Christian life and practice Books

Book SynopsisLiving faithfully isn''t about attending church. Being Christian is about living in right, just relationships with other people and the rest of creation. How can Christian parents avoid being overcome with the pressure to be a perfect parent and make a difference in the world? Parenting for a Better World shows there are all sorts of ways we can make a real difference from within our own homes. Even busy parents can work with their families for global justice. Without pressing you to do it all, this book offers spiritual resources for reflecting on the relationship between your faith, your calling for justice, and your commitment to parenting. Find encouragement from fellow parents who weave together stories of caregiving, activism, and scripture that affirm your sense of calling. Plus, it offers practical strategies to help committed (and over-committed) people integrate caregiving and justice work into their daily lives.

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Book SynopsisIn a novel inspired by the author’s own cancer experience, two sisters seek a new balance in work, family, and love when one receives a diagnosis that sets the clock ticking.Trade Review'A heartbreaking, truth-telling look at the ravages of cancer on the body and soul. Kelly Irvin's tale will resonate with anyone who has been affected by this terrible disease. Told with compassion and love, The Year of Goodbyes and Hellos is a perfect fit for fans of Tosca Lee, Patty Callahan Henry, and Allison Winn Scotch.' * Aimie K. Runyan, bestselling author of A Bakery in Paris and The Memory of Lavender and Sage *'Kelly Irvin has crafted an emotional and moving story of family, grief, and forgiveness, and reminds us of God's unfailing love, even in the midst of the storm.' * Sheryl Lister, author of A Table For Two and A Perfect Pairing *

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Book SynopsisI wouldn't trade my life for anyone else's. If I could choose not to have cancer, and continue my life as it was, I wouldn't do it. Matt Gauger.You're twenty-two, in love, and just starting a career. The last thing you're worried about is the purpose of life (whatever that means) and when you're going to die. If you think about such things, you certainly don't talk about them. With his sociable personality and love of music and basketball, Matt had plenty of friends but didn't really stand out from the crowd. Then, a month before his wedding, he was diagnosed with cancer. Six months later he was dead. But Six Months to Live isn't really about dying. It's the story of how Matt and his family and friends struggled to accept his suffering, and how it changed each of them. It's about facing (rather than avoiding) life's most important questions, and instead of going through the motions living life to the full.Trade ReviewA little book, but a grand witness . . . Matt’s story reminds us that though dying is a gritty and painful process, death does not have the final word. --Gerald L. Sittser, authorAn extraordinary account – simple and profound. Matt’s struggle is one we will all eventually have to go through. --Francis S. MacNutt, author, HealingIt is a tragedy when a life is cut this short, though in being compressed it becomes like a diamond. Through the clarity of this prism we can see a life lived for God, and lived well. --Frederica Mathewes-Green, columnistCompelling…Six Months to Live captures the essence of dying with dignity and grace. I have never read a book about dying that left me with such a feeling of peace. --Judy Lentz, former CEO, Hospice and Palliative Nurses AssociationSix Months to Live tears at the soul and leaves the reader determined to take a new direction…If you don’t read another book this year, read this one. --The OklahomanDeep, fascinating, theologically rich… --Christianity TodaySecularists often ask why the good die young, and sometimes very young. Daniel Hallock’s Six Months to Live: Learning from a Young Man with Cancer is a good book to give those facing a death sentence. --Marvin Olasky, WORLD MagazinePowerful…It is rare to be invited on such and intimate journey. --N. Gordon Cosby, fouinder, Church of the SaviorMatt Gauger, the subject of this slim, poignant book, suddenly found himself dying of cancer at age 22. Hallock gives readers an intimate account of events, beginning with the robust, athletic young man's descent into unmanageable pain, followed by a serious diagnosis and months of reckoning with end-of-life issues. The text features long quotations from interviews with and diaries of those closest to Gauger among them his wife, parents, brother and doctor and in doing so paints the emotional, spiritual and physical landscape within which this drama unfolded. Hallock admirably avoids hagiography, as do Gauger's loved ones, and instead reveals the ennobling effect dying had on Gauger. --Publishers WeeklyTable of ContentsContents Preface 1. The Blow 2. Gobbler 3. Cynthia 4. Life with Chemo 5. Back to the Front 6. Learning to Let Go 7. Before Morning 8. Ties that Bind 9. New Seeds Coda

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Book SynopsisDr. Alison Cook delivers life-changing strategies for helping women develop their voices, forge healthy relationships, and embrace the holy, sacred work of becoming their true selves in God.

