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Jenn Johnson has come to realize that the pursuit of perfection is unrealistic and unfair. Instead, we need to pause and reflect on what's in front of us. But how? How can we slow down? How can we remain focused on what's important and do things with intention? What can we pursue that represents God's heart for us, things that are true, noble, right, pure, admirable, excellent, praiseworthy? By pursuing all things "lovely".

The way Jesus tells it, if we give up on belonging in order to follow him, we'll find ourselves belonging anyway. We might not belong the way other people do, with normal homes and normal families and normal ways of fitting in. But we'll belong in a way that's a hundred times better. We'll be fully in place because we know we are out of place. We'll belong like aliens.

In this audiobook, Megan Hill answers a common question of churchgoers: What's so great about the church? With rich theology and practical direction, Hill encourages and equips both first-time visitors and regular members to delight in being a part of the local church - no matter how messy and ordinary it seems today. It is only when God's people begin to see one another as the Lord sees them that they will truly find a place to belong.

A Place Called Ananda is a deeply meaningful story. If what you seek in life is greater inspiration and understanding, you will find here a fulfillment. The story is different, yes. In some ways it is highly unusual. Its underlying message, however, is universal.

No one is a stranger to loneliness. Despite how social we are via text, chat, and notifications, we are far from being truly connected. We all want someone else to really see us and choose us for who we are. We want a place to finally fit in. But what if finding the right people or the right place is not the answer? From her community-building background, Sarah E. Westfall takes our longing to belong as an invitation to embrace and extend the deep love of God.

We are ready to rise up. But how, exactly, do we do this? How does one reconcile? What we need is a clear sense of direction. Based on her extensive consulting experience with churches, colleges and organizations, Rev. Dr. Brenda Salter McNeil has created a roadmap to show us the way. She guides us through the common topics of discussion and past the bumpy social terrain and political boundaries that will arise. In this revised and expanded edition, McNeil has updated her signature roadmap to incorporate insights from her more recent work.

Here are only a few of the new friends you’ll meet in TEENAGE CHRISTIAN, Inspirational Short Stories for Guys: DAVID, proud to be the owner of his grandfather’s Civil War-era rifle—a family heirloom—discovers the hard way that only a fine line separates adoration and idolatry. TIM, caught in a fierce tornado, has nowhere to run, except straight into the loving, protective arms of the Lord. KYLE’S feelings for his best friend, Charlie, turn from love to hate when Charlie hunts and kills Jannie, the tame little doe that Kyle befriended. MIKE puts an opportunity to work at a popular ...

Join J.C. Ryle as he explains the benefits of reading (and rereading) the Bible, and find inspiration for your daily devotions in this classic work.

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.

Fighting, disagreements, hatred, dissension, and silence. These things seem common in the wider Christian community today. Politics, theology, and even personal preference create seemingly insurmountable rifts. It’s hard not to see ourselves as “at war” with each other. We’re not doomed to be stuck here, though. There is a twofold path out of this destructive war, out of seeing our brothers and sisters as enemies―and into a spacious place of loving each other even as we disagree.

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?

Political and cultural wars are tearing communities apart. Issues such as immigration, racism, and guns are driving wedges between people and hampering Christians' impact in the world. In Empowered to Repair, Brenda Salter McNeil looks to the biblical story of Nehemiah for answers. There, she finds an action-based model for repairing and rebuilding our communities and transforming broken systems. McNeil goes beyond theories, offering practical tools Christians need for organizing, empowering, and activat

The discussion is conducted as follows: a student presents a problem that has arisen in one of the many traditional communities in Israel (Muslim, Christian, Bedouin, Druze, new immigrants from Ethiopia and the Caucasus, certain religious communities, etc.). The problems are drawn from the student’s family, from his or her work as a teacher or as an educational counselor, as well as from other sources. A multi-cultural dialogue develops around the problem in question, in which the participants suggest solutions they are familiar with from their culture, and the author adds the Western ...

For those who declare that Sunday school doesn't work anymore, here is a book that can revitalize this often neglected ministry. Steve Parr encourages churches to re-energize traditional Sunday school by making it intentionally evangelistic, using proven methods and strategies already implemented in hundreds of growing churches. He guides churches through the process of analyzing their present programs and moving in a new direction to fulfill the Great Commission.

Discipleship can feel like a meandering journey - we don’t know what we want, and none of the programs offered seem to get us anywhere. We need something to orient ourselves and something to direct our steps toward a clear destination. Simple Discipleship, with its companion assessment tool, offers a plan for discipleship that is tailored to your real life and your personality and clearly pointed in the way of Jesus.

Unleashed and Anointed for Kingdom Business is a call to action for CEOs, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders who hunger to be used by God in the marketplace. Now is the time to say "YES" to the calling upon your life. In an era marred by turmoil and moral decay, this book invites leaders to rise above the status quo and ignite a divine revolution of Kingdom boldness and authority that creates transformational change in their homes, workplaces, and communities.

In An Honorable Heritage, Pandita Ramabai tells her story of being born into the privileged Brahman caste and leaving tradition behind for something far better—the light and hope she found in Christ. After years of searching for something more than the hopeless existence her religion offered to those not born into a high caste, Pandita had at last discovered someone who could uplift the downtrodden women of India—and every land.

Today, a new movement is under way, bringing Christians of every denomination, age, race, and sexual orientation together around dinner tables. Men and women nervous about stepping through church doors are finding God in new ways as they eat together. Kendall Vanderslice shares stories of churches worshiping around the table, introducing listeners to the rising contemporary dinner-church movement. We Will Feast provides vision and inspiration to listeners longing to experience community in a real, physical way.

Like so many saints before him, Samuel Rutherford did his best work while he was imprisoned for the gospel. While in exile from his hometown, he wrote hundreds of letters to his friends and members of his congregation. Christians of all walks have drawn strength from Rutherford's letters, which were printed several years after his death in 1661 and have been called “the most remarkable series of devotional letters that the literature of the Reformed churches can show.” The Loveliness of Christ is a collection of short excerpts from these letters.

First-century Christians knew what it meant to live in vital community with one another, relating with a depth and commitment that made "the body of Christ" a perfect metaphor for the church. What would it take to reclaim that kind of love, joy, support, and dynamic spiritual growth? Listen to this book and find out.