Religion Community

Whether we know it or not, all of us have had heart trouble. The good news is that Jesus Christ is the best heart specialist of all time. In this collection, Bessie examines the Bible’s references to the heart: what God says about our condition, and what provision he has made for us in Jesus Christ. It is no-nonsense Bible teaching with an emphasis on practical application.

Our culture is undergoing radical change. We see evidence of this cultural revolution all around us as values, norms, language, and laws all shift beneath our feet. But this revolution didn't come out of nowhere—and it isn't too late to stop it. The Progressive Miseducation of America is an eye-opening look at how our universities have polluted the cultural landscape we live in today—and how Christians can take strategic actions in response.

It is no secret that the moral fabric of Western culture has unraveled at breakneck speed during recent decades. And while we have made progress addressing some issues such as sexual harassment, many other cultural changes are leaving us anxious and concerned. Mass shootings. Drug addictions. Sexual confusion. While there may be no easy solutions to our complex social malaise, we are by no means powerless. Through prayer, the all-wise and all-powerful Creator of our universe has given otherwise ordinary people an amazing opportunity to reverse the negative tide.

Revival starts with a choice to gaze at God — our Way Maker, Miracle Worker, Promise Keeper, and Light Bringer. Seeing God in these multifaceted ways helps us release His wonder into a broken world. It calls us higher to trust in His Promises, wider to discover His ways, and deeper to strengthen our faith. Way Maker, co-authored by mother and son, Debra Green OBE and Josh Green, is full of honest & inspiring stories of how God leads us through mountaintop miracles and dark valleys, walking with us every step of the way.

Questions about what the Bible says about the LGBT community abound in Christian circles. Pastors and ministry leaders are flooded with inquiries. Parents and loved ones ask how to respond to a son or daughter asking about reassignment surgery or struggling with same-sex attraction. And many individuals question their own LGBT lifestyle choices.

When people live in community moved by the gospel and marked by the Spirit, great things happen. They commit to one another. They grieve together, sing together, eat, pray, and play together. They love, serve, honor, encourage, and provide for each other gladly. And they live on mission together. Hearts are healed, walls come down, and outsiders come in. No competition. No pretense. No vain conceit. Just full hearts breaking bread and giving freely.

Researchers have uncovered the following three trends: First, distrust of institutions, including the church, is at an all-time high. Second, young people raised in the church are leaving at alarming rates and not returning. Third, loneliness and social isolation are at pandemic levels. What’s the connection? It appears that an entire generation is starving for the very thing the church is called to provide but has chosen to look for it elsewhere. Why is this happening?

In every position of power—from executives and world leaders to church elders and parents—lies the potential for life-giving leadership or destructive corruption. Driven by sinful pride or opportunism, many people abuse their God-given authority, harming the ones they're called to lead and contributing to a skeptical attitude toward leadership. The answer to bad authority, however, is not no authority, but good authority—the kind that, according to Scripture, causes those under it to flourish.

If you thought that–after believing in Christ–your salvation was then up to you, be prepared for a surprise. The Gospel 'is not a proposition, but an announcement’ and this book unpacks the wonder of its message. David Hewitt is the director of a contemporary church called Wellsprings Community, based in Newcraighall, Edinburgh, UK.

With the help of God, her family, and many other people along the way, Diane's Kids off the Block morphed from a personal crusade to do what she could into a nationally known program that has helped more than 3,000 at-risk Chicago teens. In this powerful, energizing book, she tells her incredible story to men and women who are sick of sitting behind their keyboards watching the world crumble and are ready to do something to make a difference.

We all long for homes where we can thrive and flourish. What does it take to have a spiritually vibrant household? Don Everts invites us to contemplate what the Bible says about households and consider what a new research project has revealed by pulling back the curtains on everyday households of faith. Original research from the Barna Group and Lutheran Hour Ministries shows that some of the healthiest, most vibrant homes extend beyond the nuclear family and include people that may not be biologically related but feel like family.

In a society always seeking the new and novel, Christians can become more grounded and mature through a retrieval of our common tradition. Alex Sosler sets forth the "transcendentals" of truth, goodness, and beauty—along with community—to help listeners follow the way of Jesus. Weaving together church history, theology, and devotional practice, Sosler offers a holistic introduction to spiritual formation, encompassing biblical truth, the pursuit of the good life, the contemplation of God, and communal belonging.

We all know people in our world are struggling ―eating disorders, addictions, depression, sexual issues, marital problems―the list goes on and on. Can the church help or is that an outdated concept that no longer fits modern problems? In The Church as a Culture of Care, biblical counselor Dale Johnson explains that the church is still the primary place where those who struggle can receive lasting hope and healing.

This book brings fresh clarity and key insights regarding the daily hazards of spiritual warfare and what it means to live out your faith. In his authentic and engaging style, Josh unpacks complicated issues like sin, death, and faith, and points the way forward on the path toward spiritual maturity. With simple, helpful advice for finding and connecting with a faith community and living with purpose, this is a must-listen for everyone ready to take new steps in their faith journey.

After her husband became an agnostic, Stina Kielsmeier-Cook was left "spiritually single" - struggling to live the Christian life on her own, taking her kids to church by herself, and wrestling with her own questions and doubts. In this memoir, Kielsmeier-Cook tells the story of her mixed-faith marriage and how she found community in an unexpected place: an order of Catholic nuns in her neighborhood. As she spent time with them and learned about female Catholic saints, she began to see that she was not "spiritually single" after all - and that no one really is.

The role of organized religion in our society is undergoing monumental changes. Church attendance is decreasing at unprecedented rates. At the same time, there is an increase in the number of people who identify as “spiritual but not religious.” Clearly, the need for religion remains as strong as ever, yet more and more, people are seeking spirituality elsewhere. Why? What accounts for these trends? Can organized religion still play a valuable role in today’s world?

The role of organized religion in our society is undergoing monumental changes. Church attendance is decreasing at unprecedented rates. At the same time, there is an increase in the number of people who identify as “spiritual but not religious.” Clearly, the need for religion remains as strong as ever, yet more and more, people are seeking spirituality elsewhere. Why? What accounts for these trends? Can organized religion still play a valuable role in today’s world?

This is a powerful collection of poems, calling out to contemplatives and interfaith grandmothers, church members, artists, athletes, patients, and all manner of humans desiring to sense the sacred in the many textures of life.

The Christian faith has repeatedly been called a “religion of the book.” Along with the incarnate Word and the oral word of preaching, God has chosen the medium of books to proclaim His goodness to us. The Bible is the book per se, and it sets the standard for the Christian faith. The Protestant Reformation of the sixteenth century saw the dramatic power of the printed word to bring light out of darkness as literature changed the thought and life of nations.

God’s best for you is on the other side of your yes to him. This has always been the case. Mountains move on the other side of fully trusting God’s call on our lives. The stories of the Bible would be drastically different if the characters all said no. Imagine if Abraham didn’t believe or if Mary said, “Find another surrogate.” What if the disciples refused to drop their nets or if the little boy with the bread and fish said, “These are mine,” and refused to give them up?