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Book SynopsisGod''s presence permeates our lives and activities, reverberating throughout all he has created. As we open our lives to that presence, we hear the truth of the gospel spoken to our hearts: the kingdom of God has come to us. Chris Webb, an Anglican priest and retreat house director, wants us all to enter into that kingdom and to experience its freedom. Written with verve, depth, and uncontainable joy, God-Soaked Life invites us to live in the reality of God''s presence in our everyday lives. It''s an invitation into the community of God''s people, into fearless honesty about our own weaknesses and failures, into the daily experience of God through silence, Scripture and prayer, and into a new life of love and service in the broken world around us. God''s kingdom is not far away, a remote and future promise. It is here, now.Trade ReviewA pleasure to handle and read... Chris Webb writes with a positivity that I found appealing. - Church TimesWebb writes beautifully... The evidence of Webb's deep spirituality, wisdom and knowledge is apparent throughout, grounding the reader in spiritual truths. - Premier Christianity

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Book SynopsisReaders will get to know Ashley Reitz, a top international curve model who, despite being a good girl and even a pastor''s daughter, took destructive detours in unhealthy dieting, and beauty and body obsession before discovering that she was already special and good enough-because Jesus had made her so. Ashley weaves her stories of growing up feeling self concious and unnoticed with behind-the-scenes snapshots of the good, the bad, and the ugly of the modeling industry. She offers lessons for readers on how to find true confidence as they discover their identity in Christ, not the empty substitutes of this world. As she explores topics of confidence, beauty, positive body image, and the maddening-and futile-pursuit of perfection, Ashley acts as a big sister to speak truth and healing into the lives of young women and girls.

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Book SynopsisNOURISH is not another health or diet book; the message of this book is unique as it addresses all three aspects of health: spirit, soul, and body. The practical and spiritual tools provided in this book are what sets it apart from the rest of its kind. Too many people give up on their journey to health because they have a plan that addresses only the physical aspect of health. However, this book encourages the reader to first pursue health at a heart level, bringing lasting change that comes from the inside out.In this book, you will discover how the health of your soul is the foundation to your overall health. Katie shares how to renew your mind and study God''s word, which will change the perspective on how you see yourself, making loving yourself (and your body) possible.You will learn how to replace lies with the truth and shift your focus from what the world says to what God''s Word says. In addition to the spiritual truths, you will learn how to nourish

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Book SynopsisUncover the spiritual strength of your family story. We all have a desire to learn more about where we've come from, and technology has made this more possible than ever. But our family stories are more than a list of DNA results on a piece of paper or a bunch of fading Kodachrome images filling old photo albums. In an era often marked by both fragmentation in family and culture and a hunger to discover our genetic roots, our family stories--including the difficult, complex ones--can carry great spiritual strength. The desire to trace, interpret, and pass on our family's history is embedded in Scripture from beginning to end--there are nine genealogies found in the book of Genesis alone. When we bring together the various threads of our family stories with Scripture's insights, they can provide the key to decoding our identity and helping us discover our place in family, church, and world. In Translating Your Past, author Michelle Van Loon helps readers uncover how patterns and gaps in family histories, generational trauma, adoption, genetic clues and surprises, spiritual history, and the church help us translate our own pasts and understand why these stories matter. Each chapter includes questions designed for individual reflection or small group discussion, as well as an appendix of helpful tools readers can use to translate their own pasts and create meaning in order to transform their unique family history into living, faith-filled heritage.

