Joseph Woodward brings fresh perspective and real clarity, in a way that will renew your faith in the unfailing goodness of a magnificent heavenly Father. Your love for the Lord and your love of His Word will be perceptibly enhanced as you assimilate the timely and important message contained in this volume. As you begin to understand that it is not your heavenly Father that is arranging and setting in motion the bitter trials and tragedies in your life, your love for Him will immediately, naturally, and sweetly increase. There are many sources of severe trials, but your heavenly Father is not one of them. In "Understanding Trials, To Better Understand God," those sources, and how to close the door on many of them, are clearly revealed.
"You can choose to see a trial as a roadblock or an expressway. If you see it as a roadblock, it will obstruct your way. However, if you see it as an expressway, you can use it to learn and grow." "The gospel of Jesus Christ is the plan whereby we can become what God wants us to become. In fact, we become great people because of our trials, not in spite of them." This booklet reviews the nature, origins, and purposes of adversity and includes suggestions on how to patiently trust in the Lord and His eternal plan and how to use these trials to learn and grow stronger. You can benefit from your trials if you: Develop a relationship with God Let others help you Let God carry your burdens Trust that the Lord is in control and allow His will to be done Remember that everyone has challenges Let adversity make you a better person Live with integrity Be patient Make the best of your situation Serve others Keep a positive attitude Keep an eternal perspective
"Young people need someone who is crazy about them." - Walter Brueggemann "Originally authored by Francis Clark a hundred years ago, Ashley Denton has overhauled the first writing, taking care to update and revise the text to make it more readable for a modern audience of young people. The book will be especially helpful to youth pastors, student ministry leaders and parents of young people." -Robert E. Coleman (Author of Master Plan of Evangelism) "Francis Clark believed that Jesus was the embodiment of everything that young people longed for. The challenge of every generation is simply to give young people an accurate picture of Jesus Christ. Clark believed that if young people could just see the winsome personality of Christ, they would naturally be drawn to him, like a magnet is to metal." -Ashley Denton
"A devastating attack upon the dominance of atheism in science today." Giovanni Fazio, Senior Physicist, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics The debate over the ultimate source of truth in our world often pits science against faith. In fact, some high-profile scientists today would have us abandon God entirely as a source of truth about the universe. In this book, two professional astronomers push back against this notion, arguing that the science of today is not in a position to pronounce on the existence of God—rather, our notion of truth must include both the physical and spiritual domains. Incorporating excerpts from a letter written in 1615 by famed astronomer Galileo Galilei, the authors explore the relationship between science and faith, critiquing atheistic and secular understandings of science while reminding believers that science is an important source of truth about the physical world that God created.
Have you ever wondered what life was like in the Garden of Eden before Adam and Eve sinned? What did it really feel like to live in such a wonderful and charming place of perfect peace and harmony? It was surely paradise for our first parents. There was not a trace of evil, not a hint of anything bad that would hurt or mar until the great tempter showed up. The Bible calls him the devil"" our archenemy and master of deceit whom Jesus describes as a thief who comes to steal, kill, and destroy. Satan appeared to Eve as a beguiling, harmless serpent but, since then, has taken many subtle and artful forms. As you prayerfully read from these inspired pages, the author takes you through the Bible on a thrilling adventure that will hold you in suspense as you watch the battle between the forces of good and evil take place. The stage is being set, and the final battle of the ages is now beginning to unfold and will soon take place between God and Satan. It is a battle for the souls of man. You will see Satan's many cunning tactics and come to understand the devices he uses to lead people away from a loving God and cause them to fall and fail. Are you going through a trial or being tempted? Is there something you are up against and battling? Are you or someone you know suffering some hardship and have fallen victim to Satan and failed? Don't give up! You will discover in this book God's redeeming grace. You will behold God's salvation and love for His children like you have never witnessed. Through the pages, you will see Him reaching to the lost and confused, to the troubled and hurting. You will discover God's saving and delivering power is much greater than Satan. You will find He's greater than any and all failure and sin, no matter how big or bad. You will behold His forgiveness and cleansing and see lives transformed and healed. When you finish reading this God-inspired work, you will be able to recognize Satan's many deceiving ways. You will be able to see right through every temptation and lie of your enemy and avoid hurt and disaster in your life, your home, and church. This book will teach you how to put on the whole armor of God and be an overcomer. You will understand God's guidance and learn His voice that will keep you safe. In the midst of your trials, you will learn to trust God, hold on to faith, and come out victorious. Dear reader, there is hope""God is still making winners! May God bless you as you start this journey!
