Life Growth

Can we consecrate ourselves to Mary? Mary is not the Creator, she is not the Redeemer. She is the opposite of a Goddess; she never substituted herself for God. But it was God's will that Mary had something to do with our Christian life, with our sanctification. It is a role assigned to her by God. In perfect union with her Son and subordinate to him, the Vatican II Council calls her "our mother in the order of grace" (LG 61). Let us not forget that Mary is the prototype of perfect consecration at the beginning of the New Testament. She was chosen to help us in our consecration through her ...

Nothing can replace studying the Bible. Best-selling author and pastor Charles Swindoll has spent decades studying its pages and teaching its precepts. But if sixty-six books seem overwhelming, The Owner’s Manual for Christians is the perfect starting place: a biblical summary of the major truths that anchor the Christian life. From grace to freedom, these chapters walk the reader through the keys to a life well lived?drawn from the Creator of life itself.

The life that God gives and you receive at the time you believe in his son Jesus Christ is such a life. It is a life that overcomes sin, provides intimate communion with God, and is full of satisfaction and power. It is already in you, waiting to be explored by you. The secret toward experiencing its power is to let go of yourself and let Christ live instead of you. This requires a childlike faith. Then shall you more than conquer through him who loves you.

Nothing gets our attention like an unmade decision: Should I accept the new position? Which schooling choice is best for my kids? How can I support my aging parents? When we have a decision to make and the answer isn't clear, what we want more than anything is peace, clarity, and a nudge in the right direction. If you have trouble making decisions, because of either chronic hesitation you've always lived with or a more recent onset of decision fatigue, Emily P. Freeman offers a fresh way of practicing familiar but often forgotten advice: simply do the next right thing.

In Our Mothers, Ourselves, Henry Cloud and John Townsend show how understanding how our mothers have profoundly influenced our lives can set us on a path toward wholeness and growth. No one has influenced the person you are today like your mother. The way she handled your needs as a child has shaped your worldview, your relationships, your marriage, your career, your self-image - your life. Our Mothers, Ourselves can help you identify areas that need reshaping, to make positive choices for personal change, and to establish a mature relationship with Mom today.

Many of us have a fraught relationship with money. We want it, fear it, and are anxious to run out. Did I mention we want it? Of course, we want money, but we may need clarification on how to get it, keep it, and grow it. If you want to become financially secure and worry-free, you must clearly understand what money is and what it is not. Money is a means, not an end. You can't buy happiness, love, and satisfaction. Yet, those are end goals worthy of aspiring to. Money will not solve your problems. But, if you have a plan on how to use and deploy money, it can be the means to solve problems...

Tap into the secrets of what makes you who you are - passions, talents, experiences, temperament, and spiritual gifts - and you'll discover the path to a life of unimagined purpose, impact, and fulfillment. Rick Warren's best-selling book The Purpose Driven® Life describes God's five purposes for every Christian. Now Erik Rees helps you discover God's unique purpose for your life based on the way God has shaped you.

Do today's children lack the flexibility and mental strength they need to cope with life's challenges in an increasingly complicated and scary world? With safe spaces and trigger warnings designed to "protect" kids, many adults worry that children don't have the resilience to reach their greatest potential. Amy Morin, the author who identified the characteristics that mentally strong people share, now gives adults - parents, teachers, and other mentors - the tools they need to become mental strength trainers.

Dr. Kwane Stewart was questioning his career as a veterinarian when he saw a homeless man with a flea-infested dog outside of a convenience store. In a moment of spontaneous generosity, he offered to examine the dog and treat him for free. It was the first step in a now nine-year journey that has taken Dr. Kwane from Skid Row to San Francisco and beyond to care for pets and their humans who are living on the streets.

What is the 'Christian life' all about? Studying the Bible, attending church, cultivating a prayer life, witnessing to others---those are all good. But is that really what Jesus has in mind? The answer, says Scot McKnight in One.Life, lies in Jesus' words, 'Follow me.'What does it look like to follow Jesus, and how will doing so change the way we live our life---our love.life, our justice.life, our peace.life, our community.life, our sex.life---everything about our life.

In a world that encourages us to find meaning in temporary things, we long to know that who we are makes a difference after we're gone. This hope-filled exploration of this biblical book of wisdom turns our attention to what our true purpose is and how to let that purpose shape our relationships, careers, and life choices. Along with biblical insights, John Onwuchekwa weaves together meaningful challenges so that even from difficult beginnings, we can continue to trust God's path.

Charles Dickens wrote The Life of Our Lord around the same time he was finishing up David Copperfield, but to listeners raised on a diet of Dickensian wit and indignation, his rendering of Jesus' life may come as something of a surprise. You won't find even the shadow of a Micawber or a Mrs. Gamp anywhere in this brief volume; no Pecksniffs, Podsnaps, or Mulberries, either.

Ravi Zacharias and Vince Vitale defend the absolute claims of Christ against modern belief in the "secular gods" of atheism, scientism, relativism, and more. The rise of these secular gods presents the most serious challenge to the absolute claims of Christ since the founding of Christianity itself. The Christian worldview has not only been devalued and dismissed by modern culture, but its believers are openly ridiculed as irrelevant. This audiobook is fresh, insightful, and important, and faces head on today's most urgent challenges to Christian faith.

Eugene Peterson’s classic translation of the Bible, The Message, has brought God’s words to life for millions of listeners by seamlessly recreating the immediacy of Scripture in contemporary English. Now, in Living the Message, Peterson has created a devotional to help listeners engage more intimately with God’s message and put His teachings into practice. Peterson’s meditations on spiritual life, the Bible, prayer, community, and faith accompany daily readings from Scripture and speak explicitly to the relevance of God’s word to the concerns and conditions of our day.

Spiritual battles require spiritual weaponry. In this practical look at the temptation of Jesus, you will discover how you can build an effective defense against Satan's subtle and not-so-subtle attacks. You do not need to let temptation trip you up ever again.

Are you tired of feeling lost and directionless in life? Discover the powerful life lessons that will transform your perspective and help you achieve your dreams in this inspiring self-help book.Life is intricate, profound, and replete with surprises and obstacles. When things occur regularly, life is frequently difficult, frequently perplexing, and occasionally outright deceitful. And, as the saying goes, life is not fair; or, at the very least, its gifts are not distributed equitably. Some people find and realize their aspirations with relative ease, while others strive for a long time, ...

As we walk through this life, the way will not always be easy and well-marked. In fact, we can expect lots of ups and downs and setbacks along the way. Sometimes we'll find ourselves face-to-face with a mountain that threatens to stop us in our tracks. We know that Jesus tells us we can move these mountains - but how?

In an age of convenience and information overload, it’s easy to go through the motions, pressured, distracted, and seeking instant gratification rather than harnessing our potential for meaningful and impactful lives. When we’re accustomed to a low energy brain state and lulled by the comfort zone it creates, it’s difficult to rouse ourselves to act with intention and create the lives we truly want to lead.

The lack of revelation of what you now possess and how to intimately access God may result in a less-than-fulfilling Christian experience and lifestyle. The Glory Within awakens your spiritual senses and inner spirit so you can become the person God created you to be.

World-renowned Jesus scholar Marcus J. Borg shows how we can live passionately as Christians in today's world by practicing the vital elements of Christian faith. For the millions of people who have turned away from many traditional beliefs about God, Jesus, and the Bible, but still long for a relevant, nourishing faith, Borg shows why the Christian life can remain a transforming relationship with God. Emphasizing the critical role of daily practice in living the Christian life, he explores how prayer, worship, Sabbath, pilgrimage, and more can be experienced as authentically life-giving practices.