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Book Synopsis'a fiercely intelligent theologian and historian' - The Independent'Miranda gives us the confidence to sit and taste the Bible's profound and life-changing goodness.' - Stephen Cottrell, Archbishop of YorkAs a vicar, Miranda Threlfall-Holmes is used to being asked to recommend a book on how and why to read the Bible. Filling the gap between popular Bible reading notes and more academic books, How to Eat Bread is the book she'd give to anyone wanting to explore the Bible as part of their faith. Its three main sections delve into the rich heritage of how Christians have read the Bible down the ages: From the Larder - ways that scripture itself uses other parts of scripture, or models and demonstrates different ways of reading Grandma's Recipe Book - historical methods of biblical interpretation Molecular Gastronomy - the insights and methods of modern theological hermeneuticsEncouraging readers to try out a variety of tried and tested ways of Bible reading, experiment with different ingredients and sample the results, How to Eat Bread is a refreshingly hands-on approach to understanding this ancient library of texts.'exhilarating and hands-on ... Miranda Threlfall-Holmes provides a fantastic guide' - Fergus Butler-GallieTrade Review'An encouraging book about reading scripture' * Church Times *a novel approach to reading the Bible and deepening faith * Life & Work *The psalmist says that God's word is sweeter than honey. Miranda Threlfall-Holmes writes for us as one who has tasted God's word, found it to be good and nourishing, and now wants us to eat as well. She invites us on a journey of discovery; the delights and challenges of the Bible as food for the journey of life. Lots of books tell us what the Bible is about. Few explain to us how to read it. But drawing on different traditions of reflective biblical reading, Miranda gives us the confidence to sit and taste its profound and life-changing goodness. * Stephen Cottrell, Archbishop of York *The Bible is a beautiful, inspired, ancient sacred text. It's full of God's wisdom and nourishment - but frankly it can also be confusing and indigestible without a guide. In How to Eat Bread Miranda guides us to read well, and through reading to live well, as we come to taste the wonderful food that God gives us through scripture. Highly recommended! * Paul Bayes, Bishop of Liverpool *To me, the Bible is one of the most beautiful and dangerous texts in the world - beautiful because it points towards unimaginable glories, dangerous because it is so easily used as a weapon to judge, condemn, harm. We need wise companions like Miranda Threlfall-Holmes to help us find the Bible's beauty while refusing to weaponize it. There's really no book like How to Eat Bread - honest about the Bible's challenges, inspired by its wonders, informed about its scholarship and full of practical ideas for reading the Bible as you would eat good bread. * Brian D. McLaren, author of Faith After Doubt *For any Christian - or, we might argue, anyone wanting to have even a cursory understanding of how our globalised world got to think and be as it does and is - reading the Bible ought to be as natural as breathing or, as this exciting new book puts it, eating bread. All too often reading the Bible can seem - even to Christians - a scary or taxing task. In this exhilarating and hands-on book Miranda Threlfall-Holmes provides a fantastic guide to the many and varied ways that we can get real nourishment out of Scripture. The Church is in great need of ways to re-engage people with the joys and challenges that reading the Bible can bring and - whether it is for a set group or just the curious individual reader - this marvellous book is a fantastic starting point for that process to begin. * Fergus Butler-Gallie, author of A Field Guide to the English Clergy *Are you baffled by the Bible, stumped by the Scriptures? Try Miranda Threlfall-Holmes's new book for help. How to Eat Bread provides many different ways of tasting the Word of God. No need to read it all in one go. Just dip into it, alone or with a group. Miranda Threlfall-Holmes draws on her wide experience in parishes, as university chaplain and as mother, to suggest various ways of reading the Scriptures, suitable for different persons and for different times. Try them. You will not be disappointed. * Cardinal Michael Fitzgerald *Miranda Threlfall-Holmes writes with a freshness and an urgency that draw the reader into her subject matter in compelling ways. This volume discusses in accessible form Scripture's own methods of interpreting the story of God's engagement with creation, the Church's interpretations across history together with the ways in which modern hermeneutical scholarship discloses the inherited texts and their freshness for successive generations.Whether you are beginning this journey or are a seasoned campaigner, you will find something here to enrich your understanding and enjoyment of Scripture. * Michael Jackson, Archbishop of Dublin *Miranda Threlfall-Holmes's latest book is a feast of delicious morsels. How To Eat Bread is an invitation to read the Bible as a staple of our spiritual life, and yet more: the book is infused with a passion that dares to wrestle with the Bible's trickier aspects as well as its sublime simplicity. In a book that will feed both individuals and groups, Threlfall-Holmes wears her learning lightly. By daring to knead scripture into the insights of tradition and reason, she has produced a 'recipe book' for anyone wanting to discover why the Bible is the greatest companion on the way to God. Taste, eat, and be fed! * Canon Rachel Mann, priest, scholar and author *Reading Revd Dr Miranda Threlfall-Holmes'S How to Eat Bread, I discovered the practical guide to reading the Bible I did not realise was missing in my life. Even with nearly 40 years' studying the Bible, she revealed to me new insights, techniques, and doorways for engaging the scriptures. * Peterson Toscano, LGBTQ human rights campaigner and creator of Transfigurations - Transgressing Gender in the Bible *How to Eat Bread is a terrific guide to many of the methods scholars and teachers use to access the deep meaning of the stories of the Bible. Short of just eating the pages of your Bible, Miranda's book offers almost all methods of consuming the richness of the Bible, the bearer of very good news for today. If you are hesitant to read your Bible on your own or wondering how preachers know what they say they know, How to Eat Bread lifts the veil. This is a great tool for study and devotional reading of the Bible. * Rev. Winne Varghese, Trinity Church Wall Street, New York *

