent and misused--God picks up a broom and sweeps every corner of creation to find us.
When pain is a condition, limping is a solution. In our day-to-day living, we experience pain, at times while trying to do good for other people. However, when we have something that is worth our while on the other side, we should forsake what's troubling us in the now and pursue what will benefit us and the entire human race in the future. This book will make you move forward in spite of all the pain you are encountering now.
Whether the issue of the day on Twitter, Facebook, or cable news is our sexuality, political divides, or the perceived conflict between faith and science, today’s media pushes each one of us into a frustrating clash between two opposing sides. Polarizing, us-against-them discussions divide us and distract us from thinking clearly and communicating lovingly with others. Scott Sauls, like many of us, is weary of the bickering and is seeking a way of truth and beauty through the conflicts. Jesus Outside the Lines presents Jesus as this way. Scott shows us how the words and actions of Jesus reveal a response that does not perpetuate the destructive fray. Jesus offers us a way forward—away from harshness, caricatures, and stereotypes. In Jesus Outside the Lines, you will experience a fresh perspective of Jesus, who will not (and should not) fit into the sides.
You're hanging out with God, and He's probably a Facebook friend and you like His stuff. When asked about your relationship with God, you say, "Fine. Good." But you have no idea. So while you read more, pray more, give more, serve more, share your faith more, and wait to grow more spiritually, the mess of life gets deeper and dirtier. Stuck is where you are - trying to become more like Christ - but never getting there. "Walking With A Limp" takes you through The Anatomy of a Disciple in a way that will both punch you in the face and pick you back up. Brad Bell uses the simple, not-so-sexy, but very intentional life of Jesus Christ to illustrate what authentic spiritual growth really looks like, and how you can become more and more like Him over time, no matter who you are or where you have been.Paperback includes a unique code to take the Anatomy of a Disciple Self-Assessment for free, which determines exactly how you are doing spiritually, and provides a personalized report showing you where God may be specifically growing you right now.
