Oral Roberts was barely making ends meet when he discovered the three key principles of Seed-Faith in God’s Word. “They have never failed me,” he shares. “When I had no earthly source or person to turn to, when I was alone with nothing but big problems and challenges facing me, these principles showed me God is my Source. They showed me how to use my giving as a seed I was planting, and to expect God to multiply it even if it took a miracle.” The Miracle of Seed-Faith has revolutionized the lives of millions of people. As you read it, let God show you how you can get your needs met through His eternal plan of seedtime and harvest, sowing and reaping, giving and receiving. Man’s economic systems may fail, but God’s plan never does. By getting into the rhythm of Seed-Faith living, you’ll learn that His more-than-enough resources are always available to you.
As Catholic parents, we have one fundamental mission: to raise children who know and love God, and who are so in love with Christ that they can't help but share his message. We are called not only to be disciples ourselves, but to be discipleship parents, evangelizing our children so they become disciples, too. That sounds great, but we know this is not always easy. The culture often stands in the way of our raising whole and holy children. Sometimes our own failures, wounds, and weaknesses make it difficult to pour ourselves fully into the mission. Even if we are working to plant the seeds of faith, how can we ensure that the soil is cultivated so the seeds can grow and flourish? In Discipleship Parenting, Kim Cameron-Smith provides tools and insights to help parents foster seven ideal growing conditions in the home: Love Balance Play Merciful Discipline Empathy Radiant Faith A Strong Marriage Raising children to know and love Christ, and to share that love with others, is the most important work we will ever do. Let's join together in Discipleship Parenting and respond to God's call and mission for all our families. Click here to register for the related webcast ABOUT THE AUTHOR Kim Cameron-Smith is the founder of the Intentional Catholic Parenting online ministry and the host of the Gentle Catholic Parenting Podcast, where she explores the intersection between Catholicism and the science of parenting. She is a licensed attorney and a member of the California state bar. She holds a B.A. from Wellesley College, an M.Phil. from Oxford University, a Master of Theological Studies from Harvard University, and a J.D. from U.C. Berkeley. Kim lives in Northern California with her husband and four children.
A flourishing, fulfilling life is possible—no perfection required! Too many of us think we have to have it all together in order to live a meaningful life. Instead of feeling put together, we end up feeling inadequate, overwhelmed, and exhausted as we try to figure out how to do it all. Author, business owner, and mom to three Lara Casey has been there, too. In Cultivate, she offers this grace-filled advice: we can't do it all and do it well, but we can choose to cultivate what matters Written as part encouragement anthem and part practical guide, Cultivate offers wisdom from God's Word alongside lessons Lara has learned in her own life--and in her garden--giving you the tools you need to: Discern what matters most to you Embrace the season of life that you're in Find the joy and freedom that comes with cultivating what matters Let Lara be your guide as you learn to cultivate what matters, little by little, with the help of God's transforming grace. Praise for Cultivate: "Cultivate is rich soil for the soul! Whether you are a new sprout, just beginning to brave life in the light; a tender shoot fighting for space among rocks and weeds; or a mature plant in need of nurture and pruning, this book will help you thrive. With her characteristic honesty, humility, and patience, Lara Casey uses her spiritual 'green thumb' to gently nudge us toward an intentional life of godliness and growth. If you are ready for a new season of spiritual growth, dig into Cultivate and get ready to bloom!" --Elizabeth Laing Thompson, author of When God Says "Wait"
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the author of Relationship Goals . . . Will you be remembered as a person who claimed to follow God but liked to play it safe? Or as a person who lived your life out on the limb and trusted God enough to live in crazy faith? Noah looked crazy when he started building the ark . . . until it started raining. It was crazy for Moses to lead a nation of people into the desert away from Egypt . . . until the Red Sea parted. It was crazy to believe that a fourteen-year-old virgin would give birth to the Son of God . . . until Mary held Jesus in her arms. There are many things that seem normal or average today that at one point in time seemed absolutely crazy. Smartphones, Wi-Fi, and even the electric light bulb were all groundbreaking, history-making inventions that started out as crazy ideas. Our see-it-to-believe-it generation tends to have a hard time exercising true faith—one that steps out, takes action, and sees mountain-moving results. Many of us would rather play it safe and stand on the sidelines, but it’s crazy faith that helps us see God move and reveals His promises. In Crazy Faith, Pastor Michael Todd shows us how to step out in faith and dive into the purposeful life of trusting God for the impossible. Even if you have to start with baby faith or maybe faith, you can become empowered to let go of your lazy faith, trust God through your hazy faith, and learn to live a lifestyle of crazy faith. With powerful stories of modern-day faith warriors who take their cues from biblical heroes, Michael Todd equips you to • believe for the impossible • choose hope over fear • be alert to the voice of God • cope with loss and doubt • develop a deeper level of trust in God • speak faith-filled declarations • inspire crazy faith in others God’s not looking for somebody to give Him all the reasons why His plans can’t happen. He’s looking for somebody to believe they will happen. In fact, He has so much He wants to do through you. The question is, Are you crazy enough to believe it?