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Book SynopsisAn Englishwoman in Utah is a plain, unexaggerated record of the author''s personal experience with Mormonism. Much that may seem altogether incredible, would to a Mormon mind appear simply a matter of ordinary every-day occurrence with which everyone in Utah is supposed to be perfectly familiar.

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Book SynopsisHow would you describe your walk with God? Fresh and passionate? Vibrant and full of life? Stagnant? Nonexistent? No matter where you are on your walk, that's exactly where God promises to meet you--even if it's messy. Sharing his own story of spiritual drifting, popular online pastor Rashawn Copeland encourages you to accept yourself as a glorious work in progress, a beloved child in whom God delights, a person on the brink of revival. Anchoring everything in Scripture, he shows you how to start your walk with God now, even in the midst of your mess. Even in the midst of addiction, doubt, depression, fear, and years spent running from God, he shows it is possible to - find God's love and acceptance - develop strong character - choose to rejoice - move out of your mess - see life through God's eyes - be a loving person in a hateful world - never settle for less than God's best - and more The change you long to see in the world starts in your own heart. Thankfully, that's exactly where God is waiting for you.

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Book SynopsisWhen was the last time you had an honest, heartfelt, yet kind and productive conversation with someone about depression, mental illness, substance abuse, pornography, premarital sex, racism, divorce, abortion, LGBT issues, or politics? Our tendency is either to avoid talking about such volatile topics at all--even with other Christians--or to go on the attack, causing rifts that do nothing to encourage further discussion or growth. If you're tired of avoiding tough conversations, if you want to be a light in a dark world but you're not sure how, Challenging Conversations is the book you've been waiting for. With straightforward answers to some of the most challenging moral issues disrupting the church, this book will help you build your confidence using three simple steps to becoming a conversant Christian. Each chapter begins with a true story, clarifies misconceptions and misunderstandings about the subject, and equips you to build rapport, ask the right questions, find points of agreement, and take the next fruitful step in the relationship. Because even if we disagree on a moral issue, that shouldn't make us mortal enemies.