The book aims to inspire the reader to trust completely in God and His promises and to never give up no matter the circumstances one is going through. Through personal testimony, the author is honoring God for His faithfulness through the many trials and tribulations that he has been and continues to go through. The book is therapeutic and has an internal purpose, as it helps the reader (and certainly the author) to heal from past wounds (by mourning previous loss, communicating frustrations, and expressing feelings). It also helps to maintain hope that one can go through trials and tribulations by focusing on the positive things of life and growing in faith, moving on and believing in GodaEUR(tm)s promises no matter the circumstances one is in. The book notes that people who suffer immensely are chosen people who God wants to use and that the severity of the suffering to the individual can be equated to the extent to which God wants to use that individual. The writer, reflecting on his life, makes it clear that pain and suffering are guaranteed but that one can go through it all if one puts his/her trust completely in the Lord.The book is intended for every reader, and it is envisaged that it will especially appeal to many who are going through pain and suffering of whatever kind and severity and are looking for solutions in a godly way. Because the book is written in a very personal way, it is likely to touch the hearts of many.
It is a question almost as old as time. Why do bad things happen to people who seem to be obedient to God? What are we, as followers of Christ with faith in His promises, to make of the trials we go through in life? Can we come to a better understanding of our personal and collective trials and the very things that God is trying to teach us when He allows us to experience them? This book looks at those questions. We will look at the life of David through the lens of the trials he went through and how they shaped his life. We will look at the lives of the disciples and examine how Christ led them through some of their most significant moments and consider how these might relate to our own. We will dive deeper into some of the pivotal experiences in Peter's life to learn more about our own relationship with Christ during trials, including what happens when our trials are caused by our failures rather than our faith. We will also consider a few critical reasons why some trials may not go away despite our prayers and the kind of attitude we need to maintain during those times. We will learn why fear is one of our greatest enemies and forgiveness is one of our greatest friends. The Left-Handed Layup is a journey through our trials and the faith that it helps to build and develop.
In this thoughtful and easy-to-do growth and study guide, bestselling author Elizabeth George explores the principles found in her book "Finding God's Path Through Your Trials." Through insightful questions, additional commentary, Scripture, and personal examples, she guides those who desire a deeper understanding of how God can use trials and hardships to further His plan for them and others. Readers will find hope and encouragement as they realize that God is always in control and His love and provision never fail. Perfect for individual or group study.
The astonishing, Job-like story of how an existence filled with loss, suffering, questioning, and anger became a life filled with shocking and incomprehensible peace and joy. Vaneetha Risner contracted polio as an infant, was misdiagnosed, and lived with widespread paralysis. She lived in and out of the hospital for ten years and, after each stay, would return to a life filled with bullying. When she became a Christian, though, she thought things would get easier, and they did: carefree college days, a dream job in Boston, and an MBA from Stanford where she met and married a classmate. But life unraveled. Again. She had four miscarriages. Her son died because of a doctor's mistake. And Vaneetha was diagnosed with post-polio syndrome, meaning she would likely become a quadriplegic. And then her husband betrayed her and moved out, leaving her to raise two adolescent daughters alone. This was not the abundant life she thought God had promised her. But, as Vaneetha discovered, everything she experienced was designed to draw her closer to Christ as she discovered "that intimacy with God in suffering can be breathtakingly beautiful."
Telling the fascinating stories of Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo, Newton and Pascal, Charles E. Hummel provides a historical perspective on the relationship between science and Christianity.
