Showing results by narrator "Mark Smeby" in All Categories

Ministry is hard. Much like marriage, it's full of unanticipated challenges, requires a great deal of selflessness, and often comes with little reward. Marriage and ministry together? It's a unique calling, yet couples who enter into it seldom receive adequate preparation, training, or even warning! Geoff and Sherry Surratt have been at both marriage and ministry together for over 30 years and have seen the highs, the lows, and everything in between - they've managed to figure out a way to make it all work together.

When it comes to pursuing our dreams, Ryan Romeo is convinced of two things. First, God knows where you come from. He knows about your past. He knows about the seemingly impossible situation you may find yourself in. And yet, he is even more committed to seeing your dream come to life than you are.

Is heaven real? What is it really like? Award-winning author Lee Strobel tracked down the evidence and provides answers to the questions middle school children 8-12 ask about both heaven and hell in this young listener's edition of The Case for Heaven that is perfect for teaching your child about the biblical evidence for eternal life.

In Beautiful, Disappointing, Hopeful, Drew Hyun shows us why our avoiding loss is not the biblical pathway to experiencing beauty. He encourages us to engage with three simple practices—gratitude, grieving, and grace—that can build lasting spiritual resilience as we learn to grow through our loss and disappointment.

The Bible promises us more than inspiration. More than influence. The Bible promises us access to the same power that raised Jesus from the dead. So what keeps us from drawing on that incredible resurrection power in our daily lives? In His Mighty Strength, popular pastor and author Randy Frazee explores Jesus’s time on Earth to uncover the amazing source of his strength. Jesus continually sought direction from the Father and found the power to live the Father’s will through the Holy Spirit. He said yes to God every day of his earthly life - and we can, too.

Thirteen years ago, amidst scandal, sin, and shattered lives, Michael English fell from the pinnacle of the Christian music world. In 1994, newspapers around the world blared the headline, "Gospel Singer Named Artist of the Year Turns in His Awards After Confirming He Had an Affair with a Fellow Married Singer." From 1994 to 2002 Michael English's life went from bad to worse. Public shame, divorce, broken relationships, drug addiction, even homelessness. But in 2002, God reached out and rescued Michael from himself.

If you're seeking simplicity in a complicated world, Mark DeMoss' insights will illuminate your path to a wiser and more deliberate way of living. Exploring the notions of integrity, humility, and self-restraint, DeMoss demonstrates what is possible when we value listening and thinking over talking and doing.

Our kids face more pressure and stress than ever before. Issues such as fear, jealousy, loneliness, and anxiety seem like giants standing in the way of the joy-filled childhood and adolescence we want them to have. In Goliath Must Fall for Young Readers, pastor Louie Giglio shows kids that only God can help them defeat those giants — and he will.

Why is there suffering? Doesn't science disprove miracles? What about hell--and the millions who've never heard of Jesus? Is heaven for real? Lee Strobel decided to use his award-winning journalistic skills to investigate the idea of faith and prove that placing our trust in things we cannot see is a solid bet. This teen adaptation of The Case for Faith present hard-hitting findings as well as Lee's journey from skepticism to belief in an easy-to-follow manner so you can make a decision about the Christian faith and theology for yourself.

The evangelical church is hemorrhaging. Over 40 million Americans have dechurched in the last 25 years alone, and multiple generations have been raised to believe the most spiritual thing they can do is follow God by following their heart—right out of the church. Yet, this shift is happening right as society is hitting record levels of loneliness, stress, and anxiety. In The Reason for Church, pastor Brad Edwards connects the dots of our current church crisis and provides compelling reasons to come back.

Graduates have a choice to make, beyond what college to attend or job to accept. What will they do with their lives? And for whom will they live it? Based on the New York Times best seller The Purpose Driven Life, this collection of thoughts and Scriptures will help high school and college graduates develop deeper meaning for their life by embracing key truths.

This book is about surrendering to life as it is, all of our out-of-control circumstances, challenging relationships, wavering faith, fluctuating self-image - and finding the awesomeness in it all, rather than being frustrated that things aren’t the way we think they should be. Resting in the mess. My hope is that this book will help you say farewell to fear, insecurity, ego-driven decision making, self-pity, and regret. After we’ve thrown those ugly bits away, let’s aim for the warm pools of joy and peace; they include greater acceptance of ourselves, others, and maybe even God.

It's hard to believe sometimes, but the God who created the universe and everything in it desires a relationship with each of us. God knew you before you were born. He hears your prayers, wants to come near to you, and plans for you to have abundant life. In Draw Near to God, you'll find Scripture and reflections that will guide, support, and assure you that your heavenly father loves you and longs to spend time with you. You'll encounter His grace and mercy as you study and learn more about His tender care.

Let’s face it: we are afraid. Our world is riddled with fear-inducing headlines, financial meltdowns, family crises, and phobias of every stripe. No wonder the New York Times now reports one in ten Americans is now taking antidepressant or anxiety medication. So how do we cope or even succeed in a world spinning out of control? As someone who has battled panic attacks and anxiety most of his life, Lance Hahn can relate. In How to Live in Fear, Lance tackles the pervasive problem of fear and panic head-on by inviting listeners into his world.

In the AHA Student Edition, students will discover that when God’s truth and the power of the Holy Spirit collide, anything can happen! In this student edition of AHA, Kyle Idleman combines personal stories, biblical teaching, and humor to engage students in the process of true biblical life transformation. This edition will appeal to a wide range of students including high school and college-aged listeners.

What we think and believe determines who we are. If that’s so, then why are we so insecure, defensive, lonely, empty, fearful, depressed, self-absorbed, dysfunctional, angry and confused? We are a mess. But that’s not what God has in mind for us. In fact, the Master has hope, strength, beauty, joy, love, creativity, freedom, power, peace, patience, goodness, laughter, organization, effectiveness and purpose for us. So, what went wrong?

Christians today are facing a crisis of influence. In our rush to speak truth to today's tensions, cultural issues, and trending controversies, it becomes all too easy to focus on proving our points rather than extending God's grace. Conversely, when we seek only to love yet never proclaim a better way, we short-circuit God's plan. Truth Plus Love invites you to rediscover the biblical framework for engaging culture as ambassadors of Christ. Through biblical insight, cultural analysis, and practical principles, Matt Brown outlines how to champion truth without compromise.

How to Be Present in an Absent World is a guide for cultivating a self-awareness that empowers you to take ownership of your life in every area of influence. It provides a biblical way to handle the daily pressures of life without denying, escaping, or outrunning the present, past, or future. Montgomery and his coauthors, Webb and Silva, equip you with the kind of self-understanding that allows you to overcome obstacles - whether in your church, in your job, or in your family - that were previously discouraging and seemingly insurmountable.

Imagine grocery shopping once-a-week or less, eating healthier, and having more free time-all while saving money. Sound too good to be true? For the Economides family, it's a reality, and it can be yours too.

Listeners of Take Back Your Family were moved by Jefferson Bethke's eye-opening insights about the harm caused by idealizing the "nuclear family" in our culture. He challenged listeners to discover and live by God's original and better plan for families as described in the Bible. Now, in the accompanying Take Back Your Family Handbook, he provides inspirational exercises and interactive tools for families to put that biblical truth into real-life practice.