Living Religions

Award-winning author, Pastor, and Professor A. J. Swoboda has witnessed many young people wrestle with their core Christian beliefs. Too often, what begins as a set of critical and important questions turns to resentment and faith abandonment. Unfortunately, the church has largely ignored its task of serving people along their journey of questioning. The local church must walk alongside those who are deconstructing their faith and show them how to reconstruct it.

Since the landmark Obergefell v. Hodges Supreme Court decision in 2015, sexual identity has dominated both public discourse and cultural trends — yet no historical phenomenon is its own cause. From Augustine to Marx, various views and perspectives have contributed to the modern understanding of the self.

Let's Take Our Job Back is an urgent call to action for pastors and ministry leaders to reclaim the church's mission: to be the transformative force that Jesus envisioned. Kelly Stickel addresses the global church's response to contemporary crises—COVID-19, political polarization, racial injustice, and more—emphasizing that now, more than ever, the church must step up, take responsibility for its shortcomings, rediscover its true identity, and become the solution to the world's problems.

Are the chains of ancestral sin, addiction, and bondage pulling you away from the abundant life promised to you? Are generational curses overshadowing your life's purpose? Imagine a life where the dark shadows of your lineage are replaced by God’s glory and promise—where the cycle of dysfunction ends with you. Building on the years of experience in biblical teaching and countless sessions in the Courts of Heaven, Robert Henderson has witnessed innumerable people receive the miraculous cleansing of their spiritual ancestry.

Your "turning" or "conversion" is only a beginning, and no more. It is not the whole journey; it is merely the first step. You are a disciple, that is, one who is under teaching; but your teaching, your discipleship, has only just begun. Your life is a book; it may be a bigger or smaller volume, but conversion is only the title page or the preface. The book itself remains to be written, and your years, weeks, and days are its chapters, pages, and lines. It is a book written for eternity; make sure that it is written well.

There is a place in God where pain and peace are co-located. Reconciliation happens when we allow the healing power of God to erase our reasons to stay stuck, which fuel our resistance to seeking help. Faith creates the space for healing release. A hurt that has not been dealt with has no timeframe for healing. Your healing journey begins today.

We all want to live a life that matters—a life of meaning and significance. The problem is, when we think of a life that makes a difference, we think way too small. Our lives can and should make an impact today—and we should also be working toward building a legacy that lasts for generations to come.

Working from Scripture, well-known speaker and author Elisabeth Elliot shares her observations and experiences in a number of essays on what it means to be a Christian woman, whether single, married, or widowed.

Men who were led by the hand or groped their way along the wall to reach Jesus were touched by his finger and went home without a guide, rejoicing that Jesus Christ had opened their eyes. Jesus is still able to perform such miracles. And, with the power of the Holy Spirit, his Word will be expounded and we’ll watch for the signs to follow, expecting to see them at once. Why shouldn’t those who read this be blessed with the light of heaven? This is my heart's inmost desire.

We pray for peace when our little ones are tossed about by waves of emotions, for connection and confidence when navigating stressful mornings and exhausting nights, and for wisdom in knowing how best to discipline our kids. As Christian parents, we’re desperate to “get it right,” to raise our children to be strong, courageous followers of Jesus―and yet, despite the overload of endless advice at our fingertips, we often feel completely and utterly lost.

Internationally renowned Bible teacher Derek Prince explains that any believer who is not manifesting gifts of the Spirit is living far below the level of God’s provision for his life. One of our greatest necessities in the church today is to demonstrate through the power of the Spirit that Jesus is alive and that His gospel is true. The world needs to see the manifestation of the presence of God. Believers need the ministry of the body of Christ through spiritual gifts. The Gifts of the Spirit reveals how we can fulfill both of these needs—practically and powerfully.

Does God still speak today? Does God still move like He did in “Bible times”? Is His power still at work? Can God be reduced to just theology…or is He personal and near? Can the presence and power of the Holy Spirit still be experienced? In a world filled with deceptive substitutes and counterfeit spiritual experiences, it’s crucial to grasp the truth. The truth is that God, through the Holy Spirit, dwells within you and empowers you to live a supernatural life.

First published in 1986, Open Mind, Open Heart remains one of the best introductions to contemplative prayer. Father Thomas Keating discusses the history of contemplative prayer in the Christian tradition, and introduces the listener to the practice of centering prayer as a spiritual discipline.

Death is not waiting for us at the end of a long road. Death is always with us, in the marrow of every passing moment. She is the secret teacher hiding in plain sight, helping us to discover what matters most. Life and death are a package deal. They cannot be pulled apart, and we cannot truly live unless we are aware of death. The Five Invitations is an exhilarating meditation on the meaning of life and how maintaining an ever-present consciousness of death can bring us closer to our truest selves.

The Life Model is a unifying approach to ministries of counseling, recovery, pastoral care, prayer ministry, deliverance, inner healing, child rearing, body life, and health. Substance abuse recovery programs internationally are guided by the Life Model's five principles. Because the Life Model develops strong maturity, it is widely used as a church model, particularly where people must face suffering.

Many spend their lives on trivial diversions, seeking earthly comfort and pleasure above all else. But Jesus said, "Whoever loses his life for my sake will save it," calling us into the eternal purpose and God-exalting life for which we were made. In this bestselling book, John Piper warns listeners of the dangers of an irrelevant life that counts for nothing and calls Christians to the deeper joys, and risks, that matter for eternity.

Demons have come to kill, steal, and destroy. They take possession of lives, oppress believers and wreak havoc on the plans of God for His people. Could they be the source of YOUR struggles? Jesus did not say to counsel demons out or to medicate them out; He said, “Cast them out!” Every day, we give demons too much power when in fact, Jesus has given us authority to bind them and command them to leave.

In The Mortification of Sin, Owen states not only that sin remains an active and negative force on the lives of Christians, but also that there is a highly effective way to combat that evil force and temptation along with it. Largely addressing Romans 8, this work extracts understanding and brings clarity to the listener on these widely discussed topics. Despite such a potentially disheartening revelation of the impact and influence of sin, Owen reminds the listener of the triumph of Christ.

The only true and unedited telling of the life of Christ - his life and times,in historical context, but not lacking the psychology behind his physical being and spirit. Unlike other books seeking to strip Jesus' story to reveal only the human being, Romano Guardini's The Lord gives the complete story of Jesus Christ - as man, Holy Ghost, and Creator. Pope Benedict XVI lauds Guardini's work as providing a full understanding of the Son of God away from the prejudice that rationality engenders.

What are your earliest childhood memories? Were you afraid of the dark? Can you remember a particularly embarrassing moment? Those memories - along with the words and emotions you use to describe them - hold the key to understanding the person you are today! Drawing on examples from his own life, the lives of celebrities, as well as case studies from his private practice, renowned psychologist Dr. Kevin Leman helps you apply these same techniques to uncover why you are the way you are.