Life Growth

Available as an audiobook for the first time ever, Discernment: Reading the Signs of Daily Life invites you to adopt Nouwen as your personal spiritual guide. Each session was carefully prepared by Dr. Michael Christensen, an award-winning professor of Christian ministry and practice, and Dr. Rebecca Laird, who was Nouwen’s student at Yale Divinity School. Like other volumes in The Nouwen Trilogy, this audiobook collects Nouwen’s unpublished homilies, interviews, classes, and speeches, as well as excerpts from his published writings.

Redeeming How We Talk explores what the Bible has to say about that central aspect of life and relationships - conversation. The Scriptures show us that words have remarkable power - to create, to bless, to encourage, to forgive. Imagine how we could spark change in our families, churches, and communities if we learned to use words like Jesus did. By weaving together theology, history, and philosophy, Ken Wytsma and A. J. Swoboda help us reclaim the holiness of human speech and the relevance of meaningful conversation in our culture today.

Andrew M. Davis helps listeners commit to extended Scripture memorization so they may grow in holiness, resist temptation, and share the gospel with others. In this brief guide, he offers an accessible, time-tested pattern for studying Scripture that includes simple daily procedures and tips for long-term retention. By building up a storehouse of biblical truth in their hearts, listeners will strengthen their prayer life and intimacy with Christ as they prepare to share God’s truth with others.

Too often we live our lives for an audience and miss out on the kind of life we really desire. In Stop Checking Your Likes, author and life coach Susie Moore shows listeners how to escape the "approval trap" and accept themselves as they are right now. With warmth and down-to-earth humor, Moore reveals 14 principles for developing unshakable self-confidence, illustrating her lessons with stories from her experience as a young executive and self-made entrepreneur.

Life is often messy. We hear people say, “My life is a mess,” or “This situation is a mess.” What they mean is that life has become difficult, painful or confusing. But God never promised us a trouble-free life. In fact, His Word tells us to expect the opposite. In John 16:33, Jesus says, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (NIV). In Blessed in the Mess, beloved Bible teacher Joyce Meyer shows us how to be blessed in the midst of life’s most challenging circumstances.

So much of our belief can be formulaic. We often think that if we do A, B, and C, then God will do X, Y, and Z. We check things off the “Good Christian Checklist,” trusting we’ll be okay, and our trials will be minimal. But when our experiences inevitably deviate from that belief, our trust in God often crumbles. After a series of life-altering trials—including a devastating diagnosis—uncovering faith in the cracks of pain is something Kristen LaValley knows well.

There is so much more than what I'm settling for! That was the revelation about God that changed Jeannie Cunnion's life and lit a fire in her soul. Jeannie was surprised to realize that even though she had been following Jesus for more than 35 years as a preacher's kid and Bible teacher, she was missing out on all of God.

Gravity affects every aspect of our physical being, but there’s a psychological force just as powerful - yet almost nobody has heard of it. It’s responsible for bringing groups of people together and pulling them apart, making certain goals attractive to some and not to others, and fueling cycles of anxiety and conflict. In Wanting, Luke Burgis draws on the work of French polymath René Girard to bring this hidden force to light and reveals how it shapes our lives and societies.

With uplifting teaching and piercing prophetic insight, Jane Hamon outlines the enemy's tactics to steal, kill, and destroy-and imparts biblical revelation, practical decrees, and prayers to take authority over the thief; experience full restoration; live in supernatural provision, prosperity, and power; possess your prophetic promises; and receive a double portion of all you lost.

Dr. Robert Jeffress has an encouraging message for people looking for something more. God not only wants us to enjoy an extraordinary life, he has provided a roadmap for doing so. In this inspiring and motivating book, Dr. Jeffress reveals seven secrets from Elijah that result in a life marked by significance, satisfaction, and success, including discovering your unique purpose in life; waiting on God's timing; learning how to handle bad days; and more.

“I want to believe, I want to have hope, but....” Pastor and author Craig Groeschel hears these words often and has asked them himself. We want to know God, feel his presence, and trust that he hears our prayers, but in the midst of great pain, we may wonder if he really cares about us. Even when we have both hope and hurt, sometimes it’s the hurt that shouts the loudest. Can God be good when life is not? You long to know that even in overwhelming reality, you can still believe that God is good.

Blending her own experiences with an intimate grasp of spirituality, Sue Monk Kidd relates the passionate and moving tale of her spiritual crisis, when life seemed to have lost meaning and her longing for a hasty escape from the pain yielded to a discipline of "active waiting." Full of wisdom, poise, and grace, Kidd’s words will encourage us along our spiritual journey, toward becoming who we truly are.

Understand trauma and discover its effects on the brain and body, develop a personalized recovery plan to overcome stress and anxiety, and find long-lasting healing. Recognized by Oprah Winfrey as a "spiritual thinker for the next generation," Mastin Kipp guides you through a plan for working through trauma. You'll come away with a clear understanding of trauma in your own life and others', and how to apply the best practices and information to fully heal and thrive.

How do you make a change in your life when the tools you used to rely on start letting you down? Whether we’re struggling with a problem, a bad habit, or life in general, we often think we need to “tough it out” or “try harder.” But when we do that, our brains double down on the patterns that got us stuck in the first place. Fortunately, the science of sensation provides the key.

Life as a pastor's wife offers meaningful opportunities to play a significant part in God's work, to witness and participate in the beauty of changed lives. Yet it also carries the potential for deep wounds and great conflict that can drain the joy out of service. Is it worth it? Oh, yes, says Kay Warren, wife of Pastor Rick Warren and cofounder of Saddleback Church. It is more than worth the risk - it's a sacred privilege.

Drawing from an incredibly rich trove of global data, this groundbreaking book reveals that human progress has been slowing down since the early 1970s. Danny Dorling uses compelling visualizations to illustrate how fertility rates, growth in GDP per person, increases in life expectancy, and even the frequency of new social movements have all steadily declined over the last few generations.

Psychologist Martin E.P. Seligman, one of the world's experts on motivation, shows you how to chart a new approach to living with "flexible optimism." Dr. Seligman's principles of reasoned, flexible optimism will help you rise above pessimism and the depression that accompanies negative thoughts.

Pain and regret tell you that you can’t move forward in life. The truth is, you’re only stuck if you stop moving—and Unstuck is the book you need to keep moving. In Unstuck pastor and life coach Real Talk Kim reminds you—as only she can—that staying stuck takes as much energy as moving forward. Packed with hope, inspiration, and Real Talk Kim’s pithy wisdom, Unstuck gives you a daily dose of encouragement to take one more step toward the incredible future God has for you.

What is my purpose in life? What is a good life? Why is there so much wrong with our world? What can I do to help make it right? These are some of the big questions that everyone must answer. And any lasting change in our lives will start with a change to one or more of our answers to these questions. Jesus changed the life of every person he met in the Gospels, through powerful experiences and words that led them to unexpected and transforming answers to their big questions. These conversations can still address our questions and doubts today.

Who would imagine being friends with Eve - the woman who’s been held responsible for the fall of humanity (and cramps) for thousands of years? Certainly not Sarah Jakes Roberts. That is, not until Sarah discovered she is more like Eve than she cares to admit. Everyone faces trials, and everyone will mess up. But failure should not be the focus. Your focus should not be on who you were but rather the pursuit of who you can become.