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Book SynopsisAn Unvarnished Perspective on Racism That Calls Black Women to Find Their Voice Being Black in a society developed by white men to benefit white men means constantly pushing back against systems that were not constructed for your flourishing. White privilege. White cultural norms. White beauty standards. White noise. You're made to feel that your life doesn't matter, your opinions aren't valid, and your entire existence is too loud. It can feel like the whole world is telling you to shut up. To these forces, Ally Henny is here to say, "No. I am a loud Black woman, and I won't shut up." Ally knows what it's like to navigate racism and racialized sexism, having spent most of her life in predominantly white spaces. She's not taking it anymore, and she's calling you to join her in resisting racism by speaking the truth--no matter the cost. In this compelling book, Ally tells her own story of finding her voice, pushing back against oppression, and embracing her unique perspective as a loud Black woman. And she invites you to find your voice in a world that tries to silence you. If you're tired of feeling silenced, misunderstood, and abused by society, you'll find here powerful words of liberation that will empower you to find--and use--your voice. ***** "Throughout, Henny is candid about her own path to self-acceptance. . . . Readers will be empowered."--Publishers Weekly on I Won't Shut Up

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Book SynopsisAmerican Christians have developed a long list of expectations about what the life with God will feel like. Many Christians rightly deny the prosperity gospel-the idea that God wants you to be healthy and wealthy- but instead embrace its more subtle spin-off, the emotional prosperity gospel, or the belief that happiness and spiritual euphoria will inevitably follow if you believe all the right things and make all the right choices. In this view, frustration is deemed unholy, fear is seen as a failure of faith, and sadness is a sign of God's disfavour. In Holy Unhappiness, Amanda Held Opelt, author of A Hole in the World, grapples with her own experience of disillusionment when life with God didn't always feel the way she expected it to feel. She examines some of the historic, religious, and cultural influences that led to the idolization of positive feelings and the marginalization of negative feelings. Unpacking nine elements of life that have been tainted by the message of the emotional Prosperity Gospel - including work, marriage, parenting, calling, community, and church - she points to a new path forward, one that reimagines what the "blessed" life can be like if we release some of our expectations and seek God in places we never thought to look.This is a book that asks "what good is God?" when he doesn't always make sorrow go away or soothe every fear. It is a book that explores our aversion to sadness and counts the costs of our unrelenting commitment to optimism. This is a book that insists there is holiness to be found even in our unhappiness.

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Book SynopsisA NATIONAL BESTSELLER!Journalist Sarah Stankorb outlines how access to the internet-its networks, freedom of expression, and resources for deeply researching and reporting on powerful church figures-allowed women to begin dismantling the false authority of evangelical communities that had long demanded their submission.A generation of American Christian girls was taught submitting to men is God's will. They were taught not to question the men in their families or their pastors. They were told to remain sexually pure and trained to feel shame if a man was tempted. Some of these girls were abused and assaulted. Some made to shrink down so small they became a shadow of themselves. To question their leaders was to question God.All the while, their male leaders built fiefdoms from megachurches and sprawling ministries. They influenced politics and policy. To protect their church's influence, these men covered up and hid abuse. American Christian patriarchy, as it rose in political power and cultural sway over the past four decades, hurt many faithful believers. Millions of Americans abandoned churches they once loved.Yet among those who stayed (and a few who still loved the church they fled), a brave group of women spoke up. They built online megaphones, using the democratizing power of technology to create long-overdue change.In Disobedient Women, journalist Sarah Stankorb gives long-overdue recognition for these everyday women as leaders and as voices for a different sort of faith. Their work has driven journalists to help bring abuse stories to national attention. Stankorb weaves together the efforts of these courageous voices in order to present a full, layered portrait of the treatment of women and the fight for change within the modern American church.Disobedient Women is not just a look at the women who have used the internet to bring down the religious power structures that were meant to keep them quiet, but also a picture of the large-scale changes that are happening within evangelical culture regarding women's roles, ultimately underscoring the ways technology has created a place for women to challenge traditional institutions from within.

