Take the Stairs: Seven Steps to Achieving True Success
by: Rory Vaden, TarcherPerigee, December 31, 2012. Take the Stairs by Rory Vaden is an energetic look at the mindset that creates sustainable success. In some Christian circles, I often hear the mantra, “God doesn’t want you to just survive, He wants his children to thrive.” I enjoyed Rory’s book for three reasons: He doesn’t use cliches (like the one above), he teaches and tells memorable stories. The book’s seven steps are clear . . . simple to understand and admittedly harder to apply. He doesn’t put much of the responsibility in for your...
read moreHearing Jesus Speak into your Sorrow: Book Review
Hearing Jesus Speak into Your Sorrow. By: Nancy Guthrie, Tyndale House Publishers, 2009 In his work The Problem of Pain, prolific Christian author C.S. Lewis wrote, “Pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pain: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” [1] For some reason, much of the contemporary Christian world has forgotten God’s purpose of pain, or maybe we’ve never learned it. Into this gap between success focused, performance centric worship and the reality...
read moreWhat’s the Big Deal about Grace?
In the past six months, I’m hearing a lot about Grace, and to tell you the truth, I’m confused. Maybe I’m in a bubble, but I don’t understand how or why ministries are developing the message of grace into a subculture of the gospel. Most of these ministries and their preachers are presenting the truth of the gospel (more on that later) because grace is essential, no, the core of salvation. Without the grace of God, I deserve to be a smoldering pile of ash on the sidewalk. If God didn’t relent from judging Sodom and Gomorrah, or the angels who...
read moreHope in the Mourning Bible
Finding Strength through God’s Eternal Perspective From Amazon.com: WHEN A CASSEROLE OR A GREETING CARD ISN’T ENOUGH. Grief is one of life’s toughest challenges. During such times it is difficult to know where to turn. Yet in the midst of your deepest despair, God reveals Himself and His promises for a better tomorrow. The NIV Hope in the Mourning Bible works to bring a peaceful sense—in the midst of the coldest winter—that spring will one day come again. The collection of devotions and prayers warmly offer inspiration and...
read moreSuccessful Small Groups – From Concept to Practice
Jesus’ last words gave Christians the Great Commission, a command to build disciples in all nations. Disciple building is a process, not an event, and too often Christ followers focus on events. Preaching is part of the process, as is baptism, church membership and reading the Bible. However, unless these lessons become part of a changed life, the discipling process remains incomplete. Teena’s book lays out steps to start and grow a successful small group ministry, which is often the essential key for changing decision makers and church...
read moreShe Was Convinced of God’s Hand in Her Life
I met Wanda Maxey three years ago in a small writing group. Timid and quiet, Wanda wanted to tell her private story to the world. She believed that God had taught her about his beautiful love and grace, even though her personal history was filled potholes of alcoholism and abuse. Wanda’s story includes an alcoholic father, and a similar man that she settled for when she got married. Zig Ziglar once said that people often prefer a known hell to an unknown heaven, and his wisdom is woven around the reasons Wanda chose her partner. Wanda was...
read moreBut Lord, I Was Happy Shallow
How many times have you yearned for a deeper, more intimate walk with Christ? The stories in this book are compiled from writers seeking that deeper experience, and how God often used obstacles and the lessons learned from overcoming unfairness or injustice to grow into a deeper and more satisfying relationship with Him. (M. Littauer, 2004, Kregel Press)
read moreYour Exceptional Life Begins Now
Working with writers around the country, author Timothy Burns is included in each of these books. His contributions range from heartfelt personal stories to wisdom grown from his own experiences. Readers of these books will find encouragement, inspiration and advice in these popular titles. Compiled from writers across the country, Your Exceptional Life encourages readers to take hold of the life they have been given and live. Every person encounters unscheduled bumps in the road. These stories tell how to use bumps in your path as a launch...
read moreGod Encounters
Author James Stuart Bell worked with Howard Books to collect stories of God’s real involvement in the lives of his children. The first in a 10 book series, God Encounters tells how a loving God answered desperate prayers and interacted with his people (J. Bell, 2009, Howard Books) Tim’s contribution to this compilation book tells the story of how God answered a 4 year old prayer to begin reconciling his relationship to his son Josh.
read moreThe Art of Helping
Ever wondered just how to step into the gap created when a friend experiences a traumatic loss, or possibly the death of a close friend or family member? Lauren Littauer Briggs collected advice and practical do’s and don’ts from writers across the nation as she put together this compassionate guide. A reader will find creative ideas to help others and even favorite recipes to offer others as a way to say they care, and they are available to help. (L Littauer-Briggs, 2003, David C Cook)
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