If we live according to the gospel, we're going to make waves. Why? Because the way of Christ is countercultural. It doesn't go with the flow, compromise on truth, or stay silent in the face of injustice--so neither can we. No matter how young or old we are, or how much or how little influence we think we have, God calls us to boldly engage our upside-down culture through the lens of his truth. With powerful examples from Scripture and stories from teens today and through the centuries, Sara Barratt equips teens to live with a biblical worldview, approach today's hot-button issues with godly wisdom, and influence their generation for the glory of God. Tackling tough topics like sexuality, addiction, identity, media, and much more, Sara offers practical ways to stay rooted in God's truth while engaging culture with the redemptive story of the gospel--no matter the cost.
In Stand Strong Nick Vujicic gives you strategies for developing a “bully defense system” so you can handle bullies of all kinds, by building your strength from the inside out. With no arms, no legs, and no defense, Nick Vujicic has experienced bullying of all kinds for being “different.” He knows what it feels like to be picked on and pushed around. But Nick learned that he doesn’t have to play the bully’s game–and neither do you. No bully can define who you are, and in Stand Strong, Nick shows how you too can overcome and rise above bullying. Find out how to: - Turn being bullied into a great opportunity (yes, really!) - Create a safety zone within yourself - Establish strong values that no bully can shake - Deal with cyber bullies - Develop a spiritual foundation to stay strong against bullying - Monitor your emotions and control your response to them - Help others who are being bullied Are you facing the unwanted attention of a bully? You can stand up to the challenge, because you have greater power over your feelings and your life than you may think! Just ask Nick--the man with no arms or legs…and “a ridiculously good life.”
Young people are walking away from the church and those still in the church often struggle with indifference about their faith. But it doesn't have to be this way. It's time for a revolution, a holy uprising. A riot. With passion and authenticity, teen author Sara Barratt calls on her generation to reject apathy and embrace a daring, costly faith. Not content with safe religion that demands nothing of us, Sara shows teens how they can stop giving in to the status quo and devote themselves fully to Christ, following him no matter what their friends do or the culture around them does. She challenges them to give everything over--their comfort zones, their time, their loyalties, their pride--and discover that in losing control they are gaining the life that was meant for them all along. Love Riot is a battle cry from one teen to another to embrace a life of wholehearted commitment and relentless abandon for Christ . . . no matter the cost.
My family and I had to learn to be strong, to fight harder, and to keep it moving. It’s about faith. My husband and I had to deal with medical issues. Our daughter, Shirdetra Chark, had to learn and believe in her faith in God while fighting for her life, attending Nicholls State University, and coaching at Dillard University. Our son, D. J. Chark, had to learn his faith as a young boy and, while becoming a young man, had always kept God in his life. He learned to have faith while playing football at Louisiana State University and while dealing with the family’s medical situation. Through it all, he was blessed to be drafted in the NFL. Thanks to the ones who stood by me through thick and thin. “I sought the Lord, and he answered me, and delivered me from all my fears” (Psalm 34:4).
College is a fun and exciting time, but also one that presents teens with many challenges. How can Christian teens prepare for the academic, social, emotional, and spiritual challenges they may face in college? Prepare to stand strong! Alex McFarland offers teens help by asking the questions they need to consider for an unshakable faith. Prepared, they can enter college with the ability to identify false worldviews and discern God's voice. Teens will become proficient at interpreting campus content and circumstances from a consistently biblical perspective. They will know how to nurture and develop their faith and begin a life of service to God even in a stressful changing environment.
The responsibilities of life can wear men down.. But this concise devotional will inspire men to draw strength from the Word of God. Each devotional is practical and brief, taking only five minutes to read. Wisdom from Scripture and insights from the experiences of other men will help readers build a solid foundation—one that allows confidence in the Lord no matter what life brings their way.
