Living Ministries

Now, as more families like Michael's are affected by a growing number of disorders and difficulties ranging from autism to food allergies, the need for programs and paradigm shifts is greater than ever. Beates thus seeks to motivate churches to pursue ministry to children and adults with developmental disabilities. He works through key Bible passages on brokenness and disability to develop helpful principles for believers and churches, teaching them first to embrace their own brokenness and then to embrace those who are more physically and visibly broken.

Are you exhausted? Women today really do feel the weight of the world on their shoulders. Every morning we are greeted with a long list of to-dos: get the kids up and out the door on time, have a meaningful quiet time, put in a full day at the office, spend an hour at the gym, prepare a healthy and delicious meal (organic and locally grown, of course), and make sure the sink sparkles before you go to bed. Oh, and don’t forget to look great and smile while you’re doing it.

His grandfather’s lynching in the deep South, the murders of his two older brothers, and his verbally harsh and absent father all worked together to form Jason Wilson’s childhood. But it was his decision to acknowledge his emotions and yield to God’s call on his life that made Wilson the man and leader he is today. As the founder of one of the country’s most esteemed youth organizations, Wilson explains the dangers men face in our culture’s definition of “masculinity” and gives listeners hope that healing is possible.

The Christmas season is often one of the busiest and most stressful times of the year, and it’s easy to lose sight of what makes it special. Helping us refocus on what’s truly important, well-known pastor and author John Piper leads readers through twenty-four short meditations on Advent. The devotionals - drawn from Piper’s extensive preaching and teaching ministry - lead readers to ponder afresh the birth of Jesus, Israel’s long-awaited Messiah and the Savior of the world.

Hailed by many as the best modern book on Christian spirituality, Celebration of Discipline has helped more than one million seekers discover a richer spiritual life infused with joy, peace, and a deeper understanding of God.

Can we know if Jesus actually lived? Have Jesus' followers been a force for good or evil in history? A respected journalist set out to find the answers - not from opinion but from artifacts. The evidence led him to an unexpected conclusion: Jesus really existed and launched the greatest movement for social good in human history. A first-of-its-kind audiobook for a new generation, Jesus Skeptic takes nothing for granted as it explores whether Jesus actually lived and how his story has changed our world.

There is nothing more powerful than fasting. Though it lasts for a short season, it brings long-term effects and blessings. This book is focused on the power of fasting to help you regain your edge when the circumstances of life deplete your spiritual energy and dull your spiritual sharpness. Best-selling author Jentezen Franklin sets the focus for the book by using the story of the student prophet in 2 Kings 6 who lost his ax head while working.

In The Interior Castle, Carmelite nun, mystic, and patron saint of Spain Teresa of Ávila uses the metaphor of a giant crystal castle to explain her theory of the soul and the various stages it passes through as it progresses towards God. Beginning in the outer rooms, where demons are fought and vices are purged, the soul must reach the inner chambers, where it will enter betrothal and intimate union with God. Prayer is central to the journey, as the soul is guided by its practice and each phase represents a different category of devotion.

Recovering Redemption. What does it mean? Recovering: Getting back, restoring. Redemption: God’s plan of salvation, the gospel. Because we have a tendency to drift from the gospel, we must be reoriented back to the gospel. We must recover a right understanding and application of the gospel. We must see that the gospel is the fuel for salvation and sanctification and the panacea to fix all things. The heart of the problem is the problem of the heart. The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?

This audiobook details some of the most important writings in the life of Jonathan Edwards. His personal conversion story is intense as he describes the "sense of glory" that permeated his soul. Edwards also details his January 1723 dedication in which he offered all of himself without restriction or regard to his own life. The 70 resolutions of Jonathan Edwards were written over a year time period, and Edwards read them on a weekly basis.

Can business activity in itself be morally good and pleasing to God? Sometimes business can seem so shady-manipulating the "bottom line", deceiving the consumer, or gaining promotions because of whom you know. But Wayne Grudem introduces a novel concept: business itself glorifies God when it is conducted in a way that imitates God's character and creation. He shows that all aspects of business,including ownership, profit, money, competition, and borrowing and lending, glorify God because they are reflective of God's nature.

Today, looking and feeling good are high lifestyle priorities. For much less than the cost of a doctor visit, this health classic will tell you how to manage stress, get well, prevent disease, and feel vibrantly alive. Does God have a health-care plan for people living today? Is there a link between diet and spiritual growth? Does the Master Physician desire to heal people today as He did in Bible times? Answers to these questions and more are contained in Ministry of Healing.

Former English teacher and homeschooling mother of three, Jessica Smartt felt the weight of helping prepare her kids for life, especially with all the outside pressures and influence of the world. She struggled with how she could raise her children with a sense of adventure, self-confidence, manners, faith, and the ability to utilize technology wisely. Let Them Be Kids is Jessica's offering of grace and confidence to moms, giving them practical ideas to meet these challenges.

In this forty-day Lenten devotional, best-selling author Paul David Tripp invites us to set aside time from the busyness of our lives to focus on the suffering and sacrifice of Jesus. Each of the short entries encourages us to abide in the abundant joy found in Christ as we encounter the Savior more fully and follow him more faithfully during this Lenten season.

John Eldredge calls men back to a simple and reassuring truth: God is our father. In life's trials and triumphs, God is initiating boys and men through the stages of manhood from beloved son to cowboy to warrior to lover to king to sage. Fathered by God maps out the path of manhood - not more rules, not another list of principles, not formulas, but a sure path men have followed for centuries before us.

You can't put it into words, but something is happening to you. Your stomach churns, your heart aches, and the tension in your marriage is making you feel weary and a little crazy. The constant criticism, disrespect, cruelty, deceit, and gross indifference are eroding your confidence and breaking your spirit. For any woman caught in an emotionally destructive marriage, Leslie Vernick offers a personalized path forward.

Internationally renowned Bible teacher Joyce Meyer draws on her own history of abuse to show women how Christ's redeeming love heals emotional wounds and brings joy to life.

All believers in Christ have a relationship with the Holy Spirit, but not all believers have intimacy with him. Holy Spirit was sent to lead you deeper in the knowledge of truth and give you the strength to overcome trials and the power to reach this world. In this audiobook, Pastor Vladimir Savchuk takes you on a journey through discovering the communion with the Holy Spirit which belongs to everyone, not just the spiritually elite.

It’s so easy to feel overwhelmed by the mixed messages of what it means to live well. Kendra Adachi, the creator of the Lazy Genius movement, invites you to live well by your own definition and equips you to be a genius about what matters and lazy about what doesn’t. Everything from your morning routine to napping without guilt falls into place with Kendra’s 13 Lazy Genius principles.

How would it feel to enter into prayer with confidence and assurance - certain that God heard you and that your prayers would make a difference? It would likely feel amazing and unfamiliar. That's because often our prayers seem to be met with silence or don't appear to change anything. Either response can lead to disappointment or even despair in the face of our ongoing battles and unmet longings - especially when we don't know if we're doing something wrong or if some prayers just don't work.