The Word of God is like a seed and your heart is the soil. Most Christians want change in some area of their lives. They try and try to make those changes but soon find themselves falling back into the same habits and behaviors. Self-discipline and self-control have once again failed them.So how does lasting change take place? A worm...
Maybe your grandchildren are living with you. Maybe they're thousands of miles away. Their parents may be spiritually rebellious or simply neglectful of the family's spiritual life, failing to make prayer and church attendance a regular part of their routine. But even if your grandchildren's parents have established a strong Christian home, busy schedules, jobs, parenting, and all the distractions of today's world conspire to distract or even destroy the family. How can you, as a grandparent, help? God gives grandparents a sacred trust an opportunity to imprint another generation with the message of his faithfulness. You can stand in the gap by being a godly example for your grandchildren and by praying for them. Even grandparents who already pray regularly for their grandchildren will discover creative suggestions for making the practice even more meaningful. From cell phones to photo prayer journals, you'll find tools that work for you and for your grandchildren. Author Lillian Ann Penner provides specific examples of prayers to help you get started, such as alphabet prayers, prayers based on special scriptures, and prayers for certain holidays. You may even widen the circle, praying for other children in your life, for children who have parents in the military, and for the adults who influence your grandchildren. Regardless of how far away your grandchildren are, praying for them can bridge the distance between you and leave them with an inheritance more precious than gold.
Your faith is like a little seed that God planted in your heart when you were baptized, and just like a seed, your faith needs some important things to grow, like prayer, the sacraments, following the Ten Commandments, and more. Growing in faith makes God very happy, and it will make you happy too!
You’re excited to plant your first vegetable garden—but where to start? In The First-Time Gardener: Growing Vegetables, you'll find the answers you're looking for. Homesteader Jessica Sowards, the warm and energetic host of YouTube’s Roots and Refuge Farm, is the perfect teacher for new gardeners, offering not just know-how but inspiration and time-management tips for success. Before you sink your hands into the soil, she’ll answer all those questions rolling around inside your head: Where do I put my new garden? How do I prepare the soil? What vegetables should I plant? Is it better to start new plants from seed or should I buy transplants? What about watering, feeding, and taking care of my garden? What do I do if bugs show up? There are no stupid questions here. Everyone has to start somewhere, after all. Not only will you learn how to prepare, plant, and tend your first vegetable garden, you’ll also learn: How to design an eco-friendly layout How to grow with the seasons How to maximize your harvest, even if you only grow in a small space Jessica wants your first food-growing experience to be a positive one, and she’s prepared to go the distance to make sure tending the earth becomes your new favorite hobby. A single growing season is all it takes to fall in love with growing your own healthy, organic, nutrient-dense food. With Jessica as your guide, you’ll soon discover all the satisfactions, challenges, and great joys of growing your own food garden. This book is part of The First-Time Gardener's Guides series from Cool Springs Press, which also includes The First-Time Gardener: Growing Plants and Flowers. Each book in The First-Time Gardener's Guides series is aimed at beginner gardeners and offers clear, fact-based information that's presented in a friendly and accessible way, including step-by-step instructions and full-color illustrations throughout.
Pullin' weeds, plantin' seeds. It's a process any gardener knows well and is necessary for fruitfulness. In our Christian lives, it represents the continual process of spiritual growth. Those pesky weeds represent the sin in our life, threatening to grow rapidly out of control and choke out any hope we have of bearing spiritual fruit. In this study, we will identify and attack the sin that creeps into our lives and turn our focus to planting seeds of faith in our own lives and in the lives of others. Join me as we dig into the spiritual process of pullin' weeds, plantin' seeds. Let's grow together.
It is important that we introduce our children to Jesus, and that we, as adults, also approach him with childlike faith, acceptance, and trust. --Virginia H. Loewen An encore presentation of the immensely popular 1978 book, The Brown Bag, Planting Seeds of Faith provides entertaining, 10-minute lessons fur use in worship services with four to eight year-olds. Each sermon message focuses on a particular Scripture passage and includes a take away--an object or suggestion of a way to apply and share one's faith away from church--learning by doing. Stretching Further, an optional feature, can he used to foster additional discussion on abstract concepts. Some of the 26 sermon topics include: Did Jesus Have a Christmas Tree! (Hosea 14:8) ¥ We can count on God to be our friend and helper through all seasons of the year. A Valentine from God (Psalm 103:11-12) ¥ The Bible is a love letter from God to us. Pretzels and Prayers (Jeremiah 29:12) ¥ God always hears us--whenever, wherever, and however we pray. Jesus Uses Signs (John 2:11) ¥ Jesus' miracles were signs that he is the Son of God Going Fishing (Matthew 4: 19; Mark 1: 17) ¥ When we follow Jesus, we can attract others to him, too. Planting Seeds of Faith is an essential nondenominational resource that will assist pastors and laity with the important ministry of preaching to children. Virginia H. Loewen has spent 25 years as an elementary teacher and reading specialist. She has served as a Sunday school and Bible school teacher, and as a lay leader for St. John's United Methodist Church in State College, Pennsylvania. Loewen is the author of The Best Book for Terry Lee and Special Things.