Ten Practical Resolutions to Stand Strong in the Shifting Sands of Culture We all face seasons in our lives when our circumstances seem out of our control and all the forces in this world seem against us. We become discouraged and afraid. We are tempted to give up. No matter how strong we claim our faith in God is, when life is hard, it all comes down to resolve. Do we really believe what we say we believe? And does what we profess with our lips make it beyond intellectual assent and into our everyday actions? Both challenging and encouraging, Resolved unpacks ten life-impacting resolutions that every follower of Jesus Christ must make in order to stand strong in the shifting sands of our culture. It helps readers who long to exhibit authentic lives understand and eliminate the disconnect between what we say we believe and how we live. And it offers biblical strategies for change that will allow us to stand strong--no matter what. Endorsement "AbuJamra challenges us to live out our faith in the real world when things do not go as we wish."--Gary D. Chapman, PhD, bestselling author of The Five Love Languages and Love as a Way of Life
Ella Kate Ewing was born in 1872. She started out small, but she just kept on growing. Soon she was too tall for her desk at school, too tall for her bed at home, too tall to fit anywhere. Ella Kate was a real-life giant, but she refused to hide herself away. Instead, she used her unusual height to achieve her equally large dreams. The masterful Klise sisters deliver a touching and inspiring true story about a strong-minded girl who finally embraced her differences. It's the perfect book for every child who has ever felt like an outsider.
Jack Strong just wants to be a regular kid. But his parents have overscheduled his week with every extracurricular activity under the sun: tennis, baseball, cello, karate, tutoring, and Chinese language lessons—all on top of regular homework. His parents want him to be "well-rounded" and prepared for those crucial college applications. Jack's just about had enough. And so, in Jack Strong Takes a Stand by Tommy Greenwald, he stages a sit-in on his couch and refuses to get up until his parents let him quit some of the extracurriculars. As Jack's protest gains momentum, he attracts a local television host who is interested in doing a segment about him. Tensions rise as counter-protesters camp out across the street from Jack and his couch. Jack's enjoying this newfound attention, but he's worried that this sit-in may have gone too far.
FROM THE BEST-SELLING AUTHOR OF GOD AND DONALD TRUMP 64% of Americans believe cancel culture is a threat to their freedom. This book will help you realize the seriousness of the battle before us and illuminate the present circumstance for the purpose of doing good-to bring hope. It will document what is happening in our country, how believers can respond, and why we can look expectantly to the future. This is the time for neither religious fatalism nor political inaction. No matter how bad things get in the culture or in government, the Bible is true and God has plans and purposes we don't understand-and in the end we win. Things are chaotic in America. Liberal policies are advancing. A rash of executive orders appears to be moving the nation closer to socialism and a one-world government. And conservatives, including many Christians, are being censored as never before. There's even a term-cancel culture-which 64 percent of Americans believe poses a threat to their freedom, according to a Harvard CAPS-Harris Poll. (Among Republicans, that figure is even higher at 80 percent.) The term applies to all conservatives who oppose the politically correct crowd, but it's part of a bigger effort to cancel Christianity and those who espouse biblical principles. It almost seems this is the beginning of the end and the Antichrist will appear at any time. You pick the cultural or political issue, and there likely is not even the semblance of widespread agreement. It seems that Christians are in an unprecedented season of fragmentation, potential division, and actual separation on many fronts. Instead of going forward, much of the church seems to be moving backward or standing still, waiting for what's next. The body of Christ is a big, diverse family, and we must choose to cheer one another on rather than get into circular firing squads. We are called to advance on every front. This book will assess and affirm the different approaches playing out. The body needs clarity and unity- and has little of both right now. Wounded armies want hope, focus, and encouragement. This book will not throw anyone overboard who is standing for the truth in some positive way. Rather, it will allow readers to look critically at the various approaches vying for our allegiance and attention here in the middle of 2021. In the course of this survey, we will find reason to affirm where people are fighting on the battlefield and validate the perspectives they bring. Featuring interviews with a cross section of leaders, this book will document what is happening in our country, how believers can respond, and why we can look to the future with hope. Even though things are bad, we must understand that conditions have been this bad or worse in the past and God always came through. He has plans and purposes we don't understand. Christians must not lose heart. We must stand strong and not be intimidated. We must pray, and we must believe God for a great awakening. No matter how bad things get in the culture or in government, the Bible is true and "all things work together for good to those who love God" (Rom. 8:28, MEV). That's because we are called according to His purpose. A purpose never goes in reverse. This book will reveal what that looks like in its various forms in the day in which we live. It gives a great handle for promoting unity and appreciation of one another when that is breaking down so badly elsewhere. Indeed, maybe the love Jesus spoke about that makes us recognizable to the world will be seen as this book illuminates the supernatural unity among people of very diverse opinions and approaches while pointedly addressing these various hot-button areas.