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Book SynopsisA NATIONAL BESTSELLER!Whether you're struggling to get started, afraid of making a big decision, or clinging to a path no longer meant for you-this book is the kick in the pants you need to take the next step and go after what you want.Gutsy is your guidebook to uncovering the audacious courage within you and making an impact on this world that only you can make. This book will help you learn to turn off the expectations of others, ask for what you deserve, stick your neck out, and be brave enough to take that next step.This book is for you if:- You've been putting things off, procrastinating, or feeling stuck- You're done letting the opinions of others hold you back - You're tired of chasing after approval and hustling for validation- You know that you are capable of greatness with a little push- You're ready to take action and become the boss of your own lifeThe gap between where you are and where you want to be is never as wide as you think it is. Gutsy will turn your momentary pause into forward progress with a heavy dose of radical curiosity, audacious courage, and abundant grace.

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Book Synopsis*A NATIONAL BESTSELLER*Happiness is considered a destination, but the finish line is constantly moving-when we get married, find that dream job, move away from home, have a baby, build a dream house, etc. We are promised that a happy life is tied to these milestones.But what if society has it wrong? What if happiness isn't the goal at all?With her trademark candor and hilarious storytelling, MK paints a picture of a different life-one bursting with a force that is far more sustainable and vibrant: joy.Crazy Joy will help readers:1. Identify and reject ridiculous expectations that society has placed on their lives.2. Liberate their hearts from the comparison prison and feel content in their current circumstances.3. View themselves, inside and out, as the masterpiece creations they are.4. Find joy (and dare we say, laughter!) in the middle of life's biggest messes.Witty and refreshingly honest, MK invites her readers to embark on a counter-cultural journey toward a life filled to the brim with contentment, humor, and most importantly, Crazy Joy.

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Book SynopsisWe breathe because God gives us breath! We exist because God permits us! To inhale and exhale life is beyond a gift, it is an invitation to embrace a divine initiative that ushers promises of eternity to the here and now. Many seem to be grasping for so much more in life. They long for a deeper reality of the eternal but continue to face frustration, failure, and fatal realities. Breathe Again is for anyone who is exhausted from their routine lives. For anyone whose rhythm of life is crying out for a fresh wind, a fresh voice, a fresh reality of divine calling and purpose. For those exhausted from their personal efforts to keep the family going in the right direction, to run that company, to lead that congregation, or to impact their campus.Breathe Again is more than a motivational resource that simply challenges people to be more dedicated, disciplined, or devoted. Ed Newton helps readers realise a rich, abundant Christian life is not about doing better; instead, it's all about recognising that God is better. He is better than all our empty attempts to create new and improved selves. Just as our Creator did when He breathed life into Adam, when He brought Scripture to life, or when Jesus breathed out His last breath so we could breathe in His salvation, God's supernatural intent and desire is to breathe upon your life for the purpose of a divine awakening.

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Book SynopsisChristianity Today Book Award Winner Selfies are ubiquitous. They can be silly or serious, casual or curated. Within moments, smart phone users can capture their image and post it across multiple social media platforms to a global audience. But do we truly understand the power of image in our image-saturated age? How can we seek God and care for each other in digital spaces? Craig Detweiler, a nationally known writer and speaker and an avid social media user, examines the selfie phenomenon, placing selfies within the long history of self-portraits in art, literature, and photography. He shows how self-portraits change our perspective of ourselves and each other in family dynamics, education, and discipleship. Challenging us to push past unhealthy obsessions with beauty, wealth, and fame, Detweiler helps us to develop a thoughtful, biblical perspective on selfies and social media and to put ourselves in proper relation to God and each other. He also explains the implications of social media for an emerging generation, making this book a useful conversation starter in homes, churches, and classrooms. Each chapter ends with discussion questions and a photo assignment for creating a selfie in response to the chapter.Table of ContentsContents1. Introduction: How Do You Solve a Problem Like the Selfie?2. Reflected Beauty: The Ancient Self3. Mastering the Mirror: A Renaissance of the Self4. Reframing Memories: The Literary Self5. Seizing the Light: Photographing Ourselves6. Behind the Mask: The Psychological Self7. Instapressure: The Selfie Today8. Augmented and Transfigured: The Selfie TomorrowIndex

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