Living Religions

Dan Strange encourages Christians to engage with everything they watch, to read and play in a positive and discerning way. He also teaches Christians how to think and speak about culture in a way that plugs in to a bigger and better reality - the story of King Jesus, and his cosmic plan for the world. It's possible to watch TV and read novels and play video games in a way that actually feeds our faith, rather than withers it. It's even possible for you - yes, you - to be that person who starts off talking to a mate about last night's football and ends up talking about Jesus.

Bestselling author and pastor Francis Chan explains how abiding in the love of God frees us from insecurity and leads us into a lifetime of joyful, worshipful obedience. Despite pastoring for decades and reaching thousands of people through his books and preaching, Francis wrestled with deep-seated insecurity. He understood God’s love conceptually, but struggled to actually experience it. This resulted in a life that was far from the thrilling and peaceful life God saved us for.

In the first half of life, we are naturally preoccupied with establishing ourselves; climbing, achieving, and performing. But as we grow older and encounter challenges and mistakes, we need to see ourselves in a different and more life-giving way. This message of falling down - that is in fact moving upward - is the most resisted and counterintuitive of messages in the world's religions. Falling Upward offers a new paradigm for understanding one of the most profound of life's mysteries: how those who have fallen down are the only ones who understand "up".

Whoever neglects the second coming of Christ has only a mutilated gospel, for the Bible teaches us not only of the death and sufferings of Christ, but also of his return to reign in honor and glory. His second coming is referred to over 300 times. There is hardly any church that does not make a great deal of baptism, yet in all of Paul's epistles, baptism is spoken of only 13 times, while he speaks about the return of our Lord 50 times, and yet the church has had very little to say about it. The devil does not want us to see this truth, for nothing would wake up the church so much.

In this Very Short Introduction Stephen J. Davis discusses the history of monasticism, from our earliest evidence for it, and the different types that have developed from antiquity to the present day. He considers where monasteries are located, from East Asia to North America, and everywhere in between, and how their settings impact the everyday life and worldview of the monks and nuns who dwell there. Exploring how monastic communities are organized, he also looks at how aspects of life like food, sleep, sex, work, and prayer are regimented.

In this volume of the New Testament Theology series, Robert L. Plummer explores the central themes and theology of James, offering insightful connections between this epistle and the broader narrative of Scripture.

In Flowers from a Puritan’s Garden, Spurgeon prayerfully selects and expands upon the profound insights and analogies gleaned from Thomas Manton’s sermons. Each “flower” in this garden is a spiritual truth, lovingly cultivated and presented with Spurgeon's signature warmth, wit, and pastoral care.

Persistent prayer is a mighty movement of the soul toward God, and it stirs the deepest forces of the soul toward the throne of heavenly grace. It is the ability to hold on, press on, and wait. Restless desire, restful patience, and strength of grasp are all embraced in it. Prayer is not an incident or a performance but a passion of soul. It is not a want or half-needed desire but a sheer necessity.

Why do you sing at church? It's a question we almost never ask out loud. Yet, this is a question that is central to the lives of Christians who regularly gather together for worship. Do you sing to God? Or do you "address one another in hymns and spiritual songs", as the scripture says? Do you close your eyes? What is your posture in worship? This book is designed with these questions in mind.

We live in difficult times. Life so often seems like a turbulent river threatening to drown us and destroy our world. Why, then, shouldn’t we cling to the certainty of the comfortable - to our deep-seated habits and familiar ways? Because, Pema Chödrön teaches, that kind of fear-based clinging keeps us from the infinitely more powerful experience of being fully alive.

Health as well as salvation is to be obtained by faith. The natural tendency of man is to bring about his salvation by his works, and it is only with difficulty that he comes to receive it by faith. But when it is a question of healing the body, he has still more difficulty grasping that truth. As to salvation, he finally accepts it because there is no other way to open the door of heaven. But for the body, he makes use of many other treatments.

One cold winter night in Toronto, the Holy Spirit entered Benny Hinn's life in such a dramatic way that he was changed forever. The same thing can happen to you. Join the millions of others who have experienced Good Morning, Holy Spirit, and discover if you are ready to meet the Holy Spirit intimately and personally, willing to listen to His voice, and prepared to know Him as a person. In this revised and expanded edition of Good Morning, Holy Spirit, Benny Hinn shares the insights and the truths that God has taught him through the years.

Jesus didn't save us from an angry God. Jesus is God saving us. Some questions are too sacred to answer, but too important to ignore. That's why the most meaningful conversations often start with laughter, honest doubts, and-of course-tacos. The sacred and the silly mingle here-not in competition, but in communion. If the version of God you were handed feels too small, you're not alone. Faith was never meant to be stiff-or silent.

Every man was once a boy. And every little boy has dreams, big dreams: dreams of being the hero, of beating the bad guys, of doing daring feats and rescuing the damsel in distress. Every little girl has dreams, too: of being rescued by her prince and swept up into a great adventure, knowing that she is the beauty.

Woke Injustice by Bryan Osborne takes a deep dive into the pervasive influence of Critical Race Theory (CRT) and its growing presence in every facet of society, including the church. Far from being a neutral or helpful analytical tool, CRT is a dangerous ideology that seeks to divide and destroy, operating under the guise of social justice and equity. Osborne exposes the true nature of CRT, revealing it as a system designed to undermine biblical truth, disrupt the unity of the church, and reshape society according to a new, unbiblical standard.

Negative perceptions. Church dropouts. Prodigals and nomads. It's easy to get discouraged by all that's going wrong when it comes to Christianity and the emerging generation. Yet what's going right? In fact, signs of hope are springing up all around. Faith for Exiles unveils major new Barna research that uncovers what's working - five practices that contribute to resilience. In a world where always-connected smart devices and search algorithms educate and entertain, digital Babylon is the new context for discipleship.

Best-selling author Kathleen Dowling Singh (The Grace in Dying) presents an opportunity to view and reflect upon our lives in a new way - as an already unfolding awakening. Kathleen Dowling Singh invites us to enter into an awakened relationship with our lives by exploring our own spiritual biography. Her thoughtful reflections and exercises guide us through the process, step-by-step, of recognizing the ever-presence of grace in our lives and learning to trust it and live from it.

Jan Chozen Bays, MD - physician and Zen teacher - has developed a series of simple practices to help us cultivate mindfulness as we go about our ordinary, daily lives. Exercises include: taking three deep breaths before answering the phone, noticing and adjusting your posture throughout the day, eating mindfully, and leaving no trace of yourself after using the kitchen or bathroom. Each exercise is presented with tips on how to remind yourself and a short life lesson connected with it.

The Way of the Cross has been prepared to help people to pray and, with the grace of God, to grow in a spirit of reparation–of love-sorrow–and of gratitude to our Lord, who has rescued us at the cost of his Blood.

This book is a comprehensive study on the subject of prayer, and will show you that there are nine elements which are essential to true prayer